V - Reunions and Revelations
1606 Words
Bernàbares, Sombrak, and Luke ventured deeper into the dense forest, their injuries worsening due to the lack of proper care over time. Finally, they reached a small cabin in the middle of a clearing. The ranger easily noticed footprints of both men and animals heading north, in the direction they were following. Then, a light rain began to fall, almost erasing the tracks on the ground.
The cabin seemed empty, with only a small wooden door. Bernàbares, armed with his two-handed axe, approached the dwelling to examine it further. Seeing that the door was locked, the mighty barbarian easily broke it open with his incredible strength combined with the sharpness of his axe. Inside the cabin, he found various vials of liquids in different colors, assorted fruits and herbs, as well as personal items. The cabin was tiny, and the barbarian alone occupied a good portion of it.
Suddenly, a white horse galloped in at an incredible speed from the opposite direction of the ranger's tracks. On the horse was an old man with a wise appearance carrying the witch lady who had sold some items to the group at the forest entrance. The old lady seemed pale, and the man paid no attention to the invaders. He quickly entered the cabin and administered a dose of one of the greenish liquids found in one of the numerous vials. In no time, the pallor of the lady's skin began to fade, giving way to a healthier appearance.
– With this antidote, you'll feel better. You blocked the attack of the venomous plant with your own body, foolish witch! All of this just to save us... – said the old man, who then turned angrily to the barbarian, asking: – Who are you, and what are you doing inside my house?
Politely, the wizard intervened:
– We were passing by, and with this light rain, we thought it best to seek shelter before it got worse. Apologies for the intrusion. We wanted to know if you could shelter us and, perhaps, help us with these injuries.
The old man sat down and smiled, doubting the wizard's explanation since the cabin's door no longer existed. Nevertheless, he introduced himself:
– I am Tarûk, the forest healer. And if I didn't have eyes and ears all over this forest, I wouldn't know who you are. But I know what your quest is about, and also that another was here before and is now heading straight for death. You'll need his help, just as he will need yours to complete your missions. You have something in common, but of course, each of you has a different goal.
Bernàbares, Luke, and Sombrak exchanged glances but remained silent. Then, the old man continued:
– I'll heal you, for in this condition, you'd become easy targets for the dragon inside the cave. But don't try to face it. This monster has lived here since before the arrival of all the other beings in the forest. It's best to use your intelligence and the items you have with you.
After his words, the wise man finally demonstrated his immense power by taking his staff and raising his hands, saying:
– Bene tibii cedendarum actionum!
With these magical words, a strong blue light shone around his hands. He then approached each wound, closing the scars quickly and healing them all.
They took only a short rest, as the druid was well ahead of the rest of the group. Then, they followed the path indicated by the healer.
Walking fast and without stopping, the group reached a clearing from which they saw a road ascending a hill toward a mountain, another road going south toward the city of Valfenas, and one heading west into the unknown.
At this moment, the rain began to stop, and Sombrak remembered the legend that the water falling from the sky was due to the angels. Upon hearing stories like that of Gumbaro and Scarlett told by bards, who were now in paradise and lived in the time of these two lovers, the angels would be moved and shed their tears over Berillion. However, the dark elf said nothing about his thoughts to the group, deciding to focus on finding clues about the truth of the healer's information. Then, the ranger finally noticed footprints in the mud, accentuated by the light rain. Those footprints indicated the ascent toward the Mountain of Shadows, with one belonging to a wild animal, a little larger than a wolf, and the other apparently from a humanoid being.
Faced with the footprints and the information they already had, they decided to head toward the mountain because, from the footprints, they easily deduced that it could be Alain heading toward death.
After a long uphill walk, Bernàbares, Sombrak, and Luke finally reached where Alain was, but he wasn't alone. There was a dwarf with a monk's cloak at the entrance to a cave. He had a broad face and a chubby body, with slightly slanted eyes and an oriental appearance, reminiscent of the people of the ancient and legendary hero Nagadosh, the formidable warrior with a strength of 18, whose adventures everyone there had heard of. There was tension between the two at the foot of the Mountain of Shadows.
Wanting to understand the situation, the barbarian approached Alain. The druid stared intently at everyone around him and, realizing that help had finally arrived, spoke:
– This in-insolent monk does not an-answer my que-questions. Since we are in greater nu-number, I be-believe we can re-remove him from there by fo-force.
Bernàbares and the others were surprised that the druid could now "speak," but it wasn't the best time to discuss it. Then, the monk broke his silence:
– In the time of the ancient heroes, scholars began to number the basic characteristics of each person to measure their attributes, such as strength, agility, dexterity, among others. And an attribute of 18 was one of the most esteemed for a normal being. I was trained by the great master Nagadosh, whom you surely have heard of. I am Chow Yun Fat, the guardian of Szar's lair, the ancient green dragon. If necessary, I will end all of you to prevent you from entering the cave
and bothering my master.
At the moment everyone heard the monk respond with a deep and cruel voice about who he was, Alain grabbed his staff and approached the monk to attack. Trying to prevent the inevitable, Luke shouted at Alain not to attack:
– Don't do it! We can enter this cave peacefully, and perhaps even with a new ally!
However, the barbarian, ignoring the wizard, drew his two-handed axe and charged at the monk, protecting the druid's rear.
In fact, Alain tried to cast a powerful spell called the Disintegrating Ray of the Mighty, Beautiful, and Supreme Druids of the Lands of Aká. But as he did not remember the correct ritual for the magic at the moment of the attack, he simply struck the monk on the back of the head with his staff. Then, the oriental dwarf slipped on a puddle and fell, rolling down the hill, plunging into the forest. Perhaps due to the surprise of expecting magic and being greeted with a simple staff attack, or perhaps because he wasn't all that he claimed to be, the monk was easily defeated, with just one hit from the druid. The passage was clear, and the druid responded to the wizard:
– A su-supreme dru-druid of the lan-lands of Aká does not in-in-interrupt what has be-begun!
When the druid finished his words, they noticed that the dark elf was trying to sneak carefully into the cave, with a red scarf tied to his head. However, he was surprised by everyone, and all he did was take a deep breath, dissatisfied.
With no more reasons to waste time, the group prepared to finally face the dangers of the cave before them. As they entered, Sombrak found the clothes of the dwarf Gordin, who had accompanied them before, and also some traces of disguises such as fake beards and hair. They were unsure if that monk was the companion from the beginning of the adventure. Sombrak took the opportunity to ask the druid:
– What happened to you, druid? You've changed a lot since our last meeting. And where is the dwarf who was with you? Does he have any relation to that useless monk we just got rid of?
Then, the druid explained everything briefly, from the moment he had separated from the group. The most interesting part was the revelation that the forest residents had tested him to discover if his heart was pure enough and if his intentions were not evil. He also explained that many of the dangers of the forest were spread in the form of legends to prevent the entry of unwelcome beings, and that he met a beautiful nymph. Moreover, his last test had been worthwhile, as his reward was the kiss of the lovely forest lady. He stayed with her until the rain stopped and then headed toward the Mountain of Shadows. There, he met the strange monk, who, despite attempts to establish contact, only spoke after the rest of the group arrived.
When he finished, everyone inferred that Gordin and Chow Yun Fat must be the same person. He had something to do with the Axe of OX, but unfortunately, his body had disappeared in the fall down the hill. No longer possible to interrogate him to discover the truth behind everything, all that remained was to move forward, into the darkness.
- Writer
