34. Into The Enshrouded Forest

By now the road had smoothened out enough for them to hear the grass dance and the leaves of stray trees rustle in the wake of their caravans. The clopping of hooves did little to drown the sounds of nature.

They approached a towering wall of trees in the distance. A vast landscape of a mountainous forest sprawled almost as far as the eye could see. A distinctive blue haze coated these overgrown mountains, making it impossible to see what exactly laid further beyond even with the Eyes of Judgement.

The forest appeared haunted. Foreboding. It was eerie looking at it in comparison to the rest of the clear world. If it was anything like the Black Forest, then Frost needed to keep her wits about.

“Miss Hellen. Does your daughter know what sort of place we’re about to travel through?” Via suddenly spoke, turning around to briefly greet them with a stern look.

“For the most part.” She simply said.

“Let me ask again. Does she know about the Anids of those forests?” Via specifically asked.

“No, I’m afraid. As a mother, I don’t want her to be exposed to those things. Even verbally.”

“Miss Hellen. I regret to tell you that it’ll be impossible to avoid a confrontation with the Anid nest. I know most of you here can’t fight and want to get to your families as soon as possible, but please think about yourselves first.”

“… that’s easier said than done.” Calfasio admitted, sympathizing with Hellen’s parental instinct to protect her child. “But you’re right. We’re not really strong enough to fight in the first place. Isn’t that why we paid a gold coin for this trip?”

“We specifically wanted people who could fight.” Via reminded. “But we Patrons have a heart. No one wants to live in regret. What happened in Divas Pass is an extenuating circumstance. Couple that with the movement of the Anid and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. Still, that didn’t stop people like you Mister Calfasio. And neither myself.”

“You’re not trying to hide that we’re at a high risk of dying in the forest.” Frost slowly spoke. “No wonder you wanted us aboard.”

“Oh! But that’s half of it! Everyone – EVERYONE – calls me a liar, but in truth they’re all just scared. Jaris was afraid of you and your friend. He’s the type of guy to look strong on the outside but deep down those horror stories really get to his head.”

“I didn’t notice. I thought he was just abrasive to those tales.” Frost stated.

She actually did not notice that he was afraid. The month she spent absent from social interaction left her ability to read people’s emotions slightly weakened. It was either that or that man was in a masterclass of wearing facades.

“You… don’t believe in the Wandering Healer and the Wayfarer legend?” Via suddenly asked in a quiet voice. She was wary. Timid to even ask, but something compelled her to fight her hesitation. “I’m sorry if I keep harping on the same thing again and again. You’re probably sick of it already.”

“I wouldn’t know. Like I said, I’ve only heard of the tales. You sound adamant on them being real. Why, do you believe that we’re from that tale as well?” Frost narrowed her eyes critically.

“N-No. No, not at all. They can think what they want, but I know that it’s not you. Not anymore. Call me a liar or whatever, but I’ve seen them with my own eyes! And I’ll take that to my grave!”

The feathers of the Coat of Prejudice ruffled to her surprise.

“That legend was born out of desperation, and the vengeance of the healers. It’s not… something to say lightly.” Hellen gently pulled Alice into an embrace as she said this.

The mood’s taken a turn for the worse.

“And that’s why it’s a surprise you’re even helping us for so little. You must have a good heart.” Calfasio solemnly commended her.

“Good or not, I believe it is the duty of a healer to heal, no? Otherwise, what for do we have these powers?” Frost’s simple explanation left them stunned for some reason.

Did I say something wrong?

A strange silence brewed before Via turned back around and said with a voice filled with critique:

“Then you should come under the expectation of not being made a slave. They’re protected so heavily because of their inability to fight. That’s why in the urban legend they’re depicted as being protected by their Wayfarer. No one could seem to see them walk amongst the crowded streets. But I could. I can never forget the faces of the ones who pulled me out of my hell.”

She deeply exhaled, managing to recompose herself before she broke into a smile.

“That’s why I ran to you so suddenly. I’m still so sorry about it. You two definitely had similar appearances to them so I thought that maybe they had come back. A healer dressed in pale-white, and a Wayfarer clad in a black coat. It’s the complete opposite for you two.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just grateful that we were given an opportunity to ride along. But if you’re really sorry, then can I ask you a question?” Frost warmly smiled at this, causing Hellen to make a surprised face.

“Oh~ I thought you were sterner because of your eyes! You really are a woman after all~”

“What the hell did you take me for?” Frost laughed.

“A question?” Via hummed.

“Yeah. Are you familiar with the tale of the princess who ate from the forbidden tree?”

* * *

“That isn’t a tale. That’s our history. It’s how… things began to spiral out of control in the Kingdom of Puritas. And then the larger part of Grandis as a whole. Then, the fall of Paradise itself.”

The feathers ruffled when Via revealed this.

“The princess ate from the forbidden tree in the King’s sacred garden. When the King realized one of the fruits were missing, he gave out an order to find out whoever did the deed. Put one and two together and you have people being falsely accused left and right for a sin they didn’t commit.” Via’s voice echoed.

They were in the mouth of the forest before long. Pine trees rose like pillars into the sky, reaching up to tens of meters. The thick fog quickly separated them from the world like they had entered some sort of foreboding dimension.

“Do you believe that we should be judged for the sin of one, Miss Frost? Like it is inherited? I like to wonder myself.” Her voice echoed again.

Via did not expect an answer, and so Frost only listened to her agonized voice.

A permanent pale hue smeared the forest, making it impossible to see more than a few dozen meters ahead. Frost on the other hand, was able to see much further than this thanks to her eyes. However, that did not change the fact that she was still about as blind as they were.

“When they tied me down and took my precious things despite my pleas; they told me that my sins were already written down long ago. My voice was never heard. My screams replaced by written words I have never spoken. Our sins were written in blood all because one princess sucked out the sweet puss of an apple.” Via’s expression never changed.

The happy, eccentric woman she knew up to this point disappeared. A tortured soul replaced her as she wore eyes deader than a fish. There was untold agony in that absent gaze.

“… I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to make you dig up painful memories.” Frost solemnly uttered as the carriage suddenly fell silent.

The sorrow of this tale… no, their history ran deeper than blood. The magnitude of this tragedy was as far reaching as she realized. It was not just localized to the Black Forest and Paradise, but to all of Grandis.

“Oh please. Don’t waste your sorrow on me. There are people worse off in these lands. My story is as common as these trees. The Anids, Miss Frost. I hope you never have to see what they do to people. How they impregnate them with their eggs and weave their innards into strings.” Via warned, before suddenly slapping her cheeks as she shouted: “But You know! I have a new purpose now! Check this out, Miss Frost!”

She pulled out an item that caused Frost’s eyes to sparkle with awe. A blue, ethereal parchment of paper was held in her hand. Except this paper was made from a string of an unknown origin.

“Someone occasionally delivers one of these to me. Once a month, sometimes once a year. You Blessed probably know those people responsible. I only received this yesterday. Wanna know what it says?”

“You might as well tell me.” Frost smiled.

“Well, I won’t. because it’s. A. Secret!”

Her smile suddenly cramped.

… at least she seems fine now. She mentally sighed. Nav. What is that weird string-like piece of paper?

“It may be a Script. Surprising for one to exist so far away from the Emvita region.”

That doesn’t explain what it is.

“Exactly what its name implies. It is a script containing a set of commandments tailored for an individual. Should one fail to follow them then they will be killed within the hour. The cause is unknown. They are created by the technology of Act X; a product of the strings which cannot be cut, burnt, or damaged in any way.”

Should I be worried about what it says?

“That I do not know. The Scripts are an enigma.”

Clearing her throat, Frost asked but one question.

“Does it say anything about harming Jury or I? Or a betrayal?” Knowing how, for lack of a better word, weird the world of Elysia was; there was a chance that something sinister was written on that Script.

“Huh? Why the hell would it!?” Via exclaimed, almost insulted that she even asked. “I can’t believe you’d ask that! Look, I get you’re a healer, but can’t you just trust me a tiny bit more!?”

The feathers of her coat thankfully ruffled.