To Willoguard

Instinct had gotten really attached to the Hercules beetle clock. Saif struggled to return it to its proper shelf because Instinct wouldn’t let go of his hand! When he did finally put it back, Instinct kept casting long-suffering glances at it, circling back to its shelf every time he tried to leave it be. Saif gave in, and agreed to carry the Hercules with him while he continued to look around, even after the metal shopkeeper laughed at him and called him a child.

When it was time to leave, the shopkeeper spared him.

“It seems you’ve resonated with Hercules, little one.” It chuckled, “take it with you. My store is nearing its end anyways, and you shall give it the appreciation it deserves much more than being on the shelf ever would.”

Saif laughed, a bright, unburdened sound that bubbled out of him without his permission. He laughed? He laughed!

Saif smiled at the shopkeeper, earning her warm smile in return. “Go along. Tell your little bug friends that Auntie Brass has some fun clocks to share.

It was still dark when Saif left the clock store. Hercules beetle in one hand, map out in the other, and Instinct making gentle clicking noises he interpreted as a purr. He intended to wander some more before he headed back to the tavern. Saif took a side road to walk through the outskirts and get a better look of the residential zone. Saif had an interest in city design, he realized. Did he design cities in his normal life? No, not quite. Did he simulate that somehow?

His thoughts were cut short when Instinct stopped purring. It closed the beetle, pinning it to his cloak, and raised his sword.

Steps followed behind Saif as he continued to walk through the outskirts. They got louder, closer, but no one was there whenever he turned around. Saif had enough of exploring for one day.

Saif zoomed through the town, rushing back to the tavern by taking large leaps over the buildings to get there as fast as he could, but the stalker was still hot on his heels.

He was lucky to bump into Shay Kha when he did. The stalker hesitated, prioritizing their anonymity over catching Saif. Instinct warned him not to follow his curiosity and let the stalker fade into the darkness.

A part of Saif knew that the sun wouldn’t come out for some time.

When Shay Kha had gone to sleep, he waited for the sun to rise, watching it from the window, but the moon made no sign of leaving. What could that mean for the Greater Beings that commanded them?

Shay Kha woke up in the darkness. “Good morning, Hero. Or night, I suppose.” She huffed, gathering her belongings from where they were strewn about. She asked if she overslept, but Saif confirmed that it truly was an issue with the night sky.

“I can’t stay here any longer.” She paced, “I need to send my message. My evaluation is soon, still. We’ll have to cross the Thicket through the night. I need to see Laiton again.”

She stopped, turning towards him still standing in the window sill, illuminated by the moonlight. “You’ll protect me. I needn’t worry. You’re a hero.”

Shay Kha calmed enough for them to head out. Instinct kept twitching, waiting for the stalker to appear, though they never reared their head. They left the safety of Fayspass, taking the overgrown dirt paths towards the deep city of Willoguard.

Saif expected Shay Kha to start rambling once more, but the nerves had taken away her ability to speak. She walked with her amulet clenched between her teeth, raising her lantern and flinching at every noise in the forest. The walk was dark for them both. Though the moon was big and bright, the thick foliage made it nowhere near bright enough for comfort. The flickering lantern could only do so much.

“Stay close to me, okay,” she muttered, “m-make sure you can see me clearly. Don’t stray off the road. Don’t you know what’s out there?” They continued to walk, Shay Kha only speaking up with what she knew about the forest after he defeated a monster.

“Th-theres a city of monsters to the northeast, clinging to the shadows of the mountain. I heard Phileas say that the m-monsters are spreading all over the capital from there. He wanted to start a m-monster hunting guild to take them out and split the profits. I told him we need a license first, he said we could fake it. Never trust a word that man says.” She told him when he took out a hoard amber slime, smelling of natural tree sap.

“The rivers that split the forest from the plains run south to the ocean. Some say that the river is what carries the m-monsters all over the capital. I heard about the bridge debacle from the tavern-goers. They say the m-monsters jumped at them from the water. A Saxish tried to break the bridge to stop them from advancing but fell into the river instead. They survived however, it takes a long time for rock people to erode.” She told him when he took out a dark green form of the leathery monster type, this one having sap coursing through its veins.

“Every young Magikos and Florian are told to stay away from the center of the Thicket. A mysterious phenomenon takes place there long before the Greater Beings took the land. Youth that would play there attempting to learn the truth for themselves would return half-dazed and fall ill for days with no memory of the past few years of their lives. Others lost their minds completely. Most that ventured in that direction are yet to return.” She said after a rough encounter with a group of slimes and leathers both, though they were no match for Saif and Instinct.

That piqued Saif’s attention. He pulled out his map for Shay Kha to point to the area.

It was to the east of the road they were taking, in the exact center of the Archaic Thicket. It had a river of water flowing towards it from the top of the mountain, but it unexpectedly disappeared. Saif zoomed in, trying to see what was behind it, but the map grew blurry with the lack of information. He tried to ask, but was re-told that no one knew what was going on, and to stay away.

As soon as Shay Kha was safe, he was going directly to the center of the Archaic Thicket.

Though the sky never changed, they spent more than a day walking. Saif could tell by how exhausted Shay Kha had become. Her steps slowed, and her musings after each wave of monsters had stopped entirely. She didn’t ask for a break, even when she ate her meals, desperate to keep moving forward, and without a sign of daylight on the horizon, Saif couldn’t blame her.

Willoguard was beautiful in the dark, illuminated by glowing plants and fairy lights, welcoming in a way none of the forest had been. Since it had no gates or walls, Saif could get a peek at the city up ahead to see what was in store for him. He saw wooden houses, giant trees and even a castle in the distance, but as they got closer, the illusion disappeared.

Saif found himself standing at the edge of nothing but a plain field with a lone tree. He looked around, finding that Shay Kha had disappeared as well. Wondering where she could have gone, Saif retraced their footsteps, running around the tree a few times. Moments later, Shay Kha reappeared from behind the tree.

“My apologies. I completely forgot about this security thing. The Florians hate bugs even more than we Magikos. They say bugs eat through them like disease. Come in.” Shay Kha grabbed his hand and pulled him behind the tree.

Instantly, the illusion of the city became a reality, accompanied with smells that made him want to sneeze. He walked through, pincer in hand with Shay Kha as she raced through town, running fast enough to be carrying Saif all the way to a suburb. She led him to a large home detailed with intricate wood carvings in every aspect of the house, from the fence, to the windows, to even the door. Shay Kha didn’t waste a moment slamming it open. “LAITON!” She screamed, barely walking into the entryway.

The sound of rushed steps thundered upstairs. Shay Kha opened her arms wide to receive her partner who fully launched themselves at her at the speed of light halfway down the stairs.

Saif tried to give them some privacy. Considering Shay Kha still hadn’t let go of him, he was dragged into the confines of the hug. It was tough, but he did block out their hushed whispers.

When the two separated, Shay Kha finally let go, sending him tumbling to the soft rug below. Shay Kha produced a wooden box out of her inventory and presented it.

“I got it,” she smiled, teary. The human covered their mouth in surprise. Oh no, Saif really shouldn’t be here. He tried to scoot out the open door without making too much noise. “Laiton, my beloved. Finally, I’ve acquired it. You won't have to live your life in fear of exile any longer.”

Saif made it to the front porch, and after a quick debate, he shut the door almost all the way behind him. He turned around, finding himself back in the barren field of the Archaic Thicket. Without Shay Kha’s presence, it seemed like the city kicked him out.

Saif pulled out his map, located the danger zone and started walking.