Chapter 7: Ch7 Into The Envelon Forest
"What!"
Luther’s voice cracked through the evening air as he sprinted forward, boots pounding the dirt. His breath came short, but irritation burned hotter than fatigue. Ahead, Liliana strode calmly with her four armored knights at her flanks, their formation too neat, too proud, as though they were marching to a ball instead of to certain death.
Luther darted in front of her and skidded to a stop, throwing his arms wide to block her path. "Are you mad?" he shouted, words sharp enough to draw the attention of passing villagers who lingered to gawk.
Internally, though, his thoughts were far less polite. Idiot. Woman’s a bloody idiot.
Liliana blinked at him with that same infuriatingly calm expression, like his shouting was a gentle breeze instead of a full storm. "Mr. Guide," she said softly, because of course she still didn’t know his name. "why are you blocking our way?"
Luther nearly tore his hair out. "Why? WHY? Because you’re marching straight into your own graves, that’s why!" He jabbed a finger toward the sky where the sun hung low, bleeding orange and crimson across the horizon. Shadows stretched long like the arms of the dead. "It’s almost nightfall!"
The knights exchanged glances, baffled. One even tilted his head.
"And?" asked the second knight, brows raised. "What does that have to do with our journey?"
Luther’s jaw dropped. He looked from one armored face to the other and then dragged his palm down his face. "Idiots," he muttered, voice muffled by his hand. "Absolute, certified idiots. Gods curse me, I’m surrounded."
He crossed his arms stubbornly, forcing his tone flat. "It’s suicide to enter Envelon Forest at dusk. Dawn is survivable. Nightfall? That’s when the forest wakes up to feed."
The first knight, a broad shouldered brute with arrogance practically oozing from his pores, scoffed and stepped forward. With a sharp shove, he pushed Luther aside. "You’re just a guide, boy. Your job is to lead us, nothing more. You’ll be paid handsomely. So shut your mouth and do as you’re told."
As if forgetting the threat Mariana gave them a few moments ago.
The others nodded, some smirking, some indifferent, and moved on as though Luther’s warnings were nothing but the buzzing of a fly. Liliana passed last, her eyes fixed ahead. She didn’t acknowledge him. Didn’t even flinch.
Luther stared after them, rage bubbling hot in his chest. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. March on, little piggies. Straight to the slaughterhouse. Maybe the trees will eat you first, or maybe the demons will pick their teeth with your bones. Either way, you’ll be too dead to apologize to me.
"Fine!" he shouted after them, voice cracking. "As your guide, I refuse! I’m not stepping one foot into that cursed place tonight! Nothing... NOTHING will make me—"
The scene cut to him tied over the back of a horse like a sack of grain. Rope bit into his wrists, and every jostle of the horse’s stride made him grunt in pain.
"...go in," Luther finished bitterly, face buried against the horse’s flank.
He twisted against the ropes, scowling at the darkening trees that loomed like skeletal giants. "You’re walking into your deaths," he grumbled, more to himself than to them. "All of you. Congratulations. I hope your ghosts haunt me kindly."
The knight riding beside him snorted. "Still whining, brat? You think you know better than us?" He steered his horse closer to Liliana, who rode at the front. "Commander, are you certain this child is the right guide? He doesn’t even have a spine."
Liliana’s voice was calm, as always. "In order to acquire him, I had to defeat a mage."
Luther, even upside down and rope bound, managed a smug smirk. Ha. That’s right. Brag about it. I’m worth a mage fight, you armored clowns.
But the knight only scoffed. "Please. If it weren’t for her wind tricks, you could have beaten her."
Liliana fell silent, her gaze locked forward. She knew the truth he did not; even without her magic, Mariana had been beyond her. She had barely survived the mage’s "play."
Her horse whinnied nervously as they reached the edge of Envelon Forest. The sight was enough to drain color from even the cockiest knight’s face.
A sickly green glow seeped from within, pulsing faintly like the heartbeat of something vast and hungry. Shadows twisted unnaturally, and the crows perched in the trees turned their heads in eerie unison to stare at the intruders. Their black eyes glistened with hunger before they beat their wings and vanished deeper inside.
The knights shivered. Even their armor seemed to grow heavier. But Liliana’s gaze remained steady, determined.
She looked back and gestured toward Luther. The knight nearest him grumbled but obeyed, untying the ropes with a jerk.
Luther slid off the horse, rubbing his wrists with a deep frown. The sun was almost gone, only threads of red clinging to the horizon. Darkness thickened, swallowing the light faster than it should.
"This," he muttered, mounting his horse reluctantly, "is the worst idea since someone thought bathing in acid might be refreshing. But nooo, the noble commander has a head made of bricks. Nothing gets through."
He maneuvered his horse beside Liliana, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. "Last warning," he said flatly. "Turn. Back. Now."
The first knight snarled in annoyance. He pulled his horse behind Luther, raised his gauntlet hand, and slapped the butt of Luther’s horse.
The beast reared with a terrified cry, nearly unseating Luther, then bolted head first into the forest. Liliana and the rest surged after him.
Meanwhile...
The light dimmed into shadow. The air grew damp and foul. The trees loomed tall and twisted, their bark like writhing flesh. Leaves rustled with whispers that didn’t belong to the wind.
A rabbit hopped into view, nibbling peacefully at a tuft of grass. Its soft ears twitched, its nose wriggled—
Then a massive paw slammed down, flattening it into gore.
The paw belonged to a bear larger than any natural beast, its fur black and mottled as though disease rotted it from within. Its eyes glowed red, and froth dripped from its snarling jaws.
The bear’s great paws pressed into the earth. The forest had gone quiet, every insect, every bird, every creature holding its breath. The carcass of the rabbit twitched once, then stilled completely.
The beast’s nostrils flared. Its head swung slowly from side to side, as if catching a new scent. With a low huff, it lumbered away from the blood-soaked clearing. The earth shivered under its retreating weight, and the shadows swallowed it whole.
---
Luther urged his horse forward, hooves pounding through the tangled undergrowth. His eyes were fixed ahead, but his gaze kept darting upward, scanning the dimming sky. Each time the sun dipped lower, a fresh weight settled in his stomach.
This forest wasn’t normal. Not its silence, not the way shadows stretched unnaturally long, not the way even the wind seemed to avoid it.
And here I am, he thought sourly, babysitting a princess and three puffed up guards who think their swords make them gods.
Behind him, Liliana clung tightly to her reins, her posture stiff but determined. The knights rode close, armor rattling faintly as branches whipped against them. Their faces were strained, though none wanted to admit the forest unnerved them.
They galloped across a shallow creek, water splashing their boots, and Luther led them up the incline beyond. His horse landed in the grass with a hard thud, and he pulled it to a halt.
He waited as the others caught up. Liliana’s horse was the first to crest the slope, her hair wild from the wind. The three knights followed, their expressions ranging from irritation to suspicion.
"Why are we stopping?" the third knight barked, sweat trickling down his brow.
Luther met his gaze, bored eyes half-lidded, and muttered, "I’m a guide, not a prophet. If you don’t tell me where you’re headed, don’t expect me to know where to drag your armored hides." His voice was scratchy, laced with mockery.
The knight flushed red. His mouth opened for a retort, but the first knight’s hand shot out, silencing him with a glare.
Before the tension snapped, Liliana spoke. Her voice was soft, but it carried;
"We are searching for the Spring Eley."
Luther’s hands froze on his reins. He turned his head slowly, disbelief flashing across his face. For a moment, he wanted to slam his palm against his forehead.
Out of all places. The center. The blasted center of Envelon.
He schooled his expression, masking the urge to scream. "The Spring Eley?" he repeated flatly. "Then you should all be prepared. The only way there is through the heart of this cursed forest. Which means, unless you can bend time, you’ll be spending the night here."
The first knight snorted. "A forest is nothing to fear. Wolves, bandits, bears... it makes no difference. Steel cuts all the same."
Luther raised a brow, dry amusement twisting his lips. "Keep telling yourself that."
As if summoned by arrogance, the ground trembled faintly. The horses tossed their heads uneasily. A heavy huff carried through the trees.
The monster roared. Horses screamed in panic. Luther jerked his reins hard, pulling his mount sideways just in time to avoid being crushed.
The first knight grinned, drawing his blade. "Finally! Something worth killing!"
He leapt from his horse with reckless confidence, clashing steel against claws. The battle shook the forest, blades rang, roars thundered, dirt sprayed. The knight hacked and slashed until at last his blade carved clean through the beast’s neck. The giant collapsed with a thunderous crash, its lifeless head rolling across the dirt.
The knight turned, panting, blood spattered across his armor, and smirked at Luther, who was busy wiping gore from his horse’s mane with clear disgust.
Liliana’s voice cut the silence. "Too slow."
The knight stiffened.
"You should have crippled its legs first," she continued coldly. "Brought it to its knees. Then removed the head swiftly. Efficient. And without splattering blood on allies." She gestured toward Luther’s stained horse.
The knight’s face twisted in humiliation. His pride crumpled under her simple disapproval.
Luther, meanwhile, nearly doubled over snickering. Watching the knight’s puffed up arrogance deflate was the sweetest thing he’d seen all day.
But then the wind shifted.
Luther froze, laughter dying in his throat. His head tilted up.
The last sliver of sun was gone. Night had arrived.
His blood turned to ice. His instincts screamed.
"Oh no."
The wind howled suddenly, violent and sharp. The forest seemed to inhale around them, the air thick with the promise of slaughter. Even the knights sensed it now, their bravado cracking as they raised their weapons nervously.
Liliana’s eyes narrowed, scanning the shadows.
And then—
It came like a flash of lightning. A streak of movement faster than the eye could track.
Luther saw it first. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he shouted with every ounce of breath left in his lungs.
"GET DOWN!"