Chapter 40: Chapter 40 – The Black Fog

Sometime later, heaving deep breaths sounded out as Novus and Adrianne's lungs pulled at the air around them. Novus controlled his breathing enough to let out an angry call.

“Garbal!”

“Shhh!”

Garbal popped out of some bushes and pressed his reeking finger against Novus’ mouth. Then, he waved them into the bushes, and the two readily agreed to the opportunity to catch their breaths. A good few moments passed before Adrianne looked around the area with her shining irises.

“Novus.”

“I know.”

‘Shhh!”

Adrianne, now more focused than before, surveyed the area around them. But, instead of giving her answers, they only demanded more rotten questions.

In her sight, a black, murky fog enveloped the area past the bushes. The slight forest breeze did nothing to disturb it. Instead, it seemed like something unnatural was pulsating inside that unnerved Adrianne.

“Guys!”

Heave.

“Guys!”

“SHHH!”

“MMM!”

Percival almost vomited from the smell as Garbal grabbed him by the mouth and pulled him into the inconspicuous bushes.

Meanwhile, Novus had his eyes closed as he extended his senses to the area beyond the bushes. Though he couldn’t see it like Adrianne, Novus could feel it. Slimy licks of energy that felt like they would devour him the moment he entered.

“Can you see the fog?”

Adrianne asked Novus, but Percival answered through gasps for air.

“What fog?”

Grunt. Grunt.

Thud! Snarl!

The group’s tense nerves were instantly attracted to the sound of collisions deeper in the forest. There, two Blood Raccoons fought tooth and claw against each other as one bashed violently against a tree. The Blood Raccoons seemed like bitter rivals as the Blood Raccoon with a broken fang finally won the battle.

SNARL!

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A tree shook as the Blood Raccoon snarled in rage and pain. However, this did little to stop the Blood Raccoon from continuing the rampage as it used its body to try and bring down an innocent tree. It wasn’t until the life in the Blood Raccoon’s eyes dimmed that it finally stopped its insane battle.

“What was that?”

Percival’s hesitant tone made it seem like he didn’t want an answer.

Suddenly, the hairs on Percival’s skin stood as he felt a cold feeling wash over him. The origin scared him even more as he looked at Novus, who had his crimson aura unconsciously seeping from him.

“Encroach the darkness to fill the heart with unrest, disease the mind and let the body fall victim to its own misery.”

Novus lashed his tongue with utter hatred as he recited the phrase he would rather forget. But, his memories flooded in against him as he remembered the figure who taught him that phrase. The figure that would sweep back his hair and fix the neat bowtie on his butler attire.

“Mercury!”

Unbeknownst to Novus, the veins in his eyes slowly reddened, and his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles were almost entirely white.

Pat.

A wrinkled greenish-brown hand clapped Novus’ shoulder. The back of the hand glowed with a quickly drawn white symbol that slowly spread a glowing aura around Novus.

“Edna, but not Edna, must focus. Goblins in danger.”

The crimson aura seethed as it concealed itself again, and the red in Novus’ eyes receded. Then, finally, his rapidly clearing eyes looked at Garbal’s leafy-green eyes and unclenched his hands.

Though unclenched hands seemed like a good sign, Garbal could still see the swath of emotions clenching Novus on the inside.

Tch.

Novus bitterly looked away as he remarked to the group.

“The black fog is an ambient spell that corrupts the mind, heart, and for weaker-willed creatures, enables mind control. I know the one who did this, but that’s not good news. It’s actually some of the most terrible possible news.”

“Is that why the animals…?”

“They’re slowly going insane.”

“How do you know—”

“Not now. Garbal, lead us to the goblin settlement.”

The rest of the group flinched from the foreign snap in Novus’ tone. From what they had experienced from Novus so far, he seemed a little eccentric. But, compared to the ominous tone filling Novus’ words, he seemed like a sword released from a smiling sheath.

Garbal slowly nodded and cast a glowing set of symbols on everyone present.

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