Descal

After making sure Cecilia went to sleep on the only bed, I laid down next to the door and waited. To pass the time, I decided to do one last quick check over my inventory. Some gunpowder and related weapons, scrap metal, failed attempts at rifling, camping necessities, and my trusty log. Even though the log is burnt and full of holes, I am still carrying it around with me. It has way too much sentimental value for me since it has allowed me to get away from pretty tight situations.

The Misty Forest. I am really not looking forward to that place. The mist is not going to make things easy for sure. The fog will make it easier for the forest to trick unwary travelers. Although I do have my countermeasure by seeing in ultraviolet light, I can't keep it up forever due to my limited mana reserves. My body won't be able to handle continuous use, and I have no intentions of going blind.

Hmmm. It seems that I need to make more primer. I'll get some more alcohol later. Maybe at Uwile. Sigh. I feel sleepy. I wonder when I can get an actual good night sleep. As time continues to march on with nothing happening, I began to wonder if we were going to be attacked at all. Maybe something went wrong. Or perhaps they were going to ambush us just before we entered the forest. Would it matter if I just took a small nap? Just for a couple...

"Descal" (Cecilia)

"Holy shit. Don't scare me like that please." (Descal)

"Then stay awake. Aren't you the one who always pressured me to always be on the alert and sometimes threw pebbles at me for watcha call it: "situational awareness training?" Hmmm?" (Cecilia)

"Yeah. Yeah. I am a hypocrite. At least, we weren't ambushed. What do you want?" (Descal)

"I need to take a dump." (Cecilia)

"Seriously? The urn is right there. Do you want me to watch you take a shit?" (Descal)

"Pervert." (Cecilia)

"Really? I thought some time ago you thought I was impotent. I think you are the pervert, you exhibitionist." (Descal)

"Just. Not right now. I really have to go, but the urn is full." (Cecilia)

"What? But it was empty..." (Descal)

"It's not right now." (Cecilia)

"I did not use it if that is what you are implying. " (Descal)

"... *rubs forehead* just go empty it and be quick." (Cecilia)

"Yeah. Yeah. Actually. Come down with me if it is that urgent. You can go take a dump at the public stalls." (Descal)

"Good idea. I don't think I can wait anymore." (Cecilia)

After we went outside, Cecilia immediately ran into the public toilets (it is literally just a hole in the ground that leads to a water system that pumps away the waste using magic. It is a really ingenious method to be honest.) Also, I guess tonight a lot of people had to take a dump or something because Cecilia had to try like five different stalls until a door opened. Meanwhile, I dumped the urn's contents into the toilets at a designated area for emptying urns. However, something was wrong with the contents. I went outside to get a better look at it using the moonlight. It wasn't actually piss or poo. It was a foul-smelling paste mixed with hay and grass that was yellow and brown. Something is not adding up here. All those stalls locked at this time except for one? Not only that I was positive that the urn was empty just before I fell asleep... Oh no.

Immediately, I dashed to the stall that Cecilia was in and smashed the door open with my shoulder. A dagger was on the ground, and a masked guy was behind Cecilia trying to choke her with a wire. I didn't hesitate to take out my pistol and quickly shot the guy in the head. Too dangerous to try and get close to stab him. The only problem now is that I probably woke up the entire neighborhood and alerted this guy's friends that the mission failed. I quickly grabbed Cecilia who was on her knees trying to catch her breath, hoisted onto my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and ran for it. My goal was the northern gate. Although the direct path to the Misty Forest is in the Eastern gate, I am not stupid to go for the Eastern gate since the assassins are probably lying in wait there. It doesn't take a genius for anyone to figure out that the Princess is aiming to go to Uwile. Anyhow, I would appreciate it if Cecilia stops pounding me in the back.

"What is your problem? Stop it!" (Descal)

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last couple seconds. PUT me down!" (Cecilia)  

"Why? We will move faster if I just carry you like this." (Descal)

"Are you daft? Are you a dumbass? Is there something wrong with your head? My pants are still at my ankles! Let me pull up my pants fi.. Don't LOOK! For the love of everything you hold dear, put me down and let me pull up my pants. I don't appreciate being paraded around with my bare ass out in the open air!" (Cecilia)

"Relax! No one is looking at us right now. Here. Just be quick." (Descal)

"*sniff* I have never been so humiliated. You did this on purpose, didn't you? First that stupid joke about me being a harlot in front of that innkeeper. Now, this. You perverted sadist." (Cecilia)

"NO! I swear that I did not do this on purpose. I was just so focused on running away that I just... it was only your ass that was showing anyway. At least, my shoulder covered your vagina... Wait don't cry... Oh, gods. I am so sorry. Can you just cry later? Aren't you supposed to be royalty? Wait. Don't cry more. Oh my god. We need to run like right now. Look I'll do anything you want me to do later. Just jump on my back and let's start running as fast as we can right now." (Descal)

"I'll *sniff* hold you to it." (Cecilia)

After I wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, I told her to hold on as tight as possible and began to run as fast as I could. I avoided running through the rooftops since I would be an open target so it took me longer to get to the Northern gate due to all those twists and turns that prevented me from going full speed. Once I got to the entrance, I began to climb up the stairs that would take me to the top of the wall, scaring all the sentry members who began to start yelling stop and started to chase me. Ignoring all the shouting, I jumped off the wall and landed on the ground with the help of some mana and began to start running eastward. Once I was a fair distance from the city walls, I summoned the skeletal horse and made a mad gallop for the Misty Forest. I kept riding until I reached the sea of trees with mist pouring out .

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"Cecilia. We're here. The misty forest." (Descal)

The Misty Forest really lived up to its name of being misty for sure. The mist was constantly swirling about the trees giving the impression that it was alive. Kinda mesmerizing to tell you the truth. Whoop. That was bad. Almost got hypnotized. Anyway... better find a starting point of a path. I began to start scouting out the edges of the forest.

There is only one way to properly cross the Misty Forest safely, and it is by following a path of yellow trees. There are numerous trails of yellow trees, and it might seem like an easy thing to do especially when all other trees are green and brown, but the path is random with twists and turns that need to be followed in a misty setting. To make things worse, at certain random times, the path will change with no warning. One moment the yellow trees lead to the right, but then suddenly the yellow trees you were following disappear and reappear behind you leading you in a completely different direction. While you are trying to follow the damn path that constantly tries to juke you, illusions will constantly try to trick you and lead you away from the path. And the illusions don't play fair. For example, when the path changes, the forest can create an illusory path of yellow trees in the direction that you were going which will only lead you far away from the real yellow trees. In addition, all sorts of hideous monsters love to hide in the mist and attack unwary travelers. This is why it is suicidal to enter the forest alone. First, you are less likely to be lead astray in a group. Second, a group is more likely to find out any changes in the path. Third, monsters are more hesitant to attack numerous people at the same time.

"Descal. I found a yellow tree. It is over there." (Cecilia)

First, to make sure that it is not an illusion right off the bat, I decided to wait a couple minutes. Illusions do have a time limit. On the boundary of the forest, illusions don't last for very long. I can't use my UV vision on these trees because surprise the color yellow is not in the UV spectrum but in the visible light spectrum. While we were waiting, we demounted and tied a rope between us in order to make sure we don't separate without the other knowing.

"You do know what you are doing, right?" (Cecilia)

"Why do you ask that?" (Descal)

"You've been insanely quiet so far. The only times you go quietly like that is when things are serious." (Cecilia)

"I don't know. If this is the same forest as a thousand years ago, then no biggie. If something changed... well. we got problems." (Descal)

"How do you know what the forest was like... Right..." (Cecilia)

Well, it looks like this tree is the real deal. After helping Cecilia up, we plunged into the mist. Soon our entire surroundings were trees and an opaque white.

 Cecilia

"You know how you promised me that you would do anything for me when we got out of the city?" (Cecilia)

"Yes...." (Descal)

"Tell me more about yourself. From your lack of knowledge of the current era, I can tell that you haven't been in this world for a long time. What dimension have you been to? What is different? What did you do in the..." (Cecilia)

"Slow down. Jeez. Watch that branch. Well... like you know I got sent to another dimension as a result of fighting someone." (Descal)

"Who was that someone?" (Cecilia)

"...You won't meet him again. He's gone." (Descal)

"Oh.." (Cecilia)

"Hmmm. Before I got sent into that other dimension, I guess you could say I had a really simple childhood and a really simple family. My dad was something similar to a craftsman. The things he could make were something "out of this world" you could say. I was pretty smart academically so I ended up entering a research institute under the wing of a professor of magic." (Descal)

"Sounds pretty similar to a normal human family." (Cecilia)

"I was a human." (Descal)

"Wait. What? But humans cant use chantless magic!!! It's impossible due to our inability to fully grasp and control mana like the other species! You can't be human. I thought you were like a subspecies of an elf!" (Cecilia)

"First, humans ARE capable of chantless magic. The only problem is that our concept and use of magic differs from other species. We have to approach magic from a different point of view from other species. Two, I said I WAS human." (Descal)

"Then, what species are you now? You're not an undead, are you?" (Cecilia)

"Now. Not an undead... Truth be told, I don't know what I am anymore. I question that even now because I ended up giving up my humanity due to a spell." (Descal)

"So are you something similar to an ancient one? You know the cause of your deep connection with mana?" (Cecilia)

"Definitely not. I am nothing like the ancient ones. You'll have to trust me with that." (Descal)

"Okay... So how did you lose your humanity? How and what happened when you were banished?" (Cecilia)

"Well... Here is the short version. I wanted power. Strength. So I used a spell and well... I lost my humanity. As for how I got banished.... I fought someone. A banishment spell was used, and I got sent to another world. A world where only humans existed with no magic. To survive, the humans put all their effort into technology to get stronger. I lived there for 19 years before I got pulled back here for some reason. I don't know why I got sent back though." (Descal)

"So... How long have you been back?" (Cecilia)

"About a couple months. Probably about half a year. You know. You are taking this news quite well." (Descal)

"Well. I have always been really good at picking apart lies. Well. More like see lies. It's hard to explain, and I can definitely see that you aren't lying. Umm. Descal. There's no yellow tree there. Hell. There is NO tree there. It's that way." (Cecilia)

Descal suddenly stopped and looked at the way I was pointing. Then, he looked at the tree in front of us intently. He scratched his head and looked at me again.

"Ummm. Are you sure about that? I am pretty sure that there IS a tree in front of us, and it is yellow. That yellow tree over there is probably the illusion." (Descal)

"Descal. There is no tree in front of us. That tree is the real one." (Cecilia)

".... Are you sure? I mean the tree right here looks pretty real and yellow to me." (Descal)

"Descal. I am positive that tree is an illusion. Why are you so confident that there is a tree in front of us?" (Cecilia)

"You won't understand, but I am looking at this tree with different spectrums of light. They all show a tree in front of me." (Descal)

"Well, then your method doesn't work anymore. Might have worked a thousand years ago, but not anymore." (Cecilia)

"... I find that hard to believe..." (Descal)

"Oh for the love of..." (Cecilia)

"Wait... if that's actually a fake path then"

Ignoring him, I walked over to the place that Descal was staring at and started wildly moving around with large exaggerated movement. If I could show Descal that I was walking through the "tree", he should understand that it is an illusion. As soon as I tried to walk back to where Descal was, the fog immediately condensed and made it extremely hard to see in front of me. However, the rope helped me get back to where Descal was.

"Okay. You proved your point. But don't stray from the path again. It is EXTREMELY dangerous in a forest that is filled with illusions." (Descal)

"You know. For a forest with a reputation of being filled with illusions, I haven't seen one of those so-called deceiving illusions. I just see mist, mist, more mist, and can't forget the trees!" (Cecilia)

"What are you talking about. We are really deep in this forest. I have been seeing illusions left and right. There is absolutely no way that you have not seen ONE illusion yet." (Descal)

"And I am telling you that I have not seen a single illusion. Maybe I am just special." (Cecilia)

"Wait a minute." (Descal)

WIthout any warning, he grabbed my face and looked intently at my eyes. I could feel a tingling sensation, which I presumed was some sort of mana, all over my eyes.

"What are you doing?" (Cecilia)

"Wow. Okay. I know why you have difficulty using magic. You must have inherited the Eyes of Truth from King Elinsgurd of the Rohania Kingdom." (Descal)

"King who of what Kingdom?" (Cecilia)

"The Rohania Kingdom. A country that existed and was destroyed in the first Calamity War. It seems the Ruhan Kingdom was what rose out of the ashes, and you are the descendant of King Elisgrand, the king at the time of the first Calamity War. You have also inherited his greatest power. The Magic Eyes of Truth." (Descal)