Slowly, ever so slowly, we made our way into the misty forest. For the first time, since coming to Mundus, I was forced to appreciate my own methods, the discomfort of having your senses muddled and obscured. It was not a pleasant feeling, the lack of sight, the muffled sounds and the strange way that even scent was altered, it made me even more nervous, even more paranoid. That the mist wasn’t ordinary had been obvious from the get-go but just how unpleasant it was made a small part of me appreciate the effort and technique, even as another part of me cursed the one who had set it up.

It was a subtle effect, if not for the fact that it was a method I, myself, had employed a few times already, I might have missed it. Bound into the mist was an additional effect, using the natural effect of sensory deprivation as a starting point, it confused the senses, made it difficult to tell where you were going.

“Let me take the lead.” I told the others, making sure that they were close enough to touch, the one sense that wasn’t naturally inhibited by the fog. That way, we should be able to avoid separation, the likely purpose of the mist. Either that, or it was supposed to slow us down but given that it seemed like the mist was a constant feature of the valley, I somewhat doubted that. What use was time, if there was nothing that gained an advantage from the passage of time? Without someone or something setting up defenses up ahead, any time gained by slowing us down in the mist would be useless. And on the flip-side, if the being that had set-up this barrier of mist needed time to prepare additional defenses, it would be laughable, just this barrier, complex and confusing, was a marvel of spellcraft and power.

Using the shadows cast by my cloak, I let a mantle of twilight wrap around me, using the boundary between light and dark act as a filter, to block the confusing effect carried within the mist. The cloak made me feel a little conflicted, now that my anger had calmed and I had time to think about things. Had I done the right thing, by taking the cloak with me? If one went by the legality and projected common Earth-laws onto Mundus, I had been well within my rights, the cloak had been payment for services rendered, making it mine, no matter what additional intent the person giving it had. On the other hand, if I tried to imagine a scenario in which I were to give Sigmir’s Lok’nar to someone else, because she was no longer with me, and afterwards lose contact with the person I had given it, or be rebuffed as I had, the mental scenario hurt.

Alas, the events were done, second-guessing didn’t help, the situation was as it was. I might get a chance to improve it, but for now, we had a valley to investigate.

When I felt the magic take effect, little changed, making it obvious that the mist wasn’t just a magical illusion but actual, physical mist, even if I was utterly unable to interact magically with it. But at least, now I was able to see a little further and the mist didn’t make me think it was moving around us, giving me back my sense of direction, as it was. Even the Astral River, what I had begun to see as a foundation of reality, was weird within the valley, making it difficult to get my bearings using it.

Part of me wanted to move back, trying to find a better way to penetrate the mist, when a curious scent came into my nostrils. I was quite sure that I hadn’t smelled it earlier, the flowery smell distinct and clear, making me frown. The moist mist was making scents more distinct but even so, it was strange. Almost magical.

I could feel Lenore within my mind, just as intrigued by the smell as I was and stopped, taking my time to focus solely on what my nose and tongue were telling me. So very subtle, so very well hidden. Now that I was using magic to keep my mind clear, I was able to perceive the magic that carried the magical effect into the mist, the source of confusion. My appreciation for the being that had created this barrier went up a little more, the way that the magic was arranged, each layer shielding the deeper layers from analysis, unless one was willing to step into the barrier and experience it with your own body. Marvelous.

There was a part of me that made mental notes like crazy, the ideas I was able to see and experience, it was such a brilliant set-up. I stopped for a moment and used Lenore’s sight to observe the mist, frustrated because it was even more opaque to her magical sight than it was to normal vision, but there was something that made me pay special attention. The place where I had stopped was relatively close to one of the gnarled trees that made up the forest, close enough to smell its earthy scent. But also close enough to notice the way the magic within the mist seemed to be tied into the trees, giving me a hint how the barrier was created and maintained.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I had wondered why the mist was just covering the forest, without deviating and dispersing, as it normally would without constant control over it. The trees were the medium that provided that control and likely some of the power as well. A self-maintaining and self-replenishing barrier, if I had a habit of wearing a hat, I would have tipped it for the idea and the skill involved.

Sniffing, I realised that the strong scent of the trees had managed to hide the scent of magic from me, making me appreciate their skill even more. Annoying me, as well, but I was able to appreciate a level of mastery and guile that I hadn’t been able to appreciate before. The Grandmother would likely have similar methods but back then, I had been blind to such wonders, making me want to go back to Neyto, just to see what I might discover now.

Smiling to myself, I stepped away from the gnarled tree and focused on the smell I had noticed earlier, the sweet scent that carried the confusing mind magic. If I was able to follow that scent, I should reach the inner layer of the barrier, penetrating through the mists, at least that was my hypothesis. At the same time, I tried to quiet my mind and body, as I listened for any hint of movement or danger in the silent forest, any indication that there was something other than us within. A predator or guardian, a being used to the obscuring mist and mesmerizing scent would be a terrible foe, if there was such a thing.

“What do you make of this?” I asked Adra, letting her touch the tree I had been crouched beside. I hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, any hint of danger, but maybe one of the others had. Especially Adra, with her connection the plants, might have some ideas.

“I’m not sure.” she admitted, stepping closer and placing a hand on the tree. “It feels similar to the trees in the Grove where I grew up, but different at the same time.”

With a shake of her head, she stepped away, slowly walking into the mist, with the rest of us following. Curious, I let her lead for a few moments, following behind silently, noticing that her path was automatically curving, at least until she was able to spot another tree and make a bee-line for it and placed her hand against it,again.

“This is confusing.” she admitted after a moment. “It’s not the same tree, is it?” she asked, looking at me with a frown on her face. When I shook my head, denying that it was the same tree, the frown deepened.

“They feel the same. They shouldn’t feel the same, but they do. I had no idea why.” she grumbled, not happy that she was unable to solve the riddle, or maybe unhappy that she was unhappy to claim the power she had felt earlier.

“Stay vigilant, and let’s continue deeper into this forest.” I told the others, before reorienting myself with the sweet scent I had noticed earlier.

And so, with cautious steps and vigilant hearts, we continued on, through the forest. I had never thought that the absence of something could be so creepy and disconcerting, especially if you were expecting it. The forest was lacking all the things I associated with life, there was no insect-noise, no wind that was rustling the leaves, no smell of the slowly decaying detritus, as if the whole forest was frozen in time. At the same time, it was strange that there were no leaves on the ground, making me feel like we were walking across a parking-lot with a couple of plastic trees sticking out of it, to give it the appearance of life.

Just like the valley had felt artificial, so did the forest.

After maybe half an hour of careful sneaking, I noticed something between the trees. There was grass growing on the ground, finally a change from the dusty earth before, making me perk up, even as my vigilance shot up. Change could mean many things and it might mean danger. Walking closer, I noticed that there were colourful flowers growing between the grass, making me wonder if they were the source of the smell I had been following.

Curious, I started to walk closer, still cautious for anything that might jump at me, out of the mist, when the mist suddenly parted before me and I found myself looking into a dim valley, likely due to the clouds hanging above.

Instantly, the flowers, the meadow, the mist and the forest behind, they were all forgotten. For as soon as the mist parted, I was able to see, to witness. To comprehend.

And I felt fear.