After only about a few days or so, a strange creaking sort of sound soon rings through the forest.
"Everyone, she has finally reawakened!" Serenity calls out to those nearby.
Having been asleep for a long time, Asiza ends up creaking some as she moves as she wakes.
And soon enough, everyone is gathered within the clearing where Asiza is rooted, Serenity and Olula up towards the front of the group.
'My lady Asiza, how are you feeling?' Olula asks Asiza.
A large face soon becomes apparent now on her, and Asiza looks around, soon looking down at Olula. "Oh, Olula. It's been a long time." Her voice sounding a bit raspy, and she tends to pause slightly every once in a while, as she speaks.
'It has. How are you feeling, my lady?'
"Better than I have been in a long time. But still not at full power."
'So, you will not be able to produce any seeds for a while?'
"Hm... Most likely not. But I will try once I'm able to."
Olula just nods, then backs off for Serenity.
"Lady Asiza, I am Serenity. It is a pleasure to finally be able to officially meet you." Serenity says as she gives a small curtsey.
"Yes. And I appreciate all your help."
"We would not have been able to do this without Sabelle and her paladins. Some of them even gave their lives when defeating the darkness. It would definitely have been much more difficult without them." Serenity mentions.
"I see. Thank you, as well then, Sabelle. The souls of your fallen will be put to good use, should they choose stay."
"What do you mean?" Sabelle asks Asiza, a bit confused.
"Well, the souls of those who perish within my forest are absorbed and preserved by the trees. They have the choice to either stay here and help me to protect this forest, within the trees themselves, or linger and wait for one of the Reapers to come by and bring their soul to judgement." Asiza explains.
"Really? That's amazing. But what if they were a bad soul? One who wanted to harm the forest?" Sabelle questions.
"Then those souls would have already been destroyed. These are not just ordinary trees. They're not exactly ents, but they're not normal, either. They contain their own level of intelligence. Even plants have a voice, even if most cannot hear it cry out." Asiza continues on.
"So, Asiza, do you remember how you first got infected?" Sabelle continues to question Asiza.
"I might need a moment to think. It was quite a long time ago." Asiza spends a few moments trying to remember, and eventually speaks up again. "I don't entirely remember everything, but I do remember some sort of shadowy person. I had tried to stop them, but nothing that I had done seemed to have worked. Thinking back now... I believe that they may have been some sort of shadow demon. Though I am unsure as to why they would want to infect me and my forest." Asiza tries to explain what she remembers to the best of her ability.
"Shadow demons? That's not good. And seeing as how the darkness only got worse at about the same time that the Orcs had invaded our kingdom, this doesn't paint a very good picture." Caleldes seems to have some to a revelation. "That must be how those brutes are able to stay so organized and deadly, when their own kingdom is normally fairly chaotic at the best of times. D*mn it..."
"That's definitely something that the higher ups will want to know. Even if it is only a theory at this particular moment." Sabelle mentions. "I think we should head back to the Order as soon as possible."
"Right."
"I wish you all a safe journey. Though I will be staying here for some time longer." Serenity mentions.
"...What about you, Hunter?" Duvainion asks.
"I'd like to be able to travel with you, but I'm gonna be staying as well. Sorry. But I do hope that you'll come to visit me again, in the future." Hunter tells him.
"Of course I will. If I have time. It seems like we'll end up being busy for a while."
"Well, maybe once everything calms down again, then you can visit." Hunter suggests.
"Yeah." Duvainion agrees.
"You are the one that they had mentioned has dark magic, correct?" Asiza asks Duvainion.
"Oh, uh, yes..."
"There is no need to be worried, young one. I do not mind your magic."
"But... It's dark magic...?"
"Yes, it is. But that does not make it evil. It's only what one does with their magic that makes it evil."
"...Thank you."
"I should be thanking you. Your magic was very helpful. You are also more powerful than you realize. Just keep at it, and you will succeed, little one." Asiza tells Duvainion.
"Okay."
"Alright, so Serenity, and Hunter are staying here with Olula and Asiza. Everyone else will be heading back for the capital, Elesstead, right?" Sabelle asks.
"Seems that way." Caleldes responds. "We should head out soon."
"Right."
-------
Back at the base of the Order of Light, Sabelle heads to go meet with the higher ranked members of the order, followed by Caleldes. They soon get to a certain room, entering, and five other paladins sit at a half circle style table, sort of council like style, waiting for them, having gotten news of her return.
"Greetings. I have come with some potentially unsettling news." Sabelle starts.
"What is this news? And who is this?" One of the head paladins asks.
"This is Caleldes. She had helped us on my most recent mission. And as I'm sure that you've already been informed, the mission was to help rid the ancient enchanted forest that spans the border of its darkness infection. Once we did that, the main resident of the forest woke, her name is Asiza, and is known as the Ent Mother. She had mentioned that when she was first infected, that she remembers a shadow demon doing it." Sabelle explains.
"And what concerns me the most is that when the Orcs had ended up invading my kingdom, that's when they said that the darkness infection had gotten much worse within the forest." Caleldes continues on for Sabelle.
"So, what you are saying is that the Orcs are working with the shadow demons? Is this correct?"
"Yes. That is the most likely explanation. The Orcs have been unusually organized and even more ruthless then normal. I believe that they are, somehow, being manipulated by the shadow demons." Caleldes tells them.
"Well, if what you are saying is true, then this is truly concerning. Both groups are deadly on their own, but together, who knows what they could be capable of. We will have to bring this up with the king, as well."
"Thank you, sirs." Sabelle then bows to the head paladins.
"You two are dismissed."
Caleldes then decides to bow in respect as well, and her and Sabelle then head out.
"I hope that we'll get to meet up again, sometime in the future, Caleldes." Sabelle mentions.
"Same here. It was a pleasure traveling, and fighting, alongside you." Caleldes responds.
They soon get back to where the kids are waiting, and Annabelle soon speaks up as she sees Caleldes again. "Um... Excuse me, miss Caleldes...?"
"Yes?"
"Would it be possible for me and Melody to travel with you all...?" Annabelle nervously asks.
"I don't mind. As long as the boys don't mind." Caleldes responds. "So?"
"I don't see why not." Duvainion says.
"I think that they'd be a great addition, myself." Nicholas mentions.
"Well then, there you have it." Caleldes says to Annabelle.
"Really?" She seems pretty excited at hearing all this.
"Good to have you on the team, Annabelle, Melody." Caleldes mentions.
"Thank you, all of you!" Annabelle just seems to be beaming, now.