The sun shined over the city walls. Inside the people were busy with work and chores. In the castle, Elias hurried to get his things packed. The king had ladened them with extra items to bring along with them for their daily needs and in case of emergencies. His packs and those of his companions were loaded onto their horses. Thunderstruck was none too happy to have the packs on their back but was satisfied at least by the fact that their troop would be leaving once more.

Their leaving was a quieter affair. Surrounded by guards, the king, and a few nobles they prepared to leave. The trio would not have any carts to go with them. The terrain is too inhospitable and rundown for it to be feasible. Perhaps if they took the journey years ago the path would be nicer. Now though, the corruption had overrun the foliage and knotted the paths over with obstacles.

The street was busy with traffic while they loaded up. Food stalls and carts were starting to line the streets. Other businesses opened up their doors and the early morning shoppers entered. People passed by and whispered their recognition of Alice and the others but did not bother them.

"We should make good time today. The first leg of our journey is crucial. We need to put as much distance between us and the city as possible before nightfall,” said Thompson.

“We’ll be ok. I’ll guide us,” said Alice.

The trio hopped onto their horses. The items in their packs rattled a little bit. Guards followed behind them as they started riding rather ceremonially down the street toward the southern exit. It was a gateway rather closed off and unused. Beyond its doors was the trailhead to unused lands. The crowd grew a little larger as they approached the exit. Some had slowed down the watch. There was hope in their eyes. The need for them to succeed and for positive change to come.

As they made their way through the crowded streets, Elias noticed a young boy standing near a vendor's cart. The boy's eyes were filled with curiosity as he watched the trio, but he made no move to approach them. Elias, however, felt a connection with the child. He dismounted Thunderstruck and approached the boy with a warm smile.

"Hello there," Elias greeted him with a kind smile.

The boy looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. "Hello, sir," he replied cautiously.

Elias reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of coins, offering them to the boy. "These are for you, young one. A token of hope for brighter days."

The boy hesitated for a moment before accepting the coins, his face breaking into a grateful smile. "Thank you, sir. You're very kind."

Elias ruffled the boy's hair gently. "Remember, never lose hope, and always be brave."

With a final nod, Elias rejoined Thompson and Alice, who had been watching the exchange. He turned his head back thinking of the city and his home. His worries came back for a moment before passing quickly. He would do everything he could to succeed. Even more people relied on him and needed them.

The trio continued their journey, passing through the southern gate and entering the trailhead that led to uncharted lands. As they exited and started riding down the dirt path the gates closed behind them. The guards did not follow, and the doors closed with a thud. They followed a steep hike down to the lower level into the dark forest below. The path already was bumpy and unkempt.

Soon the path leveled out and Elias could see the stretch of land visible from the castle. There was a stark divide between the land. The dirt was cracked and broken as the tree’s roots grew unnaturally. Plants had mutated to become something darker and unnatural to their roots. An unsettling fog had set in throughout the forest. It blocked their few so that they could only see passed a few trees before nothing.

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“How are we going to find our way through this place?” asked Alice.

“With the old maps and by looking for markers along the way,” said Elias. “I have traveled these routes before. It was much clearer though last I went. Even though corruption covers many things it does not cover everything. Some major buildings and pieces of road will help mark our path. The sun also shines here most days. Though I don’t know how reliable that is anymore. We will find our way. The prophecy will guide us.”

They traveled parallel to the corrupted lands for a while. The road dropped and rose as they traveled east. To their side was the large cliff face of the Elder’s Forest. Few animals were in the area. They could hear the sound of insects, but it largely came from further up the cliff face. They passed a few dilapidated buildings and old signposts and Elias made note of them. The forest hadn’t left open a path for them yet. The few roads that tried to enter the corrupted lands ended quickly.

When they finally turned down one of the paths the road shrunk in size dramatically. Each of them had to ride in a line and at times duck under branches. Their pace slowed but the way onward was clear. They passed an old signpost. The top had broken off and it was now tilted off to one side. Elias tried his best to remember what they might encounter next, but it was likely that some things had changed since he last was in this forest.

The horses took to the road without issue. Elias guided Thunderstruck and the rest followed along. Alice had gotten more comfortable riding a horse since leaving Easthaven. The older horse she rode was manageable and followed her commands promptly each time.

The unnatural fog seemed to thicken, casting strange, shifting shadows that played tricks on their eyes. The unsettling silence was broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves. Elias kept a watchful eye on the landmarks and signs they passed, trying to stay true to the path. Occasionally they passed old parts of buildings. The stone foundation was cracked and spread across the forest floor.

The horses continued to navigate the narrow, winding path with surprising agility, their hooves finding sure footing even in the uneven terrain. Thunderstruck, Elias's loyal steed, seemed to sense the urgency of their mission and moved with a determination that inspired confidence in the group.

As they pressed onward, the forest began to change around them. The twisted, mutated flora grew denser, their thorny branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. Strange, luminescent fungi clung to the trees, casting an eerie greenish glow. It was clear that corruption was seeping into every aspect of the once-pristine forest.

Alice, walking in front of Elias, had her eyes wide with both wonder and trepidation. She couldn't help but marvel at the eerie beauty of this corrupted landscape, even though it filled her with a sense of dread. "It's like we've entered a different world," she whispered, half to herself.

Elias nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it is. The corruption creates a strange world within our own that few get to see. Be on guard now, however. We’ve traveled far enough that I can’t see the cliff face behind us.”

As they rode deeper into the heart of the corrupted forest, they noticed signs of a previous civilization that had tried to tame this land. The remnants of an old stone bridge stood as a testament to their efforts, though now it lay in ruins, vines and corruption having reclaimed it. The road they followed seemed to merge with an ancient, overgrown path, and Elias considered it a sign that they were on the right track.

The day wore on, and the sun's feeble rays struggled to penetrate the thick fog. Thompson watched their backs at the rear of their line of horses. His crossbow was already loaded and strapped to the side of his saddle. The fog had grown denser the further they traveled. As the sun started to set the air also got colder. Thompson put a hand to his crossbow by his side. His worry now was that he wouldn’t be able to use it in time.

Elias urged Thunderstruck forward, leading the way through the ever-darkening forest. The horses continued to move with a surprising grace, their instincts guiding them through the increasingly treacherous terrain. Alice gripped her reins tightly, her knuckles white, as she followed closely behind Elias. She couldn't shake the feeling that unseen eyes were watching them from the shadows.

As the last light of day faded, the forest plunged into an eerie twilight. The glow of the luminescent fungi became their only source of illumination, casting shifting patterns of green light across the corrupted landscape. The trio rode on in near silence, the only sounds being the occasional creak of leather and the steady hoofbeats of their horses. After some more travel, they hit another landmark. A collapsed house stood upright for the most part. The corruption and forest had decided to grow around it instead of going through it. They slowed to a stop on approach.

“We’ll camp here for the night,” said Alice. “You can take care of the fire.” She said to Elias.