The shaking Corin experienced only intensified. As he tried to gather his wits about him he could not help but continue to stumble around him, unable to catch his footing. To make things worse Corin was sure that he could see the roots of the trees around him slither about as if they were being shaken loose by the quakes.

  No, it's more than just roots being shaken. The trees themselves are moving!

  It took Corin a while to notice it but it was unmistakable. The trees were not very fast but they were moving away from the direction of the roar.

  It made sense now. Corin did his best to look at the clearing around him and could tell that it looked different from only several minutes ago when he first encountered the clay golem. There was no doubt about it. The trees around him were moving.

  What should I do? The others!

  “Livia! Simeon!” Corin shouted.

  The only response Corin received were more furious quakes. These nearly knocked him down.

  The trees continued moving, hurrying their pace. They were now moving as fast as a walking person.

  Another loud roar. This time it sounded much closer to Corin.

  “Livia! Simeon! Nanaua! Zhi! Kadus!” Corin shouted as loud as he could.

  He looked around trying to see any signs of his companions. The only thing he saw were the moving trees.

  The quaking ground now shook almost incessantly and with more intensity. Corin was brought down to his knees. The quakes were getting too strong.

  If I stay here I'll die!

  Corin began to run in the same direction as the trees were going. The ground shook as he ran, only stopping for brief periods.

  As soon as he regained his footing the ground would begin shaking anew, throwing him off balance. He tripped several times on the moving roots. Instead of providing him support as earlier now they were hindrances. He no longer struggled on moving but on freeing himself from the roots.

  If this damned giant doesn't kill me, then these roots definitely will!

  Corin’s ankle was snagged in between some roots, and a vise-like grip encircled it, almost tearing it off.

  “Aaagh!” Corin cried in agony.

  He tried to loosen the root’s grip on his ankle. It was no use, he could not dislodge the roots. As he struggled in vain more roots began to coil themselves up around his legs, threatening to completely entangle him.

  Another loud roar pierced the moving forest. Corin could not see the giant, but he knew he was approaching.

  “I'm tired of you damn Titans! You're always coming in at the worst time and ruining everything! I hate all of you!” Corin shouted in the direction of the Titan.

  Corin felt something peculiar slither around him. He looked at his torso and saw a branch wrapping around his waist. He felt the roots around his ankles let go.

  As soon as Corin tried to pick himself up the branch around him tightened.

  “What is -” Corin began, but was quickly cut off as the branch pulled him into the air.

  Corin was yanked from the ground. He was floating now and saw the ground moving underneath. He looked to the trees. He was moving in their direction; the branch that picked him was sticking out from one of the trees around him. He was being dragged away from the direction of the giant.

  “Stop! My companions, I need to reach them!” Corin shouted as he grabbed at the branch that held him.

  They are safe.

  A voice in Corin's head spoke. But it was not his.

  “Wait, did you just talk to me in my head?” Corin shouted out loud.

  Yes, we did.

  “Oh… ok.” Corin replied.

  Corin's confusion had reached a tipping point. He hung in the air, as he was hauled away from a rampaging Titan by moving trees. As he was carried, someone or something was not only communicating with him, but speaking directly into his mind.

  “Wait, who is even talking to me? How is this possible?” Corin asked not knowing who he was speaking to. “Can you read my mind? What number am I thinking of?”

  What number should I think of?

  No, we cannot read your mind. We feel the vibrations your voice makes and interpret what you are saying. As we hold on to you we are able to communicate directly with your mind, but we are only able to speak to it, not read from it.

  The Giant roared once again, the sound coming further from Corin now. It seemed as if the trees had been able to put some distance between themselves and it.

  “You keep referring to we. But who am I speaking to?” Corin asked.

  We are the forest. We go by many names. But you may call us Yprum. We are the collective consciousness of the marsh.

  Corin felt his sides begin to go numb. The branches that had been dragging him had been squeezing him too tightly for too long.

  “Oh so this is how the forest elves must have been able to communicate.” Corin said.

  You are correct. We saw the emblem on your skin. You are a friend of the forest and we are obliged to help you.

  Corin looked down at his wrist. He had forgotten about the symbol. As they moved the trees abruptly moved Corin up. The movement hurt Corin quite a bit.

  “Ugh! Yprum, is it possible for you to move me? I mean I appreciate you saving me, but at the same time this really hurts.” Corin spoke with the politest tone he could muster while his ribs felt like they would break.

  Our apologies, friend. We forget how fragile other beings are, it was not our intention to harm you.

  Corin was raised, passed from one branch to branch until he was placed at the top of a tree. A branch still clung to him, to provide him support in case he might lose his balance.

  From where he stood Corin could see over the other trees, to the rest of the valley. Here Corin could see hundreds of the spires. One in the distance was easily twice as tall as the rest.

  That's where the heart is. Where the artifact must be.

  The ground shook once more and Corin felt it all the way at the top of the tree. His footing slipped but he was held firmly by the branch that was wrapped around him.

  In the distance Corin could hear the loud roars of the rampaging Titan. He turned to look there.

  Bellum was closer, much closer than Corin thought he would be.

  How did he move so fast?

  This Giant seemed very different from Buruni in Yranto. Whereas that one seemed to be made of solid rock, Bellum seemed to be formed out of clay. But he was still massive, standing as tall as the other Giants Corin had seen. Around Bellum all that could be seen was the endless destruction he wrecked.

  With every slam the ground around him shook, trees were launched into the air, several spires were destroyed, and others came into being.

  Upon seeing the rampaging Titan, Corin felt a large pit from within his stomach. Although he could not be sure it seemed that the Titan was close to where he had camped.

  “You said my friends were safe. How do you know this?” Corin asked.

  Not many furtives come through these parts. We were able to rescue a group of four furtives, two human females, an apeman and a sparrowling when Bellum began his rampage. We assumed they were traveling with you, for they also bore the same marking.

  “Four other furtives? There were supposed to be five! What happened with Nanaua?” Corin shouted.

  Yprum was silent. Corin did not hear a response for a while, he started to become concerned.

  I'm sorry but I am not able to communicate with your friends now. I don't know what happened with this other furtive.

  “What? Damn!” Corin shouted.

  He looked to the tall spire off into the distance. Where Bellum's heart lay.

  That was the only place Corin could think of that Nanaua would have gone to, but why now?

  “Where are my companions? I need to go to them!” Corin shouted.

  That would not be wise.

  “What do you mean? I need to go to them! Now!” Corin felt his temper rising.

  You are separated not only by a large distance, but by Bellum. The path he cut across is between you and your companions. If you try to reach them you will be spotted by Bellum and we will not be able to protect you.

  Corin looked at the rampaging Giant.

  Bellum was far from Corin and his rampage still continued. Corin felt like a fool for getting separated from his allies at such a time.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I thought we had more time before being spotted.

  “Damn!” Corin shouted in exasperation.

  “When will it be safe to cross? To go to them?” Corin asked.

  It is impossible for us to answer. If Bellum appeared near your group then it is clear he sees you as a threat. What he will do now is not known to us.

  Corin gnashed his teeth in frustration. They had a plan for how they would move onto the spire, but now that was no longer an option. Then there was Nanaua's sudden disappearance. He did not know what to do.

  Corin looked toward the horizon. His eyes kept fixating on the large spire. He could not help but think about what was in it.

  Bellum was now otherwise occupied.

  He knew the opportunity it presented, but he also knew of the danger within.

  “My friends, you are not able to communicate with them?” Corin asked.

  I am not. My connection with the other side of the forest has been severed by Bellum.

  “What should I do?” Corin muttered to himself.

  The trees kept moving away from Bellum's rampage, away from his companions. Corin only had one option available to him.

  “Yprum, do you know about the spires in this area? Do you know what they are?” Corin asked.

  The large spires I believe you are speaking of are created and destroyed by Bellum whenever he goes into a rampage. We know about them, but beyond their existence we don't know their purpose.

  “Are any of them guarded? Is it dangerous to approach any of them?” Corin asked.

  To this question Yprum hesitated. Finally he answered Corin.

  There is only one which we know to be guarded. But we do not go near it. In the past our brethren have been destroyed when they go near it, the location is under heavy guard by many of Bellum's spawns. But that is not all, Bellum always reacts to any encroachment upon it. Any who goes there is certain of only one thing. Death.

  Corin continued fixating on the large spire. It did not matter what he heard from Yprum, he had already decided.

  “Is the spire that you speak of the largest one?” Corin asked.

  I believe you already know the answer to that.

  Corin did not reply. He only looked to the spire. He knew it would be a long distance to cover before he would make it to the spire. But he could see Bellum now. The rampaging giant was far off, even at his fastest, it would give Corin time to attempt to climb the spire, and he felt as if he would not be the only one attempting it.

  Tell me, what is it that you think you would find there that is so precious to risk life and limb over?

  “My friends and I. We came here because Bellum has something we need. We are almost certain he keeps it hidden in the spire. Not only that but we also know something else. Before we arrived here we met a curious creature, a nameless Dragon. A former Titan. He warned us of Bellum. And let us know of his madness and how it came to be; a curse from its God. But that was not the only punishment he suffered. His heart was taken from him by his God, and the Dragon told us that it could be found in the tallest spire in the valley.” Corin finished.

  Yprum was silent. They did not know Corin. All they knew was that he and the others had been marked as friends of the forest. But he knew that if what Corin was saying was true, then they had to act upon it.

  For centuries we have existed in fear of Bellum and his unending rampages. Yet you come here now and claim that this madness that has plagued us can be destroyed. Tell us, is what you speak the truth? Do you believe it is possible that Bellum might be destroyed? Do you trust the words of the Dragon?

  “I do.” Corin replied. “The Dragon did not lie about anything else he said.”

  And you think you can destroy his heart?

  Corin looked at his pistol. Only one shot left. But he had already seen that the first shot shattered the golem.

  “Yes.”

  The reply was silent, but Corin received the message. The trees changed their course and began moving towards the spire. The change was so abrupt that Corin almost fell, but the trees held on to him.

  Corin could see that it was not just the trees around him that moved toward the spire, but a large number of other trees began to create a dense path between Bellum's current location and the location of the tall spire.

  And you will be able to destroy the heart?

  “I will do what I can to destroy the heart, but my companions, their aid will be crucial for success.” Corin replied.

  ***

  Nanaua stood at the top of a large rock studying the field around her. It had taken her a long time to get to the top. She had largely dried off from the icy river plunge. She looked around and saw it. The large spire.

  She looked back to the area where the camp had been. Through the top of the trees she could see Bellum, still rampaging.

  I cannot go back that way.

  Earlier Nanaua had left the camp to search for Corin once the entire group had awakened. The group could not understand how it was that he had not returned. She began following the markings he left. It was not long until her search was interrupted by Bellum.

  When she first noticed the Giant, Nanaua froze. He appeared so fast that she did not even know what was happening. In one moment she was alone among the trees and then she noticed something from the corner of her eye. In an instant when she turned the Giant Bellum was right behind her, less than thirty paces from her.

  He was as large as a mountain yet she did not hear him coming. It was as if he had come straight from the ground and had manifested where he stood.

  How is this possible? He was supposed to be far from us!

  As soon as she saw him Bellum began his rampage. Nanaua had not seen what prompted the violent display of power but that was not relevant. All that mattered was that Bellum was focused on destroying everything around him and Nanaua was right next to him. She had to run to survive.

  As she began running the trees around her began to move and the ground became difficult to navigate. She struggled to navigate the terrain she saw an opportunity, the river. Without a second thought, Nanaua jumped in.

  The raging rapids dragged Nanaua away from Bellum. The ice cold water felt like sharp knives piercing Nanaua's skin. In the rapids she struggled to keep her head above water, trying to keep an eye on the giant Bellum and the path the rapids took her. Down the river, she saw that it began to get wider, and its banks kept getting higher and higher. She was surrounded by steep rock walls on each side.

  Now her main concern was no longer escaping Bellum but not drowning. She saw a large branch coming and she reached out with a free hand.

  “Argh!” She yelled as she closed her hand around the branch.

  SNAP!

  “No!” Nanaua yelled.

  Now she continued down the river as she held a rotting piece of wood in her hand. Nanaua could not see where the river was headed to, but she needed to get out.

  Nanaua grabbed her pike and jammed it onto the rock wall. It lodged firmly and Nanaua held onto it with both hands.

  She struggled mightily but she was able to pull herself out of the water and onto the rocky wall. From here she studied her surroundings.

  The only thing she saw was the rock wall she rested against. She saw some large rocks she could hold onto.

  “I'll have to go up!” She gritted her teeth and began the climb up.

  She would alternate between pulling herself up into a new hand hold, pulling her pike and jamming it into a new place and pulling herself up again. She repeated this process several times before reaching the top.

  The further up she went the more unfamiliar the territory around her. She was on the edge of a large rock. She climbed it to find a better vantage point. It took her a long time but she finally made it to the top.

  From here she was finally able to see the full extent of the area she found herself in, and just how far she had traveled in a short amount of time.

  The first thing she noticed was the Giant, Bellum, who continued rampaging. He was far away from her, which was good for Nanaua, but it also separated her from her allies.

  “That cursed, idiotic beast!” Nanaua bellowed in his direction.

  “What am I supposed to do?” Nanaua seethed as she stared in his direction.

  She looked around and all that she could see was an endless sea of green, with the occasional spire shooting from the ground. The green mass was not static, she could see it moving with ever greater speed away from Bellum's rampage. She could also see the river that had carried her, but it would not help her find her allies. They had been nowhere near it when they got separated, and once Bellum began his rampage they had to move as well. There was nothing that she could identify that would help her in reaching her friends.

  As she looked around her, there was only one single thing that stood out to her, one thing that instantly caught her attention. Once she saw it, she held her pike in one arm and pointed at it.

  “The spire where his heart lies.” Nanaua said.

  She knew where she was headed.

  ***

  “Where could those two have gone?” Simeon asked as he held onto a tree. “By now they should-”

  The Giant Bellum is about to attack. You all must flee!

  “What?” Simeon asked as he looked around him. It seemed as if someone spoke to him.

  “Look!” Zhi shouted in a panicked voice. “We need to move now!”

  Simeon turned to see what Zhi spoke of. His mind could not understand what he was seeing.

  Without warning part of the marsh near them gave rise to a large mountain that was beginning to take shape quickly. It quickly grew limbs and extremities, forming a head at the top.

  The incident occurred so fast that Simeon thought he must be imagining things.

  As Simeon studied the large figure that had erupted in front of them it raised both of its arms high into the air.

  “AAAARRRGH!” The creature yelled in rage.

  As the Giant prepared to slam its fists the trees around them began to move. Seemingly without pause each one of them was picked up by a tree and began to be carried away.

  “A tree is grabbing me! A tree is grabbing me!” Kadus yelled in a panicked voice.

  At the same time the Giant slammed his fists into the ground. The massive shockwave was so violent that Simeon and the others could do nothing but be carried away by the moving trees.

  “How? How did he surprise us?” Zhi asked as they were being dragged away.

  They were so surprised by the Giant that ignored the fact that trees had grabbed them and were carrying them away.

  “The Giant just came out of the ground! There was no sign of him either! Just one moment he was erupting from the ground! I didn't even know that was possible!” Simeon shouted.

  That is how Bellum moves through this Valley.

  The voice spoke directly into Simeon’s mind.

  “What was that?” “Who said that?” “Was that you, Simeon?” “Am I imagining things now? Am I dead?”

  The four of them shouted out loud simultaneously.

  “You heard that too?” Livia shouted.

  What you are hearing are the trees of this valley, our name is Yprum. We are communicating with all four of you directly at the same time.

  “The trees are talking to me!” Kadus shouted.

  “We know!” Livia, Zhi, and Simeon shouted back in unison.

  Bellum roared once more. He smashed into the ground. As the trees moved to escape the Giant a giant spire shot out from the ground from where the group had been only moments prior.

  “By the firmament!” Simeon shouted.

  “Where are these trees taking us?” Kadus shouted.

  We are taking you away from Bellum. Your companions have been marked as friends of the forest. It is our duty to help them when they are in need.

  “Friends of the forest? Does that make sense to any of you?” Kadus shouted.

  “Yes!” Livia, Zhi and Simeon shouted back.

  “This makes no sense!” Kadus shouted back.

  Bellum shouted once more, a large shadow suddenly appeared around them. They looked up and saw a large boulder had been thrown their way.

  “Watch out!” Simeon shouted.

  Before he finished, the trees had already begun moving. The area where the boulder would smash into cleared of all trees and the boulder impacted the soft wet ground. Large splashes of mud rained all around them.

  “What about Corin and Nanaua?” Livia shouted. “We need to be going to them!”

  Before Bellum began his attack both were safe.

  “What about now? Are they in danger!?” Livia shouted.

  We cannot say. We have lost our connection to that side of the Valley. Bellum is between us and them. As long as that remains true we cannot communicate with the trees around them.

  “Argh!” Zhi shouted as the trees moved around quickly. The vines that were holding on to each of them were squeezing so tight that it felt they might squeeze the life out of them.

  “You need to move us!” Zhi said. “This hurts!”

  The trees acquiesced, moving each of them to the top. From there they could see the distance they had put between themselves and Bellum, although his rampage was still ongoing and a threat to them.

  “Kadus, could you see where Corin and Nanaua are?” Livia asked him.

  They stared at Kadus who was observing Bellum. Bellum stomped the ground, and launched a massive rock into the air. As the rock floated in front of him Bellum punched it, sending debris flying everywhere.

  “The Giant will swat him away, Livia!” Simeon shouted.

  “Bellum would destroy him!” Zhi said only a moment after Simeon finished speaking.

  “Let go of me tree!” Kadus shouted.

  They all stared at him.

  “Nevermind Kadus, they are correct.” Livia shouted back.

  “No!” He shouted back at her. “We all came here with one thing in mind! Beyond the Giant lays the spire! If my intuition is correct I bet our friends are headed there right now. I will go and tell them of our situation and find a path for them to the spire.”

  “We will keep the Giant's attention as long as possible!” Zhi shouted back.

  Kadus jumped from the top of the tree and took to the skies.

  What is it that you intend to do?

  “We intend on finding the Giant's heart in that center spire and destroy it.” Zhi replied.

  The Giant's heart is in the center spire? But how will you destroy it?

  “Our allies!” Simeon shouted. “They know of it as well. If they are anywhere near the spire they will go there to destroy the heart.”

  The trees did not respond.

  “Will you help us?” Livia shouted. “We will try to distract the Giant, but we cannot succeed without your help.”

  But how? How can we help? We were going to guide you outside the Valley for your own safety. Do you desire to stay in the valley? To confront Bellum?

  “It is what we must do!” Zhi said.

  At that moment a large boulder flew towards them. Before the trees had to move, Zhi raised her hands and caused the rock to shatter into thousands of pieces no larger than grains of sand.

  You are able to use magic?

  “Yes!” Zhi shouted back.

  The trees were silent for a moment.

  We will attemp to assist in slowing down Bellum, but how exactly we can do that we do not only e.

  “Yprum would you be able to weave your roots together? Could you entangle Bellum?” Livia shouted.

  We may need your assistance to guide us but we will try.

  Beneath them they heard a growl. They all turned to look, they saw a similar creature to Bellum climbing up one of the trees to try and attack them.

  “What is that?” Livia shouted.

  A golem. A creation from Bellum. Much like Bellum they have the ability to mold the shape of their body. At the center of their body there is a large gem, which acts as their heart.

  “Leave this to me!” Simeon said as he began firing arrows at the creature.

  The first arrow ricocheted off the body. The second hit the core at an angle, causing some damage. The creature howled in pain.

  “With all this moving it's hard to hit it!” Simeon shouted.

  Let us help.

  A vine twisted around the center of the creature. It began to fight against the tree as Simeon shot it once more.

  This arrow impacted straight at the center of the creature. A spray of green gems flew everywhere.

  Another howl sounded from the bottom.

  “Leave it to me!” Simeon shouted.

  Bellum growled. It was preparing to attack.

  “Bellum is preparing to attack!” Livia shouted. “Can you begin to entangle around his leg?”

  Where?

  Livia saw the mass of trees begin to move in between Bellum's legs.

  “You're moving in between Bellum's legs! Move toward the sun! That is where his planted leg is!” Livia shouted.

  The trees reacted quickly. They moved to one Bellum's planted legs and began to entangle their roots. The Giant roared in anger. He flailed his arms up.

  “You're not getting away!” Zhi shouted.

  She conjured a massive fireball, as large as any that Livia had seen so far. It was as tall as the trees they were on and burned bright like the sun.

  “Damn Zhi.” Livia whispered. She knew Zhi's powers were close to fully awakeningl.

  Zhi launched the massive fireball straight at Bellum. It impacted him in the center of his body. The fireball entered Bellum's body and exploded, sending large fragments of the Giant everywhere. All that was left of him was the lower torso.

  “Was that it?” Simeon shouted.

  Bellum's lower body began to pulsate, little by little sections began to put themselves together.

  “Not yet.” Zhi said. “That was just the beginning.”