Wali and Yacob looked over at the edge lord, who sat by himself over something warm. Dressed in all black leather, he had shaved the sides of his head down to the scalp. Long purple hair, almost dark enough to be black, was swept forward. Wali couldn’t help but think this was some anime-inspired hair. He was very pale with milky skin that was smooth and unblemished. He had the usual pointed ears and large almond-shaped eyes that were common, with the addition of several piercings in each ear. He sat slouched and sullen, simply staring into the mug.

Wali walked over to the table, and when the dark-haired elf didn’t look up, Wali said to him, “Something tells me that you know how to find someone named Marsai?” The elf only looked up at Wali and nodded. The elf raised an eyebrow in question, still not saying a word. Wali filled the silence, “My name is Wali, and that’s my friend Yacob, mind if we join you?” The elf waved Yacob over and offered seats. After Yacob had moved over and the elf still hadn’t said anything, Wali asked, “May I have your name?”

The voice that came out of the elf’s mouth was not one either of them was expecting. Nor was it something that either of the two young men could help but snicker at. The elf made a face and said, “This better not be some sort of put-on show.” His voice was that of an eight-year-old who had inhaled a volume of helium. High-pitched and nasal, Wali judged it to be somewhere between Alvin the Chipmunk and Buttercup Powerpuff.

As Wali fought down a guffaw, he said, “ No, I have been sent to find Marsai by my mentor.”

“Get the laughs out, jackasses. I’ll be killing you if you aren’t serious.” The elf’s face reddened in anger. Yacob got himself under control as he sensed the fury from the elf. Wali put on his poker face and reigned in his laughter with as much maturity as his near-century of life could manage. Seeing them manage themselves, the elf continued, “Do you really want to go see that bitch Marsai?”

Wali sighed to himself. This was going to be a delicate negotiation. “As I said, my mentor sent me to find this Marsai person. If you know the way, I need a guide.”

The elf sneered, his voice still as humorous as before. “Oh, I know where to find her. I can’t ever forget. I can even get you there. You know what? In fact, you two might be my way out of this damn curse.”

Wali cocked his head, “Curse?” he asked cautiously.

“Do you think I want to sound like this? Or look like this? Fuck no, that old witch cursed me.” The elf fairly shouted. A commotion of snickers and chuckles could be heard around them as folks looked over at the elf’s rant.

“Well then, maybe we can help each other out. Can I get your name?” Wali said in earnest.

“Frel’l’idanithor Vincensillitas.” The elf said, his pointed teeth catching the light for a moment. Then his face twisted, and he was forced to say, “Prince Twinkle-toes of the Thieving Hands.” He seemed to get back under control and said with a profoundly frustrated breath, “Fucking witch.”

Wali took this in, watching the effects of a powerful curse in action. He examined the elf for a moment using his magical sight. An extremely complex spell was tied directly to the elf’s soul. Wali recognized a heavy influence of the Mind and Breath glyphs, more complex runes, and some sort of scripting that Wali couldn’t even recognize. “Do you mind if we call you Vinny for short?”

Vinny seemed to wait for the curse to trigger but said in resignation, “The curse accepts it, so it’s either that or Prince Twinkle-toes.” Obviously, this man was a bit broken and obviously had done something to enrage this Marsai person enough to wrap this complex curse to his soul. Wali almost felt bad for the guy. That was until he thought about the possibilities of what he may have done to warrant such a punishment. Why not simply death? This was worse in many ways than death for the elf.

Wali asked, “Before we get too far, why the curse? Care to explain?”

“I was a stupid kid, and I tried to pick some of the witch’s flowers. There are warning signs all over the garden, for fuck’s sake.” Vinny said, shaking his head. “Now I’m stuck sounding like this and will soil myself if I don’t dress like an asshole.” The high-pitched voice was both angry and resigned.

Trickster was howling in Wali’s head, absolutely rolling on the floor with belly-aching laughter as Vinny told his story. Thankfully no one but Wali could hear the Wily One.

“All that for picking flowers? Wow, that sounds like a bit much.” Wali replied in sympathy.

“Oh, they are magical flowers for sure. And there really are signs. I was just dumb, too arrogant, and foolish to think those signs were there for anything more than to warn the simple-minded away. Nope, they were for shitheads like me.” Vinny said.

“Okay, Vinny, how much to take us out to where Marsai lives?” Wali asked.

Vinny thought for a moment, “Two weeks as the arrow flies, a month on foot. Lots of fighting to be had as the best path is not through any civilized part of the forest. Not going to be cheap. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll do it for free.”

Wali felt that something else was going on, “Why free?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Honestly, Marsai told me to wait here for someone to come looking for her. When they arrived, I was to take them out to meet her. Already took someone out to her, but they weren’t the ‘correct’ people. Twice I’ve done that in sixteen years, now you are here. I sure hope you’re the ones.” Vinny didn’t sound hopeful; he sounded tired.

“Wait sixteen years?” Yacob finally asked. Vinny just replied with a nod and a frown, confirming the number. Yacob looked at Wali, who shrugged. The word Destiny hung between them for a moment.

Before much more dithering, Wali asked, “When can we leave?”

“Give me an hour to settle my tab and gather my things.” Said Vinny as he stood up. He was built like most elves, lithe and wiry. He went to the bar, and Wali and Yacob shared a look and a shrug. This was their only direction, and Vinny seemed serious enough. The curse story was a bit of a mind-bender for Wali. Who was Marsai, and why would Longtooth send him out to find this person? The boys chatted for a bit, but not ten minutes later, Vinny was back at the table.

Vinny carried a longbow as tall as he was, wrapped in black leather. It was impossible to see what it was made from. It exuded a familiar aura to Wali. As the bow came near to Gale, the spear crackled with lightning. The windy voice of the storm elemental came to Wali, “Kill it! Foul enemy! Destroy!” it screamed.

Suddenly concerned, Wali examined the bow with his magical senses. It took a moment before he saw it, bound into the bow was an elemental like Gale. Not a storm elemental but one of stone and nature. Trickster saw him looking and said to Wali, “ Mountain Elemental, very rare. The natural enemy to Gale. You should let them both out at once and see them fight.” Wali could feel the smirk and sense of humor behind the thought.

Wali and Yacob looked around for a pack but not seeing one; they realized that he must carry something like their own Void Bags. They set out after settling their tab. They were quickly let through the gate of the fort as passage through the gate was not watched so much as the merchants were.

The forest rose not ten meters from the wall of the little fortified village. The trees were the pillars that held up the sky, it seemed. The nearest was easily two meters in diameter, and some were five or six. Hundreds of meters tall, their bark was shaggy with dark brown layers peeling away in fibrous chunks. Redder bark could be seen under the shaggy outer layers. The closest branch was fifty meters up, and the canopy was another fifty above that. Wali could feel the powerful Spirits residing within the Barrier Trees as they were known. Very little light reached the forest floor. The mat of foot-long pine needles was soft underfoot. Ferns, creepers, ivy, and many lesser plants clung to the sides of the trees and clustered around their base.

There was a semblance of a road into the forest, just wide enough for the wagon they saw being pulled out of the tree line. However, it was more of a natural path than a proper one; years of travel along the natural path had marked it. The course traveled in a winding path in a generally southern direction. Wali and Yacob followed Vinny into the forest.

As the boys stepped into the forest itself, passing under the boughs of one of the Barrier Trees, they both felt a presence brush through their souls. They both shivered for a moment as the chill wind momentarily touched their hearts. It was gone as fast as it came. Vinny looked back at the pair and nodded. Wali recognized the touch of a spirit, and he had felt the tree’s spirit sense him and Yacob as unfamiliar. As one of the great protectors of the elven lands, it checked them for ill intent and found none, accepting them.

The air felt different, the world a bit more vibrant under the ancient canopy. Life was thriving. It was a slow-moving and very deep river here. There was a moment of peace as all of the animals took the trio in. Then the critters resumed their scurrying, and the birds began to make their calls. Feeling deeply at home here, Wali took a deep breath. The strong scent of the pine-like Barrier Trees dominated, but Wali could smell many new and exciting things. The air was cool and shaded. A few spears of light made it to the forest floor. Yacob looked around and smiled too, obviously at peace.

Vinny shook his head, “You two need to be more careful. We will not follow the Paths where we are going, do not let this part of the Forest fool you.” He led the way as they moved, his steps strong and steady in the undergrowth. He did not cut through any barriers; he routed around them. Vinny always found the way again, some internal compass directing him to their destination. A couple of kilometers into the forest, the greenery began to change. The humidity had steadily grown thicker with the distance inside the forest. Water hung in the air, and Wali could sense the water aspected mana mixing with the heavy nature-infused mana surrounding them.

The trees themselves began to show a wider variety of species. No longer just the massive Barrier Trees but other species. Dark Oak, Shackled Resin Yew, and Hollow Cedar are the most common. No longer just a pine forest but with a profusion of deciduous trees in the mix. The wildlife began to change also, growing larger and more predatory. Beetles the size of a platter scuttled along the bark of trees. Wali saw a retriever-sized spider leap thirty meters from one tree to another to pounce on one such beetle.

When the dim area of the forest began to be genuinely dark, they stopped for the night. Vinny could see well enough in the darkness, as could the boys through magical means. Vinny explained, “Night is when the true predators come out. We better hole up for the night.” He found a sizeable Hollow Cedar tree, placed his hand on the bark, and whispered what sounded like a prayer. The bark split apart under his hand, and Vinny stepped back. The tree’s outer bark stretched open, revealing an empty space inside. The hollow portion of the tree was about three meters wide, and the tree itself was a large living tube. As the boys stepped inside, the opening closed behind them.

Inside, the tree was utterly dark until Yacob brought out the Tear from inside his shirt. The light was blinding at first. Then Yacob took a yellow glass cup and placed the Tear inside, instantly reducing the intensity of the light.

Wali said to Vinny, “Neat trick with the tree. Can you teach me that?”

“Sure, if you can talk to the tree’s spirit, you can ask it to let you in. Sometimes it doesn’t work. It depends on the tree.” Vinny replied as he took a seat on the loam inside the tree. Yacob and Wali looked around the enclosed space. The air was fresh and not stale, smelling intensely of cedar wood and sap. Wali produced a heat brick, and he made a quick stew with a pot and some supplies. After eating, the trio fell fast asleep in their bed rolls.

They awoke a few hours later to a sharp pain in their souls, a feeling of fear and agony. They could hear something huge on the other side of the bark of the Hollow Cedar. Something was trying to scratch its way inside. Something big.

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