138 Elementals and Spell-weavers Full (1/2)

The red and yellow hues of the twilight sun slid behind the horizon and winked out of sight, the transition from day to night was almost instant.

Luckily the pitch darkness of night was kept at bay by the mild moonlight sprinkling over the scenery.

The path through the wild weeds and stones were barely illuminated by the glow of the distant full moon.

The wagon, now commandeered by Hartley and the others, rattled forward at low speed over the hard bumpy ground littered with shattered rocks.

Sat behind Hartley who was driving the wagon, were the two girls huddled together, wincing as the wagon wobbled over the rough bumps..

Zhi Ruo was on the opposite side with her back against the side boards.

The ride through the dark and windless night was far from comfortable, at times the sudden jolts of the wagon felt unbearable on the rump.

The two girls kept exchanging looks of uncertainty, choosing to keep their silence. Wondering if they had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

”How much further?” Zhi Ruo asked softly, finally breaking the silence.

Without giving an answer the freckled face girl who spoke of the old language, pointed towards a dark sprawling forest about half a mile ahead.

From that point on, the silence of the night was only disturbed by the wheels of the wagon grinding over stones or the occasional howling of a beast...

Eventually, after abandoning the wagon, the group were standing at a treeline of giant trees standing tall like soldiers protecting their domain, their canopies disappearing high into the darkness.

”There,” the girl said as she pointed at a narrow path leading into the imposing forest.

The twisting vines, shadows and weeds, weaved together around the inky profile of the footpath as if it was the mouth of a giant beast.

The girl inhaled sharply, she had been non talkative ever since Hartley had asked her to lead them to the other people, obviously suspicious about the pair's motives.

As soon as the group stepped foot onto the narrow path leading into the forest, the moon and its mild light seemed to completely disappear. Leaving only suffocating darkness and the claustrophobic cluster of trees surrounding the group.

Hartley and Zhi Ruo moved cautiously behind the girls, staying close while keeping a keen watch for any predators that might be lurking quietly in the shadows.

The group made surprisingly quick progress through the darkness. Despite the tenseness of the situation, the girls led the way with intimate familiarity through the maze of trees and tangled vines, their practiced steps quiet and steady.

Hartley could make out the dark outline of the route ahead but could not see the details of the winding path. He couldn't help but have flashbacks of the dark void he had been trapped in before coming to the pocket dimension.

After another fifteen minutes of walking through the tranquil darkness, they came to a flat open area. Hartley noticed that he could no longer hear the occasional howling of beasts. He wasn't so sure that was a good thing.

The girls unperturbed, led them deeper west, passing a narrow path through two huge rock faces. On the other side of the rocks, the trees were less dense, scattered streams of the moonlight could once again be seen cascading through the gaps overhead and the ground was covered in weeds.

Suddenly shuffled footsteps sounded from the shadowy treeline. Hartley and Zhi Ruo tensed, ready to defend themselves.

After quickly taking cover and standing still for several moments, the girls seemed to recognise something and breathed a sigh of relief. Their bodies visibly relaxed as they exhaled.

The freckled face young girl spoke aloud towards the shadows in the unfamiliar language, after fifteen seconds three men walked into sight with weapons drawn.

The dark silhouettes of the men moved forward cautiously, eyeing Hartley and Zhi Ruo, the girls looked back at Hartley nervously and he nodded at them with a smile.

They then ran forward to meet the newcomers. After a heated debate with one of the men in the foreign language, the freckled face girl turn to the duo and then said ”follow us, we need to go see grandpa.”

****

The sun rose, spreading its warmth and light over a shabby settlement located deep in the forest.

The busy inhabitants of the town moved with haste and military discipline to complete their tasks.

Hartley awoke beside Zhi Ruo in what looked like an abandoned building. The roof of the concrete building was intact, but the sidewalls were completely missing, replaced with sheets of fabric. The ambient sounds of the unfamiliar language was being voiced by numerous people outside, some passing by, while others were obviously posted outside as guards.

A calm Hartley and Zhi Ruo washed up with a bucket of fresh water delivered earlier by a couple kids.

After waiting patiently for half an hour, a voice from outside announced the arrival of the town's Patriarch.

An old man followed by a couple attendants entered the improvised dwelling soon after.