Forest of mutations

The prince forced his horse and men to the top of the mountain pass and when they looked downward they knew it was Going to be impossible. This side of the mountain desended at least five time further down. The trees in the far distance were shrouded in drifting grey to black clouds.

There were mountain tips barely visible in the far, distance visibly active as demonstrated by the huge black plumes and burning raw magma that was visible from time to time. Huge blackened forest areas could be seen swaying as if large beasts moved slowly thorough them.

To the East lay a area covered in a sickly yellow fog, swampland covered with dead trees were partly visible. Patches of sand between this dead looking swamp land that seemed to ripple gave the observer's the shakes.

This area was off limits, it was said to be the resting place of the final elementals and was the main source of the weirdly crazed and mutated beasts. Many armies nd large groups of adventurers had made attempts into this twisted land but none had return alive.

The prince saw the black form scalingvdown the side of the mountain in the far distance and tried to urge the men in pursuit. His attendant nodded to the captain who grab the prince's hands and stopped his progress. The attendant placed a rag over his mouth and nose, the prince fell into unconsciousness.

Their hunt was over they needed to get out of here fast in case that strange beast returned with his pack mates. Creatures that size definatly needed a pack to survive amongst the larger beasts that prowled inside that land. A no man's land where only the strong, smart and savage survived.

As the men turned their tired beast back the way they had come they needed no urging to head back home. They could sense the elementals left over powers twisting and changing the ones within it. Their powers still making changes even to the land itself, the very cores of the mountain's still seemed to be crying out in pain.

Three days later Fern slowly came back awake, her powers had been so low she had been close to passing away. She found herself buried in soil at the base of a huge cedar tree. It had been feeding her sap, nutrients and water from a break in one of its main tap roots as if she was a part of it system.

She felt pretty good if a bit gritty from the soil bath. The air here felt full of elemental power and she could sense many near by that had been infected and were suffering from this exposure. Fern hoped to relieve their pain, Tasica said it was her probably her calling to heal the land and it's inhabitants like she was called to defend her tree.

A small pure white female werewolf was standing by her side watching her and the surroundings. When she noticed that Fern was awake she sent out a series of huffs, barks and a short howl. Within minutes Fern heard many feet approaching, the White wolf offered her water and a apple.

She pulled Fern from the soil and covered her with a soft black fur, later she would learn this was the werewolves first king pelt and it was a great honor to wear it. Mainly it was used for great ceremonies, weddings of royalty and whenever a new king came into power.

A large number of the weres showed up at least 300 with a fast count they formed a semicircle around the tree. They left a pathway directly in front of her and a huge black male were came through first, followed by a slightly shorter limping older were his head crowned by a cave wolfs skull, both wore tunic and shorts decorated with painted wolfheads.

Several females dressed elaborately followed behind and sat in front of the standing tribe members. These females wore tunics and shorts adorned with swirling colors, animal teeth and even some kind of stones pierced some of the older ones ears. They all looked very strong, and fierce but their ears were facing upward and forward that was a good sign.

The large male came forward and bowed his head slightly in greeting and tried to talk in the human laungage but it was to hard to follow so she entered into their spirital space and started to communicate. Fern found that their langauge and body language was very simular to her wolf friends with a smattering of human language used to express more abstract thoughts.

Their shaman the one wearing the skull had very clear thoughts that were easy to visulize and understand. Apparently he had a vision of my coming, and sent the alpha male to rescue me. His name was Fast Tooth and his visions had told him that I would heal them and if they heeded my words save their tribe from destruction.

How was I to do that, I had been born only two years ago and my world had consisted of a small forest and a protective dread. I was just learning how to use my powers, and never wanted to kill again. I could heal some mutations and pull harmful elemental powers from any living thing but I was still just a child.

The females were getting nervous as I didn't answer their plea and the eldest stood and came to kneel in front of me. She then turned her throat and belly upwards in submission and begged me to please heal the children. Or the future would be gone and their people would end. Yes their forms came from a mutation and they were fine with that but now the mutations within their children was to sever and many were dying before even being born.

Her plea was echoed by all, both male and female just wished for healthy children. Even sadder were the ones who lived because they were born with sever deformities or became mad and vicious due to pain and insanity. I heard myself agreeing to do what I could, to heal as many as possible and to try to solve, the riddle of why it was happening now after so many years.

In the end that was all I could say to their sad and desperate faces, the young white wolf led me to a small clay and fur covered teepee. She spread furs on the ground fed me and I fell fast asleep setting my body to absorb the abundant elemental energy that abounded here.