Whispering Woods [Krome/Wisp Wood]

[Andráska Venora]

82nd of Ashan, 717

The toxic cloud of nicotine entered his lungs and Andráska Venora visibly melted with relief as he took the last hit of his cigarette. Away from the stress of the city, he never realized how peaceful the wilderness could be and he flicked the stump of paper away. Behind him, he saw farm houses in the distance and a faint black spec soar between the clouds. His sigh always hovered, never far off, and he was perhaps the only company Andras wanted to be around lately. Celeste Andaris had offered her condolences and he enjoyed talking to her, but she was concerned and frankly, he needed to be away from… well, everything.

Marching to the edge of the forest, he remembered their name – Wisp Woods. He eyed the line of trees, weary of them. Readjusting the crossbow that hung on his good shoulder, he steeled his nerves and stepped through the first cluster of trunks, not looking back at the civilization behind him. Immediately, he realized how quiet everything was, and it unsettled him.

Weren’t woods supposed to be loud? Or… louder? Faintly he heard the quiet call of crickets, but not much else stirred. His boots crunched on twigs and slippery leaves and he weaved in and out of the trees, glancing back to make sure he knew where he had come from.

Spotting a fallen tree covered in moss, he headed towards it and removed his crossbow, then his pack. Bolts stuck out from under the flap, and he unclasped it with some difficulty, given his one hand, but rummaged until he found a book. Then, with some patience, retrieved it and started to flip open the pages, eyeing the canopy above him before doing so.

The title, author, and then the table of contents greeted him, and he ran a finger down the index:

• Shelter: Locating it, Building it.
• Starting a Fire
• Water Basics
• Tracking, Traps, & Preparing a Kill
• First Aid…

He flipped to the chapter on building a fire. The morning was warmer, but still had a chill, and he wanted to start with something simple and necessary. He eyed the wet ground… “Hm.” How did one start a fire with wet surroundings?

Even as he opened the book, it seemed to predict his question, and he leaned against the fallen tree, inhaling the smell of soft soil and clean air. His eyes skimmed the pages and he didn’t notice the shadows that shifted in the trees.

• When building a fire, whether it is under wet or dry conditions, there are three basic building blocks. All of these items can be prepped in advance… but even when you find yourself unprepared, these items can be found even in wet conditions.

Andráska’s eyebrows rose, and he found himself intrigued. Applicable skills were by far his favorite to learn growing up, and that part of him hadn’t seemed to change.

• The best place to find material dry enough to be effective is from trees that are still standing. While your first choice might be to look to the ground, it is unlikely that these materials have been kept completely dry from the canopy above…

Unbeknownst to him, Andráska began to hum a somber song, and with the book still balanced on his forearm, he moved to a nearby pine tree, or what he always thought was a pine tree. In the book was a small sketch of one, and he continued to read.

• With a knife or other sharp tool, you can use this to break away the wet bark of a tree to expose the dry part underneath. The best find is what is called “fat wood”, or “fat lighter” which consists of wood that has been soaked or covered in sap. This will burn quite well, and is usually found as a pine or cedar stump.

Raising an eyebrow, he eyed the tree and pushed away some of the branches. Then, with a sharp snap as he shut the book, he tucked it under his healing arm, and reached behind his back to pull one of his knives free. Readjusting his grip he lifted his arm back and prepared to stab at the tree but gasped, jolting as a woman in black suddenly swayed between him and his target.

He jerked backwards, his feet slipping on the moist ground beneath him and he landed on his back, trying to kick away from her, but when he blinked… she was gone.

[Andráska Venora]

82nd of Ashan, 717

His tome dropped with a thud, and the fear that shot through him had been sudden and unexpected, the woman more so. She was nowhere to be found, but she had been so close. He remembered her eyes, just... empty pools of darkness... and... the veins that bulged and turned her skin purple and asphyxiated. She had been... hanging. She had been hanging from the tree, a fat rope wrapped around her neck.

Andráska scrambled to his feet, every nerve alight as his green eyes stared with horror at the spot. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, refusing to turn his back on the tree as he crouched and retrieved both his weapon and book.

What was happening?

“Pride,” he whispered sharply, glancing at the treetops and hoping his pet would make an appearance. Having another living thing next to him, anything to make him feel sane, seemed like a good idea, but he was too anxious to raise his voice too much. “Where are you?”

He continued to back up until the sound of thundering hooves sent goosebumps firing across his skin. He whipped around to face the sound, a misty horseman dressed in foreign armor racing forward, mouth contorted into a silent roar. The rider was running right towards him and the noble cursed, dashing into a full sprint away.

His feet felt clumsy beneath him, seemingly stumbling on every rock, root, and bramble. His leg was still healing and so he moved with a bit of a limp, taking sharp turns and leaping over the few obstacles that came in his way. He would push off, bring his legs up, and come down, albeit it always took him valuable seconds to recover and as he raced through the trees, he saw the intended victim. Another woman, this time in an older dress with hair thrown up into a wild bun was running just the same, but as he got closer, he realized she was as ethereal as the rest of them. Another wisp? She was clinging to a bundle in her arms and looked terrified.

“What?” he breathed, almost slowing down, but she seemed to turn her head at the sound of his voice, surprise, and fear on her features, when the hooves grew louder and Andras watched as the horseman came up along her other side, mace plowing into her back and even without the sound, Andras knew he must have broken her back. He stumbled at the scene, scrambling backward as he watched her body fly towards the ground the bundle lurching out of her arms and smacking against it.

She lay dying, hand trying to reach upwards, as blood stained her clothing. The horseman paid her little more attention, knowing his job was almost done. It was to what she had dropped that he now approached with is weapon still at the ready, and that was when Andras heard it.

A sound that made his skin crawl and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

A baby's cry.

[Nymph]

REWARDS

ANDRASKA

• Knowledge:
  • Location: Wisp Woods
  • Wisp Woods: Quiet for a Forest
  • Wisp Woods: More than Meets the Eye
  • Field Craft: Basics to Building a Fire
  Loot:
  • Oops. You lost your survival guide by dropping it in the woods and running for your life. Sorry about that.
  Injuries: None
  Fame: None
  
  Story: 4/5
  Collaboration: 0/5
  Structure: 5/5

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Comments: Thank you for paying for the book you read. I assume that was the nonfiction book that was paid for in your ledger. It is appreciated. I think you are looking for the term 'cyanotic' in place of asphyxiated. Cyanotic can describe the process of oxygen depletion of the body where as asphyxiated is the past tense of the process.

I removed 1 point in story because I felt it wasn't quite complete. What happened with the baby? Is it alive and are the wisps trying to guide you to it? Even one more post might have been able to wrap that up.

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!