Paradox was more than eager to get out of this forest and never return to it. The smell of death was rank and made the air almost suffocating to breath. It was overpowering, she'd have rather smelled the stagnant swamp water. She heard the splashing of water from the dragon that trailed behind her. She slowed before stopping and looking back at him. She saw the sparks flick out from under a few scales of his neck. He smelled faintly of charred meat and she couldn't get enough of it. She tried desperately to block out the death smell.

"People can go mad," she said, a shudder going down her back. "Madness can be contagious. Like Mad Cow Disease, once one cow gets sick, the whole herd can go. People are herd animals and the same thing could happen to them." She grabbed on to his foreleg. "They're all mad here," she said quietly. She stared up at him as he spoke. She nodded in agreement and tried to calm herself. "Yes, Thalron. You made a promise to find that sword, and I will not abandon you in this horrible place."

They walked along when he caught sight of the sword and she followed him. The sword was almost up to the hilt in one of the tree people. The tree was contorted in an unnatural way and a feeling of dread sank in her stomach. The sword was clean and almost free of rust and corrosion. What little bit of the blade she could see appeared to shine from an unnatural light within. It looked terribly wrong, like a violation of nature. She stared at what appeared to rust that ran down the front of the tree. 

She touched it gently with her finger and pulled back like she had gotten burned. She showed her hand to the large dragon. A red sap was on her shaking fingertips. Her eyes widened as she stared at the tree, the twisted face, the abnormal position. "This man was killed." She stated flatly. She turned her eyes back to the liquid on her hand and smeared it between her thumb and fore finger. It was too thin, too light, it wasn't sticky. The tang of copper entered her nostrils when she smelled it. This was blood. And it was still warm.

Thalron wasn't too used to some of, or most of the intricacies of the human mind. The fact that they'd kill themselves for no good reason seemed so alien and a little chilling to him, the only reason he could see potentially killing oneself was if it was completely unavoidable, or if he was too maimed to function. It didn't seem like that would be the case for so many though. He kind of hoped he'd never find out what'd drive people to do that. Idly he leaned down and nosed at her very gently, partially to reassure her that things weren't so bad as she clutched to his leg, and also to reassure himself a little bit.

…Feelings were contagious weren't they?

"He looks like he's in pain…" he said quietly as Paradox walked over towards the tree, he followed as well but his pace was much more subdued than before. He partially reached out to pull her back when she reached for it, but stopped himself and instead just watched. He could smell blood, fear, and felt intense anger. This whole place was getting more sickening by the moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to get the sword back for the person anymore, though part of him wanted to take it just to remove it from the tree… A part of him also wanted to burn down the forest, but he doubted he could do that.

He head leaned in closer to sniff at the blood like substance, it definitely smelled like human blood. He almost tasted it but stopped and looked back up towards the sword, then the tree. "I don't like it." He stated somewhat quietly, his eyes drifting from the horrific sight down to his companion, before back up again. What were they supposed to do now? This wasn't just a random sword lost in a swamp, it was… Bad… Or at least, in a bad place. "Should we pull it out? I don't think it belongs here." As he said that the wind seemed to blow through the trees, a low howl echoing through the brush, swirling the fog into ghastly shapes and figures around them. Strange distorted faces and contorted bodies seemed to fade in and out of the flowing fog, the screams seemed to have quieted down as well. It all felt like the gathering of clouds before the storm though, and the spectral audience seemed to be gathering to judge them.

Paradox turned back an ear as the dragon spoke, his voice tight, almost anxious. She shifted on her feet and flicked her tail across her hocks. A shiver went down her spine and suddenly she felt very cold. She also had the sensation that something was touching her, but when she looked around she saw that nobody was nearby, except for the dragon, and he was still several feet from her. She nodded with him and she reached out to pet his neck, the cool scales felt nice on her fingers. 

She lifted up her head and smelled something odd. The winds appeared to have changed and she saw the fog take form. A line of people like shapes appeared out of the fog and seemed to surround them. Some were tall, others short, a few stocky, whereas a few more were thin. They looked very much like people and she could make out what looked like noses or cheekbones on some of them. What unnerved her the most were their eyes, she couldn't seem them, not even the remnants of sockets or other such cavity.

They stood still and silent, staring at them. She felt almost afraid to move. "I don't know Thalron," she spoke softly. "I don't know if removing the sword would be a good idea or not. But the tree does look like it is in pain of some sort, I just don't want to find out if that sword would inflict the same pain on us if we removed it. I don't really want to be a tree in this cursed forest." She stared at the spectre people, unmoving and unresponsive. 

She couldn't tell if they were good or bad, she got a feeling of neither. Just a blankness, the same with their scents, which to her were completely absent. They were either Gods or Spirits, neither of which had a smell, or an aura for that matter. In that way, they scared her, because she couldn't pick up on pheromone cues, scents, or any other hormones she often used to understand a person. The ghosts were blank slates that she couldn't learn anything about, at least by smell. Hesitantly, she took a step toward them, after casting a glance to Thalron. She looked at the figures and spoke one word, so quietly she questioned whether she said anything at all. "Hello?"

There was a growing nervousness, and dread filling the dragon as time went on. Whatever oblivious, or brave protections had surrounded psyche had obviously been penetrated by recent events. He really wanted to leave now, and to not come back. His scales rattled slightly as another shiver ran down his spine, the touch of Paradox's hand to his neck seeming to help them settle fully once more. The ghostly audience didn't help his feelings of not wanting to be here, they reminded him of something else but he couldn't remember what.

He took a deep breath, then flapped his wings and dispersed the figures… For a moment at least, the fog swirled outwards in every direction then rolled back in just as they had been before. The figures had moved and seemed to have been shuffled by the disturbance but there were no few than before, if anything there seemed to be more. He almost wished they were completely faceless, instead of being some sort of half-people. They were like faded memories of people… Perhaps that's what they really were.

Neither of them knew what would happen if the sword was removed, but there didn't appear to be any way to find out other than doing it. He didn't want to be trapped in this forest, or in pain, but he also didn't want to leave this… Thing the way it was, he was known for being somewhat selfish, but at the core of it he did have a good heart. His instincts just often got in the way of that. There was a very unfortunate, or perhaps fortunate mix of them going on right now though. The feeling of wanting to flee, wanting to help, and some others he didn't really understand that well.

The result of these thoughts and emotions was, a few moments after paradox stepped away he reached out and pulled the sword out. There was a moment of eerie silence, as the wind even seemed to cease. The only sound the slick sound of metal running along dampened wood, and a slight creaking from the tree infront of the dragon. It seemed… Well, pretty easy. He looked over to Paradox. "That wasn't so…" Before he could say 'bad' blood suddenly spurted from the wound in the tree, where it touched the water smoke seemed to rise up. Wherever it touched something solid flames appeared, a few bits of fire appearing on Thalron's hand before he jumped away. Before their eyes the tree began to wither and decay, the bark and flesh of the tree darkening and draining of color as more of the ichorous fluid escaped.

"…Bad." the words finally escaped from his jaws. He glanced down towards the sword which gleamed in his claws, shining in the dim and gloomy light. It looked pristine and untouched by the place, but gave off an aura of menace and pain that was almost worse than the gloom of the swamp. Around them the trees began to sway in the growing breeze, the sounds were picking up again, and as if to kick things off, a horrendous scream erupted from the woods right beside them. "Maybe we should go..?" He said in a slightly shaky voice.

Paradox stood still, only her eyes were moving as she stared at the people in the mist. The brave dragon beside her flapped his wings and the people disappeared momentarily from view, before reappearing in the same location a moment later. Up close she could start to see the resemblance of a face instead of a blank blur. The fine line of their mouths and the dark holes where their eyes should have been. She shuddered and inched closer to Thalron.

She watched him silently as he reached forward with a claw and pulled out the sword. There was a slight creak as the steel slid out from its wooden trap. It was calm for a second, reminding her vaguely of the calm before the strong summer storms. Then dark red sap or blood spurted out of the tree and she jumped backwards, colliding into the dragon's side. Once the blood touched the water it dissipated with a hiss into a cloud of smoke. Following the blood came several sparks, the first bits of fire she had seen in days, their light was almost blinding in the murky swamp.

As swiftly as it came, the blood stopped spurting and the fires died down. The tree appeared to arch back before folding over. Its trunk was now bleached and pale, like bones. It was dry now, and chipping, aging a hundred years in the span of a second. The blood dripped slowly down the tree's side before disappearing in the water, a red ring started to circle the base of the trunk. She waited several seconds before turning to look at the sword in Thalron's claw. 

The sword was clean and looked fresh out of the smithy. She reached forward, but hesitated before touching the sword. She didn't want to touch this cursed weapon, nor be near it longer than she had to be. She glanced around them, the trees shaking in the wind and the ghosts appearing to draw nearer. She nodded briskly at Thalron's suggestion and clambered as quickly as she could up his side to his back. "Yes, let's get out of here." She spoke rapidly in a higher pitched voice than normal. "I have a feeling that we aren't welcome here."

Thalron wasn't really used to a lot of strange things, most problems he could avoid, or smash if he gave enough effort. Both of those options were severely tempting with the sword now that it was free, gleaming and glistening in the darkened swamp just as it might in full day. It was unnatural, but the feeling he got from it was getting steadily… Well, less bad. He took a few more steps away from the tree as it seemed to bleed out and wither right before. He hoped that this meant whatever person that used to be was just dead now and free, rather than stuck in torment. He wasn't too hopeful though.

His eyes looked across the encroaching figures and what was, for a moment, the feeling that things might be getting better went away. It might have just been his own mind, but they seemed angry, or envious, or a terrible mixture of the two. His body crouched down as Paradox began to climb up, making it much easier (and possible) for something of her stature. Her hooves didn't seem to bother the hard scales of his back, though the reverse might not be so true for the rest of her. He lacked a saddle, and the centerline of his back was somewhat angular, though if she grabbed his neck and was very careful it might not be too horrible.

"Umm… How hard can you hang on?" came his next question as he realized that he needed to take a nearly vertical lift off to get out of these trees. He wouldn't be jumping up right here though, and began to walk very briskly towards a somewhat more open section he had seen a few days ago. It wasn't far, since while it was days ago he had been searching in a somewhat grid like manner. As he passed through the ring of figures a chill ran down his spine but they didn't appear to harass him, after the fog was distorted they re-appeared still facing them. They seemed to follow the two through the forest, materializing here or there at the edges of their vision in seemingly random places. Sometimes very near to them, or far away, but there was definitely that feeling that they were getting closer each time.

"I don't think we were ever welcome here." His voice had actually gotten a little deeper, and eyes a little more fierce looking. Slowly it seemed his nervousness was transforming him into the somewhat scary creature that he looked like he was supposed to be, which generally happened whenever his more base instincts of fight or flight began to kick in. He seemed to be a little less awkward as well, though in truth this was all simply because his focus had turned entirely to his environment rather than randomly migrating between external and internal thoughts.

When they reached the clearing he stopped and looked back at her, before looking up at the 'sky' which was just a dark haze with slightly less branches between them and it. If she doubted her ability to stay on he could try carrying her in his arms, but that would make takeoff somewhat more interesting… And potentially crash-y.

Paradox gripped tightly to Thalron's scales and positioned herself into the most stable position possible. "I can hang on as tight as I need to," she called down to him. She tensed her limbs as he crouched down and waited for him to lift his wings for flight. Instead, he ducked his head and raced through the trees. She wrapped her arms around his dorsal spines and watched the shadow figures as the pair raced through them. They dissipated for a second but reappeared just as quickly. 

She looked back and could see them just behind the dragon's spiked tail. They appeared to be following them and she shuddered. She heard a scream nearby and was tempted to scream back. She refrained and swallowed the scream back down. "Faster Thalron!" she said loudly. "They're following us!" She ducked under a tree branch and looked ahead to where they were going. Thalron's long legs carried them swiftly through the woods, even at their high speed, the spectres were still able to keep pace. She struggled to constantly adjust her awkward mass on his back so that she wouldn't slip off his side with every other stride.

After a short while, he stopped running and they found themselves in a large clearing. The fog and mist surrounding them made it difficult to see where the clearing ended and the forest began. Thalron had to be careful to avoid clipping the edges of his wings on the unknown boundaries. "Watch yourself," she cautioned him. She looked back and saw the ghostly masses following them. They seemed to be getting faster, and a whole lot more menacing. 

She saw what appeared to be swords glisten unnaturally in the dim light. Her pulse quickened as she looked at the dragon, who appeared to be hesitating. "Fly Thalron!" She yelled. "Spread your wings and fly! They're coming! Quickly!" Then she heard the screams. They started quiet, but quickly grew into a deafening roar as the dead army came closer. She clapped her hands over her ears and howled. She couldn't pinpoint the sound. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. 

The dragons scales shifted and flattened a bit more tightly against his body as he prepared for flight, he was somewhat reassured when she said that she could hold on, but he knew many people said things that they ended up not being able to follow through on… His pause in the clearing was cut short when she when she yelled at him to fly, and his eyes caught the glinting of metal and shapes in the fog. It seemed like they'd be leaving now, or not at all.

If she fell he was ready to grasp her with his hind legs, but he hoped she could remain perched on his back. Grabbing something as large as her in mid flight like that would undoubtedly subject her to his claws, and significant pressure. It would not make the rest of this furious ordeal any easier for either of them.

His wings unfurled, spreading out to their full and impressive span, the first powerful beat seemed to launch him in the air, though in reality he leapt up at the same time. Energy crackled over his form as he planted his thick claws against the trunk of a tree and twisted with another heavy flap, forcing more momentum into the movement as he took off. The small sparks and flickers that had appeared when he was agitated were nothing compared to what came next though, energy danced across his scales and likely tickled her fur as they seemed to all sweep up towards his horn. It glowed as bright as the sun for a brief moment, and then all the energy was released at once in a great bolt of lightning that shot up into the sky. Branches exploded, ropes and vines were enveloped in flame and cascaded down upon them in a shower of ash and small splinters.

Even with the way partially cleared by the blast branches, vines and some ropes seemed intent on catching on his wings, hands, and whatever they could loop about. The sounds of them tightening, breaking, or pulling off branches grew louder as he fought through the canopy. It eventually broke though, after what seemed to be an eternity of struggle everything seemed to fall away in a sudden, climactic moment. The detritus and vines clinging limping and failing to drag him back down into the fog-laden forest, revealing only an endless sea of fog that unfurled below them in every direction. The sun shone down upon it, but little light seemed to return from the bleak expanse… The sounds from below were dull and muted by the tightly knit trees, and branches.

His heart was pounding both in his chest and his head as he caught his stride, wings settling down from their frantic beats, and the ride becoming incredibly more even as he leveled out over the featureless terrain. "…So umm, do you want to agree to never go back there?" came his somewhat cracking voice, followed by a clearing of his throat. 

Paradox flicked her ears back as the air screamed past them. Thalron was picking up speed as they tore through the trees. She held on frantically to his spines and wrapped her arms around them. If she fell now, she'd be a goner. She watched the dragon's bright blue wings unfurl at his sides. It reminded her vaguely of floating on a blue ocean, as his wings obscured the ground from her view. He beat them once, his muscles rippling under her body and she readjusted herself accordingly to stay on board. He flapped again and again, gaining altitude quickly with each downward motion. 

She watched the energy spark and flicker over her scales. The electricity did no harm to her, except make her fur stand on end in places it normally didn't. She stared at his head, where all the energy tendrils seemed to be going. His horn glowed brighter and brighter, until she was forced to look away from the intensity of it. There was a mighty crack as a streak of lightning shot up into the sky. She covered her head with her arms as smoking leaves and broken branches rained down on them. 

It took a while for the dragon to break out of the trees. Vines entangled themselves, branches blocked their way, and the never ending amount of leaves blinded their ability to see where they were going. At last they broke through and rose above the treetops. The sun was bright and the sky was clear. She looked down below them and saw only fog where the forest used to be. Up here, she couldn't hear the screams and wails of the souls lost down below.

The dragon leveled out far above the ghostly forest and glided calmly across the sky. She laid down on Thalron's neck and breathed a sigh of relief, letting her heartbeat slow to a more normal level. She glanced at him when he started talking to her. She nodded to him. "I wouldn't be against skipping it next time I travel back through here again," she replied. "Not my favorite place in the world, that's for sure."

The air above that cursed placed seemed to be free of the malevolent attitudes that they had experienced below, though even with the beauty that the sea of white rolling fog gave it held a distant, and depressing vibe… It was just so much less so than where they just were that the dragon felt practically ecstatic! His wings soon began to pick up speed again as his flight swung out in a wide and relaxed turn, it seemed like he knew where he was going at least, instead of flying somewhere at random. He still had to get rid of the sword now, after all. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to hang onto, especially after all those… Ghost things….

"Maybe I'll come back some day when I'm even bigger… And burn the whole place down!" He growled playfully and spat out a mouthful of sparks, before twisting his neck about to try and peer at her. He was flexible enough to do so, but it was obviously not a very comfortable position, and he mostly saw her rear-half. "Are you okay? That wasn't the most uh…" He paused for a moment. "…It's hard to fly in the trees." He finally spat out, as he couldn't figure out how to say that it wasn't his best take off. It wasn't his worst, by far, but definitely not the best. The last really bad one he could remember he had ended up getting his horn stuck in the branch of a big tree and was nearly knocked silly, and after he fell down the branch had landed on top of him. He was just glad no one had been around to see him on that day.

His flight was fast, at least compared to travelling by ground, but there would still be a good while before he reached the edge of the forest. He wasn't going to stop before they were out though, there was no way he'd land in that forest again, not before he got rid of the sword… Even after that, it was unlikely he'd enter that cursed place unless he absolutely had to. It occurred to him that she might not have been going the same direction as he was now, but if that was the case he could probably fly her over the forest in the other direction.