Chapter 33 The Guardian of the Crystal Forest
It was early morning when we started out.
Casper had noted the closest approximation for the next Waypoint stop, and Onna had stocked our packs with more food.
She also gave Brynn and me warmer cloaks and earmuffs, and Casper had extra boots that fit Reggie and Ray, though they wouldn’t fit Thornhold.
They also had a store of toilet paper and gave each of us a spare roll, packed in waterproof bags.
“Be safe,” Onna said, waving as we headed back down the hill toward the stream. She looked almost sad to see us go.
“We will! We’ll come back to visit!” I called back.
As we crossed the stream back to the path, I sensed a wave of sadness—the same sadness that I felt leaving Liesel’s.
“I wish we knew how things are going for Liesel…and Star.” I missed the little Frazzle Cat, and wished she was full grown so I could bring her with me.
Then again, I really didn’t like the thought of putting her in danger.
We settled back into a smooth rhythm, keeping alert for dangers around us, ready for whatever might come our way. Onna had warned us that a werewolf clan lived nearby, and while they weren’t exactly evil, they took offense easily and, when triggered, could fight like they were fueled by hellfire.
“Well, what do you think?” Thornhold said. “This Devastey sounds kind of terrifying.”
“That she was willing to sacrifice her own sister to keep a stranglehold on a kingdom says everything. But I wonder if Rheyna will try to prevent us from killing Devastey. By now she might realize that Devastey will destroy her if at all possible,” I said.
“You should pray for help from Sinsara,” Brynn said. “She saved Rheyna and was an Elfin warrior, after all. Surely she’d be invested in giving you some divine intervention.”
I thought about the suggestion. It made sense, and I wasn’t averse to seeking some help from the ethereal realm—or whatever realm she was in. “I’ll give that a try,” I said.
I glanced up at the sky. The day was clear but chilly, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
If it kept up like this, tonight was be cold.
But along with the clothes and food, Onna and Casper had provided us with extra blankets—lightweight but warm—and they had checked out our tents to make sure they didn’t need any repairs.
At least we were a little better prepared for the weather.
Autumn in Abarria was beautiful, though stormy, and everywhere the wind sent leaves whirling off the trees to cover the forest floor. The air here was clean—far cleaner than it was out in the real world, which was one plus.
Brynn walked by my side. Behind us, Reggie and Ray were walking, and close behind them, Thornhold. We kept moving in comfortable silence, passing through dark thickets and lighter clearings. The path was well-traveled, which made sense given so many players had come through on their vacations.
We were halfway through the morning when I sensed something. I held out my hand, motioning for the others to stop. They immediately responded—we’d come to an unspoken agreement on reacting when we were away from safe spaces.
I inhaled deeply. There it was—something musky on the wind.
The werewolves? Perhaps, but Casper had specifically said they were further on.
Perhaps they were out hunting? But no, as I stood there, I sensed something big and heavy trundling through the forest. Something cunning…
but not malevolent. Then, before it appeared, I knew.
“Bear. There’s a bear coming at us over there. Start making a lot of noise so it backs off,” I said, raising my voice. “We don’t want bears on our tails!”
“That we do not,” Thornhold said, raising his voice. “Go away you brute! Begone!”
Everybody started yelling as the bushes parted and a startled bear broke through, near enough to see us, but far enough that he wasn’t close enough to attack.
We froze.
He froze.
I started singing the first song that came into my head, loudly and off-key, and the others joined in.
It struck me with a bit of irony that we were singing Karhunkaatolaulu, by Korpiklaani—a Finnish metal song I thought might be about bear hunting.
We had long listened to Euro-bands during our gaming adventures, and for some reason it just seemed appropriate.
The bear looked at us as if we were nuts.
We went on singing.
He began backing away, then—in a shimmer—suddenly a tall, handsome man stood there, wearing a fur cloak, no shirt, and a pair of trousers.
He had hair that flowed down his back, long and black with a wave that looked like it was straight out of the salon, and his eyes glowed—a deep frosty blue.
He had a five o’clock shadow, and a mustache that was just the right thickness.
On his head, he wore an autumn wreath of leaves and rowan berries.
I stopped singing, and the others followed suit.
“What on earth is that racket?” he asked, his voice a low, sultry tone.
I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. He was just so yummy it was hard to look away. I normally didn’t base my reactions to people on their looks, but I couldn’t look away. He was so…so…earthy.
“Quit drooling,” Thornhold said, jabbing me lightly in the ribs. “Answer the man.”
“I’m…we were singing. We thought you were going to attack, so we wanted to warn you off before…” My words drifted off. I cleared my throat, trying to clear my head as well. “I’m Erenye, and these are my friends.”
The bear shifter stared at me, then he laughed. “I’m Otsiano, the Guardian of the Forest. Or rather, the Guardian of the Crystal Forest.”
Crystal Forest? Nobody had said anything about the Crystal Forest.
“I thought we were in the Dark Woodland,” I said.
“You are. But there are hidden Waypoints, ones that only appear at certain times. And you have wandered right next to one.” And with that, he smiled again. “And now, you are going to accompany me to my realm, and we’re all going to have a little talk.”