Chapter 34
The Wandering Woods

~*~

We backtrack to just outside Mahegrab, then as per the knowledge we've learned walk thirty seven paces due north and nine paces to the east. Now standing in the most central part of the Wildlands, we wait with skepticism for the Wandering Woods to come to us.

"How long is this going to take?" Elric asks, still irritated from being cheated out of all his money.

"As long as it takes," Oren replies.

The woods supposedly move around the Wildlands at unpredictable time intervals. The only thing known to be consistent is their appearance at the exact spot they're currently standing on. As for when they will appear, the third disciple said it could take hours, or even days.

"I'm not going to wait here forever."

Cassis shakes her head. "Stop complaining and pay attention, or you might miss the opportunity to enter the woods."

"What if the guy lied to us?"

Ignoring Elric's question, Cassis paces about. She glances far into the distance, then pulls her gaze back closer, then turns ninety degrees and repeats.

"I want my Bunny Shoes after this."

Choosing silence over debate, Oren sits down to meditate. "Give me a nudge when the woods appear."

There's no more talking for the next little while. Around us, monsters lurk, uncertain whether to approach us or not. Eventually, a couple wolves decide to attack us. We take care of them and resume our wait.

Several hours and a dozen battles later, the sun starts to set. I recall what the disciple at the Tower of Knowledge said and count from zero to sixty.

Darkness envelops us. Around us, hundreds of orbs glow, like stars in the sky. One particularly large set of eyes draw closer, their pupils point at us like daggers. We ready ourselves for battle, and the chaotic music plays.

The Nomad Wolf lets out a ghostly howl. A few seconds later, two Wolves join it. With some effort, we eliminate the beasts.

"We're sitting ducks out here," Elric says. "Maybe we should walk around?"

Oren shakes his head. "No, that's precisely what we should not be doing."

"It's rough, but we can handle the nighttime threats." Cassis gestures to me to heal everyone, and I do so.

"I'm not saying we can't. It's just really boring."

After the complaining stops, we carry on waiting. Monsters continue to attack us, giving us more experience. Each of us level up once, restoring our health and skill points. And before we know it, the sun has started to rise.

Cassis remains positive. "We'll keep waiting."

Everyone nods. The sun hovers directly above us for the expected amount of time. Then, it's replaced by the darkness. But before we know it, daytime has appeared again.

"One more day."

I realize that people in this world don't get tired nor sleepy. Even so, boredom will soon kill us, with Elric being the first to perish. Night arrives again, bringing with it the Nomad Wolves and Flying Snakes. Battle with these creatures become a routine. There's no need for strategy. I count the minutes until daytime.

"We were duped, weren't we?" Elric says, defeated.

Just before Cassis and Oren can agree, a massive layer of trees appear before us. We look at each other, all of us knowing exactly what just happened. Faster than any human can blink, we leap into the Wandering Woods.

A haunting tune creeps into our ears, as the woods expand to surround us. Before we know it, the sky has disappeared, blocked off by the canopy of the giant trees. Fireflies dance about to save us from pitch dark. A cacophony of sounds echo through the pathways, reminding us of the dangers that Calinco warned us about.

Elric scans his surroundings, smiling nervously to himself. "Take the north path five times to exit the woods, right?"

"Perhaps we should've obtained some Incense..." Even Oren has grown wary. He takes careful steps around to examine the trees. "These giants have been around for centuries, I presume."

Cassis never had any fear, and it's no different right now. "Just stay alert, and we'll be fine."

"Don't tell a thief to stay alert. It's in our nature."

Oren turns to me. "Any ideas on which way to go?"

"FOLLOW THE VOICES AND YOU SHALL FIND THE WAY..."

That's what Calinco said. I listen for voices, but don't hear anything unusual aside from the music and noises.

"What are you doing?" Elric asks, prodding at me.

I ignore him and join Oren in examining the surroundings. Cassis stays close to us, taking on the role of guard duty.

"Maybe these bugs can tell us which way to go." Elric grabs a couple with his hands.

Oren shakes his head. "Be kind to natur--"

The suddenly below us suddenly burst open, and out slithers a tentacle. It swings around, then latches onto Elric leg.

"What the hell!?" he says, struggling to pull it off.

Cassis, Oren, and I rush to his aid.

The world spins out of control.

* BATTLE START *

---

From beneath the ground, the tentacle bursts forth and rises several yards high. With the thief in its grip, it swings about wildly, pulsing between white and purple. Question marks hover above the creature, following its erratic movements.

Elric stabs it a couple of times with his dagger, but it's not very effective.

"A little help?"

Cassis lunges forward and unleashes one of her special attacks. "Double Slash!"

Two satisfying sound effects emit from the tentacle.

Oren gets into position to release his most powerful attack. "Aura Strike!" The woods light up with the energy unleashed as his palms strike the creature.

It's health is down about a third. A few more rounds and it'll be done with. But just when I think it's a straightforward battle, I see the tentacle's health bar start to refill. The thief's, on the hard, starts to drain.

"I feel like energy is being sucked out of me," Elric says, confirming my suspicion.

"Hang in there!" Oren says, then turns to me. "Use Flash! It should be super effective on the beast."

Cassis asks the logical. "Won't it hit Elric, too?"

"You might be right..."

I do it anyway.

"Oww!!"

The tentacle tosses Elric to the ground and flees into the hole from where it came.

---

* BATTLE END

Elric sticks his face into the hole. "What was that thing?"

Oren pulls him away. "The better question is, which path do we take."

We stare at the four available paths. North, south, east west. All directions look the same. In fact, it appears as if whoever designed the Wandering Woods was lazy, because the place looks like a copy-and-paste job of the same tree over and over.

"What did Calinco mean about the voices?" Cassis tunes her hears to the sounds of the woods.

"It was probably a lie to get us to leave him alone." Elric picks a tree out of the batch and marks and X on it with his dagger. "We don't need any hints. This will help us keep track of zones we've explored."

Under normal circumstances, it's a good idea. However, this being a game, I suspect the Wandering Woods aren't some simple maze. Without a better idea, though, we agree to go along with Elric's idea.

"Great!" he says. "Let's go east."

We all nod.

The trees stare down at us as we walk along the east path. Elric leads the way, while Cassis and Oren flank left and right. I keep my eyes on our rear, walking backwards to stick with the group. The idea is to be prepared for an ambush. However, the top and the bottom are wide open, and I'm not sure if the others realize this.

Just as the four-way intersection we were at disappears from sight, our surroundings start to blur. I hear a loud whir and feel my body being pulled forward. Seconds later, we find ourselves at another intersection, the woods now back in focus.

Cassis shakes her body. "That was eerie."

Elric goes to examine some trees, then make another mark. "Keep going east?"

"No objections here," Oren says.

I look around, but see no difference in the layout compared to the previous zone. There's also no hole, meaning we're probably in a different area. Probably.

Returning to formation, we continue east. Shortly after, a loud whir once again carries us into another zone. Elric checks the trees, then carve more marks. After some discussion, we decide to backtrack and head west. Upon returning to the previous zone, we check the trees the thief had marked. The marks are gone. This confirms my suspicion.

"Either someone removed the marks," Elric says, "or we're not going in a straight line."

Both are ridiculous, but I'm more inclined to go with the latter. The whir we experience between zones must be teleporting us to different zones. That's the only explanation.

"I suppose this is why they call it the Wandering Woods." Oren rests a hand on his chin. "The trees, the ground, everything is actually moving."

"Wouldn't we notice?" Cassis asks, but then her sudden change in expression show's that she's realized that answer.

"It happens during the...transitions." Oren attempts to explain the phenomenon. "The blurriness, the whir...that's when the woods are reshaping."

"What can we do?"

"Follow the voices..."

Calinco's words once again echo in my mind. I Listen hard, desperate to hear something. Cassis joins me.

"What exactly are we listening for?" Elric sways at a firefly. "All I hear is buzzing."

Cassis stops him from talking. "That's because you don't know how to Listen."

A growing howl blows towards us from the north. Seconds later, a pair of wolves soars through the air and pounces on the ground in front of us.

"Monsters!'

The world spins out of control.

* BATTLE START *

---

When it settles, we're face to face with two Shadow Wolves. Blending in with the dark, the exact size of their body is anyone's guess. With one menacing red eye each and saliva dripping out of their jaws, one of them lunges at me and bites into my body.

The other one uses its claws instead, scratching Elric twice.

"Ow!" Angered by the attack, he retaliates with a special move. "Gentle Stab!"

The wolf roars, then drops to the ground, motionless.

"Hah, my skills are extremely effective against animals," Elric says, proud of his instant skill. "Priest, heal me!"

Cassis lays it into the remaining wolf with her Double Slash.

The monk does the same, bringing the creature's health down to about a third.

I unleash my Flash spell on the thing without relent.

The wolf roars, its body fizzling into the air.

---

* BATTLE END *

"We have to be more alert," Elric says the obvious.

Our fumble through the woods continues. We try every north, north, east, south, west, north, south, east, but every direction we take leads us to an area we've never been to before. Elric stops making markings on the trees.

Oren sits down to meditate. "I need to regenerate my health and skill points."

"Well lucky you," Elric says. "I'm almost out of supplies."

"I'm not one to run from a fight," Cassis says, "but that's what we may have to do to conserve."

If we don't figure out the secret to the Wandering Woods soon, we'll have to bail and try again. The only positive thing is we've all gained a couple levels from battling wolves and skeletons.

Elric and Cassis patrol the area. He swats at the fireflies hovering around him. One of them lands inside his ear momentarily, and he pries it out. "Gah, they're so loud."

My mind tingles at the sight of those words.

Cassis comes to check on me. "Are you alright?" She shoos the fireflies flying towards us. "What strange creatures. Do they all make strange sounds like this?"

I suppose now's the time to use my Listen ability.

I gently grab one of the bugs and stick it in my ear. My body ignites with excitements. Instead of buzzing, I hear a soft raspy voice whispering, "South, south, south, south." My mouth bursts, letting out an inaudible laugh.

"Are you alright?"

Elric pokes at me with the back of his dagger. "He's gone crazy."

I release the firefly and shake my head.

Oren opens his eyes. "Have you figured it out?"

I nod and point my staff to the south path.

The thief is skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"It's not like we've been doing so well," Cassis says. "And Alex always seems to have a knack for solving mysteries. I trust him."

I mouth the words thank you to her and take the lead, marching towards the south.

The others follow.

In the next zone, I grab firefly to see what it has to say. "East, east, east, east." I smile and point my staff to the east.

We pick up our pace, avoiding a wolf to whir into the next area.

I grab another fly. East again.

North.

East.

West.

And then I hear something something. "Wait, wait, wait, wait."

"Which way?" Cassis asks.

Unsure of what the firefly means, I shake my head.

Elric cross his arms. "I knew it. He has no idea what he's doing."

Oren comes to look at me. "They're saying something different, is that right?"

I nod.

"Relax your body. You'll think more clearly."

He's right. I take a deep breath and exhale. I try listening again, but hear the same words. "Wait, wait, wait, wait." Which direction do I take? And then it hits me.

"Well?" Elric pokes at me again.

Just as I'm about to tell the group the next move, something flies out from between the trees and grabs a hold of the thief.

The world spins out of control.

* BATTLE START *

---

When it finally settles, Elric is struggling to get free.

"Dammit! Again!?" He stabs at the tentacle waving at us from behind the layer of trees.

Oren points at the trees with her sword. "Look! Over there!"

Moon-like orbs move left and right, staring back at us. The creature they belong to grumbles, sending tremors through the ground below us.

Cassis, Oren, and I take some damage from the apparent attack.

"I can't reach the thing!" Cassis says and targets the tentacle before us instead. "Double Slash!"

"Let's hope it stays behind the trees!" Oren takes on the tentacle with his most powerful attack. "Aura Strike!"

"Hey priest, don't use Flash this time, I'm warning you!" Elric tries to wrestle himself free, but it's pointless like before.

Considering how much effective my spell is against the tentacle, it'd be silly not to use it. Any delays in ending the battle would result in us taking more damage from the enemy. With that in mind, I zap it with Flash.

Elric suffers a big of damage.

"Ahh!!!" He takes his anger out on the tentacle, stabbing at it twice.

The soulless eyes continue to glare at us, but the creature itself is still hiding. It lets out a roar, shaking the ground for a good five seconds.

---

* BATTLE END *

"What the hell was that thing?" Elric scans his surroundings for the creature, his stance ready for battle. "East, right? Let's go!"

I grab him to stop him from moving. Plunging my staff into the ground, I make it clear that I want us to stay put.

"Are you stupid? That thing is going to attack us again. Let's go!"

"Hold on," Oren says. "I think he wants us to wait here."

Cassis nods. "I agree. Let's wait."

The thief frowns and crosses his hands.

Unsure of what to do or what's suppose to happen, I sit down and wait.

A few minutes past.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes later and still, nothing has happened.

But just as Elric produces some text to protest, everything around us blurs. Then, a familiar whir shakes our bodies. When the intense ride settles, we find ourselves in the center of another zone.

"Interesting," Oren says.

Elric's expression softens. "I guess there's a slight chance he knows what he's doing."

Cassis smiles, more confident with my hunches now than ever. "Where do we go next?"

I listen to the voice of one of the fireflies.

North.

Then another one. West.

And then another. Wait. Again?

I point to the ground, and the others immediately understand.

"How much further?" Cassis asks, eager to reach the Speakers Tribe.

I shrug. The most I can do is listen. But if my instincts are correct, we're almost there. And when we do get there, something will happen.

"Do you guys hear something?" Elric paces around, scoping the area to make sure he doesn't get snatched again.

"Calm down," Oren says. "We'll deal with the tentacle again should it come for us."

"Easy for you to say. When the thing latches onto you, you can't use your special attacks."

The conversation is interrupted by another blur and whir. After arriving in a new zone, I consult the fireflies for the next course of action.

South.

West.

East.

West.

North.

Wait.

"I'm starting to doubt the priest again."

"No, we're almost there," Cassis says. "I can feel it."

Oren nods. "The trees are a bit different in this area."

I study our surroundings but don't notice the difference the monk's talking about.

Elric bounces about. "We're going to get attacked, I just know it!"

Cassis waves her sword. "Wolves!"

The world spins out of control. We easily take care of the beasts.

"Do we keep waiting?"

I nod.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Thirty minutes.

Finally, the Wandering Woods kick into motion. This time, it lasts longer, as if we're being whisked away to some faraway place. When the world around us settles once again, we appear in a brand new zone. The east, west, and south paths all look the same, but standing in the middle of the north path is a brown wall as tall as the trees.

"We're there!" Cassis runs ahead of us.

"The mute is actually useful for something." Elric studies me. "So, you can understand...bugspeak?"

I shrug.

"Questions later," Oren says. "Cassis will need our help."

We join her by the monstrosity of a gate. Whoever erected it must have a massive ego or not want anyone to pass. The Speakers Tribe is becoming even more mysterious to me. I can't help but wonder what lies behind the doors.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Cassis glides her hands along the wall, searching for some sort of knob or handle. "This is Princess Cassis from the Kingdom of Asentus. My companions and I are here to seek guidance from your tribe regarding an urgent matter. May we enter? Hello?"

Elric examines the wall himself. "Give me a second and I'll figure out how to open it."

Oren stops him. "Why don't you stand guard. There's a good chance we'll be attacked again."

"You're right." The thief walks back to the intersection. "Call me when the door's open."

I join Cassis to see if there's something I can do to help. The Speakers can speak, so like the fireflies, I should listen for voices. I place my ear against the wall. Nothing.

"Is anyone there? This is Princess Cassis. Please, may we come in?" Cassis waits for a response, then tries again. "We came to inquire about one of the Speakers, a woman. Her presence in the Kingdom of Asentus brings great concern to the safety. We need your help to stop her. Please, say something. We've come a long way."

No answer.

She turns to Oren and me with a defeated look on her face. "What now?"

Oren shakes his head. "If the Speakers won't even acknowledge, I'm not sure there's anything we can do."

I search my mind hard, but find no answers. Calinco and Marcus' words have led us here but no further. Perhaps we weren't meant to meet the Speakers.

And right on cue, they finally respond from behind the wall. "Princess Cassis of Asentus, we appreciate your coming all this way to meet us. Unfortunately at this time, we will not be opening our doors to anyone.

There is nothing we can do to help you. Leave now, and do not return."

"Please, you have to help us!" Not giving up, Cassis starts to bang on the wall. "One of your own is responsible..."

I grab her arm and pull her away. She stares at me, incredulous at first, but then she nods in understanding.

Oren tries to reason with her. "If the Speakers won't let us enter, there's little we can do."

"I wanted to prove Father wrong..." Cassis sits herself down and stares blankly at the ground. Blocks of tears roll down her cheeks.

"You did your best. If you and Alex hadn't come to Shalaron, I would not be sitting with you now. Someday, all your good deeds will be rewarded. Asharia knows you've done a lot."

My heart aches seeing her sad. In times like this, I wish I could console her with words of encouragement, but the best I can do is use hand gestures. Stop crying! You're an incredible knight.

She nods and forces a smile.

Elric comes by to check on us. "What's wrong?"

The three of us rise to our feet.

Oren tells him the news. "The Speakers will not allow us to enter."

"I can try to break us in."

"No, it's fine," Cassis says, her tears replaced with decisiveness. "Let's leave this place."

"Already? Seems like a waste. We did spend good money getting here."

"And we made it back battling the creatures here." Oren starts walking towards the intersection. "It's time to go."

"I'll lead." Elric runs ahead of the monk. "North five times right?"

"We can head south first."

The four of us make our way back the intersection, then walk along the south path. As expected, we are whisked away to a different zone. We then head north, seemingly backtracking. But after the next transition, all doubts are erased. The giant wall one might expect to see is no longer there. We're clearly in a different zone.

We head north again.

Then again.

And again.

"One more time, right?" Elric asks. "I've lost count."

Oren nods. "Yes, this will be the fifth and final time."

We walk north, taking a last look at the Wandering Woods. Just as we are about to step out, a familiar wail cuts through the air to greet us. I turn around to see a tentacle wrap around my waist and pull me back in.

"No!" Cassis runs after me.

At that very moment, a second tentacle flies forth and grabs onto Elric. "Dammit!"

Oren extends a hand but is unable to reach him in time. "No!"

The world spins out of control.

* BATTLE START *

---

A dreadful tune plays.

When the ride finally slows down, I find myself high up in the air. To my left swaying back and forth in the clutches of the tentacle is Elric. I follow the limb down to its host, a spherical creature covered in branches and foliage. Its moon-like eye rotates ninety degrees to gaze up at us, then rolls back. The mouthless Eyezent roars, causing the ground below us to shake.

From up here, Cassis and Oren look like a quarter their usual size.

"Hang in there!"

"We'll slay this thing and get you down!"

[battle omitted]

---

* BATTLE END *

"Is everyone alright?"

"That was close! I almost got swallowed by that thing."

"What a creature!"

We all take in some much needed air, feeling a bit fortunate to have escaped death. Those before us exploring the Wandering Woods probably lost their lives to that thing. I doubt there's another Eyezent in here, but I'm not sticking around to find out.

"Let's get out of here," Elric says.

"Agreed."

"Let's go."

As we make to leave, a text panel not too far away pops up. "Hello over there! I'm from the Speakers Tribe. Will you please wait for me?" Running towards us is a girl in a black dress with orange lining. In her right hand is a jeweled staff, and in her right, a thick tome of a book. She stops in front of us. "Thank you very much for waiting."

My eyes bulge. I look at the others and see the same reaction.

"Who are you?" Elric asks, already eyeing her from top to bottom.

Cassis focus on the relevant. "You said you are from the Speaker's Tribe?"

The girl nods. "Yes. I am Speaker Melisande. But you may call me Melisande for short."

"Melisande..." Cassis' eyes are filled with hope. "Did your people change your mind? Is that why you're here?"

The four us all wait eagerly for her reply.

"No..." Melisande tells us. "The elders' words are final, I'm afraid."

I can almost see Cassis' heart sink. "I see. Thank you for confirming that...I suppose."

Of course, there's more to this, and Oren realizes it. "May I ask why you wish to speak with us?"

"I wish to help..." Melisande pauses to search for words. "The woman you speak of...the one who has been causing the kingdom great concern...She's my sister."

"Your sister!?"

That shouldn't be that much of a surprise. Even villains have family.

She frowns. "I will explain everything. But first, let's leave the woods. It's far too dangerous in here."

"I agree. Let's go."

~*~