Chapter 69 The Summer Kingdom
The next three days were a series of what became almost a walking meditation.
Hours of walking through the passages—stopping at each new junction sign to make certain we were still on the right track—and then moving on again.
Oh, we passed other travelers, but each time we’d look at each other, then move to either side of the passage until we were past them.
Apparently, the demilitarized zone held true throughout the tunnels.
I hoped they never discovered what the Devbots truly were.
“I can’t believe we’ve had such an easy go,” I said. I wasn’t really afraid of jinxing us, not at this point. Unless something totally unexpected happened, I figured we’d be in the Summer Kingdom within an hour. But once there…I had no idea what to expect.
We took a break to stop at one of the outhouse turnouts—the dungeon makers had thoughtfully tucked them in every few miles, and they weren’t as smelly as regular outhouses.
After rinsing our hands with the sanitizing spray we’d gotten on entry to the game—the bottles were generously full—we paused for a snack of cheese and a slice of bread.
“All right,” I said as we stepped back into the passageway, “Let’s get this journey over with.” And so, we headed toward the exit. All the way, I was wondering just how this was going to work once we stepped into the Summer Kingdom’s realm.
The exit was there, marked with a big red sign in several languages.
I wasn’t sure what most of them were—even in the online game, my character had only known Elvish, common tongue, and a smattering of what was called Woodland Speak—the language of dryads, nymphs, satyrs, and other woodland beings.
But it was clear in common speech: exit to the summer kingdom.
With a deep breath, I glanced at the others and put my hand on the door. “Here goes nothing,” I said, pushing it open.
We exited into a wide pastoral woodland area.
The difference from the Dark Woodland was obvious.
Here, the woods around the edge of the clearing were made up of mostly deciduous trees—maple and oak, birch and alder, with a few cedars scattered through the area.
It was lovely—the grass here was sparkling green and the sun shining down was golden and warm against my face.
Autumn had not touched this land, nor was winter threatening to call.
“Is it always summer here?” I asked, looking around. Wildflowers dotted the clearing, and the drone of bees vibrated in the air as they visited the multicolored blossoms, gathering nectar.
“I don’t remember,” Thornhold said. “I don’t think any of us ever made it to the Summer Kingdom in the game. And I didn’t look up what to expect, so there wouldn’t be spoilers once our characters reached the area.”
I glanced at the others. They shook their heads, except for Reggie.
“I know a little about it. I think there are seasonal changes, but they’re far slighter than in other climes.
The Mountains of Kartell have brief springs and summers, and I think the opposite is true here—the autumn and winter are slight.
Whatever the case, we should find a place to camp before nightfall.
We really don’t know the nature of the area or what kind of creatures inhabit this realm. ”
I nodded. “Let’s look for a brook or stream or—” I stopped as Ray pointed to the right.
“I think I hear something from that direction,” he said.
I closed my eyes and listened. Sure enough, once I focused, I could hear the splashing of water as it flowed along. “You’re right. Let’s follow it.”
We crossed the clearing toward the sound of water, and shortly after we entered the treeline, we found a brook running parallel to the forest. It was about ten feet wide, and it splashed against the banks at a giddy pace, not strong enough to form rapids or whitecaps, not deep enough to drowned anyone unless they were caught face under, but it merrily churned its way through the forest.
“We’re close enough to the meadow if we need to get out of the woods,” Thornhold said. “Let’s camp by the side of the stream.”
I nodded, thinking. The moment we had crossed into the trees, I had felt something watching us, but it hadn’t felt like flesh and blood. Now, I gazed up at the oak nearest me and instantly, I knew the woodland here was alive. The trees were watching us.
“Don’t gather wood for fires here,” I said, stopping Thornhold as he dropped his pack and shouldered his axe. “The trees are watching.”
He gave the nearest tree a nervous glance. “Like…Ents?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know if the devs modeled this place off LOTR or not, but the trees can hear us and I know we’re being watched. It’s not that cold, though I would love to have a fire. But I’m not sure if it’s safe.”
“Can you commune with the trees?” Brynn asked.
She had been quiet over the past few days, ever since saying goodbye to Aisling.
I knew that she really liked him, but I was glad that circumstances had forced us to move on.
I only foresaw heartache should they try to make it work.
Even if we were stuck here for life, she wasn’t a lycanthroid, and that in itself was enough to cause issues down the line.
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried,” I said. “All right, let me give it a try.”
I settled down on the ground and let out a long, slow breath.
As I closed my eyes, I felt a wave of peace settle around me, and I yawned and stretched.
All I wanted to do was curl up in my sleeping bag and sleep.
But I forced myself to focus, reaching out to the surrounding trees.
I could feel them—that was definite, and I could tell they sensed my curiosity.
I tried to find the emotions to put my questions into words, but before I could, I heard a deep grumbling voice echo in my head.
He’s here—they’re here.
Whoever said that wasn’t talking about us—the focus was elsewhere. I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet, hand on my sword as I glanced around. I hadn’t felt anything threatening, but that didn’t mean we weren’t in trouble.
But the next moment, the air next to us shimmered as two forms began to materialize.
Thornhold and Brynn began to unsheathe their weapons, as Reggie and Ray fell behind us.
Before any of us could make another move, however, the figures appeared directly in front of me.
Standing there, in all their glory, were Otsiano, the Guardian of the Crystal Forest, and his friend, the Glass Unicorn.