Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 492: Dead Forest ()

Neveah’s intended moment of peace did not last long, not when her wolf pointed out an obvious fact that Neveah has somehow failed to sense on time.

’Veah... this forest, is it not strange? It is completely silent...and this aura...’ Neveah’s wolf drew her attention to their surrounding.

It was then Neveah listened in and just as her wolf had said, there was not even the smallest sound of forest life anywhere,

Not the chirping of birds, not the scurrying sound of squirrels or rabbits, it was completely different from the forest they had just been in before going through the portal.

It was like the forest itself had been reaped of all life, even the trees and plants were strangely blackened, barely alive but not entirely dead.

And then there was that aura Neveah’s wolf had mentioned, more akin to a deathly atmosphere that loomed over the forest.

That aura, it reminded Neveah of one she had faced a while ago... the aura was eerily similar to that of the troll golem.

A cold chill ran down Neveah’s spine as she came to this realization and she got up to her feet, scanning her immediate environment.

Neveah’s nose twitched slightly, the smell of blood from the merchant was growing stronger and it would do nothing to help their situation.

If there was one thing that was most enticing to all kinds of beasts and predators, whether normal or otherwise, then blood was at the very top of that list and human blood had a special allure to it.

Neveah would know, she was also part predator by her own rights.

"If we can smell the blood this strongly, anything else can pick up on the smell too... wherever this is... I do not think we want to know what lurks here." Neveah thought to her wolf.

Neveah walked over to the merchant, crouching down to his level, she ripped a portion of his robe,

She quickly and expertly secured it around the injury on his head to slow the bleeding, which was the best she could do at the moment.

"The cut is deep, he will definitely have a concussion. The bleeding will not stop easily too." Neveah noted.

’I cannot sense any life for miles, where do you think we could be?’ Neveah’s wolf asked her.

Neveah pursed her lips slightly, thinking back to the attack on the barrier and the breach of shadow beasts.

All had happened in quick succession and it made the danger Kaideon had told Neveah of on her first night in the dunes, all the more apparent.

"I think your guess is as good as mine." Neveah murmured beneath her breath.

Neveah did not want to believe it, but a nagging feeling in her gut told her that this forest was nowhere in the White Dunes.

There was nowhere in the Dunes that could be so eerie.

And given the short range of the jump portal, the only place they could have been portaled to, that looked like death in a literal sense was the infamous lands beyond the barrier.

Neveah quickly shook her head, passing a look to the merchant.

"It could not be, he might be a criminal but he is not that stupid. No human would dare venture here, not even to escape capture." Neveah decided against that thought.

"But if we truly are beyond the barrier...then this is serious trouble." Neveah said the words, though she knew her wolf already thought the same.

’Get him to a shelter first, it will be easier to defend in a smaller space.’ Neveah’s wolf thought.

Neveah nodded, she pulled the merchant across to a tree, adjusting his position so he was sitting with his back leaned against the tree.

Neveah then searched through his clothing, to confirm if he had any other portal artifact in his possession.

If the merchant did have one, Neveah was certain she could figure out the mechanism and get them back to the Dune City.

Neveah searched thoroughly and then again, but there was none Neveah could find.

"I do not suppose it could ever be that easy." Neveah said with a shake of her head.

Neveah scaled up the tree to a high branch and scouted ahead, in search of a shelter that was close enough that she could get the merchant there in time.

She could see far enough ahead in the forest to notice a few caves.

Neveah frowned slightly, truly, there did not seem to be any wild life and while that should have been reassuring, it only made Neveah feel more unsettled.

Whatever carried such a dark aura must have rendered this forest devoid of all alive and whatever it was, Neveah had no intentions on becoming it’s next victim.

Neveah also studied the layout of the forest in an attempt to determine the best way to exit it and in what direction the Dune City lay.

It took a while, but Neveah could pick up the traces in the wind that helped her ascertain in what direction the White Dunes lay, which further confirmed to Neveah that she truly was on the other side of the barrier.

"This damned smuggler!" Neveah hissed in annoyance.

Neveah was just about scaling down the tree when she caught sight of a familiar form far in the distance.

It was so far that Neveah could barely make it out and so she squinted slightly and without a doubt, Neveah watched with wide eyes as a familiar black dragon tumbled down from the sky a far distance ahead.

"Xenon!" Neveah exclaimed in horror.

Neveah could not tell from where she stood what condition he was in, from where he had been attacked or why he could not break his fall,

The only thing that Neveah could see was the black dragon tumbling down at a speed so great, Neveah could not think of anything that would survive the fall and the thought of that sent her heart shrivelling up in terror.