Tyrannus; Book One; Beginning of Chapter Two: "The Forest Cottage"
It was still night, and darkness enveloped everything. Under the starry sky, an eerie silence filled the forest, a silence that even frightened the animals. Amidst this stillness, the sound of a covered carriage broke through.
A female coachman, her face marked with worry, guided the carriage using the lantern at its front, occasionally whipping the leading horse. Beside her, a masked boy lay asleep, snoring away undisturbed by the bumpy ride. In the back of the carriage, two young women were lying down, both in a critical state. Their abdomens were swollen, sweat dripped from their faces, and their breathing was rapid.
After a few minutes that felt endlessly long to Aysa, the carriage finally emerged from the tall trees and their intertwined branches, entering an open space. Now, the sky was clearly visible, and a fresh, cool breeze flowed through the air. From the point where the trees gave way to grass and greenery to the rocky cliffs that jutted out of the earth and rose about a hundred meters into the sky, there was a relatively large plain illuminated by the moonlight, making it appear much brighter than the forest's interior.
Aysa continued driving the carriage until she reached near the cliffs and brought it to a halt. In front of her was a large cave entrance, barely visible from a distance due to the moon's angle. The cave, its end impossible to estimate, was wide enough to easily allow the carriage through. However, Aysa stepped off the carriage and stood for a moment in front of the cave.
"Well, looks like I'm in the right place," she said.
Without delay, she approached a sharp rock near the cave entrance and scratched her hand on it, letting her blood smear the circular surface of a carved stone nearby. Then she stepped back. Drops of her blood moved across the engraved surface, and after a moment, a red light engulfed the cave entrance.
Lenos, apparently awakened by the crimson glow, hurriedly climbed down from the carriage and walked toward Aysa. Still wearing his mask, he asked in a surprised voice, "What happened, Lady Aysa?"
Aysa glanced at him curiously and replied, "I don't know how you managed to fall asleep on such an important night." Then, turning her gaze to the radiant light illuminating the cave entrance—a translucent red door of sorts—she added, "Don't worry, it's not dangerous. From here, we'll head to the hidden forest."
Lenos, the worry fading from his face, said, "Apologies, I've felt so sleepy since I woke up." He tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. Aysa, however, didn't respond to him further.
After a short while, a slight tremor appeared in the glowing surface, and its red color gradually shifted to green.
The moment Aysa noticed the change, she turned to Lenos and said, "I'm heading to the hidden forest to take care of some things. I'll come back and take you with me. In the meantime, please keep a close eye on Lena and Melwa."
"But we..."
Aysa didn't give Lenos a chance to finish his sentence. She quickly walked toward the cave entrance, but before passing through the transparent, glowing layer, she said, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." With that, she disappeared in an instant, and the glowing surface vanished along with her.
Lenos, slightly shocked by the rapid turn of events since he woke up, sighed. After glancing around, he sat on a nearby rock. He wanted to take a look inside the cave, but the overwhelming aura emanating from it prevented him from entering. Besides, he needed to watch over the carriage.
A little later, he stood up and muttered, "This won't work..." He then moved away from the cave and the carriage. Judging by how he clutched his waistband and the urgency in his movements, he likely needed to relieve himself.
Not long after, a figure dressed in black emerged from behind the forest trees. Scanning the surroundings carefully, they approached the carriage silently, moving stealthily with light, crouched steps. The moonlight now illuminated the figure more clearly, but the mask on their face and the black clothes they wore concealed their identity.
The figure had almost reached the carriage when they suddenly noticed a flaming orb flying toward their face. Startled, the black-clad figure swiftly moved their body, dodging the fireball with impressive agility. This caused them to stumble back a few steps, barely managing to keep their balance and avoid falling. The fireball continued its trajectory and exploded in the sky a short distance away.
"Looks like I guessed right," a voice said suddenly.
Lenos appeared, stepping between the carriage and the masked figure. Flames flickered faintly around his hand, suggesting he was the one who had launched the fireball. The masked figure stood still, staring at Lenos.
"Looks like this is over quickly," the figure said, their voice clearly masculine.
Lenos smiled faintly and replied, "It hasn't even started yet." He then grabbed a staff from the back of the carriage and pointed it at the masked man. In response, the masked man took a combat stance and immediately charged at Lenos.
Lenos struck the ground with his staff, and a muddy bog quickly formed between him and the masked man. The man halted his attack and swiftly retreated. As the ground became slippery, Lenos raised his staff and murmured, "Fireball!" A fiery mass formed and shot toward the masked man. Surprised by the sudden attack, the man tried to evade it, but Lenos had prepared another fireball and launched it at the man's new position. Although the masked man partially dodged the second attack, his leg caught fire.
While frantically trying to extinguish the flames, the masked man lost focus and was met with a hard kick from Lenos.
"I expected more from you," Lenos said.
The masked man fell to the ground, coughing dryly as he clutched his burned leg. Lenos approached to remove the man's mask, but the black-clad figure suddenly pulled something from their clothing and hurled it at Lenos. Taken by surprise, Lenos instinctively raised his hand to shield his face. Whatever the man had thrown seemed dangerously threatening.
All at once, a transparent wall materialized between Lenos and the masked man. The object exploded on impact—it was apparently a small bomb capable of causing lethal damage.
When the resulting smoke cleared, the masked man was entangled in a web of twisted branches, unable to move even a finger. Lenos lowered his hand from his face and, startled, looked at the man standing behind the masked figure—likely the one who had created the transparent barrier to protect him.
The man, dressed in a long purple robe and wearing a pointed hat, addressed Lenos: "You've got talent, but you're not cautious. Next time, stay sharp."