Evan then move to the side as a giant snow golem smash his heavy ice fists. He then ride on its fist and run on its boulder like shoulder, as Evan reach it's head he quickly set his sword on fire and slash it vertically right on its icy face.
The golem screamed in agony, and then stumbled to the snow as its body immediately unite with the snowy ground.
Evan landed on his feet breathing heavily. He have already slain 3 golems and their are still 7 left and his stamina and spiritual energy is beat.
'I must find a way to escape...but how?' Evan's thought wondered on his head just to find a strategy to get away but the golems body are to solid and broad to squeeze out and there are still 7 of them.
'Maybe if I could less-' before Evan could finished his sentence in is head, he suddenly vomited blood, his legs buckled down, he can no longer feel his body, and his breath is shaking abnormally.
'Fight it! I must fight it...' Evan tried to stand again with his sword's support but he couldn't stand up anymore, 'No, I must fight... I'm not going to die here...'
The Golem obviously saw his suffering and circled him again like a meek pray of 7 predators. The other one slammed another heavy fist on him but luckily Evan was able to roll out from death, but the next hit surely won't let Evan dodge again.
The golem put all of his strength to both of his fist, he raise it above to gain more weight and just in any second he will smash it to Evan with a killing blow.
"No, this must not be the end, I still need to find Mayari." He quietly mumbled to himself as he tried to get up bit he couldn't.
When the golem was about to launch his heavy blow, a strange creature with the fur of the night suddenly jump on top of the golems rocky shoulder. The creature then bit it's neck and thorns suddenly grew out, surrounding the golems body like snakes on rocks.
Soon after it dig in to the golems head and torso leaving it dead.
The other golems became alert by the death of the other and immediately seize the animal but they couldn't lay any hands on it. Every bite it gives thorns sprout thicker and deadlier , claiming the other golems source of life. Others smashed one another in confusion of the wolf rapid jumping from golem to golem, that leads to the golems demise.
They maybe strong but they don't have the ways of thinking.
Evan was in the state of shock, staring only to the unknown creature walking towards him leaving behind the snowy hill of ice and rocks with black scattered thorns.
When the creature reach him, it only sat on the snow and stared at him with hallow eyes.
But to Evan those eyes seems familiar to him, those emotionless eyes is someone he knew. And the creatures face also reminds him of the black mask in the old lady's shop back at Myrim.
"What are you?..." Evan asked quietly to the creature, reaching his hands towards it for a touch.
But before he could feel its shiny black fur, thorns similar from earlier sprouted from the ground along with faint shimmering lights, the thorns got thicker and swallowed the creature whole. Only second pass and the thorns glowed, recoiled and then disappeared along with the creature, leaving Mayari sitting in front of him.
Evan's eyes widened more in shock and found himself dumbfounded.
He could see clearly that Mayari's taking off a black mask similar to the mask he saw, that made him recall that she's the one who bought the original carving.
When Mayari have fully taken off the mask, it vanished in her fingertips and then came her cold tone who was the first to speak between them.
"Glad you're still alive." She said.
Evan don't know how and what to react on the new discovery he found out about her, the only thing he could do is stare at her in utter silence.
He locked his eyes on her, they say the eyes is the window to your soul, he tried to search for something any emotions or slight of light but Evan could only see void of emptiness, where darkness holds like a wall barricading all of her affections in her dark chocolate eyes. The question is, is it a wall blocking her emotions? Or is it a black hole hiding all of her secrets?
After like minutes flew by Mayari decided to broke the silence, "Your not heavily wounded so you're fine," she spoke like she have no care what so ever, "but you should take a rest, you'll only be a death weight if you can't even stand up."
Her coldness made Evan chuckle, he have never met a girl as mean and cold as her. "Is that a way to talk to a prince, who helped you many times already." He blink longer than he thought as he say his words.
"I saved your life just now so we're even."
Evan gave another light chuckle, and then finally said, "I'll be taking a short nap, wake me up after 15 minutes or if something happens."
Evan then shift his position on the way he's comfortable, his tiredness made him drift of to slumber quickly in a second when he closed his eyes.
Mayari then ripped off another fabric from her coat and gently press it on Evan's face cleaning all the blood that has been streaming from the wounds in his head, and then tied it to the bleeding wound, luckily the other shallow wounds he have had stopped bleeding or he might die in lost of blood.
"Congratulations!" A whisper from the back of Mayari's head was heard, "You survived." that made her head rapidly spun towards her back.
It is the same voice of a girl she heard a while ago, when she turned around last time there was no one, just the open cold air but when she have spun her head there she was the owner of the voice.
A little girl with pallid white skin like snow, she have a long light blonde hair cascading from her head to her legs like waves of a yellow ocean, her lips is a pinkish as a new born child, and her eyes is a hue of light chestnut, full of wonders and joy but also holds longing, a child of beauty and yen. She is wearing a sparkling light dress with ribbons everywhere, unsuitable of winter, obviously.
She doesn't have long ears but have gills and fin-like ears just like a normal mermaid. She isn't floating or have glistering lights around, she's just there standing opposite to her.
But Mayari isn't still sure if she could be trusted or not, if she is just a normal mermaid or a spirit, so she stood up covering Evan from behind, summoned a knife of ice in her hand and blankly stare at the girl.
The girl was shock and somehow afraid, "Lady Mayari there is no need for violence, I'm just here to help." She innocently stutter.
Mayari gaze deep into her eyes and saw fear, anxiety, and confusion mixed together furthermore she don't see any malice or lies in the frightened girl. But just to be sure if this is not any trapped she still tightly hold her knife.
"State who you are and what do you want." Mayari coldly utter.
The girl gave a light breath to calm her nerves, she then forced a smile and said, " I'm Daina, I'm not a spirit, I'm just a normal mermaid from Myrim that have been stuck in this forest for the past hundred years and I'm here to offer help in exchange of something." The girl anxiously said.
"The spirits offered gifts to you to stay, youthfulness and wealth is with you." Mayari stated, "How do I know that I can trust you?"
Diana stayed silent for a while and Mayari could clearly see confusion in her eyes and trace it as the emotion turned into sadness and desperation "I don't know how to make you believe!... but I'm desperate for your help." The girl exclaimed, "please..." She brought her knees and head to the ground, "...please..." Tears started falling to the snow as the faint moonlight harshly stroke the dew of sadness and yearning.
"I'll do everything to help you, I can provide food, shelter, information, I could even heal him, just please help me... I just want to get out of this forest, I just want to see her again...please..."
"Who is it that you want to see?" Mayari asked showing no sympathy.
"I just want to see her again, my dear mother." She cried even more, "I just want to see her again."
Sadness will be brought to those who heard this pleading, even you yourself, am I right? But Mayari still kept her stone cold face.
"You've said it yourself, that you have been staying in this forest for the past hundred years, I'm sure that she is already dead long ago." Mayari stated, trying to bring the girl to her sense.
"I know..." She whispered but loud enough for Mayari to hear, "But I still want to go just to see the world, how it changed, just to see our house, just to see...even...even it's just her grave. I just want to say in front of her that I love her! So please..."
Mayari then walked towards the girl and towered over her, the girl rose her head to face Mayari.
Mayari also bend her knee to reach the girl, she leaned to her ear and brought the knife to her cheek. That made the girl flinched and frightened even more.
Mayari could feel the girls heavy breath and her body tense, she could see those wide open eyes full to the brim with fear.
"I'll take your offer" Mayari whispered to the girls ear, "But if you're plotting this from the start, I'm sure you're the next to have your head fall or throat ripped out." Mayari's tone was deadly serious, and the girl tears of sadness turned to fear as she swallowed her courage.
Mayari vanished the knife from her fingertips and stood up to her feet and walk back to Evan's sleeping body.
Meanwhile...
In the forest entrance, a flying shipped came in, landing on the snowy ground.
When everything was settled, the King of Enchantia came out followed by three of his children, Eve, Evy and Stevan.
Stephen was meet by Carlos and then both Kings both curtsy in respect of their allied countries.
"I apologize for my carelessness to lost my dear friend and you're son." Carlos was the longest to bow.
"It's not your fault Carlos, so there is no need to apologize." Stephen replied.
"Thank for your kindness."
"So this is the Cursed Yuver Forest, magestic but evil." Stephen commented.
"Yes, it is." Carlos responded.
"I felt forces of spirits in this forest." Evy spoke as she walk closer to the forest.
"Evy don't get too close." Stevan warned.
"I won't, it's just this forest is full of sorrows, hatred, dislike, and longing." Evy's tone was quiet but audible to be heard. Anxiety field her emotion as soon as he laid eyes on the forest's entrance.
"Evy can you call out one of the spirits?" Eve asked.
"I heard that many spiritualists also tried to do the same for centuries to the forest but they only heard a sharp piercing cry that hurt their ears in every calling." Evy stated, "But I will still try."
"I'm sure you can do it, Evy. Your the best spiritualist that Enchantia have." Carlos praise.
"Thank you so much your highness." Evy lightly bowed and turned back to the to the forest with desperation, 'I need to bring you back, don't worry brother, Mayari, we will not stop 'till I find a way'
Evy then clasped her hands together and close her eyes, as she pray to the spirits of the Yuver Forest to come forth and show themselves.
As Evy started to whisper words of chanting she begun to glow as she was releasing magic for the spirits to notice her summoning.
As seconds past by, Evy then heard a shattering scream of a woman that pierce to her ears like a thousand needles.
But even though it is spine shivering and headaching, she force herself to not to let go of her stand and hold the communication.
'I need to find them so please help us...' she pleaded as she pushed her call to the screams but as she keep on going the scream started to get louder.
"Go away!!!!" The scream was in maximum volume, it painful like your eardrum is being ripped out.
It keeps repeating itself, "Go away!!!... Go away!!!... Go away!!!..." Suddenly it became silent.
Everything was silent, it was like the she's alone in the deepest abyss with no one, she couldn't hear anything but the pain in her ears are still there painful than ever.
She's sinking deeper in the darkness, ii was like black water devouring her alive as she pray for someone to speak and ease her uncomfortable state.
The water then reached her head, she no longer can breath anymore, the dark abyss is scattered among the sky, leaving no lights to hold. And the black ocean is deep that she couldn't reach the bottom, she could only keep sinking with her hands at pray until her lungs no longer breath.
Suddenly someone grab her from the back and laid her down to the cold snow. Waking her up from the illusions in her head.
She snapped her eyes open and saw her father and Stevan, anxiety is traced in their faces, they are saying something but she couldn't hear them. Immediately Evy felt wetness in her ears, oozing like warm river.
"What are you saying, brother?"
They both looked shocked when she asked and immediately called out for someone but it was inaudible for her to hear.
Evy reached her hand and touch the liquid from her left, she brought it to her front and saw blood, her blood.
Her eyes widened, fear burst out from her brain and chest but she stopped herself from screaming out of her lungs. Her Royal Physician came and immediately healed her ear.
For a moment she felt a sooting care of gentleness in her eardrums then it slowly faded and her hearing came back.
"Can you hear me, Evy? His father asked.
Her fear became at ease and she took a second to deeply breath and calm her heart beat.
"Yes" she answered, "Sorry for making you worry." She stood up again, "I'll try again."
She was about to clasp her hand for another spirit call but her brother stopped him.
"Are crazy! Couldn't you see you'll bleed again or worse if you do that again!" Stevan exclaimed.
"Your brother is right Evy, you should stop." Her father agreed.
"If the spirit of the forest refuse, they will hold their refusal to the end." Eve added with a frown towards the giant trees.
"You should listen Evy we wouldn't want to risk you bleeding again." Carlos stated.
"But we need to know where they are!" Evy reasoned. "I must try again." She stood up followed by her father and siblings.
"Evy you're wasting your time, the spirits hear are hard headed and dangerous." Her sister also reasoned.
"But I must, brother is in there."
"Evy, you have done enough." His father commanded. "Even so, I cannot afford to have you hurt too."
Evy looked at their faces, she knows they are worried but she also want to find Evan.
Her mind is debating for a moment of giving up or try harder until she reached the conclusion of giving up, she already learned from her experience that her Father's judgements and words is absolute.
"Yes, father." She bowed her head and walk back to the shipped accompanied by her physician and personal servant.
"The spirits won't present themselves, we already gave offerings and many more just to release Evan and Mayari but they didn't accept." Carlos stated.
"They won't even talked to my daughter who is the best in Parley Spiritualism and even dared to hurt her." Stephen added.
"Looks like our plan B will need to be launch."
"I let you fire the signal." Stevan stated as he made his exit, walking away from the forest.
Carlos turned to the hundred men that Enchantia and Myrim have brought.
The knights armors are shinning as the faint crescent moon stroke their hard shining mental in a way of how the mages scepter lightened for illumination as they stand still in their ground.
He motioned his hand to the forest and commanded, "Burn down the forest!"