[Sarah]

A wonderful forest took its power over a small amount of land, between the hot desert and the towering mountains there was little room for a proper forest. This forest was the only bit of foliage to have earned the right to call itself a forest. It was of course not a regular forest, not in Evelon. Magic wove its way through the leaves and vines and roots; tainted the air and the water. This made the forest take different shapes every corner a traveler turned. Luckily a few magicians found this unfavorable for trade and set up one dirt path through the forest that could not be changed. At least that was how the story went.

-Part 5-

[Sarah]

Only master trackers could find their way through these forests, and even then the forest took control of everything within it. It chose who was able to leave and enter, only if you wandered off of the beaten path. Anything on the path stayed constant, anything outside was under the spells of the forest. Most who found themselves in this forest have never wanted to leave, they try at first but then the magic gets them. They become enchanted by the forest and just make a home there, they give up and allow the tainted waters go through their veins and the sickly sweet air infect their lungs.

[Sarah]

Fortunately for this young hunter she was skilled at repelling poison magic. A lithe woman crouched on a thickly leaves tree branch, her breathing slow, and her eyes focused. She watched a rickety cart passed through the wide dirt path, on its way out of the forest and towards Nori volcano. –odd.- she thought, -no one usually goes towards the volcano.- she narrowed her eyes, there were four of them, all having very powerful spirit blood in them.

[Sarah]

They were all in a small kart being pulled by two tuskow. –This is going to be easier than I thought.- the woman thought pleased with how things turned out. The cart passed slowly under her, she held her breath not wanting the four to catch her scent. No one looked up at her. They all seemed dissolved in their conversation.

[Sarah]

The woman snickered, jumping down from the tree with a soft, almost inaudible thump. No one looked back at her. The back of the cart was completely open, with only short walls around the sides and front. It would be easy to get the potion to break open in the middle of the cart. It would be just enough to affect the spirits, incapacitating them, and leaving them easy prey for the hunter.

[Sarah]

The lone huntress pulled out a small vile from her belt, tossing it lightly into the cart and then diving into the foliage just off of the road. The vile cracked and the brightly colored potion burst turning into a gassy fog that covered the craft. Harsh coughing could be heard, and then a few soft thumps, and then silence. The whole forest seemed to hold its breath. Smiling proudly the huntress stepped out of her cover and walked up to the cart, no fear in her walk.

[Sarah]

She knew there would be no way for any of the spirits to resist the potion’s effects. The fog had cleared almost as soon as it had appeared. The cart was tipped over and the tuskow had fled, most likely never to return. The potion wasn’t meant to affect mortals, only spirits and the like. Four limp bodies lay on the ground next to the tipped over cart.

[Sarah]

Scratching her head she sighed. How the hell was she supposed to transport all four of them. This was always the worst part of her job. The potion only lasted so long, and if she wanted to extend the power of it she would have to use the energy from her mana crystals. She could not afford to let any of that energy escape on a job she was hardly getting paid to do.

[Sarah]

An idea formed in her mind, it would take a bit of power but would be much easier and faster than transporting the four one by one. Grabbing the cart she allowed magic to flow through her body to her hands. Lifting the wooden cart she set back upright. –Easy enough.- she thought –now all I have to do is get these four in and we will be golden.- she grabbed the man and lifted him into the kart, then one by one she lifted the woman in, carefully placing each of them.

[Sarah]

This next part would be tricky, to get them all in the exact place that she had been told to put them she would have to take some of their energy. It was hard for some hunters to judge just how much of their hostage’s energy they should use. Especially when the task involved all of them coming out alive. Drawing power into herself she took a deep breath, and slowing blowing the air out she imagined the place she wanted them to end up. Closing her eyes she activated the spell, keeping the image right in the front of her mind.

[Sarah]

Slowly opening her eyes she was happy to see they had all made it, the cart with all four bodies sat in the middle of a brick room. No windows or doors. But from the smell there was fresh air coming through the cracks so they were on the surface of Evelon and not in the depths. They also weren’t in the forest anymore. No, she had been told specifically to bring them back to Barakka.