Robert stood before the Spirit Forest, familiar sights and smells teasing the senses as he remembered his startling awakening. The tall and bizarre trees were a bit frightening to see, but strangely, this place felt like home.
“Well,” Amynta said, walking from behind Robert. “This is the closest I’ve been to the forest. Usually, there is some warning from the spirits here, reminding us to stay away.” She stood next to Robert, looking in awe at the forest. “I think they are happy to see you’ve returned.”
Robert nodded as he slowly approached the tree line. There was a feeling of peace coming from within, welcoming and warm. He got close enough to touch one of the trees and reached his hand out to feel the skin-like surface. It’s soft, he thought. The bark felt as it looked. The contact brought a chill down his spine, and Robert brought his hand away, instinctively shaking it and wiping it on his cloak.
“Now then!” a tall and muscled Dae said, walking to Amynta and Robert. This was the only warrior he had seen so far who had pale yellow skin. “Where shall we set up camp, my Lady? I have a few suggestions if you are interested,” he asked Amynta with a wink that was less than subtle.
“Yes…” She replied timidly. Robert came to the conclusion that this was probably her first time being in charge of warriors. “Lord Veol, thank you for getting us here safely.” She said with a smile.
Veol bowed deeply to her and returned a smile. “You will sleep like a Queen tonight, my Lady, safe and without worry.”
Amynta laughed at Veol’s comment. She seemed flustered to Robert, he figured she wasn’t used to the rugged and obvious flirtations that the warrior sent her way.
As the two traded flirts, Robert stepped his boot into the tree line and began to enter the forest slowly. There was an immediate change in the atmosphere. The air felt heavy and the trees seemed to close in around him. The breeze brushed past his skin, and he closed his eyes to breathe it in. For a moment, all of his fears and concerns disappeared; he could smell the sweet scent of flowers around him and hear the creaking of the branches above. He hadn’t noticed before how stunningly beautiful the forest actually was. Robert’s ears began to tingle as whispered voices of the spirits surrounded him.
“Our lost son…” one flared, louder than the others. “… you have changed much since we saw you last.”
Robert was startled at the sudden clarity of the words. “What?” he asked the air around him.
“I am glad to see you are no longer broken…” the voice said again. “You are growing stronger… but where is your power?”
Robert hesitated for a moment, slightly confused. “What do you mean, broken?”
“Dashed upon the rocks you were. Red blood… pooling in your head. We saw you fall from the sky… it was not of the spirits.” The spirit manifested before his eyes, a lithe and tall figure; it looked alien but had the curves of a woman. “We saved your life, lost one… but more than just healing you… your body absorbed our power, and you began to change.” The spirit floated closer to him. He could see its face clearly now, though she shined a pale green. The spirit had long features, eyes a bit too large and far apart, a long and thin nose, but still, she seemed a vision of absolute beauty.
The spirit halted before Robert and blinked her pale green eyes. She tilted her head slightly to look over his shoulder. “Come… come… you are safe little Dae.” the spirit said to Amynta, who Robert noticed stood half-hidden behind a tree. “I will permit you to enter.” The spirit raised her hand and gestured her in. Amynta timidly began walking in, raising her cumbersome cloak to step over bushes and stones. As she entered, several warriors began to follow her.
“No,” the spirit said sternly. “I will not permit any of the warrior caste here. They must wait outside.”
Amynta paused for a moment, then turned to Veol and his squad. “I will be fine, Veol, just wait outside.” Amynta smiled and proceeded to move further into the forest.
The spirit turned and led the two guests deeper into the trees. They traveled for several minutes with nothing but the sound of their trek echoing around them. Amynta seemed too afraid to say anything to her, so was he for that matter, but Robert finally gathered the courage to speak.
“Spirit?” Robert asked as they walked. “I came back to find out how we got here, or at least find some clue. I still have no idea what happened.”
“You want to return to your world and have come here for answers… I understand, but we do not know either… The flash that brought you into this world was not of the spirit’s power... it was something that we had never seen before.” She stopped and faced him. “You came in a flash of light… from a hole in the sky… a place where time had no place… no relevance… this is why you intrigue us so... lost one…”
Robert let out a sigh and looked at the bluish soil beneath his feet.
“Do not fret, little one… there may be one who can help us… this particular spirit has not spoken to anyone of us for nearly five hundred years… she has laid dormant, slumbering silently… that is, until you arrived. Since then…she has awoken… but remains silent… as though in a trance… but if she meets you… perhaps she will speak wisdom of your arrival.”
“It’s ok, Robert, you see? There’s some hope for you,” Amynta said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Excuse me, spirit?” she asked softly. “What do we call you? The only spirit we know of in this forest is Gro’ak, and I believe it would be a fantastic opportunity for Vul De Rah if I brought back a new name. They would worship you, and they would build shrines in your honor.”
The spirit let out a hearty laugh, but it was strange, Robert thought, like she was a siren singing underwater. “Oh, dear little Dae… I do not dare impede on Gro’ak. He has led us for many hundreds of years… and he has earned our loyalty.” She chuckled again and smiled at Amynta. “I am quite content without any shrines built in my honor, but you may bring back my name… I am Mioh…”
They were led to a clearing by mid-afternoon. Amynta sat down on a rock and used the sleeve of her large robe to wipe the sweat that dripped down her forehead. Robert joined her on the stone but looked far less exerted than his companion. He took a moment to scan his surroundings, which weren’t familiar to him, but what would one expect in a forest filled with spirits on an alien world. Robert hung his head and let out a sigh.
“This is where the other human appeared,” Mioh said, floating before him. She held a leather sandal in her hand, which she brought up and presented to both of her guests.
“Um…” Robert said, confused. “This is… wait a second.” He took the sandal in his hand and chuckled to himself. “This is Daniel’s, isn’t it? Where’s the other one?”
“This was the only one… believe me, we would be able to find a sliver of steel in this forest… it isn’t here.”
“Huh… I guess it’s somewhere in Pelemont,” Robert said, standing to resume their trek.
“Hold on now,” Amynta said, still looking tired. “I know you want to move, but I’m still catching my breath. By the spirits, you have energy, you don’t even look tired.”
“Well, maybe it’s because you wear that ridiculous cloak,” Robert replied. “It’s way too big for you. Why don’t you take it off, and I’ll carry it for you.” Robert walked over to her with his hands outstretched.
Amynta clutched her cloak and leaned back from him. “That wouldn’t be possible,” she said, clearly embarrassed.
Robert cocked his head, thinking for a moment; his eyes widened. “You’re… uh… wearing clothes under that thing, right?”
The Dae girl’s dark grey face began to turn a light blue color. Is she blushing? he thought. “Forget I said anything.”
She stood abruptly and brushed her cloak with her hands. “Fine, I’m ready to go.” Her face was painted with a hint of defiance, but she still maintained her respectful tone. “One must make sacrifices in the face of change. I have an amazing opportunity to study both a human and the Spirit Forest.” She smiled at him and bowed her head slightly. “So lead the way, and I will do my best to keep up.”
The two guests continued following Mioh through the forest. The surroundings were a beautiful agglomeration of colors and nature. Creatures of the Spirit Forest followed just far enough to be out of direct sight, but curious and displaying a level of intelligence Robert was unfamiliar with. Again, he took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air and the pleasant smells that lingered around them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said to the spirit who led them. “Everything is just so perfect and beautiful.”
“Why, thank you…” Mioh said, floating beside him. “The serenity that you see is only due to our isolation from the Dae… they bring war and corruption where they settle. So we keep them away… to infect other lands with their indulgences.”
Amynta started to fidget, clearly uncomfortable.
“So,” Robert said, noticing her distress. “How do you keep them away? I have seen some powerful Dae.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Haha…” Mioh laughed again, her high pitch stinging Robert’s ears. “Oh, dear human… the Dae are not powerful enough to harm us… they are merely an annoyance. If they trespass too overtly… we just destroy them… It’s simple, really. They have known for a long time not to venture too close to our sanctuary here. Unless, of course, we allow them…” She made a disinterested gesture with her hand to Amynta, who walked several paces behind. “Not all of the Dae are dubious wretches. I happen to like the Ignos family very much…”
“Well,” Amynta said. “What about the ascended?”
Mioh stopped abruptly and turned with fire in her pale green eyes. “Do not mention those foul creatures in this sacred place.” The air around thickened until the breeze disappeared.
Robert began to feel heavy and could feel a strong pulse in his chest. Is this the power of the spirits? he thought, trying to find his balance.
“I’m sorry, great spirit,” Amynta said, falling to her knees. “I am ignorant of such things! Please forgive me.”
Mioh floated above her in silence, looking at the small and fragile Dae as though she were as insignificant to her as the insects that crawled around in the dirt. Her nose flared in a huff, and she waved her hand. “No harm, little one… you may stand…”
The ascended? Robert thought. Who the hell is that?
Amynta stood slowly, keeping her gaze on the ground. “Stupid…” she muttered.
Robert extended his hands and helped her up. It looked as though the little hike had definitely taken its toll on the young scholar.
“My thanks,” she said to Robert.
Mioh just started floating again through the forest; though she expressed indifference to the struggling Dae, Robert noticed that she was now moving much slower.
Several more hours passed in travel. They hiked up steep hills and through heavily vegetated areas. The terrain became more difficult the further they went. Robert helped Amynta when he could, but eventually, she fell to rest on a large stone.
“I… I’m sorry,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “Just give me a minute; I promise I will be ready to go in no time.”
Robert stood next to Mioh, who looked at him and shook her head. “Your power is far beyond this one’s… and yet… you do not help her.”
“What? I’ve been helping her this whole time,” Robert said. He looked at Amynta again and realized what the Spirit was talking about. “I see, you want me to carry her. No problem.”
Robert walked to Amynta, who was leaning back and fanning herself with the oversized sleeve of her cloak. “Just another minute, Robert, this forest is hotter than I thought, don’t you think so? Hey!”
Robert leaned in and picked her up in his arms. “Come on, the spirit wants us to keep moving, so we keep moving.”
“Put me down. I can walk on my own; I just need to catch my breath.” She struggled to break free but she was clearly too tired to protest further. Her complaints stopped once he started moving “By the spirits,” she said, covering her mouth as if she had spoken blasphemy.
Mioh paid her no mind; it seemed to say that particular curse was not actually offensive to the Spirits. “You are strong, like a Dae with a higher class Dunamis… Fascinating.” She started poking at Robert’s face, opening his eyes wide to look at them, prodding and inspecting.
“Good lord,” he said irritated. “Can you please stop that? It’s distracting.”
Robert saw that the Spirit had picked up speed, and he took the opportunity to slow just out of hearing range. He didn’t particularly know if it mattered to a powerful being like a spirit how far away he was, but he tried regardless.
“Hey, Amynta. I’ve been meaning to ask you. Who were you talking about when you mentioned ‘the Ascended’?”
The Dae’s eyes flashed to Mioh, who just continued to float as if nothing had been heard.
“Um… well... they are Dae… who…” She looked again to the spirit, clearly fearful of the spirit’s wrath. “They are Dae who are so powerful that…” She looked again, clearly paranoid. “They have killed and absorbed spirits.”
“What?” Robert said, intrigued.
“No one really understands what happens to them after that. Once they have done so, they are unstoppable. There used to be many, who hunted and preyed on the weaker spirits to gain power, but there was a large war and much of Pelemont was burned in their wake. There are still many parts of our world where spirits and Dae are enemies because of this. They exact their vengeance on our people in retaliation for something that happened eons ago.”
“So they’re all dead?” Robert asked.
“No, they still exist today. No one knows how many exactly because they live much longer than a normal Dae and find comfort in solitude. Their power is a curse, an abomination, so they are often hunted relentlessly by spirits when they reveal themselves.”
“I see,” Robert said, jumping over a large root that stuck out of the ground. “So—”
“Look at you two…” Mioh said, startling Robert out of his sentence. “Whispering away like little spies… you do realize that I do not have ears… but can still hear everything that takes place in this forest?”
Robert and Amynta froze wide-eyed, unable to speak.
“But I understand your curiosity…” she said, looking at Robert. “However, I should recommend that you speak of those creatures when you return to Vul De Rah… Many of the older spirits here have not forgotten those times. Especially Gro’ak…”
Robert nodded wearily. The last thing he needed was to piss off a bunch of spirits who had been listening in on their conversation. Mioh smiled as she turned and motioned him to follow her.
They traveled for another hour through the worst of the terrain. Amynta just sang encouragement to Robert as he struggled up some of the steeper obstacles. They eventually came to a small clearing that held a beautiful pond and waterfall. The water had a bright sapphire color to it and sparkled with the sunlight that bled through the canopy of the forest.
“Wow,” Robert said, slowly putting Amynta down. and she whispered the words as well.
Mioh floated above the water and approached the waterfall that rushed into the pond. She turned to her two guests and gestured for them to follow her.
“Uh…” Robert said, looking at the water and then at his heavy clothes. “You want us to swim?”
The spirit looked puzzled for a moment, then chuckled as she came to some realization. “Forgive me, little ones, I have spent the majority of my time as of late with spirits.” She looked at the water below her feet. “Can you help these poor creatures, Ji?”
The water began to ripple and splash. Then it parted in the center, revealing a pathway straight to the waterfall, that elegantly draped to either side like a curtain. This revealed a cave that Robert couldn’t help but think was a bit cliche.
“Well, isn’t that original,” he said to himself.
“This is all so amazing,” Amynta said, ignoring his words. “It is unbelievable how lucky I am, the first scholar to be allowed entry into such a place.” She picked up her cumbersome cloak and started to walk down the path eagerly.
“Ah. So now you can walk on your own?”
“Thank you, Robert. You are quite the gentleman,” she said, looking at him briefly, her canine teeth shining brightly in a smile.
Robert followed her down the path. It sloped down into the parted water until they were walking on the bottom of the pond. Robert looked to either side of him in amazement. The water was a beautiful teal color. Within it, he could see strange creatures swimming alongside him as he walked. They were humanoid, but the size of a small doll and vaguely translucent. The sight sent a clear chill up Robert’s spine as he picked up the pace.
“Fascinating,” Amynta said, stopping a moment and touching the water with her fingers.
“Do you have to prod everything?” Robert chided, moving her along.
Amynta dragged her fingers across the water, eyes filled with wonder at the sight. As they approached the opening to the cave, Robert couldn’t help but feel a tiny spark of fear. Robert stared at it, hesitating to step any closer. His mouth felt a bit dry, and he noticed that it had been hanging open for the duration. Instinctively he looked to see Amynta and saw that she too was unable to look away and was sporting the same open mouth as he.
“Come, little ones…” Mioh said, floating past them into the cave. “You have nothing to fear.”
Robert swallowed hard and put one foot in front of the other, starting his way toward the spirit. Amynta followed close behind.
The cave was not nearly as shallow as he would have expected, but everything within was illuminated by Mioh and her faint glow.
They soon approached a small pond at the end of the cave. The water here was also glowing, but instead of a teal color, it was almost violet. The wall of the cave behind it streamed a soundless and steady flow of water from above.
Mioh floated to the small pond, and in her most gentle voice, called to the spirit who they were to meet.
“Miza…” she said, almost as though she were speaking to a small child. “Are you here? I have brought some friends I would like you to speak with.”
An eerie silence followed; Robert and Amynta shared several nervous glances, and uncertainty began to swell in him.
Then a small bubble expanded in the middle of the pond. It grew to about the size of a basketball and began to form into a head. Pale violet eyes fluttered open, and Mioh smiled broadly.
The bubble continued to grow and slowly took the shape of a body as well. When it had finished, Robert beheld a small girl of violet, sitting cross-legged on the surface of the water. Her eyes blinked innocently at her guests, but she remained silent.
“She has done this before…” Mioh said, leaning closer to the violet spirit. “But… she never speaks.” She gestured for Robert to come closer. “Perhaps you will have a different effect lost one… come, come.”
Robert stepped closer to the spirit; her eyes seemed to be staring right through him, looking at nothing in particular. His heart began to race, beating harder with every step. There was an incredible sensation that started to overtake him, beckoning him to embrace a power that lay dormant beneath the surface of his consciousness. Robert shook it from his mind as best he could, struggling to stay on his feet.
“Robert?” Amynta asked, looking at him wobble from side to side as he walked. “Are you alright?”
Robert shook his head instinctively, trying to clear his mind. What the hell is going on? He tried to voice this but found that he couldn’t hear or see anything clearly anymore.
Robert mustered all of his strength and shouted, “Stop it!” He fell to his knees. This brought immediate clarity to his senses. His eyes widened as he started looking from left to right. Mioh floated near him, a clear mask of worry painted on her face.
“So… it was real...” a small and child-like voice said. Robert looked to see the violet spirit now looking directly at him. “The coming of something unknown...”
Robert focused on her eyes. They were small yet carried an incalculable depth to them, harboring centuries of knowledge and experience. She stood, walked to him, and brought her hands to cup his face. Her skin felt cool as she touched him, but he stared, unmoving, and unable to speak at what he could only comprehend as a vast and powerful being.
“What are you?” she asked.
“I…” Robert said, almost unable to keep tears from pooling in his eyes at the spectacle. There was something about her that was completely incomprehensible, the sheer level of unknown power that flowed from her. Robert felt all of it. Every wave of the alien Dunamis took yet more strength from his body. “I’m… a human being,” he said finally.
The violet spirit cocked her head to the side slowly.
“Miza?” Mioh asked, pulling her attention. “It is so good to hear your voice again… we have missed you so much.” The pale green spirit’s face now shone with a smile, one that looked of genuine affection and happiness. “This is a human… there were many that arrived recently… when they did, you began to stir again… after so many years… we believed you had gone with the great spirits.”
Miza’s gaze was lucid. She slowly turned again to Robert, who she still held gently between her hands. “A… human?” She looked closely into his eyes. “But… your eyes… they are ancient… before the Dae… before the spirits… before our world.”
“What?” Amynta said, chiming in. “Of what do you speak, oh great spirit of old?”
Miza did not look at the Dae scholar, but she did smile at her words. “Oh, daughter of Rajim… I am not a great spirit… merely an old one…” She took her hands away from Robert’s face and sat on the grass before him.
“What do you mean… ancient?” Robert asked his mind a whirl of wonder and confusion.
“Tell me of your arrival… I would very much like to hear it,” she asked, ignoring his question.