Ch 60. Flee the Dark

I was rushing through the forest, avoiding trees, but sometimes running directly into them. Shrugging off the pain with my superhuman constitution. Carrying my unconscious brother on one shoulder, while holding my sword in front of me with my other hand. Using it like a cane to feel my way forward.

Kicking myself for not apprehending a torch for myself, having given the rest away and not expecting that I'd need to navigate the forest alone. My mind had been growing increasingly hazy during the confrontation, and whatever was causing the other men to go mad was having some effect on me.  

Completely shut off from the sense of sight, I could only rely on the [navigation] ability to guide me towards the town. Straining my ears for any movement around me, and relying on touch to avoid obstacles to the best of my ability. Now regretting that we took a different path back through the forest than the way we entered, my greed exceeding my reason as I now waded through the darkness because of it. Struggling to find my way through an unfamiliar stretch of the forest. 

Every time I ran into a tree I slowed down unconsciously. Even with the desperation I was feeling, running blindly at full speed was an unnerving experience, but the rustling sounds behind us pushed me to press forward.

"Any advice?" I begged the system.

"I'm afraid I'm useless here. I'm as blind as you are right now."

Hearing the rustling get nearer to me, I felt fear rising up in my chest. 

"Why the FUCK are they after me?" I screamed at the system in my head.

I had fully expected them to go after the group in the forest. 

"Well... whatever creatures these are, I would assume they're going after the group with fewer numbers. You saw how they peeled off your weaker members before. Maybe they think you are the easier prey." 

My temper flaring again, but anxiety tamping down the flames of emotion. 

Again regretting my decision to not steal back a torch before leaving... having already distributed the entire stash from my inventory. If I had, I would be able to invest some attribute points if things got too bad, but in the pitch black of the forest like this, there was no way for me to see anything in my mirror. Feeling my way forward roughly, running into another tree, and having to grope around it while scrambling away from whatever was chasing me. 

I could hear rustling behind me, but with how soft the moss-padded forest floor was, I struggled to hear much at all. Tripping on a root that caused me to tumble forward, splaying out on the ground and dropping my brother. Trying to feel my way around as I tried to pick up where I was. 

High pitched chatter echoed around me, with shrill, grating voices. My gut sinking at the realization that I was completely surrounded. 

Frozen in fear for a second before I recognized something almost human in their calls. They were... laughing? 

Tightening my grip around my sword as I rose. Summoning a shield in my now free arm, while I stood guarding the spot where I dropped my brother. 

I felt the urge to throw down my weapons, nauseated at the idea of holding onto them any longer. Remembering how the soldiers had acted previously, I suddenly understood why. 

Trying to clear my head and ignore the compulsion as I strained my ears, trying to sense what was out there. I didn't know what these things were but it looked like I wasn't entirely at their mercy, seeming to having some sort of resistance as I wasn't offering myself up as a free meal.

However I noticed the compulsion to surrender my weapons growing with my flaring emotions, fear especially seemed to be bad. Forcibly calming myself to avoid a total collapse. Realizing how close I was getting to death. 

The circle of voices chittering away in the dark, hungry and frustrated that their 'meal' wasn't bending to their will. 

"Still no advice for me?" I asked the System again hopefully.

"They always say knowledge is power... but to be honest I'm not sure that is the case here. I would guess these creatures have soul powers of some variety, and if that's true you're in a pretty tough spot regardless unless you've made some pretty significant investments into charisma since we last talked... but that's not to say it's completely hopeless." 

"Just hurry it up", I thought with annoyance. The system's circuitous nature not doing me any favors in a pinch like this.

"Let's start out with the positives. First, soul powers get stronger based on proximity. These creatures are already fairly close by and yet you can still resist their influence, undoubtedly a good thing."

He paused for emphasis, using precious seconds that I didn't have. 

"Second. These creatures haven't attacked yet, that indicates to me that they aren't very powerful. A single human with armor and weapons is enough to scare them..." Pausing again.

"Now for the bad part. Like I said their powers grow more effective with proximity so they might be intimidated by seeing your resistance so far, but the more likely response for a magical beast would of course be to...

"Attack?" I finished his sentence for him. 

As if right on cue, the monsters shrieked and skittered in the darkness towards me.