The woman of the forest

William walked around the forest for about an hour. He reached a certain point where his footsteps were the only thing he could hear. Nothing else seemed to be present.

—If it's like this, then I must be on the right path.

The cold breeze brushed through his shoulders. It sent shivers down his spine. His body had been feeling strange. Cold drops of sweat rolled down his face and his teeth constantly chattered. His body kept sending him warning signs of the danger that was ahead, but even so, he kept moving forward.

He didn't know where he would end up. He could barely see where he was going until he reached a small open field where the moonlight could reach.

He looked at the moon in the sky.

—If I end up too far in, I'm sure she will come out like always, right?

It was her job to keep intruders or curious people like William from stepping closer to the heart of the forest. He knows that much because it happened to him on multiple occasions when he was a young boy. He didn't know what was there, but every time he got closer, she would come out and send him back.

The one who could help him in his predicament. The one who he had categorized to be his "friend". The woman with the gray eyes,

"That is as far as you'll go, intruder."

The blacksmith looked around. He heard the voice ring through the silence, but he couldn't pick up where she was standing. The voice felt like it was surrounding him rather than coming from one direction.

The man wryly smiled, "You should at least show yourself when coming to greet your guests."

From amidst the darkness a woman jumped off of a tree and landed within a few feet away from William. Her bare feet landed swiftly on the grass without making a sound. She crossed her arms and looked at him slightly annoyed.

"As far as I know, guests are invited. You, on the other hand, show up unannounced like an intruder."

"Sheesh, isn't that a bit harsh? Aren't we old pals?"

The woman ignores his sarcasm, "You know better than anyone that you cannot be here. I don't have any obligation to treat you kindly after so many warnings."

The blacksmith scratched the back of his head, "I know... Last time, I promised to never come back, but some things happened and, well, here I am."

The woman was uninterested in his explanation, "Go back. You, more than anyone, should know our deal with outsiders. My people are not kind to those who violate the laws of the forest. It's more than enough that you of all people are living in it."

"You don't have to warn me to know. A lot of people fear your kind. Even the beasts are hiding in your presence."

For the people who know the Drakon tribe, they avoid them as much as possible. "People who are raised in the wild can only be such beasts." or so they say, but this is far beyond just being raised in the wild. The truth was, the people were afraid of them.

— I was even afraid of them once.

The Drakon tribe prefer it this way. This doesn't affect them, since they don't ever take a step from the forest, and it keeps outsiders from entering.

"If you understand that much, then I will not stand here and listen to your blabbering any further."

The woman turned her back on William and walked back.

The blacksmith took a deep breath. Ever since William knew her, she had been a difficult woman, "The reason that I'm here... is because of you, Olivia."

The woman stopped and looked over her shoulder, "What is it?" She asked.

"I... request your help." the man bowed to the woman.

The woman put one hand on her hip and shook her head. For a moment she thought the conversation was heading in a different direction, "Intruder, I don't know what gave you the idea, but I'm not someone who's going to be at your disposal just because you need it."

The man quickly stood up, "Of course! My employer is willing to pay for your service. Could you please hear me out?"

The woman scoffed, "You know regular currency has no value here."

"Right… That's um..."

The woman turned around to look at the blacksmith, "My people and I have been fending off well on our own. We don't need any wealth. We have everything we need inside this forest."

The man gritted his teeth. He knew the direction the conversation was going. He has experienced it many times in his merchant days. The woman kept putting blocking stones in his path. He needed something, anything to get the woman on his side.

"Surely, there must be something that I could reward you with..."

The woman crossed her arms, "You did, but we both know how that turned out. As you are standing now, you cannot."

It was too late. She had already ended the negotiation on her own.

"Wait, Oli—" the blacksmith tried to take a step forward but immediately took three steps back.

His body reacted on its own. Every extremity of his being screamed to run away. His survival instincts had activated the moment he looked at the woman in the forest.

"—Go back. That is a warning." The woman's white tattoos glowed on top of her brown skin.

"Wait, Olivia. Let's talk this out!"

The woman didn't want to listen. She was not in the mood to deal with the blacksmith, especially so late at night.

Olivia jumped high in the air, leaving a small crater in her place. From up in the sky, she positioned herself for a kick. She headed towards the blacksmith with such speed that he knew he couldn't dodge it even if he tried. He covered his face with his arms for the moment of impact. Strong gusts of wind caused William to fall on his back.

"Huh?"

To the blacksmith's surprise, Olivia didn't get to hit William. A force shield had protected the man from the attack.

In front of him appeared a young woman who wore a black dress. She stood right at the edge of the force shield and, without flinching, looked at Olivia landing her high jump kick in front of her. Her long black ponytail was brushed by the gusts of wind. She kept her one yellow eye open, observing Olivia's offense.

"My, such childish actions," she sighed, "It really is a waste."

"It's ironic to hear those words coming from you."

"Can't you see that he didn't come here to start a fight? Why do you take such barbaric actions? You never change, Oli."

The woman of the forest jumped back and clicked her tongue, "Why are you here, Sylvia Graham?"

Seconds of silence felt like an eternity. Sweat rolled down the blacksmith's forehead. Witnessing the high tension between the two females made him feel uneasy. The blacksmith didn't know whether to interfere.

He cleared his throat. With the little courage he could muster, he got up and stepped forward, "Hey, let's calm down—"

"—Do not interfere, blacksmith." said the gothic lady while she kept her eyes on the woman of the forest, "You see, she and I have some catching up to do."

The blacksmith's eyes opened wide. He whispered under his breath, "How did you—?"

The gothic lady crossed her arms, "—I was going to that place when I stumbled upon this mess. It's always the same with you." She put her index finger on her cheek in thought, "'Actions speak louder than words' is the saying, I believe?"

The woman of the forest scoffed, "You think you can just walk in here whenever you please? You know you can't come here anymore. There were certain conditions back then, but now you're no longer permitted. Especially after last time."

"I need to speak to the Dasan immediately as it is related to the stone."

"Outsiders' business has nothing to do with the Drakon tribe. The chief doesn't care about that silly pebble anymore. Therefore, you will not pass."

The gothic lady cocked her head, "Oh?" She chuckled at the woman while covering her mouth with one of her hands, "I don't need permission, I do as I please."

The woman gritted her teeth, "Why you... This stuck-up attitude of yours is ridiculous. Very well, I guess we do have some catching up to do."

The woman rushed towards the gothic lady. Her fists were ready to hit her target. Apart from her glowing tattoos, her pupils were gone. The strands of her black hair one by one slowly changed to white.

Sylvia scoffed, "You rely too much on that useless dragon. One day, it'll be the death of you."

"Says the one that prays to the tiny rabbit even here. Such disrespect will be judged at the time of resurrection!"

Olivia's temporary blindness didn't stop her. She was trained from a young age how to properly use her power. Her fists kept hitting the barrier. Each hit was more powerful than the previous one, causing it to crack slightly.

A flow of mana enveloped the blacksmith, "What the?!"

The gothic lady, still not looking at the man's direction, said, "I will need you to step aside, blacksmith. This is going to get messy."

The blacksmith was sent flying. He landed far back on the corners of the field.

Olivia threw her glowing fist at Sylvia, but the gothic lady was able to dodge it and jumped high in the air. The punch caused a strong gust of wind, enough to pull off the grass from the ground's surface. The gothic lady sent light beams towards the woman of the forest. Olivia didn't have enough time to dodge it. She gritted her teeth as she got cut all over her body.

The woman of the forest still kept going, unbothered by her injuries. At tremendous speed, she caught up with the gothic lady in midair and kicked her to the ground. Sylvia roughly landed on her back, gasping for air.

The blacksmith was at a loss for words. He had never witnessed a person's strength such as this. One that can cause the landscape to completely change in a matter of a punch or a kick. That was the mighty power of Olivia.

The gothic lady giggled as she lay on the ground, "This is fun."

Olivia raised an eyebrow as she watched Sylvia stand up and, in a matter of seconds, materialized in her hands what appeared to be a shoge.

The blacksmith's eyes widened, "What the hell?! She made a weapon out of... nothing?!"

Olivia jumped back to gain some distance,

"So, this is your new trick..."

The gothic lady swung her weapon around, "This isn't even the half of it. Why don't I show you a demonstration?" She pointed the knife at Olivia, "—Although, as much as I would like to be here chatting with you all night, I have to talk to the chief. I hope we can end this quickly."

"Hmph, rules are rules. You're going to have to go through me."

As William watched from the distance, it was hard for him to keep track of the fight. It was going at such a fast pace that he could only see the light of mana from both women colliding with one another.

Sylvia wrapped Olivia with the chain, but she was difficult to restrain. The woman of the forest would break the chain with brute force. The glint in Olivia's eyes was indicating that she was determined to be the one victorious in the fight, but Sylvia was in a hurry and didn't have time to give her a proper match.

They both sprint towards each other. At the moment of impact, the gothic lady dodged by sliding underneath Olivia as she jumped to throw a punch. Using the chain once more, she wrapped Olivia's foot, causing her to trip and fall. The gothic lady pointed the tip of the knife at Olivia's throat.

"I know you like to have these fights with me but, the day that was written in stone is approaching. I must speak to Dasan as soon as possible."

Olivia hated the idea of losing the fight to Sylvia, but she understood she was not being taken seriously under the circumstances. The woman of the forest's tattoos stopped glowing. Her hair returned to its usual black color and her gray pupils appeared again after one blink.

The gothic lady sighed. She let go of her weapon and it vanished in midair, "Now, I had best be going then."

The blacksmith was at a loss for words. These women managed to make such a mess of the landscape, leaving craters and fallen trees around them. "These women are terrifying individuals..." he murmured under his breath.

The gothic lady turned to the blacksmith. From afar she yelled, "I'll see to it that she provides her assistance. It was nice to see you again... Mr. Blacksmith."

The gothic lady walked past the woman of the forest who laid on the ground exhausted, "You don't have any authority to make me help him."

Sylvia covered her mouth as she chuckled, "Oh, but you will." she put her hands on her hips, "Stop giving him tough love. It is obvious that you care for him."

The woman of the forest looked away. Her cheeks slightly turning red, "What makes you say that?"

The gothic lady smiled, "That first attack you did before I arrived... You were going to miss it on purpose. You were trying to scare him off because of that silly oath. Am I wrong?"

Olivia clicked her tongue, annoyed at how easily she was read by her opponent.

Sylvia smirked, "I'll see you back at the place."

With the gothic lady gone, the blacksmith walked towards Olivia, who laid on the grass. He approached her slowly, not knowing how she would react. He extended his hand towards her to help her stand up, but she refused it and got up by herself.

The moon shone above her. Her dark skin was usually clear as glass, but at that moment William could only see the wounds on her body. The moonlight enhanced the appearance of the streams of blood that rolled down from her injuries.

The man's eyebrows were furrowed, "Will you be alright?" He inspected her injuries, "You got wounds all over."

The woman had not complained or showed any signs of weakness. She stood with her arms crossed in a rather dignified manner. She's the type of woman who doesn't show any sense of fragility. She would rather die before she let anyone see that side of her.

The woman scoffed, "I don't need your pity. They'll be gone soon enough."

The blacksmith cocked his head, "What do you—" and then he saw it.

The tattoos all over her body glowed a pure white light just like when she was fighting and the wounds from her battle against the gothic lady closed in a matter of seconds.

The blacksmith's jaw dropped. He was impressed that she held such incredible power.

—Not only does it provide strength, but also healing ability. She could be a great asset in getting around the woods.

A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek once a sudden realization rang through his head,

— Wait, didn't she try to kill me the moment I asked her?

The blacksmith hesitated to ask once more. The woman had a violent response when he came forward with his proposal. It reminded him of the first time they met. He asked if he could go deeper in the forest with her and she violently reacted towards him.

—Although now that I think about it. She's never hurt me.

The woman interrupted his thoughts, "Speak up, intruder. If you think too much, you'll never get anywhere in life."

The man scratched his cheek, "Right, about my request..."

The woman sighed, "Alright, I might as well hear it."

The blacksmith cleared his throat, "I need your help to guide me and two of my other companions through the serpent's passage."

The woman's eyes slightly opened wide, "That is reckless. Only fools dare go along that path."

As of recently, William had learned to avoid three things: the forest, the Drakon tribe and the serpent's path. Yet, there he was risking his life by interacting with all three.

--I really am a dead man at this point.

"Well, you see, the thing is... how should I put it?"

The woman growled, "--Why are you men so weak when it comes to properly expressing themselves? Just come out and say it, intruder." the woman's impatience kept growing.

The man wryly smiled, "So, that's what you'll call me from now on, huh? Well, my employer has expressed that he doesn't have much time."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed, "This employer, may I know his name."

The man nodded, "I've been employed by the Reinsfield family. We need to get out of the forest in a short period of time. I figured going through the serpent's path would be the best option for getting out on time since it's what separates the north with the forest, but as you know, it's the most dangerous one."

"It is the most dangerous. I don't even dare to go there." The woman stood still, lost in thought for a few seconds. "I see... if it's the Reinsfield, then everything is starting to make sense."

The woman put her hands on her hips, "I'm impressed, intruder. You can actually express yourself in words."

The blacksmith scratched his cheek, "Does that mean that I can count on your help?"

"Like I stated before, currency doesn't work around here. What else can you offer me?" the woman crossed her arms.

The blacksmith thought of what else he could offer her. He couldn't offer her money and he couldn't offer weapons because her fighting style was barehanded. The only thing he could offer was,

The man raised his index finger, "Instead of me deciding on the reward now, how about I leave it for you to decide later?"

The woman gritted her teeth, "You want to decide my reward later? What is this half-assed offer?!"

"Isn't that how negotiations work? Let's form a pact on it. You help me and I'll do whatever you say. I'll swear my life on it. If I refuse, you can kill me on the spot. If anything, I'm the one who'll be at a loss since I don't know what you'll ask of me in the future." the man extended his hand to the woman, "Well, do we have a deal."

--Seeing him like this, how can I refuse, the woman thought.

She slowly extended her hand to reach for his, "Very well, then I'll accept your request."

Just as she was about to touch his hand, she backed out at the last second. She turned around, hiding her red face from the blacksmith, "When are you taking off?"

The man scratched the back of his head, "Tomorrow at dawn..."

The woman sighed at the lack of time the man gave her to prepare, but she expected nothing else from him. "Very well, I'll see you then." she jumped back to the trees.

"Wait!" the man yelled to the woman, "Where will we meet?"

From within the silence once again, the woman's voice rang around the man as she said, "Don't worry, I'll find you." After that, the woman took off without saying another word.