The Endless Forest as its name suggests was truly gargantuan. It covered almost 60% of the Continent that it was located on and covered the entire West side of that continent only leaving a comparatively small section of mostly open land along the East side. And this was a truly massive continent spanning almost 30,000 Kilometres from East to West and 20,000km North to South.
Due to this gargantuan size the Endless Forest was home to some unique phenomena, one such phenomenon was a suitably named Endless Storm. This storm was an anomaly even in a world of magic, why? Well because for as long as records have existing this storm has never stopped. It will continuously travel across the Forest but will never leave its boundaries.
The other strange thing about this storm is that it is the only source of rain for the entire Forest. It will move across the Forest in seemingly random patterns but will always without fail pass over every square meter of ground exactly once per year. And due to its immense size it will generally cover any area for up to a week. How the Forest doesn't dry up during the near full year of no rain or in turn flood when that rain returns with intensity each year is unknown to scholars but the one thing that they all agree on is this.
Whenever the storm passes over an area their will be no floods, no trees will topple from the wind, no fires will be started by the endless lightning. But what will flow in abundance is blood.
This is because of the hoard of monsters that follows in the storms wake, these storm touched beasts will ravage through the forest engaging in a constant war for supremacy against any creature that is unlucky enough to be in their path, this endless war in the endless storm is one of its defining features.
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"So the Endless Storm happens once a year, the weather will be like this for the next week or so. But when the storm is here strong monsters will arrive so we have to be careful that we don't get attacked by anything too strong!" Luna informed the attentive Violet who still flinched at every flash and subsequent rumble caused by the storm.
"So lots of prey to hunt? And always dark so sneaking is easy! I love storms!" Violet exclaimed with obvious excitement, conveniently ignoring the whole but about a hoard of strong monsters part.
Groaning Luna was just about to try explaining some more of the dangers of the storm and its accompanying monster surge when she was interrupted by the ground shaking.
THUD, RUMBLE.
"What was that?" Violet asked with curiosity. However, she felt a sudden jolt of fear pass through her bond and looked over at Violet to see her face pale and a tremor to run through her body.
THUD. RUMBLE.
Seeing her bond look so afraid Violet began to feel worried herself. "Luna what was that?"
THUD. RUMBLE.
Now Violet was starting to panic slightly as the sound was only growing louder and the tumbling growing stronger. Finally Luna spoke up. "No please not again." She was shaking now and Violet was truly beginning to panic.
THUD. RUMBLE.
Not able to hold it together she jumped over and bit Luna on her finger to snap her out of it and she urgently asked again empathising each word. "Luna! What. is. that!?"
THUD. RUMBLE.
Being shocked out of her stupor by the jolt of pain she shakily responded. "T-That's the Storm T-Titan."
THUD. RUMBLE.
"What is the Storm Titan!?" Violet managed to ask whilst now staring out of the cave entrance to try to see anything in the dim light.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"Iv only seen it once before 3 years ago." Her face took on a cold look and through the bond between them Violet could feel the echos of pain and sadness radiating from Luna.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"It is a true giant. When it passed my clan by that year we lost half our hunters." And then in a smaller tone she continued, "I lost my brother then too."
THUD. RUMBLE.
Then speaking as if retelling a tale she herself had been told Luna spoke. "Wherever the Storm may walk."
THUD. RUMBLE.
"So too the Titan does so stalk."
THUD. RUMBLE.
"For where the Titan soars"
THUD. RUMBLE.
"The monsters shall soon have wars."
THUD . RUMBLE.
And is if awaiting for Luna to finish her rhyme the latest and loudest rumble echoed out a flash of lightning briefly illuminates the gloomy sky only for Violet to freeze as she caught a glimpse of what she can only imagine to be the Titan. Or at least the only part of it that she can make out anyway.
In the distance, maybe a single kilometre away 2 new objects were briefly illuminated in that flash, they looked like legs. Except these legs extended up into the sky, they went so high that Violet couldn't even make out the rest of the body as it was hidden within the storm clouds. In fact the only reason Violet even considered believing them to be legs was the fact that a second flash of lightning shortly after that first one illuminates the sky again and she sees one of the legs the size of a mountain moving.
THUD. RUMBLE.
And when that moving mountain completed its movement the ground once again shook. Violet was frozen in place unable to truly comprehend how something so large could even exist, let alone comprehend what Lunas words meant.
THUD. RUMBLE.
The sound and quakes that had previously been going stronger began to taper off ever so slightly. It would seem that the Titan was just passing by thankfully thought Violet.
THUD. RUMBLE.
At least that's what she thought before she finally processed Lunas little rhyme, "Luna what did you mean by the monsters shall soon have war?"
THUD. RUMBLE.
Luna seemed to be getting a handle of herself and was able to look up and meet violets eyes, her cold facade had broken now to reveals the fear etched onto her face.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"The Titan isn't the one that we have to worry about, it's the hoard of monsters that follow along behind the Titan that cause the damage."
THUD. RUMBLE.
As the Titans steps moved away Violet was beginning to think straight again and she became worried at this urging Luna to continue.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"I don't know why but hoard of monsters follow the Titan, and that hoard will attack anything and everything that gets in their way. My clan was apparently in their way one year."
THUD. RUMBLE.
"The hunters and warriors fought off the hoards successfully but we lost a lot, that's why when the orcs came later we were driven out of our homes." Her tone was filled with anger but it was laced with fear and loss.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"I-I don't want to loose you too!" Lunas voice cracked when she spoke that last bit causing that now familiar feeling of her chest hurting to radiate through Violet.
THUD. RUMBLE.
Wanting to comfort her companion Violet went over to the slumped girl and crawled into her lap, stretch up and gave her face a big ol lick. This apparently startled Luna who managed out a surprised splutter.
THUD. RUMBLE.
"I'm not going anywhere. Your not going anywhere! We are companions, we stay together!" Violet asserted.
Thud. Rumble.
Shocked out of her stupor by those words and the feeling of assurance passing through their bond, Luna just hugged the young creature tightly to herself and not wanting to speak just yet she simply nodded in agreement whilst sending back feelings of thanks through their bond.
Thud. Rumble.
With the steps of the Titan growing steadily fainter Violet just accepted the hug and was glad to feel the turbulent emotions that were radiating through the bond begin to calm down.
Thud. Rumble.
"Now let's watch out and fight off anything that gets too close to the cave!" Violet stated whilst trying to escape her companions embrace to little success.
Thud. Rumble.
However Luna didn't want to relent her hug so instead she simply stood up with Violet still wrapped up in her embrace as she made her way closer to the cave mouth.
Thud. Rumble.
Begrudgingly accepting that she wasn't escaping any time soon Violet turned her head to look out of the cave just in time to witness one more flash of lightning to illuminate the now much more distant mountainous legs of the Titan. Once more she was in awe at the sheer scale of that entity and idly wondered if she could ever grow that large?
Thud. Rumble.
The previously overwhelming steps were becoming harder to differentiate from the regular strikes of lightning and thunder now. "Well at least we weren't in the direct path of the Titan so we shouldn't have too many monsters find their way here, but we still shouldn't leave the cave today!"
thud. rumble.
Violet accepted with only some reluctance as she was eager to level up once more and have the chance to evolve once again! But she understood that whilst she might be eager she also didn't see the point in diving into a potentially deadly situation needlessly.
And so the pair watched and waited, the echoing steps fading into the background as they lost sight of the Titan in the all encompassing storm. However, it wasn't too long till a new sound soo breached their ears.
Rooar!
Off in the distance a echoing roar just reached them, this was soon followed by another, and another and soon many many more as it sounded like the entire forest before them erupted into a war zone.
Flashes of magic could be seen lighting up the sky alongside the regular lightning. Whole sections of the forest were decimated by large predators clashing.
Watching this Violet truly felt small for quite possibly the first time since she was born. Logically she knew she was small but she had always pulled through. But hearing the carnage that was taking place just out of sight Violet knew that before that power, not to even consider the Titan she was next to nothing.
This realisation stirred a fire within violets chest, her determination to grow stronger must have also bled through the bind as she felt Luna give her a squeeze and say. "We will both grow stronger, together." Feeling happy and proud Violet looked up at her companion and smiled.
"That we will!"