Chapter 266: In The Dark Woods

Veronica Sientia led her friends through the woodland outskirts of Undergrowth in the cover of the trees. Even though it was already past midnight the visiting crowds of commoners and aristocrats alike were still partying and roaming the streets of the city. House Thorn had been forced to station hundreds of guards throughout the city’s market and tavern districts to keep the peace. A fact that had not gone unnoticed by Veronica.

“Are you sure about all of this?” Damian asked her.

“Relax, most of the guards are back in the city,” Veronica patted his arm. “There are only a dozen guards patrolling the Sunken Temple at best. It shouldn’t be difficult to sneak past them, especially with an expert Parvus ranger with us,” she winked.

Damian smiled at the compliment, but as he glanced behind, he spotted Stryg and Plum following a dozen feet behind them.

“Why did you have to bring him?” Damian scowled. “He’s our enemy and we all know it.”

“Yeah, this is dangerous, Veronica,” Heather said. “That Hollow Shader could turn on us at any second. Plus, if we get caught by the temple’s guards Lady Thorn would be furious.”

“Aw, come on you two, where is your sense of adventure?” Veronica grinned. “My dad is hiding something in that temple that even Lady Thorn is dying to find out. Don’t you want to know what all the fuss is about?”

“It’s not worth Lady Thorn’s wrath,” Heather shivered.

“Agreed,” Damian nodded. “We should just go back.”

“What’s Lady Thorn going to do?” Veronica asked. “Worst case scenario the guards catch us and we, the city’s tourney competitors and First Challenge victors, are going to be sent to Lady Thorn for what? I mean, really, what is she going to do? Scold her son’s friends?”

“She could do a lot more than that and you know it,” Damian swallowed.

“Yes, but not to us,” Veronica said. “We are representing Undergrowth. Our success is the city’s success, House Thorn’s success. We have protection now.”

“Hmm.. maybe,” Heather rubbed her chin.

“But what about him?” Damian pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Stryg.

“That again?” Veronica groaned. “He’s one guy. On the off chance he does try to betray us, I think we can handle a single Hollow Shade mage.”

“Their team did seem pretty weak,” Heather muttered.

“You know, when you put it like that, I wouldn’t mind if he did try to do something,” Damian smiled smugly.

~~~

Little moonlight filtered through the trees, but the fluorescent lights lit the canopy with a soft glow of soft pinks, greens, and blues. As their group grew closer to Shadow Lake the trees grew sparse and there was hardly a flicker of fluorescent light to be found. The dark cover of night finally began to wrap around them.

Stryg preferred it this way. The others had a difficult time navigating in the dark, but he had no such qualms. He could easily see the backs of the three Undergrowth mages walking ahead of him.

It seemed easier to eavesdrop on their conversation than to figure out the right thing to say to the estranged drow walking next to him. Plum had hardly spoken a word since he had snuck out from his tavern and met up with their group at the city’s outskirts.

Plum had seemed peeved all night and he honestly didn’t know what to say that could make things better between them. If that was even possible.

Stryg spotted a tree root sticking out from the ground a few paces in front of Plum. “Watch your step,” he whispered and hoped it was the right thing to say.

“Huh?” Plum looked up and walked right into the root. She tripped and stumbled, but managed not to fall.

And that was clearly not the right thing to say, Stryg winced.

Plum cursed under her breath and adjusted her glasses, “I can’t see shit.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“That’s what you apologize for?” she said indignantly.

“Um, yes?”

“Whatever,” she shook her head and kept walking.

Well, done. With just four words you managed to piss off the one person you were trying to protect on this stupid outing, Stryg thought, annoyed.

“You didn’t have to come, you know,” Plum said, though she didn’t bother looking at him.

He wondered if it was because she couldn’t see very well in the dark or because she didn’t want to even look at his silhouette.

“I know,” he said casually.

“Then why did you? You don’t even know where we’re really going.”

Stryg looked at Plum and studied her features in the dark. She seemed tired, the cheerful glint she once had so long ago was gone, snuffed out by loss.

“...I can’t lose anyone else,” he muttered.

Plum looked at him, confused, “Anyone… else?”

“I’m sorry for what happened at the welcome party. I thought that meeting would have gone very differently. I came to Undergrowth hoping… I don’t know,” he sighed. “I heard you’re working as some kind of scholar. You always did like books… I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Glad I’m well?!” Plum snapped. She winced and bit her lip, “...Sorry, that was mean. Ugh, I know you’re trying your best… Do you remember what I told you before I left Hollow Shade?”

“You said a lot of things…” Stryg muttered.

“I said I didn’t hate you and I don’t,” Plum sighed. “But whenever I looked at you all I felt was pain and resentment. I thought to myself what if I had done things differently? Like if I had told you about my mom. She could still be alive…”

“But a lot of things have happened since then…” Plum smiled reminiscently. “I submitted my research paper over the study of dragons, the one you and I worked on together, to a scholar guild. It caught the eye of Lord Sientia, himself. He was impressed, although he disagreed with many of my points. Still, he bought off my contract from Hollow Shade and offered me a job to work with him as his assistant.”

“Congratulations,” Stryg smiled.

“Heh,” she chuckled to herself. “You know, when I saw you at the party, I thought I would feel all that anger and darkness well up inside me again… but I didn’t. It was the strangest thing. Despite everything, I was actually happy to see you.”

“Really?” Stryg’s eyes widened.

“I guess some part of me missed us... But that us no longer exists.”

“Why not?”

Plum laughed bitterly, “Says the godson of Elzri Noir. I really thought you might have felt some remorse for what happened to my mother, but you literally joined the family that killed her.”

“It’s not like that. The ‘godson’ thing is an honorary title.”

“Oh my gods, that’s what you have to say for yourself?” she asked ludicrously.

Stryg winced, “...I regret what happened with your mother, I do. If I could go back I would have done things differently. But I can’t. Byrel tried to kill me and she was killed for it. What else do you want me to say? What can I do?”

“Nothing! Nothing you can do can bring her back! I just want you to understand! …I want you to understand how I feel, what I lost…” Plum’s voice grew tight, “But you never will. You don’t have parents, you don’t have a real family…”

The faces of Feli and Rhian flashed through Stryg’s mind. He thought of Nora holding a giggling baby Kamilo. He thought of Clypeus, standing by his side, twin swords in hand, and a grin on his face.

Stryg stared down at his trembling hands, “Family, huh…”

Veronica suddenly stopped walking ahead of them. She turned around and grinned, “We’re here.”

~~~

Cordelia Rotrusk trudged through the dark woodlands with a perpetual scowl. She glanced between her teammates, the frost giant hybrid Lynn, and the quiet drow Nalla.

Cordelia clicked her tongue, “Why are we here?”

Nalla ignored her question and strode through the forest with silent steps. Cordelia hated when Nalla ignored them, but more so she hated that the others didn’t seem to mind. Not even Kalliste gave Nalla a hard time, instead, their captain let Nalla do whatever she wanted, which was oftentimes obscure and made little to no sense.

“Don’t you remember?” Lynn asked. “Kalliste asked us to keep an eye on the Undergrowth team while she meets with Calex Thorn.”

As usual, Lynn carried a massive sword on her back and walked with all the grace of an elephant. Cordelia wanted to ask what had possessed Kalliste to allow Lynn to come along on a stealth mission, but she held her tongue.

Instead, Cordelia said, “Yeah, but why are we here? If all we’re going to do is tail Calex’s lackeys then why didn’t we just let Nalla do it. We could have stayed back in the city and kept Kalliste safe in case anything happened.”

“Kalliste will be fine,” Lynn smiled. “I’ve known her since we were children, she can handle herself, even against a Thorn.”

“True, but the dwarf is right, Lynn,” Nalla said. “You two should go back, I can handle this on my own.”

“I have a name you know,” Cordelia glared at her.

“Good for you,” Nalla said calmly.

Even in the dwindling fluorescent light, Cordelia could still make out that composed blue-grey face, and those ashen eyes that seemed to look down on everyone. Cordelia really wanted to punch that stupid indifferent expression off Nalla’s face, but not even Kalliste had managed that yet.

Lynn nodded, “If you insist, Nalla, we’ll go back.”

“I do,” Nalla said with a detached tone.

Cordelia swallowed her anger and nodded begrudgingly, “Great.”

“Wait,” Nalla abruptly raised her hand. She spun around and stared at the dark trees behind them, “Someone’s coming.”

“I hear them too.” Lynn raised her arms, shards of elemental ice grew around her fingers like claws.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes and tried her best to peer into the dark from a distance, “...I don’t see anyone.”

Slowly, an enormous pale figure emerged from among the trees, like a specter in the night. It stood taller than even Lynn and though a white cloak obscured its features, Cordelia felt a shiver run down her spine as the specter turned towards them.

Cordelia suddenly felt sick, she could hardly breathe. This creature wasn’t like the shades she had created, this was different, this was pure dread taken form. She tried to back away, but her legs buckled underneath her.

“Cordelia!” Lynn yelled, terrified at the sight of the monster.

“Lynn, my sword, now!” Nalla shouted.

“R-right!” The frost giant nodded. With trembling fingers, she unbuckled the straps on her back and dropped the massive sword on the ground.

Nalla channeled brown mana into her veins. A bronze sheen of vigor magic quickly wrapped over her arms. She picked up the massive sword and unsheathed its black blade. The sword pulsed with power, eager to battle.

Nalla stepped in front of her teammates and pointed the blade at the cloaked figure. “Lynn, take Cordelia and run.”

Lynn shuddered and bit her lip, “But-!”

“That’s an order! We can’t stop this monster! I’ll buy you time, just run!” Nalla said resolutely. She took a deep breath and fell into a battle stance.

“Monster?” the specter muttered. A soft chuckle rumbled from beneath the pale hood. “You need not fear me, Unalla.”

Nalla’s eyes widened, dumbfounded, “How did you…?”

The specter drew closer until it towered above the shock-still drow, “You were willing to die to protect your friends. I see selfless bravery lives in your heart, indeed. Una has raised you well.”

Tears formed in the corner of Nalla’s eyes, “Y-you… you’re…”

“Be proud, child. You are a worthy successor of Votum.”

Nalla fell to her knees and bowed her head, “Lady Holo!”

“...Nalla, where did it go?” Cordelia whispered.

“Wha…?” Nalla looked up.

The pale specter was gone. The three young women found themselves alone in the dark grove. Flakes of orange light floated around them and faded into dust.