Birds chirped high up in the trees. Their songs echoed through the forest in a steady rhythm. Often times, the chirping would move from one side of the forest to the another. It was like the birds were having conversations amongst themselves.
Down near the forest floor, a group of humans moved steadily amidst the trees. They were originally near the outer areas of the forest, but they were intentionally moving deeper into the forest at this moment.
Foliage rustled as the humans brushed past them. Critters skittered away from the feet that came trudging down. An ant that had failed to escape in time wriggled helplessly in an impression on the forest floor that was made by a heavy foot.
The forest lived and breathed the way it had for centuries, oblivious to the events that marked the lives of the young humans in the group. This day was like any other to the inhabitants of the forest that were unaffected by the strange energy that permeated the air.
However, to the forest inhabitants that were affected by the energy, life was quite different from normal. Unlike the corrupted wolves, they were lurking deeper in the forest-- nearer to the source of the strange energy.
The knights were tasked with the mission to locate the source of the energy. Thus, they ventured deeper into the forest following the faint trail of energy emitted by the source.
The humans were silent, contrary to the birds that were cheerfully chirping amongst themselves above. Cenric was at the lead of the group. He would walk for a few moments before stopping. It seemed as if he was listening to the air. In fact, he was actively using his skill called {Threads of Air}.
As the name implied, the skill was an Air Element based skill. His magic energy would spread out to his surroundings like suspended threads in the air. Unique energy fluctuations emitted by different objects will be caught in his web of magical energy threads. By isolating the intended energy, he was able to track the strange energy of interest.
Yu observed the knights during their trek. Whenever Cenric used his skill, the emblem on his sword would glow faintly despite not visible to others since the sword was still in its sheath.
Although Yu could not see the glow, he felt his skin tingling when {Threads of Air} activated. He also felt that something deep in his mind stirred when magical energy was emitted from Cenric. It was as if an ancient dragon was tossing and turning in its deep slumber, unable to wake up.
Yu was intrigued by the way his body reacted. The familiarity between his body and magic was uncanny under the pretense of not remembering anything about magic. He wondered if he was well-versed in magic before losing his memories.
'If so, how can I use magic?' he pondered.
Yu also thought about the time when he fought the corrupted wolf. His body had moved on its own. Elise had also mentioned to him that he moved so quickly that she could barely see his movements. He tried to recall the feeling he had when he faced the wolf.
It was calmness.
Although his situation was not the best at the time, he calmly analyzed the situation and quickly had a plan formed in his mind. He executed it systematically. Even though the situation did not exactly turn out as planned, he reacted accordingly. Paired with his higher than average reflexes, he managed to kill the wolves without suffering any injuries, albeit from exhaustion.
'Right, Edward said that I was trained in the sword,' Yu thought as he glanced at the arming sword by Cenric's waist.
Yu wondered if he should discuss what he learned with Edward. The latter seemed to be very knowledgeable about such things. However, he also felt an inexplicable urge to keep his discoveries to himself. He could not reason out such urge and frowned.
"What's the matter?" Elise whispered when she saw him frowning.
Yu shook his head, dispelling Elise's question.
Elise's lips formed a straight line at Yu's response. He was back to his mute self again. She sighed.
'I should have gotten used to it by now,' she thought.
Yu was silent for most of the time, except for when he was forced to speak. Another was when the situation required him to speak. Unfortunately, she did not know that Yu was mostly talking to himself internally. His mental voice was so loud that he did not realize that he had just shaken his head without uttering a word.
"There are several beasts up front," Cenric said suddenly.
Everyone's attention snapped towards Cenric.
"Are they corrupted beasts?" Lana asked.
"No. Doesn't seem like it. They are not emitting that strange energy," Cenric explained.
The other knights relaxed a little when they heard Cenric.
He was silents for a moment while he decided on something.
"We'll go ahead and lure the beasts away from our route. All of you stay here and try not to attract attention to yourselves," Cenric informed Edward and his children.
They nodded and could only comply with the instructions of the knights. The three knights soon disappeared into the sea of trees. Only Edward, Elise, Gino, and Yu were left.
"Well, back to just us, huh?" Gino muttered.
The incident from the day before was still fresh in his mind. Even though the knights had saved them from the wolves, he still felt distrust towards them. It was mostly because of the overly prideful aura exuded by the knights. It was as if they were above the world and that their actions were only right and never wrong.
This struck a bad chord in Gino's heart.
The group was silent again. They needed the protection of the knights no matter how much they disliked them. The absence of the knights made them worry a little. The forest seemed peaceful, but danger was around the corner. One small misstep could be the end of a peaceful day.
"Edward, is green hair common?" Yu broke the silence.
"Green hair?" Edward asked again, hoping he heard it wrong.
Yu nodded.
Edward frowned as he tried to scour his memories for instances of people with green hair.
"Well… not to my knowledge. No, green hair is not common. I'd say that it's impossible, but the world is vast and filled with strange things, so it might be possible," Edward mused aloud.
"Why would you ask so?"
Yu opened and closed his mouth a few times to organize his thoughts before answering.
"I dreamt about a girl with lime-blonde hair last night. Could she… could she be someone I know from my past?"
"Hmm, dreams are usually the product of one's experiences unless that person is a seer. There's a good chance that you've seen that girl before," Edward nodded and explained.
"If it was another color, I would think that her hair was dyed. However, green is an unusual color for dye."
"She also has violet eyes," Yu interrupted softly.
"That's a peculiar girl you've seen."
Edward's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. However, when he saw the seriousness in Yu's face, he was inclined to believe the teenager. There was no reason for the teen to lie. Edward decided to ask further.
"What else did you see in your dream?"
"A snowy plain that stretched to no end on one side. Towering snow-capped mountains blocked the other."
"Snow, I see. It must be up North for the snow to cover an entire plain. We don't get snow here. It gets cold during winters but not cold enough for snow to fall," Edward said earnestly.
Yu nodded as he absorbed information from Edward.
"That's great, Yu! Your memories are coming back!" Elise said cheerfully.
Yu, however, did not respond. He was lost in his thoughts.
'Snow means North but Farling is far South. Was Edward right after all? I'm a mix between two races and was born and raised in Arbeanne? There's the strange girl as well. But… she felt so real, like an actual person.'
"So… you're saying that I'm from the North," Yu said after digesting his thoughts.
"Well, it only means that you've seen that place in your life. You could be from somewhere else. However, the snowy plains should be something important to you. That girl as well."
Yu nodded as he understood. He then wanted to ask Edward about the strange feeling he got when Cenric used magic. However, he stopped himself before he could ask. He wondered if Edward was the right person to ask. The irrational distrust arose in his heart again. He could not understand the reason that he was unwilling to share his observations about magic.
Elise took over the conversation into an unexpected turn.
"Father, do you know anything about magic? Do you think if I can learn magic?" she asked eagerly.
Edward sighed. His face looked pained when he heard the word magic.
"I'm sorry, but I can't teach you magic."
Yu's ears perked up when he heard the way in which Edward answered the question.
Edward did not really answer Elise's question properly. He neither admitted nor denied his knowledge about magic. In addition, his next answer implied that he knew magic but could not teach Elise.
This, however, passed Elise's ears unnoticed. She thought that her father did not have knowledge about magic.
"But Father, can I learn magic?" she pleaded.
"You'll have to ask Miss Lana about that when she returns," Edward chuckled.
"Okay!" Elise cheered.
The knights eventually returned from their mini-excursion. It looked as if they only went for a stroll instead of luring ferocious beasts away. There was not even a trace of tiredness on their faces.
Greysen even had a bored expression on his face. He who got worked up the most during the fight against the wolves wore a bored and sleepy expression at the moment.
Lana was upbeat as usual. Her white cloak did not seem to be able to collect dirt. One could only wonder how it worked. Cenric still wore his stoic expression and nodded to the villagers.
"It's done. Let's go."
The group continued their journey without any further incidents. As they entered deeper into the forest, the tingling sensations on his skin and the uneasiness at the back of his mind increased. The vegetation on the forest floor increased as well. It became increasingly harder to move forwards without hacking the dense foliage.
The plants in the inner areas of the forest were also very much different from those in the outer areas. They looked more menacing with their sharp thorns and rough barks. Some plants had a slimy exterior that was poisonous to the skin. The light that entered the forest in this area was significantly less.
Occasionally, they heard strange hooting and clicking noises. For some reason, they also felt that they were being watched.
"We've entered the edge of the inner forest," Cenric announced.
The sun had not set yet but the forest was already dark. The group decided that they should stop for the day. Venturing into the inner forest in the dark can only bring misfortune. After securing a good camping spot, they prepared to retire for the day.
*****
Deep in the Ulfvidr Forest, a small makeshift dwelling made of chopped trees stood at the edge of a bog. Foul smells from the bog wafted in the air and permeated the dwelling. The life around the bog was wilted and dyed black. It was the complete opposite of the outer forest that was teeming with vibrant life.
Darkness save for the dim light from an oil lamp lit shrouded the inside of the dwelling. It was silent except for some shallow breathing. Sometimes, one can hear the dry sounds of fingernails scraping against wood.
Anguished moans punctuated the silence. The pungent stench of bodily fluids and excrement hung in the air.
The bodies in the cramped wooden cages huddled against each other. They shivered for the lack of clothing covering their skin. Their listless eyes stared into the darkness, avoiding one particular spot.
Naked bodies were hung upside down from their feet. No matter women, children, nor men, they were treated the same. They were all hung upside down, their necks slashed and their blood drained. It was a cold process. Humans were treated as livestock and slaughtered for their blood.
Blood stained the floors of the room. The distinct iron-like smell of the blood mixed with the foul smell from the filthy humans was strong enough for a normal person to empty the contents of their stomach and faint.
Jangling sounds from a bunch of keys sounded from behind the door of the room. Cheery humming accompanied the clicking of the locks. The door creaked and slammed against the wall.
"Oops. That was loud. Hahahah!" A nasal voice laughed.
Footsteps entered the room. Sounds of splashing liquid were heard.
"Ahh, I made a mistake! So much blood down into the drains. I wasted a whole child!" the man lamented as he prodded a small body.
He had misplaced the blood collecting bucket. The blood, instead of dripping into the bucket, dripped all over the floor instead.
"Well, I guess it's not that bad since it's only a child. Master will punish me if I wasted more blood," he muttered and cursed under his breath.
He checked all the other bodies and made sure that they were drained dry. After making the confirmations, he untied the bodies one by one and lugged them outside the dwelling and into the bog. He watched with pity as the bodies sank.
'This always gets me. Why can't we eat the flesh? I don't understand Master… such a waste of good meat,' he thought as he scratched his head and recalled his master's words.
"We aren't cannibals, Jop. We are humans, of course, we can't eat human flesh."
Jop furrowed his eyebrows. He still could not understand his master's words.
'What's with being human and not eating humans? Aren't they meat?'
Jop shook his head to clear it from useless thoughts and continued his job for the day. He reentered the dwelling and cleaned the floor from the blood. Then, he went to a barrel and scooped out several bowls of thick gunky liquid.
After fumbling through the set of keys with his stubby fingers, Jop finally found the key that he was looking for. He unlocked the wooden cage with his tongue sticking out from the corner of his mouth.
The listless humans did not seem to notice his presence. Their listless eyes were glazed over. This was the effects of being 'broken' by his master. Jop had no idea what his master did to them. He just needed to complete his job.
He randomly picked a few humans and dragged them out of the cage. They did not even try to resist. Jop sat them down and poured the gunk into their throats. They choked and gagged but eventually swallowed most of the liquid. The rest flowed down their chests.
The thick liquid was a concoction that thinned blood and prevented blood from clotting. It makes the process of draining their blood much easier.
Jop was huffing and puffing as he hauled the bodies up using a pulley when he heard his master return.
"Lord Dargon, the preparations are underway. You can check if you wish," Jop's master said.
Dargon scrunched his nose. The stench from the room at the back was overpowering.
"There's no need, Fulton. I was here for another business and happened to stop by," Dargon replied.
"I see, my lord. May this lowly one be honored enough to inquire about the business? Perhaps, this one may be of help," Fulton bowed deeply as he asked.
Dargon gnashed his teeth when he thought about the incident.
That sneaky boy tricked him and escaped. After that, the boy somehow managed to conceal his bloodline from him. Dargon could not locate the boy since. Fury rose within the Zetearoph.
Fulton, sensing the fury from his Lord, bowed even further and kept his silence. He could only wait for his lord's fury to dissipate.
Dargon's temper eventually subsided. There was no use being furious about the past that he could not change. He glanced to a bloodied body on the side and smirked. He believed that someone as sentimental as Yu will surely come back for his dead master.
Dargon formulated a trap in his mind for the time when Yu will come for his master. He felt much better at the thought.
Fulton sneaked a peek at his silent lord. What he saw shocked him.
"M-my Lord! Your face!"
The skin on Dargon's cheek was peeling off, exposing red muscle. The muscles systematically sagged, exposing the ivory bone underneath. Wisps of vapor fizzed as they were exposed to the air.
Dargon touched his face gingerly. The fleshed crumbled even further. The flesh on his fingertips crumbled too. Only a stump in place of his hand was left.
"Ah, this vessel is useless. I can't even last long in it," Dargon lamented.
"My Lord, I doubt any normal human vessel would be able to withstand your unlimited powers."
Dargon clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Such is the fate of Zetearophs. Without vessels, we can't even survive without the Crimson Gloom."
Fulton looked up to Dargon, his eyes filled with fanatic determination.
"My Lord, leave it to us. We will open up more rifts to bring the light of the abyss onto our world!"
Dargon looked at this fervent human and sighed with satisfaction.
"I'll leave it to you then."
"Yes, my Lord!" Fulton bowed deeply.
Dargon nodded and left in a flash. He needed to return to an area with the Crimson Gloom in order to survive. Of course, he did not forget Yu's dead master.
After Dargon left, Fulton barked to Jop.
"Jop! How much blood have you collected?"
Jop's nasally voice sounded from behind the closed door.
"Uh… uhm… about 27 humans' worth?"
"That's not even close! Step on it!"
"Y-yes!" came a flustered reply.
Fulton exhaled and reached into the pocket of his robe and took out an old scroll. The words were faded but were still legible. A circular pattern with intricate runes on its edges was drawn in red on the parchment. Below it, words from the Old Language detailed the workings of the spell.
Fulton grinned and started to familiarize himself with the spell.