"That's the question, isn't it." Sephria said.
Kage couldn't tell if she was just in a bad mood, or if she always sounded like she wanted to kill someone.
"They know we're here, that's for certain. Nothing they can do about it, but they'll be waiting for us when we leave." Artlem said.
"The roads only leave the forest in certain areas. It would be too difficult for your horses to go another way." Sephria said.
"Which only seems to leave the other option, doesn't it." Shole mused.
"While far from ideal, we have the dragon." Sephria said. "Considering the one person who can use Calligriphics against them is injured, it would be best to avoid direct conflict."
"We'd be trading it for a different kind of conflict though," Artlem muttered.
"While you were gone," Shole addressed Kage, "we talked about the other option for getting up to Mainspring, which is through the Vescent forest."
He paused, as if waiting for Kage to respond, then remembered she would have no idea what he was talking about.
"Which is bad news," he clarified. "The trees are - well,"
"Violent?" Artlem interjected.
"Well, yeah, that's one way to put it."
"They're...violent?" Kage asked.
"It's an interesting story," Shole said. "Actually-
"Actually, we don't have time for the whole history right now," Sephria cut in. "The point is, if we're not careful, the trees will attack us. You can explain it on the way," she said to the now-pouting Shole.
"Well, we all seem to be leaning in that direction," Artlem said. "I guess it'll be through the forest after all. Let's just hope we don't die before we even get to Mainspring."
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Kage was glad to get out of the tree. The claustrophobia of the windowless walls had started to get to her.
The evening air blew in a chill, but it was muggy enough she didn't feel cold.
After climbing higher in the tree, the five of them had emerged to the decks, bridges, ladders of the Ra’bac’s city.
Kage leaned against the wooden railing carved out of the tree. While she was aware what a fall from this height would do to her human body, she had never been afraid of heights. A bonus from flying around her whole life.
She breathed deeply, a scent like sweeter pine trees filling her lungs as she looked around.
Artlem was trying to get some lighter conversation out of Sephria, but not having much luck. She leaned against the tree, arms folded, giving curt responses or nods in response.
Bard sat on a bench against the trunk, hunched over deep in thought, head against his interlaced fingers.
Shole was sketching or journaling in his book, but glanced up as her eyes passed over him.
He smiled, flipped his book closed, and came up to her.
"Get ready," Artlem began, and Kage spun around.
"It's about to start," he smiled.
"What is?" Kage asked
"Just wait and see," Artlem leaned against the rail.
As the last rays of sun disappeared, Kage caught sight of a small light, like a little star in the forest below her. Then, another appeared, and another.
Bard looked up, and Sephria made her way over to the railing.
Thousands of fireflies, or at least this world's equivalent, soon filled the space with warm light.
"I never get tired of it," Artlem said.
"Makes you wonder how many other sights like this there are in the world," Shole said.
"Or in others," Kage thought. It was a warm memory of times past, when she had traveled around, enjoying all the sights the universe had to offer.
Sprawling snowy mountains in the moonlight, bright festivals full of dancing and music, or a red sunset on a beach.
And right now wasn't too bad, either.
They stood there for a few minutes, not saying anything, just enjoying the sight.
Eventually, Artlem sighed and stood up straight from the railing. "Well, what say we get some food? I'm sure Revyn will want to talk to us about our plan. We'll want to head out tomorrow morning, whichever way we choose to go.”
"Sounds good to me!" Shole said, stretching.
"Sounds good," Kage echoed.
Bard stood and straightened out his cloak.
"Right. I'll lead the way," Sephria said. She gave one last sharp glance at Kage before taking the lead across the bridges connecting the trees.
"It's not ideal."
"But it seems to be our only option," Artlem responded.
"It is true," he said, "and the presence of the flint dragon may keep you safe. I do wish we could do more to help. Our resources are quite split up between our home, the other provinces and your people," he nodded at Artlem.
The Ra’bac’s chief Revyn sat at the head of the smoothly carved table next to Artlem. Next to him was Shole, and on her side of the table sat Sephria, herself, and Bard.
This room was much easier to handle than the previous one, being carved much taller into the gigantic tree. It was certainly as tall as a banquet hall, even if the shape was round instead of the standard square-based architecture of most places.
"We'll make it," Artlem said. Though based on their reactions to going through the forest, Kage had to wonder if he was quite so sure. "We don't have a choice" seemed to hang on his lips.
"Well, can I ask about the forest now?" Kage asked.
"You don't know?" Revyn said, to which she shook her head.
"It's an old story, I suppose we don't know exactly if it is true, but it seems to make the most sense.
They say that long ago, there was a village on the border of Vescent. As the town grew, they moved further into the forest so as to bot start a conflict with the neighbors.
A small group of them opposed them destroying any of the forest. They were supposed to have worshiped the trees.
So one day, in the dead of night, they all went with knives and carved their wishes as calligriphics into the trees, and left to live in the forest. But it seems like the trees didn't understand their prayers, and lashed out against them. They were hostile to all people, including their worshipers."
"Now no one goes there," Shole said. “Those who go into the depths of the forest don’t come out again. It’s said that the trees still attack any living creatures that come near.”
"Avoiding it certainly sounds smart,” Kage muttered.
"It has been some time since anyone's gone through," Sephria said. "It's possible the Calligriphics have eroded over the years."
"Depends how deep they carved it," Shole mused.
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