Chapter 21: Those Who Roam

  It had been three days of traveling through the forest before the group noticed a slight change in their environments.

  “The forest is becoming less dense in this part,” Corin said to Simeon.

  “I think you are right,” Simeon replied.

  The days they had spent had seen them travel through thick wooded terrain that was hard to navigate. It was much harder than any other path they had taken. This led to their elation at being outside quickly turning to frustration.

  “Ugh, finally. Walking through there was almost as bad as traversing those mines,” Zhi exclaimed.

  At the head of the group, Corin waited for the rest to catch up. Livia and Nanaua were at the rear.

  “If you ever would like, I could craft a rifle for you as well,” Livia said to Nanaua, who had been fidgeting with Livia’s rifle as she walked. She handed it back to Livia.

  “Argh, it is the same issue as with other ranged weapons,” Nanaua said. “I get too carried away in combat. I do not think I would have a clear mind to worry about ammunition and portioning out my shots.”

  The group continued their trek through the thinning forest. It did not take long for Corin to notice that Simeon stopped as he stared at something on the ground.

  “Did you drop something there, Simeon?” Corin asked.

  “No, my boy, come look,” Simeon pointed at the spot he hunched over.

  Corin went and looked at the ground. He struggled to see what Simeon was focused on.

  “What exactly am I supposed to see?” Corin asked as he studied the ground.

  “These are tracks,” Simeon said enthusiastically.

  Corin looked closer. Now he noticed the faint tracks Simeon had spotted. Corin saw large hoof prints. These would not seem out of place in a forest like this, but what caught his attention was the number of them.

  “What do you think? Was it a herd of animals that came through?” Corin asked.

  Zhi, Nanaua, and Livia caught up to them and were observing the two locked in conversation.

  “No, these tracks are too close together and too organized for it to have been a pack of wild animals. You also missed this print here,” Simeon said to Corin.

  “A bare humanoid footprint?” Corin asked looking at the spot Simeon pointed to.

  “Aye, that’s right. This is not from a wild herd of animals, rather from a large moving group. A caravan,” Simeon stated.

  “What kind of group would be traveling like this?” Corin asked.

  “I don’t know, but they are traveling in the same direction we are. I first spotted some tracks a while ago. I was not sure if our paths would diverge, but so far it has not been the case.”

  “Do you think they are dangerous?” Zhi asked.

  “Anyone can be dangerous. What matters is if they need a reason to be dangerous or not," Simeon replied. “But it is the first sign of furtives we have seen since we left the mines. It might be in our best interest to see who this group is. Maybe they could be of aid.”

  “And if they are not?” Nanaua asked.

  “Then that is your area of expertise, not mine," Simeon replied.

  Nanaua grinned. They wanted to be hopeful of what they might find but knew very well that danger was ever-present.

  “Corin here is really good at making friends, so I think he should talk to them first,” Zhi said.

  Corin was surprised. “Me?”

  “Yes,” Nanaua said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Livia said.

  “You are correct.” Simeon added.

  Thus, the group continued on, searching for this mysterious wandering caravn. They were all curious as to what kind of furtives they would find. All of them except Corin. He could only think about what exactly he would say when he met them.

  ***

  After a day of following the trail, all signs pointed to the group getting closer to their source. The prints they followed became fresher and easier to spot. Simeon was able to distinguish individual prints and surmise details about those who left them.

  “Seems like a fairly large group, must be hundreds,” he said studying the prints. The number astounded Corin. “Aside from the prints, they do not seem to leave much else behind. Hard to tell what kind of group we are dealing with.”

  “But they walk all over the forest barefooted?” Zhi asked.

  “Lass, some furtives don’t appreciate having their feet covered. There are important details about the world around them that they are able to glean from the ground as they walk. Walking with shoes on for some would be like putting a blindfold on you and asking you to move about," Simeon replied.

  “Makes sense,” Corin and Zhi replied almost instantly.

  The group continued following the tracks until later in the day. As the sun set and night settled, the group saw the first sign of the furtives ahead of them. From a distance, a light shined from the middle of the forest, shooting up into the sky.

  “Do you think that must be them?” Livia asked.

  “Aye, no doubt about it. The trail leads there, and these prints are hours old,” Simeon stated as he looked to the sky.

  “Their fire seems to be producing no smoke,” Nanaua stated.

  All of them observed. It was as she said, no sign of smoke emanated from the location of the light.

  “Probably, there is no fire there,” Simeon said.

  “Then what could be lighting their camp?” Zhi asked.

  “Corin will find out for us,” Simeon said with a slight smile.

  “Of course,” Corin replied quietly.

  He had not forgotten that he had been volunteered to be their emissary. He had hoped that by now the group had changed their mind or forgotten about that role they had assigned him.

  “Let’s get closer, and then Corin will go talk to them,” Livia stated.

  The group quietly agreed and made their way toward the edge of the camp. Now they stood by some trees near a large clearing. Ahead of them was a large number of caravans forming a large circular perimeter. The wagons were large and they were built of solid wood all around. Beyond them nothing about the camp could be seen. Corin could not see the animals that had pulled the wagons, or any of the furtives that might transport them. All he could see was the large light that emanated from within the perimeter. Still, they could not hear any sound coming from within.

  “Perhaps they’re asleep?” Nanaua asked.

  Corin felt a sliver of hope rising within him. Maybe they could wait until the morning to introduce themselves.

  “They could, but night has just settled. Corin will let us know if they sleep,” Zhi interjected.

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  As soon as Corin’s hopes were beginning to rise, they once again deflated.

  “You’ll do great, my boy,” Simeon whispered to Corin. “I know you’ll be safe, but if you are in danger, shout my name, and we will come to your aid, but if it’s safe, shout ‘Livia’ and we’ll know there is no danger.”

  Simeon smiled as he looked at Corin, whose head hung down low for a second, and then he got up.

  Really no choice but to see what awaits us.

  Corin walked up to the camp. There was only one area with space in between the wagons. It seemed like the only way in or out. And covering it was a large piece of cloth, leaving him unable to see inside.

  In his head, he rehearsed what he would say to the group once he met them. Hello, my name is Corin. I was walking down this path and noticed your trail. Are you dangerous? Please don’t be!

  He neared the entry point to the caravan and still did not hear any type of commotion coming from inside the camp. His stomach knotted with concern. He stood in front of the large cloth that separated him and the camp.

  Corin stood, waiting to see if he heard something, anything, a sign of what might await him on the other side.

  This doesn’t feel right.

  Corin began to turn around when the cloth rose. Corin was stunned to see what was on the other side.

  An entire community of dark-skinned humanoid furtives looked at him. To Corin’s surprise they all seemed eager to see him.

  The furtive closest to Corin approached him. This furtive was tall, the tallest out of the group. He was even taller than Nanaua, but unlike her he was very thin. The tall furtive reminded Corin of a siren, for he was sleek. But whereas a siren was covered in scales like a fish, this furtive’s skin was akin to tree bark, and many branches protruded from its skin. Even from the top of its head, which was crowned by many branches.

  “Greetings, friend. We have been expecting you,” The tall furtive had a deep and friendly voice. “We expected your companions to join you. Will they be coming soon?”

  “My companions?” Corin asked.

  “Yes, you have been traveling with four other furtives on the same path we have for a while now. Aside from you, we recognized two humans, a dragoor, and an ape-man. Will they be joining us as well?” The tall creature seemed joyful and excited.

  Corin was surprised. Under normal circumstances, this would have sounded like a threat, but Corin did not feel threatened by the furtive. Instead, he seemed genuinely curious as to why Corin came alone.

  How did they know? Did they see us?

  Corin looked at the others in the group. The rest of the community were very much like the furtive who Corin was speaking to. Very tall and thin, resembling trees, and joyful. Corin could see nothing from the group that hinted at any danger.

  If they knew about us this whole time, they could have attacked us, but they hadn’t. Well, it’s settled.

  “Yes, the others are preparing and will join us shortly,” Corin said as he tried to come up with the best explanation for their absence. “Livia!”

  His companions appeared in the distance and quickly made their way over to Corin. As they approached, the tall furtive who greeted Corin welcomed them.

  “Fellow furtives, welcome. We have been expecting you!”

  “You have?” Simeon asked in a surprised tone.

  “They have. They knew all five of us had been following them for the past day,” Corin said.

  Corin saw his companions tense up.

  “Yes, we were expecting you to reach us by tonight, and we’re happy to see a friendly outside group. It’s a rarity for us to be able to converse with those outside our roots”

  “What a curious thing," Simeon replied while still seeming apprehensive of the tall furtive. “In all my years, I don’t believe I have ever met furtives quite like yourselves. My name is Simeon, and I believe you have already met Corin.”

  “Oh, of course, it has been so long since meeting someone new that I forgot my introductions. You may call me Ciba. I am the current head of our thicket.”

  “A thicket?” Simeon asked curiously, his tone changing. “I’m terribly sorry, but are you all forest elves?”

  “That is one term that’s been used to describe us,” Ciba replied.

  Upon hearing this, Simeon’s entire demeanor changed. He became more open and relaxed.

  “By the firmament! I never knew your kind to be real! So you can communicate with the forest and the trees!” Simeon said gleefully.

  “Yes, we can,” Ciba replied. “The trees told us about your group and let us know you were on our trail. We slowed our caravan so that you could reach us.”

  “Amazing, there are so many questions I have for you,” Simeon said. “May we come in?”

  “My manners!” Ciba said. “Customarily we only deal with other thicket members, so we don’t even consider these things.” Ciba stepped to the side as he greeted the visitors.

  Simeon did not hesitate and followed him into the campsite.

  Corin and the rest of the group did the same and entered the campgrounds, introducing themselves to Ciba as they entered. The first thing they noticed was how extensive the campsite was. To Corin it seemed about the same size as Ankur. And not only was it large, but there was a large number of tree elves. Corin was sure there were hundreds of them.

  “Amazing,” Zhi said.

  Up close now, Corin could see different aspects of the camp that he had not noticed from a distance. Each of the wagons seemed to be built from a single wooden frame. Around each of the caravans, multiple branches sprouted that had bioluminescent fruits hanging from them. These fruits were so luminous and numerous that they were the only source of light necessary in the camp. Even in the pitch darkness of the night, they provided ample light to guide the group.

  In front of each caravan, Corin saw interesting creatures. They were four legged like deer, but they were larger. Their heads and bodies were bigger, and they had black eyes. Unlike deer that had furry coats, these creatures had a rough bark-like skin. It was reminiscent of the skin of the forest elves.

  These must have been the animals that were dragging the caravans.

  Different groups of forest elves tended to the beasts in front of each caravan. Removing moss from their rough skin and picking away at bugs that had burrowed deep within. No words were exchanged between the elves and the creatures, but they seemed to understand what was needed.

  A thick aroma wafted through the campsite as well, a sweet scent that enthralled Corin. He saw various forest elves gathered around a basin from which they drank. As he neared the basin, the strong scent increased. Corin looked at it, but saw that his companions were still moving on.

  At the very center of the campsite a large crowd of forest elves engaged in a soft flowing dance. Corin could tell they followed a rhythm, but there was no music he could hear. Around the dancing forest elves, several of the lighted fruit hung about. These too undulated along with the dance. Around the perimeter of the dancing elves, other elves sat and watched. Every so often, some of the elves would stop dancing, and some of the ones observing would jump in their place.

  “Here we are,” Ciba said to the group as they paused in front of one of the many caravans.

  In front of it was a large pot of a simmering liquid. Its aroma was very different from that of the basins that the forest elves would drink out of.

  “We do not eat food, but knowing that we had visitors coming, we wanted to prepare something special for you. It is made with various vegetables from the surrounding forest,” Ciba gestured to the group.

  Nanaua was the first one to approach the concoction and smell it. “I don’t know what it is, but it certainly smells as if I’ll enjoy it.”

  Another elf brought them bowls.

  Nanaua was the first one to get a bowl and gladly began to eat.

  By the time Corin, who was the last to receive a portion, ate, Nanaua was asking for a second serving.

  “Nanaua, please,” Zhi began as she implored Nanaua to be more tactful.

  “What? They’re offering, are they not?” Nanaua asked as she received a second bowl.

  “You are guests here, and we are happy to be helpful,” Ciba added, which quickly gladdened Nanaua. He sat down near Corin.

  As Corin ate, he was amazed at the flavors of the soup prepared for them. He had never tasted such a unique blend of vegetables before, and the dish was as hearty as any they had eaten in a while. He would make sure to ask for the recipe later.

  “I hope this soup is to your liking,” another Forest Elf, Floyan, said.

  “Oh, very much so,” Zhi replied quickly.

  Corin and the rest of them sat around the soup eating and taking in the sights surrounding them while the other forest elves would come in and greet them. Amongst themselves, Corin did not see them exchange any words, but he could see them acknowledge each other by various gestures.

  “Your group must have traveled through the mines to reach our forest here,” Ciba said as the group ate.

  “We did,” Corin replied. He did not want to divulge any more details than necessary about what they had encountered.

  “It must have been quite the experience. None who enter there normally survive. The aura of the curse is enough to make us steer clear of that place. You probably would have perished had it been not for your magic user,” Ciba looked at Zhi.

  Nanaua was alarmed at this statement. She rose quickly, which confused Ciba.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Ciba asked, concerned. “I truly apologize if I did something to upset our guests.”

  This was the first time Ciba had seemed anything but joyful. It seemed he was truly aghast that he might have done something to upset them.

  “No, you did nothing wrong,” Livia said and eyed Nanaua.

  Zhi herself tugged at Nanaua’s arm, imploring her to sit down.

  Nanaua finally relented and sat down.

  “You see, most other furtives are not accustomed to meeting a furtive who can use magic, and we don’t want to alarm them. So when we meet someone for the first time, we don’t divulge that fact. We were not aware that you knew Zhi was able to use magic,” Livia explained.

  “Oh, I see,” Ciba replied, sounding less worried than he had been. “It is true that meeting a furtive who can wield magic is truly a rare occurrence. Why, you are only the second one I’ve met in my millennia of life.”

  “You’ve met another magic-wielding furtive? Another Onsiel?” Zhi said as she shot up off the ground. She moved so fast that Corin was surprised she had the capacity to do so.

  “Oh yes,” Ciba replied, surprised at Zhi’s sudden movement. “I was a mere sapling when our thicket came across this being. I doubt many others currently here would remember this event. This furtive, this Onsiel as you called him, was an amazingly adept magic user. At the time, the forest surrounding us had endured a terrible wildfire, the result of a rampaging dragon. Without the forest as our eyes, we were lost and did not know where to go. By mistake, our thicket went right in the direction of the giant Braxus.”

  Ciba took a second before continuing. “When the earth began to shake, fissures on the ground appeared. We were certain that would be the end of our thicket. But this furtive, a sparrowling from on high, flew down right as Braxus prepared to rip the ground off our feet. He conjured a large acidic bath that ate away at Braxus’s legs and stopped the destruction. While Braxus dealt with the sudden attack, the magic user implored us to escape to safety. With destruction averted, we ran but could hear the clash of the furtive and the giant continue for three whole days.”

  “The Onsiel fought a giant for three days straight?” Zhi listened intently to Ciba’s story and could not contain her excitement.

  “Yes. At first, it was a veritable onslaught with no cease in the mayhem. As we ran from the carnage, all that could be heard was the sound of the earth rupturing, explosions, and large masses of earth being thrown about. We were not sure we would survive. This furious pace lasted for nearly an entire day, but then the pace slowed. But even after a whole day and much distance between ourselves and the conflict we would hear the violence erupt again. It was only on the third day after another lengthy clash that everything went silent.”

  “What happened then?” Zhi asked.

  “We continued putting distance between ourselves and Braxus. We were sure that after the clash between himself and the Onsiel that we would be targeted once more. But the fourth day came and went. And then the fifth day came. It was that very night that the furtive sparrowling found our thicket. He could barely stand when he arrived, and we took him in and tended to him. After two full days of rest, he finally had enough energy to move on his own. We had a feast in his honor, and we finally learned more about our savior. His name was Kehze, and his sole goal was to fight against any titan who tried to harm furtives. Before he left, we implored him to return and visit us in the future, but we never saw him again.”

  “And what happened to Braxus?” Livia asked.

  “Kehze bested him. Many years later, we traversed the area where they dueled. The landscape still showed scars of their clash, and all over the area we found shards of Braxus's blue sapphire heart,” Ciba replied.

  “The Onsiel defeated the Titan?” Zhi asked, still standing while listening to Ciba’s tale.

  “Yes,” Ciba replied.

  Zhi finally sat down. They were all quiet after listening to the tale.

  “Unbelievable,” Zhi said. “Never in my life would I ever think of fighting against a titan on my own.”

  “Really?” Ciba asked.

  Zhi looked surprised at Ciba’s question. “My powers have yet to fully develop, but even then I could not imagine having enough power to match a titan. Their power is immense.”

  “Hmm,” Ciba said. “There are many scenarios in which we imagine ourselves not being capable of conquering an opponent. But when we meet that event in reality, we find we are much stronger than we imagined ourselves to be.”

  Zhi smiled at the forest elf. He genuinely believed in her ability.

  Zhi said, “Thank you for that and for the kindness you have shown us today.”

  “Oh, but it is our pleasure. Ever since Kehze saved us, we wanted to show our gratitude to another magic-wielding furtive, and now we have the opportunity thanks to your presence. We are happy to help you,” Ciba said.

  “On that note, have you ever heard of Yranto?” Simeon asked, seeing his chance.

  He thought for a moment. “I am not very familiar with your names. What is Yranto?” Ciba replied.

  “Yranto is spoken of as the largest city ever built by furtives on the continent. We were told we could find it farther inland if we traveled northwest from the mines. That’s how we came upon you,” Simeon said.

  “Let me confer with the others here,” Ciba replied.

  After saying that, Ciba continued sitting down. Corin kept waiting for Ciba to get up and talk with the other forest elves, but he was not moving. Instead, he only continued sitting and would occasionally look from one elf to another.

  Corin eyed Livia, Nanaua, and Zhi. They all seemed as confused as Corin, whereas Simeon waited intently.

  The silence only continued.

  “Yes, we believe we know which city you speak of,” Ciba finally said after minutes of silence. “A majority of furtives that travel this forest head northwest. And it seems that some of the furtives we have spoken of have used that name before.”

  “You believe that? But how?” Nanaua asked. “I heard nothing between you.”

  “Oh, my apologies. Forest elves do not need to speak to each other to communicate. We communicate through the roots, that is how we communicated with the trees to learn about you and your group,” Ciba replied. “We were not aware you did not know this of us.”

  “That explains a lot,” Corin said. “I was curious why your campsite was so quiet.”

  “Yes, we only communicate verbally when interacting with other species,” Ciba said. “But with regards to your destination, Yranto, it seems it is close to where our path will be crossing within twenty days.”

  “So we are on the correct path!” Simeon stated with excitement.

  “Correct. You and your group are welcome to travel with us for the overlapping portion of the trip.”

  “Really?” Zhi stated. “You’ve done so much for us. We would not want to impose ourselves on you.”

  “It would not be an issue. A group of five would not hinder us in any fashion,” Ciba replied.

  The group all looked at each other. Similar to the forest elves moments earlier, there was no need for spoken words to be exchanged for them to reach a concensus.

  “I believe we will accept your offer,” Corin stated.