When it was time to leave, Draven approached Mother Venice. He took her tent and gear and fixed them so he could carry them on his back.
Mother Venice was holding a birdcage at that time. She gently lifted the small bird inside.
"Are you setting it free, Madam?" Draven asked, strapping the oversized bags onto his back like an awkward hiker.
"Not really," Mother Venice said with a bittersweet smile. "We've stayed here for twenty years. This will be the third time I've had to relocate in my eighty-one years of existence."
"Eighty-one?!" Draven exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you sure you'll make it to Riftwater Forest, madam? Maybe I should carry you too."
He was putting down the bag he was carrying when Mother Venice whacked him on the shin with her staff.
"What kind of nonsense is that, you cheeky brat? I may be hunched over, but I can still walk circles around you if I have to!"
"Alright, alright!" Draven laughed, adjusting the heavy bags again. "But seriously, if you get tired, just hop on. I can carry you with all this stuff."
The group then began their journey.
The four horse riders, including Gil and Felix, took the lead. They split into two groups and departed in a V formation.
As the villagers marched, Draven observed the line of people ahead of him.
Around a hundred villagers walked in double lines, their packs swaying as they trudged along.
"This is starting to feel like some kind of extreme hiking trip," Draven muttered.
The morning passed quickly, and they stopped under the shade of massive trees for lunch.
Women cooked rabbit meat while others used the bones to craft arrowheads for their bows.
Draven ate his share without complaint.
He wasn't picky about food, thanks to his past experiences with bland meals before fame found him.
Once the meal was over, they resumed their trek.
Five hours into the hike, Draven looked visibly drained, slumping with each step.
"What's the matter?" Naisha teased, smirking. "I thought you had great stamina. Remember, we've got at least ten more days of this."
But this was not a lack of stamina.
It was because he was bored out of his mind.
Walking endlessly with no excitement, seeing nothing but the same huge trees and tiny ones, and more trees and unlimited trees.
"I thought this would be an enjoyable trip, but..." he said. "But if all I see are trees, trees, and more trees, I might get sick even before five days. The only good sight here is you."
"Bear with it! Ten days will pass quickly," Naisha responded. "Carriages can't pass through this place because of the thick vines. And there aren't enough horses to carry everyone."
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the tall grass nearby.
"There it is! An enemy!" Draven yelled excitedly.
His eyes gleamed as he dove headfirst into the bushes.
A moment later, he emerged triumphantly, holding something above his head.
"I got it!"
"Idiot," Naisha snapped, facepalming.
Draven's prize?
A Horned Rabbit, wriggling furiously in his grip.
"Big mistake," Naisha muttered as the rabbit's powerful hind leg struck Draven square in the face.
The force of the kick sent him flying backward.
Draven's head slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater.
Dust and smoke billowed around him as the horned rabbit escaped.
When the dust settled, Draven groaned, his head half-buried in the dirt.
"I told you not to grab a Horned Rabbit barehanded," Naisha said with a deadpan expression, crossing her arms.
"I didn't notice it was a horned rabbit," Draven mumbled, struggling to free himself.
The villager stifled their laughter, their hands covering their mouths as they giggled behind his back.
"Get up, you fool," Naisha said, rolling her eyes. "Let's keep moving."
And so, the group continued their march, with Draven muttering curses under his breath and plotting his revenge against the elusive Horned Rabbit.
A couple of hours before the sunset, Gil and Felix returned on horseback.
"There's a Safe zone ahead. But it's a small area only. We can stay for the night. We just need to stay alert," Gil informed Mother Venice.
Mother Venice took a deep breath twice before scanning the area.
She noticed a mother deer and her fawn in the distance but continued looking around carefully.
"Alright, we can stay here for the night," she finally concluded.
Everyone set down their bags, knowing nightfall was near.
They quickly pitched a few tents for the elders, women, and children to minimize unnecessary work.
Draven watched them curiously, a puzzled expression on his face.
Mother Venice caught sight of it and raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"Quick question," Draven replied with his hand raised. "How did you know this place is safe?"
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you about that," Mother Venice replied before pointing to the grass.
Groups of five blue flowers were scattered.
"See those flowers?"
The two walk together.
"Yes?" Draven said while looking closely.
"Don't touch that flower or remove it," Mother Venice warned.
"Okay."
"That's Eatherbloom," she explained.
An Eatherbloom is a vibrant blue flower with glowing veins running through its petals, giving it an ethereal look.
The petals are shaped like a star, and the center shimmers faintly like liquid light.
"According to our history books, this flower only grows in the Verdant Expanse, the fourth layer. It is still unknown to the 3rd and 2nd layer and in the core of the forest."
"It emits a strong scent that is pleasant to humans and peaceful creatures."
"But… It's unbearable to monsters, beasts, and hybrids. The moment they sense it, they flee. Look, there's more over there," she said. "And over there."
Mother Venice pointed to other clusters of flowers that encircled the area they planned to stay in.
She continued to explain.
"The atmosphere here is also calm. There are no signs of bloodshed or fighting. Plus, non-aggressive animals are living here, which means there are no predators in this area."
"Wow, that's amazing," Draven said, now understanding what they meant by "safe zone." But his curiosity lingered.
"But… I didn't see much of these flowers in your old village."
"They were there," Mother Venice replied. "They surrounded the village, though they were farther out."
"Why not just plant more of these flowers and expand the safe zones?"Draven asked.
"It's impossible." Mother Venice shook her head. "Once you remove an Eatherbloom from the ground, its scent disappears immediately, and it withers instantly if you try to replant it somewhere else. It's still a mystery why they only grow in certain areas."
Minutes passed and they finished setting up their temporary camp. They then prepared what was left of their lunch for dinner.
Since the safe zone was small, they avoided making fires to prevent attracting attention.
Draven gathered all the men who could fight and assigned them to take turns keeping watch around the area.
There would be two people per group.
---
At the place where Gorvex and Draven had fought:
A man in his twenties dressed in barbaric clothing stood tall. His skin was tanned, and his hair was dyed and styled into dreadlocks.
He was one of the Mad Clan leaders whom Gorvex was supposed to meet up with after raiding Naisha's group.
He looked down at Gorvex, who lay motionless on the ground.
"How weak you are. Killed by a mere Verdant..." he scoffed. "You are a disgrace to be called a leader."
"Second!" one of his minions called out to him urgently.
"Yes?" the man with dreadlocks responded.
"The Fifth, Fourth, and Third are already here now."
Mad Clan leaders are called by their ranking.
"Good. Everyone is here." Second, the man with the dreadlocks, replied. "Call Trabos. I have a mission for him to do."
"Yes, Second," the minion nodded and was about to leave when—
"Wait!" Second stopped him. "Second? I am the Mad Clan leader now."
The minion immediately straightened himself and bowed to him, acknowledging him as the new leader of the entire Mad Clan.
He went back and looked for Trabos. And as he did so, the new Mad Clan leader's attention darted to the unfolding scene.
The Verdants that were captured from the other villages, aside from Naisha's, were being tormented by their men.
The men laughed as they toyed with their captives, beating them, throwing them around, and humiliating them.
The women were forced to play with them in the harsh light of day.
A vicious smile lifted the new Mad Clan leader's face.