170 Pulled Into The Abyss
[Friday chapters 3/3]
The party stooped by the ravine side, glaring down at the dark depths. "I can't see the bottom." Jack threw a stone and he didn't hear it hit the ground.
"Look!" Mira pointed toward a faraway spot alongside the ravine. A massive tree can be seen growing on the ravine crack. "That could be the elder tree," She smiled.
"Wait, that thing is massive." Arad gasped. "Is it normal to grow like this?"
"I heard it's rare to find it bigger than a normal tree. We're lucky and this could bring a lot of money." The party rushed toward the tree with Mira. As soon as they got close, they realized how large the tree was.
A large, ugly, and vein-filled tree with thin silver leaves and jagged branches. It grew on a large patch of dirt. It levitated above the abyss by the tree's large roots that connect to the walls of the ravine.
"There is no way we're cutting this thing down." Lydia sighed, "And even if we did, it will just fall into the ravine."
"A saw won't do it," Jack scratched his head.
Arad looked at them, "We have to cut it down. It's killing the forest."
"Arad is right." Aella looked at them, "What would happen if the lumberjacks got attacked on the way?"
"Our job is to find the location of the tree. We can report the danger and that kid will take care of the rest." Lydia said with a passive face. "That trunk is several meters wide. We can't cut it even if we wanted."
The party rested a bit facing the tree discussing what they could do. They reached the ultimate conclusion that cutting the tree was impossible. They will report it back to the guild and leave the rest to Chuzuke and his men.
Arad could rip it apart if he transformed, but that isn't an option. He thought of coming back alone to cut it, but then how could he explain that to Chuzuke when he find the tree torn apart?
When they stood to leave, several trees started tumbling as they jerked to life. "I count twenty!" Lydia gasped seeing the treants stand.
As the treants approached. Blights emerged from the ground, big and small. The earth rumbled and tents of snake-like roots burst forth. "It doesn't want us to leave." Arad glared back at the tree.
"Is it sentient?" Lydia gasped.
Arad smiled, turning around rapidly and swinging his fist toward the tree. [Firebolt]
Veins extended forward and protected the elder tree, "It is, that thing wants us dead." The veins on Arad's shoulders started bulging as his blood boiled. "I will throw all the treants into the ravine. All of you run into the forest."
Thud! Lydia patted his back. "Listen, we fight our way out. Don't get yourself killed." She pulled her sword, "I will clear the blights, you stall the treants." She rushed forward. "Fine." Arad followed her.
Lydia swung her blade at one of the blights, but he dodged and tied her hands with his roots and veins. "He's fast!" Lydia gasped, clenching her fists [Holy smite] CLAP! Activating the magic tore her binding off as she swung at the blight, killing him in one strike.
Arad jumped to kick one of the treants but it dodged, punching him to the ground. "They are faster and stronger. Is it because we're close to the elder tree?"
"That could be true. Be careful!" Jack shouted as he swung at the small blights. Dodging the snake-like roots. Those were the second thing making this fight hard.
"Focus on the treants. I will take care of the blights!" Aella pulled her bow, firing at the human-sized blights. Those are the ones having dead fairies as their hearts. She could kill them with a single shot.
The fight started heating as Arad kept knocking the treants down. He pushed them away with Lydia jumping in to finish them. She only managed to kill three as they stood quickly.
Mira remained standing in the middle. The ravine is behind them and monsters are at the front. She can't run to the sides as there might be more monsters. She picked one of the wood axes they brought to cut wood and held her breath. "I swear! Anything come close I will chop your head off!" She waved the axe at the small blight approaching her. But Jack soon killed them.
CLENSH! Aella fired her arrow as she felt something grab her ankle. She looked down, and a thick tree root grasped her. "Damn it!" She tried to pull a knife but the root started pulling toward the ravine and she fell on her face.
"Wood is better and being chairs and tables!" Mira rushed in with her axe, giving the root a good hit and tearing it in half. For a moment, Aella felt relieved that she was freed, but she couldn't be more wrong.
More roots rushed in from the ravine, tying her and Mira. Pulling them toward the dark abyss.
Lydia saw the roots dragging them. She swung her sword but a treant blocked her way. "Move away!" She screamed with [Divine Smite] CLAP! Even her most powerful spell couldn't drop the treant.
Lydia growled, squeezing her brain, how could she save Aella and Mira? They are too far away, and the treants aren't easy to drop.
"ARAD!" Aella cried, and that was all he needed.
CRACK! THWACK! The ground shook violently enough that Lydia's body bounced up. A massive gust of dust rushed from behind her back with shards of wood. She gasped for air, trying to turn back but unable to. BAM! She saw the massive black claw land beside her.
The massive black draconic body ran above Lydia. His massive jaw clenched on the treant she struggled with and cut it in half and rushed toward Aella and Mira.
"What!" Lydia gasped as Arad jumped into the ravine after the two girls. She stared back, only to see the carnage. All the other tree ants were smashed to the ground. Chunks of the ground are displaced with Jack coughing in the back.
The moment Aella called, the moment her body disappeared from Arad's vision into the abyss. It was then that the dragon snapped.
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