The respite is real this time, I promise

      It had been near dusk before Van finally exited the hellish caverns. To Oolah it seemed as thought it was a different young man who had emerged, on an emotional level, at least. Outwardly he seemed more withdrawn then she'd ever seen him. According to Glam, he had been like this for quite some time when Van had first arrived at his farm. "Cold and hungry was he," Glam had lied, "and wearing rags. I didn't know his circumstances, but from his high manners and bearing, I assumed he was of good stock, perhaps even of displaced nobility!" Then with a wink, "those are usually the ones too honest for politics."

      Van knew his mission was not finished yet, that there was more to be done. He had been warned it would take time. Half a season, two seasons, perhaps more, "Glam had claimed." So he tried to swallow his current mental and emotional turmoils, and act as natural, and as practical as possible. 

     Rollobal would need months more of time to recover, and they couldn't stay safely on the forest floor. There were still threats in the branches, but far less frequent and varied. He yearned to do some carpentry, but found he couldn't process wood using the black energy directly. Even a small cut from a black sawblade tainted the whole piece of wood, rendering it brittle and useless. However he found he could move them via levitating black platforms. Oolahs controlled explosions only damaged the wood she targeted, and only one of the mammoth trees were sufficient for the design Van had improvised. The dwelling wasn't large, and coming up with a safe cooking area was a challenge, but after several days of using the ledge as a safe base, they were able to move into their tree home, using a pulley system to gain regular access.

      The giant, broad leaves had multiple uses, and Oolah found a spring nearby. Under the canopy where there was still an unseasonable warmth, they had access to forage, being careful to leave enough for it to continue to proliferate. Meat, of course, was no problem. They passed the time similarly to how they had in the valley, once things were set up, with Van practicing, rather than exploring caves. In fact, he never wanted to see another one. In  between his discussions with Oloss sleep was impossible. He'd even tried an experiment where he tried sleeping in one of their meetings, but it was fruitless, in some ways worse. There, the scratching and pounding and begging had grown worse. As though from the other side of a black barrier, all those he'd slain with the black energy haunted him in a quite literal fashion. It had grown far more horrifying with his recent exploits. "We thought you were saving us!" the abominations cried.

       "I thought I was too!" he'd yell, jerking awake, then gasping, "It's what I was trying to do."

     Rollobal was getting difficult, wanting to start walking prematurely. His friends repeatedly had to plead with him to be sensible. He wanted to warn his village about the insect swarm they'd run into. It had to be dealt with sooner then later, and his people had an effective technique to achieve that end. Of course they had to know it was out there, and there were preparations that needed to be made as soon as possible. However, Rollobals complaints had given Van an idea. 

     He left at night. Levitation on a black disc, he sped through the primordial forest, high among the branches, but below the great canopy. Traveling Northeast, he eventually came to the swath of destruction left in the wake of the giant insect swarm. He turned and followed it. With his great speed it wasn't long before he saw, for the first time, the larvae that followed behind, renewing any brethren that had fallen. However, if enough doesn't fall, They consume everything in their path until there is nothing left, and then they starve.

     He sped on, over the vast swarm, its occupants growing larger as he went. Eventually he landed in front of it. He summoned his sword and started slaying, working his way, walking backwards. Eventually they would surge around him, and he wanted to see how long he could delay the inevitable. He fought much better then he had in their last encounter, but without the added support of Oolah and the champion Rollobal, it didn't take as long as he'd hoped for him to get cornered.

     He wasn't sure if this would work, or even how it worked. He didn't know if this entire thing was the work of trauma, a kind of psychopathy. He'd been a carpenter mostly, after failing as a boxer. He wasn't a soldier. He was never prepared for the taking of life beyond what Glam and his new companions had helped him with. "Perhaps," he thought grimly, preparing to release his trapped souls, "I should rely on them more."

       After a few sweeping attacks that bought him some space, he thrust his sword into the ground, and created a great black liquid ring around himself. From it swarmed liquid black Goblonii. The attacks with their black blades ate away at their opponents, and every attack made against them melted the offending appendage like some sort of super acid. when they dissipated, Van noticed, they were gone, really gone. He felt it like an invisible blanket being yanked from over him as each of them met a true and lasting end. The Goblonni were not many, however. Raising his arms, the black ring grew as well. Just as the swarming herd closed back in on Van, from out of the murky depths starting pouring great, massive, blackened beasts. Once again the horde was driven back. Soon, those that had made it passed him were dealt with, and the black beasts joined the others in their assault on the main body. They lasted quite a bit longer then the goblonii. Van was beginning to worry the massive primordial beasts they had hunted, alone would be enough. He had dispelled the black circle, resumed his sword, and was walking behind the battle, casually. There were few pieces left of the insects. Occasionally a few would make it around his shadowy vanguard and he'd slay them. Soon that number of those getting through began to increase, and exponentially, as his army started dissipating. Forming a semi circle wall of energy facing outward toward his enemies, came pouring a horde of insects from their first encounter. Animals and creatures, he had noticed, made less noises from behind the 'wall' or whatever it was.

     Eventually he got to his latest occupants, releasing them against the horde. In his mind, the battle was won. The horde was weakened and time bought. Best of all, those poor souls he sought to free, were actually, finally, free. 

     He returned as Oolah was making breakfast, and received a dressing down from her. "The forest is dangerous," she had said, among other things, "we should always have someone to watch our back, even when we're strong." Van agreed, as he was feeling quite a bit lighter then the previous few days. After breakfast he had a long sleep, almost uninterrupted by nightmares.