Arriving at the Village

Damien rode next to the elf Sylvie and talked to him time from time to time.

Sylvie was the captain of the squad while Morty was the vice-captain. Unlike him, Sylvie was not much of a conversationalist. Yet Damien kept asking him questions about magic.

He even got Sylvie to teach him the basics when they were to arrive at the village at the edge of the forest.

Proper paths slowly disappeared, only leaving behind a trail that was well traversed. Occasionally they came across merchants peddling their goods towards the castle from the village.

They were in a rush. Sylvie wanted to cross the safe lands as fast as possible. The academy began the following month. No latecomers were welcome, even if he was an Archangels son.

Since no one knew about the unpredictable dangers of the Hollow Trees and the delays it could cause, the team could only pick up the pace where the elements were under their control.

The grey line in the distance soon transformed into tall trees as they descended from the hill. The tree line ran from the north to south, as far as the naked eye could see. The sea of trees ahead was quite intimidating.

"Sylvie, how many days are we to spend in the forest."

"Ten nights."

Damien took a sharp breath, that was a third of the journey. The forest was indeed extensive.

They rode without a break till afternoon, finally reaching the town when the sun at his highest. The horses, absolutely spent, were neighing in protest. When the receptionist at the hotel saw the insignia, they were given boarding free of cost.

The dwarves held onto their crotches; it seemed the ride hadn't done them any good.

After dinner, it was finally time for his first lesson.

Sylvie walked into his room but the first thing he said disappointed Damien to no end.

"This will be the only lesson before we cross the forest, young master. You are forbidden to use magic before we leave the trees. Magic needs peace of mind and a suitable surrounding to practice, the forest is a remarkably dangerous place and we need to alert at all times."

He sighed but said, "Fine let's start."