The Author's Spotlight ??

Hi all, welcome to the first batch of the week 4 spotlight! Starting off strong is the wonderful first place entry that has a title that at first threw me for a loop, but it hooked me in the more and more I read it, and I think it will have the same effect on you! I hope you enjoy!

By: Pulchra_Aurum

4.1 The Cursed Oaks

Outskirts of Duskwood Forest,

Aethon Peaks.

Khaosys pressed her back against the thick trunk of the oak tree she'd hurried up on, drawing up a stream of pure, healing essence she placed against the deep gash in her abdomen as she waited, listening out. Heavy footfalls echoed on the forest floor, stampeding through the thickets.

Deadening her concealment further until she might as well have become one with the tree, she tried glimpsing out as much the canopy of leaves had created would allow with bated breath— slivers of red and gold, the signature colors of the king's men.

"How much further do we have to chase?" One stopped out of the blue, slumping against the very oak tree she was on and causing a number of leaves to flutter off the branches in a free fall. "We're nearing the ends of the forest. What did she do so wrong anyway?"

Khaosys eyes were ablaze as she revved up a steady stream of combative essence that coalesced into a pulsing, undetectable sphere around her hand. Her emotions were already high-strung enough from the mass slaughter she'd witnessed to having to weave and dodge the ones who'd decided to lay claim to her life.

She'd rather have the element of surprise on her side despite the toll expending so much essence was taking on her than leave it to fate and wait to see whatever monstrosity that foolish king had planned for her.

"Let's just do the work and get out of this damn forest." Somberness creeped into his tone as he looked left and right. Khaosys presumed he was the leader of this guard team, a guess soon confirmed with his next decision. "We'll split. Subteams A and B divert to these two routes. I'll take these two and check out the inn up ahead."

Khaosys didn't dare to relax even with their receding footsteps, heart thudding as she tried to center herself despite the chaotic sounds that followed with the leader storming the inn she'd been targeting all along. She stilled when they congregated again just underneath her hideout spot, sharing the fruitless turnover their hours long search had brought and deciding to return to report and strategize their next course of action.

Even when the forest regained her calm, Khaosys's paranoia didn't let her move even a muscle from her crouch. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that she scaled down the high branch and shook her cape free of the thin twigs and leaves that might have managed to sneak in.

She began clasping the first few silver buttons, trying to conceal the inner garbs that had long been bloodied crimson in the altercation she barely managed to escape with her life, deep in the alleys of the roadside market. Drawing in a long breath, she started making her way out of the forest, wondering if it'd be better to use another concealment spell to change her bone structure some.

She had no idea how far the king's search or ransom for her had spread but she didn't want to take any chances. Khaosys had just begun to mutter the spell under her breath when there was the loud snap of a twig meters away. She'd brought all her senses to a heightening and the magnified sound was all it took for her tense body to finally snap, whether whatever was behind her could count as a real threat or not.

She merged with the wind, rushing for the winding stone path that led up to the inn. Pausing at the silence, hand on the knob of the door adorned with a wreath of dried flowers and herbs, she chanced a quick glance back. No movement so she dismissed it as some wild animal. She let a hint of calm flood her veins so as not to spook anyone the way the guards probably had earlier.