Edge of the Rootways

Sera Valkyn slammed her gauntlet against the flickering rune-stone, voice tight as she barked,

“Report!”

Static crackled in reply, the guttering blue light casting jagged shadows along the swaying bridge. A gust of wind whipped her cloak, carrying the distant sound of splintering wood. She scanned the dim arch of the fossilised root, eyes burning from lack of sleep, and spotted a fracture spidering along its underside. Two of her squad struggled with patching resin, hands shaking. Another figure, lantern swinging, sprinted from the watch-hut, breathless.

“Sera! Another bridge, Rootspan North, gone dark!”

The void below rumbled, and the fragment beneath her feet pitched slightly, as if mourning a lost limb. Sera drew her sword, the blade humming with root-light.

“Hold the line,”

she snapped. She moved toward the fracture, boots scraping bone-hard bark, every sense straining for the next sign of collapse. Somewhere ahead, in the blue-lit dark, something moved beyond the reach of her lantern.

Sera Valkyn signaled Lyra and Kael to stay by the fracture, their patching resin ready. She lifted her root-light lantern, its glow barely piercing the thick gloom. Her sword hung low, the blade’s faint hum lost beneath the void’s roar. Each creak of the ancient root-bridge, every gust of wind, sharpened her focus as she advanced toward the unseen presence. Joric, still breathless from his report, stood by the watch-hut, his lantern swinging softly.

Sera Valkyn pressed further into the thick darkness, her lantern casting a narrow ring of light that flickered across the twisted, gnarled surface of the root-bridge. A low, guttural growl rolled out from the shadows ahead, vibrating through the roots beneath her boots. The air chilled, carrying a faint, metallic scent. Her sword, poised and steady, caught a faint gleam, something large, dark, and reptilian stirring just beyond the lantern’s reach.

Sera Valkyn stopped abruptly, her boots gripping the twisted root beneath her. She raised her lantern, its narrow beam slicing through the thick gloom, searching for the eyes of the large, reptilian form. The creature shifted, a deep rumble rising from its throat. Its scales, dull and mottled with moss, caught the faint glow of the root-light, but its eyes stayed hidden beneath the heavy shadows of its brow.

Sera Valkyn lowered her sword, the root-light dimming just enough to soften its glow. Her voice, calm and steady, cut through the distant roar of the void.

"You've been feeding on the root-sap, haven't you? The fractures are driving you out."

The moss-mottled creature shifted, tilting its heavy head. A faint hiss slipped from its throat, like dry leaves skittering across stone, as it slowly lifted its head, revealing eyes gleaming with ancient, predatory intelligence.

Sera Valkyn stood motionless, her eyes locked on the creature as its gaze, now fully revealed, pierced hers. The air thickened, heavy with the scent of damp earth and a sharp, acrid tang. The moss-mottled lurker dipped its head slightly, a subtle movement that felt more like a warning than a withdrawal. The ancient root-bridge groaned deeply, a sound resonant and low, mirroring the creature’s own rumbling presence.

Sera Valkyn stepped back slowly, putting space between herself and the moss-mottled lurker. Its ancient eyes held her with a silent, unblinking gaze. She sheathed her sword without haste. The creature stayed still, its heavy shape a dark outline against the distant rumble of the void. Sera turned and called out,

"What's the tally, Joric? How many bridges have we lost this month versus last?"

Her voice carried across the root-bridge, met only by the wind and the faint creak of strained wood. Joric remained near the watch-hut by the fracture, out of earshot.

Sera Valkyn turned her back to the motionless lurker, its hidden eyes still tracking her. The bridge let out a low, resonant groan. A colder wind whipped past her, carrying no answer from Joric. The fracture spidering beneath the root deepened with every moment; the patching resin glistened wetly. Below, the void rumbled, a hungry, echoing roar.

Sera Valkyn turned away from the lurker, its hidden eyes still locked on her. She moved back to the fracture, crouching beside Lyra and Kael, who worked steadily on the resin patch. The thick amber resin gleamed as it slowly sealed the crack. Sera studied their progress, then asked quietly,

"How long have you two been stationed here? And have the bridge failures been accelerating, or does it just feel that way?"

Lyra, a young woman with a smudged face, looked up, her hands still trembling slightly.

Sera Valkyn nodded slowly, eyes tracing the amber resin patch glowing faintly in the root-light. The bridge groaned again, a low, vibrating rumble that filled the cold air. Lyra’s words about accelerated failures lingered between them. The moss-mottled lurker stood motionless in the distance, a dark shape against the gloom. Sera shifted her gaze to Kael, waiting for his response.

Sera Valkyn watched Kael, his hands still wiping at his trousers, the tension clear in his voice. The static Kael mentioned hummed faintly in the air, a nearly imperceptible vibration. The moss-mottled lurker stayed motionless in the distance, its ancient eyes fixed on the scene. The bridge shuddered again beneath their feet with a deep, groaning sound.