The forest warden spirit rested on a bed of woven branches inside the newly built enclosure Its body rose and fell slowly leaves along its antlers fluttering as if stirred by a wind only it could feel Evan knelt beside it checking the warmth radiating from its bark like skin A soft green glow pulsed beneath the cracks and each flicker seemed weaker than the last

Dalen stood nearby nervously shifting his weight Spirits do not fall ill like this he said Their bodies come from the forest itself They are connected to the land If it is sick then something is wrong with the forest

Evan nodded I know And we need to find out why

The herbalist arrived carrying bundles of crushed leaves and clear water She bowed slightly to the spirit then knelt beside Evan Her voice trembled Spirits guide us but now they depend on us She handed Evan a small bowl This mixture will slow the spread of the corruption but it cannot remove it

Evan inspected the mixture thick smooth green with a faint scent of pine He applied it gently to the spirit’s leg and felt the creature relax its glowing eyes dimming but calmer This will help for now he said But it is a bandage not a cure

Dalen crossed his arms We need to track the corruption to its source Something is poisoning the forest

Evan stood wiped his hands and looked toward the trees The dense canopy shifted as magical insects drifted through the branches Their faint glows cast patches of silver and gold on the ground The forest felt alive but uneasy

I will go look for the source Evan said The spirit’s condition is a symptom If the land is sick we cannot wait

Dalen nodded but frowned You are new to this world You do not know the dangers We should gather more scouts

No Evan said quietly We do not have time The spirit grows weaker every hour If it dies we lose something irreplaceable

The herbalist placed a hand on the spirit’s head whispering a soft chant The creature’s breathing steadied but its legs twitched as if dreaming of something painful

Evan checked his supplies gloves rope water flint small tools and a fabric wrap Then he stepped into the forest Dalen followed close behind despite insisting he should have gathered more men

The deeper they went the more the forest changed At first the trees stood tall and vibrant Their leaves shimmered with magic their roots hummed faintly Then gradually the colors dulled Moss turned gray Leaves curled inward Bark cracked open revealing dark veins of corruption

Evan knelt examined the soil It felt dry chalky lifeless The scent of rot replaced the usual sweetness of the forest This is not natural he said Something is draining life here

Dalen crouched beside him My ancestors spoke of blight magic Rare forbidden dark sorcery that spreads like disease But no one has used it for centuries

Evan touched the blackened moss It crumbled instantly losing any sign of life Whatever caused this is recent He stood glancing deeper into the woods A faint trail of dark shimmer pulsed along the roots leading further

They followed the trail until they reached a clearing The ground dipped forming a shallow pit Trees around it were broken twisted as if struck by force In the center lay a shattered crystal sphere glowing faint purple Its fragments pulsed weakly corrupting the soil beneath

Dalen sucked in a breath That is a snare crystal Hunters use them to trap magical beasts It drains their energy so they cannot fight

Evan knelt beside the shards His voice filled with anger This is not just a trap Someone overloaded it with magic When it shattered it sent corruption through the ground

Dalen clenched his fists Whoever did this was reckless Or they wanted to poison many creatures at once

Evan picked up a large shard wrapped it carefully in cloth We take this back He glanced at the corrupted earth If the spirit stepped here it would absorb the blight through its legs That is why it fell ill

They returned to the station carrying the shard The spirit sensed the crystal immediately and shivered leaves falling from its antlers Evan approached slowly holding the cloth bundle It is not your fault he whispered Someone else caused this

The herbalist arrived examined the shard her face pale This is dangerous If left near the forest it will keep spreading We must seal it before its energy reaches other beasts

Evan looked around at the villagers who had gathered fear in their eyes Listen he said loudly Someone is trapping magical beasts with dangerous devices These traps do not just harm individuals They damage the land itself If we allow this to continue the forest will die

The villagers murmured worried glances passing between them

Dalen stepped forward Evan and I found this in the corrupted clearing He nodded toward the shard Someone used a snare crystal illegally The kingdom forbids their use outside sanctioned hunts Someone is hiding in these woods ignoring the law hoping no one will notice

Evan turned to the herbalist Can we treat the spirit and stop the spread

She hesitated Yes but barely We need to prepare a purification brew using herbs that are rare and dangerous to gather They grow near the storm cliffs

Evan looked toward the distant hills I will go

No Dalen said gripping his shoulder You should not do it alone The cliffs are full of creatures that react to the storms We will go together

The spirit raised its head weakly meeting Evan’s gaze Leaves shook along its antlers as if urging him forward

Evan smiled gently I understand

He stood as the villagers watched their guardian preparing for another journey This time he did not just carry tools He carried a purpose one he had never felt so strongly before

We save the spirit he said And we protect the forest

For the first time the villagers nodded not in fear but in belief