Side Story: Hunting in the Eternal Forest by Aria, The Goddess of Creation – part 1
1686 Words
One afternoon in Seya’s house. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was high, not too much heat, a perfect day, one would say.
Seya was already fourteen years old and he was checking his hunting gear, preparing to his exit for the Eternal Forest later that day.
While thinking about what he was forgetting, he remembered that he didn’t stop lately on the Palace of Rohan to see the progress of the Princess on Magic Control.
“Mother, I am going to the Palace to make a surprise to Princess Heiji.”
“Oh, send my regards to the King, okay? Don’t be late. Remember that this evening you are supposed to go hunt with your father, remember?”
“I would rather go alone. Father is too slow”
“He’s not slow, he’s careful!”
Seya rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right... Last time if he was faster, we could have caught that big bear!”
“And if any of you returned hurt, I would have killed your father!”
“What, do you think that father is careful because he’s afraid of you?”
“He better be afraid of me! Very afraid!”
Seya started to gather his Magic, throwing to the empty space in front of him a Light circle that started to spread until it made a perfect door frame.
He then threw a small Dark ball that enlarged in the centre of the Light frame. “I am going! ||...Gateway open… to Princess’ room…|| “Hello, Princess!”
The Gateway was there, a perfect connection to the Princess’s bedroom in the Royal Palace at two days ride by horse carriage. The Gateway was Seya’s most advanced Magic, it could easily connect him to a place that he remembered and it was just a perfect door frame that when the Dark Magic completely filled the Light frame, it showed the other place as if Seya was standing in front of an open door.
Inside that room there was Princess Heiji, sitting on a chair in front of her dressing table, practising diligently her Magic Control.
She was already ten years old and she was practising like Seya taught her, four years ago. “Big brother! What a nice surprise! Hello, Great Healer!”
“Hello, Princess. Seya, mind the time, okay?”
“Yes, mother! ||...Gateway close…||"
Immediately following that thought, the Gateway Magic started to disperse, like if it was just smoke being blown gently by the wind. It soon disappeared, leaving no trace.
Princess Heiji was curious about that strange farewell from Seya’s mother. “Time for what?”
“I am going to hunt this evening, with my father. We are going after some wolves that are attacking people that go to the Eternal Forest.”
“Oh, that sounds so much fun! Can I go?”
“Of course not! Are you crazy? Your father or my mother would kill both of us!”
“Only if they found out... I am not going to tell!”
“Me neither!”
“In that case, at which hour are you coming to pick me up? Please”
As soon as the Princess said that, Seya knew immediately. She always did the same thing when she wanted something absurd from him, looking at him while smiling, her eyes with a glow, anticipating. Seya could never say no to such eyes! After all, for the past years, she had become like a younger sister to him, one that he loved very deeply and cared for. Of course, he would spoil her! That’s what a big brother is supposed to do!
“... at 23h00. We are going to meet my father at the border of the Eternal Forest. Dress accordingly. And bring a dagger and a sword. Don’t forget that leather armour of yours, not the heavier one made of metal!”
“Okay, I will finally be able to test my Magic on a hunt! Oh, I can’t wait!”
“Behave yourself! If you get too excited, the King will notice!”
“You’re right! Okay, I will remain completely calm, just training my Magic Control.”
“Perfect. I am going, so that the King doesn’t find my visit here too suspicious. See you later!”
…
At night, Seya went to meet his father at the Guard Sentry Office near the Eternal Forest. There were other Village Guards there, preparing to form groups for that dangerous mission. “Hello father.”
“Hello, Seya. Who is this little girl here?”
“Hello. It’s me! Quiet, I don’t want to be found out!”
“The Prin... Seya, what she’s doing here?”
“I went to visit her this afternoon and told her that we were going on a hunt and she begged me to come with us! I couldn’t say no. And I thought that we could use some help.”
“But Seya, this is going to be dangerous! Have you told her that we are going to hunt some wolves? And those guys are dangerous when they’re in a pack!”
“She’s at a level that if she wanted, she could enter this forest all alone and burn every single wolf in there. And we wouldn’t be able to sell their furs. Besides, I prefer to have a close look over this crazy Princess. I have been training her for the last years so that she can defend herself. This will be good practice for her on how to hold back when needed.”
“I suppose... but if your mother finds out”
Seya strongly shook his head. “I am not going to tell!”
And the Princess did the same. “Me neither!”
Rolland Hinamoto agreed but with a worried look. “Okay, let’s go then. In silence! We only need to make our presence noted when we are deep in the forest. Maybe with the sweet smell of the Princess, the wolves appear faster.”
“That’s what I thought when I choose this perfume! I want to attract them so that they become easier to be caught!”
Seya poked the Princess’s nose, warning her. “Remember to be very careful with your Fire Magic, Princess! We are in a forest, everything burns in here!”
“I am going to put to good use all my sword training with the Royal Guards!”
They entered the Eternal Forest together, making their own group. The other Village Guards in groups of five people, started to enter the Forest at different spots. They all knew the dangers that they were facing.
The Eternal Forest was a huge and deep forest and it was the domain of the Elfians. It spread to the West until the sea and to the East, reaching the Dwarfs Mountains. It was very large, more than 300 kilometres width and with so many vegetation that some spots were impossible to cross over without Magic. And even if the trees and the vegetation were cut, because of the soil was so fertile, in a few months it would have grown again. The Elfians tolerated the Humans entering in the Eternal Forest to hunt as long as they didn’t enter their hunting grounds or their villages. The Humans also knew that they couldn’t kill animals indiscriminately or damage the vegetation, but hunting animals that feed on Humans and Elfians, was a consensus. They all knew that such animals should be kept in low numbers or very soon, the Eternal Forest would become too dangerous.
It was in the middle of this forest that Seya, his father, and the Princess were searching for the wolf pack.
When they reached a very dark and deep part of the Forest, Seya’s father whispered near the Princess. “Princess, we are going to hide behind some trees, do you mind becoming bait?”
“Great! The first wolf is mine. If I get in trouble, I am counting on you.”
Seya was looking for a hiding place and whispered to her. “As soon as I see a wolf near you, I will make a pit for the other ones to fall into, using Earth Magic.”
Rolland Hinamoto whispered as well, while placing one hand on the Princess’s little shoulders, to reassure her. “And I will take care of the wolves that don’t fall. Princess, if you think that you are in trouble, burn everything. Seya will take care of putting the fires out.”
“Okay. Go hide, I just stay here, singing, like if nothing was wrong.”
…
The Princess waited, seated on a rock, playing with her sword while singing. “Lalala, lalala. La, la, lalalala.”
Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound coming from a bush not far from her.
The head of a huge grey wolf appeared from the middle of the bush, and he started to slowly walk towards the Princess while growling.
Rrrrrr…
That grey wolf was the first to appear and right after him, came more grey wolves that soon started to surround the Princess at a safe distance, just waiting for their pack leader to have the first kill of the day.
Princess Heiji held her sword and got ready, lowering her back and bending her knees, like she was taught by the Royal Guards, since a young age. “Here they are. Come here, you big and ugly wolf. I have a nice toy for you…”
Aurgghhhh!
Suddenly, the enormous grey wolf jumped at the Princess’ throat. The Princess was just waiting for that to happen, for as soon as the front paws where at a sword’s reach, the Princess jumped to the side and aimed at one of them. The wolf was hurt, but he didn’t lose a limb because as soon as the sword touched is fur, that big and experienced wolf retreated is paw, saving if from the certain cut.
“Almost got you there... Come here, try to eat me, ugly!”
Auurggghhhh!
- Writer
