Chapter Seven: The White Forest
I
In the expanse of land far to the north of the imperial capital of Olsted, there was a place known as the White Forest. Snowbound all year long, the forest was uninhabited by humans, overrun as it was by such class two dangerous beasts as unicorns and vampire birds. There were even whispers of the existence of a catastrophic class three dangerous beast known as “The Maw.” Because it so rarely showed itself, it was also sometimes called “the mythical beast.” Deciphering ancient texts revealed records that The Maw had long ago laid waste to a castle town, reducing it to ruins in a single night. In other sources, it was written that many thousands of soldiers had given their lives to at last slay the beast. There were also implausible stories that The Maw, beast though it was, could understand human language. Amongst the Kaka people, who had resided in the northern expanse since ancient times, it was seen as divine and worshiped.
I haven’t come here in a very long time. Walking between the pale trees of this strange and sinister land, Felix, fully armed and armored, pushed on through the snow towards his destination. He was watched by the curious eyes of a tribe of long-armed black monkeys, who swung effortlessly from towering tree to towering tree like little pendulums.
He walked that unmarked path for something like two hours. Then the scenery before him opened out into a large clearing, and a simple hut constructed from logs came into view. At last. He let out a breath, visible in the cold air, but scarcely a moment later was struck by the sense of an oppressive presence behind him. He stopped. That aura... It clearly wasn’t human, but nor was it the aura of a beast’s raw instinct. Cautiously, Felix turned around and found himself looking at a creature with pure white fur. It was immense in size, graceful and beautiful, and possessed a regal dignity that was apparent at a glance and set it apart from other beasts.
The great creature walked lazily towards Felix on its four legs, each of which could have brutally crushed a human with ease.
“It has been too long, Lord Vajra, King of Beasts,” Felix said. He straightened, then lowered his head in a courteous bow to Vajra, who looked down at him with glittering golden eyes. Vajra inclined its own head, then lowered its bulk to the ground and opened its mouth to reveal fearsome white fangs.
“Are you here for Lassara and the others?”
“I am. It has been a long time since last I journeyed here.”
“You were here just the other day.”
“From what I recall, it is a year gone since my last visit...” Felix said. Vajra exhaled deeply through its nose, raising a strong wind that set the snow flurrying.
“The span of a year is like the blink of an eye to me...” it said. “But it is well. You would not think it, but she is rather prone to loneliness. It is well for you to pay her what attention you can. I have commanded the other beasts not to attack you, though I doubt they would best you anyway.”
“Your thoughtfulness is appreciated. I prefer not to engage in pointless slaughter.” Felix stroked the pale yellow pouch that hung from his belt. It contained snow safflowers, crushed and hardened, which were said to ward off beasts. The method had lately gained popularity amongst hunters, who said the more vicious the beast, the more the safflower repelled them. When Felix last came to the forest he had been attacked twice, but this time he had encountered nothing. He wasn’t sure if that was the power of the safflowers, or if Vajra’s command had kept them at bay.
Vajra let out a short laugh. “You are the only human who could speak so after venturing into these lands, where life is worth so little.”
“You‘ll have to excuse me.”
“When your business is concluded, you should leave quickly. The scent you give off is far more provocative to the beasts.”
With a glance at Felix, Vajra slowly stood up, then turned and, swinging its three tails, walked off into the trees. Felix watched Vajra go, then set off once more towards the little log hut.
He arrived soon after and knocked on the door. Moments later, a voice he knew well floated out to him.
“That smells like Felix!” From a window that stood open a crack came zooming the fairy Silky Breeze, leaving a trail of stardust behind her before coming to rest on Felix’s shoulder. She was shaped almost exactly like a human, only she was no bigger than his palm. Most distinctively, she had sharply pointed ears and four gray wings sprouting from her back. Silky smiled innocently at Felix, who gently petted the fairy’s head with his index finger. She kicked her legs up and down and rubbed her cheek against Felix.
“It’s been a while, Silky. Are you well?”
“I’m always well! Only Lassara’s running me into the ground, she works me so hard. But then, that’s only because I’m so good at magecraft.” Silky puffed out her chest importantly.
“I don’t see you for a year, and look how pretty you’ve gotten in the meantime.” Felix placed Silky on his hand and examined her. Her hair, which he remembered last time had only reached her shoulders, was now down to her elbows, and her face had lost some of the baby fat that had been there a year earlier, highlighting her already elegant features. She wore a dress the color of fresh leaves that nicely complemented her pale pink hair.
“O-Oh! I got that pretty?” Silky did a graceful pirouette, but she put a little too much energy into it. The skirt of her dress went billowing up and she ended up frantically pushing it back down.
“Oops... Did you see anything?” She glared at Felix, her cheeks bright red. When she was embarrassed, she acted no differently from a human woman.
“Not a thing,” replied Felix, who really hadn’t seen anything, but Silky was not appeased. If anything, the suspicion in her eyes intensified and she started to stamp her feet.
“Liar, liar, liar! You saw up my skirt!”
“I told you, I didn’t see anything,” he insisted, a little exasperated.
Silky puffed out her cheeks and, staring hard at him, demanded, “Then what color were they?” The way she said it was so sweet that Felix smiled despite himself. “There! I knew it! You did see!” Silky, bright red once more, began to beat her fists against his head. Felix was standing there powerless to do anything about this, when an irritated voice carried out to them.
“How long are you going to stay messing around out there?”
“I’m not messing around!”
“Just get back inside! Now!” The door opened soundlessly and Silky pressed herself against Felix’s ear.
“Lassara’s just jealous of us, Felix,” she whispered. With a satisfied sniff, she shot off into the hut. Usually, Silky’s boundary magecraft turned the inside of the hut into a tangled maze, in case of intruders, but today she must have lifted the spell, because Felix immediately came eye to eye with a small girl who stood waiting in the center of the room.
“It’s good to see you again, Lady Lassara.” Felix bowed low and respectfully, just as he had with Vajra.
“Now see here, youngster! How many times do I have to drum it into you before you remember to call me ‘Great Mage Lassara’?” the girl exclaimed, stamping her foot in a rage. This reminded Felix so much of Silky that he had to work hard to stop himself from smiling. “You’d better not be laughing at me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Felix said deferentially. Lassara snorted.
Though she looked like a young girl, she was, in fact, well over two hundred years old. She was a living legend, exactly the sort of person to reside in these uninhabited lands. Apparently, her appearance had remained unchanged ever since the moment she’d inherited the Glimmering Heart mage circle. In spite of this, she was not immortal. Through the use of a secret method known as the Longevity Principle, foreign even to magecraft, she kept herself forcibly affixed to this mortal coil. Her state now was so removed from the natural order of things that if the effect of the spell ever faded, she would drop dead on the spot. Felix remembered how Lassara had laughed loudly as she told him as much, as if it had happened yesterday.
“Why the sour face all of a sudden?” Lassara was eyeing him suspiciously.
Silky fluttered around him, saying, “Hey, what’s wrong? Felix? What’s wrong?”
“I beg your pardon. I became lost in my thoughts.”
“You’re such a conundrum. I bet you were thinking about that war, eh? People never change, always waging their pointless wars. Such an idiotic species.” Lassara closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
She had lived a long time, so long Felix couldn’t even imagine it. Her words now touched his heart in a way no others could.
“I agree completely, Lady Lassara,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What?! I worried about you for nothing?!” Silky cried, aiming a kick at Felix’s head.
“Anyway, what’s brought you to me, youngster? I’m not the least bit lonesome, you know,” she said quickly. “That meddlesome mutt, sticking its nose in where it’s not wanted...” Opening her eyes, Lassara let out a loud, angry tsk. Felix took from this that she had been listening to his conversation with Vajra. There had been no sign of her whatsoever, of course. She had probably—certainly, even—used magecraft to eavesdrop. Without exaggeration, Lassara was the greatest mage alive in that age.
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