Dashing to the cavern, roots grabbed and slashed at us, seeking to trap us here. I swept Calliope up as we dashed along, but she got hauled from my back as we emerged back into the cavern.
Demetria had had her wishes for power granted and her form now resembled a twisted tree, her howling face of hatred pushing from the bark and the gygans scowl further down the trunk. Branches and roots whipped at us and grabbed at our ankles.
Braz had retreated from her main trunk, but bore wounds from his struggles. Theo and Calliope battled with roots and Alke… wait, where was she?
Alke had almost disappeared under the nests of vines and roots. Like her own snakes they writhed and slashed at her. I turned from where I was slashing at the trunk with my wolf form claws when I saw her turn just in time for a branch to bludgeon her in the temple and her form fell limp.
Please, gods, no!
Enraged, Helikaon joined with my claws and sunk his huge sword through the root ball and finally the roots and branches fell limp, though the rumbling of the cavern belied the real danger we were in as it collapsed around us. I turned to pull Alke’s remains clear…
...to see her standing, unblemished and whole once more.
Lutheria, damn you. If this is another of your tricks…
I snarled and it was only then I realised I had pinned her back down to where she had fallen before. I don’t even remember leaping. My attempts to get an answer as to what had happened met only with confusion as I snarled from my wolf shape, so I shifted back and met her eyes.
It was Alke who looked back. Not the eyes of a cruel and capricious god, nor the inhuman eyes of her servants, but Alke’s own, as confused as anyone else as to how she still remained with us. Lumps of stone began to fall and we quickly dashed from that awful place.
With the young people we saved and Loreus in tow, we made our way back towards Estoria. As we reached the edges of the Oldwoods, we set up camp as some were ready to collapse from the exhaustion of the day. It was late on, during my watch that a little squirrel scampered up to us in search of food. Curious little fellow.
Alke wouldn’t sleep. She sat watch, quiet and pensive. I used some of my dweomers to call some animals from the woods to bring a smile, but it’s clear there’s more she’s not ready to talk through yet. Lutheria would not let her return to spare her. If she let her go, it’s to visit more pain and suffering upon us.
She is indeed my father’s twin. Bitch.