God’s Tree

The night stretched endlessly, the vast expanse of land blurring beneath their feet.

Argolaith's breath was controlled, steady—his body had long adapted to the strain of constant movement. Every muscle burned, but he didn't slow.

Malakar moved beside him, effortless and unbothered, his skeletal form gliding through the darkness like a wraith.

Kaelred, still trapped in Malakar's shadow, continued his stream of complaints.

"I swear, the second we stop, I am throwing something at both of you."

Malakar smirked. "Noted."

"I mean it. A rock. A whole tree. Maybe an entire mountain, if I find one."

Argolaith chuckled, adjusting his pace. "You're very vocal for someone who isn't even running."

Kaelred scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should I be grateful that the creepy undead mage finally decided to use his overpowered shadow tricks now and not when I was suffering before?"

Malakar's violet flames flickered in amusement. "Yes."

Kaelred muttered something under his breath but didn't argue.

The landscape had long since shifted from open plains to something far harsher.

The ground beneath them became rockier, the air thinner as they pushed through an unrelenting stretch of twisting cliffs and jagged terrain.

No roads.

No signs of civilization.

Just wilderness.

Argolaith knew they were crossing into lands untouched by most travelers.

Which meant anything could be lurking ahead.

They had been running for hours.

Even with his endurance, Argolaith could feel the toll—not exhaustion, but the weight of the endless journey.

Malakar, of course, remained perfectly unaffected.

Kaelred, still suspended in the shadow, sounded bored.

"So, uh… how long are we doing this?"

Argolaith exhaled. "As long as we can."

Kaelred groaned. "Fantastic."

Malakar glanced at Argolaith. "You should start replenishing your stamina now."

Argolaith nodded, reaching into his pouch mid-run. He pulled out a small bundle of enchanted herbs—a mix of magical plants that restored endurance.

He bit down on a piece, feeling the cool energy seep into his limbs almost instantly.

The burning in his muscles dulled, his breathing steadied—not a full recovery, but enough.

Kaelred sighed dramatically. "I want some."

Malakar smirked. "No."

The terrain shifted again—

The cliffs gave way to a vast, dried-out riverbed, stretching into the distance like a scar across the land.

It was unnatural.

The air felt wrong.

Argolaith slowed, his instincts flaring. "Something happened here."

Malakar nodded. "This was not caused by time."

Kaelred, finally released from the shadows, stumbled slightly before regaining his balance. "Oh, great. So we've reached the 'mysteriously ominous' part of the trip."

Argolaith stepped forward, scanning the cracked riverbed.

Then he saw it.

Not just dried earth.

Bones.

Hundreds of them.

Some human, some beast, others twisted and unrecognizable.

Kaelred exhaled. "Yeah, that's a lot of skeletons."

Malakar crouched, running a bony hand over the cracked remains of an old weapon. "This was a battlefield."

Argolaith frowned. "A battle against what?"

Malakar's eyes flickered. "Look closer."

Argolaith did.

Then—

He saw it.

Not all of the bones belonged to the dead.

Some were merged into the earth itself. Twisted unnaturally, as if they had been absorbed into the land rather than left to decay.

Kaelred visibly tensed. "That's… not normal."

Malakar's voice was quiet. "No."

Argolaith clenched his jaw. This wasn't just a battlefield.

This was a place where something had been devoured.

The realization settled over them like a dark weight.

Kaelred took a cautious step back. "So, uh… maybe we should not be standing here?"

Argolaith scanned the surroundings again. No movement. No sounds.

But he knew.

They weren't alone.

Malakar rose slowly. "The Hollowed passed through here." His gaze flicked toward the horizon. "Not long ago."

Kaelred muttered a curse. "Perfect. Just perfect."

Argolaith exhaled. "We move faster."

Kaelred groaned but didn't argue.

With one last glance at the cursed battlefield, they took off again.

Faster.

Pushing harder.

The ruined battlefield faded behind them, but the weight of what they had seen lingered.

The Hollowed had been here.

And that meant one thing—

They were ahead of them.

Argolaith pushed forward, his breath steady, his focus unshaken. The second tree's pull was still far beyond the horizon, but he could feel its presence more clearly now.

The journey was still impossibly long. One million miles stretched before them.

And yet—

They could not slow down.

Kaelred, having long since resigned himself to the insanity of their nonstop sprint, groaned. "You know, normal people would stop to sleep at some point."

Malakar, as unaffected as ever, smirked. "We are not normal people."

Kaelred exhaled sharply. "Yeah. I'm starting to notice."

The terrain was no longer just harsh and untamed—it was hostile.

The land itself felt like it had been scarred by something unnatural. The very air was thin, dry, and heavy, as if whatever once thrived here had been sucked away.

The ground cracked beneath their steps, the soil ashen and brittle like it had been drained of life.

Argolaith's golden eyes scanned the landscape. "This place is wrong."

Kaelred, already exhausted, groaned. "Yeah, you think?"

Malakar's voice was low. "Something is feeding on this land."

Then—

Argolaith spotted them.

Tracks.

Not ordinary footprints, not the marks of beasts or travelers.

But deep imprints, twisted and uneven, as if whatever walked here had barely been holding itself together.

Kaelred frowned. "That's… not normal."

Malakar knelt, running a hand over the marks. His violet flames flickered. "These are fresh."

Argolaith's jaw tightened. "How fresh?"

Malakar stood. "Hours. Perhaps less."

Kaelred cursed. "So, we're about to run straight into whatever did this."

Argolaith smirked. "That was always the plan."

Kaelred groaned. "Of course it was."

They didn't slow.

The realization that the Hollowed were so close only made Argolaith push harder.

Malakar remained effortless, a shadow in motion.

Kaelred, though exhausted, kept pace without question.

They had already run farther than most people could even dream.

And now, they were gaining.

Hours passed.

Then—

They saw it.

A shape in the distance.

Not a single creature.

Not a small hunting party.

An entire Hollowed force.

Argolaith narrowed his eyes. "There they are."

Kaelred took one look and swore. "That is way too many."

Malakar smirked. "Then we should make our presence known."