Chapter 20: Lost Dream

After the long night of rest in the Undead Woods, the sun finally rose in the east, greeting us a good and safe trip. The grey grass under us is still wet because of the night's fog, and crows started to caw on the top of the tall trees, following us everywhere we go. They are actually Dalary's companions to help us know where we will be heading.

Unexpectedly, Kandani decided to come with us to our journey and the reason is yet untold, still have that small doubts in saying it. I wouldn't mind if he won't tell us. Him, to turn his ability off last night is enough for me.

The silence surrounding us was soon being interrupted by a strange-looking bird that was flying towards us with gentle flaps of its wings. It was as small as my hand, but its blue feathers the same as the sky above caught all of our attention. We continued to stare at its beauty as its tail emitted blue smoke from behind.

I couldn't help but to stare at it for a long time, and I know that my friends got distracted by it too. It continued to travel in our surrounding environment, letting us see its majestic presence. After a short while, the bird finally flew away, thus allowing us to continue our journey.

"What is that…weird bird?" Cainne asked.

"That's called Amorphia Dove," I explained, remembering the book where I actually read it before. "Rumors said that they were the guardians of destiny. No one actually knew about them. They're mysterious and difficult to study."

"Really?" He asked with a surprised look and released a smile as his wing ears followed along with his movements. It looks like he got amused by my answer which I don't know why.

"Then…" He added, started turning around the whole forest, trying to look for something to give attention to. After minutes of searching, he started pointing to a strange object nearby. I turned to look at it. It was a red-colored stone in the shape of a mushroom, standing steadily, not letting itself fall down on the ground.

"What are those things?" He pointed at the strange rocks, filled with enthusiasm in his eyes. "They look like… mushroom stones."

"They are Quertin." I answered. "They were used as fuel since it can increase the fire level more quickly than wood."

"Woah. You know so much about these things." He complimented, in which I usually don't get much so I got flattered. I'm just a peasant, so no one will be amused by this.

"I've been living with books," I replied, staring at nowhere, reminiscing my past life that was now changed. "School fees are expensive, so I decided to read to study."

"You wanted to go to school? Why?" He asked.

"Because… I wanted to be a professor." I answered, lowered my head, and hugging my knees. "I wanted to change the world around me."

"Humans are known for their greed," I added. "And I wanted to teach them that... you can still be happy despite not having almost everything."

Ever since my life, I wanted to change the world that I'm in. I want to help my parents and Farin from the struggles that they've been experiencing. But then, they told me that they're already satisfied just seeing us alive and well. Even though I knew that they weren't my real parents, I'm still grateful for them. So I want to share with everyone that you can be satisfied even though you can't have anything that you desire.

"Then, why don't you have a school then?" He said, which gave me a good idea in my head. I turned around to see him hear more from it. "I'm sure you can do it."

I didn't expect for him to suggest like that, but what he was thinking really intrigued me. Building a school, huh?

"I'll try." I smiled at him while he also did the same.

The conversation ended easily and the whole surroundings fell into peace for a while.

"Oh no. Not again." Dalary suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and stopping Dino from walking further.

I turned to look at her, who was sitting on her horse's back and saw her face full of anxiety. Her sweat started dripping from her head and her eyes widened in shock, couldn't believe what he saw.

I tried to take a peek and raised my head until I saw what I didn't expect to see. Pairs of red eyes that came from the shadows, stared at us. Every second, the eyes became bigger, showing that the entities are getting closer.

Until the eyes came out to be a herd of blackdogs finally showed up. They started surrounding our wagon from back to the front, not giving us a chance to escape. Their fangs might not be as deadly as the Cerberus' but it's still enough to tear our flesh apart.

"Nobody… move a muscle."

The whole field was in silence and the only thing that can be heard was the growls of the dogs, desperate to kill us. If only they weren't that many, we could be able to escape, but there's a whole pack in here, covering every route.

"Dalary, what happened?" I asked in a whisper, not making too much noise that would trigger the dogs. As far as I know, my friend could be able to talk to the animals, such as these blackdogs, but for some reason, they turned against us, which means Dalary couldn't be able to talk to them.

"I-I can't. Someone's stopping me." She answered, couldn't be able to help but to stare at the hungry canines all around us.

"What?" I exclaimed.

I didn't know that someone could be able to stop her telepathy. I thought what she has to do was to talk to them and it'll be fine.

Cainne quietly grabbed his sword from his sheath, ready to take them all down, while I felt Kandani increased his defense more, causing me to not be able to use magic.

Then, as they got nearer, they immediately stopped in their tracks, but they still glared at us with those pairs of glowing red balls. They didn't walk any further and just froze at their position.

"Huh?"

I turned my head all around the wagon, watching every other blackdogs I see to be frozen in their spot. No matter how much they wanted to take a bite, they couldn't be able to. It's like they were ordered not to.

Then, footsteps can be heard, making noises on the grey grass and wilted leaves. Our heads turned around at the same time. In a distance, a silhouette of a tall figure can be seen walking towards us.

After a minute of waiting, the figure finally went out of the darkness and revealed its true identity, walking through the sunlight to give us a proper look at its face.

A tall lady with the same features as Dalary, except her blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail and her hollow holes are smaller with white glowing dots in the middle. She wore a longer sleeveless dress that could reach up to her feet.

I couldn't help but think that both Dalary and her had almost the same features and characteristics, from head to toe. They were both tendrins, and when they looked at each other's eyes, they widened.

"Sis…?" The lady said in her deeper voice, trying to act calm even though she were giving glares at my friend. As I heard what she said, I turned around at Dalary to see her surprised reaction. All of us looked at her, only to be greeted by her face spacing out at the one who had been calling her sister.

"P-Pholly?" She stuttered as she called her name.

I didn't know that Dalary actually had a little sister. I thought that she is traveling and living alone since she moved out of her hometown into our town of Coira, but it looks like she tried to attempt a low profile.

"I can't believe you came back," Pholly said as we started walking towards our destination. If a tendrin was here, lurking all around this field, then the town might just be near in this area. "I thought you said you're gonna be with the humans."

"I thought so, too," Dalary answered, her face changed into a despised look at her sister. I didn't know that she was having a fight with her parents and to those who talked to her. "But I don't have a choice. My friend needs you."

"As expected."

Pholly said with her voice and closed her eyes to make a deep sigh. My friend was irritated because of this, but couldn't be able to take what he had been doing.

After a short while, we finally reached a tall wall of timber that were nailed to keep intact. It may not be as tall as the ones in Deravon, but it still kept us from seeing what's on the other side.

Between these walls was a gigantic wooden gate opened to welcome us. As I can see, even the gigantic boar we encountered could topple it down, but it seems like it still stayed strong. There are also armed tendrins standing everywhere with their spears and swords, but they're not intimidating as the knights I met.

We entered the gate and in front of us was the bizarre beauty of Zentra.