As the gauntlets of my armor brushed against the petals of the patch of lungwort, making them bloom with a bright verdant hue, I stepped back with a satisfied smile looking at the surroundings through the slits of my helm.
The forest bloomed with pink daisies, red roses, and patches of wild flowers all around. The grass which had once been dry and lifeless was now perfectly green again with new life.
Bluebirds and sparrows were flying down to nip at the grass collecting worms for their young, their soft happy chirps were like a melody for my ears, a hard won melody.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the looming trees of the forest. Two woodpeckers were quietly pecking holes in the base of a particularly sturdy tree, red and black beetles were crawling under the roots. The Bluebirds and sparrows were gathering straws and thickets quietly rebuilding their nests.
In the distance I could hear the mischievous sounds of howler monkeys announcing that they had returned to their homes and were thriving.
This sight was a stark contrast to the previously decaying ground, dead grey trees, wilting lifeless flowers and malnourished dying animals.
I took a deep breath, the sweet air of the forest filling my lungs, and my shoulders immediately relaxed as I sat down cross legged on the ground, across from the patch of the purple lungwort flowers.
“There you go friends, you’re all better now.” I said, my voice blending with the sound of the strong morning breeze, my gaze lingered on the flowers through the slits of my emerald helm, I felt a pang of guilt for not being able to heal the forest faster and sighed.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, to all of you, there are things I am still learning to do.” I looked around then muttered in an uncertain tone, “I hope everyone can forgive me.”
A rustling sound from the bushes behind me made me turn in surprise, and I saw a mama grizzly bear emerging from the dense leaves of the shrubs. Her brown fur was ruffled and covered with a few leaves and dirt, as if she had been searching for something, or someone.
I realized the bear was looking expectantly at me with her black beady eyes.
“Oh, may I help you?” I asked in a gentle tone, I moved closer to her slowly so that I wouldn’t accidentally spook her, the bear let out a low growling sound, and I immediately recognized her, “Oh, you’re the mother of that sick cub from when I arrived. How are you doing?”
The mama bear didn’t answer. There was a strange aura emanating from the bear, like tiredness and worry I could feel physically in my being. I put a hand on my chest and I felt it. There was a sharp heaviness that indicated this mother was worried for her cub and wanted me to follow her.
I nodded in return, motioning her that I understood, and she disappeared in the thick green shrubs as if to lead the way back to her den.
I followed the mama bear, keeping a quick pace as I hovered after her through the rows of trees. I could see in the distance that she was making her way along a running river, and I quickly followed suit.
“Is everything alright?”
I asked her with clear concern, she silently kept leading the way, which made me even more anxious.
After a short time of trekking along the side of the river, she moved past a clearing and through a thick set of vines, we came across a large cave at the end of the dirt path. Its mouth was carved unevenly into a large rock formation; the surroundings were covered with moss and growing wild flowers.
I could feel the heaviness in my chest grow sharper as we neared the entrance of the cave.
“Poor thing.” I said under my breath,
I had healed her cub in the first week I had arrived. Back then, he was very pale, the fur from his coat was falling off and he was struggling to breath.
But when I had used my magic to heal him, his breathing had gotten better, the fever had broken, he was eating again.
But now, I realized perhaps I did not do a very good job, I should have been more watchful.
I shook my head, No, there was no time for feeling guilty now, I was a life weaver, the fae monarchy had trusted me with this duty solely because I had said I could handle it. I had to step up.
As soon as we entered the cave I saw the cub lying weakly on a thick bed of dried grass and my concern only grew as I saw the level of his paleness. This was even worse than before, his fur coat had patches of grey revealing the skin underneath. His breathing was much more labored.
The mama bear nudged her cub to try and wake him up letting out a low moan which I felt in my bones.
I immediately moved forward.
“Let me.” I said and the mama bear moved back slowly.
I put my palm on the back of the cub and he looked at me with bleary eyes as if feeling some calming sensation.
“Hello there, don’t worry, everything will be better soon. I promise.” I said, and a vibrant green hue emanated from my palm. As my magic flowed through the cub’s body I could feel him relaxing and my own heaviness was also starting to subside.
After a flash of a verdant glow, I moved my gauntleted right hand away slowly from his body. His breathing was normal now, and he no longer looked pale. But I didn’t relax yet as I had the last time. I waited for him to open his eyes.
After a few moments had passed by, the cub finally opened his eyes and looked up at me. I smiled back from behind my helm.
The mama bear rushed past me and immediately put the cub in her lap hugging him gently and the cub nuzzled against his mother, burying himself in a comforting coat of motherly love.
But the tender moment did not last long, the mother smacked the cub on his head in a scolding manner and the cub yelped and recoiled immediately. I was surprised as well, clearly there was some history here.
The bear let out a low scolding howl and the cub shrunk back and I immediately understood.
“You… You went off on an adventure the moment I healed you didn’t you?” I said with a mix of tiredness and fond exasperation, then I giggled softly, “you little rascal, do you know what kind of scare you gave us?”
The cub hid his face in his mother’s coat again as if to shield himself and the mother let out a low annoyed huff while smoothing his fur coat gently.
I stood up slowly, now feeling the fatigue slowly creeping in, I had used my magic quite rapidly since the morning began. My body ached under my armor with soreness in different parts of my joints, and I felt light headed.
Being in a corrupted place had already been draining, on top of that, I had seldom stopped to replenish my energy from the surrounding healed life. I had to learn to pace myself and not get lost in my impulsiveness, which was a habit that had been hard to break.
I had been feeling pressured to live up to expectations, ever since I became the new Life Weaver Sentinel, in the place of my late teacher - Danari. Doubts filled my head and sometimes I just felt I wasn’t good, fast or powerful enough.
“I should go now, be safe, both of you.” The mama bear acknowledged me with a grunt while the cub remained hidden in her fur. I smiled and gave a little wave before I turned to leave the den behind.
As I stepped out of the mouth of the den I felt the same heavy sensation again in my chest, but this time it was faint, as if coming from very far away, only this time it felt as if multiple little voices were calling out for help.
I took a deep breath and focused on finding out what direction this feeling was pointing me towards.
After a moment, with certainty I felt it.
East. At the edge of the Evergreen Forest.
I immediately took off in that direction flying high above the forest, as my magic carried me through the air, I could see the faint outline of a rural village in the distance. I increased my pace feeling the scenery of the forest rush past me.
After a while, I landed near the edge of the forest and looked out at the village.
It was a human village - more specifically Trindledome, one of several in the territory of the human Kingdom of Tribastas, a Kingdom that had grown closer in relations with the Fae Monarchy of Zelist.
I scanned the village environment from the edge of the forest carefully. I could see human farmers toiling in the fields, they were sowing new crops, and watering the ones that had already been sowed in the dirt.
I could see women gathering water in clay urns from the village well in a disciplined line.They were coming and going to their homes with large clay urns on their shoulders.
I could see hunters and gatherers transporting their meat and wares on carts which were being pulled by animals, so they could trade them for silver or gold in the city.
Everything looked normal on the surface, but the heavy feeling, the same one that had led me here had grown much stronger, and it suggested that something was very wrong here.
I was about to float towards the village, when a voice flashed into my mind instinctively bringing me to a sudden stop. It was the voice of my late teacher.
“You cannot bring a human into Fae territory unannounced and expect everyone to just accept it, have I taught you nothing?"
That specific memory was from the start of The Darkest War. I had saved a desperate human warrior and was unwittingly bringing him into Zelist for safety.
I remembered flinching and feeling small under the weight of my teacher's sharp eyes.
That feeling had now turned into a lesson, if those rules can apply with Zelist the same rules could also apply to Tribastas, No, I had to wait, no matter how much it pained me to leave whoever was suffering.
I could not risk causing a political incident, especially between two Kingdoms that had just begun to grow closer. I knew if I stepped into Tribastas’ territory now, there might be wards that would detect my magic, or people might simply realize something different has stepped among them.
No, I had to wait.
“I’m sorry. I will return. Please wait for me.” I said in a soft reluctant tone, I felt a lump in my throat but immediately swallowed it down.
It took every ounce of my effort to turn around, with a final glance at the village I sighed and took off.