Chapter 14: Hidden in the forest

Kael and Abel took a small break, kneeling beside the narrow river that wove through the village. The cool water was refreshing against the heat of the midday sun, and they drank in silence, letting the moment of rest settle their thoughts. The gentle rush of the stream filled the air, a stark contrast to the unease still lingering in Kael's mind.

After a few moments, Abel exhaled sharply, his brow furrowed. "Wait… something doesn't make sense," he muttered.

Kael wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, raising a brow. "Again?" he asked, half-exasperated, half-amused. He took another sip before glancing at Abel.

Abel ignored the remark, his expression serious. "Why poison the soil and not just the water running through here? It would be way more efficient-quicker, too." His gaze scanned the riverbanks, as if expecting to find some hidden clue among the reeds and stones.

Kael frowned, considering the thought. "Yeah, that's super weird… This has been going on for nearly three weeks. Think Orlae might be involved? Maybe they're the reason the village isn't in even worse shape."

"Maybe," Abel admitted, rubbing his chin. "That druid keeps getting more and more mysterious with every passing moment." His eyes remained fixed on the water, his stance tense, as if expecting an answer to emerge from the rippling current. "Why didn't they poison the water?"

Kael leaned back slightly, stretching his arms. "You think I'm gonna get a rank up after all this mystery-solving?"

Abel snorted. "Gee, I do wonder." He dusted off his hands and turned, motioning for Kael to follow. "Come on. We've got another plot of land to try and heal."

...

As they made their way to the other side of the village, the signs of hardship became more apparent. They passed by modest homes, their wooden frames worn by time, yet still standing strong. Children played in the dusty streets, their laughter light but strained, as if trying to push back the weight of their reality.

Nearby, the adults worked with quiet determination. Some gathered around makeshift tables, organizing what little food remained, carefully dividing rations to stretch for another day. Others tended to their farm animals, murmuring in hushed tones, the difficult choice of culling more livestock than usual hanging heavily in the air.

Kael's gaze flickered to Abel, who remained silent, his usual sharp wit dulled by the grim scene before them.

"This place is barely holding together," Kael muttered under his breath.

Abel exhaled slowly. "Yeah... We better make this count."

With that, they pressed on toward the next dying field, their task more urgent than ever.

As they approached the next stretch of farmland, they spotted a man hunched over the withering crops. His clothes were stained with dirt, and the deep lines on his face spoke of long days spent fighting a losing battle.

The man straightened when he noticed them, his wary gaze sweeping over their guild insignias before settling on Kael's face. "You're the ones helpin' with the fields, ain't you?"

"Word gets around fast,"Kael thought before nodding. "Yeah. We've been trying to cleanse the soil, but it's slow work. We were sent by the Second Dawn guild to assist however we can."

The villager let out a heavy sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "We appreciate it, truly. I don't know what we'll do if this keeps up. We're already rationing what little we have left." He glanced at the dying crops, shaking his head. "If you can fix this, you'd be savin' a lot of lives."

Kael glanced at Abel, who gave a small nod. "We'll do what we can," Kael assured him.

The villager stepped aside, watching as they moved toward the field. "If you need anything, just ask," he said. "We're all in this together."

As Abel knelt beside the soil, he pressed his palm against the dry earth, feeling the lingering poison beneath the surface. "Alright," Abel muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get to work."

Abel started slowly pouring his mana into the soil, guiding it deep beneath the surface where the poison festered. His eyes shut as he controlled his breathing, focusing entirely on the flow of magic.

Kael watched in silence, arms crossed as he scanned the field. The dry, cracked earth seemed to resist Abel's efforts more than before, and the longer he observed, the more something felt… wrong.

Abel's brow furrowed. His magic moved sluggishly through the ground, as if pushing through something thick and unnatural. He exhaled sharply, gritting his teeth.

"Kael," he muttered, his voice edged with strain, "the poison here feels a lot stronger than at the entrance."

Kael frowned. "That's not right," he shook his head. "Shouldn't it be spread evenly since both plots have been poisoned?"

Abel shot a glance toward the villager who had spoken to them earlier. "Hey," he called, standing. "Has anyone been near this field in the past few days? Anyone suspicious?"

The man scratched his head, his face creasing in thought. "Not that I can recall… but I'll ask around."

As he hurried off, Abel turned to Kael, his expression set. "If this isn't just old poison, then someone's keeping it active." He straightened. "And that means they're still here."

Kael let out a big sigh, standing up beside him. "Looks like this mystery just got worse."

...

Abel took out a small pocket watch from his pocket, "It's around 12:50 pm."

"It's still too early for the stake out." Kael said. "So what now?"

"Now, we gather information," Abel said, slipping the pocket watch back into his coat. "If someone's keeping the poison active, they're probably working at night. But maybe someone's seen something without realizing it."

Kael glanced around at the village. "So we ask the villagers if they've noticed anything strange?"

"Yeah. Anyone coming and going at odd hours, lights from torches in the distance, missing supplies-anything that doesn't add up." Abel dusted off his hands. "We can't just wait around for nightfall. Let's be useful."

Kael stretched his arms. "Guess that means more talking." He sighed dramatically before rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, let's split up and ask around. Meet back here in 3 hours?"

Abel nodded. "Sounds good. Just don't get distracted."

Kael smirked. "No promises."

With that, they separated, each heading toward different parts of the village, hoping to find the missing piece to this puzzle before nightfall.

Abel stayed around the area where the poison was more potent, moving methodically, his sharp eyes scanning every possible hiding spot. He checked behind houses, where piles of firewood or discarded tools could conceal something suspicious. The nearby stables held only restless animals, their uneasy shifting a reminder of how the poison had affected even the livestock.

He crouched beside a few barrels-one filled with water, another reeking of cheap ale- Davit's favorite kind and taking a sip from each. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he made a mental note to ask if anyone had noticed tampering.

As Abel walked back toward the field, he spotted an elderly woman sitting on her porch, mending a torn cloth with slow, practiced stitches. A small basket of frayed garments rested beside her, evidence of the village's struggle to make do with what little they had.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Abel said, offering a polite nod. "Have you noticed anyone coming through here late at night? Maybe people lurking near the fields?"

The woman didn't look up immediately, her needle pausing mid-thread before she continued. "Oh hello young man, nothing that stands out, but..." She frowned slightly. "The dogs have been barking more than usual at night, although it might just be some wolves, but they never come close to the village."

The old woman put her right hand on her face and said with a chuckle, "Hohoho, I almost forgot, forgive my old age, but I do believe that i saw a lot of colorful lights where the poisoned crops where a couple of days ago, mainly westwards." as she pointed. "It might just be my old eyes playing tricks on me." she said with another chuckle.

Abel's gaze flicked westward-toward the fields where the poison was strongest.

"Could it have been fairies?" Abel thought, he then said "That's helpful. Thank you." before turning away.

...

Kael wandered all the way to the village entrance, his footsteps slowing as he reached the edge of the forest. He wanted to find Orlae-needed to, really. No matter what he and Abel uncovered, that druid always seemed to be tangled in it. Covering Liana's tracks. Potentially keeping the river from being poisoned. And maybe even the reason why, despite three weeks of corruption, the soil still hadn't been completely ruined.

Yet, as he stood there, staring into the looming trees, he hesitated.

Mr. Arves's warning echoed in his mind, and then there were the howls. Strange, bone-deep cries that had haunted the past few nights-low, guttural things that didn't belong to any wolf or beast he knew. They had rattled even the villagers, hardened as they were to the dangers of the wild.

Kael clenched his fists, exhaling sharply.

He wasn't afraid.

But maybe, just maybe, he wasn't eager to find out what was waiting for him in those woods either.

Kael stepped cautiously into the forest, his shoes pressing into the damp earth as he moved past the first line of trees. The village's sounds faded behind him, replaced by the eerie quiet of the woods. It wasn't the usual stillness of nature-it was something heavier, like the air itself was waiting.

Then he saw the first sign of destruction.

A tree ahead had massive gouges running deep into its bark, long and jagged. Not the work of any axe, nor the scratching of normal claws. The marks were too wide, too deliberate, as if something had raked through with monstrous strength.

Kael examined carefully the gouges, "Is this what's causing the howling?"

Further in, another tree lay snapped clean in half, the upper portion now leaning against its broken stump. The splintered wood was fresh, pale against the darkened bark. Whatever did this hadn't just been large-it had been powerful enough to break a tree apart as if it were nothing more than a twig.

Kael moved carefully, eyes scanning the underbrush. The ground was disturbed, patches of soil upturned with deep indentations. He crouched, brushing his fingers against one. A footprint-larger than his entire hand.

"BOO" said a familiar voice.

Kael startled and his hands gave birth to his black flames, before recognizing the person who scared him.

"Easy there," Orlae said with a giant smile.

"You scared me," Kael sighed.

Orlae smirked, leaning casually against a tree as if they hadn't just nearly gotten themself burned. "Did I now?" they said, their tone light with amusement. "You looked like you needed a little wake-up call."

Kael shook his head, letting his flames die down as he exhaled. "You didn't have to do all that, so what's going on here?"

"An unknown monster, haven't seen it myself yet, it's been hiding carefully, I've laid multiple traps and bait, but it doesn't work. It's howls and behavior keeps getting worse by the day." Orlae sighed heavily.

"Ok so I have some more questions and I'm hoping that you can asnwer them." Kael asked staring carefully at Orlae's eyes in case he can catch a hint of hesitation or a lie.

"It would be my pleasure, young saint." Orlae said with their usual smile.

"Alright," Kael said, crossing his arms. "First off, a girl ran away from her home 2 years ago from this village and her tracks stopped right at the entrance of the forest, what do you have to say about that?"

"Oh you mean, little Liana, what's your connection with her if you don't mind me asking." Orlae asked parculiar.

"She my and Abel's friend and guildmate, now your turn." Kael firmly.

"Well, she ran into the forest and the fairies that had the same element as her, decided to help her and erase her tracks, they then guided her to me and wanted me to teach her how to use her plant magic." Orlae said.

"So she trained with you for how long?" Kael asked.

"Almost a full year, she came here to train in the day and at night she returned to her inn in Eldoria, i made sure to hide her tracks while she was in the forest." Orlae said.

"Well that adds up with the missing year," Kael thought. "Ok so, how come the soil still isn't completely ruined after almost 3 weeks and how come the river ain't poisoned." Kael asked.

"The fairies have been helping to keep the soil alive for as much as they could, slowly healing it but whoever was poisoning the village was slightly stronger and then the monster howling scared them off, weirdly enough the river was never poisoned in the first place" Orlae explained.

"So how come you haven't helped yourself?" Kael asked.

"the rules of the forest, prohibit me from interacting with people unless it's a special case and I'm not able to leave my forest, I've tried multiple times." Orlae.

Kael took a moment to process Orlae's words, their explanation creating a jumbled mess of thoughts in his head. The fairies had been healing the land, but something had driven them away. That didn't sit right with him-especially with what Orlae had said about the river. Why wasn't it poisoned in the first place.

Kael rubbed his temple, trying to make sense of it all. "So, you're stuck here, doing what you can, but not as much as you'd like... And I guess you haven't seen the monster up close?"

Orlae's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of the creature. "No, not directly. But from the signs-it's bigger than anything I've encountered before. The fact that it's been hiding means it's intelligent, dangerous. Whatever it is, it's not the only thing here being a problem."

"You mean the one poisoning the land?" Kael asked, tilting his head.

"Precisely, smart child" Orlae smiled. "Some of the fairies might have found the ones behind the poisoning."

Kael's curiosity deepened, and his posture became more alert. "And what did they find? Who's behind this? What's the connection between the monster and the poison?"

Orlae's expression shifted again, becoming more thoughtful. "The fairies are cautious, their magic isn't as strong as most creatures, but they found a bandit camp west from the village."

Kael was shocked, "Then how come you haven't done anything yet, pretty sure a bandit camp and a poisoned village are a special case."

"Well yes, but I've been busy trying to investigate the monster and trying to bait it long enough so it loses interest in the village."

Kael's frustration simmered beneath his calm exterior. "So you've been focusing on the monster, letting the bandits poison the land? That doesn't make sense. If they're connected to the poisoning, then we should be dealing with them first, not hoping the monster just goes away."

Orlae's gaze hardened for a moment before they sighed, running a hand through their wild hair. "I understand your frustration, Kael. Believe me, I do. But the monster... You've seen the damage it has caused, it's not something you can simply take care of. The bandits are dangerous yes, but they are still humans, this is something far bigger and stronger, the bandits have been playing an arrogant waiting game, taking their time, the monster won't be so gentle."

Kael's mind raced, the weight of Orlae's words settling heavy on his shoulders. He couldn't deny the sheer scale of the threat the monster posed, but his instincts screamed that they couldn't afford to ignore the bandits. They were poisoning the land, and time was running out.

"So what, we just wait for the monster to leave?" Kael asked, his voice sharp. "What if it doesn't? What if it destroys everything before we even get a chance to stop it? The bandits could do irreparable damage while we sit here hoping it loses interest."

Orlae seemed to consider Kael's words for a moment, their eyes softening slightly. "You're right. I'm not suggesting we do nothing, Kael. But I'm not the only one here. You have an ally. If you can deal with the bandits, I'll handle the monster. I can't leave this place, but I can help you from here-through the forest. I'll guide you, set up defenses, and try to distract it long enough to buy us time."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "So what's the plan then?"

Orlae gave a grin. "I'll provide cover from here. You and Abel handle the bandits. And remember, the monster might be more than just a beast. Be careful with your magic-it might react differently to certain types of energy."

Kael met Orlae's eyes, the weight of their words sinking in. "I get it. You just make sure the monster doesn't tear apart the whole forest before I get back."

With that, Kael turned toward the forest's edge, feeling a new sense of purpose settle in. The monster, the bandits-it all had to end now. And he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.

"Remember, you're going to have to be quick, Kael, the village might not have that much time left." Orlae said, waving goodbye at Kael.

"Yeah yeah, good luck on your part." Kael waved back before exiting the forest.

...

Kael rushed to the meeting spot he discussed with Abel and waited. His mind reeled with everything he had learned, but there was no time to sort through it all.

A few moments later, Abel arrived, his expression set in grim determination.

"I got a lead," Abel announced, his voice sharp and serious.

"What a coincidence, you go first," Kael pointed.

Abel nodded, "An elderly woman said that she believes that she saw a lot of colorful lights where the poisoned crops where a couple of days ago, mainly on this side. Perhaps some of the fairies that Orlae is acquainted with."

Kael smirked. "I had a chat with Orlae in the forest-found out a lot about our questions. And about the howling." He paused, meeting Abel's gaze. "It's more than just wolves."

"Go on," Abel said, his surprise clear at Kael's decision to enter the forest despite Arves's warning and the increasing suspicion around Orlae.