a poisoned apple [solo mission]

A castle on the clouds. That was what Orion was day-dreaming of as they kept their pace within the marsh. It had been a good place. A safe refuge away from the horrors that surround Orion. No mosquitoes. No grime. No mud. Just pure bliss. But once again, he was jolted awake by a merchant who had been tasked to keep an eye on their hired mage. They were afraid of him running off. They weren't wrong to be afraid.

"How much more of this?" Orion asked sullenly. They have had a steady pace of about sixteen hours now, stopping only briefly for food and drink, before continuing on. Their pack mules looked haggard, their men looked haggard, and their pace became haggard.

He was answered by a shout. Once again, they were making camp. It seems that they were resting for at least four hours, if his hearing was to be trusted. A short night's rest, they called it. Hell, Orion called it. Worse, there were no ale, or beer, or wine, or any alcohol at all. It was definitely a hell he did not want to be in. A place worse than hell. How such a place existed, he did not know.

Fuck!" Orion had sat down, before leaping back up. His spot in between the roots of the tree had something sticking out that Orion seemed to have missed. He turned, and the image he saw would be imprinted in his mind for a very long time.

Orion shrugged off the banner-like cape he wore on his shoulder. The sweat had started coming on again, and he was feeling mightily uncomfortable once more. They had started to move only after three hours of rest, with most of the merchants having been too afraid to even close an eye. Sleep, was in this case, a commodity that nobody wanted to purchase at all. Especially since the price might be a limb, or their life, if they were unlucky. The swamp seemed to be mightily against them. The presence, which Orion had felt earlier, was now back in full force. The only difference: everyone in the group can now feel it as well.

"Drop down!" Orion hissed, which most of the merchants heard and followed. The ones who didn't immediately copied those that were close to them. Without warning, a screech was heard, and a flock of what looked-like crows soared past their heads. The problem was that the crows were all death-like, and had bones sticking out of their feathers.

Their mules, though standing, were unharmed. It seems that the death-like crows were off to somewhere else. Their hurried flight felt very familiar to Orion. It reminded him of another mission he had been a part of. Creatures running away...as though in fright..."Shit."

They were very close. Orion could feel the stench of death as they made their way into the already-rotten area of the swamp. If things seemed to not be able to get worse, they were wrong. The trees in this area were already dying. While there were still life before: trees, insects, and even the distant chirping of birds, now it was void of anything. Trees were dead, crumbled and looked dry, as though they had dehydrated themselves to their doom. Insects littered the ground they walked on. Hundred of them, just scrambled all over. Sound, aside from their breathing and footsteps, were few and far between. It seemed as though they had entered a pit of Hades, a hell on earth if there ever was one.

Orion was impressed, however, by the steady march that the merchants seemed to be keeping. They were afraid. Orion could see it in their eyes. Wandering. Darting. They feared for their lives. For the potential loss of it. And most likely, for the potential loss of profits in their lifetime. A greedy bunch, this group of merchants, but Orion was still impressed. Their bravery despite danger was something to be admired, and most people lacked.

"Careful." Orion whispered as they finally entered into a more dense part of the swamp. Trees, barren of leaves, hung over their heads, welcoming them into their embrace. It was a sight to be horrified of, especially what they found as they crossed a small puddle of swamp-water.

The apple tree stood proudly in the middle of the carnage. It's branches were dull-green, and had life to it compared to the death that surrounded the whole place. To Orion, the place looked like a massacre of trees and wildlife, and the apple tree was the only one left standing in the remains. It was almost too surreal, especially since there seemed to be a glow about the apple tree. However, the most striking thing about the are was a giant serpent that was coiled around the trunk. Charred, the great beast seemed to have protected the tree from trespassers. A guardian of sorts for the tree. The black flames seemed to have consumed it instead, leaving nothing but it's out shell. The mere fact that the tree still stood even after such carnage only spoke to how mystical it was.

"That snake..." Orion muttered, looking at its length, "it must have wrapped itself around the whole tree, protecting it from the fire, while it suffered from the torturous flames." It seemed plausible, especially since Orion could see a shed or three of the snake's skin hanging from the branches. "It must have seen this tree as more valuable than its life. Majestic." Awed by the snake's sacrifice, Orion took it upon himself to turn the carcass into ashes using his own magic. A fitting and glorious end for a noble creature.

"Grab the apple and let's get going." Orion finally commanded. He wanted to spend as little time here as possible, and maybe outpace the black flames as they made their way out of the swamp.