The Three Poppy’s – A few days earlier

“Anastasia.” Mother lay on her side. Her right hand propped up her head and her long nails painted sky blue caressed her bald head. Her left-hand popped olives in her mouth. Behind her, a red veil hid the executive members. “There is something I need.” Her index wiped olive juice off her lips. They glistened black. “Will you do it?” Her wide eyes made larger with black eye shadow pierced my heart.

I lowered my head. “Yes.”

“Will you do it, even at the cost of your life?”

“Anything for Mother,” I answered. Apples do not roll far from their tree, but she carried me far enough to let me sprout.

“That’s my beauty. Come here.”

With quiet steps, I walked up the stairs and took a knee in front of her.

“Lean.” She kissed my hair with her soft lips. “Now go, I will give you two of your sisters. They’re yours to do with as you please. You must simply come back with the heart of a giant ant.”

I smiled. Her eyes shined bright yellow. I couldn’t get enough of her. I loved Mother.

#

I sat atop a boulder. My sisters struck the ground with a rod tipped with liquid light. We had yet to strike gold; the ants must have made their nests deep within the mountain.

As I watched on in search of any tremors, something thickened the air and burned my lungs. “Stop,” I called out. It smelled of fire. “Who started a fire?”

My sisters shook their head.

“Then who is it?” I jumped off the boulder and walked to the ledge of the mountain. “Who did this?” I muttered. Who was so reckless and uncaring as to set a whole forest aflame? More than an acre of trees burned. No, it had to be a beast. I looked up in search of a dragon. I was sure mother and the elders could take care of it.

I couldn’t find anything in the sky. No dragons, no sky serpents, or phoenixes. My eyes wandered back down, and there, amidst the ravaged land, a single dot moved. A human traversed the epicenter of the scorched land. He walked through a wind tunnel, unfazed by the fires which distorted his image. What kind of mage had enough mana to funnel fresh air through more than an acre of flames? Had the village produced a High-human? No, there were too few of them, and they didn’t dream for more than a good harvest.

Then, had someone snuck into the forest?

“A crazy one,” muttered my first sister.

I didn’t have anything to add. I instructed them to prepare for a fight. At least he didn’t seem to use any extraordinary spells. Perhaps he only had a lot of mana and nothing else. But even then… It didn’t make sense. I could only hope he wasn’t a humanoid beast.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

#

Valravn’s POV

Gino created a wind tunnel through which we traversed the blaze.

We made it to the base of the mountain. I never liked hills and mountains. Some of my siblings went on to make nests in the mountain at the edge of the ebony forest, but I much preferred the flat ground. Why? I didn’t know. I just did. “How far up do we have to climb?” I asked.

“It depends on how far up the mountain the mushrooms decided to sprout.” Gino floated up an unscalable wall of earth.

“I can’t fly.” I called out.

“Try to scale it. It’s good exercise, you won’t increase your strength only by leveling up.”

“It’s a lost cause then.”

“Trying never hurt. Do you think the gods grant the wishes of the lazy and feeble?” Gino grinned and floated up the mountain face. “I’ll go find the mushrooms and guide you there when I find them. Just try your best.”

I looked up the mountain and took a step, then another. Rocks tumbled down and triggered a mini landslide. I jumped back and waited for it to stop. Once the rocks in my path all lay on the bottom of the mountain, I dug my fingers in the earth and climbed up the steep wall.

Sweat burned my eyes, the earth got into my mouth and nails, and rocks rattled in my shoes. As I made my way up, I crossed more than one buried wasp nest. When they attacked me, I placed my hand above their nest’s entrance and burned them to a crisp.

You killed 50 wasps; you gained 50 experience points.

LVL 3. 500/1100 exp.

It was unfortunate you could only gain experience points by killing hostile animals.

Finally, I climbed atop a small platform. My eyes glided down the cliff and landed on what used to be the forest. An acre of trees or more was burnt to a crisp. The hundreds of charred stumps which used to be trees, homes. How many birds and squirrels had I killed? How many worms and wasps, how many bees and goblins? I touched my chest. The heart of a child. It couldn’t remain quiet and calm. It, too, was lost and without a home. When I closed my eyes, I not only saw my sister and Rose, but also Diane, the king, and that windowless room. I had to quiet this heart. For Rose, and the child’s ambitions.

“Who are you?” The question came from behind. I couldn’t see her, but the frost in her voice told me not to move, else a sword would be plunged into my heart.

“I’m just searching for mushrooms,” I said. Why were there so many people in these parts? Didn’t the being say this forest was sealed away?

“Why did you destroy the forest?”

What answer would she accept? “I was attacked by a griffon.”

“A griffon?” The edge in her voice faltered. “Still, isn’t that excessive destruction for a griffon?” She didn’t add anything, nor did I have anything to add. “Who are you?” She asked.

“Prince Julian,” I answered.

Cold iron touched my throat. What did I say wrong? I need to learn how humans interact.

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m not—” The blade pressed harder against my jugular. What was I supposed to say?

“Who are you?” She repeated.

“Just a traveler. I don’t wish harm on anyone,” I answered. At least this time, the blade didn’t dig deeper into my skin. The earth shook and caused the blade to cut into my neck. I moved aside and held onto my wound.

“Hey!” called out a girl behind the one who held the sword. “The ants are here.”

I felt the cold which radiated from her blade disappear. I peeked behind. Three women faced the other way. In front of them, three giant grey ants stood, their mandibles chomped at air and their antennas twirled about.

The lady closest to me held a blue blade. It shimmered a light silver which matched her hair. The two others stepped back and held up large metal-rimmed heater shield.

The ants adopted a semicircular formation. Their mouths dripped dark grey acids. They closed in, the human with the silver sword didn’t give them more time. She dashed forward with her sword held low and jumped.