While the pair ran from the undead, in rain that covered tears and frustrations. Lanthios looked to the sniffling Layla and said:
{I think I see a tower up ahead! It must be the border outpost!}
[...]
Realizing that his words fell on deaf ears, Lanthios tried a different method.
{Hey Layla! That ice magic you did was amazing! I thought you said you didn't know how to use any ice spells?} said Lanthios while carrying Layla on his back.
[..., I didn't know any…. It's just that seeing you about to die like that…made my blood freeze… I thought… I thought I was going to lose the last of my family…] replied Layla with sobs
{hey, hey… I'm not going anywhere! But Ya… I'm sorry… and here… Look at the bright side! Now you have a new skill! And it was beautiful!} replied Lanthios with a forced smile.
['chuckle' Ya, I guess… but Lanthios…] replied Layla with a pause
{Ya?} replied Lanthios
[Do you think what that troll said was true? That my mother is in Ghostland's… and that she was…] replied Layla with side eyes as she rubbed her mother's crystal.
{I don't know what is true or not, all I can say is that we will find out together! If she is with the trolls, we just have to rescue her, and if not, I'm sure the elves present in Ghostland will give us some kind of clue!} replied Lanthios
To his words, Layla continued to squeeze the crystal in her hands as she made a cute, forced smile. But as the pair arrived at the post, Layla's eyes glowed with a hint of hostility! For as they glowed blue, the air began to freeze, as the breaths from Lanthios rose to meet Layla's eyes. To the sight of a dying blood elf, by a suspicious-looking figure!
{wait, Layla! Don't attack!} yelled Lanthios
[why? I sense the power of the dead coming off that person!] replied Layla in confusion
{I know but that's not an enemy! That's an Apothecary!} replied Lanthios as he stopped by the mysterious woman.
Of course, Layla didn't let her guard down, and was ready at any moment to finish off this undead!
[Are you telling me this is an apothecary?] said Layla in whispers
{yup! They're the undead minions of the dark Lady! So, please show them some respect…} replied Lanthios as he approached the apothecary.
[umm… odd… a Gnoll! I never thought I would be conversing with one of those… at least now in a civil manner anyway… Hehe] thought the apothecary as she saw Lanthios approach
[hello, travelers! How may I help you!] said the apothecary with a vile field of green poison behind her back.
{peace Apothecary, we mean you no harm, we are simply looking for passage into Ghostland!} replied Lanthios
[I see… however, can you excuse my demeanor as your girlfriend doesn't seem to share in your 'peace'] replied the Apothecary
{I apologize on her behalf… she… she doesn't like the undead… I ask for your understanding…} replied Lanthios as Layla hid a small blush at the word girlfriend.
[It's ok, I understand…my name is Thedra! Now! Does this girlfriend of yours have a name? Or you?] replied Thedra
{my apology Thedra, my name is Lanthios and this is Layla. And we are not in that type of relationship} replied Lanthios to the contrary of Layla's puff cheeks
[Hehe right… I know you are young but you only live once… and in this area where death rests, sometimes making a new life is a godsend.] replied Thedra
{anyway, Thedra do you mind me asking what happened to this elf?} replied Lanthios trying to change the subject as Layla was turning into a tomato.
[Ah! Yes! As you can see, this poor elf was infected by the plague! And is on the verge of death! However, before you ask, yes, he can still be saved… but…] replied Thedra with a pause.
{but what?} replied Lanthios knowing full well this was a quest.
[I need fresh blood from the creatures that roam the Ghostlands… you see these poor animals all carry the plague within them… so...]
{so, you need the blood to distill a serum?} interrupted Lanthios
[that is correct! Umm… gnoll… cough... I mean Lanthios, do you perhaps know the art of alchemy?] replied Thedra
{No, Thedra I don't… it was just an assumption...} replied Lanthios with a canine grin
Nodding, Thedra handed Lanthios four vials and said: [fill these vials with blood from any animal. But be warned not to go too far north from the bridge… the outpost there has been overrun by undead spiders of some kind…]
With a bow, the pair made their way across the wooden bridge as Layla suddenly stopped halfway.
{Layla… this isn't the…} said Lanthios as he shut his mouth upon looking at Layla staring at the bridge.
{sigh, look just take a deep breath, I know your mind must be racing with all kinds of thoughts. So, why don't you stay here for a while, well I go hunting some bats or something. Just stare at the river and let your mind float.} continued Lanthios
Agreeing with Lanthios, Layla simply wished him luck on his hunt while she stayed behind, however as Lanthios left, Thedra came up to her and said:
[look, if you're just going to stand there why not help me treat this elf, that companion pet of yours forgot to pick him up! How the hell am I a bag of bones, supposed to drag him inside?]
Nodding Layla said:
[so… whats his name?]
[who? Oh! The elf. I think his name is Dawnstrider… something.] replied Thedra while raising her shoulders
[But enough about him! Why not tell me more about this pet of yours? Come I'll make the tea] continued Thedra
Lanthios POV
While, trekking through the rain, and the gloomy atmosphere that is Ghostland's, Lanthios stretched out his arms and said:
{finally, some freedom! Though I do feel bad for Layla, I think it's for the best I let her think it out by herself for a while… Now! Time to enjoy my game!}
However, through all the enthusiasm, Lanthios forgot that this isn't a "game" anymore and that his actual hunting skill was… Zero!
{Damn it! Where are all the dam bats and Lions! The game made this so easy!} yelled Lanthios into the air and he trashed about in the middle of the forest.
But as he was on the verge of giving up and going back, he felt his wet fur stand on ends, while his ears perked up to the sound of low growls! Finally! he thought, as he drew his blade ready for a fight!
But as the lightning thundered in the clouds, the lion pounced from within the forest grass! With claws and a hungry stomach, the lion aimed for Lanthios's jugular! But waiting for this moment, Lanthios turned his blades to skewer the lion through the stomach! But even with blades through its guts, the lion did not stop in its mad starvation! With a snarl, Lanthios fired the lion with a thunder strike!
But as he put down the lion to draw from it, its blood. The surrounding forest came to life as dozens of bony bats, and ribbed lions all jumped at Lanthios!
{now this is more like it!} screamed Lanthios as he began his slaughter!
When the slaughter was over, Lanthios took deep breaths in the rain, as the water washed the blood from his weapons, from his fur, down to the tips of his fangs! But while collecting the blood, from the bodies of vampiric bats, and lions, he heard a call for help!
Investigating the call, Lanthios stumbled onto the outpost that was abandoned and filled with spider webs!
{This isn't an outpost! This is Suncrown Village! Why did Thedra call it an outpost? Meh whatever! But I have to say, it's much bigger in person than when I saw it through my monitor back on earth!} said Lanthios to himself as he studied the villages through the outline of the forest.
But while he studied it from within the safety of the forest, he noticed the body of a blood elf in the middle of the street! The man was still alive as he crawled, leaving a blood trail behind! But as Lanthios's eye met his, a giant undead creature came out of the darkness of the rain, within the light of the thunder! And with a piercing claw, the undead stabbed the poor elf through the chest!
{damn that's a Nerubis Guard!} yelped Lanthios suddenly
A yelped that caused the Guard to abruptly turn his way! Fortunately for Lanthios, the guard didn't see him on the cover of the forest!
{phew it didn't see me! Well at least it is only a guard, I could probably kill it but that's not the problem… the problem is that I might attract the attention of Anok'suten… and without Layla with me…} said Lanthios to himself as he heard the elf cough out blood with pleading eyes!
But even with those eyes, Lanthios knew he couldn't do anything for the man. But as he turned to leave, he turned to see a wall of corpses, made of captured animals!
{well damn…. Now I know why all the bats and lions in this area are starving freaks! Just how bad did this spider disrupt the ecosystem here?} said Lanthios
But as he backed away from the wall of dried-out corpses or fresh ones that still moved, he unknowingly brushed against a few webs placed around forest vegetation! The vibration they caused disturbed a pink sleeping spider, whose eyes opened in displeasure!
So, while the thunder concealed their noises, while the dark concealed the skin, the Nerubis guards shot out their webs, as the rain welcomed them! Feeling the change in the wind, Lanthios turned to see balls of webs coming right at him from the dark! With far too many to dodge and burn, Lanthios tried everything he could do to escape! while he could faintly make out a group of guards rushing to him, as another group flung out their spider spells and webs!
Outnumbered, and outpowered, Lanthios screamed as he was slowly wrapped in a bag of silk!
Layla POV
As the rain stopped, Layla turned to Thedra and said while pacing back and forth:
[what's taking him! Surely it doesn't take this long to get some blood!]
[calm down child! Hunting is a patient sport… but yes, if your boyfriend doesn't make it back soon, then our handsome friend here might not make it!] replied Thedra
[maybe I should go look for him… sigh, you left me behind so I could think, but now I can only worry about you!] said Layla in undertones
[Oh! And he's not my boyfriend! He's, my slave!] said Layla to reiterate in a blush
[yes…yes, a slave… but in all seriousness, you better go check up on him! I fear he might have gone to the outpost up north, though I warned him not to, you know how guys can be.] replied Thedra
Agreeing with Thedra, Layla headed out into the blue forest filled with depression and gloom. Thankfully it didn't take her long to discover Lanthios tracks or his leftover mess!
[wow… Lanthios did you have to kill every living thing in the forest? You only need to kill one!] said Layla as she looked at the pile of corpses drenched in mud and rain.
But as she looked through a pile of dead, she saw through the dense forest… A small glamouring light! Curious and like a memorized bug, Layla followed after the light, till she came to a clearing of trees, that at the center lay brick and mortar! A village covered in webs from head to toe, with torched pits filled with fire!
Fire, that lit up the towering spiraling architecture of elven design! Towers where the spiders dwelled… were at the center of it all, stood an overshadowing black tree! Where at the base grew two enormous glowing green mushrooms!
But what really drew her attention, wasn't the undead bugs she had never seen, nor the art of the buildings, or the walls of hanging corpses… No! What drew her attention was the one ball of light, that was all wrapped up in silk! That hung just above those two mushrooms and against that black tree! Where a giant pink spider held it in place!
[Lanthios!] screamed Layla as a wall of burning butterflies answered her call!