Snag
What are Treefolk? How do they come into being? And how did Snag end up as part of the Shades Faction, when so many others are purely devoted to the Leshavult? Watch or read our short story below…
Snag sent their awareness into the dark forest with a shiver of sickly yellow light. Dawn had broken a few hours ago yet it was dingy and there were still no moving things, not even an oblivious pigeon. While Snag knew they could look after themselves, there was no need to risk running into a moving creature.
Satisfied the path was clear, Snag nonchalantly floated through the trees, aiming for an old cave they saw last week before their tree host had snapped. They flew into the cave, a drop of light that could easily be mistaken for a raindrop, and immediately sent their awareness out to find a new tree to call home.
Anger flickered through Snag and they thought, Yet another tree host that wasn’t strong enough for me. If they allow a Dendrite in, they must know what to expect from the partnership! Hopefully I’ll find a better match this time.
They twinkled with frustration and concentrated, pushing their senses further into the dimness, searching for a suitable tree. Most trees ignored them, a few recoiled with tremoring branches, and one returned a tentative vibrating greeting, but Snag ignored it.
Pathetic, they thought.
They continued their sweep until their attention was grasped by a small, yet chunky, silver birch. They turned their awareness to the tree, to discern whether it would be a suitable host.
In return the tree pointedly ignored Snag, which was highly unusual yet fascinating.
From the outside the silver seemed duller and its shadow thicker than other silver birches Snag had seen before. Its cracked boughs were angular and it looked dead, yet Snag could feel strength behind its bark. Snag concentrated and thought, Well, despite what you look like you feel stronger than any other tree host I’ve ever inhabited.
Intrigued, Snag quivered a greeting and after a deliberate pause a deep quavering vibration was returned. It sounded bored, yet dark power flowed throughout its presence.
Snag had never felt anything like it before so, unable to resist, they bolted towards the tree and burrowed among its roots in the fallen leaf litter. The roots were twisted and dark, the bark rough. Snag inspected the moist soil and thought, How curious, this fungi is only usually found in graveyards.
Eagerly, Snag turned their attention back to the tree and vibrated a greeting, “Deep taproots.”
The tree’s attention turned to Snag and it rumbled, “Loamy soil.”
Snag felt their shape vibrate and unusual power washed over and through them beneath the tree’s words. The power didn’t feel normal and it almost didn’t feel natural.
Excitement burgeoned and Snag couldn’t resist it any longer, they began burrowing then merging into the twisted roots. Snag shivered, the tree rough and dark as they pushed through to the core midvein, then felt themselves transported throughout the tree to the very tips of the branches. The branches were bare, despite the signs of spring all around, and Snag delighted in the weightlessness.
Snag waited in polite, dark silence until the tree finally acknowledged them. Then it proudly showed them the power contained in its branches, even among the dead wood.
Snag crunched open their new treefolk eyes and felt cloying magic flow through their limbs. They smiled, bark crinkling, and a vibrating gurgling laugh shivered from the treefolk’s mouth. They felt at home for the first time in decades.
Amused, the tree whispered to Snag, “Down.”
Snag turned their awareness outward again and felt a city of moving things beneath their roots. They hadn’t realised such a thing existed within the Forsaken Forest and felt drawn to it. With cracking limbs they strode forwards, taking in deep breaths of cool air, looking for a way beneath the soil.