Catrin and the others climbed into the suspended boat, and the crew lowered them to the water. The parting was surreal; she found it difficult to believe that she was about to step onto fabled soil abandoned by man more than three thousand years past. Only lightly armed, she doubted her party was prepared for the trials ahead. This place harbored creatures they had never seen before and knew nothing about. Anything that moved was suspect.
Once ashore, they dragged their boat to some nearby trees and covered it with branches, aware that even this task could be deadly if carried out carelessly. Picking through the branches, they found snakes, frogs, and colorful lizards in abundance. Even with great care, there were a few tense moments.
Moving deeper into the forest seemed suicide from what Catrin had already seen; her mind imagined every creature as a deadly and poisonous foe. Given that she had no way to tell which were dangerous and which were benign, it was a healthy outlook, even if unpleasant.
Sailing with the current, the Slippery Eel was soon lost from sight. Any feeling of security Catrin had fled with the Eel, but she led the group as best she could, slowly picking their way into a foreign and unknown land. Using short swords, they cut through obstacles at a crawling pace, but sunlight could be seen on the forest floor ahead, and the group moved with determination.
When they broke free of the tangled mass of vines and thorns, they entered a strange twilight, where the vegetation took on surprising shapes. Despite the dense growth, the outlines of ancient structures could still be seen, and occasional walls still stood, covered completely in growth and looking as if they had occurred naturally.
Chase pulled the vines back from a column, revealing the fine detail that was previously hidden. Gracefully fluted and tapered, they were a marvelous testament to the ancients' stonework and building skills. Farther on, they discovered a field of man-shaped growths that harbored ancient sculptures of men with ideal physiques, their muscle definition conveyed with tremendous detail.
No one spoke as they moved among the eerie shapes, and Catrin couldn't shake the fear that they would all suddenly spring to life and attack. When they reached the far end of the field, they found a low, stone wall. Beyond it was a relatively clear space and another, similar wall. Between, the land was flat and, for a short distance, unobstructed: a road.
"If this is a road, it should lead to Ri, shouldn't it?" Chase asked.
"Your reasoning is sound. We should follow the road," Brother Vaughn said.
Catrin could give no reason for her fear of the road, only that she felt sick whenever she looked at it. Perhaps, she thought, it was because of what she would find at its end. Knowing it made sense to follow the road, she reluctantly agreed.
The rest of the day was spent picking through the less dense foliage that was reclaiming the ancient roadway, but their progress was significantly faster than when traveling through the forest. In some places, larger structures remained mostly standing, and in one case, an elaborate entrance decorated the side of a mountain. Catrin was tempted to explore it, but her gut told her she had not yet reached her destination and she resisted the urge.
"How do you know Belegra isn't in there?" Chase asked.
"It just doesn't feel right," was the only answer Catrin could provide, but it seemed to satisfy him. Crowded between the river and the valley walls were a continuous supply of distractions, enticing places that could hold treasures beyond their reckoning, and only the will to achieve their goal kept them from straying.
When they came to a place where the road was blocked with massive stones and the trees and vines that covered them, they found evidence of a fight, and it looked as if many Zjhon soldiers had died. Pieces of armor and torn bits of uniforms littered the ground, but a nearby mound told of survivors; someone had buried the dead.
Evidence of those Catrin sought should have been welcome, but it only increased her uneasiness; the knowledge of another, unknown foe had everyone on edge, and they moved slowly, scanning the trees for danger.
When darkness claimed the land, they had to stop. They made a hasty camp with a small fire. Beyond the meager light of their fire, Catrin could see little in the darkness. The leaves above blocked the small amount of light the night sky gave through thick clouds.
Shadows moved around them, detectable by only the minute change in the shade of darkness. It was the smell that brought Catrin to full alert. Musky and overpowering, the odor suddenly filled the air. Before she could even open her mouth to give warning, the trees exploded with activity. Even though the attackers had the element of surprise, they did not find the camp sleeping. Wary and afraid, most had been lying awake in their bedrolls, and they sprang to action.
Gathering around Catrin, her Guardians sought to defend her from a foe they had not yet clearly seen. Catrin reached to the sky, searching for distant comets by feeling for their energy. Pale blue light washed over the camp as ropes of liquid lightning arced between her fingers, reaching toward the sky. In that light, the Gholgi were made even more terrifying, looking otherworldly.
With skin like moving granite, they resembled bears with long, feral jaws lined with gleaming teeth. Most of the time moving on all fours, they stood nearly as tall as Catrin, but when confronted, they stood on their hind legs and towered over her and her Guardians.
Their movements were not of a full-on attack, though; instead they charged through the group, splitting them up, trying to separate their intended prey from the pack. Strom and Osbourne took to the trees when they were nearly run down, and one of the Gholgi went down when Strom swung from the branches and kicked it hard in the face. The beast's head snapped to one side, and it crumpled to the ground.
Brother Vaughn rolled away from a charging Gholgi, but when he stood, another swept his legs out from under him.
Issuing her own roar, Catrin unleashed her attack. Streaks of energy struck multiple Gholgi, stunning some and knocking others down, but one still came. Only Chase remained by Catrin's side as she swayed on her feet, and he stepped forward to meet the approaching Gholgi. The beast roared-a sound like distant thunder-and stood on its hind legs. Chase charged in, his sword leveled at the beast's abdomen, even as Catrin drew on every power source available to her. The Gholgi used its height to level a massive blow at Chase's head before Catrin could react. Chase ducked away from the blow but was sent spinning and landed in a heap.
Three Gholgi got between Catrin and her Guardians, and they changed their tactics. Now they had her separated, and they drove her into the forest. Osbourne swung down from a branch, trying to reproduce Strom's kick, and did succeed in blinding one of the Gholgi with his heels before he fell from the tree. Brother Vaughn and Chase tried to reach Catrin, but the Gholgi repelled them.
Followed by two of the beasts, Catrin fled as fast as she could through the dense foliage. Like a sentient being, the forest hindered her every movement, tangling her in its web, trying to devour her. Growing louder as they came, the Gholgi gained on her, and she knew she could not outrun them; she had to turn and fight.
Trying to draw more energy while at a full run proved to be impossible, and she searched for the best place to make her stand. Ahead, where the land rose steeply, two Gholgi stepped into her path, making the choice for her. Moving together, they tried to herd Catrin back into the trees, but as soon as she stopped, she drew deeply and lashed out. Twin beams of energy split the air, and Catrin clenched her teeth, ready for the backlash of her attack. When it came, it was less than she'd expected, and she hoped that just being prepared for the repercussion could somehow lessen it. The Gholgi were momentarily stunned, and Catrin ran for higher ground, away from the forest.