The forest itself

With your sword held en garde and your back to your warhorse, you're as well prepared for whatever is challenging you as you can possibly be. Indra's light spell dissipated when she was yanked out of sight, so your eyes switch over to their daemonic night-vision. The world around you is brighter again, but devoid of color.

And not a moment too soon, as you spot an enormous club swinging through the air down at you! There's no way you could parry such an attack, so you dive out of the way, managing to avoid the deathblow. Amazingly, the strike avoids your warhorse altogether and smashes into the ground instead. Aegis wheels away from the thunderous blow, panicked despite his training.

You can't blame him. That attack would have ground you into a pulp, and you still don't know where it came from. You hear the tree beside you begin to creak and you're astonished to watch its limbs draw upward... and then smash down directly toward you! Again, you leap out of the way, just barely. Some branches manage to whip at you - it stings, and you might have some welts tomorrow, but your cloak managed to protect your skin from any serious cuts.

You've heard the stories of treants, intelligent tree-people, for lack of a better description. They're fiercely territorial, but not usually murderous. Also, they have humanoid characteristics, like faces, and arm- and leg-like limbs. This is something else... it's like some magic is animating the trees, turning them against you as weapons.

But why? Why try to kill you and capture Indra? Why spare your horse? The questions fly through your head as you try to retreat toward Aegis. Your sword is useless - you can't stop the strength of these attacks and you can't chop the trees down faster than they could turn you into mulch. You have to escape first and then figure out what's going on.

The trees are twisting all around you now, branches a flurry of motion, whipping the ground nearby. You don't even think anymore - you just take your steed's reigns and spur him to a gallop even as you're leaping to his back, using his sudden momentum to help pull you into the saddle. Your flight is fast, and the psychotic trees are soon behind you.

What on earth was that? They were clearly trying to kill you at first, but by the end it was like they were simply trying to drive you away. It worked. But why? You haven't done anything to offend nature. Thinking back on your life, you're pretty sure you love nature. Could your corruption have angered something? Maybe it's a case of mistaken identity?

Whatever it is, you'll need to head back into that insanity if you want to get your companion back.