The forest was getting dark, the sun slowly setting behind the mountains while light struggled breaking through the trees; surrounded, there wasn’t much we could do.
Alice was still adamant on seeing things through her way, approaching with her arm out, asking me to trust her. So I did, but that didn’t make it any less unnerving.
Her hand was so close to the beast’s mouth that I could vividly imagine it getting torn off in an instant. The haunting imagery forcing me to remain vigilant, keeping a close eye on even the tiniest of movements.
Time felt like it slowed. Each moment dragged out, making the experience all the more excruciating.
One wrong move –
“Alex.” My heart skipped as Alice called out my name. Beated faster. Stronger. “Breathe,” she said. “Everything’s going to be alright. I promise.”
Gasping for air, I questioned when was it that I even stopped.
The dire wolf only stopped whining after that. Alice’s hand gently setting on top of its massive head.
“Good boy,” she smiled, scratching behind the creature’s ear. “Sorry we encroached on your land, and for acting like we own the place.”
It started wagging its tail, the sight making me sigh as it behaved so timid.
Then the old wolf approached. His movement slow, matching my gaze as if telling me to be at ease. He towered over Alice.
“Thank you, Princess – for being understanding,” he said, his voice deep yet surprisingly calming. His body covered with scars, a testament of the hard fought battles he survived. “Not long ago a group of hunters appeared. Attacked our own just a few moons ago.”
“Princess?” My brows furrowed. “You’ve heard of her?”
Obviously so, which probably meant they weren’t just a wild pack roaming the forests.
“She was little when I first saw her,” the old wolf began explaining. “So tiny – wrapped in purple as her mother asked for help. It was the Lady of the Lake whom she sought to speak to. Hoped to find a cure for the young lady standing before us.”
“What? I– I don’t remember that,” Alice looking lost for words.
“Sounds like you were just a baby,” I said, stepping next to her.
Alice looked back at me, then back at the old wolf. Her mind riddled with questions.
“You were sick,” he said. “Exposed to too much chaos before your core had time to form. At least, that’s as much as I was told back then.”
Alice dropped her gaze to think.
“Perhaps you should ask your mom,” I suggested, noticing the whole pack kept a close eye on me.
While tension eased a bit, they were still on guard. Though, the only thing on my mind was that which happened to Alice. I couldn’t imagine something so dire that even her aunt Asia couldn’t handle. She became an arch druid long before Alice was even born.
“I wonder why Mother never told me,” Alice muttered.
It was then that one of the wolves broke off from the rest. Approached slowly while looking at their leader.
“Father, why not tell us you knew them?” she said, her voice soft yet powerful.
Tall yet slender, you could tell she wasn’t like the rest. Her fur thinner but with the same texture.
“Because I wasn’t sure,” he answered, with noticeable annoyance in his tone. “Which is exactly why I told you to keep your distance and wait. But you and your brothers – so eager to get revenge.”
“You could have worded it better,” she argued, emitting a soft exhale before turning her head after getting a good look at her brother – the one Alice was petting.
“Hey. No harm was done, right?” Alice asked, dropping a glance at her brother. “That has to count for something.”
He started to whine again, but looked as if he agreed. Snuggling closer for more attention, keeping his head low.
So dramatic, I thought.
Still, curious I turned to look at the old wolf again. There were quite a few questions I needed answered. “Lady of the Lake. Who is she?” I asked, crossing my hands. “I’ve never heard of her before.”
“You could think of her as a guardian of the forests. The one who maintains harmony so that both humans and mana beasts could co-exist,” he explained.
“Just humans – what about elves?” I asked.
“Elves have learned to tame mana beasts,” Alice joined in. “And those that were impossible to deal with mostly stay away. Between our fae-blood and Amela’s Grace, most animals tend to be friendly toward us.”
Could’ve fooled me after that ambush. I wanted to chuckle.
“Amela – I’ve heard that name before,” I said, remembering Reyna mentioning it. Few others did so as well back in Thysa, but I’ve never thought of it much since I was too occupied with magic.
“She’s an arch-fae, one of twelve that rule over a domain under God. Though some refer to them as deities themselves,” Alice explained. I didn’t know much of Elven religion. “You’d be surprised how many myths exist about them. Some yet to be translated from Old Syvlanian.”
There was so much I did not know.
“We’ve seen hunters and slavers here before. Are they common?” I asked, looking at the old wolf.
“Only in recent years,” he answered.
“Does the Academy know? Do my parents know?” Alice asked, unsure they would’ve told her.
“They’ve been made aware. Tried helping, but even then that wasn’t enough. Time and time again they escape with it,” he explained.
“I’m surprised considering how resourceful Grimhold is. But I guess it’s hard to be there at all times, and I imagine they don’t stick around for long,” I said, watching the old wolf’s head drop. He seemed to agree. Eerie wind blew past as the forest grew darker. Soon the sun would disappear. “Damn. But we should probably head back–”
“But what about the forest?” Alice interrupted, getting back on her feet. Her violet eyes already spilling what’s on her mind. “Maybe we could help them.”
It was already late. I was certain someone noticed by now we were gone, but perhaps that could’ve played to our advantage.
I paused to think, but was ultimately undecided yet. “It’d be dangerous–”
“But they won’t be expecting us,” she cut me off, quite invested in the idea. “If anything they’d be worried about the Academy, not some runaway students who ditch classes. We could end up making a difference.”
She was right, and quick with it too. But still–
“Please?” her eyes pleaded, leaving me speechless.
She knew I couldn’t say no. Not after asking like that. In the end all I could do was sigh as I mumbled, “We’re so getting in trouble for this. . .”
“Then does that mean yes?” she asked, just about ready to jump.
“Fine, we’ll help. But we have to be careful,” I said, then watched as she leapt toward me, embracing me in a tight hug.
She was so light.
"Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she repeated, her excitement evident as she clung around my neck. My hands wrapping around her waist to support her.
The pack didn’t seem to have much of a reaction, not minding our offer. They were probably just eager to get it over with and move on.
Eventually Alice let go and we got down to planning our next move.
----------------------------------------
The moon hung low in the ink-black sky, casting a silvery glow upon the ancient trees that stood tall and proud in the heart of the forest. A chilling breeze whispering through the leaves carried the muffled footsteps of us riding through the forest, where shadows danced like spectres among the gnarled branches, and the air was thick with the scent of pine.
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Alice rode next to me. Her dire wolf matched her spirit.
Lania, the queen of the hunt they called her. It was her the pack followed while searching for hunters. Her moonlike eyes gleaming in the dark.
The two looked ferocious together. Alice gripping Lania’s fur, keeping low as we moved swiftly. Her golden hair set loose, fluttering with the wind.
“I hear them,” Alice said, the pack quickly coming to a stop. “South. Toward the mountains.”
I felt Drexen move from underneath me, glancing at his sister Lania before sniffing the air.
“She’s right. I can smell them,” he said.
“Spread out and take up more space,” Lania said, turning to her father.
“We should slow down. They might have scouts or hunting dogs accompanying them,” the old wolf said, sniffing the air before looking back at us. “Though it seems they’re far away still, seeing as I’m unable to pick up their scent.”
“Damn, that’s impressive,” I complimented, glancing at Alice. Dire wolves were known to possess a sense of smell several times greater than that of a regular wolf. “Good job.”
“Thanks,” Alice shied away, dropping her gaze with a placid smile.
“Once we get close, we should move swiftly,” Lania suggested.
“Then let us not waste time,” her father said, turning back around and taking charge. “Let’s move!”
“Ready?” I asked Drexen.
He growled, just as eager as when we met. I was glad to see our encounter hasn’t affected him poorly. Perhaps it even taught him a lesson to be more cautious.
“Wait, Alex.” Alice called out to me. When I turned, I saw her materialising a well crafted longsword out of thin air. “Take this.”
Lania approached close enough for Alice to hand it over. It was lighter than I expected, but even at glance I could tell how sharp it was.
“You learned to conjure a sword?” I asked, checking the sword’s balance.
It closely resembled the sword I trained with during my stay in Thysa, the one I kept carrying around.
“Not conjuration, transmutation. It’s made of pure mana so it’s better than most swords, but at the same time it has limits. For example, it won’t last very long as the mana used to conjure it gets wasted,” she explained, smiling at me. “Still, it’ll do seeing as you don’t have a weapon. Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Nah, it’s perfect.” I flourished it with my right hand, the grip fitting perfectly. “You’re really good at this.”
“Thanks. Father always said I had a knack for transmutation, though I’m not as versatile with it just yet,” she sighed, always the perfectionist.
“You’re doing great,” I reassured her. “We should get moving though. Wouldn’t want to fall behind.”
“Right,” Alice said, focusing up.
We rode onward, soon to descend upon the hunters. Nobody knew exactly what to expect, but with Alice by my side, my mind was at ease.
Just looking at her. Her golden hair braided and tied in a ponytail – Huh?
“When did she–” I muttered, right before noticing flickering light in the distance.
“We’re here,” Drexen warned, pacing himself as we moved in closer.
The dense forest worked in our favour, shadows masking us as from our enemies. Their rowdy camp unprepared for the wrath they evoked within the pack, the wailing of other mana beasts trapped within cages echoed throughout the forest.
Drexen stepped closer–
“Wait!” I yelled whisperingly, firmly grabbing hold of his fur and tugging on it with haste. His front paw hovered over the ground, Drexen stopping just as he was about to step onto a hunting trap. Dragon Sense proving critical. “Step back.”
Lania’s low growl recalled the others.
“Traps. . .” Drexen muttered, baring his teeth out of frustration.
“Everyone, be on guard,” Lania warned, commanding the pack. “There’s never just one.”
“Hey,” I said, looking back at Lania. “What do you think of Alice and I getting closer without you guys? It’d give us a better understanding of what we’re dealing with, and we could mark some of the traps along the way using magic.”
“I could mark them with a specific scent if that’d help,” Alice suggested.
“Besides, that way if a fight breaks out, you can storm the place from a flank. Hit them when they least expect it,” I added, my gaze tracing over toward Alice. “Of course, if you’re fine with that.”
“No need to ask,” Alice giggled, her left hand covering her mouth.
“It’s too dangerous,” argued Drexen, him being the last one I’d expect to say something like that. “Best we go at it together. It’s how the pack always hunts.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, patting Drexen’s back. “If we think it’s too much for us to handle before you strike, we’ll call it all off and bluff being lost students. We could even say our professors are looking for us. Something like that would probably make them rethink their options. If anything, it’ll buy us some time.”
“It’s a sound plan,” Lania backed me up. “In the meantime, we could scout the surrounding area. See if there’s any lost souls wandering alone.”
Drexen didn’t seem to agree. “They can wait–”
“Listen to your sister, Drexen,” their father showed up, his eyes focused on the prize. “Don’t let emotions guide you so easily.”
I dismounted Drexen and walked over to Lania’s right, offering my hand to Alice. With a smile on her face, Alice took me up on my offer, lifting her left foot over. Facing me, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down. She didn’t even hesitate to step in immediately and steal my lips, a small peck before stepping away.
“We should get going,” Alice said, taking out her wand.
With a simple flick of the wrist, it morphed into a rapier; weapon best suited for her needs, handcrafted specifically with her abilities in mind.
“Then I guess we’re all set.” I nodded, turning to Alice who was already taking the lead. The two of us soon disappearing out of sight.
----------------------------------------
“Just one more second. . .” Alice muttered, keeping her voice low while focusing on altering the runes in front of her.
As it turned out, the camp had a hidden barrier surrounding it, enchanted with illusions to better hide the alarm. Dragon Sense however had no issues seeing through it, making it appear as a shimmering barrier that partially distorted vision. Troublesome, considering that also meant that there was at least one fourth or even fifth circle mage among them, possibly higher based purely on the complexity of enchantments.
Alice said she could work around it with a bit of time, having learned things from Penelope like how to dispel and counterspell others. Apparently it’s one of those skills you needed certain quality of mana to achieve, granted to those who break into the third circle.
“There!” she yelled through a whisper, the arcane stripe maintaining the barrier beginning to alter and part.
Small section of the barrier slowly broke apart, creating a gaping hole through which we could pass. Unfortunately that also meant that the dire wolves were likely to get detected before they could reach us, leaving Alice and I vulnerable for the time being.
Alice seemed confident, nodding as she stepped through. Not long after we got close and hid behind bushes, lurking to see what we were dealing with.
It turned out worst than I thought.
Dozens of cages were scattered throughout camp, all covered up with cloth and had at least three times the men guarding them.
“Get moving! We don’t have all night,” commanded one of them, a mean looking man with quite a nasty gaze and a penetrating voice.
He was top heavy with armour, chain shirt and a breastplate. His dark hair barely poking out of the front open helmet. Weapon of choice was obviously the mace that dangled at his side, practical for delivering fatal blows. If he possessed magic and mastered aura, he would prove quite dangerous. It didn’t help he wasn’t alone.
Next to him stood a hooded figure holding an arcane staff. Seemed to be in his later years as a grey beard hung low, meaning he likely had experience if not vigour.
“You’re awfully anxious, Captain. I assure you we’re well ahead schedule,” the mage said to him, turning around toward the massive cloth covered cage behind them. “After all, we caught quite a few good ones this time around.”
Despite all the noise around us, we still heard the slow and heavy breathing coming from within, the size of the cage proving to be not just for show.
“Six mages, four knights, and about forty or so guards running around from what I can gather,” Alice noted, her gaze slowly sweeping the camp. “We’re quite outnumbered.”
I nodded in agreement.
The Captain didn’t look all that happy. Kept his arms crossed as he stared intently at the mage. “Easy for you to say when your head isn’t the one hanging in the balance. We have to get these to Eleron as soon as we can.”
“Eleron?” Alice whispered out my thoughts, glancing back at me.
Immediately my sights were set on searching for clues that’d tell us more, but nothing seemed to give away their identity. No emblems, no markings, no nothing. . . Could’ve been soldiers serving under a lord in secret, or perhaps even a militant group preparing to disrupt the peace and spark a civil war, if not worse.
They were bad news regardless of how I looked at it.
“Hey. I’m thinking of going out there alone,” I burped out, sparking shock from Alice.
“What do you mean by that? I ain’t just going to sit here and watch,” she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me down as she spotted a few guards passing by.
We waited a bit for them to leave before saying anything else.
“No, of course not,” I whispered, reaching for her hand. "But to find out who they are, I need ask while they have their guard down. In the meantime, you’ll keep an eye out and make sure nobody tries anything funny, maintaining the element of surprise.”
“But if you just go out there, they’ll know somethings up. The barrier, remember?” She looked worried. “Might even give me away.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan, but I need you to watch my flank and be ready to jump in if necessary,” I said, but Alice didn’t seem all that convinced.
“Can’t we just find out who they are after we captured one of them? You’ll be surrounded,” she argued. A fair point, but we were running out of time as the captain and the mage slowly began walking away.
“Soldiers bite their tongues for less. These guys are clearly not your typical hunters. They could be fanatics, and I wouldn’t want to risk not finding out what could’ve potentially prevented a civil war,” I explained, my voice getting a bit louder as I felt rushed. But then I took a deep breath and turned to face Alice, realising I was being a bit too selfish. “Look, if you’re so against it then I won’t–”
“Alright,” she said, cutting me off before I could finish.
Her concerned look slowly vanished, turned into focus as if she flipped a switch in her head.
“You sure?” I had asked, furrowing my left brow at the sudden change of heart.
“Yes. . .” she smiled, shaking her head. “You’re right. But better go fast, or I might change my mind again.”
She made me chuckle, then turned around to look for a better hiding spot. Noticed a stack of crates to our right that looked like solid cover before teleporting into their shadows, vanishing from view.
Left alone, I took a deep breath and tightly gripped the hilt, then proceeded to swing the sword wildly, cutting through the bushes as I made my way out in the open. Between that and the school uniform, it didn’t take long for me to get spotted. But it was only when the captain and the mage turned to around that I smirked. My body feeling tingly as adrenaline kicked in.
“Hello there,” I said, the show about to start.
Chapter End.
Thank you for reading.