Storm and Leyocan walked in silence as they continued to follow the spirit through the forest.
Every time they got close she would flicker and reappear a few feet away.
The Forest atmosphere just felt 'wrong' to Storm in some way.
The trees were covered in a strange oily substance and the branches were angled and sharp. Almost like clawed hands that were reaching out to them.
The Forest was unnaturally dark and it almost seemed to be clinging on everything.
Occasionally Storm thought he saw a face or hands reaching out to him out of the darkness, but when he looked again, it was gone.
Even the air he breathed was thick and oppressive. Almost feeling like the stale air one would find in deep underground tunnels, instead of those you would find in open spaces. Making it difficult to breathe.
The air also felt damp, and when he wiped his scales, he found that it was covered in a thin layer of slime similar to those covering the trees.
The forest was unnaturally quiet. No birdsong could be heard, no sounds from animals, even the insects were completely silent.
"These shadows are unnatural, it's making my fur stand on end! And I'm a Nogitsune!! We should be used to the shadows!" Complained Leyocan.
After a short while, they came across a clearing. Even though the trees were spaced out further apart than the rest of the forest they traveled through, the darkness clung to everything present.
Color seems to have been completely drained out of this place except for grey and black. The air felt oppressive, like being in a smoke filled room. A large totem of some kind was constructed in the center of the clearing.
The totem was entirely constructed from what appeared to be human bones. Several skulls was placed along the totem at regular intervals, dark purple, almost black flames burned inside their eye sockets.
A ritualistic circle was drawn on the ground around the totem in blood. A single large canine skull crowned the top of the totem.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Asked Storm.
"This isn't my field of expertise, but it looks like a ritualistic totem of some kind? Probably Fey or Druidic in origin?" Said Leyocan.
"You think this is what's causing the barriers to weaken?" Storm asked.
"Like I said, not my field! But if I were to put money on it, I'd go with 'yes'." Replied Leyocan.
"We need to destroy it somehow!" Said Storm.
"Any ideas how?" Asked Leyocan.
"I was hoping you would know?!" Exclaimed Storm.
"I'm a street thief! Not a druid!" Exclaimed Leyocan.
"Then I suppose we can just hit it? What's the worst that could happen?" Asked Storm.
The entire Totem suddenly flared up as dark glyphs appeared on the shaft. The flames in the skulls intensified until it appeared like the entire totem was on fire.
Distant howling could be heard from all around them.
"You had to ask?!" Retorted Leyocan.
They both drew their weapons and stood back to back as they heard the rustling of plants all around the clearing.
"There's something out there!!" Warned Leyocan.
Storm tried to identify what was stalking them, but it was difficult to make out in the gloom.
He saw movements to his side and turned just in time to see something that vaguely resembled a wolf leaping through the air right at him.
He twisted aside and plunged one of his swords into it's side as it sailed past. His weapons passed through it's body as if it wasn't there.
Before Storm could do anything else, it rushed out of the clearing and disappeared into the darkness again. A moment later, another one of the creatures stepped into the clearing.
It resembled a shadowy incorporeal wolf with unnaturally large claws compared to the rest of it's body.
It's head was nothing but a canine skull, with glowing deep purple flames dancing in it's empty eye sockets.
"Storm!! It's a Fell Beast!! It can only be destroyed by shattering the skull completely!!" Warned Leyocan.
In response, another of the creatures jumped at Leyocan and tried to tackle him and tear out his throat.
Leyocan put away his sword, which would have been next to useless against the creatures, and instead gave it a backhand blow that knocked it out of the air.
As it thrashed on the ground, Leyocan raised a foot and shattered the skull with the heel of his boot. A shadowy orb flew out of the shattered skull and flew deeper into the forest.
More fell beasts soon came and rushed at Storm and Leyocan.
Storm's eyes glowed more intensely.
"Give me room!!!" Called Storm.
Realizing what he intended to do, Leyocan dove out of the way as Storm took his true form.
3 fellbeasts tried to take advantage of Leyocan's downed state, but Storm swung his tail and struck them hand enough to shatter the skulls that animated the creatures.
"Go!!Destroy the totem!! I'll hold them back!!" Yelled Storm.
Leyocan rushed to obey and began climbing up the tall totem to reach the top.
Storm roared out a challenge at the Fell beasts and as he had hoped, they began to divert to him.A wave of light magic left his scales and struck several of the charging beasts.
As expected, the magic had a strong effect over the dark creatures. It instantly expelled the dark spirits animating the creatures, their shadowy bodies vanished instantly until nothing was left but the canine skull that was now free of corruption.
He heard the sound of groaning wood and looked up to see several of the trees around the clearing rip themselves free of the ground.
The wood twisted and warped until the trees had vaguely humanoid forms with arms ending with sharp branch like claws and feet.
At the same time he heard a shriek from above and saw swarms of large bats decend from above.
Storm closed his eyes and dark clouds formed in the sky overhead. Lightning began raining down on the dark creatures.
They didn't seem troubled by the losses at all and simply climbed over their own dead to reach Storm.
Leyocan had reached the top of the totem and pulled out his sword. With a battle cry, he drove the sword into the skull's forehead.
The skull cracked as the sword pierced it, then a wave of magic left the skull and knocked Leyocan from the totem.
The dark creatures vanished as the wave washed over them and the tree creatures fell over lifeless.
Storm rose on his back legs and caught Leyocan before he could hit the ground.