"What's Rivendale like?" the Traveller asked the boy, hoping to take his mind off the terrible scene they'd just escaped.
"It's much better than here," the boy replied, shuddering as he glanced back toward the dark trees. "There's light and warmth. Flowers everywhere—roses. Not like this place. The plants there are normal and green."
The Traveller nodded. "What does your family do in Rivendale?"
"They're gardeners," the boy said, his voice brightening. "We tend to the rose garden. We have many gardens of roses in Rivendale, and they are said to have some magical properties."
The Traveller's curiosity piqued. "Magical roses, huh?"
The boy nodded enthusiastically, "we can make healing potions from the roses, merchant from all around the Empire comes to buy them. There also a delicious drink made nectar and fruit of the roses..."
The boy was clearly eager to leave the dark forest behind and return to the safety of his home, talking about all the beautiful things about Rivendale. The Traveller and Lucian, listening to also is beginning to be filled with anticipation.
They had left the candy house after saving the boy and scavenging whatever loot he could find. He felt a sense of urgency to reach Rivendale, away from the strange and dangerous places he'd encountered so far.
His loot included:
Magical Bag: A bag that can store magical candy with no weight or size limit.
Price: The user must eat a magical candy every day.
Talisman of Hiding: Prevents the user from being tracked or easily located.
Price: The user constantly feels dread about being found.
A Bag of Magical Candies: Each candy has a different effect.
Flying Candy Cane: Requires candy magic to power.
A Recipe Book: Recipes for magical candies.
A few gold coins.
As they approached the edge of the dark forest, a soft light emerged on the other side. The Traveller quickened his pace, eager to step out of the nightmarish world of the forest. The boy's steps grew lighter as well, the fear lifting from his face.
And then, they crossed the border.
The world changed instantly.
Night gave way to day in the blink of an eye. The Traveller looked up and saw a brilliant white sun high in the sky, casting light over everything. The Crimson Moon, which had loomed above them in the dark forest, was nowhere to be seen. It was as though they had stepped into a different world entirely. Before them lay rolling meadows dotted with vibrant gardens of roses and wildflowers, stretching far and wide. In the distance, a river shimmered under the sunlight, and beyond that, a sprawling city of white marble, shining like a jewel.
The Traveller stood on a small hill, basking in the warmth of the light. Even Lucian, though incorporeal, seemed to revel in the brightness of it all. The boy, elated to be back in familiar territory, nearly skipped down the hill.
Amazed by the sudden shift, the Traveller turned and stepped back into the dark forest—back into night. Then, he stepped forward again—back into day. It was as if two different worlds existed side by side, separated only by a few steps.
"So, Rivendale is forever bathed in light?" the Traveller asked, marveling at the phenomenon. "Is there ever a night here, or is it always day?"
"Night is something only the Dark Forest has," the boy explained. "We're eternally blessed with the light of the Goddess."
"Do you have a Tower of Pure Fire here too?" the Traveller asked, recalling the tower in Darkglades.
"Of course," the boy replied. "In Rivendale, we do everything to honor the Goddess for the light she gives us. We need the tower to burn the Fells and hold the burnings ceremony."
The burnings ceremony... that is another messed up aspect of the world the Traveller doesn't want to think about.
After a few minutes of walking through the flower-filled meadows, they arrived at a small cottage. As they approached, a man and a woman dressed in black robes with white emblems emerged from the house. The Traveller recognized their attire immediately—Nightwatchers. Lucian's memories told him they were official Fell hunters of the Empire, responsible for hunting down cursed individuals who used their powers for evil or had succumbed to the price of their magic. They were rarely seen in places like Darkglades, where the noble guardians held power, but here, in areas directly administered by the Empire, Nightwatchers were the law in dealing with the Cursed.
Before the Traveller could say anything, a man and woman rushed out from behind the Nightwatchers. The boy's parents.
The reunion was heartwarming, the boy rushing into their arms as they embraced him tightly. But the two Nightwatchers, while not interrupting, eyed the Traveller warily—particularly the Ghoul Sword hanging at his waist.
Sensing the tension, the boy quickly explained how the Traveller had saved him from the witch and slain her.
The Nightwatchers exchanged glances, their expressions softening slightly, though there was still a hint of caution in their eyes. After all, the boy had mentioned that the Traveller had taken down the witch in a single strike, an impressive but unusual feat.
"We're grateful for what you've done," the female Nightwatcher said, stepping forward. She was young, with raven-black hair, pale skin, and striking emerald eyes. "But we'd like to perform a Light of Alignment—standard procedure for any unknown cursed."
The Traveller raised an eyebrow. "Light of Alignment?"
"It's a spell," she explained, holding up a small, glowing stone. "It determines the nature of your heart—whether it leans toward good or evil, and your willingness to maintain the order of society."
The Traveller hesitated for a moment thinking about everything he has done so far. Nothing that evil right, everything was in self defence. He then shrugged. "Sure."
The Nightwatcher pointed the stone at him, and it began to glow. A soft white light radiated from the Traveller, but flashes of rainbow flickered within.
"White is good, and rainbow means chaotic," she said cheerfully, her wariness easing. "Chaotic good. That's rare for someone cursed."
"Is that... good?" the Traveller asked, still unsure about this whole process.
"Of course!" the Nightwatcher beamed. "It's rare to see a cursed maintain such a strong alignment to good, especially with a light as white as yours. As long as you're not showing pure black, we don't arrest people—unless, of course, you're breaking the law. Not counting big guy over here," she said, pointing to her partner. "His white-and-gold alignment can practically blind you—that's lawful good. Part of his price, though. Oh, and he can't speak because he's taken a vow of silence."
The Traveller chuckled. "Quite the duo."
"You slew the witch too, didn't you?" she asked, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "That's incredible! We've been hunting her for months, and you did what we couldn't. You saved poor Sally's vision—she'd been talking about using divination to find the witch. Oh! I'm Cassandra, by the way, and this is John."
"I'm... the Traveller," he said, "But you can call me Lucian."
Cassandra didn't question the odd introduction. In a world of prices and magic, odd introductions were the least unusual thing one could encounter.
"You have the witch's belongings, right?" Cassandra asked, glancing at the Ghoul Sword and his magical bag. "I know a bit about candy magic myself. I could buy them off you. And the witch's body, we could claim her bounty from the Empire."