Chapter 21: Portal One
Irwin could barely enjoy the solid feel of his new boots as he walked beside Greldo while Wignut was turning smaller behind them. The small pack on his back gave him some comfort, as he knew it held a waterskin and some rations.
I wish they had also given us a coat, he thought as a gust of cold wind tousled his hair and pulled on the loose flaps of his jacket.
It wasn't the first cold breeze since they walked out into the windy planes beyond Wignnut. Gritting his teeth, he focused on their destination.
Ahead of them was what the locals called Sleepers Forest, a dark forest that stretched from the hill they had arrived at all the way to another hill a half day's travel away. Though smaller than Gloomforest near Malorin, Irwin saw the differences even from an hour's walk away.
Sleepers Forest had a dense undergrowth of large vines, while the forest was made up of tall, dark green, almost black-leafed trees packed densely together.
If I was going to die in a forest, I could have stayed home and just run into Gloomforest, he thought.
An hour later, he was standing still, out of breath, and his legs heavy from the unfamiliar weight of the boots. Greldo had been looking at him on occasion, seeming confused.
Ahead of them was the edge of the forest. Delwood turned and looked at their groups, his face expressionless. Behind him was a narrow, dark path leading into the forest.
"The first of the three portals is a ten-minute trek inside. Make sure to stay close together and don't wander off no matter what you see or hear. Any questions?"
To Irwin's surprise, Greldo stepped forward. "Do you know what type of portals there are?"
"Only one of the three was scouted, as it appeared a few days ago. The rangers haven't had the time to investigate the other two. The one we did scout seems to lead to a cavernous aquatic area filled with plants and swampy areas."
There was a bit of excited chatting from one of the groups while a slender, black-haired boy nodded at the others with a weary grin on his face.