Kael leaped through the Vile Gate, and the world turned dark and heavy. The air smelled like wet dirt and rot, thick enough to choke on, as his scarred feet hit a rough, crumbly ground. Shadows closed in, broken only by the faint purple light from his twitching violet eye. Above, a black moon hung low in the sky, jagged and glowing faintly, like a hungry mouth ready to swallow anything alive, its eerie shine casting long, twisted shadows that made the place feel even creepier.
Twisted trees stretched up, their branches bare and sharp, dripping sticky black sap. Strange flowers grew between them, jagged petals glowing a weak green, with tiny teeth in the middle, leaking a misty haze that hugged the earth. Thorny vines crawled over the ground, twitching like they were alive.
Far off, big shapes lurked in the gloom, maybe trees or maybe something worse, wrapped in shadows and swaying tendrils. The quiet was thick, interrupted by a snap of a twig or a slimy sound he couldn't place. His black eye darted around, spotting flickers of movement, while the violet one pulsed, pulling him deeper.
He walked on, steps slow and steady, his leaf and vine tunic brushing his scars. The urge came from his violet eye, sharp and loud, tugging him past the creepy trees and flowers. The ground softened under him until he stopped in a cold, open spot. His body froze, his eyes screaming, Dig. Dig now. He dropped to his knees and clawed at the dirt, hands digging fast through the loose, ashy soil, chasing something he didn't understand.
The forest was dim, the afternoon light weak around the Vile Gate's sharp, black tear. Elara tripped toward it, her big robe dragging in the wet grass, her pink eyes fierce. "Kael's in there, we've got to get him!" she yelled, her voice tight as she lunged forward.
Borin grabbed her wrist fast, pulling her back hard. "Stop!" he snapped, stepping in front of her. "We should stay out here. He ran in like an idiot, doesn't mean we have to chase him."
Elara spun on him, her face red with anger. "But he went in! We can't ditch him, he got us out of that place!" She yanked against his grip, her thin arms shaking. "We owe him!"
Borin's scarred face tightened, his claws flexing. "He got us out, sure. We got him out too. We're even, Elara. No point in all of us dying for his dumb move. He's stronger than us anyway, if he can't make it, we sure can't." His voice was rough, but his eyes flicked nervously to the gate.
Anya walked up, wiping dew off her black robe, her blue eyes sharp. "Borin's got a point," she said, calm but firm. "Elara, you told us monsters come out of these things. One could be close, waiting. We're not family with Kael. Soon we'll split up, go home. Risking our lives for him doesn't add up."
Elara's mouth fell open, her pink eyes burning with hurt. "Doesn't add up? He's like us! Scarred, broken, hurting more than we have! Don't you see that?" Her voice broke, fists clenching as she stared them down. "If you won't go, I will!" She twisted hard, breaking free of Borin's hand, her robe flapping as she charged the gate.
"Elara, wait!" Anya shouted, but Elara was already gone, diving into the black rift and disappearing, leaving Borin and Anya frozen, staring after her.
Elara crashed through the Vile Gate, landing hard on her knees with an "Ouch!" as the cracked ground bit into her. The air was cold and foul, heavy with a rotten stink that stung her nose.
Her pink eyes shot wide as she took it all in, twisted trees with bare branches dripping black sap, odd flowers with sharp petals glowing green, tiny teeth in their centers leaking a hazy mist.
Dark vines slithered across the dirt like snakes. She pushed down a wave of fear and looked ahead, spotting Kael, kneeling, digging fast, his violet eye glowing dim in the dark.
"Kael!" she hollered, her voice sharp and loud in the stillness. "What are you doing? We've got to go now!"
She hurried toward him, her oversized robe snagging on a rough root. Her shout stirred the place awake, flowers snapped their mouths wider, glowing brighter, while vines shot up. The trees creaked, branches twitching like they wanted her. Under her feet, the grass quivered, a soul sucking plant with thin, cutting blades, itching to drag her to its giant mouth.
Kael didn't look up, his hands ripping into the dirt. He dug deep until he hit a fist sized stone, cold and rough like it stole the heat from his skin. Black crystals stuck out, three or four, the biggest twice a finger's size, slick and pulsing with a dim glow. A fat, black worm, bigger than a face, squirmed around them, its shiny body coiled tight. It lunged at him, tentacles flailing, but his violet eye flickered.
The glow brightened, and the worm, wriggling with slimy tentacles and sharp teeth jutting from its lumpy, hideous mouth, jerked back, scared, and slithered fast into the shadows.
Kael yanked the stone free with a loud crack and stood, gripping it tight. The crystals' dark energy tugged at his violet eye and blood, a sharp, hungry pull inside him. Then a scream cut through the air.
"Kael, help!" Elara's voice shook with panic. He turned fast, his black eye finding her. She was yards away, thrashing as soul sucking grass wrapped her ankle, pulling her toward a huge plant with a drooling maw. Her hands scratched at the dirt, her big robe twisting around her legs.
Kael shot forward with a loud BOOM, dark energy sparking as he reached her in a flash. His fist smashed the plant's thick stem, breaking it apart with a spray of black sap. The vines screeched and pulled back. The grass tightened, but his violet eye flashed, and the plant let go, shrinking into the ground.
Elara stared up, heart hammering, as Kael shattered the plant's stem in a spray of black sap. The vines recoiled, but her ankle still throbbed where the grass had bitten deep.
Before she could scramble up, Kael grabbed the back of her robe and hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "K, Kael!" she yelped, legs flailing. A hysterical laugh bubbled in her throat, half from relief, half from the sheer absurdity of being dangled like a misbehaving pup.
She twisted to her left, spotting the gate's faint shimmer. "We've got to go, now before it closes!" she yelled, voice quick. Kael nodded, holding the stone with its black crystals in one hand, her robe in the other. He bolted, dark energy humming, and burst through the gate, creepy plants snapping behind them.
The forest's dim light washed over them as they burst out, wind howling through the trees. Anya and Borin stood a safe distance away, tense figures in the fading afternoon. Kael skidded to a stop, leaves crunching under his bare feet. Elara twisted a bit on his shoulder, peering back, then pointed shakily at them. "Over there!" she rasped in a rough voice.
Kael shifted direction, reaching them in a few quick strides. Borin stepped up, eyes narrowing. "You two alive?" he asked, voice rough but worried.
Elara nodded, twisting her head toward Borin. "Yeah, barely made it," she said, then squirmed on Kael's shoulder. "Put me down, Kael, come on!" she huffed, half annoyed, half grinning.
Kael tilted his head, then slid her off his shoulder, setting her down with a soft thump. She wobbled, plopping onto the grass, robe pooling around her as she sucked in air. She swiped dirt off her bald head, catching her breath.
Borin crouched beside her and asked, "What happened there? You look wrecked."
Elara caught her breath and said, "That place is crawling with monster creatures, even the plants can yank a squire knight like me down easily. If it wasn't for Kael, I'd be dead." She glanced at Kael, who stood staring at the black crystals in his hand.
She pointed at the dark crystals in Kael's hand like she was mad, her brow creasing. "Wait, you risked that mess for these?" she asked.
Kael shook his head, voice flat. "No."
Elara blinked, thrown. "Then why'd you even go in?"
Kael said with no feelings, his voice flat and distant. "Something inside my head told me to go in."
Borin scratched his scarred cheek, his green claws clicking against the rough skin. "Wait, so why were you digging? What's with the dark crystal?"
Kael said, "I was digging for these," pointing at the dark crystals.
Elara's brow furrowed, her voice sharp with confusion. "Hold on, you said you didn't go in for that, but then you dug for it? I am confused!"
Borin threw up his hands, exasperation dripping from every word. "Yeah, we're back at square one! You went in for not that, but then started digging for that? Can someone explain this straight?"
Anya, who'd been watching silently from the sidelines, stepped closer. Her sharp blue eyes narrowed as she studied Kael with quiet intensity. "Let me try. Kael, after you went in, did the voice in your head stop?"
Kael nodded. "Yes."
"And then what?"
"A voice spoke in my head. It told me to go there and dig," Kael said.
Borin shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Whatever. I'm just getting more confused now, this voice stops, that voice starts. What the hell? Just tell us what the crystals are for!"