"Hey, honey, go tell him he can use my horse in the backyard."
She nodded and headed upstairs, while he moved to open the door.
"Hey, hey, I'm coming! Don't crack the door!" he said as he opened it.
Two men stood there in soldier uniforms, their expressions serious.
"What do you want?" Ramo asked, eyeing them with suspicion.
"We're here to search for someone, so step aside and let us do our job," one of them said, trying to push past him.
"You knock loudly and don't even say 'hello'? You expect me to let you into my house? Are you kidding?" Hosh replied, pulling them back firmly.
He was trying to buy time for Theodore to escape.
At that moment, Ramo's wife opened a door to another room. "Theodore, wait! I need to tell you something important."
Theodore stood by the window, ready to jump. "What is it?"
"There's a horse in the backyard. You can use it to get to Rafia."
"Are you sure? If I take your horse, it might get hurt on the way."
"Don't worry; it's yours now," she assured him, her voice steady.
"Okay, see you in the future. Goodbye!" he said as he leaped out the window.
A moment later, a soldier entered the room. He scanned the space, looking for anything suspicious. He checked under the bed and opened the closet doors.
"Clear," he announced, turning to leave without finding anything.
"I told you I don't have anyone in my room except my family," Ramo said, smirking slightly.
"Okay, sir, I'm sorry to bother you. That was incorrect information," the soldier replied, looking embarrassed.
"It's fine," Ramo said, dismissively.
As the soldiers stepped out, Theodore quietly found the horse and slipped away from the village. He had everything he needed for his journey.
He was a strong white horse, Theodore leave the village and started following the map he took from Ramo.
"Mmm, I think it will take two days to reach there," he muttered, squinting at the map.
"Dammit, the soldiers didn't even let me finish my dinner. Now it's night, and I have to find a place to sleep," he grumbled, his stomach growling in protest.
After what felt like an endless ride, he found himself entering a vast forest. The trees towered above him, their branches long and twisted, covered in ice. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and frozen bark.
"Well, I guess this must be the Forest of Dawn... but why the hell is it called 'Dawn'? It's so dark it might as well be night forever," he said, glancing up at the tree canopy that blocked out the moonlight.
The forest was eerily silent. The only sound was the rhythmic crunch of his horse's hooves on the frozen ground. No wind, no rustling leaves, nothing.
"Why do I feel like something's off?" he whispered, as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He gripped the reins tighter, trying to ignore the growing sense of unease.
As Theodore continued riding, he suddenly saw a tall, strange man next to a towering tree, staring at him. The man's face was unsettling, and he wore a weird smirk.
The horse stopped abruptly, refusing to move at Theodore's command. He quickly dismounted and took a fighting stance, reacting as fast as he could.
"Who are you?" Theodore demanded, sensing a strange aura emanating from the man.
"Who the hell are you?" he retorted, feeling his body being pulled toward the ground by the aura's power.
In an instant, the tall man appeared right in front of Theodore, still smirking.
"What the hell?" Theodore exclaimed, his fear shifting to shock.
The man pushed Theodore back with his foot and advanced towards him. He placed his hand on Theodore's chest while Theodore lay helplessly on the ground.
Suddenly, a red and black light burst forth from Theodore's chest. He looked down in fear and shock.
"Energy stone cultivation... wow, that's amazing," the man said with a sinister grin.
Theodore trembled as he felt a heat radiating from his chest and the pulsing light.
"What did you do?" he gasped.
"Hahaha! I just woke up your energy stone kid."
"What do you mean?" Theodore asked, sensing the energy flowing within him.
"I'm going to do something a little painful," the man replied, intensifying the energy in his palm against Theodore's chest.
"Ahhhhhh!" Theodore screamed, a sharp pain piercing through him.
The man began to pull down Theodore's clothing that covered his chest.
"That's pretty cool, man," he remarked as Theodore's eyes slowly began to close. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness from the agony.
"My name is Magnus. Don't forget it, kid," he heard as darkness took over.
Moments later, Theodore awoke, slowly opening his eyes to the flickering light of a fire in front of him. He looked around; it was dark, and he realized he was in one of the caves.
Memories of what had happened flooded back, especially thoughts of Magnus. He quickly pulled at his clothing to inspect his chest.
"What is that?" he exclaimed, noticing a red stone embedded in the middle of his chest, clearly visible against his skin.
"Why do I have this in my chest? Well, it doesn't hurt now, anyway."
"What did that man do?" he muttered, touching the stone gently.
"I have to get to town as fast as I can," he decided, pushing himself to stand. He made his way to his horse, mounting it swiftly.
As he left the cave, dawn broke, and the sun began to light the earth.
"Oh, when I passed out, I slept well," he said, feeling refreshed.
The air was cold and crisp, beautiful in the morning light, although the areas beneath the trees remained dim.
"Now I see why they call it the Forest of Dawn; it really is dark as the dawn when the sun first appears."
Feeling a thirst, he attempted to conjure water. But when he tried to create it, nothing came from his hands.
"What? Why can't I create anything? What happened to my magic?"
"Damn, I guess that fucking Magnus caused this to me," he realized.
"Great, now I'm left with only my physical strength."
As he moved cautiously through the dense forest, Theodore couldn't help but notice the numerous spider webs glistening like silver strands in the dim light. They hung from the branches above, swaying gently in the cool breeze and creating an eerie atmosphere.
The thick, sticky strands seemed to loom menacingly, making his skin crawl with unease.
"Spider creatures," he muttered under his breath, his heart racing with apprehension. "I'll be tied up trying to kill them without my magic. Damn!"
Suddenly, from the shadows, a swarm of spiders emerged, their beady eyes reflecting the faint light as they scurried toward him with unsettling speed. They ranged in size from tiny, quick ones that could easily evade a sword to massive beasts that towered over him, each one looking deadly and fierce.
These creatures were notorious for their ability to throw magical nets, ensnaring their prey and preventing any spells from being cast. The thought of being trapped filled him with dread.
Realizing he had no choice, Theodore dismounted his horse, feeling the solid ground beneath him as he quickly pulled a sword from the bag strapped to the side of the saddle. The blade glinted ominously in the fading light, a reassuring reminder of his ability to fight back.
Without warning, the spiders lunged at him, their many legs skittering across the forest floor in a chaotic frenzy. Theodore swung his sword with determination, each movement fueled by adrenaline as he desperately tried to protect both himself and his horse from the relentless onslaught. The air was filled with the sound of steel clashing against chitin, mixed with the frantic skittering of the creatures and the heavy beating of his own heart.
After what felt like an eternity of battling, he finally faced their leader—a massive spider with dark, gleaming eyes that seemed to hold a sinister intelligence. It was faster and stronger than the others, darting in and out with a ferocious speed. Theodore steadied his breath, focusing on the creature as it lunged at him, fangs bared, ready to strike. In a swift motion, he brought his sword down with all his strength, driving the blade deep into the creature's abdomen. With a final, desperate screech, the formidable beast collapsed at his feet.
As the boss spider fell, the remaining spiders, sensing their leader's demise, scattered in panic, retreating into the shadows of the forest like whispers in the wind, leaving Theodore momentarily stunned.
"Ah, man, finally! That was really annoying," he sighed, wiping sweat from his brow as he caught his breath, feeling the tension in his muscles begin to ease. "One after another, I thought this would never end."
He climbed back onto his horse, feeling a rush of relief wash over him as he adjusted his grip on the reins. The forest around him felt eerily quiet now, but he knew he couldn't linger. With a final glance at the remnants of the battle, he urged his horse forward, determined to continue his journey to Rafia.