The next day, almost all the personnel from both Rin and Marya's factions had to join the expedition group. They had mixed feelings; on one hand, they had accomplished the legendary feat of locating and rescuing their High Priestess. However, this achievement was overshadowed by the ransom Alex demanded. Nevertheless, their participation would still be seen as merits in their respective realms. Now, they only had to ensure that the elves from the opposing faction didn't interfere with their affairs, something both sides were sure would begin as soon as they reached the city.
In the absence of their groups, both Elves found themselves short-staffed to attend to their needs. Although under normal circumstances their hosts would offer additional servants, such things were not customary here. Only Alex was attended to, and even he didn't use many servants.
“Why are you following me?” a confused Kragash asked.
“We have nothing else to do. All the other mages are scurrying around,” Rin replied.
“You had the chance to do the same, but you refused,” Kragash pointed out.
“There’s no need to dwell on the past, little one. We've agreed to pay our price, so we might as well try to get along,” Marya responded.
“I don’t think I can get along with bothersome Elves.”
“Come on, didn’t King Alex tell you to be nice to us?” Marya teased.
“No, he told me to treat you with respect if you showed respect,” Kragash retorted.
“We are treating you with respect,” Rin insisted.
“You're still a nuisance,” Kragash grumbled, smoke almost seeming to puff out of his ears. He truly didn't know how to deal with the Elves, and they seemed to enjoy annoying him. They followed him, maintaining a respectful distance and seeming to know exactly when he was about to snap so they could ease off just in time.
Kragash’s days continued in this manner, attending to the mages' affairs while doing his best not to execute the pair of Elves. Luckily for him, Dregg handled most of the governance, organizing tasks and production, so the young Gnoll only needed to deal with a few individuals and could spend the rest of his time training, which kept him away from the Elves.
While matters progressed slowly at the settlement, Alex was flying through the forest at top speed. He had received a message summoning him once more to the Council of Beasts in the Forest of Iretar, and this time Alex deemed it appropriate to attend. Though they were still at war, they were not in such a precarious situation, and their latest victory had put them in a better position to advance. Although he left behind matters that needed attending, he trusted his subordinates to handle those tasks.
“What can I expect from the council, Athena?” Alex asked.
“I understand it’s mostly to reward you for your numerous contributions to the fight against corruption,” Athena replied.
“So, free stuff? Nice,” Alex said with a grin.
“They might also need your help,” Athena added.
“…,” Alex sighed.
“There are always threats to the forest,” Athena continued.
“…,” Alex sighed again.
“I’m sure there will be benefits for you too,” Athena reassured him.
“The lives of my people aren’t free,” Alex said firmly.
“I never said they were,” Athena responded.
“Yet everyone seems comfortable sending them to die,” Alex retorted.
“Don’t worry, they can’t force you to do anything. You can always refuse if you want,” Athena assured him.
“I don’t think I can. If I refuse, I’ll lose my place in the forest, and that would doom us. We need to build our strength here before we can conquer the rest of the peninsula,” Alex explained.
“I don’t think anyone can revoke your place in the forest. That right doesn’t come from the council but from a higher entity. The Lady of the Forest recognized you from the start, and only she can expel you,” Athena said.
“The Lady of the Forest, huh? I’m genuinely intrigued,” Alex mused.
THE HEART OF THE FOREST
Soon, Alex arrived at a place that could very well be the center of the forest. There was a clearing that seemed deceptively small, but it only appeared small because six massive creatures were seated in front of six enormous trees that rose so high one couldn’t see their tops from the ground.
Alex swallowed hard at the imposing presence of these beasts. Karan, the black dragon, was the most intimidating of all, appearing much larger here than during their battle. Similarly, the Storm Protector seemed to constantly discharge electricity into the air, ionizing the atmosphere with her plumage.
There was a wolf, an elk with a gigantic rack of antlers, and a gorilla, all giants towering to the height of a ten-story building.
“You’re late,” grumbled the gorilla.
“He’s not late, since no arrival time was given,” interceded the elk.
The council immediately erupted into a debate among themselves, leaving Alex somewhat bewildered. Athena quickly assured him that this was their usual behavior. Alex couldn’t help but notice that three councilors seemed to stand out as his staunchest supporters, with the Storm Protector and the elk barely on his side.
Alex had no voice among these powerful beasts and could only stay close to Athena, who shielded him from the fallout of the intense discussion between the six.
“Does this argument even concern me?” Alex finally asked.
“Ah, forgive us. We got carried away in the heat of the moment,” said the elk.
“Human, you would do well to learn not to interrupt your elders,” the gorilla scolded.
“And you would do well not to intimidate my guests,” a voice emerged, seeming to come from the center of the clearing, where a solitary rose was slowly blooming. Curiously, a woman’s figure formed at its center.
The gorilla merely grumbled and looked away.
“My child, come closer. Let’s get you comfortable,” the voice beckoned.
Alex approached the flower, and soon a series of branches and leaves intertwined to form a chair in front of the rose, which slowly grew into a humanoid shape until it was the same height as Alex.
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“Have they explained why we summoned you here?” the figure asked.
“Partially. Athena told me you wanted to reward me,” Alex replied.
“That’s right. For your services, a reward is in order. However, the main topic is something else. It’s about invasions from other planes,” the figure explained.
“Is the forest facing another invasion?” Alex asked, alarmed.
“The forest is always facing invasions. It’s the nature of life itself. These invasions are usually controlled by the creatures of the forest and haven’t been a severe problem. However, I’m referring to a different kind of invasion, one more coordinated by sentient species,” the figure clarified.
Alex was at a loss for words and decided to simply listen to the Lady’s monologue.
“These species come from other worlds to invade us. It’s not unusual since this world regularly sends expeditions to conquer others. The reason for your presence is to inform you that your performance has been measured, and the majority have agreed that you are the best candidate,” the Lady announced.
“The best candidate for what?” Alex asked, puzzled.
“To lead the resistance forces. This forest has been isolated for too long, and unfortunately, all the forces surrounding us have already been influenced by other beings, making them unreliable,” the Lady explained.
“You mean Sera,” Alex inferred.
“Ahem,” the Lady cleared her throat.
Alex noticed the Lady seemed to avoid mentioning Sera, so he moved on to the next question.
“And what forces will I lead?” Alex asked.
“I hope you create the force. The forest will always support you with its resources, but the beasts that live here already have their home. You must create your own faction and a place to develop,” the Lady responded.
“What about the faction I already have?” Alex inquired.
“The Gnolls? They’re not very reliable. Are you sure you don’t want to lead other humans?” the Lady asked.
“I’m fine with the Gnolls. As for the location, I was thinking of settling right here in Iretar,” Alex replied.
“That’s logical. In what part?” the Lady asked.
“The entire place,” Alex stated.
“?”
“…”
“What do you mean?” the Lady pressed.
“I plan to expand my influence across the entire peninsula,” Alex declared.
“Including the forest?” the Lady asked with a provocative smile.
“Well, I don’t really need to exert my influence over the entire forest. But as long as they recognize ties with me, we could simply say we’re allies, and I can pretend it belongs to me on paper,” Alex explained.
“You know that claiming the forest is claiming me?” the Lady questioned.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” Alex admitted.
“There’s no need to play dumb,” the Lady admonished.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. If it truly has those implications, then I’ll simply change the message to occupying the land surrounding the forest,” Alex offered.
“No need, however,” the Lady said.
“Eh?” Alex responded, confused.
“If you truly are going to found a kingdom nearby whose mission is to protect the forest, it’s only natural that you claim possession of it. It will be fine with me as long as you respect its resources and inhabitants,” the Lady stated.
“Of course,” Alex agreed.
“Well then, the forest recognizes you as its legitimate ruler. Congratulations,” the Lady declared with a few claps, though no one joined her.
“Of course, that doesn’t really mean much. I still expect you to handle the remaining threats on your own and, if possible, eliminate the remnants of the Great Serpent. That damn thing keeps intruding into my domain and gives me chills,” the Lady added.
“Of course, this doesn’t mean much in itself. I still expect you to handle the remaining threats on your own, and if possible, eliminate any traces of the Great Serpent. That wretched creature keeps encroaching on my territory, and it gives me chills.”
“The Great Serpent?” Alex asked, puzzled, glancing at the massive creatures.
“It’s not one of them. It’s the god worshipped by the Goblins. The Lady wants you to deal with the greenskins,” replied Athena.
“I see. We can definitely do that. After all, we’re already at war with them. I’ll make sure to cleanse the province of all green skin presence.”
“That’s excellent. So, what do you want as your reward?”
“What can I ask for?”
“Anything. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it to you. Otherwise, I’ll provide a way for you to obtain it.”
Alex immediately began to ponder what he could ask for—resources, troops, land, some form of assistance? There were countless things he needed, and he wasn’t sure what was available. Furthermore, the breadth of the offer made him anxious, fearing he might make the wrong choice.
Thousands of thoughts and calculations ran through Alex’s mind, but he couldn’t settle on a concrete idea. Should he ask for great personal power? Doing so would only enslave him, making him constantly responsible for solving problems. If he chose something to strengthen his subjects, it might be challenging to balance among the three species.
Finally, thinking of his subjects, an idea came to him. There was a task he needed to accomplish, and he was sure he could never do it on his own.
“I want to lift the Gnoll curse.”
“Ahhhhh,” the Lady exhaled slowly.
“Is it not possible?”
“It is possible, but it’s problematic.”
“In what way?”
“How can I explain this? Think about all the balances and systems within the forest.”
“I understand. There are many climates and ecosystems dependent on a variety of factors: rains, rivers, even the animals themselves. How does this relate to the Gnolls?”
“Correct. Many things affect the balance. Now, imagine all those things are somehow wrapped around a stone, a simple stone that just sits there. If you remove or move it, everything else will be dragged along.”
“A spaghetti code? Are you telling me the curse on the Gnolls is like a spaghetti code situation?”
“I’m not familiar with this term, but I believe you understand my point.”
“So, is there nothing I can do?”
“There is something you can do. I just wanted to make it clear that you will affect many things when you do it. Even so, do you still plan to proceed?”
“Of course.”
“Ahhhhhh.”
“Follow me.”
The Lady stepped out of the rose, immediately surrounded by leaves falling from the trees, which formed a more solid body as she walked in a particular direction.
“Do you know the difference between an Aspect and a god?”
“Not really.”
“To simplify it in terms I heard from your civilization, a god operates in a much higher dimension.”
“In more dimensions? Do you mean if our world is three-dimensional, they operate in a fourth dimension?”
“Much higher, young man. I couldn’t tell you how many, but it’s something beyond our understanding. The good news is that such beings cannot descend here, as their mere presence would break our reality. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t interact with us in convoluted and complicated ways.”
“I see. If such beings exist, there’s no need to classify them as good or evil. At the end of the day, we are as insignificant as a moment that has already passed.”
“It’s good that you’ve come to terms with it. You cannot fight the gods themselves, but never hesitate to fight their cultists, as you will hardly ever face the actual gods.”
“And what is the difference with an Aspect?”
“Aspects are not gods in the sense that they are not separate beings. They exist as part of a whole, part of the world’s consciousness.”
“What does that mean?”
“What part didn’t you understand?”
“Firstly, what is the world’s consciousness?”
“The most powerful worlds develop their own consciousness. This consciousness has only one goal: to maintain its life. There are a certain number of threats that can actually destroy the world, all coming from other planes—things that shouldn’t exist but are made real by the chaos of the infinite.”
“Things like Void invasions?”
“Among other things, yes.”
“Then, is it the duty of the Aspects to rally people and fight the Void and other dangers?”
“No, an Aspect’s duty is to act as a sentinel to ensure the world’s roots do not become corrupted.”
“The world’s roots?”
“Ah, forgive me. I’m a being of nature and use its metaphors. It’s more like every world has a kind of pillars or foundations, so to speak. If these are altered, they would create great variations in reality, which could lead us to become a Void world or some other corruption.”
“So, the duty of the Aspects is just to maintain the status quo?”
“That’s right. Aspects shouldn’t interfere too much in the world’s life, more than giving a nudge here and there to maintain life on the planet. After all, life itself will take care of maintaining life.”
“It’s the mission of different species to fight off foreign invaders. I understand. But how is it possible that Sera, being an Aspect of the world, influences each kingdom so much?”
“That’s the problem I was mentioning earlier. Under normal circumstances, Sera shouldn’t be able to interfere in worldly matters without a reaction from the central consciousness.”
“And yet, she does.”
“That’s right.”
At that moment, Alex and the Lady had been walking for a while. In front of them stood a kind of door formed by tree roots. The door made of branches slowly opened, revealing a vast circular space. Upon entering, Alex noticed this space was surrounded by densely packed giant trees, forming an effective wall with no openings to see beyond.
“This is the reason.”
The Lady pointed to the center of the chamber, where a single figure knelt, bound by vines and roots that clung to her limbs like living serpents.
“Who is she?” Alex asked, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
“She is the first Aspect,” the Lady replied gravely.