[Stephen]: 38.The Forest

You see the large forest ahead, menacing as though it is sure impending doom. You walk closer and smell the clean brisk scents of the forest, and hear the chirping of the birds. As you get even nearer, you can see the pure darkness of the forest, and its immense size. You enter the forest, slowly and cautiously, walking the horse through it. There is a vague path in it, lined with tree stumps.
  You venture deeper into the forest and the sunlight is dimmed by the thickness of the treetops overhead. You can make out the moss on the trees, and the strange plants growing in it. You suddenly notice that it is quiet, very quiet, not even a bird chirp. You look around, looking for any sign of animal life and see none. You shudder slightly; it seems to be growing colder as well.
  The horse seems to be getting nervous, it is making noises and is reluctant to continue ahead. You have to stop several times and pat the steed, and it slowly moves on. You continue on, and hear a slight…clicking sound. You look around and see nothing, other than the darkness of the forest. You move forward, more wearily than ever, watching what is around you very carefully.
  You are nearing the center of the forest, as far as you can tell. You smell something...rotting. You look around the forest seems unnaturally still. The clicking sound has gotten louder and more persistent. You quicken your pace; alarmed by the forest.
  Suddenly, you hear a horrible grating sound, like fingernails across a chalk bored; it pierces your ears, seeming to make your head want to explode. You hold you hands over you ears, and your horse bolts away, lost in the forest. You are repulsed to see three spiders lower from the treetops, and god, they are spiders.
  The spiders lunges at you, one of them shooting webbing. You raise your shield, and the web hits it, hard enough that you hear your shield crack. You quickly jump backwards, as a line of green acid is spat from a different spider.
  You draw your bow and quickly cock an arrow, aiming at the one that has not made an action yet. You pull the string back, and release the arrow, watching as it hits the spider in the stomach. A think green acid begins to drip out of it, and it eats away at the plants as it drips unto them.
 The spider makes another piercing sound, and it jumps off its webbing, right at you. You deftly move to the right, and it flies by you, hitting a tree with a solid thump. You draw another arrow, pull back the bowstring, and shoot at the same spider again. You hit it in the center of the head, and it squeals, and curls up, its legs twitching.
 You feel a painful burning and see a line of green acid on you, burning into your flesh. You quickly remove your shirt and rub up the acid, and throw the shirt on the ground. You barley have the time to move as another streak of green acid almost hits you face, barely missing.
 You put the bow away, and frantically begin to cast the spell shield. You wave your hands, and you mutter old arcane words. You feel a sudden rush, and a bright yellow barrier surrounds you. Another patch of webbing flies at you, but hits the spell and falls to the ground.
  You wave your hands again, summoning the spell magic missile. You can feel the energy of pure and raw power flowing through you, and you shape it. You create two small, glowing pink orbs, floating in front of you. A second later, they both launch, plummeting into closest spider, and sending it flying back. You quickly draw your bow, and cock another arrow.
  The remaining spider spits green at you, it hits your shield spell, and the spell shatters, knocking you back slightly. You catch yourself, and shoot an arrow, not at the one that broke the spell, but the one you hit with the magic missiles. The arrow hits it in the chest, and it begins to drip an acidic substance.
 You begin to grasp another arrow, only to find out you have no more. You draw your long sword, ready to do melee battle with the last remaining spider. You charge at it, with your sword pointed outwards. You jump just before you get to it, and do a sweeping cut from above. You strike it true and well, almost severing it and half, and spilling its acidic blood on your sword and yourself.
 You can feel searing pain; the acid is on your chest. You quickly rub it off, and look at your once prized long sword, now melting away... You sigh unhappily and go to look for your steed.