1 ||  CHAPTER 001 ||

Whizz... a low, ominous rumble echoed through the forest. 

"or whatever is left of it," Conner's thoughts, louder than shedding leaves. 

"Can't see any," he muttered. 

Forests are supposedly covered with lush green grass, standing tall trees, shrubs, grazing animals, looming predators, rivers, brooks, and creeks. In the common Asla tongue, they are called woods. At least that is what the old records in the temple say, but now

"Woods.... exactly what did I expect" he scoffed under his breath, contemplating. 

Surrounded by withered dead trees, shattered logs, rotten trunks filled with stagnant rainwater, uprooted trees leaving huge holes in the ground, and constant gray mist covering the land up to inches deep, he thought  

" Such a good holiday spot, remind me to invite friends and family next time around. Oh, don't forget about their main attractions… any guesses… piles of dead wood scattered all around  "

"Awe-inspiring" Conner shifted closer for heat. 

"For publicity, I got some ideas  'Welcome to Woods with lots and lots of wood'. We guarantee a comfortable home-like experience for all. "

Not one to delve into this much detail unless it involved women or booze, but Conner could see the bittersweet humor in this situation that was hitting the nail on his head. 

 Once this place was awake and it sang with life but now it sleeps and weeps to death. The green, lush, and standing prideful trees seem very distant echoes of its memory but now it was cold, and cries with death wailing in the silence of the mist. As far as you see you can call it 

" a graveyard, " Smiling slightly and scratching the scar stretching from his mouth to the back of his ear he asked, 

" I was so keen on reaching this graveyard, Why ?" 

" Any thoughts tree?" he quipped, pointing to a decaying log. 

" Because I was dying to get here" Conner smirked and shuffled his hair while grinning. 

" it's a graveyard and I was dying to get here "

" see " 

":…:" Conner nodded his smile faded and he started poking and killing the ambers with a stick. 

" That was a good one...  Awful crowd "... 

Shrinking back on the rock, he sighed to himself

" Why did I come? " he whinged 

" Whose idea was it? " 

" Damn him," 

Conner cursed that person hard, and suddenly a recent memory dawned on him. The memory played taking him back to the town where he sought directions from the bartender. 

"What did the old white head say? " he had inquired, struggling to recall the details amidst the fog of his mind 

"Don't even think of venturing in, lad... I have seen forest whispering closer than any city dweller... the barriers thinner boy, of dead, of living," said the great white bartender in a tough voice with deep caution written on his face. The bartender sounded pretty serious so Conner agreed. 

"Well,  I did but, "Ah, but pride my friend, that sinister companion, inevitably a very slippery slope. Now, stir in a sprinkle of God's nectar, and behold the symphony of chaos. 

After a couple of glasses, he scoffed at the bartender's warning, dismissing it as mere superstitious babble, and had even insulted the man in his reckless arrogance. Proclaiming his might, Conner had flexed an imaginary bulging forearm, believing himself invincible. And Mr invincible was respectfully tossed out. So he started walking away and toward the forest in anger. 

"Strange... disturbingly strange... is that me?" he wondered aloud, pinching his imaginary goatee, to shake himself out of the surreal memory. 

" Well, for a fact ale was bitter, zero recommendation from me, and who will believe him or the people that say stuff like 'the forest sings a known melody for those who seek it, and the mist lies and follows'… blah blah blah… " 

" Bullshit " Conner wiped the sweat off his forehead looking around him, seeing if he was on the right course of action but 

" Well I'd be damn " he raised his hands to support his chin and determination from falling off. 

He dragged himself all day and no one compelled him to do so, and now he was whining about his misadventures to a log. 

"Just the remedy I need… but then again maybe they don't want me to find what's hidden " Conner's lips spread wide as he thought of it. 

Conner Dan West can do many things but admitting his false endeavors 

"Whatevers." 

But it was the least of his worries,

" What was this place called again?" 

Conner placed a finger on his chin and with a very constipated look he thought 

" Obscu…Obscura Noctis… aw… names "

Conner's nose wrinkled with a familiar smell of 

"What though ?" 

he rubbed his nose thinking. A drop of water fell on top of his nose and slid down. 

" Shit...," he cursed under his breath. 

" Of all the sweet times …  a couple of hours and I'll be up" He clenched his fist, grabbed his sack, fashioned his sword, and started to walk away from the camp. 

While some people might be delighted seeing the downpour in a desolate place like this. If one were stranded and isolated it might seem like only hope but not Conner, he was not one of them for sure he was not among the dead 

"not yet at least… " 

His heart was running on a race track, faster than the frontrunner 

"Well, that's just a mild symptom of choosing the road where death travels "

Each time a drop touched the ground it turned to vapor instantly. It was as if the ground was hot and sizzling magma but it was not. 

"Don't bother about the mysterious behaving land or the untimely rain but what it beckons " Conner urged himself, quickening his footsteps and raising his hands to take cover from the incoming branches. 

Conner was well informed of the rumors and widespread tales 

" One might argue that there isn't a substantial difference between them" he mused. 

But that didn't matter now, he had to find higher grounds immediately, or else an even less substantial amount of difference in between 

" The Courageous Conner Dan West and a corpse-like Conner Dan West" the thought squeaked his spine. 

Soon, he stumbled upon a tree that appeared relatively easy to climb. Conner cautiously wrapped his hand around the thick, broken trunk that leaned upon another lifeless tree. He climbed with a sense of urgency, ensuring his movements remained as silent as possible. Swiftly, he reached the top and settled himself after testing the stability of the trunk. 

"Just one slight issue though" Squinting his eyes, scanning the surroundings 

"Excellent…I see everything" he saw nothing 

Despite his merry thoughts, everything was enveloped in darkness, making it difficult to see anything beyond the dim outline of the broken tree trunk he sat on, the campfire had long extinguished, leaving only obscurity.

"They say ' Fight what you see, fear what you can't and run far from what can see you ' ageless words " Conner mumbled to himself as he settled, gazing at the moon's subdued glow blurred by leaking sky, his eyes dilated in the dark as the rain played merrily, cascading down the lifeless landscape. The raindrops seemed to disappear instantaneously,  blending with the rising vapor to create a dense white shroud blanketing the ground below. 

" It was a long walk here I don't mind it " 

" But I'd pick a hot shower and dry boots any day ." A drop of water touched Conner's neck and slid down his back; the sensation was a stark reminder that nothing would be safe in this treacherous terrain.  

If anyone stumbles upon this place they might mistake Conner for a bird

" A bird hunched up and seeking shelter " 

He chuckled at this amusing thought and brushed his wet hair back thinking 

" wet ones can't fly, ' the wetter it is, easier and better it is "  

The rain persisted, relentless in its downpour, pelting, and drumming for the next few hours,  leaving Conner in a dismal and waterlogged state atop the slumped tree. His fingers were wrinkled and white, clutched underneath his gray, worn leather jacket. 

To Conner, the rain felt like an unstoppable deluge, and the intermittent thunder roared,  revealing a glimpse of the forest illuminated by its ominous flashes. The forest floor below was now covered by a thick layer of fog, resembling a flooded land shrouded in ghostly white steam. 

" more salt for my well-seasoned wounds " his face was bitter as he felt the sting of his surroundings. 

Navigating the forest had already been a formidable challenge with an ancient map and a ludicrous old man's cryptic riddle as guidance. The mist reaching his toes had been manageable, but if the relentless rain persisted until morning, the entire forest would be 

" choked with mist… map or not I'd be… " 

Irritation gnawed at Conner, and the thought of being stranded here for hours was far from pleasant. He longed for comfort and, in a futile attempt to shift his weight, dislodged a frail branch from the trunk. The branch sailed into the dense mist, disappearing into the shadowy unknown. The forest seemed to echo his isolation and amplify his senses. 

. 

"shit…" 

.

(drops felt freezing… sound of thunder eerily calm and alluring )

.

Conner's heart felt as though it had been pierced by the very branch he had dislodged. It flew straight into the mist, tearing a small hole in its dense shroud. Standing up and breathing frantically, his hand gripped his hilt tightly as he peered into the murky haze, uncertain lightning providing little assistance. He searched desperately for any movement in the mist, the uneven and thin upper layer offered no visibility while the thick and smooth lower layer cloaked everything. 

Despite the darkness enveloping him, Conner looked in every possible direction, for the faintest ripple in the cloud of mist below. But after a prolonged search, finding nothing, he thought, 

"Safe..." and let out a breath of ease sitting down he relieved his tense look. 

A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, reflecting everything around him. Conner saw it. 

" Can't say I am glad …  I love to be wrong a couple of times…  Who can be so bloody damn accurate every time? " 

" If you seek it, it follows… " his face, a mix of dread and resignation. 

A few strides away, a bud the size of a large fist emerged from the mist. Its closed petal ends were stained with a deep red pigment, standing tall above the ground with the rest of the brown stem extending into the thick mist. It lingered on top of the mist, pointing in the direction of the fallen branch. For a few eerie minutes, it remained there before vanishing.

"Yeah it's not dinner time yet, … nothing to dine here… just a rat… a sewer rat… I look like shit, I reek like it … I admit… some even call me a dimwit… eating me is very unfit …"  Conner's thoughts  were a bitter and light-hearted jest, a self-deprecating chant of his plight, trying to mask the unease that had settled .

Gritting his teeth Conner scanned for an escape but the nearest dead tree from where he stood was too far for a leap 

"crash land on that tree, create some more noise, and let that damn thing know where I am precisely … let's call it a leap of faith"  he contemplated, momentarily discarding the thought, but soon realizing it was the best option he could conjure.

"wet ones can't fly…  so ironic "  His mind was racing, trying to make sense of the unfolding nightmare.

Straining his muscles, Conner rose quietly, fixing his gaze on the spot where the branch had fallen, now concealed by mist. More and more ripples appeared in the dense fog as if something was moving beneath the suffocating blanket

The soberness of the situation was slowly sinking its sharp tooth in Connor's mind and body 

"This is good…this is good … too far to rescue… in the dead of the night…soaked and alone " and how could he forget the most important thing of all

" such extraordinary company for a lively chat " 

He chuckled inwardly but only a convoluted smile crept up

" a cold beer would be too much to ask for such a lovely night " 

Conner gripped the hilt of his sword more tightly than the leather wrapped around the handle. He felt his wrinkled pale fingertips rubbing against the leather 

Conner's jaw clenched, tooth-grinding, his eyes fixed like a statue he stood but his inner turmoil was out of control or 

" Or it could be the rain… you never know " he may try to rationalize, but the truth was undeniable. 

Conner Den West can be many things but admitting that he had to pee now more than ever 

" never " 

" It's this dam rain " 

Conner was raised to be brave and chivalrous, embodying the legendary valor of his ancestors as a knight of the West Family. When you encounter an enemy as a West family knight, add one more red bone to the family name. Conner Den West was the first son of this noble family. The incredible knight Cursor Den West II, his great grandfather was renowned as "The Redbone Cursor"  from the brutal ' War of Lost Calling' three centuries ago. 

"I heard the first son of the West family wasn't bestowed and … rumors are he can't even swing a knife properly" jeered the mocking voice.

"Such a noble bloodline and he is intimidated by some measly moving vines… it truly is a shame…. I will pray to the seven gods for them. " sneered another.

" oh yeah then why don't you come down and kill it…you fat whoring piglets" retorted Conner in his mind. 

" and those are not just any moving vines… morons" he added," find one for yourself and see how dark it gets once it rains". 

Commonly known as the soulless but the preachers call them Lazarus' soulless. This accursed tree matured after the great drought that occurred three hundred years ago when the land was entirely cured of water. The living had to find ways to prevail without any form of liquid on land.

" This Lazarus soulless plant is one of many stranger things that took shape"

The name" Soulless" fits the plant because when it doesn't rain, it would remain lifeless as dry vines motionless and might be misinterpreted as firewood. This plant does not have leaves but thick long-lifeless vines with buds, the size of these buds can vary. 

But when the bud insights liquid they unveil a fleshy-red maw like a flower and the rain breathes life into those long thick dead vines. It's like a scaleless serpent hunting under the cover of mist but much deadlier 

Lazarus soulless drinks, dwells, and devours in the rain. It is an eerie undead that comes to life and engulfs end to end of all things that move while it rains. Positively anything dead or alive moving is the food 

" at least that's what the records say" 

The problem is no one has ever seen the main body just those vines and buds 

" or that had seen… couldn't have unseen it… looks like I am about to find out…. Amateurs don't know where to look for it " 

Conner unsheathed his sword gently and squatted down to remove his bag and sword belt. He could see more and more ripples now

" where there is one vine,  there is always another two or three " 

"Come on' Conner ' These are smaller vines you can handle… suck it up.." 

Suddenly a cracking sound came against the rain and the mist cleared a little and Conner could see the tip of that branch being dragged by the vine in the direction from where he first came. Leaving a long straight clear line of mist 

" taking it back to the main body" Conner swelled a month full of saliva seeing this, his half-baked resolve was degrading by the minute. The feeling of him replacing that branch seen very 

" Very realistic" 

The worst thing in all of this was the anticipation, the tension 

" This silence " 

If it wasn't raining then Conner would be sweating like a pig. He knew that this thing knew something was alive and it moved. Only the question is 

"How are you hunting me? " 

" circling and swiping the area… that seems like a stretch… then what? " Conner was trying to apprehend the enemy's demeanor and if it follows a pattern because the first law of war says 

" know your enemy " 

"what do I know…  the general direction of the main body … so it's gonna have to drag me back deeper into the forest"

" Okay… If I were that thing then I would know these dead-standing trees are higher ground and food could be up here hiding to avoid the land below" 

" So if there is movement on the ground then I should look up " 

As the thought took hold, Conner involuntarily looked below and in the lightning, he beheld a red flower with two radiating antenna-like appendages swaying and slowly rising towards him and his sword. 

It rose to face Conner within seconds and he saw it up close.  It unfolded into a mesmerizing bloom. The bud bloomed and unveiled meaty-red petals with two antennas from a hole in the center. this close to his face it looked more beautiful and mesmerizing 

" a bewitching sight up close " 

 The flower closed itself and the bud raised higher than Conner's head as if taunting him with a silent challenge and saying 

" I see you… Any last wishes crawler…" it did not have any eyes or verbal organs but 

" Yet its intent is clear. " All the muscles in Conner's body tensed up,  hands gripping the sword and lifting it. In the darkness, two glowing eyes stared with fierce intent. The sky stirred up with thunder cruising as if the violinist struck the wrong chord in the hymn of a gently playing orchestra. 

" Last wishes he says " Conner retorted, a wide, unsettling grin gracing his face accentuated by a scar making his smile uneven on one side. Menacing under the unclear lightning. 

Conner retorted

" I like to be the 'FUCKING' king  someday…and " 

" When I die, I want to be cremated… want to know why ?" he roared, the raindrops and his laughter blending into a chilling cacophony. 

Conner raised his sword right in front of his adversary while laughing at it. He launched forward, with ecstasy written all over him. Slicing through the air with lightning speed, cleaved the bud from the stalk. The raindrops and fragments of the flower scattered around him, vaulting down he jammed the sword into the headless vine and sliced the vine straight down making it two. 

The mist unfurled in an arc as he landed on his feet. The silence that followed was broken only by Conner's laughter. His face  was now smeared with a jelly-red substance,  wiping  it away  he quipped

" Because being cremated is my last hope for a smoking hot body " 

" come then… 

you can call me the tree hugger.