Vol.8 Ch.246-What Lurks In The Misty Woods.

Sylvia Talgan's POV.

Great, we just had to be separated, and fate just had to match me with these two.

I turned back slightly and watched Cerila and Kaladin's mom sign to each other at a rapid pace. I could follow along…somewhat. The two were going so fast, and I swore they were doing things I hadn't seen before. Was it just a simplified version of things? Or slang?

Could there even be slang for something like this…?

Whatever the case, I sighed as we trudged through this damn forest. The place we got dropped into could be summed up in one word: unnatural. An entire forest in a dungeon was already unnerving, but the fact that the trees, which were underground, looked to be alive and healthy while there wasn't a single sign of animals or even bugs. The stagnant, although cool, air also only added to the abnormal atmosphere.

We were heading deeper into the forest when I heard a loud explosion echo far off into the distance. I saw an enormous fireball spreading in the sky when I looked up.

"Mmm, that looks like Kal's magic. It's difficult to judge, but they are probably half a day away," Kaladin's mom said.

I asked.

She nodded and gathered mana into a spell core, and after a few moments, a large glacier flew into the sky. I sent an arrow of blood directly into it, and the shard exploded into an icy mist. It wasn't as loud as Kaladin's explosion, but they should have been able to see it. We waited a few minutes, but nobody else launched magic into the air.

"Are we the only three that were separated?" I mumbled.

"There's a chance the others got sent somewhere else entirely. This forest appears to be rather large, but it clearly has an end, as we can see the ceiling and the walls. We just happened to be close to Kaladin and whoever else," Kaladin's mom answered.

"Either way, we can change course slightly, and as long as we all walk in the same direction, we will eventually meet up. Should we run for a while?" I asked.

Kaladin's mom put a finger to her chin as she thought momentarily. "It could be dangerous to run around blindly. We don't know what's lurking in this place; the last thing we want to do is spring a trap. Let's maintain our current speed," she said.

"Alright, let's do that," I agreed.

We walked for a long time after that, but it was all the same. The same type of tree, brown bark with green leaves, shrubbery, and dirt, was all so similar. Honestly, if we couldn't see the ceiling, it would have been easy to think we were walking in circles, as there was so slight variation in the greenery. However, after a few more hours of trudging through in silence, the first change happened. I looked around with a frown; the shadows had changed, and when I looked up at the giant glowing rock on the ceiling, it seemed noticeably dimmer.

Cerila tapped my shoulder and shook her head. She signed

Although I wanted to reunite with the others, she had a valid point. Moving in utter darkness in such a place was basically asking for problems. And if something were to happen, it would be in the darkness.

"Let's move for a while longer, then set up a small camp," I suggested.

The other two agreed, and once darkness was on the verge of taking over, we stopped and set up a small camp—just a fire for light and dry rations for a quick meal, not that I ate anything. I offered to take the first watch as I wasn't tired, and I didn't think I could sleep in this forest even if I wanted to. It felt like something was gnawing at the back of my head, but there was nothing whenever I tried to find something out of place.

I sat with my back to the fire and stared into the darkness, waiting. It made me nervous…not being able to see, but I just had to do it. Guard duty would be pointless if I were too afraid to look beyond our camp. I made sure to pay attention to our surroundings, but I was more scared of something coming from the forest's center. So I jumped slightly at the noise behind me and sighed deeply.

How embarrassing…I'm too tense.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Kaladin's mom asked.

"Just a little," I admitted.

She giggled, sat down next to me, and smiled softly. "Sylvia, you keep sighing. And you didn't look happy to see that it was us who were separated together. Do you dislike us that much?"

"Ah…no, I don't dislike you or anything," I mumbled sheepishly.

I looked over at her slightly. Kaladin's mom was truly beautiful with her long golden hair and sharp eyes. She had an elegant atmosphere around her, that of a true noble. Maybe it was just the way she talked or held herself. Something I felt that I lacked.

She hummed to herself and stared off into the forest. "Then do you think that I dislike you?"

Well…maybe a little. It's clear I'm not her favorite. Not that I could say that aloud.

She chuckled to herself again and smiled. "You really aren't afraid to let your emotions show, huh, Sylvia?"

"Wait, I didn't—"

She put a finger up while still smiling. "It's okay. It's not like I don't understand your feelings. A few months ago, you wouldn't have been wrong."

My heart sank slightly at that. "So…you really don't care for me. Can I ask why?"

She shrugged her slim shoulders and laughed. "Not for any valid reason. How can I say this…it felt like some vixen had come from nowhere and stolen my son's heart."

…

Well, that's how I felt about a certain someone…

"Of course, that wasn't the case. I was being too harsh and selfish. You are a wonderful girl, Sylvia. And I'm very thankful for all you've done and all you will do in the future," she said quietly.

My eyes went wide as I looked at her. "Do…do you really mean it?"

Her smile softened. "Yes, I do. You see, I'm a greedy woman, Sylvia. I…don't deserve much. I've done evil things to people: some who deserved it and many who did not. Even so, I still wanted to find happiness. And I managed to. And now, the only thing I want in life is for my family to be happy. And you, Sylvia, are a part of that happiness for my son and granddaughter, and that's all I can ask for in this life."

I felt tears well up in my eyes. I honestly hadn't expected her to say that to me. I believed that she just tolerated me because of Kaladin and Mila. That if she could, she would remove and replace me.

Her hands were cold as she softly gripped my hand. "I just want you to know I don't hate you, Sylvia. Not even a little bit. I feel blessed to have met you and that you were the one who helped my son during his darkest times. So, will you promise me to keep making them as happy as you have been?"

"Yes, I promise to do that. No…I'll make them even happier," I choked out.

Kaladin's mom squeezed my hand and drew back. She closed her eyes and mumbled quietly, "Good, that puts me at ease knowing I can trust you because I won't be around forever."

"Huh? Wait—what do you mean by that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Mmm? Well, one day, I will die. Just like everyone else," she shrugged.

I shook my head. "No, no…you didn't mean it like that. I can tell. Why did you say it like that?" I asked adamantly.

Her smile faded as she asked me, "Can you keep a secret? I don't want you to tell anyone, especially the boys."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered, "Yes."

Kaladin's mom lifted, put a hand to her head, and parted her hair to expose the roots close to her scalp. It was challenging to make it in the darkness, but it wouldn't be that easy to spot regardless unless she showed it to someone on purpose. A small section of her roots amidst her golden hair, some of it…

Was graying.

"How long have you known?" I asked.

She let her fall back down and smiled again. "I noticed a few months ago that I felt more tired in the mornings than normal. I thought that maybe I had gotten pregnant again, but that wasn't the case. I noticed my hair changing, so I've been dying it regularly. But I haven't had the chance with everything that's happened recently," she explained.

I shut my eyes and looked down at the ground. I…never really thought about getting old, and it never occurred to me that Kaladin's mom was at that part of her life. If anything, it felt too soon. Wasn't she too young to be entering her final decade?

"It's okay. Getting old is a part of life, even you will experience it one day. And it's not like I will suddenly keel over from old age soon. I have many years ahead of me to look forward to. I'll be able to see Kal and Dallin grow up even more, maybe see them raise their families before I'm gone," she said softly.

"Then why haven't you told anyone? Does Alanis know?" I asked.

She shook her head. "You are the first, Sylvia. And I want to keep it that way for some time. I don't want to worry everyone when there is far more to be concerned with," she said.

"You should tell Kaladin and Alanis, at least," I told her.

"Perhaps. But for now, I want to keep it this way. I did tell you I was a greedy woman, right? If a little makeup and dye is all it takes, then I want to maintain this happiness for as long as I can; that's all that matters. Besides, one day, I won't be able to hide it, so it's fine for now," she said confidently.

"I…I understand. I disagree, but I won't say anything if you don't want me to. After all, you are keeping one of my secrets," I said.

"Good…thank you, Sylvia," she said.

"Mhm. Now, get some sleep. Since Kaladin's team probably stopped for the night, we should push hard to meet up with them tomorrow," I said.

"I will, but do you see that as well?" Kaladin's mom asked as she pointed away from us.

I followed her finger and narrowed my eyes. It was faint, but as it got closer to the light of the campfire, I could make it out better. "What the…." I grumbled as I stood up.

Fog? Why—

My heart sank as I summoned my sword. "Go wake up, Cerila! That can't be normal fog!" I shouted.

I may not have heard anything or sensed anything, but there was no way that fog could even be considered natural. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and something in my gut was screaming at me to be prepared.

Seana went to wake Cerila up as the fog rolled in at an eerie pace, like it was exploding out from somewhere. I took one deep breath and immediately panicked. Something, something dangerous, was inside the fog itself. It wasn't poison, but I could feel my body was healing itself. It was targeting my brain.

"Hold your breaths for as long—oh no," I started to say.

When I looked back, the two of them were just upright; in the light from the fire, I could see their eyes glazed off with an empty look on their faces. Damn it. I couldn't leave them exposed, and I couldn't heal both of them at the same time, so I sliced my hand and let blood flow out from my wound. A sphere of blood wobbled and formed around them as a protective barrier because I could hear something else moving in the forest now.

I readied my sword as I listened closely to heavy but quick footsteps. Whatever it was, it was big and moving at a full sprint, but it was surprisingly stealthy. I tried to make out something in the distance, but it was too dark, and the fog was too thick. I was afraid that I wouldn't even be able to see in front of me after a while.

If that's the case, then I have to go to it.

I listened for the footsteps, and once I got a general direction, I sprinted toward it. I had to defeat this thing and get the others back to normal as fast as possible. Kaladin and his group would be helpless against the fog without me. My heart thumped in my chest as I ran through the dark, foggy forest. I took a lit torch out of my ring so that I could avoid running into a tree.

Even though I couldn't see the creature, I could still hear it as I closed in. It sounded like it was trying to move away from me, but despite hitting a few trees and running through the brush, I managed to get a glimpse of it. It was a tall, looming silhouette in the fog. I couldn't discern what it exactly was, but it was standing on two feet and had twisted, mangled horns jutting out from the top of its head. I thrust my sword forward, but the fog was the only thing I made contact with.

What the—gah.

I couldn't spin around in time as something hit me directly in my ribs. I felt the wind get knocked out of me, and my bones broke as I flew into the side of a tree. My body started to heal as I stood up and raised my sword. A heavy strike clashed against me, and it looked like claws made of wood. I thankfully kept the torch in my hand, and now I could make out the monster more clearly.

It looked like twisted, gnarled roots in the shape of a deer. Its limbs were long and gangly, and it had sharp claws. Its head just looked like a skull but was made from wood instead. And its eyes glowed an eerie pale blue.

With the blood dripping down my arm, I shot a bolt of blood directly into its chest. The creature backed off without noise, and I scrawled as my fears came to pass. The monster wasn't alive, or at least it didn't have blood to be controlled. It slinked back into the fog, and I could hear it running around me.

I should be thankful there weren't more, as I could sense that my barrier to protecting the others was still intact and hadn't been touched. With my injuries healed, I readied my sword again but dropped the torch onto the ground.

I would have to do something different if I was going to take this monster down. It was too fast to chase around forever, and if it could meld into the darkness and fog that easy, I would be playing into its hand. I could strike out with a large amount of blood but can't reliably hit it. Usually, a scratch is all I would need to win, but I can't rely on that here.

So I'll take the risk. I don't think this thing can kill me in an instant, and as long as I protect my head, I can surprise it. This is going to be risky…Kaladin would disapprove. But then again, this is something he would do.

I heard the monster moving around, so I stepped out and purposely left my back exposed to it. I frantically looked around in the dark as I pooled blood into my hair and around my neck. In truth, I was terrified. A monster that thrived in the darkness and fog was not something I wanted to be around. But I had to muster the courage because I may be the only one left now.

I felt it before I heard it. I looked down, and that creature's entire arm had thrusted itself through my armor and out my chest. The pain almost knocked me out, but I felt my lips turn up into a smile as I watched my blood drip from its wooden claws.

I willed the blood pouring out from me into spikes and impaled myself along with the creature. I felt my blood sink into it and I wasted no time in reaching into my ring. I freed my wrist and hand just enough to toss the glass bottle onto the fallen torch. I'm sure Kaladin didn't expect me to use those that way, but…desperate times.

I formed a barrier around my head and upper body as the glass bottle shattered, and it felt like the world slowed down as the liquid ignited and exploded.

"Gotcha."

In truth, I didn't remember much after that. Thankfully, I must not have been out for long as the fog was still here, and it was pitch black. I also still had a connection to the barrier for the others.

But when I came to and was able to move, I took out another torch. The forest hadn't been set on fire, which was odd. But the creature was no longer there, nothing but my splattered blood, old limbs, and a ton of scattered wood.

I'm glad I packed some extra clothes…but I will need a feast after this. Hopefully, Mom won't mind.