Chapter 34
The forest teems with life just as the light of the two moons bathes the land. Well-rested and well-fed after a hearty breakfast, we start our trek into the Horan forest.
I keep Moe close to my side as I maintain my vigilance.
As we head deeper into the forest, it’s possible to come across all sorts of wild beasts.
I’d wanted to consume a vial of Zantrax before starting on our journey, but Moe had suggested I wait.
After all, we don’t know how perilous the battle with the mythical beasts will be and I will likely need to use all the resources at my disposal.
In case of absolute danger, I will resort to using it. But until then, we need to be cautious.
There are moments that make my guard go up and I almost reach for the vial. A scaly creature almost as tall as a tree runs through the forest, almost cutting our path. We barely move out of the way, and luckily it’s too occupied with running away to notice us.
“Wait!” I say and pull Moe to the side. We hide behind a thick tree trunk and wait.
The rustle of leaves and tree branches becomes louder and louder until a much larger creature, a dark blue marred with red and big, dry scales emerges from the forest. Its attention is on the previous beast as it runs after it, hunting it.
“Good call,” Moe whispers after the creature disappears into the forest.
I nod, still tense. But that’s just the first of many encounters with such beasts.
Some are like those two, scaly, huge, unusually colored.
Others are covered in furs that range from dark brown to stark white.
Some are merely existing in their habitats.
Others are in the process of hunting for their prey.
As we delve deeper into the forest, we witness a vast range of behaviors. It’s only by sheer luck that we avoid becoming those creatures’ focus, or worse, their prey.
After hours, far longer than it would have taken us had we not been so slow and vigilant, we finally reach the famed red tree trunks.
Feiyin Grove.
It’s almost as if the forest is delimitated in two.
One half has normal trees that one would find in most areas of Tartareia.
The other half, though, is filled with red colored trees that are not only vastly taller and thicker than the others, but they also come in odd shapes.
Some trunks circle around each other, creating odd loops.
Others have grown horizontally rather than vertically.
“This is so odd,” Moe mentions as we carefully step inside Feiyin Grove. “How did they develop like this?”
“I have a theory,” I say thoughtfully.
“Huh?”
“Think about it. This area is filled with mythical beasts, one stronger than the other and all prized for their spiritual energy. For those mythical beasts to survive here, they need to feed—and I don’t mean by preying on other beasts.
They must feed on the energy of the place.
If my guess is correct, Feiyin Grove looks the way it does because it sits on a reservoir of energy. ”
“So the energy in this place makes the trees and plants look so odd?”
“I believe so. Otherwise why aren’t there mythical beasts in other places? Why don’t they live in the other half of the Horan Forest? There’s something that keeps them here.”
“Are there any other places like this in Tartareia?”
“There are other places where mythical beasts reside, but no place has the same beasts. I suppose different places provide different opportunities for distinct species.”
“I see. That’s so interesting, though. If there are so many extraordinary species in this world, I wonder why mortals remained as they are: powerless…useless.”
“There might be a lot of extraordinary species. On that, you are correct. But there are also a lot of extraordinary human species. Mortals are simply not strong enough to compete with them for those resources. And there is another thing you must account for. The Sons of Tenebreis would never want mortals to exceed their condition.”
Moe nods pensively. “I never thought about it quite like that. But you’re right.
I think everyone wants to think of themselves the main character of their lives.
And for us mortals to recognize just how trapped we are by our circumstances it would make it impossible to see ourselves of the center of our world.
It’s quite paradoxical, but I suppose it’s how any inferior species has managed to survive. ”
“Not think about one’s mortality?”
“Not letting that mortality stand in the way of living,” she corrects.
“Perhaps that is a much better way of living instead of existing because of immortality.”
We find the Raffia nest after wandering the forest for hours.
What I had taken for scattered boulders at first are the eggs. They’re massive, smooth, and faintly tinted beneath layers of mineralized shell.
We hide in the shadows, observing them for a moment. If the eggs are here, the mother shouldn’t be too far off.
After some twenty minutes, she appears.
I was right.
It is larger than I imagined. Towering. Its beak is grey, like a slab of cement. Its wings are massive, the feathers glinting every time light reflects on them. It’s like a metal armor.
But that’s not even the most worrying feature. Its talons are so sharp, I have no doubt the Raffia could kill me in one blow.
The mother Raffia looks around, her eyes two slits that seem to scan every little detail of the environment.
By the Seven! How the hell are we supposed to defeat that?
Moe exhales slowly beside me. “That’s… bigger than I thought.”
“Those books should have had some dimensions,” I add drily.
“Or at least some illustrations,” Moe says with a wry smile.
“Alas, we must make do with the situation at hand.” After a pause, I add, “Are you regretting following me yet?”
“What? Of course not. This is the adventure of a lifetime.” She gives me a sly smile. “How else could I be living my puny mortal life?”
My features instantly freeze. “Don’t say that again.”
“What?” She frowns.
“Don’t refer to your life as puny. I don’t like it.”
“But it’s the truth,” she says with a shrug.
“I don’t like it,” I repeat.
She shakes her head at me, but a smile blossoms on her face. “Focus on the task,” she adds shyly.
I chuckle at her but listen to her admonition.
“Let’s find a hidden place to watch and wait.”
She nods and I pull her with me, careful to not make any sounds that might attract the attention of the bird.
We retreat into the cover of thick roots and low brush. We lay low on our bellies and watch.
The bird is mostly static. It stays in front of its eggs, not moving for minutes on end before taking a step then repeating the ritual. It’s a little unsettling the way it’s so focused on everything. The wrong move could trigger it into action.
Moe turns to me, leaning closer to whisper in my ear. “If you take the Zantrax now and distract the bird, I’ll get the blood.”
“Are you sure you can do it?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “At least that I can do. Have some trust in me.” She gives me a playful wink.
I find myself smiling at her as I nod. Reaching into the proto-realm, I retrieve the vial of Zantrax. The liquid glows faintly, pulsing with contained energy. I hesitate only for a second before uncorking it and downing the contents in one swift motion.
It burns. My body begins shaking uncontrollably.
My senses heighten instantly. The forest breathes around me. Every shift of air, every tremor in the ground, every distant heartbeat becomes painfully clear.
“Level four,” I whisper just as the tremors subside. “This is much higher than any of the previous vials.”
Excitement courses through me as I focus on the information the vial yields. This level is called Channeler and it is once more fire-based.
I suppose the books did not lie about fire being one of the most common elements.
As a Channeler, I can create fire out of thin air—similar to how Mr. Denos had been able to control the flames back then. Although I’m using the same level and type of energy, being an immortal will give me an edge.
“Are you alright?” Moe asks, her expression worried.
“Now I am. I’ll be fine.”
She watches me carefully. “Don’t overdo it, and don’t put yourself in danger.”
“I won’t,” I assure her.
I move before the Raffia can register my presence fully, stepping out from cover and deliberately snapping a branch underfoot when I’m a distance away.
The reaction is immediate.
The creature’s head tilts, then lifts, its massive form shifting for the first time. The ground seems to tremble with the simple adjustment of its weight. Its eerie eyes lock onto me.
“Come get me, little birdie!”
Almost as if it understands my words, its features shift, darkening with what looks like anger.
Oops! Did it understand the insult?
I move at high speed, and though the bird is heavy, it manages to keep up.
I draw it further into the forest, keeping just enough distance to avoid provoking a direct attack while ensuring I hold its focus.
Behind me, Moe moves stealthily.
Time stretches. I count every moment in my mind. We’d tried to calibrate everything to make sure our teamwork was complementary and not disruptive. While weaving our way through the forest, we’d also done mock-up scenarios based on the information in the book.
Moe had timed her movements within a hundred steps to thirty seconds. Then added another thirty seconds for the blood extraction. The distance in this case is much smaller, so the one full minute we planned for should be plenty for her to accomplish her task.
Every second feels like a minute as I move through the sparse terrain, careful not to lead the Raffia too far from its nest so as to not mess our plan. It lets out a low, angry sound—something between a growl and a call—and charges toward me.
The ground shakes. The trees’ crowns tremble, leaves falling to the ground.
Oh, fuck!
Forty-five, forty-six…
Fifteen more seconds. I need to—
Another loud noise that causes everything to quake.
Fuck!