Chapter 27: Chapter 30- Into the uncharted forest.

                        

I let out a deep breath as I walked along the banks of an unknown river and looked up to behold an endless sea of trees. I didn’t know how the weather fared, but the heavy raindrops that caressed my cheeks were the only indicators I needed. It was probably not a good idea to be wandering through this alien forest, but for now, it just felt right. 

The long journey we had recently embarked was a strenuous one, and I just needed some time to settle my thoughts. Though the sky lit up in the occasional flash of light. That still didn’t damper the chaotic forest that surrounded me. A myriad of different creatures occupied this forest, most of which were just regular animals, but they had no intentions of remaining quiet. An unknown monkey-like creature bounded through the branches, if you consider those as branches. With branches that thick and trees that large one could develop an entire city within them. 

The long journey we had recently embarked was a strenuous one, and I just needed some time to settle my thoughts. 

“A few more days before we enter an uncharted zone. Hopefully, it goes well.” I thought before taking a seat on a boulder, which was probably dragged down here by a recent flood.

 

It wasn’t long before a woman approached from above, kicking up gravel as she landed.

“There you are.” She said. “I was wondering where you wandered off to.”

She walked up to me while admiring the lush forest that surrounded us. Her Jet-black her bouncing as she ascended the pile of large boulders.

“Sulking as usual, I see.”

I scoffed and returned my gaze to the large river. “Just taking a little break. If you are here, then I am assuming all groups are doing well.”

“Yes, we have secured all areas. Though the cryptids here are powerful, few have shown aggression.” She replied.

“I See.”

The woman in question was a dear friend of mine. Her name was Delta Acumen. She was a full-blooded human like me. I have known her for as long as I can remember. Too long, in fact.

She walked up past the pile of large rocks to overlook the river and stretched, yawning as she did so.

“I must say, though, this place is quite something. Can’t even see the sky from here. I guess they don’t call it the cloud top forest for nothing.”

 

I simply smiled in her direction and continued my relaxing moment. We remained so for a moment, though the longer we remained in silence, the more I couldn’t help but wonder. Delta wasn’t someone who liked to sit around while there was work to do. Maybe I was just jumping to conclusions, but she seemed more worried than usual.

“Is there something on your mind?” I asked.

“There is.” She said before scratching the side of her nose.

She ascended the large pile of boulders that ascended at least twenty feet with ease, taking a seat next to me.

“It’s about Ellen. I can understand her potential. But don’t you think it would have been better to keep her on the estate a little longer?”

“Is she not keeping up with her duties?” I asked.

 

“Oh, no, quite the opposite. She’s acclimating quickly, terrifyingly so. Sometimes I worry about how quickly things like that come so naturally to her.” She replied.

I was starting to understand what she was getting to. Ellen was my daughter, my first of three children. I would prefer for her to remain back at home with her mother, but the situation at hand didn’t allow it  less I risked a tragedy befalling those I loved. A recurring theme in my life.

Her talent with magic was exceptional so much that she has already reached the top end of the adept realm at sixteen. So exceptional that she has caught the eyes of those I wish for her not to meet. 

The Planetary gates are many things, an opportunity, a challenge, an escape, a death wish, but to me and my family, they are a safety net. Each world is its own place, some as bigger than Gaia. Needless to say, once you enter, you are nigh impossible to find.

I looked at Delta once more. Her dark brown eyes still cast towards the river. Ever since her birth, I had designated Delta to be her guardian and, with Ellen’s nature, them becoming close was inevitable.

 

“We can’t keep protecting her forever, you know. She’s almost an adult. She has proven to me her determination. No matter how much I want to hide her away, it’s best that she gains her own strength.”

She sighed. “Maybe you're right.”

A myriad of roars caused all my hair to stand up straight. I was not the only person spooked by the sudden outcry as alien Fauna of all kinds fled from dark holes and shadows I didn’t know existed. I looked towards the source, only to realize its origin.

“That’s toward the camps.” Delta said as she came to her feet.

We wasted no time and kept from our spots into the towering forest.

We returned to see the camp in a state of disorganization. There were a handful of cryptid cores and mana crystals scattered around the camp. Luckily, no one seemed hurt, but the wrecked camps proved that something happened here. I walked up to the nearest person I could find and, upon noticing me; they saluted.

“Guild master.”

“What happened here?” I asked.

“A group of unnamed reptilian cryptids tried attacking the camp. Luckily, they weren’t all that strong, so we defended against the attack , but  some managed to grab a few junior members and ran away. A small group chased after them.”

I Looked around hopefully to spot that familiar shade of lavender, but there was no sight of her.

“Where’s Ellen?”

“She left with the group.”

I don’t know what else I had expected. She, of all people, would definitely volunteer to join that group. I turned to delta to question Ellen’s location but, as if knowing what I would ask next, she pointed towards the north. As Ellen’s guardian, they have two matching artifacts that constantly resonated with each other, together with a compass and a little spatial detection magic. She could know where Ellen was at all times.

 

It wasn’t long before we were already near the location. A large boom of and burst of mana confirmed their location. We arrived at an opening, the scars of battle still freshly etched into the surrounding forest.

Shards of ice stuck in the bark of countless trees, fire scattered throughout their leaves and a towering sword composed entirely of light pierced straight through the skull of the cryptid, pinning it to the ancient tree.

A girl stood near the nose of a reptile-like cryptid that closely resembled a lizard. Her hair shone with a gold radiance and her bright blue eyes were like an endless sunny sky. A pair of still immature wings sprouted from her lower back. She pensively inspected the now deceased cryptid not paying attention to those around her. She would sometimes do this after we defeated a large cryptid, though I never asked her why she did so.

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As if realizing she was being watched, she turned around, her face lighting up as she locked eyes with mine.

“Father! When did you get here?”

I gave her a stern look, expressing my displeasure with her actions, but before I could speak, Delta approached her.

“Ellen, didn’t I tell you to remain at the camp?” 

Her shoulders sagged, and she looked around, a little panicked. “I wanted to help. I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.”

I walked up to her and giving her a light pat on the head

“It’s good to want to save and protect others, but remember your promise, here you are a guild member, an order is an order. Though it’s sometimes good to listen to your judgments, please consider what your actions may cause.”

Luckily, things turned out alright this time, so I didn’t want to be too hard on her, but I also needed her to understand that we set these rules in place for a reason. In the end it was my fault for leaving the camp without reason, and causing Delta to come look for me.

“Let’s tend to the injured and return to base camp.” I said, guiding them along.

 

……….

 

Several Hours had passed, and the sun had soon set. Several people just left the tent as we had just discussed how we would go around marking and mapping this new area. This World, though alien, was not only quite similar to Gaia, it was one of the closest planets to it, called Venusha. It was the second planet in this system. The slight differences were the massive forest and deserts and higher temperatures, but there was no need for any protective runes, which was a plus. Our current aim was to search and map an uncharted area that might harbor a cryptid nest. I left my tent and walked around for a moment. It was completely pitch black beyond the reach of the many artificial lights and a few patrolmen lazily roamed about. 

I made my way to check on Ellen as she had asked me to come see her after the discussion. She was meditating in her own tent. A bright crystal feather that was infused with the purest fire attuned mana glowed within her palms. There seemed to be no issues with her limiters and the cloaking rune that hid her mana seemed to operate just fine.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked as I entered her tent.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked towards me. 

“Since it’s already so late, I won’t keep you long. I just wanted a little help with something.”

I remained mostly silent and urged her to go on.

“That man visited me again.”

“He did?” I asked.

 

Ever since Ellen began learning magic, a darker skinned man with dusty clothes and an old worn out straw hat, as she described, has visited her. He comes during the late afternoon and just simply asks her how her day has been. He then listens intently to her ramblings, gives a word of advice, and leaves. The strange thing was no one would see this man. From her perspective, when the man appears, everyone would go on normally as if he was just another regular person. Sometimes he would even speak with me or anyone who is present, but once the man left, no one but Ellen would remember.

After a few years of this, we somewhat had an idea of what was happening since changes in her magic manifested. Though we still didn’t know for sure, as the man answered no questions related to himself. He would simply say, “The time is not yet right.”

“Was anyone else present at the time?” I asked.

“No, only me.”

“Did something bad happen?”

“Not really. It was a normal visit. It was just that the advice he had given me was…. confusing. I am hoping you can help me understand what it’s about.”

“What did he say?” 

She pondered the words for a moment. I guessed she was trying to remember exactly what was said.

“Beware the distant light that dwells within the chill night. Though it may light your way and unravel all that is hidden. It will also reveal you to the netizens of the dark.”

 

It was indeed different from his usual saying. Which were usually direct and pertained to what Ellen had spoken about. Honestly, it sounded more like a warning than anything else. I guess Ellen expected me to help her solve it but sadly, I had no clue what it meant. Maybe she needed to avoid something or someone.

“I don’t know; all I could say is just avoid random lights at night.” I said, jokingly.

She frowned in response, clearly disapproving of my comment and smacking my left shoulder.

“Father, please take this seriously.”

“Ouch sorry.” I said, while rubbing my arm. “I will look into it for you. For now, avoid interacting with anyone you don’t know.”

I gave her a slight pat on the head and caressed her hair, which was now returning to its normal color.

“In due time, we will figure it out, don't worry. Regardless of what happens, I will always be here for you.”

She gave me a tight-lipped smile before holding the hand that rested on her head.

“I know.”

We spoke for several minutes after, about her magic, home and other things. Happy I was able to catch up with my daughter, I called it in for the day.

“We will enter the uncharted zone tomorrow. So get some sleep.”

I left her room and returned to mine, dropping myself on the makeshift bed. Exhausted, I didn’t need to wait long before sleep overtook me.

 

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