The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 72: The Dancing Forest

"Let's go!" Idris shouted with vigor and even raised her fist up.

I was a little disoriented by the change on her tone and even by her expression. The little kid was angry and enraged but she was mostly sad by the circumstances that surrounded her. This Idris that was standing in front of me though, she grew out of that little girl that was sad and enraged.

Those emotions were exchanged into something positive and that must have been the reason she was so vigorous right now.

"Don't you want to mourn about Hua?" I asked, looking at the tombstone that I placed on top of the grave I dug.

I heard Idris sighed heavily. Similar to me, her attention was also on the grave but that did not last long. Her eyes looked down on her hand that was slowly disappearing up to her elbows. Mine was also the same, maybe half an hour more and my whole arm up to my armpit would actually fade away.

"Why?" Idris asked sarcastically. "Do you wanna lost your whole self as we both stay here?"

I shook my head and looked around, trying to find something but the light butterflies, three of them to be exact, has provided us with them. A bow and a quiver of arrows for Idris and my spear for me. I guess I kind of forgot them as I was immersed by the illusion and the light headedness it inflicted me with.

With that, Idris walked purposely ahead of us and the scenery changed from the mansion in the middle of nowhere to a scene of forest. My senses was immediately turned sharper and keener with the foreign place.

"'Where are we,' is that what you want to ask?"

Deadpan, Idris turned her head at me with a raised brow after inspecting the forest-like scenery in front of us. The forest was picture perfect with the arms of the trees interwoven to create a roof-like structure up above us. The ground was covered with green grass and the trees were beautifully carved out of the nature.

"Where are we?" I asked then, repeating what she said and smiled at her.

Idris rolled her eyes at me. Despite her initial reaction, she still answered my question.

"We are in the Dancing Forest," she responded. "It's where most of the magical creatures lived in, you know? Centaurs, unicorns, some demons, and even the occasional Sage and Hermits. In the middle of the Dancing Forest lies the greatest magical sect, the Reál Nobilia Sect. All of these magical creatures and all ancient people except for one."

"And what is that exception?" I asked with curiosity.

"The elves."

There was a glint on Idris' eyes. Both of fear and awe. The elves, of whom our magical power originated. It has been said that the potency of the magical blood of the magicians of today's world came from the first queen, Her Majesty, Queen Leniesha. Like Deo has told me before, Queen Leneisha was both from the elves and the mortals.

It was unknown if she was half mortal and half elven person or if she was a pure elf. What was known was that she was the liberator of the Dalcanorian people from the oppressive nature of the different tyrannical sects that separated the Old Dalcanorian Territories.

The only sect that was left was the Nobilia Sect.

Meanwhile, Idris started jogging, her ears were perked up cutely and her eyes were vigilant while she surveyed our surroundings.

"The elves are located farther up the islands," Idris said and pointed vaguely on some random directions. "Very secluded folks, and veey powerful. Plus, their downside is that they would definitely look down on you if you don't have the magical competence like them. I'm certain that they would worship you."

I only looked at her back while I jogged behind her.

"Without even seeing your face, I could tell how you're looking at me," she told me with a chuckle. "Those pricks that looked at themselves with majestic awe, idiotic and pathetic, they looked at the Deities with reverence. And anyone, any mortal or even any creature, that have captured one of the Deities' attention would be a mini-god for them. The Deities... even the Seer, were all great beings of magic. Just like the elves, the dwarves, nymphs, and naiads."

"I understand," I told her stoically. "But where are we going? To the Nobilia Sect?"

I saw Idris nodded her head to me. This must mean that she has already gone and visisted the famed Nobilia Sect and even frequented the Dancing Forest based on my observation on how she moved and acted. The interwoven branches of the trees only enabled the light of the sun to pass through by the gaps in between. It was like being in a dream state, everything was created and woven into perfection.

We went deeper into the Dancing Forest with Idris just in front of me, leading us both. As we go deeper, the trees became more clustered closely together and the dried orange leaves changed colors, reflecting the brilliance of the greenery of the whole Forest. The wind was as hard to breathe like earlier, like it was dragging itself on my lungs despite being basically weightless.

Due to my endurance, I managed to keep up with Idris but I was sweating already and I felt breathless somehow. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself harder to run alongside my sister.

"This must be from Cocytus' memories, right?" I asked Idris. "Otherwise we would have made it to the main illusion."

I could hear their voices and my senses are tingling all over.

"As long as we are conscious that we are here, the infestation of the illusory fragment's effects on us would be severe. So the only thing for us to avoid being absorbed with the illusion otherwise the illusion would force us to fade with our consciousness," I then surmised.

"Yeah, something like that," Eris said vaguely.

I could not really use my magic here to the degree that it would shatter any illusion. It would only backfire on me and the degree of the magic that I would let out would also mirror the degree of how it would bounce on me. My attention turned to my fading left arm. Already I could not grasp anything with it, although it was not such a hindrance in my current state, the same would be proven false once I get into a real fight.

"Why in the Dancing Forest though?" Idris asked with wonder, her head was observing the surrounding scenery and her lips were slightly pouted.

I whipped my head back towards her. "Do you know any memory of his that might be related to the Dancing Forest."

My eyes were glazed over, trying to remember anything that Cocytus might have told me before. Sure enough, I recalled that he once mentioned the Dancing Forest to me while we were both in training a few months back. He was reminiscent of the place and there was softness on his eyes when he told me of how he grew up with Leigh as his main father figure.

"He used to come here with his biological uncle and Leigh," I then told Idris what I recalled. "They came for trips all around the Dalcanorian Territories."

Idris suddenly grabbed my arm, her expression was focused and vigilant. She put an index finger in front of her lip, signaling me to keep quiet which I complied obligingly.

"The Nobilia Sect would place powerful barriers all around their territory," she informed me in a hushed tone.

But I sensed no barriers around the forest or anywhere near us. I patted her hand that was still holding my arm just in any case that I went out of her reach. I shook my head, gesturing at the forest ahead of us both.

"Do not worry," I said to Idris, "this is just an illusion and it would not be able to recreate the Nobilia Sect's precautions exactly. I sensed no other source of magical energy around us. It should be safe, or as safe as just walking despite being inside the temporal illusory fragment. You have been before?" I asked curiously.

Idris shrugged casually, not even glancing towards my direction before giving me her answer, "I have been around places. With many people."

We both ran closer to the Nobilia Sect, I knew because Idris told me to keep my jaw intact once the Nobilia Sect's temples finally came into our view. In front of me, Idris suddenly stopped from running. She looked at me and nodded her head to come up beside her. She was standing on the edge of a cliff and was gazing down with awe on her expression.

"Come and have a look," she said and pointed at somewhere down. "There it is. This is as close as you could get from viewing the real deal. What d'ya think?"

A smile touched the edges of my lips and I I unconsciously nodded my head. It was breathtaking. We were both standing on a cliff that overlooked the falls where four temples of the Nobilia Sect were all located. The structure was very delicate as though one blow could topple everything over but it was also simple yet elegant. Very fitting of the remaining ancient sect of the magical community.

A river was just below us where the water of the falls were going and it spread through the length of the Dancing Forest, an honest blue in contrast of the green that mostly dominated the forest.

"Welcome to the Adaman Civitas, the city of the last ancient magical sect in the whole world. The City of the Diamonds."

Idris spread out her arms on the view in front of us, taking a step back so I could see everything and would not miss on any details.

"It is beautiful, Idris," I compliment breathlessly. "I have been to places too, but not as special as these. I felt as though I have been trapped out of this world and it rather felt nice rediscovering this side of my identity."

Idris was quiet and that made me shifted my gaze towards her face. Seeing how solemn she looked, I got worried. Her elbow was fading rapidly but I took a minute to ask her how she was holding up. If my calculations were correct, then Idris was younger than me by two whole years.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. I subconsciously reached out to her so I would be able to oat her back but hesitated since I did not know if Idris wanted that kidn of intimacy. "Do you want to take a moment before descending to the city?"

Instead of answering, Idris sighed heavily.

"Back then..." Idris paused briefly. She was reluctant as I can see but after shaking her head slightly as though she was joggling her own mind. "Back when I was a child, I never got around on burying Hua. Lady Erina Alaric didn't let me. She said that love weakens me and she took Hua away. That... that thing you did, you know, earlier. I'd like to say that I really appreciate it and that I would like to thank you for doing it for me. Growing up, I never have any person do things for me."

I realized then that the smallest thing we do was actually not quite the same size for the people we do it for and that it could mean that much for her.

"I cannot promise you that I would always be here for you, Idris," I told her honestly. "But I will try. Now shall we go on? It is my first time going to the Diamond City."

Idris nodded and started to run downhill. It was quite a journey going to the proper of the city. There were no people around. Since it was rather difficult to create a detailed face of a human being, I was certain that the creator of this illusory fragment limited the illusion to create the most significant of the people of those who entered this.

If we go through this, I wonder if we could ever find our way back? Or would it be like this? Another illusion then another and another. An endless stream of illusions.

Maybe it was the air but I felt even more suffocated. I was restless and my breathing became faster although I was trying ro regulate the air getting in and out of my lungs.

I realized that I was suddenly beside Idris. She was breathing with difficulty too. I grabbed her arm and made her stop. My eyes scrutinized her overall body. She was sweating, like I was, and has been pale since earlier.

This temporal illusory fragment was taking its toll on our body.

But we cannot stop, if we do not break the illusion now then what would be our hope of getting out of here? We might as well be absolutely absorbed by the illusion.

I looked at the scenery, it was indeed very beautiful that it would make one think of living here forever, but that was all the promise of the illusion.

It makes you think that it was beautiful but there was actually an ugly promise underlying all the grace.