Agava - Torment

"Now would be most suitable...the sooner we deal with this...the better. We must venture east...to find petrified bark that Nia seeks." the dryad explained briefly while ensuring she wasn't rooted to the ground before deciding to look at Feng and wait for his response.
(Agava)


*He strokes his chin once more, contemplating and thinking.*

"This seems easy enough. Hopefully we go where I have never been."
(Ranjir Solem)


Feng nodded, "I'm ready to go, I've only left Huangzhou territory once, but I should be ready."

Feng looked back at Ranjir, "It might be easy, but we'll never know until we start."

He looked forward again, back at Agava, "So long as we don't run into Obsidia, we should be fine though, I think."
(Feng)


Agava blinks and tilts her head. "Obisida?"
(Agava)


Ranjir Solem says, "Some people that Feng is afraid of."
Feng says, "Not afraid."
Feng says, "They're just not people I wish to interact with."
Ranjir Solem says, "Oh....You are afraid."
Ranjir shrug
(Ranjir Solem)


Feng says, "They kill people for sport, Ranjir."
Feng says, "I wish to avoid that."
Ranjir Solem says, "I do not believe everything I hear. "
Feng says, "You can go to them, then. "
Feng says, "Find out for yourself."
Ranjir Solem says, "I would...But finding the place will take some time."
Feng says, "I'm ready to go."
Ranjir follows them
(Ranjir Solem)


Feng says, "I think this is really the first time I've seen you move."
Agava looked back towards Feng, only to tilt her head and shrug.
(Agava)


The dryad led the two that followed her out of her Grove only to slowly lead them into what appeared a corrupted, decay reeking woods that like a scar separated the swamps and the jungle to the south.

After taking few steps into the occult infested forest Agava began to slow down as her eyes began narrow and her hands moved towards her head as tried to speak towards the two with her voice this time sounding way quieter with a tone of dread and suffering within each spoken word.

"Seek trees...lacking leaves... must hurry... this place... self cannot think...straight..." the dryad tried to explain with her mind appearing to struggle against the chorus of insanity spoken to her by the trees.
(Agava)


Feng had never once gone to this place, he had seen it, but never entered into it. Once they had entered though, it felt off, something felt quite horrible actually.

It wasn't as bad as definitely could of been, but he didn't like this feeling, the feeling of the occult. He shuttered, but he had noticed Agava was worse for wear in this place.

Feng placed his hand onto Agava's shoulder, to hopefully help her, and to get her mind set straight on what they came here to do. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, so he had hoped it helped.

"Hopefully we find it quickly."
(Feng)


*He looked about, sad expression on his face, a quick look to the other two. Agava seemed to be far too out of it. Her words showed the horror in her and with good reason. The youth hopped off his staff, tapping lightly on the corrupted grasslands.

He crouched down, picking up a few blades of withered grass in his had, lifeless to the touch, warped in some way, Ranjir later letting the wind take the blades where they may. He didn't think staying here too long was for the best, having passing through these lands several times, he came to know a thing or two about what may be lurking in the shadows.*

*He looks around, sharp eyes quickly finding something simular to what was required...*

"A tree without leaves..."

*Ranjir walked over to the tree within the distance, motioning his staff to his hand. Using the base of the staff, though hesitant at first, he jammed it into the tree, eching off a rather large piece of bark, dried, dark, lifeless...*

"I found something...I hope this is what you are needing."

*He walks over to Agava, handing her the Bark to examine*
(Ranjir Solem)


Ranjir jams his staff into the bark, breaking off piece.
(Ranjir Solem)


It was perhaps one of the few situations where the dryad felt the negative side of her gift, the screams only she could hear from surrounding vegetation left her gripping her head as menacing whispers filled with insanity left her dazed and struggling to apprehend what was happening around her.

She barely felt Feng's hand with everything happening as if behind a thick fog that not only made everything around her fuzzy but also hard to hear. She needed a good moment to realize that Ranjir asked her a question while presenting her a piece of a bark from nearby trees only to reply with her voice trembling from fear pain.

"N-No... this one is... dead...rotting... petrified... will feel like stone... it won't come off easily...need...to move in deeper..." the dryad spoke before falling silent and with clear problem began to move forth deeper into the woods.
(Agava)


Feng was more afraid for Agava than he was for himself, the fear in her voice, the way she moved and how she acted was very concerning. Feng took a deep breath.

This place.. It was making things worse for his friend, that much Feng knew. As they walked along, Feng had helped observe the area, looking for anything that might resemble the tree they were looking for, but for a moment, he stopped.

He turned his head towards Ranjir, then forwards towards Agava.

"Agava!" he shouted, his voice likely echoing through the occultic woods, "I don't know what's happening to you, but you need to snap out of it! This place isn't good for you, it isn't for any of us, but we need you, Agava. Stay vigilant, and true to yourself!"

He was hoping she at least heard part of what he said, he was just trying to help. If that didn't work he could try something a tad more extreme, but not yet.
(Feng)


*He blinks, watching Feng try to 'Get through' to Agava*

It was clear Agava was hurting herself just being here. Scared, isolated more than ever with the connection she had previously with nature now being completely warped, the very connection becoming an anchor that was dragging her under...It was clear. What Feng was doing may be smart, maybe not...

Truth be told, I was more keen on the task, if only to get the Dryad out of this place faster still. I had to get some kind of result, a dead tree, hard as stone, petrified with fear, a great way to lable the object in mind...

*He floats way from the group, heading southward a bit before stopping to look back*

"If you have the time to worry about her, you'd look for the bark faster friend Feng. Its clear friend Agava is hurting...But taking longer time to find what she needs only serves to hinder her more..."

*He looks ahead*

"I will journey to the Dark Forrest...It is dangeroues but...I might find what she needs there. You stay out here with her and look around."
(Ranjir Solem)
 The dryad wobbled forth towards the nearby dead trees, trying to inspect them from up close as most of what said to her began to sound like a muffled mumble not making much sense to Agava as she approached one of the trees and leaned against it only to force herself to reply.

"Among these...should be one...we need... check them..." the dryad said while trying to feel the surface of the tree she leaned against it, only to let out soundless sigh and attempt to silence the inhuman whispers from nearby trees.
(Agava)


Feng was sad to be ignored, but he knew it wasn't intentional-- probably. He however did listen to her. He stopped following her and began going around the area, feeling trees and the like. He was hoping to find a tree hard as iron.

He wasn't having any luck though, but he wondered what was going through Agava's head right now. How much pain she was in, he didn't know, so he would just have to help her later rather than in the present, and part of that was looking for the tree they needed.

He still didn't like the place though, it scared him. He really feared this place more so than scared, but he was trying to persevere.
(Feng)


 *He had went futher inm deeper and darker, the heavier he felt, the more threatening the shadows seemed. Ranjir would be lying if he said he wasn't unnerved, scared, shook. His eyes darted back and forth, his hope was to see even something closely resembling what wasd described, though almost all he saw seemed to be what he was looking for, yet again, was not.

The youth didn't have much practice with this kind of thing, in this kind of place, yet deeper still he ventured. There were whispers, laughter, shadows and eyes on him. The youth trembled, holding out a hand on fire to light his way, dashing though the darkness on his staff....

Eventually, a bit of a way from the others, isolated himself, the youth found what may be it. No, it most likely way but what was by it was something altogether, a problem on its own.

A distance off, the two others may hear faint explosions that disturb the whisper filled silence as the forrest began to stir*
(Ranjir Solem)


For Agava, the distant sounds of explosions sounded like a muffled pops that barely broke through the menacing screeches that filled her head. She tried to narrow her eyes and focus on the odd noise that somehow broke through all of the hell that infected her mind only to look around towards either Ranjir and Feng only to speak.

"What was that... please tell... it was Ranjir… finding what is needed... body is... starting to tire..." the dryad forced out the response as her body began to sting from the radiating corruption of the trees she was close to.
(Agava)

BOOM!

BOOM!

*As the explosions intensified, the echoes scattered to the wind, reaching all regions within range, the question would be, what was the cause. Deeper in, farther out, away from the rest, the explosion's source became ever clearer.*

ROAR!

*There by the tree within question, two forces colided, the balance tipping either way, but with every passing second, the titan of darkness, a monster within the darkness was pressuring the youth to a corner. All about him, trees fell, gress wither and burn, Ranjir trying so intently to 'control' his flames, trying so very hard not to set the entire forrest ablaze if only to save the tree that had the bark in question. But with this control of the fire, he could feel the flames being weaker, dimmer, his reigns smuthering what should burn free.

Still, he had to. he had to do what he could, andhope, pray Feng, or even yet, Agava get a hint as to what was going on, Ranjir was backed into a wall, his back to it, before him, the monter that called the dead tree its home walking through the flames he had left as if they had not heat, no substance...*

"Ngh!"

*He holds onto his dislocated shoulder, struggling to stay on his feet.*

"Stay...AWAY!"

*Ranjir extends his hand, his eyes closed, a whisper in his native language, a prayer, a plee to the Element of fire...to help him. All the fire about the area suddenly starts to rise, embers floating in the air now began to gather to one point, the palm of the young Sarradian and for the first time ever, he unleashed the inferno that was powered by his fear and desperation, forming a dome of sorts around him, a sheild of heat so intense, it could melt the skin off anyone who deared to come close, the youth seemingly rivaling the sun.*

(Ranjir Solem)


Feng clearly heard the explosions and sounds of fire, but he figured Ranjir was more than capable of doing what was necessary, so he didn't bother going that direction. He wanted to be at least viewing distance of Agava.

Feng decided he would check on Ranjir in a little just in case he actually needed help, but right now he didn't feel it was necessary.
(Feng)


Agava forced herself to move closer towards Ranjir's general direction, shambling towards him before ending up leaning against a tree that appeared to have the bark she looked for, she tried to call out the two of her companions but instead she nearly toppled over as her body and mind began to fade from the mental fatigue.
(Agava)


It was a good idea at first, scatter to cover more ground but...all good ideas are never without flaw and this was it. Backed against a wall, I had managed to tap into the limitless potential of the fire element, if only briefly to protect myself. Was it effective, I would not know....

Sizzle...sizzle...Explode.

*The last unknown attack, a combination of the will to survive, the anguish from the pain he felt and the use of almost every bit of life water within his body, the magical source within him had almost dried up. He had passed out as the fire around him blazed out only to wake up shortly after, tired, weak, laying limp on his staff.

As he looked about himself to a bit of horror, everything within a reasonable field, the monster, the forrest...the dead tree Agava needed...All things became ash and dust...He used the last of his mana to fly himself towards the others, his person smoking, his clothes in pieces, his skin rough, brittle and bruised in some places.*

"I have good news and...bad news..."

*He blinks*

"Good news, I found what Agava needed...Bad news...I turned it and...a portion of the forrest to ash..."

*He tries to sit upright*

"I hope you guys had...better luck..."
(Ranjir Solem)


Feng had been watching Agava while searching so when she headed towards Ranjir's direction, he followed. Though he noticed she had picked something up-- the thing they need, but before they could celebrate she had passed out basically with it in her hands.

Feng looked over at Ranjir, looked at part of the forest, shook his head and picked Agava up off the ground. "Let's head back, she should be in a more serene place."

He could talk to Ranjir later in Huangzhou about what he was doing, but that wasn't important at the moment.

As soon as he had Agava lifted up in an easy position, he used his head to motion for Ranjir to follow him.
(Feng)


Feng placed Agava back in her grove, setting her down carefully, hoping she would connect back with it.

"I hope you have happy thoughts now, Agava. I'll be back to check up on soon." He said.

He finally looked at Ranjir, "I'm not really sure what happened with you, but I'm glad you're okay too."

Feng shook out the bad thoughts from the Dreadwoods. "Let's head into Huangzhou, I need to sit for awhile."
(Feng)


*Ranjir didn't answer at first, the horrors of that moment, the memory still lingered, the pain he felt gone due to the numbing of his body...He needed some water...A long soak even. But first, he needed some rest. Everything else would be taken care of later...*

"You need to sit...I want to sleep..."

*He looks back at Agava for a moment, shaking his head. At least she got what was needed out of all that. It would be bad if the only source in the forrest was the tree he torched...Or well..Trees.*

"Let us head back, yes?"

*He coughs a bit before floating along, Feng by his side*
(Ranjir Solem)