Soil's Story Part 6: The Siege

Bjorn here. I'm taking over this story, since Soil's talking to the Salamander of the Campgrounds.    I don't know what to think of her. I get that she hates her da (I guess I can understand that), but I still can't bring myself to trust her. She's admitted herself that she's not sure where she came from or how she knows what she knows. Who's to say she's not actually a spy sent by Zephnos? She certainly looks the part, with her horns and silver eyes.   I'm rambling. Time to get back into the story. So there Soil was, having just barely avoided an incineration. I don't know why I saved her. It just... didn't feel right to let her be killed by the Salamander of the Campgrounds. Maybe because I knew he would regret it later.   But... Soil did a lot to help us. True to its word, the Zephnos creatures continued to attack the Campgrounds for the next month. Sometimes it would be something small, like a wolf or a pooka. Sometimes something bigger would show up, like the Dragon. Soil helped us fend them off by creating shields around the Campgrounds, allowing The Salamander of the Campgrounds to incinerate the attacker before they got close. If not for her help, the Campgrounds might not have survived what we're calling the "Month of Madness".   Of course, we had help. Several new travelers somehow made it to the Campgrounds through the night. I don't know how, but I did what I could to direct them from the trees. They brought with them fuel to keep the Salamander's campfire lit for the whole month. Every time one of Soil's shield trees fell, we'd add it to the fire too. Even with his continued attacks, we somehow made it through.   At the end of the month, the moon hanging above the Campgrounds mysteriously vanished, along with the attackers. The last thing we saw of them was Zephnos, in its original form, watching the Campgrounds from the trees. I couldn't help but watch as it stalked off into the distance. It shames me to admit this, but I'm still terrified of the creature, even in its reduced form.   Soil says the Salamander created it. I don't know if I should believe her or not.