Scene Two: The Old Forest
Of Act One: Enter Ryoku
In the eyes of Ryoku Dragontalen, we are in
the Old Forest, in the world of Harohto.
It is early afternoon
On November 4th, 2017.
The sun was well into the sky when we set out from the Fallen Unicorn. I hadn't anticipated sleeping in, but the antics of the past day must have taken a greater toll on me than I thought.
Will met me in the morning, now outfitted in armor. Syaoto custom seemed to dictate that they only wore the shoulder pauldron, half of the breastplate, and the piece that flayed out across his hip. It looked impractical to me, but Will wore it with pride. I had to admit, Will would cut an intimidating figure even if his armor were hot pink. I caught a glimpse of myself in the bedside mirror. My blond hair stuck up on all sides, and my clothes looked ill fitting. Obviously one of us was the more intimidating one.
"Good afternoon," he greeted me with a knowing smile. "Come. We will head to Kimball's blacksmith nearby. My squad should be meeting up with us shortly."
I got the impression that he'd been up for quite some time when I agreed. We left the tavern. I hoped to catch a glimpse of the cute bartender from the night before, but a burly man stood in her place, polishing glasses and glancing down his nose at us.
Will remarked on it as we left the tavern. "You liked the bartender from the night before?"
"Caryl? Yeah, I suppose. She was pretty cute."
"Ah, you know her by name?"
"She did introduce herself, yeah. What?" I gave Will a dirty look as he chuckled.
"Oh, nothing." He shifted his bag upon his shoulders. "Just that she is a good girl. Besides being quite good in bed, she takes care of her father. Works at the inn at night, the fields during the day. My troops have helped her before."
"She seemed like a good... Wait, you slept with her?"
Will chuckled. "She could teach you a thing or two, I imagine." When I gave him a scathing look, he put up his hands in an innocent gesture. "What? I was clearly speaking of farming tricks!"
I shook my head, but couldn't hide my smile. Will noticed, and added, "She couldn't take her eyes off you, y'know. If you wanted to stop by her farm before we set out..."
The idea made me blush scathingly, but I kept my eyes locked ahead. "No. I mean, even if I wanted to... I have something I need to do."
Will didn't press the point, which surprised me a little – but was gratifying. I wasn't ready to explain. "Good on you. I can tell you are eager to set out, huh?" He smiled at me. "I agree. Beyond tramping about the village, spending nights at the tavern, stuffing our faces... my field commander has not left much room for actually helping people. We do what we can, but we must follow orders. A friend and I have taken to helping Caryl and her father on the fields. We buy rounds for the veterans of the southern war. I can tell we met for a reason, my friend. If nothing else, I am driven to press against the forces that oppress us."
"Oppress you?" I asked, curious. I didn't guess that Will might be unhappy with his troop.
"Right. Here we are," he said abruptly, only a short jaunt down the road from the inn. "This is the best blacksmith in town – Kimball Cragg runs it, and he has been kind to us. Not many can maintain Syaoto armor and weapons."
I noted the weapons Will carried on his person. A wood-handled lance kept propped over his shoulder by a thick baldric, the steel head covered with a snapped cloth. If that wasn't enough, a rounded blade sheathed at the back of his belt, only a little longer than his waist. If I recalled my vague studies of history in my world, it might be a gladius from the thickness of it.
I shielded my tired eyes to look at the shop ahead of us beyond the gleaming sun. It was a simple one, stuck on the side of the road next to residential homes and a bakery. It looked like a home turned into a shop, and I could feel the heat resonating from the forge within. Despite being late autumn, the air didn't have much of a chill to it, or I might welcome the heat. Barrels loaded with halberds crowded around the open door like the smithy didn't have room inside to hold them, and some of the pikes sat topped with full steel helmets. I took in the sight with surprise. Did Bytold really need so many weapons and armor forged, or was this why the forge was so well stocked?
I wiped sweat from my brow already as Will led the way inside. Inside was just as cluttered as the doorway. Half-made weapons and armor mixed with finished ones among the barrels and finite shelves. The odors of sweat and metal lingered in the air as if they were a part of it. A heavy-looking anvil sat askew on a tilted log, where a hammer and a large pair of steel tongs lay abandoned next to the giant hearth. Though it wasn't currently in use, the hot surface emitted such a steaming aura that I couldn't look at it, and the cooling water next to it emitted steam.
A man stepped out from behind the great bellows, rubbing his neck with a towel. He wore only slacks and an undershirt, his muscular arms stained with burns and scars. Even his short, dark hair looked burnt in places. He was younger than I imagined, too. Perhaps in his thirties.
"Will, is that you?" the man asked, grinning. "What a surprise! Did your armor get mashed up or something?" Then his eyes fell on me, and one bushy brow rose in surprise. A smirk hid behind his trimmed beard. "Ye brought me a customer? In this sleepy lil place?"
"You bet, Kimball," Will started, but I was surprised he could get the words out. Kimball hurriedly strapped a huge mask over his head and started stretching thick gloves onto his hands.
"What'll it be, friend?" he demanded, having to raise his voice as he leaned on the bellows, which made the quieted flames in the hearth scream to life. "You'll have me forge a sword? Some armor? Or maybe – gods, maybe a mallet?"
"Kimball, wait—"
The flames whooshed up again, and we had to step away from the burning hearth. "What's that, Will? Y'know my shop's loud as the fires of Chaos when it gets fired up!"
Will managed to stop the excitable blacksmith with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, friend," he insisted. "I was not sure a sword or hammer would suit my young friend here. You see..."
He leaned in closer, and I couldn't make out his words over another roar from the flames. When they settled, Kimball was giving me an incredulous look. "Why, a Defender? And one who won't take some glorious new sword, or armor forged from the scales of a dragon—"
"You forge from dragon scales?" I asked, bewildered.
Kimball guffawed. "If ye've the gall to go hunt one in the Border Range, or the Atmos Woods beyond! Only places I think a dragon might hide out. But ye go fetch the scales, and I'll make yer armor!"
I frowned. "I'd have to kill a dragon to make armor from it? No thanks. Don't they just... drop scales once in a while?"
Kimball descended into quite a fit of laughter, leading us away from the forge itself as he managed to stumble amid his piles of weapons and armor. "I like 'im, Will. Better sort than that snide captain of yours. He'd fall for a tall tale like that and be chargin' out into the woods by now."
Will's smirk was a little distant, I thought. "I apologize, Kimball, but the day is getting away from us—"
Kimball raised his hands in surrender. "Say no more, boy," he said, and stumbled through his wares until he reached a much more organized part of the store. A tangible desk emerged from the piles of weapons. Behind it was an assortment of wooden staves and bows of all different sizes. "I don't just forge, y'know, though it takes a mean smith to make a working bow. I'm also a carver. No, I don't do those runes meself. Lindsor Cerone's studied up on those in his old days."
"Lindsor Cerone?" I echoed, curious. "Like Caryl's—"
Kimball swore as he knocked over a barrel of pikes in an attempt to get to the desk. "Gods! Wish one of these villagers would just up and join the army like the good ol' days. Sell me out, for the Creator's sake! Can't just stop makin' arms and armor now, can I?"
"You could always—"
Will couldn't finish as Kimball ducked out of sight, and then reappeared just as quickly, clutching a wooden stick in his hands. It looked like a gnarled tree branch – oak, I recognized, and about three feet long. A red gem crested the knotted end of the staff. In the more open part of the shop, he approached and stuffed the branch in my hands.
"Oak staff," he said. "Yer basic stave. Particularly good fer fire, which's what most new kids like to practice. Ya see—"
Now Will cut Kimball off. "How much?"
Kimball gave Will a surprised look, but the tall soldier wasn't looking at us. He craned his neck to look through a little dusty window near the entrance. I couldn't see what he saw from where I was, but I could guess. His squad was here.
"Right. Six gold, I'd say. Normally this runs over ten gold, but... Just clearin' stock, ya know?"
Will was already rifling through his gold satchel. "Right. I appreciate it, as always," he assured Kimball, stuffing coins in his hand. I could clearly count more than a mere six gold in his palms. "Would you do me a favor?"
"Name it," Kimball said, without hesitation. He wasn't even looking at the gold.
"Could you explain to my friend how to use that? I... must meet with my team."
Kimball's eyes gleamed. "Gonna stick it to the man then, are ye? Very well. I'll take care of it."
Will nodded his thanks before taking off toward the door. Kimball and I watched him go while I clutched the oaken stick. I thought there was something awfully foreboding about the hunch in Will's shoulders. He almost knocked down a display of halberds as he went, shouting back a hasty apology before ducking through the doorway – tall as he was, he had to bend to exit the store. Kimball only chuckled, bemused, stroking his kept beard with a smirk.
"Why does he look like he's going to face death itself?" I murmured, half to myself.
Kimball gave me a quiet look. "Ye must be new here, then. His captain's a character with much to be desired. Every one o' his men's got a heart o' gold, 'cept for him. If nothin' else, it looks like ye inspired him to finally stand up to the dodger." He sighed, gazing down at the staff now. "Right. Then listen good, y'hear?"
I nodded as he gestured to the staff in my hands. I could make out two smoothed-out spots spaced out among the knobby wood. On the other side etched letters of an unfamiliar dialect in dark blue letterings that didn't seem to be made of the staff at all.
"This is yer standard oak staff. Normal ones are charged with a single magical element. Not to say ye can't use it fer other types of magic, but—"
I stopped him there. "This is magic? Like... magic is real. And it's in this staff."
The look Kimball gave me was as though I asked what color the sky was. "Ye're a Defender, and ye're gonna ask me that sort of ruddy question? I wouldn't dare guess how it works, but I know ye must've used some air of magic to get here in the first place."
I had to concede to that. "I suppose magic isn't the weirdest thing I've seen in the last few days."
"Aye, if that ain't the truth," Kimball muttered, but went on. "I suppose ye want the whole ruddy explanation on magic, then, but I'm not the one to ask. I can tell ye it works in elements and whatnot. Your typical staff comes with an affinity o' sorts for one o' 'em. Oak, that's good fer fire. Pine, she's good for earth-type magicks, and birch fer wind. That's not to say ye can't use any ol' type of magic with them, but fire runs through this one like rings of a tree."
"Right," I agreed, as though I knew exactly what I was talking about, "but how do I use it? Will it just... listen to me?"
Kimball sighed. He took the staff from my hands and held it aloft, screwing up his face. I backed away several steps, sure he might just set the store ablaze right before me, but he opened one eye and chuckled. "Not everyone's good fer magic, kid. But if you didn't believe I was about to shoot flames all over my shop just now, then that's hardly a skeptic eye ye have."
I tried to hide my grin. "Point taken."
He handed the staff back to me. "Yer a Defender. Magic must run through yer veins, or else nobody'd run scared of your lot in the bigger cities. I can't tell ye how to use it, but it'll come to ye." He chuckled under his breath. "If I'm wrong, then ye can still club some baddies with this stick, anyway."
I smiled. Yeah, sounded good. Six gold – or more, as I was sure even while Kimball hastily stuffed away Will's coins – for a stick I could've found in the woods.
"Far as I understand," he went on, and tapped the red gem embedded in the head of the staff. "This here's what makes it a staff. Ye could run around tryin' to set people ablaze with the stick, but without this little guy, it's useless. From what I get, the gem tries to take the energies ye need to use it. There's all sorts o' names for that. Mana. Energy. Chakra. Whatever have ye, but it comes down to the same means: it's a cost o' use. Means ye can't just run around settin' people ablaze or whatnot – not as long as you don't have the energy to supply it. I've heard o' mages droppin' dead from the tax of their own spells in the past. Not unheard o'. Ol' Lindsor's brother, he—"
His gaze caught something behind me. I turned, and realized I could see outside through one murky window near the forge. Will was outside, standing with at least half a dozen men all dressed in similar styles to him. It looked like Will was arguing with one of them, a man with a steel helmet and a red cape over his shoulders.
"Right," Kimball said softly. "Don't ye go rushin' out there now. Impractical as their armor is, I don't think they'll like ye very much if ye try clubbin' their knees with this."
I was too worried to chuckle. I'd seen Will easily take down five other huge men, but this group of people might have the same skills he had. If they didn't like me, I might as well just stay in this shop forever.
"Last thing," Kimball said, evening his voice out. "Those letters on the side there are what's known as Charge Runes. If ye plan on gettin' in some big brawl, just sap up some extra magic into the gem and it stores up in these big ol' letters. Doesn't store up for too long, so ye can't just fill 'em up now and expect to have any left when ye reach the Capital. On the flip side, nobody but the guy who put 'em in can use your Charge Runes. That way, nobody else can steal yer fire." He chuckled, bemused by his own joke. "Best not to try 'n' figure all that out in one sittin'. Other magickal folks can explain it better than this ol' smithy, I'm sure. Capital city has a magic school if yer serious about the art – and ye got the time and money to spare."
I nodded, studying the weapon in my hand. I wondered if I'd actually be able to master such a complex weapon. I certainly wouldn't have the chance to study. "Thank you very much," I told him earnestly, and bowed. "I must catch up with Will."
"Hold yer horses," he told me just as I was about to turn away. Kimball shuffled across the store back to his desk. "Will mentioned ye were lookin' fer a bow 'n' arrows, too."
I glanced at him, distracted as I caught a glimpse of Will arguing outside with his captain. "I guess he decided on the staff," I reasoned. "I don't know how to use a bow, either. Nor do I have the gold for it."
Kimball only chuckled, and pulled an item out from below the counter. It was a short bow, almost half the size of the staff and curved taut by a thin wire. He pulled out a small, squared-off quiver chock full of arrows, strapped to a baldric.
"Recurve shortbow," he elaborated, as though that might explain it all. "In terms of archery, a beginner's tool. Far simpler than yer longbow or crossbow." He set the quiver on the counter and demonstrated the movement of the bow. "Ye just loosen up your legs and shoulders, keepin' yer body like a turret. Draw the wire back just to about this length, notch an arrow here..."
He notched an arrow to the bow, moving much more quickly than I was fully following, and then swivelled the bow around and freed an arrow just over my shoulder. I jumped a mile, but the arrow sailed just past me and twanged loudly into something behind me. I spun, alarmed, to find the arrow embedded in a target haphazardly hung on one of the shelves. It had struck dead center.
He took a moment to calm himself from laughter upon my reaction. "Fairly simple when ye get the hang of it. I dabbled with the bow and arrow back in my day." He handed me the bow. "Go on, lad. Give it a shot. Don't worry – only breakable thing to an arrow in here is us."
I ignored his laughter at the idea, since I felt I was more likely to shoot an arrow into my foot than any sort of target. However, with his encouragement, I drew the bow taut. It didn't have nearly as much give to it as it looked when he used it, but I was able to draw the wire back far enough to take the arrow Kimball offered me. As I kept his poise and prepared to shoot, I accidentally let go of the arrow far too soon – it sailed into a straw display covered in armor.
"Huh," Kimball murmured. "Well, ye got it between the plates. Were that a real man standing there, you'd have struck right between the plates! On any man, that's a decisive arrow, mark my words. Forget that yer off a mile from the actual target."
I smiled sheepishly and went to hand the bow back to him. "Thank you. I'm sure I might be able to kill someone with my next bow – intentional or not."
Kimball only chuckled, crossing his arms. "Keep it. Will's been my best customer in a long time. Find me any of these damned sleepy villagers who'll talk about arms and armor with me for hours, or to offer me pointers on how the Syaoto smithies do their work, and I'll sell ye my arm and leg." His smile turned a little wistful, I thought. "Will's a good lad, and I feel I won't see 'im for quite some time. Or ye, for that matter. And any friend o' his is a friend o' mine. See to it that ye take down a few of them raiders with this, at least, y'hear?"
I stared at Kimball incredulously, surprised by his generosity. "Thank you!" I exclaimed, and bowed again. Kimball's brow rose, but he chuckled. I had the feeling the bow I learned yesterday was foreign here. Did that mean the man who took me to Bytold wasn't from here at all?
"Don't sweat it," he waved me off, "but stop by if ye ever return to this sleepy town, and I'll make whatever ye want. Even if ye come across some dragon scales."
I laughed, but it was time to go. Kimball already headed toward the back room, so I forged a path through the strewn contents of the shop, passing by the suffocating heat of the hearth on my way out. The strap of my bag nearly knocked over another display, but I managed to duck away. I was fiddling with the strap of the quiver's baldric as I left when I crashed into someone outside the door. The surprising force threw me back into the door. Stunned and windless, I glanced after a tall figure who rushed past me and down the road.
"Sorry!" a female voice called back. She seemed awfully tall for a woman, I thought, and had a black kite shield bobbing over her shoulder. Before I could say anything, she wheeled around a corner and I lost sight of her. Shrugging, I turned my attention to the situation before me.
My new comrade had his back to me, standing, arms crossed, among a counted eight other soldiers. Three of them wore silver tunics, gold pieces of armor, and helms that shrouded their faces. The one Will stared down wore armor of a higher calibre, polished and shiny, with a red cape slung over one shoulder. He had his visor down, and the sides of the helm spanned out like small wings. The helm didn't end in some tapered feather like old illustrations I'd seen, but had a peak like someone could impale themselves upon it. If I had to guess, that must be Lancet Cooper.
Two more of them dressed like Will in green tunics, steel armor, and with rounded steel caps placed upon their heads. Three more – all of whom looked younger than Will – wore blue tunics and bronze armor. Their attire had to be a sort of ranking in Syaoto terms. The blue-tunics lacked the lances everyone else had as well, but the silver-tunics also had gleaming hatchets at their belts.
"This is the kid?" Lancet asked in a snide tone. I could feel his eyes on me through the visor on his helm when I stepped up next to Will, but I couldn't see his face. "I see what you mean. However, you seem to be making a hasty assumption on the part of the Crown – one which, I remind you, is not in your jurisdiction in any sense of the word."
"I will be escorting him free of charge," Will replied. The icy quality to his tone surprised me. Even to a bunch of angry, drunken men, Will hadn't sounded this... dangerous. "He has very little gold. Next to no supplies. He is armed now, but the Old Forest is dangerous. You know that as well as I – you have seen the bounties. Not that we have acted upon any of them in weeks."
Lancet walked away a pace, a hand on his hips and one upon the crown of his helm, and cursed under his breath. He stayed away for a moment. When he returned, he levelled himself before Will. My new friend was a head taller than his commander was, but nothing about the man suggested he cared about that.
"Will. You seem to be making a rather hasty assumption of what it is we're here for. Do you honestly think we traveled all the way here, to this backwater little village all the way from our grand, royal kingdom – to protect the sheep? To escort a boy through the woods so, what, he may not form calluses upon his heels as he walks? To see to it that yet another high-born Defender – useless, in the grand scheme of things – may see himself safely to the Capital of this backwater little world?" He chuckled, but in such a way that I was almost worried. "Please. We have urgent matters to attend to, more urgent than this poor sod of a child. While you and my other men have been frequenting the tavern, sneaking off in the dead of night, and making house calls to wenches—"
"I would go with Will."
A younger soldier piped up, stepping up on Will's other side. By the look both Will and Lancet gave him, he was speaking badly out of line. The boy was almost as tall as Will, with sandy hair and light, clear eyes. While most of the other soldiers looked built and stocky, this particular novice was more gangly and thin. Regardless, he crossed his narrow arms next to Will, setting his freckly face in a scowl.
"You dare—"
"Brom sent us here, to Harohto, to gain experience in our knighthood and do good by the people!" the boy interrupted, no shortage of emotion in his voice. "If I may, sire – we have done neither by your lead. You would have us act as paid swords, offering steep prices to take people through the woods safely. No matter how you word it, we are robbing them. That is not in our code – I have read it all, sire. Have you?"
Will nudged him in the elbow, and the boy retracted painfully. "Alex, stop. Do you realize what you are saying?"
"I do, Will," Alex replied sternly, "and I would be folly not to speak up. Lancet claims we waste our money on booze? I see veterans at the tavern, hardly able to pay for little more than a scarce meal and with none to hear their legends. Did you meet the man with one arm, who lost his wife and daughter in the southern war? We fed him, Lancet! We saw to his medical bills so that the stump of his arm would not rot to disease!"
Lancet took a step toward Alex, a hand on the hilt of his sword. "You insolent little—"
"Alex is right." This time, one of Will's rank stepped in next to him, arms crossed. Lancet stayed his hand, but he fixated the other soldier in his glare now. "You would label us as criminals, sire? Sneaking off in the dead of night? Perhaps you mean how Will, Leif, and I went into the woods to find a child who had run off, scared of getting a needle to cure her of her illness? Is that not true, Leif?"
"The medicine that we went off to get two weeks ago," the other soldier of Will's rank piped up, apparently Leif. "Sneaking off in the dead of night? I did, and would again. The forest is even deadlier at night, and the raiders up north are not sleeping in the night, either." He rolled up the sleeve of his tunic to show bandages wrapped around his upper shoulder, outlining what looked like a deep wound. "By your leave, we would be awaiting a messenger from Lord General Brom on whether or not we could embark on such a task." He turned to me, and offered me a brave smile. "I see little difference here."
"What of all the work we did on the farms?"
Now one of the silver-tunic men strolled around – and came to stand next to Will and Alex. "Helping to plough the fields of one Lindsor Cerone, an esteemed man in the village whose wife passed years ago, and who only has a daughter to work the bar and the fields?" He looked Lancet in the visor and removed his own helm, shaking free a head of shaggy brown hair. "That is right. Helping the man was not of your command. It was by word of Will."
"And his daughter, what a catch she is! H-Hey!"
Will elbowed Alex hard in the ribs. Lancet growled in irritation and spun to his fellow silver-tunic. "What about you, Oliver? Tell me you have more sense than this!"
His fellow man turned to face him. "By your lead, Lancet, we have acted as little more than glorified field guides in this village. No matter what mission Lord General Brom may have assigned you, it does not justify acting this way toward the populace. They do not need bullies and tyrants to tax them – they need gentle guidance, protection – someone to fight for them. If Will proposes a new task for us, then I am all for it. He has not misled us so far despite his inexperience – it outweighs what good we have done under your lead, sire. Respectfully. And I would write home to Lord General Brom and explain just as I have said unto you."
By the time Oliver finished speaking, not one soldier stood by Lancet. All seven of them gathered around Will, hands on the hilts of their weapons – not as a threat, but in a resting gesture to show they were earnest. Will held Lancet's glare evenly.
"Very well, then," Lancet drawled, removing his helm. A mane of silver hair cascaded down from his helm, falling to frame a sharp, angular face with cutting blue eyes. I thought he looked a little different from the others right away. They all had earthy-colored hair and tanned skin, but Lancet was paler with silver hair. Was he from the same place? My heart leapt as his hand went to his sword. "I challenge you, Will. Duel me. If you win, I'll allow your foolish endeavor while I single-handedly complete Brom's mission. Lose, and you shall leave this Defender to stumble through the woods alone."
"That is not fair!" Alex cried. A green-garbed soldier held him back. "We outclass you, ranking or no! Brom will listen to us!"
"Lord General Brom," Will hastily corrected him. My tall friend had already freed the wooden lance from over his shoulder. "Lancet, I accept your challenge."
The other soldiers dragged an argumentative Alex away from Will and Lancet. I followed suit with haste, sure that I didn't want to be caught in this skirmish. I was learning a great deal about my new traveling companion from witnessing this encounter, as scarring as it may be. Could Will win against his commanding officer? I clearly recalled how easily he dispatched five men in the bar, and I felt confident.
Will and Lancet cleared the distance between them with a lunge. Their weapons met with a brilliant spark that seemed to crack through the air like a collapsing iceberg. They locked arms, pressing against each other with all their might. Just when I thought their hold might break, they jumped apart, skidding until they perched on one knee several feet apart, lances drawn back over their shoulders like scorpion tails. Will's hand twitched near the rounded blade at the back of his belt.
The next moment was tense. The soldiers faced one another, their bodies taut and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. There was no sort of telltale movement or signal that I caught when they leapt again, their lances cutting through the air like massive tiger claws. Lancet swept down in a deep thrust aimed for Will's ribs. With remarkable agility, Will pivoted around the lance and swung around to Lancet's other side, his lance curved up in a deadly wild spin.
The next moment was difficult to follow with the naked eye. Both fighters moved with expert agility. In a single move, they landed in entirely different positions. Lancet was on one knee, his lance against Will's upper calf, his raised elbow just above Will's sternum. Will's lance lay against Lancet's collarbone. They stayed, unmoving, for a long and tense moment. My heart stuck in my chest. By the look of it, a move on either side spelled the end of the fight. Will's chest was heaving, but Lancet didn't appear fatigued. Finally, Lancet drew a heavy sigh.
"You win this round," Lancet conceded. Will's weapon drew back slowly, almost with hesitation. Lancet got to his feet, sheathing his weapon over his shoulder. Will straightened, putting away his lance, and their eyes locked. For a moment, I could see nothing but a bitter hatred between them. "You may embark on this foolish quest. Report straightaway to me once this boy reaches the capital. If you receive some sort of payment, distribute it as usual. I will remain here."
Will's eyes did not soften. He bowed appropriately and thanked the elite soldier. He exchanged glances with the seven soldiers who had sided with us, and led the way down the street. People parted for us – we'd drawn a crowd. Bytold probably didn't see much like that, and I could relate. I stumbled to follow them, still clutching my staff and bow as though my life depended on it.
A short ways down the road, Oliver and the others stopped. He and the other silver-tunic looked older than Will and, oddly, Lancet as well. Both had chestnut-brown hair, but Oliver looked a little older and wizened, while being one of the shorter soldiers. "We will go back our things from the Brazen Boar," Oliver told Will. "You look to have all your things. Meet at the edge of town?"
Will only nodded, his expression tight after his confrontation with Lancet. I sensed a great deal of turmoil between the two. Oliver went with the other silver-tunic, Leif, and the other green-tunic, leaving Will and I with the blue-tunics.
I waited for Will to speak up, but he didn't for a long time as we walked through the small village of Bytold. By their expressions, they thought nothing special of the place and had been here for some time. I felt like I was slowing them down as I took in the place with wonder. Honestly, I'd never seen anything like it – from the little brook that babbled through the town, to every meagerly crafted home, most of stones, wood, and even mud. Anglers' rods bobbed in the river, seeking the silvery fish I saw occasionally spring out from the surface, flailing in the air before returning home. Other folk bustled around on their daily business, carting barrels and baskets of all sorts of commodities to and fro. All gave us curious looks as we passed. It was only after I saw Will flash me a quick smile that I realized the truth of it: Will and his troops had been here for some time. I was the odd one out.
The edge of town sprang out at us. Perhaps I'd been too busy looking around the village to see the great wall of earthy-green that stretched out just past the village. Anyone could step between the village and the thick of the woods in a single bound, since nothing separated them.
I began to see why locals dubbed it the Old Forest as we slowed to a halt near the birthing of a dirt path leading into the thick of it. Each tree looked too thick to wrap our arms around, and towered far above our heads, layering part of the road with pine needles, cones, and all sorts of little dried leaves among them. I wondered how old each tree was, truly. Did their lives here work the same as in my world, or were they the ghosts of mine? Ancient trees that went to live on past the life in my world?
Will came to stand at my side, staring up at the intimidating canopy of trees ahead of us. While the village had been little to him, he could still stare up at these boughs with appreciation. He'd even been here before, if my assumptions on the earlier conversations were correct, and probably seen thousands of forests in his time of all sorts, but he still smiled up at those trees like it was the first forest he'd ever seen.
"We are in for an arduous journey, Ryoku," he said, but his voice didn't lack faith. Alex and the others were rifling through their day bags, sorting out their supplies. I could already see Oliver and the others down the way, each of the three men holstering more than one backpack. "Rain will fall before we make camp."
I followed Will's gaze. His vision was surprisingly good. I could only spot the edges of some dark clouds far beyond the west reaches of the woods. "Is that going to deter our hike?"
The look Will gave me was approving. "Not if you are unfazed, my friend. It looks like you appreciate what rises before you. In rain, forests thrive just like a flower in sunshine. The trees seem to stretch even further out, seeking to trap every last drop between their highest branches and their deepest roots. Everything comes to life."
He spoke with unmistakable fondness. "You've seen lots of forests, then."
Will gave me a look. "Have you not?"
I didn't reply. Besides the murky Bytold Woods to the south, this was, technically, my first forest, and certainly the first of its kind. In my world, such a thing was long since gone. I couldn't imagine how to explain such a thing to Will. Did he know what this place really was?
Rather than try to breach that topic, I chose a less worrisome one. "What would have happened if you lost against Lancet?"
His expression clouded over so quickly, I regretted asking. "It would not have," he replied. "Lancet Cooper allowed me to win. Even a man like him knew the others already outmatched him. If he won, he would have to deal with eight men who already expressed their wishes about doing better work. It was just a show to put on for his crew."
"To remind us that he remains our captain, and that he is the superior soldier," Oliver chimed in as he returned, setting down two big rucksacks next to us. He hardly looked fatigued, which was odd considering the impact those bags made on the ground as he dropped them. "Not that Will is short of a prodigy himself." He smiled at me, and offered a hand. "I apologize we were not able to introduce ourselves properly back there. I am Oliver Rouge, a high-rank soldier from Syaoto."
I shook his hand. "Ryoku Dragontalen, Defender. Though I guess you already know that."
"We sure do," Alex agreed heartily, setting down his bag to join us. "A Defender, in the flesh – that is amazing! My name is Alex Retton. Novice rank in the Syaoto army."
Despite his gangly looks and kind, green appearance, he had a startlingly firm grip. "You were brave to stand up to Lancet like that."
Alex smiled sheepishly, but I didn't miss the stern looks Will, Oliver, and the others were giving him. "I have been known to speak out of line in the past. Especially when it comes to our fearless leader." He spoke with a great amount of contempt.
"That does not eliminate the need for respect," Oliver chastised him. "You must be careful. Even I was foolish to speak against our leader, but it was necessary. In the future, you must recall your ranking when speaking toward your superiors. Lancet could demote you for your comment about Lord General Brom alone."
Alex snorted. "Brom cares not for those silly titles," he said. "Will, you are close friends with him. Our kingdom is about so much more than titles and nobility! Even King Lionel—"
"Close friendship does not eliminate the need for respect," Will reasoned, "as you would do well to study. Our kingdom is close, yes. A king may be friends with a servant, but the servant could still face execution or exile for not properly addressing his liege. That works in the army as well, and in life." He glanced at me, a small smile playing across his lips. "Take Ryoku for example. A Defender is a title. He does not offer that as some chess piece to move the room to his pleasure, but it is a powerful title and a relevant note of info. A Defender can be treated differently by different people. In many cultures, including our own, even kings can pay tribute to them. How would it look if even King Lionel paid his respects to Ryoku, but in the same room, you did not?"
Alex cringed at the comparison, glancing at me. "It makes sense when you say it like that," he admitted. "But that is weird. Some worlds do not pay Defenders respect?"
"Not all do," Will said. "It strongly depends on the world."
I looked at Will questioningly. "So you do know where we are? And where I came from?"
Will smiled at me. "We do, but not all denizens of this place know the truth of it all. It is... a complicated setting."
"Soldiers are usually trained to know," Oliver agreed. "Usually, armies in different worlds can be sent to assist other worlds and, in some cases, conquer. I assure you we are here for the former."
Alex was giving me a lasting look. "What is it like?" he asked softly. "The land of the living, I mean. Since we are a part of the spirit realm."
"This might not be the best place to ask that," Leif intervened, approaching with his own pair of rucksacks. He set them down between us and glanced between Alex and I. "For future note, and as a reminder to my forgetful friend – the regular denizen is often unaware of the greater picture. Everyone in this little town – the cute barmaid, her stern father, that energetic blacksmith – none of them realize they are a part of this place. Not in the way you might imagine, anyway."
I already knew not to ask common folk about the spirit realm, thanks to the friend who guided me to Bytold, but he never dived into the specifics. I'd have to ask Will down the road.
"Yes, we will refrain from such topics in the village," Will agreed. He turned to me and seemed to note something. "Ryoku, where did you set down your bag? We can fill it with supplies."
"I didn't..." I hesitated. I was still clutching my bow and staff, but my back felt strangely empty. I hadn't thought to stow my new weapons with my bag in all the ruckus since I left the shop.
"Did you leave it at the Armory?" Alex asked.
I scrunched up my nose. "No," I recalled. My bag had caught on a display on the way out, but I certainly left with it. Then...
With a start, I recalled the woman I bumped into as I left the shop, who sprinted off with something clutched against her chest. Did she...?
I confessed my idea to Will. Alex and Oliver looked alarmed, but Will only waved it off. "It does not matter, really. You had, what, a couple coins and some dried bread? A sleeping roll?"
He gestured for Alex's day bag, who was already handing it off to Will. They rifled through it, counting things off. "Well, here is a new sleeping roll. Some bandages and gauze, in case of emergencies. Fresh bread, trail mix, dried fruit... Oh, and this cloak will fit you."
"We have a lot of backup supplies, Ryoku," Oliver assured me. "Take whatever you may need. In the worst case, we may have to top up our stock at the Capital."
"I have only packed some necessities for light travel," Will told me, handing me the bag. "I promise I will see to getting you proper supplies in the city. That, and you would not want a heavy bag on your first traipse through these woods."
"All uphill, too," Leif commented with a smirk. "Not easy on us, either, but easier than it would be for a boy in your shape. Have you done much hiking?"
I shrugged the new bag on. It was ill fitting on my shoulders. "There isn't really the option," I replied, unsure how to really explain. If they knew the truth about my world and the land of the living, then they didn't know it in full detail. This could be a headache. Still, I gave him a friendly smile. "Can't wait, though. It looks beautiful in there."
They looked confused by my wording, but the four of them all turned with me to stare into the woods. "Damned right," Oliver agreed heartily. "She is a beautiful forest. Syaoto has the Royal Forest and all, but this is a gem."
Will smiled at me. "Enjoy the last smells of the village – from here on, there is but pine and mold. Even the most seasoned outdoorsmen tire of the scents."
I sighed wearily, doubting I might tire of it. My ex always told me that I was something of an old soul, aspiring so heartily to be in the woods in a world where it just didn't exist anymore.
It only took a few more minutes for the soldiers to finish sorting their bags. Then, with one last look at the village, we piled down the beginning of the forest trail.
Once we entered the cover of trees, the air got noticeably thicker quickly, and a shadowy darkness settled in around our heads. Dust glinted in the air like falling stars in stray streams of sunlight through the forest canopy, offering the place an even more mystical aura than I personally gave it. We trod along a well-traversed path, littered with fallen logs, tangled brush, and weeds that poked through even the trodden soil.
The soldiers marched along quietly, the shadows of the forest canopy dancing across their steel armor, so I had plenty of time to absorb all the various sights and sounds. Most of the trees were pine, but some grand oaks stuck out now and then, much of their leaves gone in the late autumn season. Not far off the path, the trees clumped closely together, strewn thick with a musky fog that gave me the chills. I stared out into it anyway, wondering if I might see some wildlife if I stared long enough. With the constant clatter of the soldiers' armor above our footsteps, I doubted it. Large boulders sat just off the path, somehow nestled among the trees with no sign of how they'd gotten there. Upon question, Will suggested they came from the Border Range, the surrounding mountain range to the east that presumably split Harohto's main continent in half, a long time ago.
A few hours down the path, Will signaled for the group to stop. It was little more than a clever palm movement, but every one of the soldiers caught it and stopped in the path, turning to Will. I couldn't help but be impressed. Will wasn't their captain, but they sure listened to him.
"Please scout the perimeter for any sign of danger," Will told them. "Alex, Leif, find some berries and provisions from the woods. The less we damper our stock, the better."
"Not that we cannot easily feed the Fallen Unicorn at dinner," Leif remarked idly, but he did not disobey. The seven soldiers broke off the path. Some of them embarked down the path, but Oliver and his fellow silver-tunic ducked down a deer trail to the side.
When all the others were gone, Will guided me to a nearby lichen-coated boulder. "Sit," he instructed. "You are not used to this type of excursion, are you?"
He helped me climb the boulder, assisted by what was practically a naturally formed set of steps along the side. I took a moment to reply, catching my breath atop it. "Sorry, no. Like I said, this kind of thing—"
"Does not exist in your world," Will finished. He sat across from me on the boulder, staring out into the woods. "So I have heard. Despite that, your being here is quite strange."
I gave him a look. "How so?"
I was quickly realizing he'd stopped just for me. When he crested the boulder, his chest rose in easy, even breaths – he wasn't fatigued at all. He sat across from me on the rock, facing the woods we had yet to cross. "Make no mistake. Many corners have heard of Defenders. In worlds where the most exciting things are the gossip at the bar, they hold out for legends. They know that Defenders are more uncommon than a spirit like myself. They come from far away. They speak odd dialects. Sometimes they seem unfamiliar with the most basic aspects of our culture. Common instruction is to refer them to the nearest Registry, located in our capital cities. That is all they know about you.
"Soldiers are made familiar with your kind for a reason. Because your kind seeks war. They require armies and the best weapons possible. You arrive with some kind of purpose. Yet," he went on, peering at me," something about you is different. You have a clear goal, but it must be a noble one. I cannot quite place it. So, if I may be so bold as to ask... what is your goal here, Ryoku Dragontalen?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, a little guarded.
He smiled plaintively. "Beyond reaching the Capital to register yourself. You may be armed with a new bow and staff, but the world beyond is much harsher than this place. Do you intend to go on ahead alone, to other worlds? Are there others like you?"
I glanced away, unsure how to answer his questions. "I don't know much," I replied. "I guess you could say I'm... looking for somebody. Yeah."
Will's look was nothing if not curious. "Who, then? A lover? A friend?"
"Not a lover," I replied hastily. "No, nothing like that."
Will sighed. "Ah, I suppose so. Else, that scene at the bar might have been a little distressful." His eyes gouged at mine with pressing questions. "Unless there is another woman in your life as it is? Another Defender? I may be only a guide to you, but you may find my ears quite receptive! Who is she?"
I turned scarlet and glanced away haughtily. "M-Maybe we can talk about this another time. It's not quite so simple."
I thought he would press the question further, but he seemed to sense something about my tone and cut himself short. I kept my eyes away, staring at nothing while my mind worked. Up until the matter arose, the events of the last few days kept my thoughts from the odd matter of my love life – of the unexplained change of heart that I succumbed to about a month ago.
Up until recently, I knew I'd been distraught with the departure of my ex-girlfriend, Annalia Rikalla. Last winter, she'd had to up and move across the country with her family, ending our yearlong relationship. It happened to coincide with a difficult point in my life. I felt the sting of that for a long time. Only during the summer did I start to realize I was holding onto something much more than Anna's abrupt move.
However, timed with the appearance of the strange boy I was seeking out, I developed feelings for a different girl. Someone who I'd dated a long time ago. I couldn't explain why, but it felt like it formed around a new beginning. Something stirred greatly in my life, causing old feelings to vacate and new ones to spring forth. It was a new chapter, spurred on by the appearance of the strange boy who led me to the spirit realm in search of a great many of things – far too vast to explain to this stranger before me without sounding like a lunatic.
It took me a moment to realize Will was giving me quite a concerned look. "I'm alright," I told him flatly, brushing him off with a smile. "Just thinking, that's all."
Will said nothing, only watched my expression as I tried to keep my thoughts from my face. "I understand," he replied simply, still looking at me. "Love has cut you deeply, my friend. Old scars can still inflict pain when the weather is right."
I gave him a quizzical look. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. I got the strange impression that Will was able to see something about me that even I couldn't, as though I'd casually mentioned the truth of my heart and forgotten what it even was.
He laughed. "I promise to not raise the subject further," Will assured me, his grin returning as well. We rose to our feet, stretching the ache from our limbs. His glance wandered behind me, and a wry smile lapsed over his face. "Say, Ryoku. That bow you got from Kimball. Mind if I take a look?"
I obeyed. He turned the bow over in his hands, examining it. "Ah, a recurve bow. This is not bad for a beginner such as yourself." He plucked an arrow from my quiver and knotted it to the bow with dextrous fingers. Just as quickly as Kimball, he whirled around and loosed an arrow. I turned, expecting to find some target hidden in the trees, but the arrow had lodged itself in a tree at a haphazard angle. Will smirked sheepishly. "My bad. I believe I wrecked the arrow. I am not too fortuitous in the world of archery, I fear, despite the best efforts of Brom and my father. Show me what you can do."
Hesitant, I mimicked the posture I'd done with Kimball. Will tutted under his breath, appraising my stance. "No, my friend, you must relax. Remove the tension from your shoulders – no, not like that. More like this." He demonstrated a pose, emphasizing how he could freely turn his shoulders. "There you go. Now, notch an arrow. Draw it until the tail is adjacent to your lip. The tail, which would be the feather end of the arrow! Not quite so close to your lips, you might never be able to kiss a pretty barmaid again. Do not look at me like that! There is some force to that whiplash. Okay, now..."
He coaxed me into it until my stance was perfect, and made me keep dropping and reassuming the posture until I could resume it with ease. It wasn't until then that he finally had me make a shot. It was with a great feeling of accomplishment that I watched the arrow sail through the air, past the rock – and directly below the arrow Will shot. Glee and pride shone in his face as he bounded off to retrieve the arrow. "See? It is like breathing once you get used to it. And you even kept the arrow safe." He returned, handing me the arrow with a grin. "Do me a favor, Ryoku Dragontalen – do not forget this. You will surely need it before long."
As I replaced the arrow in my quiver, Will sharply glanced up. I realized, by how quickly he acted, that he had been alert this whole time. I could not say the same. I tried to mimic his agility, but only caught the flash of a shadow flutter over the break in the canopy of the Old Forest. I blinked, but it was gone. It could easily have been a bird, but... I doubted Will would jump for such a thing. Moreover, by the size, it would have been a big bird.
As if not spooked enough now, a sudden scream pierced the wind, making my heart flutter in my chest. Will's head snapped toward the sound. It sounded male. Could it have been... one of the squad? The faces of Oliver, Alex, Leif, and the others clouded my mind quickly.
Will cupped his hands to his mouth and let out a strange, loud call. If I had to guess, it might be some sort of owl. The sound echoed so clearly that I was sure they must have heard it, no matter how far they got.
The only response was silence.
"What was that?" I asked urgently.
"We must go," Will said urgently, starting off at a brisk pace. "I cannot imagine how, but it seems we may have angered…" He trailed off, looking me over quickly. "I saw how you did in the bar before I stepped in. Against a smaller or more reasonable foe, you may have been able to hold your own. Should the worst come to worst, however, I strongly suggest you avoid such action in these woods. Stay close to me."
I stumbled after him and gave him a worried look. He only returned a half-smile. "What's going on?" I asked. "Are your friends okay?"
Will gave me a tight-lipped smile, and beckoned me to draw my weapon. I hesitated before drawing my knife, the only weapon I thought I might be able to use easily. "We will find out," Will said. "Be that as it may, I will not let your journey end here. Come."
I drew a sharp breath as Will led me back onto the trail, hoping that I might be able to survive whatever was coming.