Chapter 4
"What did you say?"
"The energy here is different… it's like a whole different world from the one have seen and passed by, as that of the once I lived in… everything here is different from the one am use too, from the harmony of the air down to the sight before me… I might even get intoxicated by it" he continued, standing as he relayed to her his thought of the forest, not hearing her exact words.
She felt surprised by his words, knowing what most think when it comes to the issues of the forest, was death and loss. The myth of the forest was built around that, due to the fact that most people that had entered the forest don't tend to return, and certain witness who watch them entered, stated seeing the forest animals devoured them, although most were fugitives or invaders, and no one really knows how the forest works, or why the animals attack most that enters.
Like most The forest was still a mystery to her, she doesn't even remember how she got into the forest for the first time, nor does she know why the animals tend to play with her, she mostly return to the forest because she had a certain level of attachment too it, since she has been coming in and out of the forest for as long as she can remember.
Even when she knows the animals there were not normal, due to their body structure and power, she still comes to play with them, she has been doing it for so long, the abnormalities she once saw had become normal for her, and most consider her weird, due to that. But she could never really put her thoughts, or feelings towards the forest into words, she only knows whenever she enters the forest, there was this suiting energy that uplift her. Making the forest different to her and considered to be her heaven, a feeling she can't find elsewhere.
However his words expressed it, so, vividly and simplified her feelings, as that of her thoughts of the forest, which made her wondered, if maybe, that was why the animals displayed no sign of hostility, or concern towards him, due to his heart.
"Although, I know it's not much of a reason and might sound a bit crazy, but that's my reason"
"It's a bit crazy… But it's also unique" she said placing her hands backward, holding one with the other, after hearing his answer as she stood.
"I guess am not the only one" she thought in relief.
"Anyway we should get going… if we don't plan on getting to the kingdom by night fall"
"Hmm… Yes, that's true… but is the exit that far?"
"Just a bit" she replied as they walked, concluding their talk.
They continued walking, heading toward the exit the lady mentioned, as she led the way, while the four middle age men they escaped from, were getting tired of waiting and frustrated of the current result of their patient. Few minutes passed, when one of the middle age men notify their boss that it was getting late, and the guards of the Radiant kingdom would soon start their scheduled patrol around the border. If they don't leave soon, it would be a problem for them, while narrating that waiting might not be the best option right now.
After hearing that, the boss told his men to prepare to leave. Weighing how big an issue it would be, if the guards caught them at their current post. He concluded leaving to be the best choice for them. Believing, doing otherwise would only leave them exposed, and probably jeopardize their mission, making their target aware of their movement, while thinking that if they can't catch the target today, there was always next time, since the information given was the problem, not them and this was a chance to complain about the information given by their employer.
Few minutes had passed, since the wanderer and the lady had made their way toward, the entry of the secret path; the exit of the forest around the west part of it. At the entrance of the path, laid a cave. Marking the exit from the forest, which an oak tree with wide spread branches concealed the entry point. The wanderer was stunned by the view. He gazed admiring the pattern and style at which the branches was form and shaped around the cave.
It was like an handcraft with unique design, which made it a bit hard for him to believe the layout of such design was natural not manmade, due to how of the branches was placed, they stick around the entry point edges of the cave like a taped layout, and the lines of the branches on the walls of the cave both in and out of it, was peculiarly distinct in shape, one over the other. While some of the branches and leaves were spread in a fashionable manner conforming, covering and concealing the entry point of the cave like a gate.
"This is it"
"It's beautiful… and are you sure this was not man made… "
"I doubt that… Most people avoid talking about the forest, since they consider it to be a taboo, not too talk about entering… I doubt anyone would dare take the time for such… But then again, there could be people like you"
"Oh! Well… I'll take that as a compliment" he said, gazing at the design work on the cave astonished by the sight before him, while she stand in front of the gate, as the branches and leave fold, opening a path for them to enter the cave.
"By the way won't we need a torch? It's still a bit bright out… But the cave looks quite dark, it's like there is little to no form of the sun rays making it in…"
"Not at all, the cave has its own way of making things visible… C'mon, you'll see"
"Well, have followed you this far, so, why stop now… lead the way and I'll follow" he replied puzzled, by the meaning of her words, but chose to follow her either way.
Before entering he checked, out of caution. Sensing if anyone was nearby, or in the cave, but he sensed no one around, all he could sense was fragments of the forest energy, coming from the cave and the lady, as that of some of the animals of the forest, lurking around the area.
Their energy level was a bit on the high scale, compare to the ones he saw with the lady, and they had a certain level of stain in it, which acknowledged her claim of the path not for just anyone to take, and the fact of the animals devouring people.
"I guess she wasn't kidding, earlier… I should thank her for her aid, once this is all over… but it's still disappointing, though… I actually thought their energy level would be higher... Hmm" he thought, a bit disappointed by the energy levels of the animals, while putting a front of positivity, since it seemed like she was unaware of what was happening.
She led the way, while pulling him to follow, as they walked through the branched made gate. After they entered the cave, the gate unfold, returning to its original form, while concealing itself. At first glance the cave was pitch black, it was like a night with the absent of the moon and stars, which was weird, since the sun was yet to set. Although it wasn't all bright and sunny outside, but there was no sign of light in the cave, which made him wondered what she meant by her previous statement.
He wanted to ask, but he sensed, no hostility or doubt from her, so, he decided to just keep tagging along as they walked with hope to understand what she meant on the long run.
Few minutes passed, and they had kept a few length from the entrance of the cave, before the wanderer noticed that there were glowing light around them, on the path way and above them, which she explained to be light crystals, that glows in the dark. They eliminate the darkness and grant sight in the cave, he looked around and observed that there were more as they go, all possessing the energy of the forest.
The cave at that point in time, in his eyes was like the night sky, as the stars was glowing, one after the other, as she walked in front, while the lights made her looked even more radiant. A work of art design with heart, basking in the beauty of the night sky, while in her black hoody cape with each step giving a sight of her Radiant, his eyes and mind was overwhelmed by the view before him.
"This is just breathtaking… I might die, out of being overwhelm… have been to various breathtaking places, and seen many aesthetic sight… but this takes the cake... How did you come by this? Dare I ask?"
"Actually I can't really say… I just know that I have been coming to the forest for, as long as I can remember… but I can't seem to remember… how I came by it, nor the first time of coming…"
"…Oh"
"Yes… I guess it's weird… However we should move… The exit is up front… Let's hurry"
"Okay, mam" he replied sensing his question might had made her a bit uneasy, as she seemed to had answered out of reflex.
It took them, over 10 minutes to get to the exit, which led them to an old underground sewer line, in the Radiant kingdom. It seemed too had been blocked, and abandoned for years, due to the creation of the new sewer system. After passing a secret doorway that opens, upon the press of a brick that has a slight cracked marking on it, at the edge of the cave, beneath the dark alley few length behind a grocery shop in the market square, while distributing a fragment of one's energy within it.
They could hear the noise of progressing transactions and sales, even as it was toward night time, as the lady guide the wanderer through the path, which would lead them to the dark alley above them. The sewer line has various point of entry across the kingdom, and each has its own stairway that marks, the path way to the exit of the sewer. The old sewer line they found themselves also has its own stairway, but the exit was blocked, during construction of the new sewer system, long ago.
However, there was a secret doorway, from the stairway, that was linked to the dark alley, behind the grocery shop, in the market square. Only a hand full of people, knew about its' existence, and less knew of the way to open it. The lady, however knew of the doorway and how to open it. She walked to the edge of the blocked exit stairway, placing her hand on the wall, while trying to pick up sounds of anyone at the opposite side, of the wall that separated the old sewer line from the dark alley, using an art of hers.
"What are you doing?"
"Am checking if there is anyone around… It will be a bit of an issue, if someone sees us, passing through the secret path to the alley, won't you agree?"
"Oh... Yes, that's true" he replied comprehending her words.
"She can make use of Wave detection art… Impressive" he thought understanding her art, to be a technique, used to pick up sound waves of everything or a specific kind of sound, from the quiet or gentle of sounds to the loudest and heavy of sounds.
Upon picking the sound waves of none around the alley, she pulled out her necklace from her chest, which was in a rather peculiar shape, of a missing piece of one of the brick on the wall. The wanderer could sense there was energy in the necklace, as she fused it to the wall. A doorway opened, in split seconds, as the bricks turned to an energy gate, enough to let one through.
"A magic gateway" he thought, upon seeing how the doorway was formed.
"Hey! Let's go, before someone comes around"
"Yes… let's" he replied with a smile, masking his curiosity, as he witness her, opening a magic doorway.
Leaving the sewer lines, through the doorway. The wanderer couldn't help, but noticed that, after they passed through, the wall of the alley didn't change, nor was a gate way formed on the wall of the alley, instead, a doorway opened few inches from the wall.
And he could sense that the doorway behind them, and the one in the old sewer line was the same, which means that, all she did was to create a doorway, linked between the old sewer line and the alley, using the energy in the necklace piece as a key, with the aid of the brick she fused it too as a lock, bypassed to open a door of where she wants.
Believing, the brick must had been a magical item, that aid in transport, he wondered, if she knew it was magic, because that would explain a few things about her. As that of if she knew the actual use of the items. But asking might be overstepping his boundary, so, he thought it wise to keep his silence.
They left the alley, while she thought he was overwhelmed by the act, that he thought it best to not ask about any of the event. The thought of such made her a bit relief, since she couldn't explain it, even if he asked.