NOVEL WEB Chapter 1.24
Had Nene been in the habit of keeping a diary, she would have described those days as the happiest of her life. Despite the potential risks, setting off from Kumhar had led to the fulfilment of a dream of hers: belonging to something. In the past, she had believed the Church to be her home, her brothers and sisters in arms, her family, but then she had discovered, or rather rediscovered, something different. The bizarre group constituted by her, Nila, Oto and Adanara made her feel safe, considered, useful, even necessary. But most of all she felt like there was someone who cared about her, who was watching her back while she was out there into the unknown.
She woke up quite late that morning. The sun was already high, its intense light filtered through the cracks in the building. The mud insulation hadn't yielded optimal results, but it wasn’t an issue as long as it wasn't raining. According to Oto, it was pretty rare in that area. She looked around and saw a blanket abandoned on the ground. Oto had already left and, as usual, refused to make bed. Nene got up, removed some straw from her clothes and hair, picked up both hers and his blanket and went outside to air them out.
The sun dazzled her. It was about mid-morning: they had overslept. They deserved some rest, but staying in that place for too long was dangerous. Furthermore, their supplies were limited. Luckily their destination was pretty close. Judging the distance with a simple glance wasn’t easy, especially without knowing the surrounding area, but it looked reachable within a day.
She stared at the havoc she had caused among the prairie: a large area in front of the entrance to the hut was devastated. The ground was black with burns. Heads of short grass screamed desolation, surrounded by their lush counterparts who had escaped destruction.
She used the door as a support, hung the blankets over it and hit them repeatedly with the palms of her hands, dislodging dust, dirt and even some insects. The sound of the blows woke Adanara, who stood up very slowly, yawning.
«Shut up…», she grumbled.
Nene smiled as she noticed how Nila, on the other hand, was still sleeping like a log. Like every morning, she was a total mess, lying with an arm over her face and the blanket wrapped around her feet. Nene knelt on her, put her blanket over her, fearing that she would catch a cold, and went back to cleaning Oto's.
«Maybe we should take a day off», she suggested.
Adanara nodded and went back to sleep. It was better that way. Ideally, they had to scout the surroundings before setting off towards the tree. They were about to enter territory unknown even to Oto, and they were ever closer to the places where those armed knights were spotted. She collected some stale bread from her bag, retrieved an old stool from the pile of junk in the shed and sat outside, waiting for Oto's return. The boy reappeared shortly afterwards. He was carrying his bow on his shoulder and held a dead rabbit.
«Look what I got!», he announced.
«Excellent. We need to get food or travel supplies will run low»
«I saw a fig tree that way»
«How about we explore the area a bit? I don't think it's safe to advance blindly from here on out»
«Can we pick some figs meanwhile?»
Oto peeked inside and saw that the sisters were still sleeping. He covered his mouth and began to speak in a low voice.
«Do we wake them up?»
«Yes, it's not safe to leave them like this if we are going to leave»
Nene leaned over Nila. Seeing her in such a dishevelled state, so different from how she usually presented herself, amused her a lot. She caressed her shoulder but got nothing out of it. She shook her a little more forcefully and finally managed to wake her up.
«No…», Nila complained.
«Come on, wake up. Come on»
Nila fidgeted a little and finally managed to open her eyes. She smiled at Nene and rubbed her face.
«’Morning»
«Hi. I wanted to let you sleep, but Oto and I thought we'd look around a bit»
«Is it s-safe?»
«We'll be careful. And you should too»
Adanara, already on her feet and in a foul mood, walked in front of her, stepping between her and Nila.
«You want us to stay?»
«Is that a problem?»
«No, I don't mind it at all. I walked for four days non-stop just like you. I also carried heavier luggage since you’re a good for nothing»
«Ada, d-don't start it already...»
«She started it!»
«That's n-not true»
«You should be on my side!»
The witch snatched the rabbit from Oto's hand and went outside. He chased her asking for it back, but she replied that she wanted to take care of cooking it.
«I'm always on your side, you idiot», Nila grumbled.
Nene reached out and smoothed out a few strands of her hair. Nila was surprised for a moment but then relaxed. She was still sitting under the covers, definitely not a morning person.
«Be careful. P-promise me»
«Of course. You too»
Nene would have loved to stay there and comb her hair all day, but that wasn't the time to get carried away. She left the shed. Adanara was piling up some stones left over from the fires and was getting ready to light a new one. Oto watched her nervously, intimidated by her prickly attitude.
«Does she know how to cook?», he asked.
«I have no idea. Are you going to ask her?»
«Nope. What if she bites me?»
«We're leaving!», Nene announced.
Adanara did not answer. Nila appeared at the door and waved goodbye. They headed towards the tree and set off. Oto took out a knife, explaining that used it to leave marks on tree bark, in order not to get lost. They crossed the muddy stream. After a few dozen metres, the prairie gave way to forest again, a little thinner than previously. Nene looked up at the sky every now and then, and each time she was able to spot the giant tree among the smaller ones. Luck was on their side. Oto led the way past a rocky area covered in moss, following the marks he had left that morning. After several minutes they reached a small waterfall. Around it the vegetation was thin, the sun was lighting in abundance and the ground was covered with daisies and dandelions. Off to the side, next to the rocks a couple of metres high from which the waterfall flowed, stood a fig tree.
Nene took out a bag. Oto climbed the tree with extreme ease and began throwing fruits on the ground. Nene picked them up. Sadly, even together with the rabbit, it wasn’t enough for dinner for all four. They had to find something else. They ventured even further into the woods which were getting thicker and thicker. The sky-high tree seemed closer and closer as the landscape began to change. A steep slope arose in front of them, limiting their vision. Oto was too busy marking their passage to notice that there were marks on the ground: a cart, more likely a sled. There were humans nearby.
«Oto, be quiet», Nene suggested.
«Why?»
«Look at this», she explained, pointing to the ground. «Someone lives here»
«Oh... Who is it?»
«I have no idea. When in doubt, let's assume it's someone dangerous»
«What if it isn't?»
«That would be great»
She drew her sword. Oto became very nervous because of that, so she went first. They walked up the hill until they reached the top. Nene looked over the hill and was left astonished.
A rocky, green valley extended beyond the hill. The vegetation was thin and visibility was excellent, thanks to loggers who had felled dozens of trees, leaving only stumps behind them. The valley was surrounded by walls of sharp rocks above which was a dense forest. At the end of the path dug by the bed of a dry river, the base of the tree stood imposingly. It was larger than the whole of Kumhar. Its immense roots protruded from the ground, and some normal-sized trees grew above them. But that wasn't even the most shocking thing to see in the valley.
Oto didn't say a word. They were both astonished by that completely unnatural sight: columns of smoke, stumps of felled trees, traces of vehicles. The signs of human life were unmistakable, but they never expected to stumble upon an entire settlement. In the centre of the valley, about halfway between them and the tree, was a fortified camp, surrounded by a log stockade. Large conical tents, painted with green and yellow patterns, were stacked together in what looked like a huge military camp. Squinting her eyes, Nene could make out some men dragging a sled loaded with logs towards the settlement.
«Are they dangerous?», Oto asked.
«Let’s not find out. We should go back»
«Maybe we can just walk by»
«Oto, we know nothing about those people»
There was something about that camp that made her nervous. It reminded her of the military vamposts of the Knights of the Church. There was a permanent one near the Capital, but it was said that they were mostly set up on the borders, when the Prince and his army requested assistance from the Church during their campaigns to conquer new lands. Those tents bore neither the white and gold colours of the Knights nor the red of the Prince, but they were just as ominous.
Once they returned to the hunting lodge, Nene told the others what they had seen. The news of the presence of other people in that forest confirmed what they had heard in Kumhar. They had no way of knowing whether these were the knights the hunters had spotted, whether they had been involved in the rumoured fights, or whether they were hostile or not. Nila tried to sweep away the bad mood by showing a basket filled with edible herbs. It was already late afternoon, time to refresh and rest. They shared what they had collected that day, thus managing to save on travel rations.
«The rabbit is good!», Oto said. «How?»
«Don't say it as if it were a miracle!», Adanara complained. «I cooked it half by the fire, then I wrapped it in leaves and smoked it»
«My sister is very good at cooking», Nila boasted.
Nene stared at the witch, pleasantly surprised. She had to admit that she had judged Adanara too harshly. The more she saw her positive, or even ordinary, traits, the more she became aware she had been mistaken about what a witch was. Questioning something like that would have got her excommunicated, though. Also, Adanara was for sure an exception. Maybe she could trust that witch, but no other servant of the Evil One.
«What are you looking at?», Adanara asked.
«Huh? Nothing, I was thinking»
«Are you worried?», Nila intervened.
Nene wasn't thinking about the camp to the east at all, but she took advantage of the misunderstanding to start a discussion about it.
«We could look for another way to reach the tree»
«But the valley is the fastest», Oto said. «Walking all the way around could be very long and difficult»
«If those guys are a few hours away from here, we should stay as little as possible...»
«You're right, it's t-too risky»
«Tomorrow Oto and I will look for another path»
«And what should we do? Sit here doing nothing?»
«A larger group is easier to spot. Oto knows the territory better than anyone, and I am the only one who can handle a weapon»
Adanara pouted but didn't contradict her. She crossed her arms, thoughtfully.
«Okay, but... if they attack you, you think you can defend yourself? I'm being serious. You Inquisitors aren't soldiers, right?»
«I know, but I don't have any better ideas»
Nene's voice trembled, betraying her apprehension. She was terrified by the possibility of a marauder attack, or whoever the inhabitants of the camp were. She wasn't even sure she could defend herself against a single competent opponent, that wasn't what she had trained for. Silence fell as they sat upon the straw inside the shed. Nila crawled next to her and pulled her into a hug. Her emotions threatened to break out, but she held back her tears, fearing she would spread discomfort among her companions. Regardless of her actual ability in combat, she was their best hope of survival in case of a fight.
«Is there anything we c-can do to help?»
Nila began to lull her lightly. Nene rested her head in her lap and closed her eyes. Nila’s clothes smelled different from the day before, which made her think.
«Did you bring some soap with you?», Nene asked.
«Of course. Didn't you?»
Oto shrugged. Adanara, who in the meantime was devouring her sister's leftovers, laughed disturbingly.
«Savages. My sis’ is always ready for anything»
«No», Nene admitted. «I should have. Who knows why I never thought about it...»
«Do you want some?»
Nila gave her a bar of soap from her travel bag. It was almost new, so Nene would have felt guilty wearing it out. A quick sniff of her clothes, however, convinced her to take advantage of the offer. She stood up.
«I'm going to oblige before the sun sets completely. Oto, you want to give me your clothes too?»
«Yes, thank you!»
«Hey, are you eating that?», Adanara asked, grabbing food from her bowl.
Nene slapped her away and Nila laughed. She had grown up in the same dormitory as Liaria, she was used to defending herself from bullies. The witch growled as she retreated, defeated.
«Here you go», Oto said.
«Nice, I'm going to…»
She stumbled over her words: Oto was standing in front of her, wearing only his underpants, with his usual naive look. He handed her his jacket, shirt and trousers, along with a dazzling smile. Nene blushed and took the clothes.
«... to wash them», she whispered.
«Are you okay?», he asked her.
«Oto, she’s a nun. She's afraid of your…»
«Ada! Bad!»
Nila threw herself at her sister, who burst out laughing. As they wrestled on the ground, Nene sneaked out. She walked briskly to the stream. The cool evening air helped to tone her down. Armed with a bar of soap, she bent over the water surface and began to wash her clothes and stupid Oto’s.
The following day, Nene got up early to double-check her equipment. Luckily her sword was still sharp despite everything. She sat with Oto inside the cabin, discussing which way to try to get around the valley. The boy suggested following the stream that ended at the waterfall next to the fig tree. Nene agreed to what sounded like a good plan, or at least one that would ensure they wouldn't get lost in the middle of nowhere. She was making sure she had everything she needed when the door to the shed suddenly flew open. Adanara came in, out of breath, her eyes wide open.
«Someone is coming!»
They barely had time to get to their feet. From the outside came the sound of galloping horses. The grass bent under the weight of the animals, as two brown horses emerged from the prairie, into the scorched clearing in front of the cabin. On the backs of the two steeds, two figures in plate armour, made out of shining metal, scrutinised them with a menacing look. Adanara ran, hiding behind the door. The two knights were not wearing helmets, which instead hung from their saddles. Yellow and green cloths were wrapped around the bridles of their horses. The first rider, a middle-aged woman with short, messy grey hair, dismounted. The second, a younger man with a thick beard and dark hair, a grim gaze and a prominent nose, moved at a small trot around the shed.
Nene was no expert in the tactics of the Knights of the Church, but each cadet had a background in their practices, in case they had to collaborate with them: while one was assessing the situation, the other was checking to see if there were any other escape routes. She was terrified, but the woman was heading straight for her, so she tried not to show it. She avoided making sudden movements or bringing her hand to the sword, despite her instincts suggesting so.
«Who are you?», the knight roared.
«Travellers», Adanara replied.
«This building belongs to the city of Kumhar, you are not welcome here!»
«Er… We are from Kumhar», Oto explained.
The woman looked at them perplexed. Nene winced: providing conflicting versions was the best way to arouse suspicion. She took a step forward. The woman took one back.
«Step back! We are not looking for a fight»
The second knight returned from his patrol. He nodded at his companion and dismounted as well.
«So?»
«Something fishy going on here»
«We are just travellers from Kumhar», Nene said. «We are taking refuge here for the night»
«Where are you headed?»
She hesitated to answer. The bearded knight kept eye contact with her, menacingly so. She couldn’t figure out what the smartest answer was, but silence seemed to be the worst option. The atmosphere was getting tense. Was she supposed to tell them the truth? Being vague? They looked extremely suspicious in the knights’ eyes, for sure.
«We are scouting the area on behalf of the mayor of Kumhar. I think you've heard of him»
The woman crossed her arms, unconvinced. She approached her intimidatingly, casting her shadow over her.
«It was about time he would send someone»
«Erm... was it?»
«Are you ambassadors?»
«No, we are... we are...»
«My brother still has nightmares!», the other knight yelled. «Is your mayor going to compensate him?!»
«I don't... know what you're talking about»
«Really?! Are you really from Kumhar?»
A rustle in the grass caused everyone to turn around. Nila stared at them from the middle of the prairie, dismayed, holding a basket full of edible plants.
«Stop right there!»
She instinctively dropped the basket and showed her hands. Having confirmed that she was harmless, the woman turned back to Nene, while her companion kept an eye on Nila.
«You are lying for whatever reason. But I don't want to risk a diplomatic incident. You will come with us»
«No way!», Adanara protested.
The knight frowned. She was ready to attack them, so Nene imitated Nila's gesture.
«We don't want to fight either. At least tell us where you want to take us»
«No deal! As far as I know, you are charlatans or spies!»
«They’re not Tuatha, though», the other knight said.
«P-please believe us», Nila said. «We're not here to cause any trouble»
«We will take you to our camp», the woman finally explained. «The General will decide whether or not to believe your tale. You, drop the sword»
Nene hesitated. She didn't want the situation to escalate, of course. Although there were four of them and only two knights, they were armed, armoured and likely trained. Trying to overpower them was too dangerous. On the other hand, she wasn’t eager to meet their General or be taken prisoner.
«Drop the sword already!»
Patience was running out. The woman brought her hand to the hilt. Nene moved hers very slowly and untied the sheath from her belt. She dropped it to the ground as ordered.
«Good. If you have other weapons, you better put them down. Now!»
She snorted. With equally slow movements, she pulled the dagger and cross from under her cloak. She spread her arms to show them to the knights, who, unexpectedly, were astonished.
«What is that?», the woman asked, pointing to the cross.
«Uh… a cross?»
«You said you were from Kumhar…»
«It's the truth. I grew up in the Church, but now I live in Kumhar»
«What's happening?», the bearded man asked. «Captain?»
«You are too young to remember... You, girl, which Order do you belong to?»
«To the… Inquisition…?»
Nene hesitated to answer since she could not make out that woman's opinion about the Church. Revealing her identity to a person from outside the borders was reckless. She didn't have much choice, though, as she was wearing the silver robes and holding the cross. The knight sighed. She resumed a relaxed posture and held out a hand towards her.
«Captain Emeria, of the Third Lightbringer Regiment. Forgive the rude treatment»
«Huh?»
The second knight, visibly perplexed, imitated his superior. He walked beside her, all traces of hostility gone.
«My name is Dolano, of the Third Lightbringer Regiment, ma'am»
«N-Nene?», Nila called from behind them. «What's happening?»
«I have no idea», she admitted.
«Our people are descended from the Third Lightbringer Regiment, a group of Knights of the Church. None of us have ever seen the Principality or had any contact with the Church, but our ancestors have passed down their memories»
«So… are you from the Church or not?» Adanara asked.
«Are you… the descendants of Saint Arianna's guard?», Nene realised.
«Precisely. When the Saint disappeared, our ancestors settled in the east. That's what my grandparents told me. Unfortunately, the tradition is being lost», Emeria explained, glaring at her subordinate.
«Forgive me, Captain! I will devote more time to my studies from now on!»
Once the situation was clarified, the air of hostility finally dissipated. Adanara was still on alert, but the knights completely changed their attitude. They invited them into the shed. Once the horses were tied, they all sat down on the straw. The Captain looked around in disgust.
«How did you end up here? This is not a suitable accommodation for your rank!»
«My... rank?», Nene asked.
«Dolano, let's start your repetitions, shall we?»
«Yes ma'am! “An Inquisitor is to be considered a messenger of the Archangel Himself, therefore they must be welcomed as befits an illustrious guest”»
«Mh, you're not a lost cause. Maybe»
«Thank you, but that’s too much», Nene said.
«I insist. Allow us to escort you, wherever you are headed to»
«We’re going to the tree», Oto said.
Nene almost jumped at his throat. They weren't yet sure if they could trust those knights, so spilling out their destination was way too risky. The Captain became suspicious yet again. She took a sip of water from her canteen, letting the tension build up once more.
«We too», she replied. «The General has been trying to get closer for months, without success»
«We heard about fights in the forest»
«You heard right. Tuatha haven't been very welcoming since we got here. At the moment we are in a stalemate. However, the surrounding area is under our control. You are safe»
«I do feel safer now…», Adanara commented.
«Can your General lead us to the tree?»
«You should stay away from it»
Captain Emeria refused to share any more information, insisting that Nene meet with the General. Nene refused her repeated offers to escort them, fearing their true intentions, especially with Adanara nearby, so they finally left. She then proposed to go ahead alone, as the knights seemed to respect her role as Inquisitor, but her idea was rejected by her companions. They spent at least an hour discussing what to do, finally deciding to continue with their original plan, which was to walk around the valley and reach the tree on their own. They packed up and left the cabin, where it was all too easy to find them, and set off east.
They followed the tracks left previously for several hours, up to the hill from which they had spotted the military camp. From there they continued north, where the terrain seemed less harsh. Shortly after noon, they reached the crest of the valley. The rock face was dizzyingly high and very steep. From up there they were able to better observe the settlement, as well as the giant in the distance. As they approached their destination, the terrain became more and more unnatural: they crossed thick expanses of trees at the foot of which flowery meadows grew, despite the little sunlight. As if that wasn't enough, they began to spot many more animals, even too many, such as squirrels and hares, which allowed them to get so much closer than one would expect from such shy creatures. Oto said he had never seen wild animals behave like that. Something about that place made the land lusher than ever. The doubt that it could have been witchcraft assailed Nene, who regretted not having accepted Emeria's offer.
They were about halfway up the ridge, basically above the camp in the valley, when Adanara stopped walking.
«Are you tired?», Nila asked.
She didn't answer. She stood still, staring into space. She had an unhealthy complexion. Her sister helped her sit on the ground and called the others. Nene didn’t budge. She thought she knew what was causing Adanara’s discomfort. After all, she too felt unwell. There was something in the air that was making it hard to breathe. Her eyelids became heavy. All she wanted was to lie down and sleep on the spot. She leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Oto took her by the shoulders and shook her. He looked scared. What was he worried about? She was feeling so good…
«Nene? What's wrong? Hey!»
«Leave me be...», she protested weakly.
«Did you eat any plants? A snake bit you?»
«What are you talking about? I’m good»
They heard screams. It was Nila. Oto turned sharply towards the source of the sound, but not Nene. She didn't care. She just wanted to enjoy that nice, cosy feeling.
«Did you hear? Let's go to…»
Oto couldn't finish the sentence. A group of individuals surrounded them, emerging from the bushes. They were carrying spears, aimed at the boy's throat, who stood still in fear. Finally, he let her go. Finally, she was allowed to collapse on the ground and let herself be cuddled by the wind. One of the strangers leaned over her. It looked bizarre, with a mostly round head and eyes way too big and bright. It was wearing a wooden mask so she couldn't distinguish its features, but when it got closer, she thought to be daydreaming: were they horns, those she was seeing on its head?
The Evil One had found her! She had to resist, she had to get back on her feet and fight. But the Evil One was cunning, and with a vile trick, it had knocked her and Adanara out of combat, before unleashing its servants.