“What’s this forest called, anyway?” I asked.

“Daldiwud. Supposedly it’s as unpopulated as Fangpeak.” Frederick said.

Earlier in the day, the river valley had gradually descended deeper into the land, leaving the mountains ever taller around us. Straggling trees and isolated woods soon combined to form a solid bulwark of trees around the lonely road and river beside, a forest as blanketed in deep fog as the drearist of Veroline mornings. Though the storm was now past, the sun did not reach far through the thick trees, leaving the forest road darkened and dead looking. Even the road was of ill-repair, with roots and broken stones peeking through the patches of snow that managed to find its way to the bottom. Likewise, civilization had stopped long ago, with the last small group of farms being passed well over half a day before we entered. The very last buildings we had seen was a crumbling tower that stood on one of the nearby peaks watching over the bending valley forest.

For once, the entirety of the wagon’s residents sat up near the front bench, a small sense of both excitement and dread following our plunge into the trees. It was an understandable curiosity, for the last few days or so had been horribly boring for all of us, with not even more than a break or two a day, and even that was mostly taken up by brief washing or minor handyman chores.

Well, chores for Fredrick and Hans at least. A lady was apparently above such things.

“I wonder why.” It seemed like a fine enough wood to me, though perhaps a little dark for my liking.

“It’s considered a fell place by those in the valley.” Hans kept his eyes on the trees beside, constantly on the lookout for something only he knew. “Dark legends surround its boughs, and whispers of shadowy things accompany any conversation about it.”

“Really? Is that not just superstition? Or is it infested with orthungs and the like.” I asked.

“I’m sure there’s a pack or two somewhere about.” Breale said. “But surely you’ve heard some of the rumours, right? It’s all the merchants who come down from Fangpeak and Minua will talk about.”

“Personally, I think they’re just trying to jack up prices.” Fredrick scoffed. “To make up a reason why Minuan wine should cost double that of Brepoli’s.”

Minuan fruit prices are similarly exorbitant. It’s one of the reasons I’m excited to make it there.

“What about you, Hans?” I asked. The paladin had travelled more than all of us combined, save maybe Silst if he counted. “Surely you’ve been through here a few dozen times by now.”

The man kept staring out into the trees for a moment, as if concerned that a pack of wolves would descend upon us as soon as he looked away.

“The roads are as safe as it gets, for the most part.” He finally said. “More even, as bandits and brigands avoid the wood as much as the yeomen.”

All of us could read the implicit ‘but’ in that statement.

“And beyond the road?” Breale asked. “Is it dangerous?”

“Some of its rumours have a substance of truth to them. Others are more real than fabrication.”

“Oh?” I felt a familiar curiosity bubble up within me. “Which ones? Are there a bunch of demons in there? Have you ever been tasked with killing one?”

Magical creatures back on Earth had been a rare thing, mostly extinct by the ever expanding influence of mudanity. So the mere mention of more exciting creatures and myths to learn about was of course incredibly interesting to me. After all, if even the ‘normal’ animals and creatures of Elys could be so unique, surely its myths and legends were even more so?

“It is not wise to discuss evil in such a fell place.” The paladin warned.

Ah, but such a cliche line does little but make me more curious!

“Light still filters through the leaves.” Fredrick said. “Maybe you’d have a point if it were dark, but I doubt a story and some shadows is likely to frighten us too much.”

“We’ve faced worse.” Breale added. “Well, I’d hope so, at least.”

“By the Star… Has curiosity overcome any sense of discretion in today’s youth?” Hans shook his head, looking almost as amazed as disapproving. “These monsters have killed more than one paladin in my time, they are not stories to be passed around as idle entertainment. Especially not in the forest those very creatures reside in. Demons and dark beasts are attracted to their own names, after all.”

“Shouldn’t it be more important to tell us then?” I argued. “It’s better to be prepared, and you can just omit the names.”

Hans sighed.

“It does not matter what by which I call it, Saphry. A name given is a name taken, it need not be the right one.”

And that sounded a lot like cryptic bullshit to me. Or was every monster constantly listening for the context clues in every conversation ever? Did separate demons ever fight each other over which shadowy asshole some peasant was actually talking about? Perhaps they all listened in when someone made up a tall tale too? Nonsense.

“Then what’ll we do when we get ambushed at night while one of us is at the helm? Or do you want to be awoken at every fallen leaf and snapped branch we see?”

Ryder, is it really wise to argue with the demon slayer about all this?

I ignored the drake, of course.

“I’ll take the night shift. And we should be fine on the road, in any case.” Hans matched my gaze. “You should banish any thoughts of Daldiwud legends, at least until we make it back under the sun.”

I broke off eye contact first, not wanting to offend the paladin once it became apparent he wouldn’t budge.

“How boring.” I said.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“We could always tell you about Cice, then.” Breale offered. “Surely Master Paladin wouldn’t think that too dark?”

“We should probably use this time to prepare you three for the High Road.” Hans cut in. “Caelis’s Call sits right past the forest, so we don’t have too much time left. There is no point in wasting our hours on sentimental matters.”

“How boring indeed.” Breale said.

…

When I awoke in the pitch black forest, I found the warming stone cold and lightless, and nobody else in the bedrolls around. A shrill flute cut through the air, and I could barely make out the rhythmic notes of a fast paced march through the thundering roar of hooves on stone.

What the hell was happening?

I wasted no time in pulling on my boots and cloak before jumping out of the wagon. Outside, I found that Hans had taken the wagon far off the road onto a ditch surrounded by trees, and the road was only visible by the dozens of lanterns that bobbed up and down along its length. From what I could see, there were hundreds of mounted soldiers proceeding down the path through the darkness.

The others were already outside, hoods drawn close as they crouched in the brush. I carefully jumped down to join them, taking up a position next to Hans as we watched the army march. Besides a few concerned glances, none of them said a word, and I felt caution and paranoia still my own throat.

They marched for what felt like half an hour, an endless march of arms and armour. Every once and a while wagons moving as fast as the cavalry sped down the stoneway, shining blue light spilling out of its crevices. I kept close to the others as we waited, fervently hoping no one was looking too closely at the countless trees around them.

Eventually, the group fully passed us, and the shrill notes of their march-song faded into silence. Still we waited, however, all of us afraid of additional scouts or rearguards trailing behind the main host. It was only when Hans fully roused did muted conversation begin between us.

“They’re gone, I think.”

“How in the abyss did they catch up?” Breale asked. “We didn’t even stop for sleep!”

“Our colgs are already looking close to death.” I said. “I don’t even want to know how bad theirs are. Though I’m surprised no phoenixes have flown over before now.”

Colgs had a legendary stamina to me, but nothing alive could keep up a steady march for almost a week without sleep. They were almost like golems rather than anything biological.

“Warcolgs have been said to jog and glide for almost two weeks before falling dead.” Fredrick shook his head. “But to think they would actually risk such a thing.”

“And the Knights of Esilmor are forbidden from interfering in internal troubles.” Breale added privately. “I doubt the phoenix would even obey such an order as to arrest one of the line of Evendal.”

“This could very well be from a border fort.” Hans said. “A scout could’ve glided down from the citadel in a quarter of the time it takes to walk. It’s possible they’ve only been on the march for a day or two.”

“How unfair! What I wouldn’t give to be able to fly…” Breale said.

“Why didn’t we do the same?” I asked, a little confused. “Surely we could’ve bought a new cart wherever we landed?”

If we had done that, it was possible we could already be past the forest by now, possibly even climbing the High Road. It wasn’t like cost was an issue, not with three nobles and a well-paid paladin. Well, I hoped he was well-paid at least.

“In the storm? Gliding down in that gale would’ve killed us, I don’t even need to think about that. No, we needed to leave as soon as we could, and on foot was the fastest way to get out of the city.”

And we can’t very well start gliding at the bottom of the valley. Gideon added. Our only option is foot-slogging it.

“Thanks, I think I knew that.” I whispered.

“Then what now?” Breale asked. “The road isn’t safe, that much is obvious. What if another patrol catches up?

“And what do you suggest? That we quit the path?” Fredrick laughed mirthlessly. “Hans has made it clear enough how dangerous that could be.”

“We have three experienced soldiers among us!” Breale argued. “I know we at least have been in more than our fair share of duels, and Hans is no stranger to combat himself. Surely a lonely demon or two is safer than an entire mounted patrol?”

“You have never fought a demon, sister.” Fredrick said slowly. “It is not the same as a fight with men, not in the slightest.”

I looked away. I’d never asked Auro and Fredrick what they had actually heard when we fought that thought-demon back in Verol, though I knew that it probably wasn’t pleasant. Just what had the thing said to him, anyway?

Breale didn’t seem to have an answer for that , so she simply huffed and looked off.

“Not all legends speak of demons, Young Maverick.” He put his massive hand down on Fredrick’s head, lightly patting him a little deeper into the snow. “Come on, it’s no use arguing out in the cold.”

Hans climbed back onto the wagon, and the rest of us followed. Inside, he rummaged through the crates and pouches until he found a paper map he’d brought, and he put it down in between the bedrolls and the newly lit heating stone.

It was a rough map, but it was obvious to me that it showed all of the plateau. In a lot of ways, it was kind of a lie to call the land Verol and neighbours sat upon a ‘plateau’, owing that the entire thing was completely filled with mountains in a way that didn’t make too much tectonic sense, but that was the best word I had to use. Because while the mountains in the middle were large, they were apparently nothing in comparison to the steep sides of the landmass, which cut at an almost vertical incline down to the lowlands where Tresti and Falia sat. The map made it obvious just how big Summark was as well, the lake it used as its borders making up around a third of all of Verol combined.

“There is not much forest left in between us and the High Road.” he said, pointing at the forest in between some mountains. “The road continues alongside the River Verie all the way around these mountains, but if we wanted to make straight for the pass it is not the fastest. It should only be a couple days in the trees, compared to the three or four it would take along the road. And if we’re lucky, they’re not even going to take the pass.”

“The only reason they wouldn’t take it would be that it’s blocked.” Fredrick pointed out. “And again, what about the forest? You spoke much ill of its innards earlier today, but now you want to break through? Those weren’t mere campfire stories you mentioned, were they?”

“Nothing of the sort! I wouldn’t lie about such a thing.”

“Then…?”

“It is not a route I guide us along willingly, but it isn’t a condemnation of death to be found between these trees at night, merely one of risk. A risk we must now take if we are to forsake the road in fear of royal patrols.”

“And you believe we can make it without casualty?”

“Unless we are unlucky, we shouldn’t run into anything too horrible east of the Verie.” Hans said

“That is not what I-”

“Then it’s settled!” I interrupted. I was thoroughly done with sitting here by the side of the road, and was ready to get our metaphorical legs moving again already. “Hans says we can do it, and I don’t see any other option, do you?”

I waited for half a second, but found the others too baffled at my interruption to respond.

“No? Then let's get a move on! There’s no point whining about it, after all.”

“Says the person who won’t have to fight anything.” Breale quipped.

“Exactly! I can’t fight anything, so please take care of me! I’ll be counting on you guys.”

That earned me a few baffled looks for a second before Fredrick shook his head with a laugh.

“You may be useless, Saphry, but you have way more energy than someone would expect sometimes.”

“Thank you! Now let's get out of here before some noble comes rolling down the road with another battalion.”