A lush and breathtaking forest stretched wide before the eyes, with towering trees filled with fresh green leaves, the scent of wet earth and the sound of melodious birdsong added an unavoidable natural charm to this view, showcasing a natural wonder full of life.
In stark contrast to what was often heard through rumors and the name of the place, namely 'fog forest', the sight before him was not at all what many had imagined before. When someone hears the word 'fog forest', perhaps what comes to mind is a place covered in thick clouds of mist with a spooky and mysterious atmosphere. However, what appeared before the eyes was far from that description, the forest displayed a view that was instead bright with fresh green leaf colors and sunlight penetrating through the gaps of tree branches, creating a landscape very different from Dex's imagination.
"Is it true this is the place, Van?"
Van looked at the map in both of his hands, his eyes alternating between the map and the path in front of him.
"From what I see on the map, it's true this is the place, do you see the path ahead?, it seems that is the way"
Anna stood behind them, her hair still a bit messy from the landing earlier, her finger which was chafed from gripping the train door had been wrapped in a torn cloth from the edge of her clothes by Liana.
They entered the forest. The first step past the tree line brought a quite noticeable change, the temperature dropped a few degrees, the sound of the wind from the open field disappeared, replaced by a deeper and more vibrant silence. Above their heads, the tree canopy closed off most of the sky, leaving only slivers of light falling diagonally to the ground.
Dex put his hands in his pockets, walking with relaxed shoulders as if he were strolling through a park, however, the wind around his ankles swirled subtly, sweeping away dry leaves before his shoes touched the ground.
The three of them were truly astonished and at the same time mesmerized seeing how Dex could have such an impressive and extraordinary level of control. They could not understand how it was possible for someone to cast magic so casually, but praising him would surely only make him arrogant, so they preferred to ignore it.
They walked in silence for the first few minutes, only the sound of footsteps on the damp earth and the occasional branch snapping under a shoe.
"You said earlier the Creon won't bother us if we don't bother them" said Liana, her eyes never stopping moving left and right, scanning the gaps between the tree trunks. "How sure are you about that?"
"Quite sure" replied Van.
"How quite?"
Van thought for a moment. "Come on just trust me, besides nothing is happening, right"
Liana turned toward him with a gaze that could freeze water. "That's not a convincing answer"
"But that is the fact, isn't it?"
They continued walking, the forest grew denser as their steps moved away from the edge of the path. The tree trunks that were previously standing apart now began to grow closer, their roots locking together under the ground to form bumps that had to be stepped over. Thick moss coated large rocks along the trail, and from a distance, the sound of flowing water was occasionally heard.
Van walked while occasionally glancing at his map, although he more often folded it and put it back in his pocket when the path ahead was clear enough. Anna followed right behind Dex, her eyes scanning right and left in the way of someone who had never walked in a real forest before. Liana closed the line, her hand never far from the hilt of her sword.
"Dex" Anna said, while whispering. "What are the Creon actually like? I've only ever read about them, in books"
"I haven't seen them either" replied Dex, his eyes still on the map. "Books usually describe them as savage creatures that eat humans alive"
"So they eat humans?"
Dex only shrugged and shook his head, he nudged Van who was beside him to answer.
"Actually, almost all of them eat humans. However, I heard the Creon species in the forest don't do it, they prefer to sleep rather than spend their energy looking for prey" Van folded the map partially, adjusting it to their current position. "Not because they are unable, but because there is a much better choice, so we should be safe if we don't disturb them"
Anna processed that analogy for a moment. "That's... not very reassuring"
"Come on just relax, besides there's no other choice but to pass through this path"
They walked further into the forest, and the light that previously still broke through the gaps in the tree canopy was now decreasing. Not because the sky was cloudy, but because the trees here grew more densely, the ground under their feet changed from hard to slightly springy, full of layers of leaves that had long since rotted into something more like peat soil.
Anna stepped on a protruding root and almost lost her balance. She caught Dex's arm, nearly making him fall too. Fortunately, Dex coated the ground with his wind magic, making them float instead of falling.
Dex stabilized Anna's position with minimal hand movements, letting the airflow support their body weight for a moment before planting their feet back on more solid ground. Anna released her grip with a slightly flushed face, her murmur of thanks barely audible amidst the rustling of leaves.
"Please watch your step" Dex said while brushing off dust from his clothes.
Anna lowered her body and quickly moved closer to Liana.
Liana glared at Dex, as if he had made a mistake
Van stopped for a moment, holding his map high to catch the remaining light that was increasingly dim. "We are almost at the heart part of the forest. If what's written on the map is true, we should arrive after we pass it"
Liana, who had been the most alert all along, took a step ahead of Anna and held her sword
"Look around you, Van. This forest is too quiet. Even the birds that were singing on the edge of the forest are no longer heard. Silence like this usually indicates a large predator is watching, or something far more dangerous is sleeping nearby"
Although Van tried to deny it, Liana was right. That silence was no longer just the absence of sound, but a weight pressing against the ears. If at the edge of the forest the air felt fresh and inviting, here the air felt heavy.
"Keep your voices low" whispered Van. His usually relaxed tone of voice had now turned serious, full of a caution he had never shown before. "We are in their sleeping territory"
Dex nodded slowly. He could feel the change through the flow of wind magic at his wrists. The air here offered no resistance, yet felt very dense, but that was an advantage for him, that way he could more easily control the wind around him. He glanced at Anna who looked pale, the girl was trying hard to regulate her steps so as not to make the slightest sound on the pile of fallen leaves.
"Van, you said they prefer sleeping to looking for prey" Anna began her speech with a very subtle voice, almost like the softest rustle of wind. "But, what makes them able to sleep so soundly in the middle of an open forest like this? I mean, shouldn't creatures as strong as the Creon always be alert toward their territory?"
"It's the Somnium flower" explained Van in a suppressed voice. "That flower releases pollen that works as a high-level natural sedative, and nutrients, for living beings with a metabolism as fast as the Creon, that aroma is an invitation for an endless hibernation. That's the reason why this forest is called the fog forest. Not because of water vapor, but because in certain seasons, that pollen will fall so heavily that it forms a blue mist covering the entire forest floor. Luckily for us, right now is not the pollen autumn season, so we only smell the remnants of it"
Liana furrowed her brows, her hand still remained on the sword hilt, yet she tried to loosen her grip so as not to make Anna even more afraid.
"Hey Van wouldn't it be fun if we made a little noise" Dex whispered toward Van.
Van immediately stopped his friend's nonsense. "Stop your nonsense Dex, the Creon in this forest are very strong, if we fight them it's the same as making our own graves"
Dex knew that, he had also felt their presence since earlier, their number almost reached hundreds, but didn't he adventure to seek a story, what interesting story could he get if there was only peace?
Suddenly, Anna stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened looking toward the right, to a gap between two giant banyan trees. There, under a very thick pile of moss, a very large shape was visible. At first it looked like a chunk of granite rock, but when they looked closer, the rock seemed to rise and fall slowly, so slowly it was almost invisible if not looked at carefully.
Van made a gesture to stay calm, and stepped slowly.
Among the dark green moss, a piece of scaly hard skin with a dark metallic color was visible. That was a Creon. A creature that had long been considered a terrifying monster for villages and kingdoms, but now one of the strong species among them. Now, it was just a few meters from where they stood, fast asleep in a slumber so deep that it didn't realize the presence of three trembling humans.
Dex could feel the tension peaking within Anna. Cold sweat flowed on the girl's temples.
'hahaha her expression is very funny, should I prank her a little?'
However he immediately cleared that thought from his mind, Dex immediately walked following Van's steps.
"Why don't we just walk around?" Anna asked when they were a bit away from that spot, her voice still as soft as a whisper. "Why do we have to pass the path so close to them?"
"Also this forest has a unique structure. The part we are passing now is the only solid ground that can hold a human's weight. On our left and right sides, behind those dense trees, are actually deep swamps covered by a blanket of leaves. If we stray even a little from this path, we will sink in quicksand before having a chance to call for help. And those swamps are where they usually sleep if we pass them maybe there will be more of them"
The journey continued for almost an hour. The light in the heart of the forest was consistent in its gloom, creating an atmosphere as if time were standing still. They passed several more "mounds" that they suspected were Creon, but thanks to Van's hard work they were able to pass them safely.
Until finally, the stinging smell of wet earth and the aroma of sedative flowers began to fade. The air began to feel lighter, and from a distance, a flash of bright white light began to appear between the increasingly thinning rows of trees. That was the end of the heart forest territory.
"Look" whispered Van with a suppressed tone of relief. "We've passed the core area"
Their steps became a bit faster, yet remained alert. When they finally emerged from the dense tree line boundary, the warm afternoon sunlight greeted them on a small hillside overlooking a wide valley below.
The sound of birds was heard again, and the fresh mountain wind swept their faces, carrying away the feeling of tension that had squeezed their chests for hours. Anna sat down on the green grass, exhaling a long breath that it seemed she had been holding since first entering the fog territory.
"Finally fresh air" Anna breathed in the air with a feeling of relief.
Liana sheathed her sword back with a satisfying click sound. She looked toward the forest they had just left. From outside here, the place looked beautiful again, green, and calm, as if there had never been any danger.
"You were right about one thing, Van" said Liana while turning toward the youth. "They indeed don't bother if we don't bother them. But I'd rather face ten fully armed soldiers than have to walk on tiptoe beside a sleeping Creon again"
Van chuckled softly. "I'm never wrong am I? but I don't want to do it again either, it was very scary, my legs trembled several times in front of them"
Dex became the only unenthusiastic one among them. "That was very boring, I should have woken them all up"
"Stop saying nonsense" Van gently hit his friend's head.