Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

"Damn!" snorted Karl, frightened at the mere thought of spending longer in the forest than necessary.

"It seems to be a good plan, Captain. Also, we could write down what we'll find in the unexplored part of the forest, so we can update the maps, which will forever carry our name!" replied Reidar, who moved to the side, to make Dag through.

"Reidar, besides being a surefire archer also seems to be very clever. So far, his advice and observations have always been helpful" Dag thought, reflecting on Reidar's words since they left the Temple Of Orn.

"I had to keep my mouth shut..." whispered Karl from the back.

"You're wrong, brother. I think you had a brilliant idea. If your plan works, I promise I'll tell everyone about your skills as a chemist!" replied Dag, trying to encourage his friend, who closed the almanac and snorted, surrendering to the idea of having to follow his Captain's orders.

After about an hour, Dag and his companions found themselves at a crossroads, where a sign indicated the possible directions: on the right, the path led to the Sjonir region; on the left, a long, steep descent led to the FossilWood Forest.

"That writing doesn't suggest anything good..." Karl stammered, noting that the wooden plaque on which 'FossilWood Forest' was written had been half-destroyed.

Someone had tried to delete the indication, perhaps to confuse those who, like them, had never visited those areas.

"My mother Asa, she told me terrifying stories about that place. She told me that the animals that populate the forest are connected to its magical source and that they undergo genetic mutations, taking humanoid forms" Dag said, trying to remember his mother's exact words.

Reidar and Karl stood behind him, standing still listening.

"We will camp as soon as the Sun has set completely and the darkness falls" Dag continued, looking at the frightened faces of his companions.

At the crossroad, they turned left and continued down the path.

They rode for less than an hour, when the road became rough and the ground too uneven to allow the horses to carry them in the saddle.

"Let's get off the horses and walk on for now" Dag said.

After getting off the horse, the three friends continued to descend to the forest, pulling their steeds from the bridles.

The sound of birds, which until shortly before sang in the forest, disappeared. They were replaced by the breath of the wind, which whistled as it entered the narrow crevices of the rocky trunks of the fossil trees.

The steep descent gradually lost its tilt and the ground returned to being flat.

Dag, before riding back, looked down under his feet.

Although it began to get dark, it was enough to tread the ground to estimate its aridity and little resistance to weight.

"Get back on horseback, but slowly" the Captain continued.

"I have also noticed that the soil is very fragile... but I think it can bear the weight of our horses" Reidar said, just behind Dag.

Dag nodded, looking around: as soon as they entered the forest, a multitude of towering trees stood before them.

Their branches, more than 15 meters high, crossed and joined together, forming a real rocky ceiling, as if they wanted to keep hidden what was beneath them.

"It feels like we're in a huge cave!" exclaimed Karl, noting that the dim afternoon light was totally absent under the trees.

"Let's light torches. We'll walk a little bit more and then we'll camp for the night" said Dag, who began to feel restless.

They lit a torch head and continued to ride along the path, which deepened deeper and deeper into the darkness.

After a few minutes, a huge tree barred their way.

"But... but that doesn't make sense! Where's the trail?!" asked Karl.

Dag turned around the tree, trying to figure it out.

"The path interrupts here" he said.

"What does that mean? We entered the forest just a few minutes ago!" continued Karl, in disbelief.

"I know, Karl. I'm as amazed as you are, but unfortunately with this darkness, it's impossible to spot the north. We're going to camp here, so tomorrow morning we'll be able to get our bearings" Dag replied, looking up, completely covered by tree branches.

"There's too much silence here, Captain. We have to be careful" said Reidar, who got off his horse and approached Dag.

"We tie the horses this way, near this bush" Dag continued, pointing to a safe place to leave the horses.

After giving them food and drink, Dag and his companions lit a small fire and sat around it.

After finishing eating, Karl began reading Egill's almanac again, still trying to find the solution to Dag's problem.

Reidar got up and approached one of the trees, curious.

He tapped the surface of the trunk with his hand: "It's amazing. Looking at it, it looks like a normal tree, but it's actually made of stone".

He pulled a dagger out of his belt and shoved its blade into a slot, trying to break the trunk to figure out what was inside.

By force, he managed to break the bark, revealing large purple and white crystals grown on the inner walls of the hollow trunk.

"What the fuck..." Reidar said again, continuing to dig into the tree.

Dag approached, witnessing the discovery of his companion.

"That is amethyst. This is quartz" he said, pointing to Reidar first with the purple crystals and then the white crystals.

"And how they grew up in here?" asked Reidar, also attracting Karl's attention, who raised his head towards them.

"If I remember correctly from my geology lessons... over time, the organic substance inside the wood has been replaced with these minerals, which have grown inside the tree, keeping its outer appearance unchanged" Dag said, as he touched the amethyst crystals.

"The formation of minerals so large and well developed, it has taken thousands of years, maybe millions... don't you think it's weird?" he continued.