Darian blinked. “The God of seasons?”
“Yes,” the fey woman responded, another of her treekin materializing from the forest. “He is my father.”
Two of the treekin scooped up the unconscious Jorg and Isaac. The third lumbered toward Alistair and the necromancer glared at the wooden creature. But he didn’t struggle as it worked its bladed arms beneath him and lifted.
“Please be still,” the fey woman suggested. “Their blades secrete a deadly toxin.”
“Wonderful,” Alistair mumbled. “You couldn’t conjure up something a little less deadly?”
“Nothing large enough to carry you. We have a great distance to travel.”
“Will we reach it before the sun rises?” Darian asked, following the fey woman into the forest.
“We should,” she said, regarding him with her pitch-black eyes. “I know of your…condition. It is why I came to meet you in the night. But I did not think our meeting would be in the middle of such bloodshed.”
“How do you know about my ‘condition’?” Darian asked, keeping a close eye on his companions.
“The fey see everything,” Krast whispered behind Darian, a touch of fear to his voice. “My brother told me stories. They never ended well.”
“My kind do have our ways, but we have been watching you for some time, Darian. The methods are something you will have to ask my father about.”
As they travelled further into the forest, a familiar screen appeared at the center of Darian’s vision.
----------------------------------------
Enemies Defeated
[Bronze Golems Lv. 6] x4
[Dwarves Lv. 5-10] x8
[Necromancer Lv. 11]
XP Gained: 396
Progress to Class Level 12 (647/850)
----------------------------------------
Guess that means we’re away from the fighting. He glanced over his shoulder. For now.
“Your father,” Darian started asking. “What does he want from me? And what’s your name, by the way? The fairy sisters called you the ‘Deeproot’.”
She smiled for a moment, but the expression quickly melted away. “The Deeproot is a title given by the fey queen to her wardens. I was one of the Deeproot, but I left her services some time ago. My true name is Almeda.”
“Well Almeda, you didn’t answer all of my question.”
She made a small sound, one only audible to Darian’s ears, but it gave away her frustration. “My father does not share all his plans with me. All I know is that he wishes to protect you and foster your growth. But to what end, I cannot say for certain.”
“As long as he truly can heal Jorg, I have no problems meeting him. But I make no promises to sticking around after that.”
Almeda nodded. “That is agreeable.”
They walked in silence for a while after that, with Almeda leading them through the forest. The green mist that seemed to accompany the fey grew thicker as they traveled, and Darian could pick out the shapes and sounds of strange creatures within the haze.
“Where exactly are we going?” Darian eventually asked, noting that Krast was growing more nervous by the second.
“To the Sanctuary,” Almeda replied.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Yes…but where is it? From what I’ve been told, the fey are new to this area.”
“We are.”
Darian waited for more, but it never came. I can’t tell if she’s missing the point on purpose or if this is just what she’s like. He wanted to keep pressing her for information, but he decided to hold off for now.
“Will Jorg be alright?” Krast whispered, looking almost embarrassed for asking.
“Can’t say for certain, but he’s tough. I’ve seen him take damage and come out the other side. But with the bolt being so close to his heart, things will be tricky.” He slowed his steps and gave the boy a firm pat on the shoulder. “But with healing magic, I think he’ll be fine. He’s too stubborn to die.”
Krast showed a rare smile. “We’ll need to give him blood too, don’t forget about that.”
Hard to forget about it when I’m covered in it. But Krast was right. One good thing was the sanctuary had to be in the forest, meaning finding an animal to drain shouldn’t prove to be difficult. But I’m still not convinced this won’t turn out to be a mistake. He looked between Almeda and Jorg. But even if I tried fighting her, I’m not sure I could win. That fact needled at him. She used an inventory, so she’s got to be a companion. He knew the gods and Aspirants of this realm were people from his world, but his last interaction with one wasn’t exactly pleasant. He hoped this time would be different.
Hours passed before the group paused.
“We must wait here,” Almeda said, surveying the clearing.
Tellal fluttered away from Jorg. The sisters had taken turns healing the paladin after they returned from a short scouting trip. But even with their help, the path had been rough. The uphill climb through the mist-shrouded forest had jostled the wounded, and more than once they had to slow down for Jorg’s sake. Isaac had awoken midway through their journey. The poor boy nearly had a panic attack when he realized he was being carried by a wooden monster. Krast had filled him in on what had happened since the battle, then reprimanded him for getting injured. Apparently Isaac had taken a blow meant for Krast, which Krast assured everyone would not have injured him as severely. He did end up thanking Isaac, even if it seemed difficult for him to do so.
“What are we waiting for?” Darian asked. They still had a good chunk of time before the sun would rise, but they shouldn’t have stopped unless they truly needed to.
“There are many paths into the Sanctuary, and this is one.”
Tellal and her sister hovered behind Almeda, looking upon the fey woman with reverence.
“No wonder we were drawn to this forest, sister,” Lallet said. “To think we would meet a Deeproot and the God of Seasons in the same night.”
“How delightful,” Alistair mumbled. He’d perked up a bit over the last few hours, and Darian figured the necromancer could walk if he chose to. But, despite his initial complaints, he seemed to enjoy being carried around.
Darian approached the three women, Isaac and Krast keeping their distance. “But where is the path?” He looked about. “Is it underground?”
“No,” Almeda replied, staring ahead.
“It will be through a fey portal,” Lallet said. “I’ve heard stories of the Sanctuary. That it exists between the fey realm and this one. The only way to reach a place like that would be through magic.”
“You are correct.” Almeda turned her eyes to the ground. Everywhere she walked, the snow melted and plants returned to life. And as she stood still, flowers began to spring up around her, their scent filling the clearing.
“Portals…” Isaac whispered, his voice edged by fear.
“It is safe,” Almeda replied. “Most of the time.”
The center of the field rumbled, thick roots pushing from the earth. They continued to expand, twisting around themselves to form an arch about a man and a half tall. Then the air began to hum with magic, the entire clearing buzzing with energy. A sphere of yellow light appeared within the arch, slowly expanding until its edges met the twisting roots.
“The sanctuary lies beyond,” Almeda said. “But the path will not stay open for long.”
The fairy sisters flew into the golden portal without hesitation. Then the treekin carrying Jorg ducked its way though, its body vanishing into the shimmering light. Alistair came next, but the treekin forced him to walk through rather than be carried.
“I don’t know,” Isaac said, backing away. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can’t stay out here, Isaac. Where would you go?” Darian said, gripping the frightened boy by the arm.
Isaac slowly nodded in agreement, but did not move.
“Scared?” Krast asked, clearly frightened himself. “Well, I’m not.” He marched up to the portal but then stopped. He stood there a while, studying the gateway.
“Just go through it,” Darian said. “Before it closes.”
Krast shook his head, but then stepped through. Isaac followed soon after, but took a little encouragement. With him gone, only Darian and Almeda were left.
“Are you freighted?” she asked, stepping up beside him.
“Of the portal? No. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about what is on the other side.”
She smiled. “You will understand soon, but my father only wishes the best for you. He has awaited your coming for some time.”
“You make it sound prophetic.”
“Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not. All are things you will discover soon.”
Darian didn’t exactly love how cryptic Almeda was being, but he’d come too far to turn back now. And so with a final moment of apprehension, he entered the portal.