Racing through the forest, Thorik instructed Avanda not get too far ahead of the rest. “We don’t want to be separated in here.”
She slowed then eventually stopped and waited as the soft moonlight coated her with a pale blue light.
Grewen slapped his heavy feet down onto the forest floor as he awkwardly ran behind the group. He was exhausted and eventually began to slow down until he heard screaming from the soldiers behind him.
The screams were not the soldier’s battle cries; instead they were yells filled with fear and pain as the noises eventually died off one by one, followed by silence.
Santorray stopped and spun around, sniffing the air to see if they were still being followed by the Southwind military. Motioning for everyone to stop moving, he listened for any followers. “I don’t smell or hear anything behind us.”
Brimmelle struggled free from Grewen, stepped over to Santorray, and then reached up to help his mother down from the Blothrud. “Good, they must have turned back.”
“Not so,” Santorray replied, peering deep into the thick forest. “Nature only sits this quiet when it has something to fear. I hear nothing, not even the leaves in the trees. We are being hunted, and not by men.”
Gluic smiled with great pleasure. “Oh my, what wonderful life exists here.” She quickly proceeded to collect feathers and decorate her clothes and hair with the treasures from the forest floor, such a stringy moss, long red grass, and colorful mushroom tops. A bright orange feather was the final touch to her hair décor.
A soft voice came from above them. “You are not wanted here. Trespassers must be punished.”
The quiet that followed added to the eerie feeling, as the group twisted their heads to look at each other for confirmation that they had heard the voice as well.
Avanda stepped closer to Thorik for protection as Brimmelle held onto his mother’s hand to prevent her from wandering off.
“Stick together.” Thorik looked back up into the trees for any movement. “They tend to prey on those who stray off.”
Without warning, Avanda’s scream rang out and echoed throughout the trees.
Thorik turned to find her gone, when only a moment earlier she had been standing next to him. No footsteps were heard, or footprints to follow, she had disappeared, dissolved into the air and shadows.
Not only had she vanished, but so had the rest of Thorik’s party, as he now stood in the forest alone.
Cupping his hands near his mouth, he shouted for them. “Grewen? Avanda? Granna? Santorray?” Soft muffled voices could be heard in response, too distant to understand. “Brimmelle?” Thorik yelled in a different direction without any answer.
Shaking with fear, Thorik was deserted and assumed he would now stand trial in the forest by the Myth’Unday for the crimes of entering their dwellings.
A crack of a stick eventually broke the silence. Fallen leaves shuffled and footsteps could be heard. More than a few beings walked these woods in the dark of the night, none of which could be seen.
“Chop him up for a stew,” a voice from the shadows said.
“No, I want to taste him raw,” replied another.
Thorik’s movements were slow, trying to determine what to do as he caught glimpses of shadows out of the corners of his eyes.
“I want his ears for my necklace,” said a whisper.
Loud pounding on the ground began to shake the forest floor, kicking up leaves and twigs. The massive invisible steps moved directly toward Thorik.
“His eyes are mine,” came another voice.
A second set of slightly softer footfalls moved in his direction as well, kicking small rocks as it raced forward.
Soft voices began to argue about his body parts as several smaller footsteps scurried about, running in various directions. “He’s mine, leave him alone.”
The two large invisible creatures stirred up dust as they approached, as though they would collide right on top of the Num.
Thorik leaped out of the way, only to feel an enormous invisible hand grab him around the waist and lift him up.
A great noise rang in Thorik’s ears as the two large unseen creatures crashed, releasing him into the air, only to fall back to earth on his own.
“Don’t bruise him. It makes the meat taste bad,” said a voice inches from Thorik’s ear.
With the wind knocked out of him, Thorik watched as sand and leaves were kicked up by the two large unseen attackers as they surrounded him. Each time one moved toward the Num, the other would do so as well.
Thorik was again grabbed and lifted into the air. He screamed for help as he struggled to escape. Having encountered the Myth’Unday once before, he hoped that his familiarity with one of their kind would carry some weight. “I am a friend of Theodore Hempton, a Myth’Unday such as yourself. I have passed his test and have been granted the approval to enter the forest.”
The voices increased as the bushes and trees rustled more violently.
“My name is Sec Thorik Dain of Farbank, I’m a friend of the Myth’Unday,” he shouted out to them.
All movement stopped, though he continued to float in the air in the grasp of an unseen assailant.
Whispering could be heard from the forest floor as it traveled up the tree trunks and into the foliage before vanishing completely. The voices were gone.
Thorik stayed idle, expecting his release. But nothing happened; only the whispering had retreated.
Perhaps the name of Mr. Hempton was not liked in these parts and may have made things worse.
“Sec,” a deep distant voice called out.
“Yes?” he yelled back.
“Sec, can you see me?” The voice came through more clearly this time. It sounded like Santorray.
Thorik searched the woods. “No, where are you?”
“I’m holding you in my hands.”
Thorik reached out and felt the invisible attacker. The hands and arms did feel like his friend, and once he started to realize this, the Blothrud began to come into focus.
Not only did Santorray come into view, but so did the rest of his party. Each num was moving around the forest without the ability to see one another. Even Grewen stood still, looking around for his companions. Gluic seemed to be the only one too busy collecting items to notice the events unfolding around them.
“Can you see them yet?” Santorray asked.
“Yes. Where did the whispering voices go?”
Santorray set the Num back on the ground. “The Myth’Unday all scampered off once you announced yourself. Perhaps you have been granted clearance.”
“I don’t understand what happened. Why did you attack me?”
“Grewen was going to walk right over you. I had to get you out of the way so you wouldn’t be stepped on.”
“You weren’t affected?”
“Until I met you, I thought I was the only one to ever escape the Myth’Unday. The Great Oracle, Ovlan herself, sent me on a quest for her cause. In doing so, she granted me immunity from their games and tricks.”
“How were you able to wake me from their spell? And why didn’t you wake Grewen before he reached me?”
“The close voice of one you trust can break the Myth’Unday spell, allowing you can see what’s real. I tried to wake the others, but apparently they do not trust me.”
“It will come with time. You have to earn it.”
“That is your salvation, Sec. Trust has never been my ally.”
“In this case, it was critical.” Thorik moved over to Avanda who continued to call out for help. Her abandonment in the forest had spooked her, but her desire to see the Myth’Unday had trumped those emotions.
Avanda watched leaves shuffle as Thorik walked up to her. Unable to see him, she called out to the approaching creature. “Hello? Show yourself. I won’t hurt you.”
Thorik leaned in toward her. “Avanda, it’s me, Thorik. Can you see me? I’m standing directly in front of you.”
Slowly Thorik materialized in front of her once she
trusted his words.
Thorik could see it in her eyes that he was now visible to her.
“You’re not a Myth’Unday,” she said with disappointment.
“You’re welcome,” he responded before turning to free the rest of the group from the spell.
He quickly broke the curse on Grewen and his grandmother, but it took Gluic to break Brimmelle from his visual deficiency. Upon doing so, they all agreed the River-Green road was still too dangerous, so they would continue to skirt the southern part of the forest.
Still frustrated, Avanda pouted as she fell in line for the trek east. “How come I couldn’t see them? Last time I was in the Mythical Forest, I was able to see what they looked like.”
“Innocence lost is such a tragic thing.” Removing a bracelet made of weeds from her own arm, Gluic grabbed the girl’s hand to help her on her way before tying it around Avanda’s wrist.
Chapter 16
Orders and Weapons