Spectral Forest I

I looked around, the quick change in surrounding made me dizzy. My back rested against a large boulder, surrounding me from all sides were thick black and blue trees that stood tall.

They made up a very dense forest and their leaves littered the snowy ground. Every once in the while blue transparent leaves fell and popped as they hit the snow.

Being slammed into the boulder was painful, it had injured my back – I had struggled trying standing so I resigned myself to sitting down.

"You... you guys happy now?"

I sighed in as I thought back to what had just happened. If I thought of their words and what happened after them then it was obvious that being dragged into the forest was their doing.

"Very."

"Yes."

"Indeed."

"Move forward, Veltae."

Even though their voices were still the same ghastly ones she was used to, there seemed to be slightly more individuality in their voices than before.

Before, the only one that had varied responses was the elder voice and the two eerie voices that popped out now and then. Even though they still said one word, the elder was even more fervent in his commands.

"Right. Right. You want me to move forward through this dangerous forest and present myself to the Spectral Beast."

I laughed at the voice's wants. They wanted me to enter the forest, I entered the forest; though not very willingly. Now they wanted me to continue deeper into the forest.

"Crazy bastards."

I couldn't believe they did this. How did they do it in the first place? Whatever, that's not important. The only thing I can do now is to try and figure out the situation and try to leave the forest... not like it would be easy.

"I'll move forward if you guys can answer my question. Why do you want me in the forest."

There was a guess I had, that it had something to do with Tyvetta. I just hoped it didn't. Things correlating with her always end up putting me in a bad situation and I end up somehow injures. I don't like being injured.

"..."

They were silent, once again. Whenever I asked what their goals or intentions were, they went silent.

These bastards would never even bother answering my questions but they wouldn't hesitate to tell me what to do. Do they think I'm their little doll, that'll do whatever they want! It infuriated me.

Even if I was weak, I never had to be forced to do something against my will. These voices were the first to force me into such a situation. Dragging me into this accursed forest.

"Velt–"

"Yeah yeah, shush. I'll go. It's not like I can do anything better."

I interrupted them from talking again. I didn't want to hear those horrid voices of theirs once more, it was better to just do what they want than to stay in this forest filled with the unknown.

I rose to my feet and to a moment to concentrate. I shut my eyes, calmed my breathing, and stood in silence.

Grrrr... – My ears twitched. A strange, low, and growling sound entered my ears. It sounded anomalous and strange, it was uncanny.

"...I, I don't like that sound."

I panicked. That growling caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on ends, it was so unnatural that it affected both my mind and body. I had never felt such a– I can't even describe the feeling.

The sound came from quite a bit away. It was, but it was quickly approaching me. It was coming towards me and it was coming fast.

"I'll go. I'll go right now, tell me where you want me to go!"

I immediately shouted to myself, looking insane in the process; but that wasn't important! I needed to leave before that thing finds me.

Its approach was making me anxious, my ears wouldn't stop twitching. I was freaking out.

"Trees. Of red and blue. They shall lead Veltae. Unto the right path."

The elder voice spoke and I looked for the trees. I hadn't noticed them before so I didn't expect such random colored trees in this gloomy yet ethereal forest.

"Right. Stop talking like that, please. It's weird."

Telling the voice off, and getting silence as a response – I found the trees and rushed in that direction. The Flauna pumps on my leg were leaking Flauna as they momentarily enhanced my leg strength, allowing me to run faster.

Squeezing through the dense space between the trees, I could hear the grumbling near the boulder. I didn't have the guts to look back, so I continued onwards. The only good thing about this moment was that the voices weren't trying to give me a headache.

After a while of moving strange energy entered my eyesight, no, it wasn't strange energy. It was the red energy I often saw now and then. The red energy I saw fighting the Flauna when I get my baptismal name.

Even though that name had become quite the annoyance – due to the voices in my head. I still liked it, after all, it was what kickstarted my ability to see Flauna and all it hid from the world... Not like I can manipulate it anyway.

I stopped in place, there was something in front of me. I could barely see it, but it was there. It stood towering over me – its mere presence was causing my knees to go weak. How come I didn't hear this thing before– no. It wasn't emitting any sounds at all.

It stood there and gazed down on me, like a lord looking at an ant. It could stomp on me at any time and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"Um... um... I-I-I'll be on my way. Haha... sorry for bothering you."

I spoke up to it weakly. I could barely form any words. I couldn't even tell if the creature understood me, it was just standing there, motionlessly.

I tried moving, turning back even. I was willing to go back to where the growling sounds were coming from than risk my life with this thing. The feeling it gave off was certainly much weaker than whatever this was, but.

I couldn't move.

I felt this before. I wanted to move, yet I couldn't. It was similar to what happened before I was dragged deep into this forest. When the voices pulled me in. Is this–

"Veltae."

I heard the elderly voice once more, but this time It was not in my head. It was coming from the creature in front of me.

***

I stood in the clearing near this northern town. One of the villagers had told me that they saw Lulu walk here. I was worried, this clearing was dangerously close to the Spectral Forest.

It wasn't safe for her to be anywhere near this place, that's why I at least wanted to join her. Yet, when I got here, she was gone. She wasn't anywhere in the clearing, so I turned back to the man that had led me here.

"I thought you said that she was here?"

"I did, I mean, she was here. I saw her come here as she usually does, I never even saw her leave. Which is why I wanted to inform someone of the matter."

The man also seemed confused by the current situation. He was tasked with keeping watch in the watchtower, He was currently on break but he still stayed in the tower for quite a while. Long enough to see Lulu leave the town and not see her return at least.

"Someone, to inform? Who did you inform?"

I inquired about who knew. I only found out about her disappearance because I wanted to talk to her. When we were chatting after I returned she seemed down and conflicted.

I know she said she didn't want me to disturb her, but I felt I should be there to comfort her. If not me, who? Nino? No. She doesn't seem to like him.

Granny Nizael? Definitely not. She'd rather hit Lulu on the head and tell her to swallow her worries. She wasn't exactly the best person to go to for emotional support, especially since she's gotten more strict with Lulu in the past six cycles.

"I contacted General Nizael. I remember that she was the girl's relative, so I thought she was the best option."

"Right."

I nodded he was certainly right. If anything happened, even if I was stronger now, I wouldn't be able to do as much for Lulu as Nizael could do. That was perfectly fine though, I'll get there, and I'll certainly be stronger than the old lady.

I looked a the surroundings. Approaching one of the only two tree stumps in the clearing I crouched. There was still the slight presence of residue heat on it, even if nearly gone. Meaning it had been quite a while since Lulu sat on the stump.

I laid my hand on it and closed my eyes. Memories of this opening played in my head – Lulu and I often played here in the first few cycles we came here. Though those days soon ended as we had to train more and more, and I had to leave the town more and more.

These memories were long past but they brought a smile to my face nonetheless. Ever since I started spending more time with Nino I've spent less and less of it with her. I need to fix that.

"After all, I made a promise."

"What?"

The man looked confused once more at my sudden words. His surprise wasn't important though.

"Don't worry about it."

I shrugged off the man's question as I tried to sense the remaining heat signature left behind by her. Even if Lulu was in a bad mood, she would never go off and disappear somewhere without telling anyone.

Getting a feel for it, I rose. This was a technique that Granny Nizael taught me, It was quite the useful use of Flauna for hunting – one of the many things she taught me.

I stopped at the tree that marked the entrance to the Spectral Forest, her heat bundled here before slightly going into the forest; it stopped there though. I stared into the forest.

My eyes went wide with shock as my hands shook. What was that?! That dreadful and domineering presence. It was looking at me as I looked into the forest, it was almost as if it was giving me a warning, but why.

Wait!

Her heat stopped here... did she enter the forest? I frowned, what was I supposed to do? No! this was no time for questions. I had to go in and help Lulu.

I stepped forward and attempted to pass by the marker tree. That's what I attempted to do, yet as soon as I passed it, oomph – I found myself launched back and knocked to the ground.

"What is–"

"This is truly an unexpected situation."

Before I could utter a single word of exasperation, I was interrupted by a familiar nonchalant, and aged voice – the voice shooed the watchtower man away.

"As soon as I leave they pull this stunt."

It was Granny Nizael and she had just walked up to the tree. It seemed the presence I felt earlier did not affect her. She stretched her hand out, past the marker tree, and she stood there.

It seemed her hand wouldn't move any more forward, it was stopped; as if there was a barrier obscuring its path.

"Did they believe she was ready... Or are they in a rush."

I couldn't understand what she was talking about. She sounded like Tavella and it was annoying. Did this have to do with Lulu's connection to Tyvetta?

"Granny, what's going on. Lulu's trapped in the forest, a strange barrier is up, a dreadful presence is in there. I can't, we can't enter the forest and help Lulu! What in the world is going on?"

I couldn't help but release all my frustrations in one heap of air. I said I would protect her yet there was no way for me to be with her at the moment when she might need it.

I was upset how right now I was upset but Nizael was calmly looking at the forest, not to mention the fact that she spoke and acted as if she knew exactly what was happening.

"This was one of the main reasons we came up north. One of the reasons I've been training Lulu as much as possible and making sure that whatever she needs to assist her were there."

"The reason why I hurried to get Lulu's leg, back, and arm cast upgraded to be as optimal as possible..."

"...So that she could at least be capable of proving herself and make it back home safe, sound, and not to forget, stronger."

All at once, Granny Nizael told me how all of Lulu's training was to make sure she could make it through this situation. But why? Couldn't she have just kept Lulu at home, why bring the girl to such a dangerous place.

"Why? Why would you take her out here if something like this was going to happen!?"

This was agitating. I couldn't understand this old lady's thought process. She was smart and knowledgeable about the situation. Why did she just let it happen? I just continued to repeat the same questions in my head – I just couldn't grasp it.

"Because I couldn't..."

Her voice was bitter. She had never once faltered when she was training Lulu, she never took breaks; all she did was try and find answers and make her stronger.

"This was planned to happen ever since the second she was conceived. Even if I wanted to force that child into solitude – they would forcefully take her here."

"After all... That is the fate of all Children of Blue. For all Children of Tyvetta. Whether they make it home or not is all up to them, outsiders hold no influence."

She spoke in absolutes. Lulu was seventeen cycles now. So what Nizael was saying, was that all seventeen of those cycles of her life could end with her merely dying because of this?

"That's complete and utter bull crap! You're saying there's a chance that she may die and I can't do a single thing about it!?"

"So I should just sit back and wait, twiddling my thumbs waiting for her here!?"

I was fuming, everything couldn't be that simple, could it? I've seen it. Lulu has been struggling through the cycles. Whether that be assassination attempts, her weak body, its onslaught of phantom pain, and everything else she had to deal with.

It would be complete and utter nonsense if I allowed her to accept such a silly fate, something like that wasn't worth accepting.

Even with my anger, Nizael remained calm, at least from what I could see, she stared out to the forest after giving me a simple answer: "Yes."