The red crystals glowed brightly, consuming Aaralon's small trickle of blood. Aaralon feared of the tree's magical powers and threw the bark several yards, landing in a pile of stones.
He was relieved to see that nothing was happening, so he dressed his small wound and bravely continued walking.
The sky was darkening, and the forest only became darker as he delved further. To be stuck in such a terrifying place for the night did not please Aaralon.
Aaralon turned around.
His lightly embedded foot prints had disappeared.
"Shit..." Aaralon said, breaking the silence.
Fearing for his life, Aaralon resumed walking the way he had been going, turning around would likely get him even more lost.
The mage found it very odd that he had not encountered any wildlife--or even any flora. Twisted and tainted trees dominated the region, every step Aaralon nearly tripped over their deformed roots and sprouts. The Whispering Woods were scentless, Aaralon did not even smell the stench of death or decay, something he expected from a seemingly dead forest.
Wandering further, Aaralon came to a halt. His bleak surroundings vanished, and the ground ahead of him was littered with red and onyx colored crystal formations. At most, the stalagmites reached up to his knees. They followed no pattern, making it terribly hard to evade the jagged crystals.
Aaralon stopped again.
The lone mage gawked at the scene a-front of him. Statues and Crystalline sculptures and figurines stood carefully arranged. Indistinguishable faces were etched in the fine rock.
Aaralon approached a male one cautiously and stared into it's eyes. The figure's eyes were hungry, greedily staring. Another was paralyzed with fear, a third was frozen as he was about to throw a punch. The figures held graceful detail. The female ones were even more so, each face was curved to exact perfection.
Aaralon continued onward, and stopped.
He froze. He was astonished. Before him was a perfect replica of the girl he had seen earlier. He instinctively reached out to touch her, but stopped, remembering the lash of pain it would incite.
Were these actual people frozen in time? Imprisoned in these crystals? In this mysteriously barren forest?
A man approached Aaralon, "Greetings Aaralon,"
"Who are you?" He jumped back and drew a small skinning knife from his pocket.
"What are you doing in my fine forest?"
A finely dressed man bowed lightly at him, he removed his leather hat and set it on a crystalline figure next to him.
"I was intrigued by this forest's dormant arcane energies--"
"So you are a young wizard?" he smiled.
"Are these figures--Real?"
The man laughed and shook his head, "A silly young wizard at that,"
"No no, I sculpt these figures in the images of the people I see traveling," the man revealed a small pearl, which radiated a translucent white light, and a chisel and hammer.
"These crystals are very easy to sculpt, they don't crack yet they easily chip away,"
Aaralon was relieved to find a body to speak to, it had been so lonely traveling alone for 12 hours.
"So you just sit here and carve thes-"
The man turned around, "We should head inside boy, I am not fond of these forests at night,"
Aaralon followed the black suited out of the forest, a short 10 minute walk led them out of the forest and to a small manor with iron rod fencing, and several elegantly dressed servants.
Such wealth was unprecedented in Aaralon's short life. He was mired in the crystal structures that lined the walls. The gentleman led Aaralon to an fairly-sized center room with a checkered marble floor.
"You find that I am very hospitable Mr. Aaralon," "You're welcome to stay the weekend, but I will be leaving to town in a few days. It is getting late, I will see you in the morning,"
Before Aaralon could even thank the man, he hastily retreated to his quarters.
A cute blonde-headed woman approached Aaralon. She appeared to be his age, and was dressed in a maid's attire. Black and white mingled artistically, with a short skirt that drooped to her knees, and stockings that finished her outfit.
"If there is anything I can do for you Master, I will surely do it to the best of my ability,"
She curtsied divinely and awaited instruction. |