Chapter Text
Uvie’s eyes were trained on a spot in the distance, much to her own confusion. Sure, she heard a noise from somewhere but she swore she could feel it from where she was facing. Her thoughts did not go much further when Ruel called out, “By Enutrof! What is all that racket?!”
The two adults made their way to peek out the massive holes in the walls of the restaurant. Yugo turned towards the black haired girl, who was busy spacing out in the opposite direction. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Uvie…? Are you alright?” Feeling the sudden warmth on her shoulder jolted her from her thoughts and her eyes locked onto Yugo, but she nodded to his question. In response, he nudged his head towards the gaps in debris and invited her to scope out the scene. She followed him, avoiding the man that was still sleeping upright, and gasped when the light of outside reached her eyes.
The scene felt apocalyptic. The once happy villagers that were eating and laughing in the restaurant were now running for their lives and screaming in terror. The culprits? Small black blobs with arms sticking out of their heads like antennas. Their faces were covered by an assortment of helmets; some from wood, some from leaves, and even some from nut casings. With emotionless white eyes, they reached out with sharp fingers and turned innocent townspeople into statuettes of shrubbery.
Ruel was the first to jump into action. Shovel in hand, he swiped and slammed onto the nearby creatures that were crawling towards him. For such an old man, he was still very agile and surprisingly fit.
Alibert had stayed close to the children, with his own shovel clasped between his palms. He did not remain there for long, though, as his attention was directed towards the girls that were cornered on top of a barrel next to a house, with a disgruntled man trying to balance onto the windowsill. With a growl, he called out, “Stay in your house, Jason!” He started to make his way over, pausing for a moment to turn towards the kids, “take care of yourselves!” The two nodded and he rushed off.
Yugo nudged at Uvie once more, outstretching his arm to her, “You wanna squash some weeds?” He said with a cheeky grin. She smiled in return and nodded, reaching out her arm in return. Before she could reach his hand, Yugo extended his arm further and grabbed her hand, running out into the battlefield.
Uvie’s hair swayed behind her at the fast pace they were going at, eyes scanning for anything they could use. In the meantime, she used her sword that was still in her other hand to swat any critters that got too close to them. Yugo was effortlessly evading the outstretched arms, bringing Uvie along with him. His movements were sporadic but careful, at least, until his eyes locked onto the perfect weapon. Grinning, he tugged on Uvie’s arm, turning her attention back onto him, slowing down to a stop. She looked over his shoulder and saw what he was planning. A barrel had fallen over but was unbroken, which was perfect for standing on.
“Wanna get on together?” Yugo smiled mischievously.
Uvie nodded, smiling herself when—
“ Ah—! Somebody, please help! ” A young voice called out, causing the two to swivel their heads over. A young boy with bright orange hair and a pot with a handle sat on his head was on the ground, critters rapidly approaching.
“I’ll go help him!” Uvie said determinedly, hand slipping from Yugo’s. “Do you…want to take care of the critters here?” She tacked on after a short pause. He nodded, allowing her to run off with that approval.
And take care of them she did. Once the nearby foes were cleared, she knelt down to the boy, placing an arm on his shoulder.
“Are…are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?” She piped up a little awkwardly, but accompanied her words with a warm smile.
“Y-yeah, I’m f-fine!” The boy nodded, metal pot clanging with the motion.
Uvie smiled wider, “I’m glad!” She paused before helping him out, stopping to take a good look at the enemies she was fighting.
‘ Hm…these things…they look familiar…’
She then recalled a warning her grandmother gave her years ago.
*
“Uvie,” Granny began, slicing another chip off the wooden carving. Said girl stared at her, looking up at the wooden rocking chair the Eniripsa sat on. Uvie watched her grandmother’s hands in awe, mesmerized by the precision of the cuts made to the piece.
“Mhm?”
“I know how badly you want to go adventuring, but before you do, there’s something you need to know first,” Uvie sat up straight, big eyes sparkling at the mention of adventure. Granny sighed affectionately at her actions, making another cut before continuing, “we live near the Forbidden Forest, my dear. And you must know the dangers of upsetting it”
“But forests don’t have feelings. How can they be upset?” Uvie tilted her head curiously.
“Everything that has life is capable of feelings , little flower,” Granny momentarily set the carving down and clasped her cup of tea, reclining into her chair with a prolonged sip. She continued, “the forbidden forest guards a great being that fills the land with life.”
An amazed woah left Uvie’s lips, but she remained an attentive listener. Quite rare for her at the time. The Eniripsa blew on her cup and took another sip, closing her eyes, “As such, the great being must be protected to preserve the life of the forest. When the being is in danger, it summons a defence to aid and replenish it until it can thrive once more. It is imperative that you know what lies there. For one, there are….” Granny trailed off and opened her eyes, the right one immediately twitching. Young Uvie’s eyes were closed and she was nodding off in her seated position, head bobbing progressively lower. The old woman jerked forward and pinched her granddaughter’s cheek, stretching it.
“Argh! Grannyyyy!” Uvie whined after her sudden awakening, voice marbled by her outstretched cheek. So much for being an attentive listener.
“You little rascal! You need to know this!” Granny chastised, releasing her hold and reclining back into her chair. Uvie muttered out a brief apology and her grandmother took a final sip of tea to calm herself, “as I was saying…there are the small critters that protect the forest. With helmets of nature and clawed hands. Their names are…”
*
Uvie had come to the realization as her memory faded out.
‘ Polters! These are polters! ’
“H—hey, dude! L-look out!” The young boy called out, snapping Uvie’s attention behind her. While she was spaced out, the Polters had managed to make their way towards her arms reaching out. They were too close for her to properly react, sword unable to make it in time. She closed her eyes, bracing to be turned into leaves like the other villagers that could not get out…
…
…
…
Squish!
“…Uvie!” She slowly opened her eyes. In front of her, a familiar blue hat looking back at her. The barrel he was on was abandoned, black streaks staining the wood. Uvie exhaled in relief, smiling and thanking him in one breath. He smiled back, “it’s no problem! Wasn’t it pretty cool though?!”
She nodded and took a moment to think once more. It was odd, now that she was able to think with a clearer mind. The polters should not be here.
‘ So why are they...? ’
Distant voices rang out.
“Mister Mayor, no!”
Yugo’s face instantly shifted into horror, swivelling to face where his father was. Uvie followed his gaze, face dropping. Alibert was frozen, legs beginning to convert into shrub.
“D-dad!” Yugo sprinted over immediately, leaving Uvie to catch up after a moment of hesitation. Alibert gazed at his son, brows furrowing as the greenery spread to his lower jaw. Still, he fought against it and used the last of his strength to speak.
“Yugo, you must listen to me…! You will receive a message on where to—where to find your real family…you must…!” The leaves were spreading up the tails of his moustache. He carried on, “you must find the message!”
Yugo reached out toward Alibert, eyes wavering in fear and welling up with tears. The man grunted softly and murmured, “And-and…Yugo…I…I lo…” his words trailed off as the leaves encased him completely, but his words were understood.
I love you.
The boy screamed out for his father, “Dad—no! Please move or say anything…! Dad!” Yugo fell to his knees, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks as he sniffled softly. Uvie, recovered from the initial shock of the situation, softened her gaze and placed a comforting hand on his back as he wept.
Suddenly, Uvie felt a sudden flicker and heard the same Zzt from earlier. She kept her hand on Yugo’s back and looked around for the source of the sound once more.
“Tree…Noxins…” a garbled voice spoke. Her head snapped to the right and she stared at a small bug, though, by the looks of it, it only resembled a bug. Uvie’s hand slowly lifted from its spot as she began to move towards the insect. The bug itself began to lift and closed in on Az, the tofu innocently chirping and tilting his head at the bright blue eyes staring at it. Her brow raised after seeing this and she took a step to investigate.
“ Finally…dragon… ” it spoke once more. Uvie advanced further and was a few steps away—
—Now had been the perfect time for the forgotten Ruel to make himself known again. He approached the bug and raised his shovel up high, ready to strike.
“Wait—Mr. Ruel hang on..!” She reached out in a feeble attempt to stop him, but her words fell on deaf ears. Ruel had followed through with his swing and crushed the insect with the force of his weapon, shattering it it bits and causing it to burst into a blue puff of smoke. Az was startled by this and took shelter by Ruel’s foot, blue feather swishing with the movement. Uvie paid it no mind.
Well, normally she would have, but there were more pressing matters that could redirect her attention. Like a giant tree that miraculously sprouted from the ground. That would do it. She was in a stunned shock, eyes blinking periodically as she tried to process what she was looking at. On the other hand, Ruel whistled, impressed at the sight and he turned around to walk back to Yugo, picking up the spaces out Uvie by the scruff of her clothes as he made his way over.
“Alibert…” he muttered softly, looking at the still crying boy sympathetically. Uvie dangled in his grip silently, and he spoke up again, “…don’t you worry Yugo! We’ll find a cure for him!”
Upon hearing the word ‘cure’ Uvie snapped back to life and momentarily struggled in Ruel’s grasp until he let her go. With a flame in her eye, she looked down towards Yugo with a smile, “Ruel’s right! We can try and ask my Granny for some help!”
Said man sputtered and his face soured at the name, “Argh—no! Anyone but that blasted wom—”
His complaints were cut off by a distant shout.
“Hey! Where are they?! The ones who saved my life!” The man from the restaurant had finally woken up from his upright rest. His hair bobbed as he made his way towards the group. Given his pointed ears and flaming orange hair, Uvie concluded that he was a Iop. He brightened up and smiled as he made eye contact with them. Ruel rolled his eyes, unimpressed. The man approached and kneeled down, placing his hand onto his chest.
“I am Sir Percedal of Sadlygrove, a noble knight from the order of the Guardians of the Shushus!” He announced, bowing his head, “and it was you lot that freed me from the clutches of the evil Rubilax. I will repay you for your kindness; even if it costs me my life!” The group winced at his dramatics when an additional voice made itself known.
“A knight, you? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard from you in years!” The voice chuckled, getting on the nerves of Percedal. With a twitched brow, or whatever could twitch in the place he should have had brows, he unsheathed a blade and yelled at the eye in the centre.
“Argh, Rubilax..!”
Uvie stopped paying attention to the conversation but— ‘oh my god, did the eye move?’ Indeed it did. The two continued squabbling and Yugo glanced back towards his father, tears silently flowing down his cheeks. Percedal was swinging the sword around in rage, the blade, Rubilax, goading on his actions. Placing her hand against Yugo’s arm, she comforted him while watching the debacle in front of her. That was about the time that Percedal began to smack Rubilax into the dirt.
Ruel had been staring, unamused, for the entire duration before he cleared his throat to redirect the Iop’s attention. “Look, I know couples tend to get into spats sometimes, but we have bigger snappers to fry!” That caused Percedal to stop and look around, finally noticing the human-like bushes around him.
“Uh…did the uh…polters come through here too? This is already the third town!”He asked with a genuine look of confusion. Ruel gave another unimpressed look but Uvie nodded her head enthusiastically, proud that she was right about the creatures being Polters in the first place. Percedal placed a hand on his hip, the one with Rubilax pointing behind him, “they actually come from the forbidden forest. I was there but I couldn’t find out much because I was attacked by a huge monster in my sleep of all things!”
“And that’s when you had to cry to me for help so I would promise to save your life! Remember how you were blubbering like a f—” Rubliax’scackle was cut off by an enraged battle cry and more smacking, this time against stone.
Yugo had looked towards his father once more and clenched his fist, “The forbidden forest…” he mumbled, “we can find out why the Polters came here in the first place! We have to go!” He turned to Uvie who gave her a grin and a nod, the two turning towards Ruel for his approval. He did not respond yet. One of the townspeople, a woman, approached during this time, the young boy with the pot on his head at her side.
“Yugo, you’ll have to be careful! There are many terrible things that have happened there,” she warned, eyes filled with worry.
The boy spoke up as well, “Please Yugo, Uvie,” he glanced to said girl as well, clasping his hands together, “you saved me, so please save our parents”
Yugo nodded to the boy and pat his pot, “Don’t worry, Uvie, Ruel, and I will sort this all out!” He once again looked to Ruel.
“While I don’t usually work free of charge, I supposed I can make an exception for my old friend,” he looked towards the Alibert bush once more, smile on his face.
Uvie smiled brightly fist pumped into the air, “Alright, let’s go save everyone!” The other two nodded and they began to make their way out of the town, without the still bickering Iop and Shushu.
Zzt!
“H-hey!” Percedal called out when he noticed, breaking into a sprint to catch up to them.
Zzt!
Uvie’s ears were filled with a constant buzzing, causing her to wince and rub at her temples to subside the oncoming headache. Still, a voice crept in.
“ Eliatrope…dragon…Emelka… ”
…
…
…
Elia what now?
*** *** ***
The forest was thick but had specs of light that glimmered through the trees. Percedal had managed to catch up to them and regain his composure by the time they reached the entrance. With the group now traversing through the leaves, Uvie was looking around in awe, feet almost stumbling over themselves as she investigated the unfamiliar territory. She knelt down a couple times and unclipped the button to her bag, gingerly plucking some weeds from the ground to stuff inside the sack.
“They’re not weeds, they’re herbs!” She told Ruel that was watching her shenanigans with a doubtful eye. She squinted her eyes back, challenging him, but he graciously backed off and let her continue frolicking.
The Iop cleared his throat to start new conversation, “so, uh, you’re a bounty hunter, right Ruel?”
Said man grinned proudly, shovel resting on his shoulder, “Why, I’m one of the best!” he gloated, “though in all honesty, bounty hunting isn’t as good as it’s made to seem. You end up spending more money than you spend!” His boast faded out to a complaint, and he began to ramble on. He and Percedal continued trekking onwards as Uvie stayed a little behind to keep harvesting.
She hummed a quiet tune, picking up a weed only to click her tongue when it was not good for use. She repeated the process a few more times and readied to get up, only for a floating hand to pass another viable herb to her. She muttered out a thank you and took it, quickly turning back towards her bag, only to do a double check and squeak in surprise.
The ‘floating hand’ belonged to none other than Yugo, a blue portal hovering midair to prove it. The hand quickly retracted and the portal shrunk until it disappeared. Uvie’s heart lightly accelerated from the surprise but was already beginning to slow as she search for the boy within the trees. She found him snickering behind a thick oak trunk with Az chirping in laughter on his shoulder.
Uvie ran up to him and Az, big eyes sparkling for the umpteenth time, “Yugo, that was so cool! Totally scared me, but super duper awesome!” the blond grinned at her and he put a finger up to her mouth, beckoning her over to hide with him. With his other hand, he pointed over at the older members of the group who were conversing with each other. Of course, it was the perfect time to have a little fun! Uvie nodded and hid herself behind a bush, head poking out to watch the scene unfold.
“Look, I even drew a map! Sure, it’s not accurate, but it’s pretty!” The Iop defended, much to Ruel’s expected disappointment.
Meanwhile, Yugo kneeled down and stuck an arm out towards the distance. Almost instantly, a portal formed where he pointed. He did the same thing behind the bush. Wiggling his fingers, he reached his arm in and tapped Percedal’s shoulder. The man paused and looked around with narrowed eyes, trying to find the source of the feeling. He was not the smartest guy around, and managed to conclude that Ruel was guilty for it. Giving him a knowing smirk, he turned back to the map and hummed.
The two kids giggled to each other, and Uvie turned towards Yugo, “Can I try?” She asked in a hushed excitement. He agreed and created another portal, this time closer to Ruel. Uvie mentally prepared herself, but the moment a portal formed in front of her her arm shot in. The feeling was…odd. There was a cold sensation right around the part of her arm that was touching the edge of the portal, as if she was feeling the cold fumes that emanate from ice cubes. She still could feel the arm that was on the other side of the portal and stretched it out until it jabbed Ruel’s side. He yelped in alarm and turned where he was hit, causing Uvie to quickly retract her hand from the portal and watch it close.
Ruel also was unable to pinpoint the source of the jab and gave Percedal a glare, the man being completely unaware of the malice being targeted at him. The two kids laughed once more and decided to keep on moving. Uvie took one last glance as Yugo’s hands, still surprised at his newfound powers. Yugo’s palm still had traces of glowing blue from the last portal he made, at least, that was what Uviesaw.
“Alright Yugo, why don't you take a look from up there?" The Enutrof suggested, pointing at a total evergreen.
Yugo nodded and he glowed familiarly, hopping from one portal to the next. Higher, higher, and higher he climbed, tossing portal discs and he ascended upwards. Uvie's head tilted with the climb, only stopping once he was out of her line of sight and shielded by the trees.
"Woah, he's got some good moves!" Percedal voiced Uvie's thoughts out loud, the girl nodding with him enthusiastically. After a brief pause, she turned to the man and looked at the sword in his hand. The weapon was clearly meant to be a sword, but the size made it more suitable for close combat, even though the weapon was not built to be a dagger. Uvie was perplexed by this.
"So, Sir Percedal, how do you fight? Your sword looks kind of...small...?" She piped up.
"Well, normally I would say to wait and see, but since you've never seen such greatness before, I could make an exception!”
"Snrk, yeah. Greatness that you have no part in–” The Iop shoves a hand over the eyeball, effectively shutting the Shushu up. Somehow.
' How does he even—you know what, maybe that conversation is for another time '
On cue, Percedal announced a loud ‘ observe! ’, but just as he was about to do...whatever it was he set out to do, a portal appeared right in front of him and sent him stumbling to the ground. Upon hitting the ground, he quickly recovered and gripped Rubilax tightly, the sword miraculously warping into a larger size. And it was green now. Cool!
Yugo laughed momentarily and Rubilax joined in, much to Percedal's dismay, but the blond went back on track and pointed the group to a giant tree in the distance.
“Ugh, believe me, being a guardian of the Shushus, specifically this guy, is super duper hard!” Percedal drawls, Rubilax tucked back into his waistband. The three youngsters were being a little too casual considering the environment they were in. Which is precisely why Ruel called them out.
“You guys know that this is the forbidden forest for a reason, yes? It’s the most dangerous forest in Amanka!”
They blinked at him dumbly
“That means we should stick together! And of course, we need to stay out of troub—”
A loud scream echoed through the depths of the forest.
“Ah, a beautiful maiden is in trouble! Don’t worry, gorgeous, I’ll save youuuuuu!” Percedal readied Rubilax in his green form again. Still super cool. He had definitely been talking to himself as he ran off before his sentence finished.
Safe to say, Ruel was dumbfounded by the Iop’s antics, “And here I thought I said we should stick together” he said with clenched teeth. Yugo and Uvie, on the other hand, were beaming with excitement.
“Yeah,” the boy grinned, “that’s why I’m going with him!” He giggled, put his tofu in his pocket, and ran off, leaving the other two behind.
Ruel sighed and rubbed his temple lightly. As much as Uvie wanted to go with Yugo, Granny would not let her live things down if she did not respect the wishes of her elders. That did not mean she would not try. With big eyes, she turned to Ruel and brought her hands together, fiddling with her fingers.
Ruel’s eyebrow twitched.
She continued, lower lip sticking out in a pout.
Ruel tried avoiding eye contact.
She kicked a stray pebble, face unwavering.
He began to sweat.
Her eyes sparkled and she opened her mouth to speak—
“Argh! Fine! Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
*** *** ***
“Ugh! What do these things want from us?!”
Upon catching up to the two rambunctious boys, Uvie’s eyes fell onto the scene in front of her. Hundred of Polters were score off the grounds, directing their assault towards two girls. ‘A Sadidan and a Cra! So cool!’ The one that called out, the Sadidan, was struggling to climb up onto a tree, using a stuffed doll of sorts as leverage to get up. Stray polters were trying to swipe at her as she did so. The other woman was mounted on a green Dracoturkey, shooting as many critters as she could with yellow arrows.
“I don’t know—maybe you should be wondering why we’re even here?! ” Said the Cra, steering her steed to try and scare the nearby Polters off. “But of course, a great adventurer like you would totally believe these guys are friendly!” She glared.
“Hmph, well, you know, everyone makes mistake…” her eyes darted around awkwardly.
Percedal and Yugo took that as the time to act. They began combat effortlessly; Percedal slamming and crushing numerous Polters with the help of Rubilax, and Yugo teleporting Polters up high and letting them splat once they hit the ground.
The green haired girl redirected Uvie’s attention back to her with a scream. Polters were making their way towards her on the branch. And there was no way Uvie would let a potential friend get hurt! She ran up to the base of the tree and noticed a mix of notches and bumps in the bark that was perfect for her to climb on. With practiced expertise, Uvie dug her fingers into the crevices and kicked off the bumps with her feet to make her way up the trunk. Twelve years of living in a forest will really develop the strangest of skills, huh?
Her finger momentarily slipped when she pressed down on a particularly sharp bump, but she managed to recover by switching to her other hand on time. Reaching the top, she vaulted onto the branch and unsheathed her sword, smacking the Polters away from the Sadidan’s feet. With the coast cleared, Uvie lifts her head to look at the girl in front of her, bright smile tugging on her cheeks. Before she could speak, a Polter makes a dive towards her from behind. The Sadidan before her immediately jumps into action, kneeling down and placing her hand on the trunk. Magically, a green aura spread from her palm and into the bark, causing a series of branches to sprout outward and take out the enemies in one fell swoop.
Uvie’s eyes lit up in awe, “Thank you!” She called out, receiving a nod of acknowledgment.
The Sadidan looked over the edge and her face scrunched up in disgust, “Ugh! These things are everywhere!” She used one branch to swipe at more polters on the ground and lowered herself from the tree with another.
Uvie glanced over the edge as well, observing how the Cra was knocked off her Dracoturkey and swiftly caught by Percedal. He blushed at the contact but was elbowed by the blonde and he set her down on solid ground. On the other side of their battlefield, Yugo and Ruel had managed to take out the remaining creatures that surrounded them. They then made their way over to the other two, the Sadidan following shortly after. Seeing this, Uvie made her way towards the edge of the trunk, watching as it slightly curved downwards above an expanse of thick bushes. In the interest of saving time, she nodded to herself and ran off the edge, jumping with a cheerful squeal.
The landing surprisingly did not hurt much, the bushes being made of more leaves than twigs. One twig in particular did awkwardly nudge against her side. With a soft grunt, she rolled herself out of the bush and onto her feet, picking off any loose leaves from her person as she met up with them.
Ruel’s eyes, finally seeing the two women properly, lit up with recognition, “Ah, well if it isn’t the two lovely ladies from the bridge!” They both nodded at him, leading him to continue, “it is a pleasure to see you two again. I am Ruel, your humble servant” he gave a slight bow, arm gesturing towards the Iop when he arose.
“This one over here is Sir Percedal, a valiant knight” said man swiped his nose confidently, looking towards the Cra and winking at her. She was not impressed.
Undeterred, Ruel continued, now gesturing towards the black haired girl, “And this one is Uvie! A novice adventurer!”
Wow, Uvie had never been called that before! She beamed, and with her excitement she blurted out, “It’s so nice to meet you! Can we be friends?!”
The Sadidan’s expression brightened at her words, but with a light nudge from the Cra her face crumbled. She looked away from Uvie moments later, without a word.
‘ Oh…I don’t think I should’ve said that…’
Uvie fiddled with her fingers.
The girls stayed silent.
As did the boys.
There was a pregnant pause.
“Ahem,” Ruel cleared his throat turning his attention to the last one in their group, “finally, this is Yugo. His poor father has been turned into shrubs by the polters. That’s actually why we’re here to begin with.”
At the mention of his dad, Yugo’s eyes began to instinctively water, face forming into a forlorn pout. Uvie approaches him carefully and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gives a small smile of thanks momentarily, his sadness shifting his expression back into a frown.
“Well, I am Eva. And this,” the Cra gestures beside her, “is Amalia. We’re pilgrims”
“And what are two pilgrims doing in the forbidden forest?”
The two girls glanced at each other for a moment, but this time, Amalia was the one who spoke up, “…Actually, two nights ago, I had a prophetic dream! Sadida told me I had to come here to this forest, and the fact that we ran into you guys means we must be destined to meet each other and follow the same path! Even if some people think my imagination is too wild.” She finished her ramble with a pointed glare towards Eva. The rest of the group turns to her.
“What? Someone has to be realistic!” She shot back. Deterring everyone’s gaze. Clearly the two had some disagreements before getting to this point.
“Well, that’s awesome!” Yugo piped up, a renewed energy flowing through him. “The more people we have, the better chance we have to save my village!”
“You’re right! I think we can do this!” Uvie added, the two of them pumping their fists up together with a cheerful hurrah.
Percedal nodded as well, but his attention was targeted elsewhere, blush ever so present on his face. Eva was not impressed.
“Ugh, keep it in your pants, Romeo!”
And neither was Rubilax, it seemed.
*** *** ***
The walk was filled with small conversation. The forest seemed to be shifting in colour as they continued. The once vibrant green was fading into a cold brown. One that causes the grass to dry out and leaves to fall from trees. Uvie could hear a high pitch ringing that would increase in volume the closer they approached. She winced. Az, the little tofu he is, noticed her discomfort and flew over to rest on her shoulder. She gave him a smile and pet the underside of his chin with her finger. He chirped happily.
“Poor things…”
Without noticing, Amalia had gone ahead of the group. Stopping in front of a group of trees. “These trees…they’re…” she lamented, her face shifted into a frown, tears pouring down her cheeks as she placed her hand onto the trunk. The group of trees ahead were all shrivelled up and dark, twigs thin and brittle.
“…this must be because of Ogrest’s Chaos ” Eva piped up. Hand tightening its grip on her bow.
“You really believe in that old legend? It’s all nonsense!” Ruel countered, crossing his arms and looking away, “I swear, every bad thing that happens gets blamed on Ogrest with no proof he even exists!” He grumbled. Nobody paid him any mind.
“Um, Amalia, are you alright?” Uvie was the first to approach, maintaining a comfortable distance whilst also making her concern visible.
“I can feel something…there’s an ancient, evil , presence here. I really don’t think we’re welcome here” she replied, eyebrows creasing in anger, likely due to the state of the plant life.
“Hm, maybe we should teach them some things about hospitality!” Percedal readied up again, causing his blade to sigh.
“ You show off ”
“What?! I am not—”
This time, Yugo redirected the potential argument that would form between the Shushu and his keeper by letting out a gasp, redirecting the focus of the group. “Wow! That’s a really big tree!”
The tree really was huge. The roots were thicker than the trees in the healthier areas of the forest, even thicker trunk sprouting out well past the browned leaves of the other trees. Uvie could not even see a branch from her angle. Her observations were cut short by another sharp ringing in her ears, causing an additional wince and placing her hand onto her temple. This one was even louder than before.
“It looks like he’s been affected, too” Amalia noted, glancing downwards.
Ruel nodded in agreement, following her gaze, face lighting up in recognition, “That machine! It’s the same one I destroyed in Emelka!”
‘ Really? ’
Uvie fought against the ringing and looked down as well, eyes locking onto the shattered bot. Conversation between the group continued, but she crouched down to get a better look. The machine resembled a bug, with bandage-like wraps creating the body and wings of the tech. Its face, however, was made from a metallic material that had a circle in the middle. The closer the girl got to it, the louder the ringing was. Uvie picked it up, the ringing increasing once more in volume as she raised the head to her ear.
‘Is this what I’ve been hearing this whole time? Even from before in Emelka?’
It was the most likely reason, she concluded, but she did not have long to dwell on it once the ground began to rumble. The machine dropped from her grasp and shattered once more, the incessant sound coming to an end. Her head shot up and she looked around, alerted. From the depths of the desolate forest stomped in a herd of trees. They were short but wide, with crooked teeth and branches that sprouted out like split ends. Their short bodies had equally stumpy legs and their arms were thin branches that sprouted out from their sides.
“Argh! They’re Treechnids!” Amalia saved her the time of recollecting another one of Granny’s tales.
Opposite of their appearance, the trees were quick, surrounding the group near instantly. Amalia was the first to enter combat. She knelt down once more, green light emitting from the cracks in the ground. The earth ripped open and sprouted out a large vine to smack a treechnid to bits. Yugo was helping her out by creating portals and redirecting the trees into the trajectory of the vines. Uvie knew her weapon would not do her much in this fight. The treechnids were too thick and not hollow enough for her wooden weapon to do any good. Luckily, Granny made sure she would have backups. The girl dug her hand into her bag and rummaged through it, smiling when she found what she was looking for. She yanked out a circular bundle of purple cloth. The pouch had specks of yellow dust covering the top of the hatch.
‘ An irritant powder! ’ She announced to herself as she wound her arm back and hurled it towards an unsuspecting conifer. Upon making contact, the pouch burst open and the dust formed a cloud over the treechnid’s eyes. It shrieked in pain and made an unsuccessful attempt to rub the dust away. The poor thing’s arms did not quite reach. An arrow did, though. A second glowing arrow dug itself into the back of its foe, tearing the tree apart. Uvie looked over at the source, Eva, who promptly turned away and resumed combat. Man, she was super cool.
In the meantime, Percedal, true to his title, was easily clearing the treechnids with his Shushu’s help. He sliced cleanly through one after the other, taking out anything in his path. He grinned triumphantly as he cleared the last one in front of him, turning to the rest of the group. They had all managed to defeat the sudden onslaught and collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The Iop then had to open his mouth.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about! Another easy victory for the great Sir Perceda—!”
Two giant arms made from aged oak descended from the sky, easily snatching up both Percedal and Amalia. The girl shrieked in surprised and struggled to escape. In his shock, Rubilax slipped from his hand and reverted back into his smaller form. Higher and higher they went, nearing the end of where Uvie could see. The Iop persisted, pushing against the arms with whatever body parts he had free.
“Let me go you accursed-Woah!” Let go of him the hand did. Gravity took care of him from there, sending the Iop catapulting into the ground.
“Percedal!” The group, sans Eva, shouted in concern. Yugo acted fast, circling his arms to create a portal under where the man was falling, effortlessly calling another portal closer to the ground from him to crash through. Once on solid ground, Percedal rose up for a moment, seemingly in a daze. When his gazed refocused, his face turned green and pale, cheeks inflating. He keeled over and—Uvie grimaced and turned away. She did not need or want to see that.
“ Leaf…? ” A voice boomed; presumably the tree’s.
Ruel swivelled towards the exit, “Uh, guys! Behind us!” He alerted. The Polters had emerged from within and encircled them all. Back in combat mode, everyone readied their tools. Weirdly enough, the Polters stopped at a comfortable distance away from the group, sending a wave of hesitance and confusion between the adventurers. Uvie looked up again, but from the distance she was only able to see Amalia, now resting on the conifer’s open palm, sparingly and pick up a few occasional words. Her eyes softened in concern.
“… princess… ”
‘ A what now? ’
From what she could see, the Sadidan spread her arms wide and spoke, causing the tree to react. Uvie could make out his facial features, decaying and layered pieces of bark serving as teeth, thick brows resting upon bulging eyes, and a greyed gemstone resting on the old oak’s forehead. After a brief moment of silence, the brows furrowed.
“ You…you are not Leaf! ” He rumbled.
With the angered statement, the Polters began to advance. Uvie unsheathed and gripped onto her sword, ready to swipe. One particular polter was approaching Eva’s legs, only for the valiant Percedal to come save her. He smushed the insect with Rubilax effortlessly and puffed out his chest in pride. Then, turning to the Cra, he batted his lashes and puckered his lips, leaning in. Uvie had looked past him at the squished polter, observing how another one made its way over, stringy arms outstretched to infect. She took it out with an effortless swing of her sword. Standing upright, she looked over at both of them with a bright grin. Eva returned the gaze, paused for a moment and sighed, giving Uvie a nod of approval. Score! She pumped her fist into the air and giggled.
Poor Percedal had not noticed what occurred behind him and deflated in defeat at the rejection. Another rumble returns the attention back to Amalia. She is kneeling on the palm of the oak’s hand now, a familiar vibrant green spreading through the veins of the bark. Miraculously, the glow continued its spread, rejuvenating the decaying splinters and restoring colour to its greyed leaves. Amalia was promptly set back down afterward.
“ Thank you, Amalia Sheran Sharm. You have given he reason to be patient with mankind .”
The Great Oak spread his arms out, dark gem now brimming with life. In a wave of light, the trees around the group regrew their emerald leaves and rich trunks, spreading quickly throughout the forest. Uvie watched as a small flower burst from the earth all on its own, later followed by five others that sprouted beside it. She smiled.
“ As a token for my gratitude, the ones who have been affected by my polters shall be restored, and I will provide you transport from this place ”
He spoke, causing the Polters to advance and lift the adventurers off their feet one by one, with a small attempt of fighting back from Percedal. They all waved farewell, and with that, the group were carried off into the woodland.
Ruel stretched out his arms and let out a sigh of comfort, “Man, travelling like this is the dream! We should save old trees more often.” He would have kicked his legs up if he was able to, but he settled with what he got.
Yugo nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah! And I can’t wait to see my dad again! The faster we get there the better!”
“Ah, right, Yugo!” The boy quirked a brow at the Iop’s sudden exclamation. Percedal faced him and placed a hand on his chest, brows furrowed, “I offer my life to you, Yugo! From here on out, my blade is yours!”
“ At least ask me first ”
“Gah–would you shut up!”
They began to squabble, Yugo quickly putting an end to it. “Thanks, Dally!” He gave a toothy grin, sharp canines poking at his lip.
“Erm…I’d prefer if you didn’t call me dally. Heh…I am a knight after all”
“ Well I for one think Dally is perfect! Heh … snrk ”
…And the fighting resumed once more. As the group were whisked away from their day long journey, a new conversation from behind took over Uvie’s attention, though she cleverly acted none the wiser.
Eva began, “I know you want to help him find his family, but—”
“—but a princess is delicate and can’t be trusted to do anything on her own. I’ve heard this so many times before. But I want to explore! I want to see the world for my own without my father and Armand all in my business!”
‘ Oh my gosh she really is a princess! That’s like…super duper ultra-mega cool! ’ Uvie fought the urge to turn.
“Why don’t we talk to the king about it? Maybe he’ll let you go?”
She perked up, discretely fiddling with her fingers, and not so discretely squirming in place.
“I doubt it. You know what he’s like”
She slumped, a saddened sigh escaping from her lips. Az nestled against her neck in comfort.
The Cra chuckled in amusem*nt.
*** *** ***
The rest of the trip was filled with small conversations and occasional jokes. Uvie inhaled deeply, a calming scent of fresh grass and healthy soil filled her nostrils as the polters scurried their ways to Emelka. Eventually, the familiar stoned arch marking the village filling their visions. She glanced at Yugo, who was bubbling with excitement. He was rocking on his feet the best he could whilst being held by the stringy polter arms and was almost shaking from the anticipation.
Once they were all placed on solid ground, Yugo made a mad dash into the town. A few polters went along with him, stopping and separating whenever they encountered a human bush. They swayed with their arms in the air, causing the leaves to shrink and disappear, setting the people free. This continued until all of the villagers were moving again. Tearful reunions were shared between couples, siblings, children, and parents. Uvie watched the scenes happily, jogging towards where Yugo went off to.
“Ruel!”
The old man was lifted into a hefty embrace. Strong arms were wrapped around him and a large chef hat bobbed with the motion. Ruel’s grimace quickly melted into a smile and he returned the hug to the best of his ability. Beside him, Yugo cried out for his father.
Alibert set his friend down and gently picked up his son, “My little Piwi! I thought I’d never see you again!” He nuzzled into Yugo’s head, earning a giggle from his son. “Now, I think we’ve all been on our feet for too long today, how about you?” The group nodded and Yugo was placed onto the ground, the boy immediately nodding and motioning around.
“I learned a lot today dad! I even got to practice making portals!”
“Did you really?”
“Yeah! Uvie can back me up!”
“Mhm! He really did, Mr. Alibert! The portals went whrrr! and swoosh! ” She wildly motioned with her arms to mimic the things she saw.
Alibert let out a hearty laugh, patting both of the children on the shoulders. They giggled happily. He began to escort them back into the restaurant, proud smile on his face.
Then, the atmosphere went cold.
She felt it before she could hear it. A crackly static danced on her fingertips before he spoke.
“ Greetings. I am Nox ”
A high frequency burst of sound slammed into Uvie’s head and her arms flared up with goosebumps. Everyone’s eyes widen instantly and Eva stepped in front of Amalia, shielding her with an arm. Alibert tugged Uvie and Yugo close to him. A man was in the air, donning a metallic helm, and arms, one being much larger than the other. His eyes were shining a bright cyan. There was a ticking sound that echoed from his form.
“If you all comply, maybe things won’t end up being as bad for you. But you! In the blue hat. We have a lot to talk about.
The mayor looked over to his villagers, “The inn is closed. Get lost now!”
At the same time, Eva grabbed her bow and launched an arrow towards the Nox guy. The dart flew in the air at lightning speed, abruptly coming to a stop before it could hit his face, “Impressive, little Cra! You’re quick, but not quick enough!” He then disappeared, leaving the arrow to continue its straight path.
Ruel had a moment of recognition, “A-a time wizard! He’s a Xelor! ” He stuttered out, weapon drawn. The man reappeared behind the group, large arm glowing. A clock that was on the back of his palm ticked down quickly, unleashing a wave of energy that sent the group hurling into the air.
Until they stopped.
Uvie could see, but her body would not move. She struggled against the restraint to the best of her ability, but watched helplessly as Nox continued.
“My time is very precious to me. Though you all don’t have much left!” He cackled, floating over to Yugo, “now, boy , you will tell me what you know about the dragon Grougaloragran!”
“W-who? D-dragon…? I don’t understand…”
“Hm. Maybe you’ll understand more if I deal with your friends first,” He raised his hand, creating a magnet-like beam that lifted Az out from the boy’s pouch, “starting with this tofu” Az was stuck to the Xelor’s palm face first, blue feather sticking out very obviously.
“Now to figure out why it is so filled with Wakfu!” He pulled the feather out and tossed the bird aside. The feather began to glow and slipped out of his grasp, raising into the air and scribbling a message in a foreign language. “Fascinating! It’s in Dragonish!”. The words formed multiple letters and once completed broke off into pieces, trailing into Yugo’s eyes.
Uvie’s finger twitched. She glanced around, head able to move freely. ‘ Huh..? What is happening..? ’ She did not have the time to question it further as she reached back for her sword. Nox unsheathed a weapon as well, sticking out his hand to miraculously unravel a blade. Mechanically, pieces of the weapon unfurled and themselves together until they joined together in a spade-shaped tip. He aimed it right at Yugo’s neck.
“Tell me what you heard, brat!”
With that, Uvie broke free from the restraint, swinging her blade with a battle cry. The sword, unsurprisingly, bounces off of his metal shell, but the act was enough to make him stumble. She fell to the ground and landed on shaky knees, a sharp tingle spreading from her feet throughout her body.
“W-what?! You little—!”
That strike was all it took for Alibert to regain motion. He grabbed his shovel, determined, “Don’t you dare touch my son!” He growled, knocking Nox’s blade from his grasp and sending a barrage of attacks towards the Xelor. No matter how he teleported, side stepped, or tried to block, Alibert was already a step ahead of him and nailing him with another hit. Nox stumbled to the ground, being pinned down by the enraged father. Another grunt sent his trust shovel swinging down to his head.
Nox’s eyes narrowed and a blue glow encompassed his body. The blade was stopped from going any further, but Alibert kept pushing. He gripped the shovel harder and applied more force.
Crack!
And more.
Crack!
He was getting somewhere.
Crack! Crack!
That’s it.
CRACK!
Nox shrieked, sending a bright white light to emit from where was. When the initial light faded, the Xelor had disappeared. A harsh wind was still wrapping around Alibert, finally subsiding after breaking his weapon into bits. He dropped to his knees. The suspension around the rest of the group disabled and they all fell as gracefully as possible.
“Argh! My back!” Maybe not Ruel.
Alibert panted, trying his best to catch his breath. His brown hairs began to go grey, spreading from the hairs at his nostrils and down to the rest of his moustache. His skin began to wrinkle around his face and his cheeks sagged, as though he had not slept in years.
“Dad! Dad! Are you alright!”
Alibert gave a weak smile before his eyes rolled into his head, body collapsing onto the ground. Yugo cried out to his father and Uvie rushed over, placing two fingers against the chef’s neck.
“He’s…he’s okay! I think he’s just tired!”
A sigh of relief from the group echoed out. Yugo remained close to his father, keeping a hand onto his back. A silence followed, broken by Dally’s thoughts, “So Yugo, what’d that weird feather thing say anyway?”
“Uh…well…the first thing it did was call me Eliatrope Child. Then it told me to find my family. My real family. They’re somewhere called Oma Island?”
Ruel perked up, “Well, I may be able to help you out! There’s a portal nearby that can get our foot out the door!”
The ‘Eliatrope Child’ was apprehensive, eyes scanning over Alibert’s sleeping form. He frowned worriedly, “…But who will take care of my dad?”
“We will,” a villager piped up, approaching the scene.
“Yeah! He’s protected more times than we can count, so it’s only fair we return the favour” another added, causing a series of chants and sounds of agreement from the rest of the town, who had all gathered near the scene.
Two men bent down and picked Alibert up by the arms, wrapping them on the backs of their necks. If Uvie was correct then the one on the right was Jason, the man that was saved back when the polters first attacked. The rest of the villagers had big smiles on their faces and sent Yugo off with a mix of arm waves and thumbs up.
“Everyone…thank you”
*** *** ***
The hill of the cliff was steep, but the climb up was not as bad as it initially looked. Once finally reaching the top, Uvie could see a tree that was bent into an arch ahead of her. The view from the spot was gorgeous, the setting sun dancing across the waves of the ocean. As beautiful as the sight was, she was apprehensive to keep going. On the flip side, Dally bubbled with excitement, “Alright everyone, it’s time for an adventure!”
Yugo stopped one last time and looked back to Emelka. A tearful smile graced his face. Ruel tapped him on the shoulder, “Come on, kiddo, we’ve got your family to find!”
A pit formed in Uvie’s stomach and she clenched her fists together
“Yeah!” Said Dally again, “off we go to Oma Island and to Yugo’s family!”
Her eyes darted around nervously, lip trembling.
“Eva, I’ve decided that I’m not going back home. I want to help Yugo find his family, even if you won’t come with me,” Amalia exclaimed determinedly.
“Princess, you can’t even cook a mushroom skewer right, there’s no way I’m letting you go off on your own,” the Cra tried not to, but a small chuckle left her lips before she hardened her gaze once more, “ but once we find Yugo’s family we are going straight to the king. Understood?”
She gulped and dug her nails into her palm.
“Okay, but please stop calling me Princess and treating me like one! I want to be your good friend Amalia from here on out!” Amalia pleaded. Eva sighed and caved to her words.
“Fine, I’ll treat you as a friend… Princess ” well, she’ll get there eventually.
Ruel pulled out a gemstone from his pocket. The gem was a deep blue in colour and its shape resembled a teardrop. A lighter blue swirled within it and glimmered in the sunlight. He started to swing his arm and toss the stone in, “Okay, here we go—!”
“— Wait !” Uvie cried out, loudly.
Ruel jolted and the teardrop fumbled in his grasp. He barely managed to catch it. Once it was safe in his hands, he let out a huge sigh of relief. The rest of the group faced her.
“Uvie? What’s wrong?” Said Yugo, eyes swirling with concern.
“I…I…”
The Iop added, “You know, you don’t have to come with—”
“—No I do want to come! It’s just…” she fiddled with her fingers, eyes avoiding everyone’s gaze. “Granny…can we please see her first…?”
Now the attention was on Yugo, who nodded emphatically after a brief moment, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Lead the way!”
*** *** ***
The familiar walkway Uvie lead them through was brimming with new life. The sunset perfectly reflected off of the water droplets brimming the leaves of the greenery. Not only were there an assortment of gorgeous flowers, but there were also a series of herbs planted along the route as well.
‘ Granny must’ve done some gardening today! ’
Out of everyone, Amalia was the most amazed by what they were seeing. The atmosphere around her instinctively put a smile on her face, the walk feeling like a warm hug. She spread her arms out and exhaled, “Wow, the plants love it here! I can feel the love and care radiating off of them!”
Uvie beamed with pride, “That’s all my granny’s doing! She’s the best at this stuff! She even taught me about all of the names and uses for what she plants! For example…” she filled the rest of the walk with rambles about what she learned over the years.
Eventually, the group reached an opening in the trees that meet that reveal an all too familiar building. At the centre of it all, seated on the porch, was Granny Dianne, knitting away at her latest project. A pair of gloves, if Uvie remembered correctly. As if sensing her, the Eniripsa stopped her motion and looked up, a smile gracing her wrinkled features. “You’re back. And I can see you’re not alone”
Uvie nodded, “Granny, these are all of my friends! This,” she gestures, “is Yugo! He’s Mr. Alibert’s son!” Said boy waves.
“These two are Amalia and Ms. Eva!” Uvie fought the urge to call Amalia ‘Ms’ as well after being told not to back in the forbidden forest. Eva was not as lucky to escape the politeness. Still, the both of them nodded in acknowledgment.
“This is Sir Percedal and his Shushu Rubilax!” Dally placed a hand on his chest and used his other to prevent Rubilax from saying anything.
“Finally, this is—”
“—Ruel Stroud,” Her eyes narrowed.
The stare was returned, “Dianne. I’m surprised you’re still kicking.”
“And I’m surprised you’re not charging these kids to travel with you.”
“Well at least I– ”
“Can it, Ruel! You can hash this out some other time!” Amalia interjected, glaring at him. “We’re here for a reason you know!”
“Oh? Why is that?” Granny’s attention went back onto her granddaughter who was looking at her with big eyes and a trembling lower lip.
“Granny…I…” the sentence trailed off.
Dianne looked at her expectedly.
She opened her mouth, but the words were holding themselves back in her throat.
Dianne remained silent.
Uvie’s eyes brimmed with water and she exhaled shakily. In response, Yugo walked up and placed a hand onto her shoulder, encouraging smile on his lips. She inhaled deeply, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. The words then vomited out, “Granny…Yugo is on a journey to meet his real family and I want to go with him and help him out. I know I’m young and I haven’t been adventuring much but I really want to do this andIwashopingyou’dbeokaywith…”
“Uvie—” Granny tried to interrupt, to no avail.
Her eyes welled up more, “Ipromisetobesuperdupercarefulsopleaseletme—”
“Uvie!” The shout silenced her immediately. Granny let out a sigh that trailed off into laughter, rubbing her temple lightly, “It was about time you told me you want to go adventure. I’ve been trying to prepare myself for this for years now. Of course you can ”
With that, the dam broke and tears poured freely from her eyes. She wailed, running into her grandmother’s waiting arms.
“ Wahhh! Granny! I’ll miss you so much! ” She sobbed into her grandmother’s blouse, fists clenching onto the back of the cloth. Granny returned the embrace, petting her granddaughters head.
The moment was cut short as Uvie steeled her expression and pushed away, “We need to get moving, Granny,” she hiccuped, wiping her nose with her arm.
Dianne nodded, looking over to the Enutrof, “I’m putting her under your care, Ruel Stroud. Do not make me regret this decision” He grumbled but agreed nonetheless, letting the Eniripsa focus her attention somewhere else.
“And you, young Yugo,” the boy perked up, “I hope you find what you’re looking for” his head bobbed, toothy grin on display.
“Now get lost, the lot of you,” she shoo’d them away, picking up her knitting needles.
Tears were still free falling, but Uvie’s cheeks rose up with a bright smile.
“I’ll see you later, Granny! Love you!”
With that, the group left the cottage behind, their forms fading into the distance.
*** *** ***
Dianne smiled. The needles in her hands began to shake freely. Then, her lower lip trembled. Finally, a lone tear travelled down her cheek.
“I love you too, little bud”
