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(DHF)Chapter 230: Spirit of the woods, Emeth
🕑 Added 2025-10-23 14:45:50 +0000 UTCThe mountain range that the beast was likely sealed in before wasn't nearly as far away as Telskyura, about half the distance in fact. That said I wasn't in a huge hurry to get there either since if the beast's nature was as I thought it wouldn't have gotten far. I moved at a leisurely pace along the road just taking my time to enjoy the scenery but even at that pace I still covered a quarter of the distance by nightfall. I set up camp at the edge of the woods and got a pot of soup going as I hummed a tune while carving a piece of wood with my finger idly.-
"Hail stranger! Wouldst thou perchance have room for another?" I hearty male voice called out from the shadows of the trees to my left making me raise my guard immediately as I hadn't detected their approach.
What stepped out of the trees could be easily mistaken for a brown haired thick bearded short dwarf were it not for the literal branches growing like a crown from it's head, leaves included.
"A spirit? Your kind tend to avoid the roads and travelers so why are you here?" I asked confused.
This seemed to cause the spirit to frown in confusion "Thou art also a spirit no?" he asked.
This caused my brain to click the pieces together and understand what had happened. As Freya had mentioned before my soul resembled a spirits in all but it's immortal nature. If I wasn't mistaken this spirit had sensed my souls familiarity somehow and mistook me for one of it's own kind. This was interesting as there was no record of spirits being able to feel the nature of a soul but this explained how they were so good at staying hidden from people.-
I shook my head at the spirit "I am not a spirit, I am Fallen. Not born of a god but of cursed energy in a mortal soul and body." I explained coating my hand in cursed energy to prove my point.
"Mmm Thou speak truly. Art thy race new to the mortal realm?" he asked curiously.
"Yep, i'm the first of my kind. Likely the last too. I have no intention of producing offspring nor passing on cursed energy to another so they may one day become a Fallen if chance smiles upon them." I said honestly.
"A rarity then. Not an unfamiliar tale though. When the world was younger and the gods made the mortal races many chose self extinction. T'was thought they loathed to bring another soul into this wretched land. Others were driven to extinction with their violent ways such as the Dragonkin." he said with an understanding nod as he sat near the fire.
"Alexander Drake by the way, I go by Alex though." I introduce myself.
"Emeth, Spirit of the woods, spawn of Pan. Thy name bears meaning akin to mine own yes?" he said after introducing himself.
"In some context I suppose. It wasn't chosen because of it's meaning though, merely out of preference." I said with a shrug.
"Mine own name was given by my father as I was to be his truth." he said proudly.
"I'm not surprised the wilds god would name the spirit of the woods his truth. One of the few gods who hasn't descended to the mortal realm for entertainment as well unless I am mistaken." I said stirring the soup.
"I haven't felt my fathers descent indeed. Pray tell what purpose brings thee forth in this course?" he asked curiously.
"I have been tasked with slaying the hundred hands giant like the Knuckelavee before it." I said honestly.
"Thou hast slain that foul beast!? Truly!?" he exclaimed in shock.
I nodded "Slain not more than two and a half weeks ago in fact. Exhausted me body and soul but dead all the same." I said frankly.
"What of the toxin?" he asked with a concerned look.
"I'm immune to poison, a direct counter to the beasts greatest weapon. " I explained.
"A fortuitous affair then as it was without bane upon it's sealing. Much the same to be said of the giant. Mine own kinds champions could inflict wounds upon the beast but it's own size and regeneration rendered all attempts at sieging it to death folly and void." he said seriously.
"I can see how that might make it hard to kill. What would normally be a grievous or fatal wound on a smaller creature might be les than a scratch to the thing and thus easily ignored. Is the records of it's hides strength also true?" I asked fishing for helpful information.
"Indeed, the hide resists all but the mightiest of blades and sorcerous arts." he said with a firm nod.
"Then it seems like my plan to attack it from within is the best option." I said satisfied that my plan held merit.
"Pray tell what does thou mean?" he asked with a confused expression.
I shifted my hands shape into a visage like that of an eagles talon's and then back again.
"I can manipulate anything from a living source with my power. I assumed that trying to deal with the creature from outside it might be a vain effort and thus intend to strike it from within it's body not unlike a particularly nasty parasite." I explained honestly.
"What an ominous power! Truly I pity thine foes. Were the beast not the calamitous entity it is I might pity it as well." he said with a shudder of revulsion.
I shrugged "I realize it's certainly not a glorious way to defeat the thing but if it works why fix it? Besides my calling with this power is not combat but crafting." I said unbothered.
"Truly? Pray tell how doth that work when metals be not alive?" he asked curiously.
"The dungeon is alive and by extension the metals it spawns are from a living source and thus technically subject to my power. Thanks to this I am the greatest craftsmen in the world equal to Hephaestus herself according to her. Though since she is trying to romance me it's hard to say if she's being honest or just flattering me with that goal in mind." I say with a chuckle.
"Art thou not sure thou have it reversed? Art thou not trying to pursue lady Hephaestus instead?" he asked in disbelief.
"You'd think that with that being the usual way of things but no she is chasing me instead. Believe me it's quite the hassle." I said honestly while the dumbstruck spirit just looked at me like I had grown a second head.
Comments
travis btmb
Tftc
Christian Jeffress
OK, his conversation about Hephaestus to the spirit had me shocking, especially the gob smacked reaction to that. Thanks for another enjoyable chapter, and I’m looking forward to the giant confrontation. I wonder if he could eventually make some type of musical instrument, that has some magical effect to it, just because I think that would be cool lol.
