//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: One with Nature 
// Story: All Hail the Dragonborn 
// by RedtheDestroyer 
//------------------------------//

I wondered the forest for about four hours straight! I especially knew this since I walked around the same stump for about the fifth time! It's like the forest itself is laughing at my despair. I sat on a nearby log and sighed trying to figure out how to handle this.

I know that this forest was not exactly normal. The trees themselves looked to have an almost black bark with dark purple leaves absorbing any stray beam of light from the sun. It made it hard to see anything around me.

"Well, might as well start making some lumber. Six trees should be enough to make some quick coin."

I equip my Woodcutter's axe and examined the trees in front of me. To my surprise, most of them were surprisingly very healthy for unusual trees. I shrugged and began chopping into the closest tree.

*hack*....*hack*....*hack*

I checked my progress seeing that the tree itself barely had a cut in it's bark. I cursed pounding my axe harder into the tree, with more force. And it  worked. One more final cut into the tree made it tumble down on the ground.

Once it actually hit the ground, everything around me turned absolutely silent. I froze looking around me to not hear even the insects chirp a tone, or the wind blow. Something was off about this forest, but I also needed something to get me some good amount of 'bits' for the trip ahead of me. I eventually paid no mind to the no noise.

I grabbed the fallen tree before dragging it into the small clearing that I recently found. I carefully was taking off unnecessary branches and shaving the ends of the logs with a carving machette, I usually keep the blade around for skinning. It didn't take long after that to finish three more logs practicing trial and error several times.

That's when I heard rapid foot steps approaching. I raised my machette in a threatening manner toward the area I heard it. Nothing sprung up. I sighed and was about to return back to work before I caught a glimpse of a being of sorts nearby. I focused in that direction more managing to make out a feminine body, just barely, as her body naturally camouflaged into the forest.

I put down the log and revealed my machette again this time deciding to walk around. Ten minutes of searching had no success in finding the culprit, so I head back toward the clearing. However, the four logs I was preparing were gone.

"Great. Just great. There goes my easy money." I growled in frustration.

"Leave now, pony, or face the wrath of the forest." A distinctly feminine voice proclaimed in a threatening manner.

I looked around me to see any sign of a being, however, there wasn't any ponies around me. "I don't know what made you angry with me, but I came to for just a few logs. Now, were are those logs you stole from me?"

I asked not really intimidated by this mysterious woman. A bright green ball suddenly appeared to my right. I rolled on the ground managing to avoid the spell. It singed itself into the dirt where I was originally.

"You dare challenge the great Nymph Tribe of Earth!? You shall die for your insolence, mortal!" She exclaimed.

I got up letting a sigh tumble out. I looked around to find anything to get a clue of where she was. Sadly I could seem to track her movements as a barrage of green magic spheres attack me. I manage to avoid the slow moving balls of energy before seeing a moving invisible silhouette of something. I dashed at the moving thing and using my machette to slash it.

The blade ricocheted off the invisible thing seeming to break its concentration. What was revealed shocked me to the core. It looked like a nude Nord woman with long rich dark brown hair! She got up unmistakable fury in her amber eyes. I backed up immediately to give myself some distance away from her.

"Your tainted eyes has saw too much! Now you WILL perish in the most painful way imaginable!-" Death by eternal stay on the Shivering Isles? "-EARTH CRUSH!" Oh. Not good.

She clapped letting green magical energy flow through her hands. The ground below me suddenly trembled. I scrambled out of the way just as a stone hand closed around the area I was originally in again. She screamed in rage at missing again. I began to sweat and slightly shiver instinctively hearing the bone chilling noise.

Her eyes glowed with magic as I stood up and charged at her. I thrusted my machette into her bare stomach. To my surprise, the machette's blade shattered on impact this time. My eyes widen behind my helmet while confident smirk spread across her lips. The stone hand appeared out of the slapping on the ground and pins me the hilt of my machette thrown out of my reach.

She laughed. "Did you think your blades and weapons of metal can hurt me, mortal? Our kind can not be defeated by blades made from nature itself! We are one with nature while you ponies are just parasites living on its back!" The sotne hand pressed me further into the ground trying to crush me under its pressure. Luckily, my Ebony armor was strong enough to not cave it. It was getting hard to breathe regardless of what armor I had on. I pulling my left hand raising it in the air to call upon the weapon I need.

Blue light pulse around my hand taking the woman by surprise before managing to summon a ghastly demonic sword. I ferociously stabs the stone hand breaking it apart like it was butter. The stone hand couldn't keep its form for long with the continued assault, so it crumbled into a pole of rocks. I pushed myself out of the rubble breathing heavily. I looked at the stunned woman before a feral growl escape my mouth.

"No one makes a fool out of me.... I don't care about your superiority complex, lady..... nor what you are packing. I just want my logs!" I dashed at her feeling my inner predator pushing my normal running speeds. I pounced on her managing to pin her down on the ground too. She struggled for a bit then ceased when I put my bound sword up to her neck. "Now that I have your undivided attention, where is the logs you stole from me?"

There was heavy comfliction in her eyes, but a little nudge from my spiritual sword sealed her answer. "Northwest! You'll find a creek there as well. Y-you can't miss it."

I disspell my blade getting off of the woman satisfied with her answer. "See? That wasn't so hard now was it? Oh, also, it's proper to have clothes on. Not everyone out there is like me." I replied back. For some reason, she blushed at my comment. But I didn't stay around to hear how she respond.


I eventually found the creek she mentioned and the logs soon after. Luckily, I made some homemade rope in my spare time, so I tied the logs together to carry them easier. By the time I was done, the sun began to set in the sky. Coincidently, it made the forest around me hard to see through. I sighed before collecting nearby twigs to make a smallish pile.

"Yol." A decent flame burst from my mouth on to the wood before me setting them on fire. With that done, I searched for a flat rock that I fumbled for in the darkness until I stumble upon an adequate rock. The rock in hand, I laid it nearby the fire before laying down myself. I rest my head on the the lonely rock. 

My mind returned to the previous events that took place today. I realized how tired I truely was fighting off everything in my way. Oh, how I miss my home in Whiterun. I hope Balgruuf, Irileth, and Lydia are doing alright without me...