Recordia : A Lumbering Matter

An hour later, the military was still settling. Laborers began raising tents. The army moved with drilled order. Ten minutes later, tents were in place, and Romulus entered the main command tent. A hint passed among the soldiers. The third clearing wave was coming. Afterward, the party left for the slums. They found Gorabash waiting at the training place. “Morning.” “Morning, Gorabash.” “I got the message.” “Sorry if it was abrupt.” “Old trauma is all.” “If you know something that can help, it would be appreciated.” Gorabash knew where the last cutting site was. Dresh pulled out the map. Gorabash pointed to a place three miles inside. “It’s terrifying,” he said. “From fellow colleagues. It grabs them. Some kind of vine monster takes them deeper into the forest. Whoever goes after them has not returned.” Dresh considered the nature of the thing. “Should not use fire. Acid is a maybe.” Fire could spread. If used at all, they needed to be ready to restrain the blaze. It had to remain a last resort. Lucius and Archaon were new to Gorabash, but Gorabash trusted them well enough because they stood with people he trusted. He hoped they could stop whatever was out there. He would not mind revenge, so long as he was not consumed by it. More than anything, he wanted to work again. He did not like laying down his life for a piece of bread. Lucius offered one promise. He would make the first stab in Gorabash’s father’s name. Gorabash described the threat again: some kind of vine that grabbed people, three miles into the forest from the marked area. A base camp sat two miles in and was probably deserted after a month. Dresh could identify common northern animals and beasts, and had an edge identifying anything uncommon, including insects. The possibilities were considered. Treants. Wolves. Bears, though not local. Root monsters. Something derived from kudzu. An infecting thing, a toxic growth used to infect forests. A parasite. It originated from trees rather than roots and used vines to engulf. Lucius summarized the tactical concern. “Maybe find it, encounter it. Seems to work around stealing one party member.” Getting back mattered more than vengeance or restoring the worksite. Dresh promised Gorabash they would let him know what they found, whether for closure or to warn other lumberjacks. “No worries,” Gorabash said. “May Hadur be with you.” “Aye,” came the reply. “And you as well.” Kris argued against splitting up. “Splitting up is a foolish idea. Stay within eye and earshot. Stay tight-knit until we find it.” If someone was picked off, that could become the whole fight. Cas noted that the creature might sense footsteps if it was plantlike. Lucius said they might simply have to be prepared for an ambush. Dresh offered to bring Nydris. Cas argued the forest might be too crowded for Nydris to move properly. They ate lunch and prepared to leave. A forest dragon was mentioned as another possible creature, though only as a possibility. It would be an eight-hour or so hike. Food came first. Rations were five silver. Food from the Bent Coin was six copper. They ultimately spent a gold per person to have food for two days. When they departed, around thirty large military tents stood outside, with a few even larger ones among them. The war had come close to the city. The forest waited beyond it.