Chapter 37: The Missing child

She woke up in her tent early in the morning. She heard someone crying. Going out she saw a woman kneeling on both of her knees trying to convince the elder of the village to let her go outside the walls. The commotion attracted the men and women of the war band’s attention. Lady Sena also arrived to see what’s wrong. The Elder told Lady Sena it was okay but she decided to listen to the woman crying.

Calista was the name of the woman. She told Lady Sena that her daughter was missing. Her daughter was usually behaved but seeing the war band. Her daughter thought that it would be fine to leave the village. Lady Sena told the lady that them being in the village doesn’t mean that they can be careless. The woman said that she wasn’t being careless about her daughter. It was that just that with how things are. She messed up in looking after her own daughter.

The case of the woman seems like her fault. Lady Sena seems to think so but seeing that the woman messed up due to the war band, Lady Sena said that she will help search for her daughter. The woman named Calista was glad. She bent her knee and thanked Lady Sena for her kindness. The village elder made a troubled expression. He expressed his frustration in making the Lady help them. Lady Sena wasn’t bothered by the elder’s remarks. She told them that it was fine since they are already letting them stay in the village for a while so they might as well help before they leave.

The elder was glad hearing that. Then Lady Sena told someone to call for Bruno. She was watching so she went to look for Bruno. She saw Bruno sharpening his sword with a whetstone near his tent. She told him that the Lady was calling for her. Bruno did not waste time when he heard her. He stopped what he doing and carried himself to where the lady was.

There the Lady told Bruno and one of the scouts to join her in the search. Bruno objected at first knowing that the village and the surrounding area are a stranger to them. Even with the best scout in the war band would find it hard to navigate an area unknown to them. She suggested having one of the villagers join them. Hearing her, Lady Sena smiled and asks the village elder for one of their hunters. The village elder was happy to help. He sent one of their best hunters to join them.

The Lady and her search party needed some healers in case there was trouble so she volunteered to join. With the search party for the missing child formed. The lady told everyone to prepare themselves for the search. So she went and armed herself with her staff and robe. Her hooded robe was meant for roving and was quite sturdy while her staff has a sharp spearhead at the other end that allows her to use it. She also armed herself with a dagger she sheathed put on her belt.

She went out carrying her staff. The gem on her staff shines while the spearhead stabs on the ground. She saw Lady Sena wearing her helmet and her left hand on top of the pommel of her sword. The lady looked like a war goddess as she stands. Bruno stood beside her and is wearing his own armor. She approached them. Lady Sena told her if she was ready which she replied she was.

Lady Sena waited for the others to arrive. When they arrive Lady Sena told them that as long as she was here they wouldn’t be forsaken. She believes that the lady would honor that. Lady Sena then asks the war leader to look after the war band. The war leader rubs the back of his head saying that this was reckless. She smiled at him cheekily saying that there was no way she would lose to anyone. She can agree with the lady. No one can ever defeat the lady even if the lady wasn’t that experience in killing yet. Lady Sena held the power of an ascended knight. Even in the leagues of Ascended Knights, the Lady is someone that could stand with them. The War leader knows this well so he was sure that they would find no trouble. But even with that, the Lady told everyone not to get cocky or overconfident. She can say that she can protect them with confidence because of her powers.

The search party accepted her advice well. Then the village elder introduced the hunter that will be going with the search party. He is a lean man, fox-like appearance, with black hair, black eyes, and a rough beard. He wore boiled leather armor. His bow poked right out his left shoulder. He wore a dagger on his waist. Overall he looked like an experienced hunter.

He greeted the lady first before he started leading the way. The search party followed the man out of the village walls first. He then led the search party near the area where the dense forest is located. He stopped and told the people search party to be careful when touching trees. The hunter explained that the forest has supernatural creatures that are called Kapri Demons. They are tree giants that smoke tobacco on top of tree branches. Normally they are pretty neutral. But the moment anyone tries to disturb them they would have a very bad time. Kapri Demons cannot be harmed by normal steel and they can control tree branches and roots. The forest is very dense so provoking tree demons that could control the forest could prove to be a problem. The hunted explained with fear. One of the scouts asks what is there to fear since they can wield magic. But the hunter told that scout that the tree demons do not bind people like treants. They kill them immediately by turning the roots and branches into spikes.

Hearing that, the Scout pursed his lips and swallowed his saliva. The Lady nodded her head and told the search party to listen to the hunter. The hunter then said that as long as they do not touch any of the trees that are marked with white handprint then they should be fine.

The hunter was done explaining. So the search party entered the forest.