ã€ŠBaelath Chroniclesã€‹


 Part 1: The Forests Edge

    ¡°As children our parents tell us fables to teach us from right and wrong, what we should or should not do. Usually those tales are only allegorical, but sometimes those fanciful tales are all too real.¡±

    ¡°Klavis!¡±

    Begrudgingly Klavis opened his eyes and rolled over looking at Kamilis. His brother sat there quietly reading a book, his back up against a tree. ¡°What?¡±

    Kamilis ever so slightly glanced towards Klavis and continued to study his book. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me; it was Xecran¡±.

    As if on cue Klavis once again heard his name being called. Klavis rolled his eyes as he sat up, a big yawn escaping his mouth. He sighed as he pointed at the small fire with his open hand. He clinched his fist, and the fire died down for a moment. With his fist still clinched he pulled his arm back and mimed throwing an invisible ball. When his arm was fully extended, he opened his hand, and a ball of light went flying towards his yelling cousin. It flew a good distance out before there was a bright flash as the glowing ball expanded. Glowing particles slowly drifted down and settled on the forest floor leaving a glowing path for Xecran to follow.

    Klavis reached over to his pack and pulled out a water skin and took a deep drink. He put the stopper back on and tossed it towards Kamilis, hitting him on the side. ¡°Is that a different book than the one you were reading last night? How many of those did you bring?!¡±

    Kamilis looked over at Klavis frowning. ¡°Some people take their studies seriously.¡± He put a marker in the book, closed it and set it on his lap. ¡°Not everyone has your knack for magic, some of us actually have to work at it.¡± He picked up the water skin, took a drink, put the stopper on and threw it back, hitting Klavis on the chest and having the water skin land on his lap.

    Klavis smiled ¡°Still the jealous older brother?¡±

    Kamilis lips curled slightly into a small smile ¡°Talent will only take you so far. It won¡¯t be too long till you find that out.¡±

    Klavis reached into his pack pulling out a pouch of assorted nuts. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Coasting on my talents has done me well so far. Besides, you make it sound like I¡¯ve done nothing but play around.¡±

    Kamilis raised an eyebrow ¡°Haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Klavis laughed ¡°Yeah, I guess you got me there.¡± He tossed a few nuts into his mouth, chewed them and took a drink to help swallow it all down. ¡°But it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have several hundred more years to get serious. We might be grown, but we¡¯re still young, we¡¯re supposed to be playing around having fun, pushing our limits and annoying our parents.¡±

    ¡°You do more than enough of that for both of us.¡± Kamilis grinned, ¡°besides, I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? No one else in living memory dared go into the edge of the forest, not to mention camping in it. If our parents knew how often we¡¯ve passed the Beacon Trees, they¡¯d never let us out of their sight again.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Smiling, Klavis added a bit of lighthearted sarcasm to his voice ¡°We¡¯re such rebels, camping near some trees!¡± Just as another person walked into the camp. He was a bit shorter than Klavis and Kamilis, but he still shared the smooth skin, fair hair and slightly sloping, pointed ears that Klavis and Kamilis had, marking him too as an elf. Other than height they all had similar features, with the exception of Kamilis¡¯s white hair, pale skin and red eyes that marked him as an albino.

    Klavis waved his right arm in an exaggerated fashion towards the newcomer ¡°There he is, the most rebellious of us all, Xecran the troublemaker!¡±

    Xecran scowled at Klavis ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys, you keep going further into the forest, passed the Beacon Trees even! I wouldn¡¯t have dared pass them if you hadn¡¯t sent me that path. One of these days, I¡¯m not going to cover for you guys and just let you get what¡¯s coming to you.¡± He paused and nervously looked deeper into the forest and quickly jerked his head back to his cousins. ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡±

    ¡°Bah, that¡¯s just an old story our parents tell us. We¡¯ve found nothing but peace out here. Besides, Kamilis brought enough books to crush a small army. The most dangerous creature we¡¯ve faced was a rabbit and the snare and knife took care of that quick enough. If you want, you can keep the fur as a trophy and tell everyone you bested the furry beast of the forest. Better yet, if you don¡¯t want to cover for us anymore, you should just come with us next time. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t end up wondering out here anyways.¡±

    Xecran replied with a snort. Then he sighed and slowly shook his head and sat down on an overturned tree near the fire. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. And you, Kam, I can¡¯t believe you let him talk you into all this foolishness.¡±

    Kamilis started to say something but was interrupted by Klavis ¡°Me convince him? I couldn¡¯t convince him to do a darn thing. This was all his idea. He reads those books all day and can¡¯t stop talking about escaping our little part of the world and seeing what¡¯s out there, beyond this forest, with his own eyes. I¡¯m only here to make sure he doesn¡¯t get into trouble.¡±

    Xecran cracked up laughing and managed to say a few words between his laughter ¡°You, responsible, that¡¯ll be the day.¡±

    Kamilis sent a glare to his little brother. ¡°As I was going to say when I was so rudely interrupted, he didn¡¯t talk me into anything. I don¡¯t believe that the forest is as dangerous as our parents, or their parents before them, have claimed. They probably just say that to keep little kids from going and getting themselves lost. We¡¯ve certainly not seen anything dangerous, no one in living memory has. Really, it has all been kind of boring.¡± He looked over at Klavis¡¯ smirk. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet I can get more studying done here in a day than I could in a week at home.¡±

    Xecran chuckled. ¡°Next, you¡¯re going to say you only come out here because it¡¯s the one place you can try and teach Klavis how to read. Still¡­¡± He paused as his smile faded as he glanced back to the forest and involuntarily shivered. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the chill breeze, or the thought that the nameless enemy, the devourer of all realms, would jump out of the forest to claim his soul.

    It took a moment, but Klavis realized what Xecran said. He started to express his indignation, but Xecran ignored him, continuing as if Klavis wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡­It doesn¡¯t feel right, the forest. It feels like it¡¯s always watching me.¡±

    Klavis and Kamilis continued sitting there, they both silently looked toward the forest, the joviality of the morning forgotten.

 Part 2: Decisions

    Xecran threw himself onto his bed. He didn¡¯t care how dirty he was. He was finally finished cleaning the furnace. Sometimes he wished they ran the smithy without the aid of magic. True, it was safer and there wasn¡¯t a need for hauling tons of wood, and you didn¡¯t have to manage a temperamental fire. However, if they did it the old-fashioned way he wouldn¡¯t have to climb into the furnace and spend countless hours scraping off the soot-like residue deposited by the magical heating source. On the other hand, one of these days, he¡¯d have his own smithy and his own apprentices he could make do the dirty work.

    Despite the hard work, and the soot, he loved doing it. He always knew he wanted to work with metal, learning all its forms and discovering its secrets. When Hirthron, his uncle, offered him an apprenticeship he jumped at the chance. Not only would he get to learn what he knew he loved, he would get to grow up with his cousins, Klavis and Kamilis. That was nearly twenty years ago, and he still felt like a novice compared to Hirthron. Hirthron himself was an apprentice for nearly a hundred and fifty years before his own father said he was ready to start learning the deeper secrets, the secrets he¡¯d need to master before he could be the master of his own smithy.

    Xecran smiled thinking about all the things he still had to learn and welcomed the challenge. He couldn¡¯t imagine doing anything else, yet he found his mind wandering to the forest. It had been happening more and more often over the last few weeks. Ever since he followed the light trail that Klavis had made, the one that took him beyond the Beacon Tree.

    Klavis and Kamilis had been going on outings for years, and continued to do so, even as they took on more responsibilities as they grew older. Like himself Kamilis had already found his life¡¯s path, magic. Kamilis had been admitted to the Magi Guild and had quickly risen through the school¡¯s lower ranks and now he was often left to his own studies, only going to the Guild to talk with the masters and to test his knowledge.

    And then there was Klavis¡­

    He has always had the annoying ability to be naturally good at everything he did. For years Hirthron tried to get Klavis to take a path and stick to it. He¡¯d hoped he¡¯d work the forge and for a time he did. Klavis had worked alongside his father and Xecran, but after a few months Klavis got bored and moved on. For a while he joined his brother at the Magi¡¯s Guild. After just a few months he was easily able to do things that took Kamilis years to learn but again, after a while, Klavis got bored. Sword play, archery, alchemy, carpentry, he tried it all, he even spent time shadowing a poet that visited from the city.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    It¡¯s not like Klavis stopped improving himself, he still tinkered with everything he¡¯d enjoyed but he never put in the effort to master any one thing. If Klavis would ever stick to one career everyone had no doubt that he would be among one of the greatest persons in whichever field he chose. However, that was years ago and Hirthron had given up trying to guide Klavis into something productive. His uncle figured he¡¯d settle down when he wanted to. Which left both Klavis and Kamilis free to pretty much do what they wanted.

    Xecran never had that luxury. When he was younger, he had spent more time with them, exploring the edges of the village and spending nights under the stars, but as he grew up Hirthron gave him more and more responsibilities. By the time that his cousins were pushing the boundaries of the forest he¡¯d been spending nearly every day in the smithy, he no longer had the time to go on their trips and he had no desire to join them in flirting with the forest¡¯s edge. So why did he keep thinking about it?

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly releasing it, trying to still his mind and relax his body. The soreness in his arms and legs lessened slightly and he forgot he was covered in dried sweat and soot. He could see the deeper forest, the area beyond the Beacon Trees, just like he did last time he was there. The image didn¡¯t change but it alternated between feeling darker and ominous and being bright and inviting. It was the first time he had gone beyond the Beacon Trees. In fact, as far as he knew there have only been three people in living memory who¡¯d gone beyond the Beacon Trees, Klavis, Kamilis and himself.

    If the stories his parents had told him as a child were to be believed the Beacon Trees were grown countless centuries ago to mark the boundary between their lands and the rest of the world. The Beacon Trees hid the city, the surrounding villages and the Greenwood. They outlined the edge of the forest, providing a barrier for those wanting to enter and a physical warning for those inside to go no further. It was said that if you went beyond the Beacon Trees, you risked never being able to go home again; yet here he was, lying in his bed at home.

    He¡¯d passed the Beacon Trees to find his cousins, and nothing happened. If Klavis was to be believed they¡¯d been going beyond the Beacon Trees for months. People quickly learned that Klavis was prone to exaggerating, but Kamilis, he seldom did. Xecran was certain that they¡¯d been toying with their fate for months. Yet they had always returned. Does that mean there wasn¡¯t anything to be afraid of? Was there no doomed world, subjugated by the nameless enemy of ages past, waiting for the moment to invade his home? He was no longer certain if those tales could be believed.

    Xecran opened his eyes and in that moment, he decided two things. One, when his cousins returned from the city, he was going to surprise Klavis by taking him up on his offer to join them on their next trip; an offer he figured Klavis had only made in jest. The second decision? He was going to go take a nice long hot bath.

 Part 3: Restlessness

    Klavis sat on his cart as he waved to Kamilis who was entering into the Magi¡¯s Guild courtyard. Klavis slightly moved his horse¡¯s reins while making a click noise to get her to slowly move forward.

    He let out a deep sigh as his horse moved forward with the pace of a snail. He hated when he had to use a cart but there was no helping it. The shipment his dad was having him deliver was too big and delicate to do anything else. Besides, this gave him a good excuse to visit the city and avoid the scowls his father often sent his way.

    They had left as the sun was just starting to rise and if he didn¡¯t have this burdensome cart, he would have reached the city before lunch. As it was it was nearly dinner. Hopefully Tadril was still at his shop, or he¡¯d be stuck with the cart and the crates till the morning. He had no intention of being weighed down by responsibility tonight.  He used the reins to get his horse to move a bit faster, but it chose to ignore him, and they continued on their slow pace.

    Klavis¡¯s mind quickly wondered from his task to which tavern he was going to commandeer tonight. In the city there were four taverns unlike his own village where they only had one, The Leaky Barrel, and it was normally filled with the same people. Every once and a while someone from the city or even one of the other villages would visit, but most traveling was done going towards the city.

    Usually, he visited The Joyous Fiddler. That¡¯s where his friends usually went for the evening meal and usually stayed till the morning meal. Klavis smiled thinking about the last time he ventured into town. He spent three days at The Joyous Fiddler and didn¡¯t step beyond the door once. He shook his head slightly, no, as fun as it would be he didn¡¯t feel like partying his days away. Since the last outing to the Forest¡¯s edge, he¡¯d felt restless.

    True, he often felt restless, but this was different. Usually, it was from boredom. He¡¯d spend time on something he was curious about and once his curiosity was sated, he¡¯d move on and find the next thing that caught his fancy. No, this wasn¡¯t the same at all. This restlessness was caused by something he¡¯d never felt before, trapped.

    His whole world, like everyone else¡¯s, went as far as one edge of the forest to the other. You could travel from one side to the other in a few days. As far as he knew. his people, this society. was the only thing that still existed. If the fables could be believed whatever his ancestors ran from probably gobbled up everything else. It was hard for him to believe, but what if there really wasn¡¯t anything else?

    For days that question gnawed at him. ¡°What if there really was nothing else?¡± He didn¡¯t like where that question was leading him ¡°What if I get bored with my world? I¡¯ve done so many things and none of them have overcome my restlessness. Nothing felt right. What will I do when nothing is left? Will I be cursed to live for hundreds of years in a world that offered me no purpose to live?¡±  He shuddered. ¡°No, no I don¡¯t like thinking about this at all.¡±

    He decided to go to the Magi¡¯s Conundrum. He¡¯d rarely gone there. It¡¯s a favorite place for the students at the Magi¡¯s Guild. From time-to-time full members of the Guild would go there too. It was often busy, but the atmosphere was calm. He¡¯d doubtlessly know many of the patrons, but they wouldn¡¯t push him into a night full of drinking, singing and shenanigans like they would at The Joyous Fiddler. No, his mood matched The Magi¡¯s Conundrum perfectly.

    Klavis gently pulled up on the reigns, stopping in front of Tadril¡¯s shop. He feared the worst, the doors were closed, and the curtains drawn over the store¡¯s windows. He jumped down from the cart and walked to the back, where the workshop entrance was.  He let out a sigh of relief. The door to the workshop was still slightly ajar and there was a light coming from within. He walked over to the door and walked in. When he saw Tadril he waved and said ¡°Hello.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Tadril smiled in response ¡°Klavis, you¡¯re early!  I would never have expected that from you.¡±

    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m one thing, I¡¯m unpredictable. I¡¯ve done a lot of being late, figured I¡¯d try being early for a change and someday, I might even try being right on time. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to camp along the road when I could be here tearing up the town. So, I sacrificed a morning and left as the sun rose. I¡¯m just glad I got here before you left. Where would you like the crates?¡±

    Tadril¡¯s raised an eyebrow ¡°Crates? I only ordered a few sheets of preformed tin glass.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not the wrong order, my father put extra padding around the sheets to make sure they didn¡¯t break or warp. He can be rather overprotective of his work.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, the extra care is appreciated.¡± Tadril looked around. The shop was cluttered with various projects, in different states of completion. In the center of the workshop was a nearly completed sculpture of a warrior atop a regal looking horse, rearing itself on its hind legs. He didn¡¯t look at the sculpture as he walked past it, to the far corner of the room. He shoved a few scraps of wood out of the way and turned back to Klavis. ¡°Hmm¡­I think this corner will do. Just stack them here. I¡¯ll open them tomorrow.

    Klavis nodded ¡°I¡¯ll get right on that.¡± He spared a glance towards the sculpture in the middle of the shop. ¡°The sculpture is one of your best. It looks nearly alive.¡±

    Tadril looked at the sculpture and grunted in disgust. ¡°Nearly alive is about right. I can¡¯t seem to get it just right. It should come alive when you look at it. Not nearly alive.¡± He sighed and sounded defeated as he said, ¡°I¡¯m already two months behind.¡± He took a deep breath and looked back to Klavis. ¡°I was just heading out. You¡¯re welcome to come eat with the family if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Klavis smiled but slightly shook his head no. ¡°Thank you for the offer but I have other plans for the night.¡±

    ¡°Meeting your troop of troublemakers at The Joyous Fiddler?¡±

    ¡°No, actually I was going to go to the Magi¡¯s Conundrum.¡±

    Tadril¡¯s eyes widened in surprise ¡°The Magi¡¯s Conundrum, really?!  First you get here a whole day early and now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to the Magi¡¯s Conundrum over the Joyous Fiddler! That¡¯s it, I¡¯ve seen it all.¡±

    Klavis chuckled. ¡°I know, so out of character.¡±

    They both continued their conversation as they walked outside.

    Tadril narrowed his eyes ¡°It¡¯s a woman, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No¡± Klavis sighed, ¡°not a woman, just feeling a bit contemplative lately.¡± But then he gave Tadril a smirk as he glanced a look at him from the side. ¡°However, you never know the night might end with a woman, we¡¯ll just have to see.¡±

    Tadril laughed and friendlily slapped Klavis on his back ¡°That¡¯s a bit more like the Klavis I expected. Well, I should get going. Just make sure you close the door when you leave. ¡°

    ¡°Sure thing. Have a good night.¡± Klavis waved as Tendril started his walk home and called out ¡°Tell Nera I said hello.¡±

    Tadril waved back and said ¡°Will do¡± as he continued to walk on.

    Unloading the crates was easy, there were only eight of them and they were rather light, but dropping off the cart was another matter entirely. When he got to the tack store the only person there was Ce. For some gods forsaken reason Celeb went with his eldest son, Cir, on a trip to see his wife¡¯s family, and left Ce, Celeb¡¯s youngest and certainly most stubborn son, to watch the store.

    It took Klavis awhile to get Ce to understand that his father, Hirthron had rented the cart weeks ago and he was now returning it. For some reason the fact that Klavis was arriving a day earlier than expected threw Ce¡¯s whole life into a tailspin.  At first Ce wouldn¡¯t take the cart. He told Klavis he couldn¡¯t return it till tomorrow, but eventually Klavis managed to convince him to take it, and he was able to get out there and leave that rickety, lead weight of a cart behind.

    Once Klavis was on his horse he had the urge to go galloping out of town and spend a few hours in the cool nights air, just to try to shake off that feeling of restlessness, but the urge passed, and he rode on at a walking speed. He knew in the end disappearing for a few days wouldn¡¯t help and besides, if he hurried, he¡¯d still make it to the tavern in time to get a fresh chunk of roast.

 Part 4: Whos Child

    Despite having to deal with Ce and all his foolishness Klavis managed to get to the tavern shortly after dusk.

    He handed off his horse to the stable hand and walked into the tavern. It was warm and inviting. There were two fires going, one on each side of the common room. The slight smell of burning pine mixed with the delicious smell of freshly roasted meat helped him feel more relaxed and reminded him how hungry he really was.

    There were several groups of people eating at tables and talking amongst themselves. It was a very cozy atmosphere.

    As Klavis walked to an empty table, a few people looked over, smiled and waved. Klavis responded in kind but didn¡¯t move to join them. He took a table in the corner. Unlike what would have happened at his usual haunt, none of the people he knew came over and imposed themselves. Most of the people who came here understood personal space and realized when a person wanted to be left in peace.

    After a few moments a smiling young woman, wearing a blue dress and a clean, impossibly bright white apron, sauntered over to the table. ¡°Hello Klavis, is there anything I can get for you?¡±

    Klavis smiled, trying to hide the fact that he had no idea who she was. ¡°Oh yes, there sure is. A plate full of that lovely smelling roast, with some cheese and a bit of bread and butter. Oh, and a mug of ale too.¡±

    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She winked at him as she turned and walked back to the kitchen.

    After she left his smile began to turn into a frustrated frown as he thought ¡°What was her name? I should know her; she knows me, and I¡¯ve been here enough?¡± His frustration only mounted as she came back with his drink and still couldn¡¯t remember her name.

    She set the cup on the table ¡°I¡¯ll have your food for you in just a few moments. I¡¯ve also made sure there was a fire going in your room, to warm it up¡±

    Klavis not knowing what was going on opened his mouth ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    But wasn¡¯t allowed to finish his sentence. ¡°I figured since you¡¯re here instead of The Joyous Fiddler you¡¯d want a room.¡±

    Klavis frowned and gave up any pretense of familiarity. ¡°Have we met?¡±

    The waitress narrowed her eyes, he could almost see the anger in them ¡°Have we met?¡± her voice rose as she repeated the question ¡°Have we met?¡± Klavis noticed a few of the patrons glance over their way as she raised her voice. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve met!  Last month! You said you loved me, you couldn¡¯t be without me.¡± Her voice rose even higher as she nearly yelled ¡°I¡¯m carrying your unborn child, and you can¡¯t be bothered to remember my name?!¡±

    For a brief moment the room was dead silent, every head in the room was looking towards them. After one of the longest moments in Klavis¡¯s life, everyone finally looked away and turned back to their own tables, but the buzzing in the room was nearly palatable. He knew they were talking about him.

    He stood up and pulled out a chair.  ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± As she sat down, he sat back down himself. ¡°Of course, I remember you, I was just playing a joke. I¡¯m sorry, it was in poor taste, please forgive me¡­Cirana?¡±

    At that she started laughing and Klavis only became more confused ¡°Oh my, by the gods, you actually think I¡¯m caring your child! You¡¯re as bad as she said. I can¡¯t wait to tell my cousin. I bet she won¡¯t stop laughing for weeks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re cousin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my cousin, Janel. She¡¯s very cross with you after your last visit. She was never able to get that stain off her dress.¡±

    He let out a sigh of relief as he realized that he had in fact not met this person before and she wasn¡¯t carrying his child. ¡°You¡¯re Janel¡¯s cousin?¡± Klavis looked at her again and he could tell that they were indeed related, she looked a little like Janel.  ¡°You do realize that by tomorrow night everyone in town will think you¡¯re having my child and if I¡¯m lucky, I might be able to get home before my family hears about it. You¡¯re a very evil woman¡­¡±

    She chuckled as she said ¡°Arlana¡±.

    ¡°Arlana. Well Arlana, you¡¯re not someone I¡¯ll soon forget, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    She stood back up, still smiling and winked as she said, ¡°You better not, otherwise next time you see me you¡¯ll really regret it.¡± She started to walk away but turned back around. ¡°I was serious about the room though, it¡¯s getting ready. I heard enough about you from my cousin to know if you¡¯re here, you won¡¯t be going over there.¡±

    She was as good as her word; it didn¡¯t take long for her to bring him a plate of food. He smiled and said ¡°Thank you. Would you like to join me?¡±

    She laughed slightly ¡°Maybe if I didn¡¯t know who you were, besides, I¡¯m working and you¡¯re not the only one here.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°How about after you¡¯re done?¡±

    She only answered with a coy smile as she turned and walked away.

    His attention quickly went to the large plate in front of him. A loaf of warm, soft bread with a lump of butter, but it was the heap of thinly cut roast piled on the other half of the plate that really caught his eye. It was more than he expected, he didn¡¯t wait to dive in.

    He¡¯d barely made a dent when the tavern door opened. He looked up and much to his surprise Kamilis walked in. He stood there a moment and looked over the room and as he saw Klavis he walked over to the table.

    ¡°Hey Kam, I didn¡¯t expect to see you in here. Want to join me?¡±

    Kamilis pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°I was just thinking the same thing about you. I figured you¡¯d be out fully embracing the city life.¡±

    Klavis ripped the loaf in half and handed a piece to Kamilis then edged the plate closer to his brother, inviting him to share the plate. ¡°I know, it¡¯s odd, but I didn¡¯t feel like staying up all night. Besides I got some pretty life changing news.¡±

    Kamilis raised an eyebrow ¡°Really, what would that be?¡±

    Klavis nodded towards Arlana and Kamilis followed Klavis¡¯ gaze. ¡°I just found out she¡¯s carrying my child.¡±

    Kamilis frowned ¡°Arlana? I don¡¯t think Janel¡¯s going to be all that happy?¡±

    Klavis¡¯s mouth dropped ¡°You¡¯re not surprised? Geez, I guess I know how you all really think of me. I can¡¯t believe¡­wait, you know Arlana?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she has been studying at the Magi¡¯s Guild for a few months now and to be honest, no I wasn¡¯t. I figured something like this would have happened years ago. What I am surprised about is that it¡¯s with Arlana, I didn¡¯t figure you¡¯d be her type.¡±

    Klavis just glared at his brother. At that moment Arlana just happened to walk up to the table. ¡°Kamilis, what a pleasant surprise. I didn¡¯t know you were back in town.¡±

    ¡°I just got back a little while ago. My brother was doing an errand for our father, so I decided to accompany him on the journey to the city. I¡¯d like to be the first to extend my congratulations.¡±

    Frowning in confusion she asked ¡°Congratulations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Klavis just told me, you¡¯re with child. I know it¡¯s common to have a joining ceremony first but¡­¡±

    She gasped, turned red and said rather loudly ¡°I¡¯m not with child.¡± She punched Klavis in the shoulder and stormed off.¡±

    Kamilis looked at Arlana and back to Klavis. ¡°Did I say something wrong¡±

    Kamilis couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and he burst out laughing. It took some time before he could recover. ¡°No, no, you didn¡¯t say a thing wrong, it was perfect. Kam, she¡¯s not pregnant. I was just trying to get her back, and you played your part wonderfully. She made me and the whole bar think I¡¯d gotten her pregnant. Hopefully that will kill any rumors that may have otherwise reached our parents.¡±

    Kamilis smiled as he was eating a piece of bread said, ¡°Can¡¯t believe you got me, but I have one question; did you believe her when she told you?¡±

    Klavis¡¯s smile slackened ¡°I¡¯ll admit it, part of me believed her. Maybe I should settle down.¡± Kamilis raised a questioning eyebrow as Klavis continued. ¡°Well, just a little bit anyways.¡± There was a pause in the conversation and for a moment his eyes lost focus as the memory of the forest suddenly resurfaced. It had been on his mind more than usual the last few weeks. It took a while for him to admit it, but it felt different, it didn¡¯t feel like the Greenwood. There was a feeling, just beyond his memory, whenever he thought of the forest beyond the Beacon Trees.

    He took a deep breath and refocused his attention back to both his brother and the plate of food. ¡°So, what brought you out of the tower of books and learning? And only after an hour of being back no less?¡±

    Kamilis finished chewing and swallowed a piece of bread before responding ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I was eager to get back and try some of the brewing recipes I had learned.¡± He looked down at the plate of food. ¡°Ironically, I was brewing a potion that would sustain you for a whole day just as if you had eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner. It didn¡¯t take long, it was rather easy, but the whole time I was distracted. I realized I was hungry but mostly I couldn¡¯t shake off a peculiar feeling of boredom. To be honest that feeling has been growing since we left the forest last.

    ¡±Klavis nodded ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling something similar, although bored isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use. It¡¯s what brought me here rather than my usual haunts. I feel restless, trapped, I just knew that my usual escapism wouldn¡¯t work. I needed some time to think.¡±

    Kamilis scooted his chair closer to Klavis, and leaned in slightly ¡°I¡¯m thinking the legends about the forest are wrong. When we crossed the Beacon Trees, nothing happened. Something surely should have happened. And then there are the birds.¡±

    Klavis looked at him a little confused. ¡°The birds?¡±

    Kamilis nodded ¡°Yes, the birds. They migrate with the seasons right, but how? Nothing from beyond the forest is supposed to be able to travel here, and certainly they shouldn¡¯t be able to come and go every year.¡±

    His brother shrugged. ¡°Maybe birds are special.¡±

    Kamilis leaned back and sighed. ¡°Yes, maybe, but it¡¯s all the animals, deer, wolves, bees¡­They all have no problem traveling through the imaginary line created by the Beacon Trees. Then there was us. We walked through and nothing happened.¡±

    Klavis took a big drink of his ale, taking the moment to think it over. He put the cup down. ¡°Maybe the Beacon Trees are supposed to be a warning and not the physical representation of the magical ward. You know, some wiggle room in case some little kid that didn¡¯t know any better ran through the Trees. Maybe there is a warning zone.¡±

    Kamilis cracked a smile. ¡°Sometimes I forget you¡¯re smarter than you act. I thought the same thing and I checked the histories before I came down here. I wanted to see the exact wording. The text stated, ¡°And when the Beacon Trees were mature, a barrier was born from their strength, one that elf kind may not leave from and one that that no man, dwarf or other creature, not even a god, may break into. And so, our people were made safe from the enemy¡±. No, if the history is correct, we should not have been able to walk back through the Beacon Trees.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you saying. The histories are wrong? Was there never a ward? Our ancestors just decided to plant some very large, unusual, albeit, pretty looking trees?¡±

    Kamilis sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could mean there was never a ward and the story of whatever they were running from is exactly that, a story, and it never existed. The problem is, over the many hundreds of years since our ancestors settled here, there hasn¡¯t been a single case of someone from the Beacon Trees finding us. Not a single one. Either every other sentient creature is dead, so there would be no one to find us, which could be the case, or the ward once worked but has sense lost its power and our home is no longer protected.¡±

    A big grin slowly grew across Klavis¡¯s face. Kamilis looked perplexed ¡°What? I tell you a ward protecting us from certain doom might have vanished and you¡¯re happy about it?

    Klavis lightly shook his head no.

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°This means we can go where no one living has ever been, the forest proper.¡±

    Kamilis found himself surprised ¡°Are you serious?¡± But before Klavis could say anything his brother sighed. ¡°Yes, of course you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting we run away from our lives here, just a few nights in the forest. We¡¯d be the first, imagine it! We¡¯d be legends!¡±

    Kamilis nodded ¡°It would let us know for sure if the ward has weakened or worse, disappeared.¡± He smiled ever so slightly ¡°I guess you could say it is our duty to find out if our home is no longer protected.¡±

    Klavis leaned forward and said excitedly ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Kamilis and Klavis spent the rest of the evening making plans. The half-eaten plate of food forgotten. In a few days they would make history, they were going to be the first of their kind to walk in the forest since their ancestors settled here so many hundreds of years ago.

 Part 5: The Brew Thickens

    Kamilis entered his little room at the Magi¡¯s Guild. Most members have their own room, but Kamilis was one of the few who hardly used it. He was in the city as often as he was at his home village. It was austere, just a small bed, bookshelf, a desk with a chair, a trunk for personal effects and a single light orb on the celling.

    He looked at his bed, it was late, but he wasn¡¯t tired. He had so much to do before they headed home tomorrow. He walked over to his bookcase. There seemed to be no order to the mess of books and papers, but it all made sense to Kamilis. Most of them were his own notes on various arcane topics; spell theory, alchemy, enchanting, just to list a few.

    He reached for a green folder of loose papers sitting on a stack of rolled scrolls. A title was scribbled on the front, Potions Addendum: Collection 4. He dropped it onto his desk. He continued standing as he opened it and started flipping through pages. He separated them into three piles. The first pile contained recipes for potions he was certain he was going to make tonight, the second was for recipes he thought would be useful if there was time and the third were recipes, he was sure they didn¡¯t need. In no time he had them all sorted. He grabbed the smallest pile and quickly walked out of his room, down the hall and into the alchemy labs.

    Luckily the lab room was empty. While it was late, he wasn¡¯t the only person who gets inspired and ends up working throughout the night. With all five lab tables free he thought he might be able to get done with time for some sleep. The prep time for the different potions varied and by using all five tables it would go much faster.

    He wasn¡¯t making anything complicated, just some basic things a person might want to take if they were going into the forest, which, no one has. He was treading in new territory. The list was fairly short, some healing salve for cuts, bruises and twisted muscles and a few potions for more serious injuries such as broken bones. A few potions to help fortify their bodies against the elements, in case there was a storm, or they fell into icy mountain water and a pouch of ward powder to put around their camp each night. While he¡¯d never seen a bear, it never hurt to make sure they could ward their camp from predators while they were sleeping. He also thought it prudent to make a potion of understanding, in case they encountered someone who didn¡¯t speak their language. And lastly a potion of finding. They didn¡¯t plan on going far but he wanted to make sure that if they got lost that they could easily find their way home.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Kamilis was deep into brewing mode. He¡¯d decided on a plan of attack and had the timing down so he could brew each potion on a table without worrying about having to divide his attention between different stages of brewing times. Which is why when he heard someone clear their throat, he nearly dropped the bottle in his hands.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. He put a smile on his face and turned around, hoping it wasn¡¯t one of the Magi Masters. He didn¡¯t expect to see Arlana standing in the doorway. ¡°Oh Arlana! It¡¯s you!¡± Kamilis breathed out, not realizing he had even been holding his breath.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    She raised an eyebrow ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me¡­were you expecting someone else?¡±

    Kamilis put the bottle on a table. ¡°No, no of course not, I just didn¡¯t think you were still up.¡±

    She took a few steps into the room and opened her eyes in surprise as she saw what he was doing. ¡°Are you brewing five different things at once?¡±

    He just looked at her blankly ¡°Huh?¡± then glanced back over his shoulder at all the tables. ¡°Oh, oh, yes. I couldn¡¯t sleep and when I noticed no one was using the room I took the chance to try a few experiments.¡±

    She walked over to the table he was standing next to and inspected the set up. ¡°A healing salve?¡±

    Kamilis nodded. ¡°It is, good eye. Not everyone would have been able to tell at this stage.¡±

    She laughed and pointed at the table. ¡°I read the title on the piece of paper.¡±

    Kamilis smiled ¡°Oh¡­well yes, that makes sense. I forgot it was there.¡±

    She picked up the paper and took a good look. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s odd. I¡¯ve never seen this recipe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. I haven¡¯t shown it to anyone before. Truth be told I forgot I wrote this one. It¡¯s just what I¡¯ve been using for years. It¡¯s a lot easier to make and more potent.¡±

    She stopped reading and stared at Kamilis ¡°¡­the Masters rarely improve upon our knowledge of magic. And you improved one of the most basic of recipes? I was told¡­that¡¯s not supposed to be¡­ and you¡¯ve never told anyone?¡±

    Kamilis quickly snatched the paper from Arlana. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s not that big of a deal. It¡¯s pretty basic stuff.¡±

    She glared at Kamilis ¡°That¡¯s my point, it¡¯s basic. It¡¯s one of the most basic alchemical recipes. It shouldn¡¯t be able to be broken into something even easier let alone with increased potency too!¡±

    Kamilis folded the paper, stuffed it in his pocket and tried to change the conversation. ¡°I was surprised to see you tending the bar tonight. What made you decide to do that?¡±

    She folded her arms and continued to stare. ¡°You¡¯re very bad at trying to change the subject.¡±

    Kamilis unconsciously shuffled his feet, letting the silence linger, he couldn¡¯t seem to find a way to dig himself out of his hole.

    Arlana let out a sigh and softened her glare. ¡°Fine. My friend asked if I could cover one of her shifts. Her brother was getting married, and she didn¡¯t want to put the tavern in the position of being short staffed on one of their busier nights.¡±

    He smiled ¡°That was very thoughtful of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know, I¡¯m the best friend anyone could have, I¡¯m also very tired.¡± She smiled and stepped up to Kamilis. He could smell the slightest hint of fire smoke and cooked meats, mixed with the floral cent of lavender as she leaned in and lightly kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t think this conversation is over. I¡¯ll see you in the morning. You need to tell someone about that healing salve.¡± And then she was gone.

    He stood there looking at the door, not sure exactly what had just happened, the smell of lavender lingering on his mind, but he was quickly brought back to the present as he heard glass shattering. ¡°Crap¡±.  He quickly turned realizing he didn¡¯t remove one of the glass beakers at the appropriate time.

    He moved the fire and shoved the glass to the side of the table and moved the fire back into place. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t been too far into the recipe, so he hadn¡¯t lost much time. By the time he had the base formula mixed and the liquid boiling again, the Guild¡¯s bound elemental servants had quietly cleaned up the mess.

    With him back to brewing, Kamilis quickly forgot the encounter with Arlana and spent the rest of the night engrossed in his work.

 Part 6: The Improbable Satchel

    The next morning Klavis knocked on his brother¡¯s door and walked in, not waiting for a reply. Kamilis was sitting at his desk and let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding ¡°Oh it¡¯s you! You¡¯re early!¡±

    ¡°Yep. I know, it¡¯s not like me. I just wanted to get back home as soon as we could. I already picked up the powder for father.¡± Klavis paused for a moment. ¡°Were you expecting someone else?¡±

    Kamilis looked back down and continued writing on a piece of parchment. ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯ll be ready in a moment.¡± He glanced up ¡°What makes you think I expected someone else?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing, it just looked like you were about to jump out of your skin till you saw it was me. ¡°Let me guess, a girl?¡±

    Without looking up Kamilis answered ¡°No, no, I just didn¡¯t expect anyone to visit this early.¡±

    Klavis plopped down on the bed. ¡°Uh huh, sure. It was a girl and not just any girl, it was Arlana.¡±

    Kamilis stopped writing and looked over ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Easy, anyone who was at the tavern last night could tell she had a crush on you. Well, everyone but you.¡±

    Kamilis shook his head and went back to writing ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± He paused writing for a moment ¡°I¡¯d know.¡± Then shook his head, continuing to write, ¡°No, we are just colleagues.¡±

    Klavis sat up and looked at his brother. ¡°How can someone so brilliant and sure of himself be so clueless when it comes to a woman. No, she definitely is interested.¡±

    Kamilis put down his quill and dumped a little sand on the paper and shifted it around to help dry the ink. ¡°No¡­Well I guess, it would explain last night.¡± He frowned and funneled the sand back into a small bottle.

    Klavis¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise. ¡°Last night, what happened last night?

    ¡°Nothing much, she stopped by the lab last night and saw me working.¡± Kamilis folded the paper and placed it in an envelope, closed it and sealed it by dripping on some wax and pressing his signet ring upon it. ¡°She saw a version of the healing salve that I created and then gently kissed me on the cheek.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Klavis couldn¡¯t stop from grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem there. We can always wait. I¡¯m not in that big of a rush.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Kamilis paused as he looked down at the sealed note on the table. He¡¯d spent the last hour working on it. Although truth be told, he¡¯d been thinking what he¡¯d write in this note for weeks, ever since he¡¯d walked passed that first Beacon Tree. He didn¡¯t realize it till this moment, but he had been planning to make this trip since that first day. There was little doubt in his mind that he needed to do this. He looked up at Klavis, the boyish grin of his hiding his natural intelligence all too well. He was glad his brother was so eager to join him. He always apricated the company, even when he annoyed him. For a moment, the memory of Arlana, her lavender sent and her soft lips on his cheek broke through, but he quickly pushed it aside.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°...no reason to wait.¡± Finished Kamilis. He then stood up and threw a bag at Klavis. ¡°Put my books in the bag, will you? I just need to finish this.

    Klavis stood up and took the bag, walking over to the bookshelf. He grabbed a stack of three books and slid them into the bag. Frowning, he looked down at the bag. It didn¡¯t get one bit heavier. He looked over at Kamilis who was standing at his desk looking down at the envelope. ¡°How did you get one of the Magi Guild¡¯s void satchels?¡±

    Kamilis glanced back at the door and thought it was better to make sure it was closed first. He walked over and shut the door while answering his brother ¡°I talked to my mentor. I told him I wanted to travel to each of the villages and do some plant surveys. I asked if I could borrow one of the satchels so I could easily carry the plant samples, several books from the library, as well as several books of my own.¡±

    Klavis opened the large satchel and put it up to his face, trying to peer inside. It was an odd sensation, looking into a bag and feeling that there was more room in the bag than was in the room where he stood. ¡°I¡¯ve never had the chance to see one of these. I wonder if I could con my way into borrowing one too. They do like me here after all.¡±

    Kamilis walked up and slapped Klavis in the back of the head. His brother removed his head from the bag and glared at his brother. ¡°Klavis, just finish putting my books in the bag. We don¡¯t need another satchel. I want to get out of here as soon as I can.¡±

    Klavis went back to putting in the books, folders and scrolls into the apparently bottomless bag. After only a few moments of packing he paused and looked back at Kamilis who was once again standing at his desk, looking down at the folded note. ¡°It¡¯s Arlana!  You want to leave before she gets up!  You dog! You did more than get a little kiss last night, didn¡¯t you.¡±

    Kamilis turned back to look at his brother, his face red as the fires of hell. ¡°I would never do¡­do whatever you think we did. It was just a little kiss on the cheek. She just asked some questions, questions I¡¯d rather not deal with right now. Now get back to packing my books and let me concentrate.¡±

    Kamilis turned back to the desk and looked back at the note. He held his hands above it and closed his eyes, concentrating. After a few minutes he opened his eyes. The envelope was gone. He turned and saw his brother was sitting on the corner of his bed, quietly looking at him, with a few books still on the shelf. ¡°So what¡¯s that note all about?¡±

    Kamilis put his writing kit back into a small wood box. He went to his trunk, pulled out his traveling cloak and threw it on his bed. ¡°The note, it¡¯s nothing. I just¡­I just wanted to make sure if something happens to us, that people knew what we did.¡±

    He picked up his traveling bag from within the trunk and went to the desk and stuffed his writing box into one of the pockets. ¡°If I¡¯m not back in a month the spell will fade, and they¡¯ll find the note. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine, you know me, I like to plan for everything.¡±

    Kamilis strapped the bag to his back, took the cloak off the bed, threw it on and then snatched up an intricately carved, but well-worn staff that was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room and then opened the door ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going. Leave those books. If we hurry, we can get back home before lunch.¡±

    Klavis stood up, still holding the void satchel and then slung it over his back. He looked around the room. The bed was clean, the desk empty. The only thing that told you someone used this room was a few loose papers haphazardly stacked in the lower shelves of the bookcase, next to the few books left behind. It felt¡­abandoned. For most people they would see this and think it was just Kamilis being his normal austere self, but the staff. He rarely took the staff anywhere. It was a family heirloom, given to him by their grandfather. He usually left it safely locked up in the Magi¡¯s vault. If he was taking the staff, then he was a lot more worried than he was letting on. For the first time Klavis hesitated ¡°Maybe this was too risky. Maybe we should leave well enough alone.¡±

    Kamilis looked back through the door and the two brothers eye¡¯s met.

    Klavis studied Kamilis¡¯s eyes, they were steady and resolute, even if his face screamed of impatience.  Klavis had always been the one known for taking chances, for not looking before he leapt. This had gotten him in a lot of trouble, but it had also provided him with a lot of fun. Kamilis had always been the reliable, steadfast son. Always planning, rarely taking a chance without considering the repercussions. Kamilis had been the rock that kept Klavis anchored to the world, he wasn¡¯t sure where he¡¯d be without his brother. For a moment it occurred to Klavis that if something happened he might not be able to return home, but his brothers eyes, they comforted him. He knew he''d be safe

    Kamilis gave Klavis an exasperated look ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going!¡±

    Klavis snapped back to reality. ¡°Yeah, yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± He quietly followed Kamilis out of the room and down the hall while thinking ¡°No, Kamilis doesn¡¯t take those kind of risks. If anyone were to push beyond the boundaries of reason it would be me. I¡¯m worrying over nothing.¡±

    When they reached the courtyard, the stable hand already had their horses ready to ride. By the time they were riding down the road Klavis¡¯s brief moment of worry had long since passed.

 Part 7: The Elven Perspective

    Xecran had spent the morning organizing the various metals and checking to make sure the stock matched the ledgers. It was a warm day and rearranging the heavier metals was a small workout. By the time lunch rolled around his body was as sore and sweaty as last night, but thankfully he wasn¡¯t covered in that nasty soot.

    He could have taken his time. His uncle told him he had a few days to get it done, there was no need to finish it in one morning. They weren¡¯t going to be working on the next project till well after his sons came back with the specialized, magically infused, alloy powder. He didn¡¯t expect them back for four days and that is if Klavis happened to be on time, which he rarely was. Xecran had shrugged and told him ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I like doing the work. I wouldn¡¯t know what I would do with myself otherwise.¡± He laughed and patted Xecran on the back. ¡°I completely understand, but you need to learn how to relax too, it¡¯s okay to take time for yourself.¡± Xecran had smiled and nodded, promising he¡¯d take it easy after he finished.

    While he meant what he told Hirthron, he really did like the work, he had an ulterior motive. If he got done with all his chores early his uncle might be more willing to let him take a vacation and go on an outing with Klavis and Kamilis.

    Xecran was just finishing up in the stockroom and was getting ready to go into the house for lunch when he saw his cousins trotting up to the stables. He ducked his head into a barrel of cool water to cool himself and to get all the sweat off his face. Cold water dripping from his face he smiled and waved as they approached.

    He walked over to the stables and held their reigns, helping steady the horses as they climbed down. ¡°What did you do now Klavis?¡±

    Klavis glared at Xecran as he dismounted ¡°Not you too! I swear, people think I¡¯m worse than a demon. The more I do something right, the more people think I did something wrong.¡±

    Kamilis chuckled as he slid off his own horse. ¡°Can you blame them brother? You¡¯re the biggest troublemaker anyone¡¯s seen since our grandfather was your age.¡±

    Klavis just grumbled something under his breath and grabbed his saddle bag and spoke to Xecran ¡°I¡¯ll go take this to father. Would you see to my horse?¡±

    Xecran grinned ¡°No problem, just be careful, your father is getting older, he didn¡¯t expect you for several days, we don¡¯t want him dying from shock.¡±

    Klavis rolled his eyes and walked towards the house.

    Kamilis laughed as he started walking his horse to the stables with Xecran. ¡°Last night there were a few minutes where I thought he¡¯d gotten a girl pregnant.¡±

    Xecran glanced over at Klavis just as he had walked into the house. ¡°He didn¡¯t, right?¡±

    Kamilis shook his head, smiling ¡°No, but he did nearly make Arlana blush herself into a radish. I thought she was going to kill him.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Xecran laughed. ¡°It would serve him right. If he wasn¡¯t so damn likable, he wouldn¡¯t get away with half of what he does.¡± Kamilis just chuckled in response, distracted by his own thoughts. Xecran glanced over, Kamilis looked like he was only half listening.¡°Seriously though, why are you guys back so early? It¡¯s not just unlike him, but also you. Normally when you¡¯ve been away from the Magi¡¯s Guild you stay in the city for a few weeks catching up on studies.¡±

    It took Kamilis a moment to snap out of his own thoughts. He glanced over at Xecran. ¡°Oh, nothing really, Klavis and I just wanted to hurry back and make our way to the Beacon Trees again. There was a plant I learned about last night that I might be able to find. It usually only grows in the forest but every once in a great while someone will find it growing near the Beacon Trees. It is very rare. But as you know no one goes near the Trees so it might not be as rare as people think¡­¡±

    Kamilis paused and let out a sigh. He nearly never lied and now he found himself lying to the Magi¡¯s Guild one day and his cousin the next.

    ¡°¡­and Klavis, well, after what he said about Arlana, he decided it would be best to get out of the city earlier rather than later.¡± At least that was partially true. Klavis had no desire to deal with a town full of rumors about his love life, but they both knew they were returning to ease a restlessness that had settled over them.

    Before getting back home Klavis, the more accomplished liar between them, made sure that Kamilis and him were on the same page if anyone asked what they were doing. They were just collecting herbs. Kamilis glanced at Xecran expecting that any moment he might be found out but they both just continued walking.

    ¡°Hey, Kam, do you think it¡¯ll be alright to go with you two?¡±

    Kamilis stopped dead in his tracks. It¡¯d been years since Xecran had gone with them. When they were younger, he always joined them on their outings when he visited on holiday, but after he moved here to take up his apprenticeship with their father he¡¯d rarely joined then and the few times he had, had been years ago.

    Kamilis didn¡¯t answer right away. They were right outside the stables, and he took the chance to finish the few steps to the building and tethered his horse to one of the posts.

    The silence was deafening but Xecran went through the motions of removing the tack and putting the saddle in its proper place while he waited. He didn¡¯t press Kamilis for an answer. While they were cousins, they were also friends, the silence made him realize that he probably shouldn¡¯t have asked. For years it had been just Kamilis and Klavis. Maybe it had been too long, maybe he was no longer welcome to join them on something that grew to be something just for him and his brother.

    Kamilis slightly cleared his throat. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯d need to talk to Klavis first.¡± Xecran turned his attention back to Kamilis, his brow was furled. He had avoided looking at Kamilis so well that he hadn¡¯t noticed that Kamilis had just been standing there, lost in his own thoughts.

    Kamilis realized he still needed to put away his tack and stable his horse. He went through the motions while Xecran continued to look on. Kamilis took the chance to talk while not having to look at Xecran. Starting with carefully removing the staff that was tied to the saddle and leaning it against the wall ¡°You haven¡¯t gone with us in years. What¡¯s changed?¡±

    Xecran leaned against a post and sighed, not sure if he could really answer that. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Uncle Hirthron has sent me to look for you and Klavis more than a few times, but this last time, I don¡¯t know. It made me think of our trips when we were younger.¡±

    Neither of them spoke. Kamilis was finished putting his saddle away. The silence was eating away at Xecran. He knew those words were hollow. He knew the real reason, and while he remembered that time with them fondly, that wasn¡¯t why he wanted to go. He wanted to see the forest again. He wanted to feel the exhilaration of being on the edge of the world. To being near the forest, of actually being in the forest. He loved the Greenwood. Their people were bound to nature and the Greenwood fulfilled that for most of their kind but after seeing the forest with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but be spellbound by the call he felt as he had stood there at the edge of their world.

    Kamilis walked his horse over to its stall, closed the gate and put some feed in its trough.

    Xecran couldn¡¯t take it anymore. With his head down he said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s the forest. I¡¯ve never been so close¡­¡± He raised his head and looked at Kamilis and said more strongly. ¡°I want to stand at the edge again. I could never bring myself to do that alone. I can¡¯t stop thinking about it. I want to stop thinking about it and I know I won¡¯t, not until I do this. I know you¡¯ll be going back. You both keep pushing the boundary. This time, I want it to be the three of us, at least this one time.¡±

    Kamilis walked over to his cousin, smiling softly and put his hand on his shoulder and spoke with a voice that mirrored his smile. ¡°I understand.  We feel the same way, we always have. I¡¯ll speak with Klavis, I¡¯m sure you can come.¡± He let his hand drop back to his side and looked towards the house that Klavis had gone into. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think the wanderlust that runs in his veins runs in ours as well.¡±

 Part 8: The Garden

    Klavis walked into the kitchen. The counters were clean and there was a smell of thyme in the air. His mother was slicing up cold meats for lunch. She looked up, and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re back early. Having girl problems?¡±

    ¡°Gah. No mother, I¡¯m fine. Why does everyone think something¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She winked ¡°Experience dear. Is your brother with you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s stabling the horses. Do you know where dad is?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s outside in the garden. If you¡¯re going to see him could you let him know lunch is nearly ready?¡±

    Klavis looked at the plate of meats. ¡°Of course, would you be up to making a plate for me too? I didn¡¯t get nearly as much to eat this morning as I would have liked.¡±

    She grinned ¡°Oh no!  Needed to leave before she woke up did you?¡± Klavis just rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll put a plate out for both you and your brother.¡±

    He waved as he walked out the back door ¡°Thanks mom.¡±

    He walked over to the garden, if you could even call it that. His family has been tending it for well over a thousand years. Not living in the city had offered their family room to be creative with their land. From a distance it looked just like a grove of tall trees which it partly was.

    Around the edges there were ancient trees, not as big as the Beacon Trees, but still very large. While they didn¡¯t form a wall, they were imposing, leaving people with the feeling of foreboding. If you were not supposed to be there the trees made you feel it in your core. There was only one path. The entrance looked like it went through a gate set in a single, large gnarled, black, tree, but in reality, it was two trees that had been slowly trained to look as one. Together they created a woven arch that was three people wide and several times taller.  The roots went all the way to the center of the garden. They rose slightly out of the ground, in a swirled pattern, forming a path along the ground that went deep inside the area.

    As he started down the path he could feel the garden, soothing his emotions, steadying his mind. It wasn¡¯t just the beauty or grandeur; it was the garden itself. The location and aesthetic choices were not arbitrary, it was a focal point of magical energy. Most families had their own garden or building that they built for similar reasons.

    Since his people settled the area there hasn¡¯t been any war and seldom any crime but they were not immune to the impulse for conflict and competition. People still wrestled, still practiced sword play and still held friendly competitions, it was all in good fun and for the individual¡¯s betterment but then there were the magic battles.

    The magic battles were intense. It was the one contest that always seemed that it could go beyond friendly rivalry. Unlike other tests of strength, the rules regarding the magic battles were very lose. Magic was very important to his people, they felt the need to keep their knowledge as well as their magical reflexes honed. Long ago, before their people were confined to this small area of the world. They were well known for the depth and breadth of their magic traditions. All the major families held secrets that were steeped in deep magical lore.

    So, out of all the competitions, the magic duals and contests were the most serious. While no one had died in a long time even killing wasn¡¯t against the rules, however it was discouraged. Killing your opponent was socially unacceptable but in reality, it was only a deduction in points. Each family had their own well-guarded magical secrets. His family was no different.

    The swirl pattern from the entrance trees¡¯ roots, five strands for each side of the path, continued along the way. Plants of all types surrounded the path, each trimmed and formed to help create the image of a vast landscape as if you were flying high above. The path went through the landscape as if a painter had taken a brush and painted a black line through the countryside. However further down the path, colored elements were added to the swirling roots of the path. Thin colored lines creeping throughout the garden intersected the roots, equally on both sides of the path. The further you walked the more the color would overtake roots on both sides, till they were completely covered in colors.

    In reality these colored elements were actually vine plants that covered the roots, but they looked too smooth to be a plant, they looked more like warn marble. It started with a dark green that became intertwined with a cloudy, grayish, white vine that seemed to shimmer, followed by a deep red that had veins of orange and then a deep blue with patches of a slight greenish blue that reflected the light. The last vine was not like the other four and by far the most important to his family. It was a shimmering, pristine white and unlike the other four it didn¡¯t start as a single vine, slowly expanding into just a single, fifth swirl, no, the shimmering white vine broke off of the main vine and into several smaller lines. As it touched the roots the white vines spread out, lining each of the other four twisting colors, separating them from each other. Once the path reached the center of the garden the vines lining the path flattened and spread out from each side, filling the interior of the garden with the five colors and creating a floor that looked like old stone. The vines made a perfectly smooth and round circle in the middle of the garden..Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    His father was sitting right where he expected, in the center of the circle facing away from the path. He was bathed in a shimmering light that was tinted with green from the leaves. He squinted his eyes as he walked up. ¡°Was he glowing?¡± He frowned as he stopped. ¡°Or was it just the lighting?¡± Klavis stopped at the edge of the circle and the moment was gone. Without turning around his father spoke ¡°You¡¯re home early.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound surprised father.¡±

    His father still didn¡¯t get up ¡°Yes and no. I knew you were close to home earlier this morning. I just didn¡¯t know why. ¡°With no effort he stood up. ¡°No matter, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re home. I¡¯m guessing lunch is done?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡± Klavis held up the bag in his hands ¡°I also brought the powder. Father were you¡­glowing?¡±

    His father smiled and started towards his son giving him a chance to see his eyes. It was fading, but he was certain they had been green. His father put his arm around his son in greeting and they started walking. ¡°Yes, I was. I was trying something your grandfather once taught me. I was to young then, but I understood some of what he was trying to teach me. It just took a few centuries for it to come together.¡±

    Klavis was genuinely curious. His father didn¡¯t talk much about the deeper magics. ¡°What was it?

    ¡°Well, for one, it let me know where you were and everyone else for several miles but that¡¯s just one of the more¡­benign things.¡± He took a moment, seemingly coming to a decision.

    ¡°Your grandfather said it was the first step to becoming the embodiment of nature. The first step, which I was practicing, was Earth. If I¡¯m lucky I might be able to master the first step sometime in my life. It has been many generations since our family had someone who had mastered them all. Your grandfather was the closest in several generations.¡± He pointed to the sides of the path. ¡°You know each one embodies an element, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Each element is a powerful force on its own but together, together they are unstoppable.¡±

    Klavis looked at his father, he of course knew the elements. ¡°It¡¯s where all magic comes from, so what? Then he realized his father had left something out. ¡°You left out Spirit.¡±

    His father smiled ¡°Yes, I did. Part of our magic is the ability to become the embodiment of any element, but Spirit, that¡¯s the real secret, it¡¯s the key to our families magic. With Spirit you can combine the elements and become the living embodiment of Nature. That was the one thing your grandfather never managed. If someone could do that¡­Well I don¡¯t know what they could do. As I said it hasn¡¯t happened in generations.¡±

    Klavis wasn¡¯t sure what to say. His father had never talked so frankly about their family¡¯s magic. He knew it was based in nature, but this, it sounded like becoming a living god. It had to be more legend than truth. After a few moments he looked over at his father. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡±

    His father smiled and started walking down the path, with Klavis following. ¡°Because you¡¯re home early, I figured you might be becoming responsible.¡± His smile disappeared as he got more serious. ¡°I just think it was time for you to know. If you applied yourself more, you¡¯d easily surpass what I have been able to do. I never had the natural talent like my father did or you and Kamilis do.¡±

    Klavis let out a chuckle, not willing to be series. ¡°My brother? Talent? His talent is not being able to put a book down.¡±

    His Father didn¡¯t smile ¡°I¡¯ve always thought he has more natural talent than you or anyone else realizes, probably even himself, but a father knows. He¡¯s never been as outgoing or charismatic as you, that¡¯s for sure, but when it comes to magic¡­he¡¯s talented. Even as a child¡­¡± His father never finished that sentence, he just shook his head once and then smiled, the seriousness of the conversation gone as they left the garden. ¡°I¡¯m very ready for lunch¡±

    Klavis smiled in return ¡°I¡¯ll go get Kam and Xecran and let them know foods done. Don¡¯t you dare eat it all.¡±

    His father laughed. ¡°No promises. Becoming the Earth is hard work. I¡¯m starved.¡±

    Klavis rolled his eyes as he walked to the stables.

    He managed to take just enough time in the garden to avoid helping with the horses. He walked into a somber scene. His brother and cousin were silently finishing their work. Klavis came bursting in and spoke energetically. ¡°Hey guys! Who¡¯d you kill?!¡±

    Xecran snapped his head towards Klavis so quickly he was surprised it didn¡¯t snap off and Kamilis actually jumped from the shock. They both yelled ¡°Klavis!¡± and Xecran threw a handful of hay in his face.

    Klavis doubled over in laughter while their heartbeats slowed down. Once he could manage to speak, he asked ¡°So what¡¯s going on? You both looked pretty somber.¡±

    Xecran looked over at Kamilis who glanced back before looking at Klavis ¡°Xecran asked if he could go with us on our next trip.¡±

    Klavis shrugged ¡°And?¡±

    Kamilis frowned a bit ¡°And I told him I¡¯d ask if you¡¯re okay with him going with us.¡±

    Klavis just laughed ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay!¡± He walked over to Xecran and put an arm around his shoulders and waved his other hand in an ark as if he was using his arm to help set a picture ¡°I can see it now, all three of us together again, Kamilis scowling over a book and me managing to corrupt you. My father will kill me when we get back and he finds I¡¯ve destroyed such a dedicated apprentice.¡±

    Xecran laughed and pushed Klavis away. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll manage to get you to settle down, ever thought of that?

    Klavis continued laughing as he moved towards the house. ¡°Not a chance! Come on, lunch is ready.¡±

    Xecran followed Klavis to the house, eager to eat. Kamilis was only a few steps behind, but unlike his brother and cousin, his smile disappeared, turning into a worried frown.

 Part 9: Saying Goodbye

    ¡°Philosophers have spent countless hours contemplating our place in time. If a person only expects to live 70 or 80 years, will the knowledge of his impending death drive him to do more than a person who knows they¡¯ll live for hundreds or even thousands of years? Is a person¡¯s drive to make a lasting impression on the world inversely affected by his mortality? The question may never be answered but does the answer really matter? Isn¡¯t just asking the question more important than finding the answer?¡±

    Hirthron had no problem letting Xecran go camping with his sons. In the two days his sons were in the city, Xecran had finished several days¡¯ worth of work. Even if he hadn¡¯t, it was good to see that Xecran was willing to take a break from his studies. He deserved it.

    Hirthron and his wife stood there, looking at the three of them, packed and ready to begin their travel. He normally didn¡¯t bid his sons farewell on their trips to the countryside, but this seemed like a special occasion. Xecran hadn¡¯t joined them in years, and they were to be gone longer than usual. Kamilis said it might be a few weeks before he¡¯s done doing his survey.

    Klavis had his framed hiking pack strapped to his back. His bedroll, dried foods, a cooking pot, and extra clothes were attached. His unslung bow was strapped to the pack¡¯s side. On his right hip was a gold hilted short sword he usually took camping, but he also carried a sheathed full-bladed longsword on his left side

    Their grandfather had given Kamilis his staff before he had passed, having seen the path Kamilis was on. Klavis didn¡¯t inherit their family¡¯s sword until after their grandfather¡¯s passing. He¡¯d left it to him in his will. Sword play was one of the few activities Klavis still enjoyed, and his grandfather must have known that.  No one would ever say Klavis was dedicated to the pursuit of the martial sciences, but he did enjoy it and it had been a constant hobby of his throughout the years.

    He spent hours last night going back and forth whether he really wanted to take the sword with him. It was a relic of his family; while it was given to him, it wasn¡¯t really his, much like the staff Kamilis carried, it belonged to his ancestors and all those who would come after him. In the end he decided he¡¯d put way too much thought into it. If Kamilis was bringing the staff, he would bring the sword.

    Klavis glared at his brother. Compared to Kamilis Klavis looked like a pack animal.

    Kamilis had stood there with his staff in one hand. A short sword strapped to his side, and the pack from the Magi¡¯s Guild on his back. He looked like he was just going for a short jaunt.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why I couldn¡¯t put my gear in your Cheating Bag of No Work.¡±

    Kamilis grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not endless storage you know; it can get full too. If we put your stuff in there then Xecran would want to put all of his stuff in there and what if his stuff wouldn¡¯t fit? It wouldn¡¯t be fair for you to be free of your load and then make him carry all his stuff.¡±

    Xecran threw up his hands. ¡°Oh, no, don¡¯t drag me into it. I¡¯m fine caring my stuff.¡±

    Xecran carried the same style pack as Klavis, but he didn¡¯t have any cooking pots to carry. The short sword on his hip looked more utilitarian than his cousins, something styled more for the rough work of cutting animals, bushes and brambles. And like Klavis Xecran carried a bow unstrung on his pack but that¡¯s where the similarity stopped.

    The bow looked more like it was made from a deep chestnut brown, nearly black, metal, not from the wood it was actually made from. It would have been perfectly smooth, if not for the nearly unnoticeable engravings of arcane runes that one felt as they drew their fingers across the surface. It was also always curiously warm to the touch. Klavis and Kamilis were not the only family members that their grandfather gifted with relics of their lineage.

    Unlike Kamilis and Klavis, Xecran never treated his gift with reverence. He perfectly understood what the bow represented, but he still used it for the most mundane activities, even when he was just practicing. He was unlike Kamilis and Klavis who reserved their gifts for special occasions.

    Xecran always said, ¡°Why put it on a shelf to admire. It was made to be used, not collect dust. Nothing I could do would damage the bow. It¡¯s not made of glass. I honor our ancestors more by keeping it with me and using it as it was intended.¡±

    It always made perfect sense when they heard Xecran explain it, but they could never bring themselves to adopt the same view.

    It had not escaped Hirthron¡¯s notice that his sons were carrying the relics of their ancestors. Xecran used his all the time, having it with him was no different than any other day, but his sons, they rarely carried their relics. It was a curiosity, but one that he did not bring up to them. They were theirs to do with as they pleased. He knew his sons, even Klavis, would keep their ancestors in mind and not do anything to destroy their legacy. He wasn¡¯t even sure there was a way to damage the relics.

    Klavis interrupted Hirthron¡¯s thoughts as he said ¡°Well, if Kam isn¡¯t going to share his bottomless bag, we might as well get going.¡± Klavis turned to his parents and waved ¡°See you in a few weeks.¡±

    Kamilis and Xecran also turned to Hirthron and his wife, waving their farewells. It was a quick goodbye. The three of them set off at a leisurely pace.

    Hirthron smiled and waved, but as he watched them walking away his smile faded. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but deep within him there was a sense of foreboding, that had been nagging at the back of his mind for weeks, months even. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on exactly when it began. He was fairly certain it had something to do with his use of the Earth State. There was so much he didn¡¯t understand about it. The flood of information that attacks you when you enter the Earth State is immense and trying to sort through it is very difficult. Despite the centuries of practice, he feared he wasn¡¯t close to mastering it.

    He looked once more at his sons who were walking off into the distance, His eyes fell upon their relics once more and for no reason he could find, a wave of sadness washed over him and he spoke quietly under his breath, ¡°Stay safe, my sons¡±

 Part 10: The Beacon Tree

    The sun was out, warming them with its rays, but there was a nice breeze that continued to keep them cool.  The weather was perfect for a hike. The morning went by quickly and they had covered a lot of ground by the time they stopped for lunch.

    Xecran slipped his pack off, set it up against a stone and rummaged around for his bag of mixed nuts. ¡°Ah, there they are!¡± he exclaimed, pulling out the bag.  He sat down on the stone and took a drink of water. His cousins were already doing likewise. ¡°Do you two always keep such a brisk pace? I could barely take in any of this beautiful day.¡±

    His cousins glanced at each other, but it was Klavis who spoke, ¡°Sorry, we¡¯ve walked this so often we¡¯re used to the scenery.¡± Klavis smiled and gave a wink as he said, ¡°I guess we could slow it down, you know, to a novice¡¯s pace.¡±

    ¡°Bah, whatever.¡± Xecran nodded towards the Beacon Trees, ¡°We¡¯re almost there anyway. Why slow down now?¡±  He stood up and tied the bag of nuts to his belt, so he could easily reach them. He took one last drink of water and stowed his water skin, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going. I can walk and eat.¡± Xecran looked over at Klavis with a sly glance. ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure about Klavis¡­¡±

    Klavis had barely found his own bag of nuts when Xecran began to walk again. He grunted as he stood up and put his pack back on ¡°I can walk and eat too; I just prefer not to.¡±

    Kamilis took a deep breath and slapped his lap as he stood up and cheerfully said ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to it!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t more than a few hours till they were near the base of one of the Beacon Trees. To say they were big would be an understatement. They could easily be seen miles away from their village. Even from there they were an impressive sight but standing at the base of one, that¡¯s another matter altogether.

    Xecran had never been this close to one before. Even the last time he was out there, when he had passed the invisible line made up by the trees, he hadn¡¯t gone near the base of one. He had been at least a mile or so away from the tree last time and the base had been hidden by the surrounding trees.

    It would take at least 40 people linking hands to circle one tree, maybe more. Unlike other trees whose bark was various colors of brown, the Beacon Tree¡¯s bark was shades of white. Xecran slowly walked up to the Tree, touching it. It looked like it was bark, but it was so smooth, it was more like stone.

    Standing next to the tree and looking up he thought back to the descriptions of the Beacon Trees he¡¯d read and he knew those authors had only known them from afar. On a closer inspection the bark wasn¡¯t just shades of white, it also had some faded brown mixed in, highlighting what should have been a bark texture.

    He looked up, straining his eyes, trying to make out the leaves high above. He had never realized how big the leaves must be. They must have been several stories up, but he was close enough he could still distinguish some of the individual leaves. They too were white, but the veins¡­Were they red?

    After several moments Xecran felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked over and fidgeted slightly as he was brought back to the moment. Kamilis spoke to him softly ¡°It¡¯s nothing short of awesome, isn¡¯t it? Such a sight and no one ever dares come and look at them.¡±

    Xecran¡¯s eyes stayed a moment on Kamilis¡¯s hand. It was as white as the tree, and he looked into Kamilis eyes, red like the veins of the leaves, ¡°What an odd coincidence.¡± Xecran thought to himself. He nodded and looked back at the tree, letting Kamilis¡¯s words linger in the air. Thinking to himself, ¡°Yes, awesome is the only word that would fit.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Klavis plopped his backpack on the ground, causing the pots to clink loudly, breaking the spell of the moment.

    Xecran and Kamilis jerked their heads towards the noise quickly enough to see that even Klavis jumped a little at the clanking himself. Xecran glared, ¡°You never do anything quietly do you?¡±

    Klavis shrugged, ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t know we needed to be quiet. You¡¯re more than welcome to carry the cooking gear if you like.¡±

    Xecran smirked, ¡°No thanks¡±

    Klavis almost looked a little disappointed, ¡°Well, then you can deal with the noise and without that glare thank you very much.¡±

    Kamilis just rolled his eyes, ¡°Why exactly have you taken your pack off anyway. We still have a ways to go and I¡¯d like to have camp up before it¡¯s dark.¡±

    Klavis gave Kamilis a pointed look, ¡°Because, we should tell him.¡±

    Kamilis raised an eyebrow, ¡°Tell him what, he knows where we are going¡±

    Xecran looked back and forth between his cousins, ¡°I know we¡¯re going to the forest, ¡­right? Back to where you camped before?¡±

    Kamilis frowned, ¡°No, not exactly.¡±

    Klavis sent his brother a quick I told you so look. ¡°See, I knew he didn¡¯t understand.¡± Klavis looked back to his cousin. ¡°Where we were camping wasn¡¯t really part of the forest. It was the edge of the forest; you can tell because of the different plants and smaller trees. The forest proper was the dense trees you saw a short distance away. We haven¡¯t actually been in the forest, just next to it.¡±

    Xecran raised his voice, ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the forest?!¡± He looked over at Kamilis, ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was important to let me know you haven¡¯t actually been to the forest?  You know, the one what we¡¯ll die if we go into?! I thought you found a way to not die. When were you going to tell me?¡±

    Kamilis slightly shook his head, ¡°No¡­no, I thought you understood.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t!¡± Xecran gestured towards Klavis, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have dared to walk past the Beacon Trees that first time if he hadn¡¯t sent me a light trail.¡±

    Klavis decided to jump back into the conversation, ¡°But that¡¯s part of the point. You walked past the Beacon Trees, we all did, and nothing happened. Who''s to say anything will happen if we go to the forest. Besides, Kamilis said it was safe and he knows all that magic stuff better than either of us.¡±

    Xecran looked over at Kamilis and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is it safe?¡±

    Kamilis nodded, ¡°Yes, it should be. I can¡¯t say for certain but if something was going to happen it should have happened when we passed the Beacon Trees.¡±

    He looked back to Klavis, ¡°I can¡¯t promise what will happen¡­¡± He looked back towards the forest ¡°but I still think we¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    They all stood there in silence until Kamilis looked back to Xecran, ¡°Klavis is right, I should have explained it better. You¡¯d be more than justified to turn around and go home.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I¡¯d be justified!¡± He looked over at Klavis, ¡°Pick up your pack. If we¡¯re going to do this lets hurry up and do it.¡±Klavis grinned as he picked up his pack and went about securing it, ¡°Ha, I knew you¡¯d still go.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want you to turn into legends without me. The first people to dare walk in the forest. I couldn¡¯t live knowing I turned that down.¡±

    Klavis picked his pack back up, pots clanking, as he situated it on his back.

    Xecran took a moment to look at the tree once more. He reached out his hand and touched the stone smooth bark of the tree, putting his hand fully on the trunk. He held it there for a few moments, trying to feel the life of the tree, to understand its nature, its place in the world. For a moment he swore he could almost feel a heart beating under the bark. A sense of sadness and longing crept into his soul. He prepared to turn and go, when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, the biggest leaf he¡¯d ever seen, floating down to the ground. It landed at his feet.

    He reached down and picked it up. It had the shape of an oak leaf, but it was nearly the size of his head. It was white, with a hint of a green shimmer and he had seen correctly, the veins of the leaf were indeed red. In his hands it felt like a piece of supple leather.

    Kamilis walked over and looked at the leaf in Xecran¡¯s hand, ¡°It¡¯s rare for a leaf of a Beacon Tree to fall. I¡¯ve never seen one up close before. They are even bigger than I imagined.¡±

    Klavis finally had finished getting his pack situated and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go¡± as Xecran took off his pack. Klavis looked exasperated, ¡°Now what?!¡±

    Xecran rummaged through his pack, rearranging some of his clothes, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it seems a shame to just leave this on the ground.¡± He made room between his spare pants and extra shirts, where he could lay the leaf flat, with the hopes that it remained whole and undamaged. He quickly put his pack on and looked at his cousins, ¡°Shall we?¡±

    They continued from the Beacon Tree with renewed vigor. Xecran and Klavis, both smiling, journeyed towards the forest. Kamilis followed behind his brother and cousin, the smile on his face quickly fading as his eyes strayed to the forest ahead.

 Part 11: The Forest

    They had made good time. It wasn¡¯t long until they arrived at their previous campsite. The only thing that marked that they had been there was a little barren black spot where their fire had been.  From there, it only took them a few minutes to reach the edge of the forest. All three of them stopped, silently standing side-by-side.

    Standing there Xecran understood why the wooded area he had mistakenly thought was the forest, was indeed not the forest.

    Now he was close enough to the edge, he could properly see the trees. They were tall and thick, although not compared to the Beacon Trees, but they still looked ancient. Their branches blocked out so much sunlight that it had stunted the growth of many of the shrubs and bushes that characterized the wooded area behind him. The air was heavy with the scent of the forest, and the breeze emanating from the deep canopy was cooler than the surrounding air.

    Xecran felt an urge to run into the forest; it was tugging at him, urging him forward, while simultaneously, he experienced that same feeling of foreboding he had first felt upon seeing the forest all those weeks ago. "He looked left at Kamilis, then right at Klavis. Without a word, they all understood. In unison, they stepped forward, crossing into the forest proper.

    They all exhaled a breath they hadn''t realized they were holding. They were still alive. It felt like an eternity, but in truth, only a few moments had passed.  They looked back. Nothing had changed; they could still see their path. The white of the Beacon Trees remained visible through the foliage.  They exchanged glances and burst into laughter, releasing the pent-up tension.

    Klavis clapped Xecran on the back. ¡°See, nothing to it. Just as we thought.¡±

    Xecran grinned, playfully shoving Klavis. "I saw your face; you were just as scared as I was.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I''ll admit it. I was a bit afraid, but as usual, Kamilis was right. I should know by now he''s always right. Well, when it comes to magic at least, but women... he''s clueless.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m right here, don¡¯t you?¡± Kamilis asked dryly.

    Klavis rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you know I''m right." He clapped his hands together. "Well, time to get moving. It''s getting dark." He glanced around. "A lot darker than I expected.¡±

    They didn''t have to walk much further to find a suitable campsite. The ground was level and free of small rocks, ideal for their bedrolls. There was also ample dead wood scattered on the forest floor for a fire. In no time, they had a cozy fire blazing.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Klavis located a large, flat rock nearby, which he carried to the fire and placed partially in the bed of coals. While waiting for the rock to heat up and glow red, he retrieved a pot from his bag and began preparing dinner. He tore up several pieces of dried meat, tossing them into the pot along with herbs and dried vegetables, then filled it with water. Finally, he set the pot on the hot rock to boil.

    By the time the sun had set, they were gathered around the fire, eating stew from wooden bowls and using bread as spoons.

    Xecran broke the silence. "It''s darker than I imagined."

    Klavis nodded ¡°Yeah it is.¡± He looked up. The fire illuminated the branches and leaves of the trees around them, but it didn¡¯t travel up far enough to illuminate the forest¡¯s canopy, ending only in darkness above. ¡°I¡¯m not used to being out at night and being unable to see the stars. It¡¯s just darkness.¡± He looked back down to the fire and his family sitting around it. ¡°I imagine it should feel ominous and oppressive, but honestly, I don¡¯t feel either, if anything I feel content.¡±

    Kamilis nodded. ¡°I feel the same. I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d feel, but I didn¡¯t think it would be like this. I figured I¡¯d at least feel thrilled to be one of the first to ever walk the forest, but I don¡¯t even feel that. I just feel, yes, content. That¡¯s probably the best word to describe it.¡±

    Klavis looked at his brother. ¡°So, now what?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Klavis shrugged. ¡°I mean exactly that, what¡¯s next. You¡¯re usually the man with the plan. I figured you¡¯d have a plan.¡±

    Kamilis set his empty bowl down. ¡°Well, I figured we¡¯d just kind of look around. I brought copies of the few books that discuss the forest and the world beyond. I scanned them before we left. They really didn¡¯t seem that helpful though and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s outdated. Most of the information seemed to be second-hand stories, written down from the legends told by the first ancestors. I will look through them again tomorrow to see if I can glean anything new.¡±

    Klavis looked incredulously at his brother ¡°So we¡¯ve done the impossible, we¡¯ve walked past the Beacon Trees and we¡¯re camping in the forest no one has gone into for untold generations and your plan is to read a book?¡±

    Kamilis shrugged. ¡°Yes, I guess so¡±

    Klavis just threw up his hands. ¡°Bah, you¡¯re useless.¡±

    Xecran cleared his throat. ¡°Well, I have a plan. I plan to get some sleep; it¡¯s been a long day.¡±

    ¡°See¡± Klavis said as he gestured to his cousin ¡°he has a good plan. Maybe I should start listening to him instead of you.¡±

    Kamilis raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, or you could start making decisions for yourself.¡±

    Klavis glared at his brother. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t start with all that find your path crap, you¡¯re worse than father.¡±

    ¡°Well, father has a point. if you¡¯d just¡­¡±

    Xecran had heard this argument countless times. He decided it was best to silently slip away and crawl into his bedding before they tried to get him to take sides. He learned long ago to just walk away. It wasn¡¯t long before he was sound asleep.

 Part 12: The Sweet Bread

    Klavis woke up curled in his bedding. He yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He saw that he wasn¡¯t the first person up. The fire had already been rekindled and was roaring away. He closed his eyes and pulled his bedding closer around himself, not wanting to deal with the harsh cold of the morning, but it was a losing battle. The morning¡¯s hunger quickly overcame the desire to stay wrapped up in his warm blanket.

    He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before dramatically throwing off his blankets, jolting himself awake as the morning cold assaulted him. He stood up, yawning and stretching involuntarily. He crossed his arms, looking around, trying to conserve his body¡¯s natural heat. Finally, he spotted his cloak sitting next to his pack. He took a few steps, picked up his cloak, and wrapped it around himself.

    Klavis glanced at the other inhabited bedroll; his brother was still asleep, and Xecran was nowhere in sight. He grinned to himself, reached into his pack, and pulled out a carefully wrapped package.

    He took the package and sat on a rock near the fire. He carefully opened it, revealing a large, sticky piece of sweet bread encrusted with candied nuts. He hunched over the bread, eyes closed, inhaling its sweet aroma. He glanced up, confirming his solitude before starting to devour the treat his mother had intended for sharing.

    He always liked to start by popping a few candied nut bits into his mouth. He crunched on the sugary nuts, adding more until his mouth was full, savoring the sweetness coating his tongue.

    He glanced at his brother, who was still sleeping soundly. He could hear his brother''s soft breaths. He glanced around for Xecran again, this time listening for any sounds he could be making, but he heard nothing but the quiet sounds of the wind rustling through the tree canopy and the occasional chirping of a bird. It was altogether quite pleasant. A sense of peace, a stillness in his mind that he rarely experienced, washed over him. He let out a contented sigh; it was almost enough to make him forget about the remaining loaf of his mother''s famous sweet bread. Almost.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    He went back to enjoying the bread and soaking up the stillness of the morning until it was abruptly shattered by Xecran.

    The sweet bread had nearly vanished when Xecran burst into camp, yelling, "Klavis!"

    Klavis jumped up, hastily hiding the last bit of bread behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I wasn¡¯t eating anything,¡± he lied sheepishly. Xecran seemed to ignore him. Klavis took a closer look at Xecran; he was nearly shaking, his eyes wide with fear. ¡°Klavis, I can¡¯t find it! They¡¯re not there.¡±

    Klavis forgot the remainder of the sweet bread and no longer worried about hiding it from his cousin. He had never seen Xecran like this. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he was becoming a little shaken himself. ¡°What did you lose?¡±

    Just as quickly as he had burst into camp, Xecran was shaking Kamilis awake. ¡°Get up! Get up!¡±

    Kamilis opened his eyes and thrashed around, disoriented. Xecran, seeing that both his cousins were now awake, turned and ran back the way he had come, yelling for them to follow.

    Klavis looked down at his brother as Kamilis looked back. It took only a moment till they realized something must be terribly wrong. Kamilis was standing up in a flash, and both of them charged after Xecran.

    When they caught up, they found Xecran standing silently at the forest''s edge. Klavis began to ask, ¡°Xecran, what¡¯s going on?¡± but the words caught in his throat as he followed Xecran''s gaze. He understood. From here, they should have been able to see them, but there was nothing. The Beacon Trees were gone.

 Part 13 No Way Home

    It was only last night that they stood in this same spot, looking into the forest, now they couldn¡¯t stop looking out of it. They stood in silence, just as before, but the anticipation of the unknown, which only yesterday was exhilarating, was now gone, replaced with something gut wrenching. They still stood there, still confronting the unknown, but now they were filled only with dread.

    Klavis was the first to break the silence. He started shaking his head. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not right. I bet you I know what happened, we must have gotten mixed up and came out at a different spot. The view of the Beacon Trees must just be blocked from here.¡± He started moving forward waving the others on. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    Xecran shook his head, he knew they wouldn¡¯t find the Beacon Trees, but he followed Klavis anyways, letting himself believe for a moment that Klavis was right and everything would be okay.

    Kamilis stood there alone deep in his own thoughts. ¡°Our home¡­it¡¯s gone. What will we do? Where will we go?¡± He shook his head, trying to push those questions away and to focus on the moment. He caught up with them quickly enough. They had only walked for a few minutes before they were faced with the terrible truth. Their home was gone.

    Where once there was a Beacon Tree there was now only an open large field and beyond that, more forest and in the distance mountains, who¡¯s peaks disappeared high up into the clouds. Even if they had managed to get turned around, losing sight of the Beacon Trees, they knew their home was nowhere nearby. The mountain range off in the distance was one they had never seen before. There were no mountains like that near the Greenwood.

    They had read about mountains before, they knew what they were of course, but they had never seen one in person before, not even from this great of a distance. It was a new and awe-inspiring sight, ruined by the knowledge they may never see home again.

    Kamilis said something under his breath, too softly to make out. Klavis looked over at his brother. Kamilis was looking off into the distance. He shook his head, not willing to accept the situation, saying ¡°No¡­no, I can fix this¡± as if he was talking quietly, to himself. He turned and started to walk back to the camp muttering unintelligibly.

    Klavis moved to follow as he called after his brother. ¡°Kamilis, wait up!¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Xecran stood there alone, looking at the open field where there should have been a Beacon Tree. The meadow was full of tall grass laced with violet flowers and beyond that a carpet of green topped trees spanning out into the distance and ending halfway up the far-off mountains. Xecran couldn¡¯t help but admire the natural beauty that was unfolding front of him.

    The mountains, they were magnificent. He¡¯d read about mountains, they were large rock formations that jutted out from the depths of the earth, but those words didn¡¯t do them justice. He had no idea how far away they were, but they were huge. The largest thing he¡¯d ever seen before today were the Beacon Trees, but these mountains¡­they made the Trees look like blades of grass.

    A tear slowly fell down his cheek, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was for the loss of all he had ever known, or because of the majesty he saw before him, hinting at all of the new and wondrous things this world might contain.

    Meanwhile Klavis silently followed his brother back to camp. He¡¯d never seen him like this before. He seemed broken. He was worried that this shock had cracked his brother. If it had he wouldn¡¯t blame him. This was a shock to himself as well.

    He had known something could happen if he went into the forest, but he never really thought anything would really happen or if it did, what it would mean. Part of him assumed that if the legend about the Beacon Trees protecting them was true that it would prevent them from leaving, or worse, kill them if they attempted to leave. What he didn¡¯t expect was that he would be exiled from all he knew. His brother¡¯s reaction was understandable, what Klavis couldn¡¯t figure out was why he wasn¡¯t as shaken as his brother. They finally made it back to camp and Kamilis went straight to his bag and pulled out a vial of yellow liquid.

    Curious, Klavis asked ¡°Kamilis, what is that?¡±

    Kamilis kept his eyes on the vial as he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t want this to happen. I didn¡¯t think it would happen. I was so sure¡­¡± Kamilis trailed off and looked at his brother ¡°It¡¯s a potion I made in case we got lost. It can show us how to get home.¡±

    ¡°Kamilis¡­I don¡¯t think the potion was meant to overcome something like this. Why don¡¯t you sit down and¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Kamilis yelled ¡°I can fix this! It will work.¡± He pulled off the stopper and downed the liquid in one quick gulp. He stood there waiting for it to take effect, but nothing happened. All he had to do was think about where he wanted to go and he would know which direction he would need to travel, but it wasn¡¯t working. He closed his eyes and in his mind he pictured his home, wishing he could be there again, but nothing happened. It wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Maybe it was a bad batch?¡±

    Eyes still closed, he thought of his brother, testing if the potion was working. He felt a tug letting him know which way he had to go. He turned into the tug and opened his eyes. He was looking right at Klavis. He ignored the look of worry on his brothers face and closed his eyes again. He thought of home, but again, nothing happened.

    He opened his eyes, which were now filling with tears, still facing his brother. ¡°Our home... it¡¯s gone.¡± The sadness he saw in his brother¡¯s eyes was reflected in his own sorrow. Without a word Klavis stepped forward and put his arms around his brother. Before he realized what was happening, kamilis buried his face in Klavis¡¯s shoulder and wept.

 Part 14: Whatéˆ¥æªš That Smell?

    When Xecran returned to camp he saw his cousins silently sitting around the fire, blankly staring into the flames. Neither of them looked up at him as he approached. He just stood there, taking a moment before breaking the silence.

    Kamilis was huddling in his cloak. Xecran couldn¡¯t help but notice his eyes were puffy and red. He looked defeated. Klavis didn¡¯t look much better.

    Klavis sat with his cloak around him, but he didn¡¯t clutch onto it like his brother. He too was staring absently into the fire; his face was unreadable. The one odd thing was his hand, it was holding some wadded-up paper.

    Xecran broke the silence. ¡°Klavis, what¡¯s that?¡± In that silence his voice was surprisingly loud, even to himself.

    Kamilis shrunk further into his cloak, the only indication that he¡¯d heard Xecran. He remained looking into the fire. Klavis on the other hand looked like he was physically shocked out of his contemplation and turned to look at Xecran, a confused look upon his face ¡°What?¡±

    Xecran pointed down at his hand. ¡°That.¡±

    Klavis looked at his hand and looked a little surprised to find himself holding something. ¡°Oh, that, I completely forgot I was holding that.¡± He folded back the paper, showing a piece of bread. ¡°I stole a small loaf of mother¡¯s sweet bread. Earlier, when I woke up, I was eating it for breakfast. I didn¡¯t want to share it. If I¡¯d known this would be the last time I would eat any of her baking¡­¡± he looked over at his brother and handed over that last bite of the bread. ¡°Kamilis, here, I think you need this more than me.¡±

    At hearing his name, Kamilis looked over at his brother and his outstretched hand. After a moment, he slowly reached out an arm from under his cloak and took the bread. He brought it to his face, and took a slow, deep breath, inhaling the smell. He closed his eyes and just sat there, letting the smell fill his nostrils. After a few more moments he put the last piece of their mother¡¯s bread in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

    Klavis looked over at Xecran ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got you into this mess. I should have just told you not to come.¡±

    Xecran shook his head ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault, I knew something could happen.¡± He waited a moment for Klavis or Kamilis to say something, neither did. Normally Klavis would have taken charge and if not him, his brother. Kamilis went back to staring into the fire, still slowly chewing the bread, which surely must have been little more than a paste by this time.

    Klavis sighed, it almost looked like he was going to say something, but turned his attention back to the fire rather than continually looking awkwardly at Xecran. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Xecran started to get upset. He didn¡¯t blame them for his own choice, but their self-pity was galling. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.

    He loudly clapped his hands together once. ¡°Hey, snap out of it. Stop sitting around the fire acting like the world¡¯s ended. It isn¡¯t doing any of us any good. We gambled, we lost. Get over it!¡±

    Surprised by the outburst, Klavis snapped his head back in Xecran¡¯s direction, glaring and nearly jumped up. Kamilis¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t as big, but he did jerk his head towards the loud noise and seemed to have finally snapped out of his daze.

    Xecran nodded and spoke again, but in normal tones ¡°Good, that¡¯s better.¡± You both looked like you were giving up on life. I¡¯ll miss home too but look¡± Xecran waved his hands at the surrounding forest. ¡°We have a whole new world to explore. This forest looks the same as the one we went to sleep in, but focus, pay attention, it¡¯s different.¡± He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose, holding his breath for a moment and slowly exhaled. ¡°Even the air is different.¡±

    Klavis stood up, closed his eyes and did as Xecran had done and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. ¡°Yes, how did I miss that? The air is denser, thicker somehow. The scent of the forest is more pronounced.¡± He opened his eyes again and looked around. At first glance the trees were the same or at least in the same spot, but they did seem smaller. They somehow looked less foreboding than the night before. His eyes moved up the trunks of the trees, to their upper branches. ¡°Kamilis, look up.¡±

    Kamilis had been listening, but he had stayed sitting down, still huddled under his cloak. He looked around but it was the same forest, nothing had changed for him. He sighed and figured he could indulge his brother, and he looked up. He could see blue sky through the trees. He asked his brother a question although he already knew the answer. ¡°Klavis, wasn¡¯t the forest so thick that we couldn¡¯t see any sky before?¡±

    Klavis just nodded.

    Kamilis stood up as if standing would give him a better view of the treetops. All the while looking at the sky.

    Xecran also looked up, he hadn¡¯t caught that. He could see it in their eyes, they finally answered the question they had never even asked. ¡°Exactly, we are not where we were when we slept. Didn¡¯t you see the mountains? How could you miss them, they are magnificent.¡± They both stared at him. Even he was surprised by the amount of enthusiasm in his voice. ¡°We have a whole new world to explore! And perhaps somewhere out there we¡¯ll be able to find a way home.¡± He grinned. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t enjoy ourselves in the meantime.¡±

    Klavis smiled at his cousin ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll ever live this down. Here I am, the most outrageous person in our generation and here you are having to give me a pep talk!¡±

    Kamilis took a moment to feel the air, to smell it. ¡°Hey, do you guys smell that?¡±

    They both turned to look at Kamilis but it was Xecran who talked. ¡°Yes, as I said, it smells different.¡±

    Kamilis waved a hand dismissing his comment. ¡°No, I know, but smell again; it¡¯s smoke.¡±

    Klavis rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re standing next to a fire genius.¡±

    Kamilis glared at his brother. ¡°I know that. I¡¯m not talking about our fire; it¡¯s coming from downwind. Smell, really smell. It¡¯s smoky but it¡¯s different. It¡¯s hard to tell why, I can barely make it out.¡±

    Both of them indulged Kamilis, closed their eyes and smelled the air. It was Xecran who talked first ¡°Yes, I can smell it now, it¡¯s different, that¡¯s for sure. Maybe it¡¯s a different kind of wood?¡±

    Klavis opened his eyes ¡°I know what it is.¡± Both Kamilis and Xecran opened their eyes and saw Klavis grinning as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s food!¡±

 Part 15: The Half Hill House

    Kamilis dealt with the campfire while the others packed up their gear. Kamilis stood over the fire pit, put his hands above the fire and closed his eyes. The crackling fire quickly dissipated, leaving behind cold coals. He opened his eyes and walked over to his own bedroll. He rolled it up, tied the cord and shoved it down into his bag. Kamilis was ready to go.

    Klavis and Xecran were still packing up. They didn¡¯t have the luxury of a bag with room sized storage. Kamilis watched them for a moment, they had their bedrolls rolled, they were now reassembling and securing their backpacks.

    Kamilis sighed and turn away from the packing up. The wind had picked up slightly, the invisible threads were moving through the trees, rustling the leaves. Now that their fire was extinguished it was much easier for him to smell the cooking fire on the wind. It was coming from the south, assuming the sun still rose in the East. It was a tricky thing, tracking something on the wind. He wondered if the location potion he drank could help. It did take some familiarity for it to work¡­if he could make out what the smells were there was a chance it could lock on and finding the fire would be no trouble.

    He turned into the wind and walked a good 30 feet away from the dormant fire to the edge of their camp. He closed his eyes and stood there for a few moments, taking in slow deep breaths through his noise. He focused on the smell of the smoke <i>¡°Hmm¡­ I think that might be cherry wood, or maybe walnut? No, that¡¯s certainly cherry wood. </i>Now if he could just make out the food lacing the smoke¡­ After a moment a small smile broke across his face as he realized what he was smelling, <i>¡°Bacon!¡±</i>. And at that moment the potion locked onto the source of the fire, providing him with a direction and a sense of how far away it was.

    He opened his eyes and went back to their camp. Xecran and Klavis were just finishing up and were putting on their packs. ¡°Well, it looks like the fire isn¡¯t too far away. Unless there are some unforeseen obstacles to overcome, I would say it¡¯s only a fifteen- or twenty-minute walk.

    Xecran smiled ¡°Great, let¡¯s get going!¡±

    The trek to the bacon took a bit longer than Kamilis thought it would. The ground quickly became rockier and uneven. After twenty minutes or so they stumbled upon a creek that cut through the earth, impeding them in their journey. The water didn¡¯t look very deep, but it cut several feet deep into the earth, making it difficult to cross. They walked a little downstream, looking for a better place to cross.  It wasn¡¯t long till they found another section where it did not cut so deep into the land, allowing them to easily cross the water. Despite the slow-moving water, it looked like clean water, and they decided to stop for the moment and refill their waterskins.

    They easily refilled their and continued. The ground become more even and Kamilis picked up his pace. He tried not to think about all they had just lost, but it was a struggle. The feeling of losing everything he had known was had a strong grip on his mind. He redoubled his efforts to focus on where the potion was tugging on his psyche, drawing him forward. They were nearly there.   You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Kamilis stopped as they broke through the trees and stood on the edge of a meadow. He pointed at a natural cliff face on the side of a hill on the other side of open area, covered in grass and littered with blooming wildflowers. The hill looked like it had cracked in half, with half of it being washed away over the years, leaving the twenty-foot-high cliff face behind.

    On top of the hill was a layer of dirt and vegetation, but the most unique feature was an ancient oak tree that crowned the hill. The base of the trees was on the very edge of the cliff and the roots were growing down the rockface. The smoke they had been following was emanating from the rocks beneath the oak tree¡¯s roots.

    They looked at each other and it was Klavis who spoke. ¡°Well, that¡¯s odd. Is the oak tree cooking bacon?¡± Klavis glanced around at the trees where they stood. ¡°Are the trees carnivores here?¡±

    Kamils slapped him softly on the back of the head ¡°No, don¡¯t be ridiculous, there must be a cave entrance somewhere around there.¡±

    Klavis rubbed his head where he¡¯d been hit. ¡°Geez, I was just joking¡­but then again, if the world was overtaken by some big evil¡­Well you never know, right? Meat eating trees sound evil.¡±

    Kamilis rolled his eyes.

    While his cousins were talking Xecran kept an eye on the odd hill in front of them. Then he saw it, a glint of something reflective from beneath the roots. ¡°Hey guys, look, I think those roots are covering something.¡±

    His cousins stopped bickering and focused, looking across the way. It took a few moments, it was some distance away, but they caught the glint of glass coming from underneath the roots. They looked at each other and then they all started to walk across the meadow towards the hill.

    As they got closer they could make out an outline of a window what looked like a window into the side of the hill. If it wasn¡¯t for the suns rays and a break in the roots, they may not have even noticed. They were almost to the hill when they noticed a hidden door, that was set into one of the crevasses of the rockface.

    Xecran nodded as he realized there was a whole house underneath the hill, ¡°Whoever made that is pretty clever.¡± There was a whole house that was built into the hillside or rather it looked like the hillside had grown around the house. If you looked at it from the wrong angle it just looked like a hill but from where they stood now you could see a door and a few windows.

    Klavis feruled his eyebrows ¡°That door looks a bit small; I¡¯d have to duck to get in there.¡± He smiled ¡°You know what that means, right? Whoever livers there probably isn¡¯t an elf!¡±

    Xecran returned his smile, even Kamilis smiled faintly. This might be the first time they had the chance to see a race other than their own. Sure, they had some descriptions and some sketches¡­but there wasn¡¯t that many and what they had were hundreds of years old.

    Klavis brushed off his clothes, trying to make himself a bit more presentable. ¡°Well, no need to skulk around, let¡¯s go say hi.¡±

    They followed Klavis as he walked up to the door. It was made of graying aged wood that blended into the rockface seamlessly. He knocked on the door and waited, but there wasn¡¯t an answer. He glanced back at Xecran and Kamilis and shrugged. They responded in kind.

    Klavis knocked again and said in a raised voice, ¡°Hello.¡± But there was no answer. He tried knocking one more time. This time with more force. He stood there a few moments, his early enthusiasm weakening as there weas still no response. He walked over to one of the windows, intending to look in, to see if anyone was home when the window burst open.

    Hanging out of the window was a child sized man with a pointy, dark purple hat and, for his size, a good length of gray beard on his face. They could make out his lips underneath the bushy beard as the little man said in a gruff, high-pitched voice. ¡°Stop that racket and keep moving on!¡±

 Part 16: Mr. Grumpy

    Klavis stood there looking at this peculiar grouchy little person. The little man¡¯s annoyance was plainly written across his face. Despite the less than friendly greeting Klavis couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile.   ¡°Good sir, we could not help but smell your delicious cooking. Might you share your afternoon meal with us?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± the old man said in indignation. ¡°Go away! I didn¡¯t move out here to share meals with¡­¡± he paused for a moment, really taking in the three people standing in front of his door. The grouchiness on his face melted away, replaced by a blank look, as he paid more attention to the travelers. They were each double his own height, with pointed ears and one of them was as white as snow. He finished his sentence with less certainty in his voice than when he started ¡°¡­ strangle people.¡±

    Klavis cleared his throat, ignoring the slight change in mood, and continued to grin, not put off by the rebuke, ¡°Yes of course, we are unexpected, and I¡¯d understand not being prepared to feed guests. Will you perhaps open your door and let us rest our feet for a while?¡±

    Klavis looked at Kamilis and Xecran, they too had grins on their faces. He could tell they were just as excited as himself. This was the first time he¡¯d ever met a¡­a something new! He didn¡¯t want to pass up the chance to learn more about him.

    ¡°Bah!¡± the man shook his head, his beard shaking back and forth. ¡°No, no way. If I let you in then you¡¯d start spreading rumors about the generous forest hermit and I¡¯d never get rid of people.¡±

    Klavis raised his left hand to his heart ¡°If you let us in, we promise not to say a word about your generosity.¡±

    The old man thought a moment. Klavis caught the man¡¯s eyes taking in Xecran¡¯s and his weapons. He even glanced at Kamilis¡¯ staff. The eye movements were barely noticed, and the moment was brief. He said ¡°Fine!¡± and then quickly moved back inside, slamming the window closed.

    Kamilis leaned in, taking the private moment to say softly to Klavis and Xecran. ¡°I think that little old man is a gnome. He seems to be the right proportions from the description.¡±

    ¡°A gnome!¡± Klavis exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s right out of some nighttime story. He¡¯s so small, and if it wasn¡¯t for his attitude he¡¯d be adorable. Now, Kamilis, in your research did you¡­¡± but Klavis cut himself off as the door opened.

    The gnome stood there, slightly bent from age and he was leaning on a gnarled old cane. He lifted his cane and poked Klavis in the stomach with it. ¡°You tell anyone I¡¯ll know, and I¡¯ll curse you and your family for the next five generations.¡±

    Klavis raised up his hands. ¡°No need for curses little sir. I¡¯ll tell no one.¡±

    The gnome looked beyond Klavis and waved his cane. ¡°And that goes for all of you too.¡± Kamilis and Xecran both nodded. He abruptly turned and started limping back into the house.

    They followed, each one having to duck low to get in through the door. However, once inside, there was enough roof clearance to straighten back up. The ceiling was lower than they were used to, but it was at a comfortable enough height.

    The old gnome was already entering the next room when they made it inside. Without turning around the gnome yelled. ¡°And close that door behind you.¡±

    Xecran did as he was told and closed the door behind himself. They all followed the gnome to a surprisingly large dining room where he waved his hand towards the table. ¡°Take a seat, I¡¯ll get the food, there¡¯s enough.¡±

    They walked around the room, looking; the walls were made of paneled wood. It had shelves full of candles that were providing light, and there was a moderately sized wooden table with six chairs surrounding it, but it was otherwise barren.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the gnome to come back; he carried a stack of four plates and tossed them on the table and walked back to the kitchen.

    The three guests each grabbed a plate and sat down. When the little man returned with a large platter, they were delighted to see that it was full of sliced ham with four small loaves of bread sitting on top. He walked to the table and dropped it down. The plate bounced slightly, the food threatening to land on the table, but it all landed back on the plate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you eat the food, but don¡¯t expect any drinks. You¡¯re on your own. I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m going to wobble myself to the creek for you three.¡± Then he jumped onto a chair, grabbed a loaf of bread, tor it in half and used it to pick up a piece of meat, completely ignoring the plate before him.

    Klavis nodded. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re just happy that you were kind enough to share any of your food.¡±

    The bearded man just glared at Klavis and said halfheartedly ¡°Bah.¡± He took a few bites and then looked at Kamilis and Xecran. ¡°Do your traveling companions speak or are they a bit slow?¡±

    Xecran was the one to respond. ¡°No, we can speak. You seemed to not want company, so I chose not to bother you with undue conversation.¡±

    ¡°Well, it makes you look stupid.¡±

    Xecran smiled ¡°Well, this is a lovely house, did you build it yourself?¡±

    The man glared. ¡°No, but it¡¯s mine, fair and square! It¡¯s been in the family for generations.¡±

    Xecran threw up his arms. ¡°I was just trying to have a conversation.¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The man, still glaring at Xecran said ¡°Hmpf.¡°

    Kamilis decided he would try and please the little man next. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been limping; and you need a cane to walk. Your leg must be pretty badly damaged. May I ask what happened?¡±

    It was Kamilis¡¯ turn to be glared at. The gnome snapped back ¡°No, you may not!¡± The grumpy man grumbled under his breath. ¡°Rude guests, calling me lame.¡±

    Kamilis acted unperturbed. ¡°Have you tried to get it healed?¡±

    The gnome eyed Kamilis. ¡°Yes I did, it didn¡¯t take.¡±

    Kamilis stopped eating his food and reached into his bag and pulled out a vial white liquid, it shimmered like pearl in the candlelight as the patterns swirled within. ¡°Well, if you would like, you could try this. It should mend the injury.¡± Kamilis passed the vial down to the gnome.

    Once in his hands he brought it up to his face, closed one eye and examined the contents. ¡°For all I know you¡¯re trying to poison me so you can rob me and take my house.¡±

    Kamilis shook his head. ¡°No, but if you don¡¯t want to risk it, I understand. Could I have it back please?¡±

    The gnome looked like he was about to hand it back but changed his mind. he pulled off the stopper and downed the liquid. ¡°That tastes horrible. If you¡¯re going to poison me, at least lace it with some sugar.¡± He took a piece of bread trying to use it to scrub off the flavor from his tongue. Then he stopped. There was a tingling sensation building in his body as if in anticipation of something unknown. The piece of bread dropped out of his hands as a warm feeling swept over his body. There were small snaps from all his joints, but they were dwarfed by the loud crack that came from his injured knee. He said ¡°Ouch!¡± as his knee involuntarily jerked.

    Kamilis nodded, satisfied. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s working. Stand up, let us see how that leg feels.

    The gnome begrudgingly slipped off his chair and took a few tentative steps. His eyes went wide, he jumped up and down from one leg to another, his knee was fixed. He clinched his fists and wiggled each foot without any pain. All his aches were gone, not just his knee injury, but all his joints, even his back felt better, allowing him to stand up straight. He looked at Kamilis and for a moment they all thought they had finally broken through the little man¡¯s gruff exterior, but they were disappointed. He went back to his chair and forced a glare. ¡°Well, it feels like it worked. It better not kill me, or I¡¯ll haunt you.¡±

    Klavis joyfully spoke up, pointing towards each person in turn as he introduced them, starting with himself. ¡°Oh my, I forgot to introduce us. My name is Klavis, that white skinned miracle worker is Kamilis and that is Xecran.¡±

    ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve gone and done it. I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t learn your names, now I¡¯ll have to give you mine. Might lead you to feeling some sort of connection. I¡¯ll have none of that.¡± He paused glaring at each person in turn. ¡°My name¡¯s Fizzlebottom.¡± He kept looking at each of them and they got the feeling that he expected some kind of reaction.¡±

    Fizzlebottom went back to his food, for all their kindness, it was this act of not recognizing his name that seemed to convince him to be a little less hostile. ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done.¡± He quickly looked back up ¡°Don¡¯t be telling anyone about me or my house!¡±

    Finishing his food Klavis nodded and once he swallowed his last bite agreed. ¡°Of course, not a word.¡±

    Fizzlebottom nodded ¡°I¡¯ll want you away shortly after lunch. I don¡¯t have time to entertain guests.

    Kamilis raised an eyebrow ¡°You don¡¯t have time? What do you do out here? I assume you live here alone?¡±

    ¡°Why, don¡¯t you ask a lot of questions. Yes, I don¡¯t have time, what I do and who lives here is none of your business.¡±

    Kamilis bowed his head a moment as he apologized. ¡°Sorry to be so inquisitive.¡±

    Klavis grinned ¡°Don¡¯t mind Kamilis, he always asks too many questions. He can¡¯t stop himself from trying to know everything. What we really need to know is where the nearest city is. Could you help us?¡±

    Fizzlebottom eyed Klavis suspiciously. ¡°How could you be out here without knowing where the nearest town is? You¡¯d have to go through it to get here. There is nothing but endless forest beyond.¡±

    Klavis was about to answer, almost wishing Fizzlebottom had kept himself distracted by being stand offish so he couldn¡¯t be so suspicious, but Kamilis interrupted him as he was about to speak. ¡°Of course, of course, we just got lost. We were lucky to have come across your well-hidden home.¡±

    The gnome glanced from Klavis to Kamilis back to Klavis. ¡°I think you¡¯re lying, but who am I to pry. Less I know the better.¡± He pointed to his right. ¡°Did you see the creek that¡¯s a few minutes that way?¡±

    Klavis nodded.

    ¡°Good, go to the creek and follow it downriver till it turns into a large pond. Find where the water exits and then continue downstream until it merges with a river. Follow that river and you¡¯ll find the town.¡±

    Klavis smiled. ¡°Thank you, my little friend. How long will it take?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, you¡¯re not my friend! You¡¯re just a passing person who I hope forgets how they got here. And stop calling me little. I¡¯m a regular sized gnome, thank you very much, you guys are just freakishly tall!

    Again, Klavis threw up his hands. ¡°Excuse me good sir, I apologize for insulting your height. Could you be kind enough to let us know how long it will take to get to the town.¡±

    Fizzlebottom nodded. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, if you left right this minute you might make it shortly after dusk. So, you should leave, now.¡±

    All three of them stood up, knowing they had been dismissed. They picked up their packs and started to secure them to their backs again. The gnome also stood up. ¡°Hey, I said if you left now, go on get out. You can walk and tie, no need to do that in here.¡±

    Klavis was finding it hard to keep smiling, but he let the man shoo them out without managing to get glared at once again.

    It only took a few minutes to get back to the creek and they started their trip. It was very easy going, the land next to the creek was a natural trail. If it were the wet season, they were sure that the area where they walked would have been covered in mud, if not taken over by the stream if it flooded.

    Xecran broke the silence as they came upon the pond ¡°Well that was different. He did confirm he was a gnome though. Do you think all gnomes are like that?¡±

    Kamilis nodded. ¡°Yes, physically, anyways but I¡¯m not certain about his temperament. From what I remember, they are said to be generally good natured¡±

    While still walking Kamilis put his hand into his bag and pulled out a book, flipped to a marked page and then skipped forward a few pages. ¡°Yep, matches a gnome¡­although he could have been a¡­ ¡°He stopped for a moment and studied a page. ¡°A half man or is that halfling?¡± He closed the book and quickly made up the few feet that he¡¯d lost by slowing down. ¡°The book is pretty old, it¡¯s hard to tell exactly what they meant. Anyways, he said gnome, so he must be a gnome.¡±

    Klavis nearly skipped and let out and an excited whoop and said, ¡°We met a gnome!¡± Kamilis looked at his brother with a smirk, Xecran just laughed as Klavis continued ¡°He was an odd fellow, rude, suspicious, but he was new! I never thought I¡¯d ever meet something new and now, now we are traveling to a whole village of new people. Who knows what we¡¯ll find!¡±

    For a little while the dark mood at their camp and the realization they couldn¡¯t go home was shoved to the back of their minds. They continued to walk along the waterway, only thinking about the journey of discovery they were undertaking.