I was going to wait until the view count reached 20,000 but I'm too anxious. There should be one or two chapters left of this arc. I don't know if someone notice, but on Chapter 18 I added +10% penetration to Mana Bolt when I realized that it only did 30 or so more damage than before and that shouldn't have produced the result I described (yesterday i forgot to mention it...).

Luke opened his eyes to find himself in a forest. It wasn’t his forest, it gave the idea of being The Forest. From his position, he could see large trees dozens of meters wide and so tall that looking up, he could barely see the first branches. He could recognize several types of plants and trees, but all of them seemed to have experimented an extraordinary growth. Shade and light combined in a perfect balance to make it pleasant to the eye. Chirping birds were replaced by the lonely sound of the wind rustling leaves.

It took Luke a while to remember everything that happened until he passed out. Immediately, he was worried about Steve. Not that the smart wolf couldn’t take care of himself, it was only that Luke felt the obligation of guaranteeing his safety. He was certain that he was nowhere close to his trees or the valley where the battle with the goblins took place. He realized that there was not much he could do, so he decided to pick a direction and start walking. With any luck, he would find the way out or someone that could help.

Luke moved through the forest at a steady pace. Luke had trouble establishing how long he had been walking for. The sun (if the light was coming from a sun) didn’t move or it moved so slowly that after what Luke thought were hours it had barely changed position. The trees being huge, also confused his mind. He knew perfectly well how to travel through a forest without getting lost, but all the tricks and tools he had weren’t working. If you asked him how to go back to the place where he started, he wasn’t sure he could answer correctly.

There were two things that ended the monotony out of nowhere. First, the oaks. The wide variety of species was replaced by row after row of chaotically organized oaks. They respected the plants consensus and grew to mountainesque proportions, but seemed to conform a world for themselves. Luke felt like an intruder in foreign lands when he noticed that he was completely surrounded by these trees. The second distraction was the sound of tinkling bells. It was soft at first but it gained strength the longer he traveled until he could feel the sound coming from next to his ears.

Suddenly, the oaks gave way to a clearing roughly the same size as the one where his house was. There were tall grasses that could reach to his hip everywhere except in the center. There, the grass was bended and tied in such a way that it resembled a comfortable rug. On this nature woven mat there were the two most beautiful women Luke had ever seen. Both of them were gorgeous for they appearances, however they were more so due to the sensation they radiated. It was like the forest started from them and for them. He understood in a subconscious level that they weren’t a forest protector or caretaker, they were the Forest itself.

Luke stared at them long enough to be considered rude, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had loved the woods since his father bought their land and they started to live there and now he was seen it made women. Both were a little shorter than him from what he could deduce in spite of them being seated. But there was where the similarities ended. The one on the left had long, lustrous black hair that she wore loose. Her face showed an obvious indian heritage that make her look exotic. Her slender figure was well proportioned though there weren’t abundant curves, just the right amount. She had anklets with bells which probably were those he heard previously. The other woman was the opposite. Her hair was blonde, but it barely went beyond her shoulders. Her face resembled the ideal occidental proportion of beauty and her body complimented it to perfection. If the former was considered shapely, the latter was outright generously attributed. There were no noticeable imperfection in either of their figures.

They had been talking in soft tones until Luke arrived. Now they were looking at him amused. He could swear that a sly smirk crossed the face of the curvy one, to be quickly replaced by a calm expression.

Luke being the socially genius he was had not trouble striking a conversation with two beautiful women in the middle of the forest.

“Hmm, hello?”

They looked at him stunned for a moment and then broke into loud laughter. Although the sound was pleasant, Luke couldn’t help but believe that they were mocking his lack of social skills. He scratched his head and decided that he should leave. It didn’t matter how beautiful they were, nothing gave them the right to have fun at his expenses. Luke couldn’t stand people that thought that they are better than everybody else just because they have a better body or a faster mind.

Said the more voluptuous of the two.

said the one wearing anklets (Ari?).

When they talked, Luke was already turning around to leave so he was caught completely unprepared for their melodious voices. He couldn’t express how they sounded, but he was sure it was the voice of the forest: both came as if it was branches swaying and leaves rustling. It was gentling and encompassing.

“Well, If it makes you feel better I wasn’t blabbering because you didn’t gave me long enough before you started laughing. I could get started at any point in time if you want. Though that can be left for latter, more concerning is the question of where I am and who you are.” Luke blabbed. It wasn’t that he suddenly found his silver tongue, it was simply that he desired to go back to see if Steve was fine. It also may be his desire to appear calm even in their presence to impress them. Luke was after all male.

They laughed again. Harder. It seemed Luke was completely unable to deceive them with his lofty attitude. Well, he didn’t lose anything by trying… When they could compose themselves again they scrutinized him for long seconds before they shared a look. They seemed to have agreed to something.

said the blonde woman.

Ari, now Aranyani, said.

said Druantia with a smirk.

Luke was astonished when he realized he never told them his name. From that moment onwards, he decided to be completely honest because he was certain they would be able to tell if he wasn’t.

“I’m not sure. Actually, I was in a valley fighting goblins when…” Luke narrated his tale of might and magic (?) to the best of his capabilities. They seemed surprised when he told them about the White Stag and almost spluttered when he described the spheric relic. When he explained his last attempt at surviving, they made ‘That’s it’ expressions that eased some of the nerves Luke had. He would never know if the Goddesses will tell him the whole truth, but he now was certain that there was an explanation.

Aranyani said.

Druantia commented.

“Hmm, Sorry but, how do I go back?” Luke said slightly stuttering.

He was getting annoyed that each time he said something they laughed for the next few minutes. In their defence this time it was more of a giggle than a throaty laughter.

Druantia said while slowly licking her crimson lips. Luke just stared. Rudely. Again.

She turned toward Luke Aranyani told Luke.

“Then, why am I here?” he said confused.

It was Druantia who answered this time.

“Then, about going back?” Luke was getting more comfortable with the conversion. Mind you, he supposed he won’t get comfortable ever, but it was enough to dialogue without too many awkward moments.

Druantia replied.

Luke released a long sigh. He wasn’t so eager to leave now that he knew it was only temporally. He wanted to stay a little longer, but he didn’t have an option.

“Well, thanks for the help. I suppose this will be our last time speaking, so have a nice life/eternity/whatever” He said crestfallen.

Druantia

Aranyani

The last thing he heard before disappearing from the glade was their laughter.