I turned and looked back briefly for a moment and saw that the dilapidated stone monument was literally being blown apart. Large chunks of rock were being hurled everywhere and flames reached high into the sky from the molten interior of the structure.
The fierce cannibalistic tribe of forest dwellers had taken off in every direction as fast as their legs could carry them to escape what must look like the opening of the pits of hell to them.
I turned back towards the forest and headed for where we had left the horses earlier in the day eager to complete my mission and be headed back to my home and away from this miserable forest.
Two miserable days later found us soaked, hungry and tired, not to mention downright itchy. I was pretty sure we were lost as well. We had been traveling southward through the forest towards Santarus.
The forest had opened up some, but it was still rough going to get through the overgrown understory of the forest. Father John had the point and continually insisted that we were not lost. I had my doubts though.
He'd been but a little boy, when he had lived here before and there were simply no landmarks to be seen other than the trees in front of us. Still he seemed confident of our progress and I was willing to trust his judgment for a little while longer before interceding. He hadn't said much in the past two days and I could tell that it still bothered him that we had destroyed everything like we had back there. It had been for the best though and I hoped that he came to see that as I now did.
He stopped and waited till I drew abreast of him, "Over that way the forest breaks up into some grassy parks, which will increase our speed not having to fight through this understory."
"Lead on John. I'm game for a chance to see the sky again."
"Me too!" Echoed the others in the group sounding like a chorus in their exuberance to be free of the forest at least temporarily.
Father John hesitated for a moment and then continued, "There is a village that way that we won't be able to avoid. It's run by women."
Seth leaned forward in the saddle, "Go on priest what about the women!"
Father John looked somewhat annoyed at Seth's' obvious interest but continued, "It's a matriarchal society. Men are seen as less than women and do the work normally left to the women to do, but they are not hostile to outside men in general. They just think they are better. It's perfectly safe to visit the village. We just have to be careful not to get them angry, as they can be rather forceful when angered."