Ophieus continued moving the forest after absorbing the balls of light. The fog grew a bit thicker as it brushed across his body and further muffled his footsteps except when he stepped on a twig or branch. He shifted to the left to evade twisted branches and then duck under an arch of roots while his boots passed over damp leaves and tangled roots. Fortunately Riley's luminous form helped provide some light that made it easier to kick away the tree trunks lying around.
"Are they just watching us?" Riley asked softly bobbing to the right and left.
"They are, which is odd but we just need to wait." Ophieus says, not minding the abomination pressing in and watching them.
Shadowy figures with shapes darker than the fog were slipping behind trees, moving over logs and into bushes. Ophieus could feel there were more moving through the fog and the crimson eyes peering at them weren't the only ones. He felt gazes from above on the branches while others were watching them without blinking and his every movement. But he made no action to strike them as some of them retreated further in fog as he drew near.
Are they weary or just waiting for more to gather? Ophieus thought as he already had a vague idea of there being a dozen abominations around.
Another snapping of a branch rang out!
Riley trembled as he drifted close to Ophieus and said. "It's getting closer."
Ophieus slowly nodded as glance to the sides before then looking forward and seeing more crimson eyes around. He saw a cluster of trees and their roots peering from a bush which he kicked and picked up before hurling to the side. As he did this, he tensed up and saw the shadowy figures shifting out of the way or just staring. But they still didn't make a move and only the sounds of more branches and twig snapping rang out.
As they walked Ophieus light jumped over multiple logs and then duck beneath branches pointing down from a bent tree. He pushed aside the leaves leading to soft rustling sounds and then passed by cracks and deep cuts in the ground. Riley drifted close with his light, sometimes illuminating the black fur of the Beast Festival who continued moving around.
Riley's golden light continued to illuminate more of them as the path grew narrower and the forest seemed to close in on them more. The gray trees seemed to be pushing them closer and having the abominations shadowy figures to pass by them only a couple inches away which shocked Riley.
Ophieus expression was still calm as he leg lashed out to another tangled balls of roots, kicking it away. And then he paused to kick aside a pile of logs that were stacking on each other.
It's then Ophieus began to feel the ground tremble although it was soft around here. He glanced around to see the abomination had also noticed as their crimson eyes shifted away from and to look to his left.
He didn't stop walking but continued to take note of the abomination gazes as wondered if it was another abomination and one that is hostile to them. As the Black Festivals didn't seem to care that the Black Feather were around.
Riley drifted over as his golden form shook a bit and he said in a low tone. "They feel a bit scarier and more threatened when they're just staring at us instead of striking."
Ophieus gave a faint smile as he ducked beneath another branch. "I suppose I can see that. Just them staring at us can make one feel paranoid as even now I'm wondering if they're waiting for others to attack. Or are they gathering to draw attention to an even more terrifying abomination."
Riley paused before he drifted off to the side and illuminated more shadowy figures as he says. "Both sound terrifying but… I rather the first as we at least know what we are dealing with. If they all attacked us are we fighting all of them?"
Ophieus hummed softly as he stepped over another tree. "I'm not sure but we are most likely running."
Riley rushed over to Ophieus and bobbed up and down as he said. "You want to run!? That's a surprise… I didn't think you would run… I thought you'd enjoy being rushed at by these Abominations?"
Ophieus stretched out a hand, grasping the trunk of a tree and hurling it to the side again. Leading to a crashing sound and more eyes from above peering down at him.
Ophieus glances at Riley with a light chuckle as he says. "I enjoy fighting but not if it most likely means my death. After using your power and my Crests my magic had depleted quite a bit. If we fought dozens more of these abominations, there is a good chance I will be dead."
Riley trembles a bit as he says. "That's true… I wonder if they know that, ugh. I wish I could scout around more…"
Ophieus blinked before saying. "Why not? I doubt the Abominations can even see you. They didn't go after you during the last fight and none tried to snatch you away when you illuminated a part of their figure."
Riley bobbed up and down but then slightly trembled. "That's true… but maybe it's better not to test it. We still know so little about them and I don't think you want to end up chasing after me."
"Agreed," Ophieus said with his lips twitched. "Although it would be interesting if they could devour you-"
"No it wouldn't!"
Ophieus inwardly chuckles as he notices the forest was finally growing wider. As he took another step past some hanging leaves, the ground trembled once more but this time it shook everything around. The trees, bushes, leaves on the ground and even Ophieus had to grip the bark of a tree to steady himself.
"What is that! Is there a battle going on?" Riley asked as he pushed against Ophieus left shoulder.
"Most likely since nothing made that much noise until when I battle the Golden Regret." Ophieus says before he then his eyes slight widen above.
Crimson Eyes peering down on him seem instantly grew as ten mores appeared. But instead of staring down on him, all of them were looking to the left and then glancing back at each other.
The crimson eyes narrowed before a odd sound rang out from above and then he saw crimson eyes rushing off. It wasn't just the crimson eyes above but the shadowy figures with light blue smokes began vanishing away.
"There… Are they leaving?" Riley asked softly.
"Towards the area of where the shaking came from. I suppose to them it's a bigger threat." Ophieus says but he could still see some stayed behind.
"Should we-"
"No, let's just get out of this forest." Ophieus sped up his movement, no longer tensing up as much.
The fog curled around his ankle and arms while brushing past his neck. As he continued moving, he and Riley heard screeches, howls and roars. Just as the ground shook once more with Riley bumping into his face.
"Look!"
Ophieus glanced to where Riley was bobbing and then saw a large silhouette of something sticking above the tree. He couldn't fully make it out but it looked like a long thin stick reaching out to the sky. He saw the shadowy figures and other crimson eyes peering at the same sight, leading Ophieus to move.
He rushed out ahead after grabbing Riley golden form. He dashed through the gray fog before sliding down as the ground dropped suddenly. His boots skidded down the ground before leapt forward and kicked off the trees. As he felt himself pushing off from tree to tree, he could hear the growls and howl of the abominations and feel the gaze of the crimson eyes.
They seemed to be rushing after him, but it was too late as he already hurled himself through the gaps of the tree. And then found himself outside of the forest before his boots landed on a grassy hill.
Just as he heard howls and roars echoing behind him.