L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

Shadow forest

     Hugo wasn`t going to hesitate for much longer, he knew what he saw the red light and the land dying, he can`t back out now. He readied his hands on the handle of the blade and entered the forest alone, the others looked at each other and followed him. They moved through the small muddy path that split the forest, it smelled like rotting wet wood and the air around it felt breezy and chilly, as Liza told them the forest was dark even though the day was just starting, the canopy of leaves won`t let a single sun ray hit the ground. The deeper they entered the forest the thicker it became with trees growing next to each other and the fog it became denser to a point where they could not see what`s in front of them.

     “This is not good,” Liza stopped. 

     “It`s amazing,” Franco reached into the fog with his hand as it disappeared in the thick cloud, he retrieved it and the cloud stuck to his hand like a leech following his movements before evaporating completely.

     “It`s trying to stop us,” said Hugo as he picked up his pace and faced the cloud entering in its grasp, he completely disappeared as if the cloud swallowed him. “Come on guys,” said a voice out of nowhere, Hugo`s voice. Francis looked at the others nodding to them and he as well followed Hugo as he disappeared in the cloud. Lastly, Cristina got in the cloud and came out from the other side seeing the same dark forest clear again with no fog.

     “We must be nearing its end since the fog is gone,” said Aelizia, but as soon as Hugo made the first step forward he stepped onto something metallic, he kneeled and picked it up as he showed it to the rest.

     “It`s a helmet from the White City,” Franco recognized it. “It`s from the scouts,” he took the helmet and inspected it.

     “Look,” Liza looked around the clearing of the forest and saw the scout's armor just thrown and dispersed around but no sign of them.

     “It seems they have created a camp here,” Francis saw the burnt remains of the campfire.

     “What happened here?” asked Franco, but little did anyone know that his question would be answered instantaneously as a monster jumped on Aeliza who was alone strayed from the group. The same monsters that attacked them when they were heading for the city. Cristina used her newly acquired skills and shot the monster between his eyes as it fell dead. Francis was jumped by another monster and pushed to the ground as Franco stabbed the monster with his rapier straight through its hearth killing it efficiently and quickly. The two monsters fell to the ground motionless. Thinking they caught some respite the monsters stood up again, but how? It was impossible, those were deadly wounds. The monster`s eyes were glowing red and they became more feral toward the humans as one of them jumped on Cristina but Hugo ran up to him and chopped off its head completely, Liza took the daggers and blinded the other monster as it ran away in pain.

     “I do believe that answers your question,” said Liza as she looked at Franco.

     “What was that?” asked Aelizia. “Their eyes were glowing.”

     “I told you we shouldn`t of come here,” said Liza.

     “No, this is not natural,” said Aelizia. “The eyes are not natural.”

     “It`s true, there are no such animals whose eyes are glowing,” confirmed Franco.

     “They were the same monsters that attacked us on the road to the city,” said Francis. “But the last time they did not have red eyes, nor they rose from the dead,” he looked at everybody.

     “What could be causing this?” asked Cristina. For Hugo it seemed to be obvious the red light he saw, it`s source it was close now, but where.

     “The source that`s giving them this pow…” he didn`t finish as the same bone-crushing and spine-tingling dreadful sound of boulder and thunder echoed in the forest, and shortly after the blinding red light. It was more intense this time perhaps because it was right in front of them. Hugo has had enough at it was time to face whatever it was, without hesitation he ran toward the red light charging at it with his sword, the others yelled at him to stop but it was futile, no other choice but follow him.

     Hugo broke the red barrier and found himself alone in the circle, not completely alone in the middle of the circle was the same n***d man from his dreams with the same tattoos on his body. The others entered through the barrier as well and saw the n***d man as he was kneeling and had his palm placed on the ground, it had some sort of connection, the man was draining the life from the soil, the trees around him rotted and fell in an instant and the animals that lived in the forest also died out.

     “This ends now!” Hugo ran toward the man and pushed him away breaking the connection and stopping the process. The man used his magical powers and simply raised his hand causing an invisible force to push Hugo far away, Cristina helped him up as the others charged toward him, some he managed to contain with his magick powers but Francis slipped past those and stabbed him in the leg. The n***d man screamed and fell to the ground, Francis was ready to strike the deadly blow but the man raised his hand and prevented Francis from striking as an invisible force held Francis`s sword mid-air. The man stood up and with his left hand he pointed toward the sky as all of them looked up to the sky and a blinding golden-ish ray struck their eyes, it was the sigil.

     The same sigil Francis and Hugo saw in the dreams, the same sigil Aelizia almost went mad trying to find, and now… It was finally in front of them in all it`s grace. The man placed it around his neck as the power from the sigil surged through his body. It uniquely affected Hugo and Francis, they lost their strength and dropped their weapons, their legs betrayed them and they fell to the ground as if they were defeated and killed. Cristina screamed and was confused as to what could be happening, Aelizia took to her staff and cast a ball of energy towards the man. The ball struck the force field that was around the n***d man and shattered itself on the walls of the force field, it was clear his magic was stronger. Cristina in the last attempt to save them ran up to the n***d man as her arrows could not penetrate the field, she got through but the man raised his hand again and the invisible force grabbed Cristina by her neck and lifted her from the ground. She hovered above the ground as the man was slowly draining the life away from her, she could not move nor scream but just watched as a blue aura was coming through her mouth. Liza screamed and jumped on the man stabbing him in the back with the daggers. The man never screamed nor was he hurt as if he didn`t feel anything, he go distracted by Liza who stabbed him and let go of Cristina,  and the force field was gone but before Aelizia could do anything the man disappeared in thin air. Hugo and Francis regained their strength and stood up again, they were confused as to what has happened Francis picked up his sword and saw Cristina on the ground motionless, he ran up to her and hovered above her.