The night passed quietly, without any disturbances. Eldrek and I found a good spot to camp near the river and rested under a clear sky. At dawn, we finished off the little meat we had left. Eldrek stood up with his spear in hand and approached the river, determined to catch some fish for the day.
As I watched him, I couldn't help but joke. "Hey, Eldrek, don't go running into another snake, alright? I'm too tired to save you again." Eldrek gave a short laugh, not bothering to answer, and kept his focus on fishing.
After catching a good amount of fish, we stored them and continued on our way. Eldrek mentioned that if we followed the river, we'd eventually reach the path leading up the mountains. I nodded, and after walking for a while, I noticed something in the distance: an expansive forest spreading out at the foot of the mountain.
"Eldrek, does that forest over there have any dangers?" I asked, curious.
"It shouldn't," he replied calmly. "As long as we're respectful of the forest."
That piqued my curiosity. "Respectful? What do you mean?"
Eldrek paused for a moment, looking towards the forest. "There's an ancient spirit that protects it, one that cares for the vegetation. As long as we don't provoke it, we have nothing to fear. But if we happen to meet it, we must not act with hostility."
I was surprised and, almost without thinking, spoke aloud. "Are spirits like that real?" Eldrek nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I felt a mix of excitement and caution, imagining what it would be like to encounter such a powerful being.
Still walking beside Eldrek, I asked in a more cautious tone, "Are you sure there's nothing hostile in this forest? I mean, nothing like flying creatures that would attack us by surprise, right?"
Eldrek thought for a moment. "It would be strange if there were. The spirit that dwells here keeps any creatures in check. It's rare for anyone to dare enter this forest, precisely for that reason. But it's the only path we have to reach the mountain, so we don't have another choice."
I let out a light laugh. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if nothing happened."
When we crossed the tree line and entered the forest, I was struck by the sight unfolding around us. The place was alive; the vegetation was dense and green, and the air vibrated with the sounds of animals moving and birds singing.
I saw birds of normal size perched on branches, and I couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment. "Finally, an animal of normal size! About time."
The bushes around us were heavy with juicy, appetizing berries. I approached one and gestured to Eldrek. "Look, can't we take some of these? It's practically a dessert."
Without stopping, Eldrek barely turned his head to glance at me. "If you want, go ahead. I'll keep going while the spirit keeps an eye on you."
I squinted at him and, after thinking better of it, decided the berries weren't worth the risk. I sped up to catch up to him. "Fine. I'm not in the mood to have a spirit breathing down my neck just for a berry." I noticed he let out a subtle laugh—was he joking that I couldn't eat one?
The air was filled with sweet aromas, a mix of different flowers and herbs.
"We'll be walking through these same landscapes for a while. Here, nature grows differently, Darius; it's untainted. This is a sacred forest."
"I can tell, the size of these trees is impressive. They even make you look small, Eldrek."
"You'd be surprised how many beings exist that are larger than me."
I was admiring the surroundings, and before I knew it, I walked straight into Eldrek's legs, who had suddenly stopped.
"Hey! You made me bump into you. Be more careful," I complained, rubbing my head. But Eldrek didn't say anything. He remained completely still, staring ahead.
"What the hell are you looking at?" I asked, annoyed and a bit confused. I tried to see what had caught his attention, but his massive body blocked my view.
I walked around Eldrek, and what I saw left me speechless. Standing in front of us, much larger than Eldrek himself, was a colossal figure with a robust frame, as if it had emerged directly from the earth. Its body was covered in vibrant green moss, and roots entwined over its skin as if they were part of it.
Branches hung from its limbs, adorned with leaves swaying gently in the breeze, as if the creature was breathing in harmony with the forest. Its large, luminous eyes glowed like emeralds, completely calm. It was an imposing presence.
Without taking my eyes off the creature, I muttered to Eldrek, trying to keep my composure. "What kind of creature is that?"
Eldrek, keeping his tone serene, replied, "That's the spirit of the forest. Stay calm."
"Easy for you to say…" I whispered, unable to look away from the figure. "Especially when it's almost as big as the trees themselves."
The spirit began to walk toward us, its movements slow and deliberate, as if that was its natural way of moving. Each of its steps made the ground tremble, resonating through the forest, and I couldn't help but think that just one of those steps would be enough to crush us effortlessly.
I stood frozen, watching as it approached until it was just a few meters away from us. Then, it crouched slowly and looked at us with its glowing eyes, as if examining us.
"What brings you to the forest?" it asked, in a deep, resonant voice. It spoke slowly and calmly, but each word reverberated in my chest.
I felt short of breath for a moment, but Eldrek, as calm as ever, replied before I could say anything. "We're not here to disturb the forest. We just need to pass through to reach the mountains."
The spirit showed no expression. It stared at us for a moment longer, its eyes fixed on us as if it were trying to read our intentions. Then, it stood up again, and I watched as its figure rose toward the sky, forcing me to look straight up, speechless at its magnitude. I couldn't say a word; my throat felt blocked.
Without another word, the spirit turned and began to move away, its slow, heavy steps making the ground tremble with each movement. Eldrek and I remained motionless, watching it as it retreated back into the forest, until its massive silhouette faded among the trees.
Eldrek was the first to move, resuming his pace as if nothing had happened. I was still in shock and had to slap my cheeks to snap out of it before running to keep up with him.
"How could you stay so calm the whole time? And you didn't tell me it was that enormous!" I complained, my heart still racing.
Eldrek glanced at me with a sarcastic smile. "I assumed you'd already noticed that everything here is huge. Besides, I already mentioned there were beings larger than me."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just huffed. "Oh, come on. You could have warned me… I almost passed out when it was right in front of me."
Eldrek let out a short laugh. "Do you really not know where you're standing? Everyone here knows of that spirit's existence."
I stayed silent, processing his words. Sure, I thought I'd already seen amazing things, but this forest... it definitely had its own secrets.
"I'm not sure," I replied, thoughtful. "Maybe I have seen things like this before…" My mind was still trying to piece together memories, as if they were there, just out of reach.
We continued our path, and soon we managed to exit the forest. As we did, the mountains spread out before us, imposing and majestic. I couldn't help but shout, raising my arms in a gesture of celebration.
"Yes! We survived the damned forest!" But as soon as the words left my mouth, I corrected myself, turning towards the forest to apologize. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean 'damned'..."
Eldrek ran his hand over his face, clearly frustrated by my comment. "Let's just keep moving," he said, shaking his head. I nodded and picked up the pace, quickly moving away from the trees as if that would make up for my words.
The climb up the mountain wasn't as steep as I'd feared, but it would still take us a while to reach the area where Eldrek thought we might find the minerals. We decided to stop for a meal before going further. After climbing a bit more, we paused along the path and took out the fish Eldrek had caught in the morning.
As we ate, my curiosity resurfaced. "Have you met the spirit before?" I asked.
Eldrek nodded as he chewed. "Yes. The first time I saw it, I was just as shocked as you. I was surprised, and I won't lie, I felt a bit of fear. But after understanding what it was and its intentions, I stopped feeling that way."
I kept turning the encounter over in my mind. "Who could have created beings like that?" I muttered, almost without thinking.
Eldrek smiled, as if he'd been expecting that question. "That's a broad question, Darius. It's like asking who created us. But it's always been said that, above all beings, there are some who shaped all life in this world. Some call them the 'Sages.'"
"Sages?" I repeated the word quietly, as if trying to savor it. "I think it's not the first time I've heard that word… Where could I have heard it before?" I stared into space, trying to remember.
Eldrek observed me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "You're quite a mystery, Darius. I hope that when you recover your memory, you don't turn out to be some kind of hidden villain," he joked with a grin.
I looked at him, holding back a laugh. "Hidden villain? Come on, do you really think that of me? I just feel like I come from a completely different place… It's strange that everything here seems so oddly new to me, as if I'd never been here before."
"The memories will come," said Eldrek, looking towards the mountain. "When you least expect it."
We finished eating and packed up our things, ready to continue our journey up the mountain. In the distance, I could see some kind of bird high in the sky. Though far away, I could still make out that it was enormous. Eldrek noticed it too and told me that they call these kinds of birds Troniferas.
They were similar to eagles but much larger, with majestic wings of a shining brown color. "We should avoid them. They're hunters and could easily lift our weight," Eldrek warned me.
Upon reaching a part of the mountain, we spotted a dark cave entrance. Eldrek pointed to it and said, "That's the place. Let's hope we find the mineral we need."
"Eldrek," I said, somewhat hesitant. "I know this question sounds repetitive, but..." I paused before continuing, "can we expect any danger inside?"
Eldrek let out a light sigh, with a slightly sarcastic tone. "I suppose we won't know until we go in."
I rolled my eyes and replied, "I thought your kind didn't make sarcastic comments."
Eldrek chuckled briefly as he approached the cave entrance. "I already told you, I'm different from other giants," he replied and ventured into the darkness.
I followed closely. The cave was wide enough for Eldrek to walk through without issue, and as we advanced, the air grew colder and quieter. I moved closer to him and asked, "How will you know exactly where the mineral is?"
"I just need to sense it with my ability," he said confidently. "For now, make a torch. It's very dark in here."
I fashioned a makeshift torch and lit it, illuminating the path in front of us. Eldrek walked ahead, touching the cave walls, focused on finding some sign. But as we went deeper, the tunnel narrowed, and the air grew thicker, barely lit by the flickering light of my torch.
I was starting to feel tired, and without meaning to, let out a frustrated sigh.
"Are you sure we'll find something?" I asked. "We've been searching for a while, and you haven't sensed anything."
Eldrek showed no signs of impatience. "That's how this is. Sometimes you have to be patient. It can take time."
Just as he finished saying that, he stopped suddenly and placed both hands on the wall, as if he'd felt something. My heart skipped a beat. "Did you find something?" I asked, eager.
"I think I feel something," Eldrek replied. "Let's dig here and see if it's the mineral we need."
"But we don't have tools..." I muttered, though I quickly realized. "I guess your ability will be enough."
"You guessed right," he said with a slight smile. He focused, and using his magic, began extracting fragments from the wall with precise movements, careful not to damage the potential mineral. I could see that as he worked, he was tiring quickly, his breathing growing heavier.
"Are you alright?" I asked, noticing his effort.
"Yes," he replied, not stopping. "I still haven't fully mastered my magic to use it for long periods, but I'll be fine."
After a while, I saw something shining in his hand. He approached me and asked me to raise the torch. I widened my eyes with curiosity as he cleaned the object, blowing off the dust covering it, revealing a large fragment of mineral.
"So? Will it work?" I asked, trying not to sound too anxious.
Eldrek examined it for a few more seconds before looking up and smiling. "Yes, it's exactly what we need."
I let out a cheer and smiled in relief. "Finally! At least you could be a bit more excited about it, right? If that's enough, let's get out of here."
Eldrek shook his head. "I think I can extract a bit more. The more we have, the better." He handed me the fragment, and I put it in my bag as he continued digging.
While I waited, I paid attention to the silence of the cave. Or so I thought, until a distant sound made me tense. There were footsteps, light but fast, coming from deeper within. I approached Eldrek and patted his leg. "Hey, Eldrek, I think I heard something."
He didn't pay me much attention, focused on extracting another mineral fragment. "Give me a moment..." he said, finally pulling out another piece similar to the last one. But by then, the sound was clearer: rapid footsteps drawing closer and closer.
"Eldrek," I whispered this time, trying not to sound alarmed. "They're getting closer. What's going on?"
Eldrek finally looked up, his expression turning serious. "Darius, let's get out of here immediately."
He didn't need to tell me twice. Without thinking, we both started running towards the exit. The cave was longer than I remembered, and each time I looked back, the echo of the footsteps seemed to multiply. I gripped the torch tightly, glancing back every few seconds to try to see what on earth was following us.
Then I saw them: small figures moving at full speed. They were shadows at first, but as they got closer, their details became clear. "Goblins?" I exclaimed, unable to hide the mix of surprise, worry, and confusion in my voice.
Eldrek ran beside me, his heavy steps pounding the cave floor. "I'm afraid so. And they never travel alone. It's not a good idea to face them here."
Eldrek was slow to run, and the goblins were fast, closing in without hesitation, some holding makeshift knives. I could see their teeth gleaming in the flickering torchlight.
I managed to draw my sword just as one of them tried to attack me. I struck it with a quick jab, making it retreat, but the rest didn't stop. A horde of them kept coming toward us, closer by the second.