Chapter twenty: Deadly Vines.

Chapter Twenty: Deadly Forest

"What the fuck!?" My frustrated voice resounded in the forest.

"Why is this whole damn place trying to kill me?" I screamed, but that didn't mean I would let myself get killed.

I dodged branch after branch, each one capable of piercing through me.

And worst of all, I lost all hope of getting out alive when I saw this message:

[Spirit essence: 20/100]

My spirit essence was almost depleted.

If I used another spell now, it meant it was over for me because just like Kevin, I would pass out, and I didn't want that to happen.

I didn't want to be left defenseless in the hands of a person I didn't trust.

Jumping off trees, I dodged the branches that were coming at me. Somehow, I could tell where the branches were coming from despite the dim moonlight.

*Swoosh*

I dodged a branch and then, using that opportunity, I tried to kick off a tree, but I fell.

My fatigue was catching up. Kevin and I had been fighting those vines for about an hour, and fighting for that long was taking a toll on our bodies.

I glanced at Kevin; his attacks were getting weaker and weaker, the force behind his sword becoming less and less.

I rolled to the side to dodge a vine, but at the same time, another vine attacked and pierced my left thigh. I clenched my teeth to endure the pain as I struggled to stand up.

I hadn't even stood up straight when four branches rushed towards me.

I couldn't run, and I couldn't dodge, so all I could do was face them. I summoned my sword. It had yet to form fully from the sparks, but I had to use it to parry the strike of a branch.

Parrying one didn't mean I could stop the rest.

One of the remaining three pierced my right shoulder, while another stabbed the left side of my abdomen. The last one aimed for my heart, but I moved my chest at the last second, and it stabbed the right side.

My body crumpled to the ground as blood flowed ceaselessly from my wounds. The half formed sword vanished too.

The branches that had delivered the wounds were just hovering above me, as if they were making sure I was dead.

I turned my head in Kevin's direction and saw that his body, for the first time since I met him, was covered in his own blood.

At that moment, Kevin's face turned to my direction, and our eyes met. His eyes shook when he saw me on the ground.

I could see genuine worry in those eyes.

"Nicholas!!!"

I could hear genuine worry in that voice, something I hadn't heard in years.

My eyes were becoming blurry, my surroundings began to twist, I could only hear a ringing sound, and my head felt light from the excess blood loss. But before I managed to see Kevin rushing towards me, my eyes closed.

***

In another part of the garden under a city,

In a dark room.

A group of six people were sitting around a long rectangular table. The left and right sides each had two chairs, while the other ends had one each.

Each of these chairs was filled with people wearing black hoods covering their faces, save for their eyes, except for the one at the head, for he had a black mask on his face.

The one at the head of the table spoke, "I had a revelation from the goddess."

"A revelation? So that's why this meeting was called," one of the others said with a look of realization.

"Yes, that is the reason."

"Then please tell us the revelation," another said with much respect in his voice.

"The goddess has demanded that we find a particular person and bring them to her."

"Bring someone to her? Is that even possible?" Another asked skeptically.

"But who is this person that the goddess wants to meet?"

The one sitting at the opposite end of the table asked in a calm and clear voice, but his eyes betrayed his curiosity.

"This is the individual,"

the one with the mask waved his hand, and clumps of water gathered from the air and formed a glass mirror showing an image.

Everybody there saw the image and made confused noises.

"But that's not all. The goddess said to bring him to her at any cost." Those words made everybody gasp in surprise.

Although there was nothing wrong with the statement, it just went to show how much their goddess desired to meet this individual.

"Just who is this person?" One of them asked the head.

"I have no idea; the goddess didn't say," he paused, then continued.

"She also said to begin the search for the divine item."

"The divine item? Isn't it too early?" The one at the opposite end asked.

"Yes, it is, but the goddess has spoken, and it's our duty to carry out her request."

Another person who had not spoken since the beginning of the meeting turned to the one with the mask and asked,

"Your grace, how are we going to find the child and find the divine item at the same time?"

"Don't worry about that; I'll take care of it," he replied and paused for a bit before continuing.

"If that is all, this meeting is over. May the goddess be with you. Oh, and before I forget, make sure to tell Natasha to come see me."

He said and left the room. It was only until he had left the room that everybody began to leave.

The person who had sat at the opposite end of the table was walking in a dimly lit hallway.

He came to a stop in front of a door. He looked to his right and left, making sure no one was around before entering the door.

It was a small room that only contained a mirror and strange markings all over the place.

The person closed the door behind him and then placed his right hand, which was emitting a red light on it, and the light spread all over the room through the markings.

Once that was done, the person walked over to the mirror and knelt down. He took off his hood and the piece of clothes covering his face, which had a long scar on the left side of his face. He had short red hair and deep piercing black eyes.

Then he looked at the mirror and bowed his head saying,

"Master, your servant has a message."

The mirror hummed for a bit as a massive presence descended in the room. A voice came from the mirror, it was low but it made the air in the room vibrate,

"Speak."

"The goddess has begun her search for the divine item."

"Oh, so she has made her move."

"Yes, master. Should I prepare 'it' now?"

"No, let's wait a little bit longer."

"Yes, my lord. My lord, the goddess made a strange request today."

"Hmm? She did? What was it?"

"She requested that we find someone, a child at that, and that we should bring him to her at any cost."

"Oh, a child, so she really is bent on killing that 'cage' child?"

"Master, do you know who that person is?"

"Forget about that. I have a new task for you; if you ever find that child, be sure to contact me. Also remain vigilant the stars have started moving," the voice said, and then the huge presence left the room.

"Just who is that child? What makes him so special that even the master wants to see him?" The man muttered as he touched the door, removing the red light, and exiting the room.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, the man covered his face and walked down the hallway thoughts of the mysterious child and the divine item filling his mind.