The Untold Forest

by Elisa Menz

  The events of the day strained his muscles, and dark thoughts plagued his mind, but Regn’s next words made his blood run cold.

  “Where is Maeve?”

  Maeve

  She stirred in her sleep, burying her fingers in the soft material in which she lay. The warm and humid air made her nose tickle. Her fuzzy memories only added to her confusion, and a persistent headache forced Maeve to keep her eyes closed to avoid the dim light.

  “Hakken...?” She croaked while rubbing her eyes. How long did I sleep? Maeve blinked, adjusting to the brightness while her surroundings took shape. A modest, round cave, lit up by the sunlight coming from a small opening on the wall. She laid on a bed of fresh green leaves, completely alone. Or so she believed because as soon as she sat, a violent roar scared her half to death.

  Letting out a scream, Maeve whirled and jumped out of bed to face a young woman firmly tied up with vines against a boulder. Crouched on the ground, she snarled and screamed at her.

  Her rapid breathing took a while to slow down, and when she calmed enough to think again, Maeve studied the woman in front of her. A young half-breed, strong and healthy, even though scrawny and covered with dirt. The red and white war paint on her face identified her as a mountain half-breed.

  After witnessing the strange behavior of the dying warrior back at the village, Maeve wondered about the nature of their violence. Hakken, Regn, and the others never displayed this kind of pointless aggressiveness. Were the mountain half-breeds affected by some foreign force? This was a chance to learn something important, and since the woman was restrained, she squared her shoulders and stayed put.

  Maeve kept an eye on her while she thrashed and screamed. The half-breed woman fought with her bonds and tried to claw at her with raw and raving anger. She resembled a deranged beast.

  But every once in a while, her body would go slack, and barely audible whimpers would replace her snarls before starting to shake and be filled with anger once more.

  “What is happening to you?” She sensed the same emotions coming from her in waves; anger, fear, regret. But mostly fear.

  She didn’t dare go near her. “I wish you would let me help you.” Without making a sound, a pair of cool arms wrapped around her waist, sending her heart into a frenzy once more.

  A cascade of silver hair slid over her shoulder as a mellow voice breathed in her ear. “Good morning, precious.” Maeve shoved the man away, jumping to land dangerously close to the restrained warrior. Before the half-breed tore her eyes off her face, the snake-like man pulled her from harm.

  “Careful now, my love. I’m afraid she is not doing all too well.”

  Maeve staggered away from his grip and circled the cave, trying to find an opening to escape, or at least stand as far as possible from both of them. “Who are you? Why did you bring me here?”

  “Oh, how discourteous of me! Allow me to introduce myself.” The man curtsy and rose with a flamboyant wave. “My name is Astika of the Naga, and I’m your husband.”

  Maeve couldn’t sense any kind of malevolence coming from him, nor did he appear to be joking. All things considered, he was the most polite person she had met so far.

  But he was clearly out of his mind.

  “Listen, Astika... I am glad to meet you, but I’m not your wife, and you need to take me back to my friends.”

  “To that dangerous place? No, no, no, my love. I can’t risk your good health. Not you, and not my other bride, even though she still wants to eat me alive,” he grinned.

  Maeve blinked, confused. “Do you mean her? Your bride?”

  “Oh, please, darling, do not allow jealousy to upset you. The day before, Astika was walking around, looking for his new brides, when a great army sneaked into the burning village... I reckon it wasn’t burning at the time...” The naga trailed off before shrugging and continuing with his story.

  “Everyone screamed, fought, and killed. So rude! Astika found this beautiful creature away from the others, wriggling with pain.” He sent a heavy-hearted glance towards the half-breed.

  “Is she wounded?” Maeve inspected her, finding no sign of damage on her body.

  “No, not wounded. She was in pain, scrubbing the nasty red dust from her skin. But the dust kept crawling back. It took Astika a lot of effort to make her sleep.”

  Maeve pondered on this additional information, supporting her suspicions. The red dust was not only responsible for their extraordinary strength and healing capabilities. It seemed to control their will as well.

  After what she witnessed and experienced in the village, the possibility the mountain half-breeds had not gone to war willingly was no longer inconceivable. Maeve moved to face the naga. She had no time to waste. “Astika, I need to leave. Now.”

  With a broad, charming smile on his face, Astika walked to her side and leaned over to lift her chin. “My lovely does not understand. Astika must look after his brides. We wait for the night to travel to my palace, yes?”

  Before she argued back, the small opening in the cave wall crumbled under the pressure of two mighty hands. Her captor jumped in front of her, shielding her from whoever was trying and succeeding in breaking the rocks. Maeve crouched and covered her head to avoid the pebbles and the dust.

  The light poured through the now huge opening, causing Astika to squirm. “Ugh! You, my lord, should learn how to make a more subtle entrance.” The dust settled after a few seconds. Maeve coughed, peeking from behind Astika to the newcomer. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined a more breathtaking creature.

  The imposing male took a couple of steady steps amidst the rubble. His body resembled that of a stag, far taller and wider, and the torso of a man rested on his front legs.

  Is he a centaur? Maeve wondered. But no, centaurs didn’t have antlers. Magnificent antlers of blinding white pearl shone under the sun. The skirt of his tail was different too. Instead of hair, bright feathers cascaded to the ground in a myriad of colors. The fur on his body was black with blue highlights, and those same highlights outlined the muscles of his torso.

  The man’s face was the most beautiful she had ever laid eyes on. His long eyelashes caressed his high cheekbones, emphasizing his elegantly straight nose. His thick, sensual lips complimented his glorious face perfectly.

  Long locks adorned his head, falling in careless perfection over his broad chest. His hair was pitch black, with the same bluish features as his mane. And his eyes.

  Maeve didn’t understand how she managed to stand still under his disarming stare. Beautiful, bottomless black eyes, filled with a faint, deep light resembling stars. Like looking at a moonless night sky.

  His entire body glowed. The sheer power emanating from him made her realize she was standing in front of some sort of divinity.

  “Astika.” The authority and dominance in his deep voice made her falter. In front of her, the naga twitched.

  “Ugh... I believe we agreed not to compete in matters of the heart anymore, my lord.”

  The otherworldly man smirked. “This is different. In your palace, you can enjoy the company of 396 brides who are more than happy to warm your bed. I require these two girls in particular.”

  Things were rapidly spiraling out of control. Maeve trusted she could manage the snake-man, but this new captor wouldn’t be so easy to escape. “No! You took my redhead mermaid last season. I’m keeping this blonde beauty for myself!” Pouting, Astika moved to pick her off the ground.

  “Naga!” If the frown on the stag’s face was not enough to make him oblige, the thunderous voice certainly convinced him. Maeve could swear the walls of the cave trembled under the power of his voice. The naga let her go and quickly scampered out of the cave, grumbling to himself.

  Before taking her chance to escape, the stag closed in on her. “You need not fear, Maeve, I mean no harm.” He smiled, talking with a soothing tone. “You can trust me. My sister suggested seeking you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m fairly sure I haven’t me
t your sister. I think I will remember,” she said, looking up and down at him.

  The stag chuckled, the most endearing laugh.

  Focus, Maeve! You need to escape. No time to revel in his laughter. She needed to go back to Hakken and the others.

  “We do not resemble much, I must concede.” He extended a huge hand to her. “Perhaps I might convince you some other way.”

  Maeve hesitated, but the stag leaned over, motioning for her to take his hand. “I beg you to trust me. This will free us from any misunderstanding.” She begrudgingly placed her palm in his, and the emotions crashing on her were sudden and overwhelming. An immeasurable pool of knowledge, experience, and feelings coursing through thousands of years, beyond the beginning of time itself.

  Even though her head was spinning, she sensed the strong resemblance to another being she had recently encountered.

  “The Tree. Your sister is... the Tree?”

  “Precisely, my darling. We chose to adopt different appearances to suit our desires and needs. We perceive our own little world from different perspectives.”

  She took deep breaths, parting from the stag, and holding a hand to her chest, not sure how to feel about this new knowledge. “You two are most unusual.” How many of those uncanny creatures would she come across? How come such almighty beings roamed around in the Forest? She felt incredibly insignificant after encountering these siblings, but there was no point dwelling on these thoughts. Escaping was out of the question, so she would need to convince him to let her go. Still, his last words echoed in her mind. “I’m sorry, you said... ‘your own little world’?”

  He nodded with leniency. “We created it, after all. It’s fair to say it is ours.”

  Maeve rubbed her temples, fearing the new headache beginning to form. “The Ancients created the world.”

  From his height, the stag gave her a seductive smile. “You are correct, Maeve. I knew you were a smart one.”

  CHAPTER XXIX

  GODS AND BLOODY NOSES

  Maeve

  Time seemed to stop after hearing those words. An Ancient stood in front of her? Maeve considered laughing at him, asking for evidence, angrily accusing him of trying to trick her. But why fight it? After sensing his immense power when she touched him, Maeve was certain beyond any doubt he wasn’t a common creature. “All right,” she said, “what should I call you, sir?”

  The stag blinked, visibly shocked. “That’s it? You simply believed me? ‘What should I call you, sir?’ Is that all you have to say?” The look of bewilderment on his face was hilarious, considering he was a god.

  Exhausted and annoyed for having to explain herself, Maeve shrugged. “Yes, I do. I mean, after what I’ve seen this past three months, you are likely to be one of the Ancients. Now, can you please let me go so I can find my friends?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. His voice boomed in the cave once more. “I promise you, young one, I will make sure I reunite you with those you seek. But first, I need your aid.”

  He then turned to the half-breed woman, safely bound. Her eyes glowed with fear, mixed with that inexplicable anger.

  “Do you recognize it, Maeve? Her battle?” Maeve stood next to him, both facing the woman. “She is possessed and subdued by a cruel force, but spite her fear, she fights with all her strength.”

  Maeve reached with her magic, trying to find and unravel the emotions swirling in the young woman. The silent plea for help tugged at her mind, a desperate cry gripping her heart. “How can we help her?”

  “My sister told me about your magic. You can sense other’s emotions and transmit your own through touch.”

  “That is correct,” Maeve nodded, “but I haven’t practiced much, and I don’t know how this can help her.”

  “The dust corrupts her emotions. That anger, that aggressiveness, is not her own. She is struggling to be free of those, to be free of the red dust. You can help her.”

  “How?” Maeve cast a hopeful glance at him. “Tell me what to do.”

  He leaned towards her and took her hand in his. “She knows what she needs, she wants to be free. You can guide her own emotions forth, overpowering the will of the dust.”

  “Would that be enough?” She had tried nothing like that before, so she didn’t have the confidence.

  “You are strong, little Maeve, and her will is firm. Together, the two of you will prevail.” He placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “You, my children, are not alone. We will be by your side.”

  The ground shook as roots rose, breaking through the dirt and rock, before coiling firmly around the half-breed woman’s arms and chest. Maeve recognized the shape and color of the stem. The Tree had reached to protect them.

  Knowing the Ancients would help, she knelt in front of the woman to gaze into her eyes. The half-breed kept growling and baring her fangs at her, but her scared eyes didn’t leave hers for a moment. Maeve placed her hands on her cheeks, her grip firm but gentle.

  The will of the half-breed came to her, clear as daylight. She didn’t hear any words, but Maeve sensed her calling and reached for her consciousness. The sensation resembled pulling someone from underwater. The weight of the woman’s emotions was being dragged and hidden under the power of the dust. They clashed against it.

  Maeve closed her eyes to concentrate, and the tingling dust crawled on her skin. No! Don’t you dare mess with my will! She crushed it in anger, sweeping it away with the force of her magic while remembering the horrific things it had forced the mountain half-breeds to do.

  She had to help her escape! The woman’s will pushing against the grip of the dust grew strong, and she gained terrain. Maeve’s eyes shot open as the last push elicited a victorious yell from her lips. The vile red dust blasted from the woman’s skin, floating inert and harmless towards the ground.

  They had won!

  “Yes!” Maeve dropped her hands, drained yet euphoric for their triumph. She reached to help the woman, but the roots of the Tree were already tearing apart her bindings. As soon as it set her loose, she fell forward, right into Maeve’s arms.

  “Woah! It’s all right. You can rest now, you are safe.” The woman was shaking, and Maeve turned to the stag with concern.

  He leaned over to inspect her before smiling at Maeve. “Do not worry, she is weary. She has been fighting for a long time.”

  While Maeve held the recovering half-breed, the stag used his magical prowess to salvage a spoonful of dust in a metallic vial.

  “T-Thank... thank you!” A raspy voice shook the woman’s body while she straightened up with difficulty. “Thank you!” Her words failed her when she was taken by sobs.

  Maeve hugged her, rocking her and whispering calming words. Her sobs merged with hiccups, and the half-breed girl struggled to speak. “I-I thought I was going to die! I thought I was going to... kill someone! Oh, goodness, I’m so relieved! So relieved!”

  “You are free now, we won’t let it get you.” Maeve cooed.

  Both women stared at each other, arms still wrapped around their shoulders. The half-breed smiled brightly at her. “You saved me!”

  Maeve smiled back. “I only helped a little, you were fighting fiercely.”

  “Of course, I was! Bloody thing. No one binds my will!” She took a moment to wipe her tears. “You are human.”

  Maeve flinched, worried about her reaction. “Does that bother you?”

  “Not at all! You just rescued me. I wouldn’t care if you were a carnivorous slug. You are a true friend!” She threw her arms around Maeve once more, laughing. “My name is Flyg.”

  “I’m Maeve.”

  “And I’m Hua.” Both turned to the Ancient, who was studying the vial with a frown. “We should go to my sister. I have a bad feeling about this dust, and only she can ease my fears.”

  Hakken

  He had never run so hard in his life. As soon as they discovered the trail of Maeve in the trees and the footprints of the one who took her, Hakk
en threw himself into a frantic search.

  Kniv stayed behind, still shaken by the death of Hurtig. He sent them off after agreeing to meet them back at the Warlocks’ dwelling. The old man promised to make sure the villagers had a proper farewell.

  The muscles in his legs felt like they were about to burst, and his lungs were on fire. But he couldn’t even think about stopping. Right beside him, Regn looked close to pass out from exhaustion, but he kept his same hectic pace.

  They were forced to stop when the trail led them to a rapid creek. The kidnapper had been smart enough to change his course to avoid detection, so they had to sweep the other shore to find the right way.

  “Fuck this! We’ll never find her if we keep stopping!” Regn was losing his patience, and Hakken was not in the mood for his outbursts.

  “Do you have a better idea? If we follow the wrong trail, we will lose more time!” Why was the boy with him? He wouldn’t have minded Kniv’s help, but Regn’s presence irritated him.

  “We wouldn’t have to rescue her if you had been more careful!” Regn snapped.

  “We had a lot to do! I can’t just tie her every time I’m not around!” Arguing was pointless, and even though there was a lot more he would have loved to scream at the annoying runt, he kept looking instead.

  “What makes you think she only has to be around you? She doesn’t belong to you! You might have brought her to the Forest, but she is not your mate!”

  Hakken stopped his search and turned to Regn, who was studying the ground near to him. “What is that supposed to mean?” His voice was dangerously calm as he pierced Regn with a frightful glare.

  But the young man didn’t cower, walking to meet Hakken with a scowl instead.

  “You know damn right what I’m saying! Stop acting like she is yours. You don’t deserve her. You have been a pathetic excuse of a man all these years, not caring for anyone else but yourself.”