In case of absolute danger, I will resort to using it. But until then, we need to be cautious.
There are moments that make my guard go up and Ialmostreach for the vial. A scaly creature almost as tall as a tree runs through the forest, almost cutting our path. We barely move out of the way, and luckily it’s too occupied with running away to notice us.
“Wait!” I say and pull Moe to the side. We hide behind a thick tree trunk and wait.
The rustle of leaves and tree branches becomes louder and louder until a much larger creature, a dark blue marred with redand big, dry scales emerges from the forest. Its attention is on the previous beast as it runs after it, hunting it.
“Good call,” Moe whispers after the creature disappears into the forest.
I nod, still tense. But that’s just the first of many encounters with such beasts. Some are like those two, scaly, huge, unusually colored. Others are covered in furs that range from dark brown to stark white. Some are merely existing in their habitats. Others are in the process of hunting for their prey.
As we delve deeper into the forest, we witness a vast range of behaviors. It’s only by sheer luck that we avoid becoming those creatures’ focus, or worse, their prey.
After hours, far longer than it would have taken us had we not been so slow and vigilant, we finally reach the famed red tree trunks.
Feiyin Grove.
It’s almost as if the forest is delimitated in two. One half has normal trees that one would find in most areas of Tartareia. The other half, though, is filled with red colored trees that are not only vastly taller and thicker than the others, but they also come in odd shapes. Some trunks circle around each other, creating odd loops. Others have grown horizontally rather than vertically.
“This is so odd,” Moe mentions as we carefully step inside Feiyin Grove. “How did they develop like this?”
“I have a theory,” I say thoughtfully.
“Huh?”
“Think about it. This area is filled with mythical beasts, one stronger than the other andallprized for their spiritual energy. For those mythical beasts to survive here, they need to feed—and I don’t mean by preying on other beasts. They must feed on the energy of the place. If my guess is correct, Feiyin Grove looks the way it does because it sits on a reservoir of energy.”
“So the energy in this place makes the trees and plants look so odd?”
“I believe so. Otherwise why aren’t there mythical beasts in other places? Why don’t they live in the other half of the Horan Forest? There’s something thatkeepsthem here.”
“Are there any other places like this in Tartareia?”
“There are other places where mythical beasts reside, but no place has the same beasts. I suppose different places provide different opportunities for distinct species.”
“I see. That’s so interesting, though. If there are so many extraordinary species in this world, I wonder why mortals remained as they are: powerless…useless.”
“There might be a lot of extraordinary species. On that, you are correct. But there are also a lot of extraordinary human species. Mortals are simply not strong enough to compete with them for those resources. And there is another thing you must account for. The Sons of Tenebreis would never want mortals to exceed their condition.”
Moe nods pensively. “I never thought about it quite like that. But you’re right. I think everyone wants to think of themselves the main character of their lives. And for us mortals to recognize just how trapped we are by our circumstances it would make it impossible to see ourselves of the center of our world. It’s quite paradoxical, but I suppose it’s howanyinferior species has managed to survive.”
“Not think about one’s mortality?”
“Not letting that mortality stand in the way ofliving,” she corrects.
“Perhaps that is a much better way of living instead ofexistingbecause of immortality.”
We find the Raffia nest after wandering the forest for hours.
What I had taken for scattered boulders at first are the eggs. They’re massive, smooth, and faintly tinted beneath layers of mineralized shell.
We hide in the shadows, observing them for a moment. If the eggs are here, the mother shouldn’t be too far off.
After some twenty minutes, she appears.
I was right.
It is larger than I imagined. Towering. Its beak is grey, like a slab of cement. Its wings are massive, the feathers glinting every time light reflects on them.It’s like a metal armor.
