The Forbidden Forest

Remove all ads!

The sun shone brightly on the chartreuse canopy above Kelvin. He sensed magic, although not uncommon in these parts, that seemed too powerful for any forest creature. Could it be a predator?

Kelvin decided to ignore his senses and to concentrate on the task at hand. Patient as he was, a sickening pressure of time weighed down on the young man. He had to find it before whatever was in the woods with him did...

 

Derek heard the cracking of twigs underfeet from the south. Someone had entered the wood. 'Not too dangerous' he said to himself.

 

Derek saw the two , the boy, and Rainette, when he stepped into the clearing. "Greetings, young man. What is your name?"

 

"My name is Nicolas", Nicolas said politely.

He noticed that he had something with him. He also noticed his shining armour and beautiful swords.

 

"I hope your intentions are not hostile, little boy. This wood has many powerful and sometimes very grumpy creatures." Derek said with a laugh. The way the sun was shining on Derek made him look like a small tree. His leather armor would be the bark, and all the leaves and twigs and leaves sticking out of him being his limbs.

 

Nicolas didn't say anything, he just watched the man in awe.

 

"Young man, is there something wrong?" Derek thought that maybe the boy sensed the other person who had entered the Forest. Derek could sense the boy's power, even at this young of an age, but didn't want to tell the boy, just in case he didn't know he had this power. "Nicolas, please tell me why you are here. It is important that you do so soon."

 

Nicolas felt compelled to humour the man. "I am searching for answers to questions of great importance to me."

 

"Well I may be of some help then. What are these questions?"

 

"I have a question of great importance, Derek-friend. What new tasty tastes do you have for me and new Nicolas-friend to eat?" Rainette opened his wide mouth and licked his eyeballs with his tongue, something that had never failed to produce a laugh, and a treat, from Derek-friend.

 

"Well Rainette," Derek said smiling," we've got wild mushrooms, coated in a nice dew, and the bark of maple trees boiled with the petals of roses. Pick one of the two for now, and I'll give you the rest later. As for the boy, I'll give him something you won't like, uh.. how about some salad, Nicolas? I didn't know you would be here, so I wasn't prepared, but I brought this for me to est, but I can just as easily whip something else up for me." Derek handed the treats to Rainette, and then offered the salad to Nicolas.

 

"Mmmn, maple bark boiled with rose petals." Rainette took them and popped them in his mouth, savoring the exotic flavor. "Thank you, Derek-friend, you always know how to make things taste so much better than they taste all by themselves. Maybe someday I will learn this too." He put a dab of his finger tip mucus on his back, then stuck the wild mushrooms on his back to save for later, since he wasn't wearing his harness with the pouch, but going all natural.

 

"Thank you, sir, but I cannot accept your kind offer. I have had my fill of wild parsnips early today. If this forest is as vast as I fear, we will need to ration our food."

 

"Suit yourself, young boy. Now do tell me your questions and your quest. Oh yes, and you can call me Derek."

 

"Oooh! A quest! Yes, Nicolas-friend, do tell. Uncle Krapo always had good stories of his quests. I would like to go on one too someday. They sound like lots of fun." Rainette sat down on all fours to listen.

 

Nicolas thought it best to divulge some of his past to the pair. They were peculiar, but nevertheless seemed trustworthy. He figured that having them as traveling companions would most likely prove quite useful.

“Very well. I know little of my past, only that I was separated from my parents at a very young age. I remember violence... and blood. I wandered for weeks in search of them, any clue to their whereabouts. Everyday was a struggle to survive. When winter came, my journey grew more difficult, still. I remember collapsing into a large spruce tree and blacking out. I woke up in a strange house. It was warm. Little did I know I had been in a coma for months. Eventually, I was told I had been found, comatose, by a logger in the woods and brought back to his village. A family took pity on me and grew to care for me as their own despite my being in a coma. They had lost their only son only two winters prior to my being found. After waking from my coma, I led a happy life in the village—that is, until one dark night I awoke to fire and smoke. Everything was gone; everyone was dead. Then I ran. I ran and ran until I forgot almost everything: the name of the village, the names of my family members and friends, my own name. I wanted to forget. One day, I came across and old man by the name of Nicolas Hydre. He was a wonderful man. We grew close. I told him everything I could remember of my past and he taught me everything I know: how to hunt, how to defend myself, how to find light in a world of darkness. He told me to search for answers, to find out about my parents, what happened to the village, and who I am. I was reluctant to do so. Nicolas and I just scraped by day to day, but I was more content than I had been for a long time. I was scared to face my past and look for answers, but Nicolas kept trying to help me. One cold night, Nicolas died. He was a strong man, but it was bitter cold that night and he was very old. I mourned and, in my mourning, I realized Nicolas had given me the strength and wisdom to seek out the answers to the questions that plagued me each night and that I must heed his will and do so. No longer could I live in darkness, live with my back turned to the past, I had to search for the light of truth. Taking Nicolas' name, I journeyed to the West where I believed my parents were from. I have journeyed far and have found precious little, but I will not give up hope. I cannot tell you why I have come to this forest, but if my informant is correct, I will find something that will help me in my quest for truth, here.”

 

" I heard a story like this on the wind; there was something about the Chosen One, and how his village was destroyed by a demon. I studied this and found out who the demon was. His name is Jiuty'fasfutionweszc Yuer." he said, then after examining the look of confusion on the two's faces, he said," But most people refer to him as Yuer."

 

Nicolas laughed at the name Derek had said. "Are you sure that's my village, mister?"

 

"Well, that's the only thing I've heard. Rainette, have you heard anything?"

 

"Yes, I am also interested in what you've heard Rainette."