The Eating Woods, #2
Eldritch
by Keri Lake
Contents
Chapter 15
Overview
Zevander, overwhelmed by longing for Maevyth and haunted by General Loyce’s abuse, injures himself and flees to hunt. In the woods, a whisper lures him into a disorienting fog toward a monstrous, hollow tree birthing spider legs. His scorpion marks rouse as dread, nausea, and feral hunger overtake him.
Summary
As dusk falls, Zevander watches Maevyth sleep and fixates on the stolen scorpion pendant to steady himself. Her past tenderness both soothes and unravels him, colliding with the internalized cruelty of General Loyce’s voice. When the tension crests, he realizes he has cut his own thigh and bloodied his hand clutching the pendant. Fearing he might beg for her touch or lose control, he leaves to hunt and refocus.
In the forest, Zevander stalks a white rabbit, but a whispered "Mor samanet" distracts him and he misses. He glimpses a shadow with possible antlers moving like a man, triggering protectiveness for Maevyth and drawing him deeper into the woods. A thick white mist swallows landmarks until he can sense nothing.
The whisper returns; Zevander slashes at emptiness as the fog blinds him. A colossal, gnarled tree emerges, its hollow gaping while long black spider legs and glowing eyes appear within. The scorpion sigils on his skin rise in warning, and dread presses him to retreat.
Sudden vertigo and nausea seize Zevander. Disoriented and aching, he spots the same white rabbit again. Hunger surges, overriding caution, and he staggers after the animal as the forest’s malign presence coils around him.
Who Appears
- ZevanderHaunted warrior drawn to Maevyth; self-injures, hunts, follows a whisper into fog, confronts a spider-haunted tree.
- MaevythAsleep by the hearth; her past tenderness anchors and tempts Zevander, intensifying his conflict.
- General LoyceAbusive voice in Zevander’s mind, stoking shame and unworthiness.
- Spider-creatureGlowing-eyed entity with black legs emerging from a hollow tree, provoking Zevander’s dread.
- Shadowed figureAntlered silhouette moving like a man, lures Zevander deeper before vanishing in fog.