Chapter 50: Servant of the Forest
The figure floating in front of him, who looked like a goddess, is a dryad.
She is completely covered in a bright green light that looks like it’s glowing right out of her skin.
Her eyes shine with the same neon green with long, pointed ears that peek out from her messy hair, making it clear she’s not human.
And also a bright green crystal on her forehead that makes her look magical.
Even the leaves in her hair and the ones she’s holding in her hands are lit up, casting a strong glow that washes over her arms and face. It’s like she’s the source of all the light in this dark forest.
Tiny glowing dots float all around her body, sticking to her hair and her dress as if she’s made of pure energy.
This light doesn’t just light her; it completely wraps around her, making it look like she’s part of the forest itself and glowing with its life.
Her clothes look like they were woven right out of the forest, made from thin vines and dark green leaves that wrap tightly around her.
The fabric is a deep, mossy color that blends in perfectly with the wood, but the bright light hitting her chest makes the leaves look like they’re glowing from the inside.
It’s almost as though she’s wearing the plants themselves rather than a normal outfit.
However, even with all that magic glowing around her, she looks really sad.
Her eyes are wide and bright, but there’s a heavy, lonely look in them, with no smile.
It’s the kind of expression someone makes when they are carrying a big secret or missing something they can’t get back.
Despite being so powerful and surrounded by light, she just seems quiet and heartbroken.
Aegon noticed this but still stood on his guard, ready to respond if she made any sudden move.
Seeing his reaction, she opened her mouth and a voice; sounding like a magnificent rhythm came out.
"You have nothing to fear. For I am not here to make an enemy out of you..."
Hearing this, Aegon then spoke;
"Okay... then why are you here? Who are you?"
The dryad kept her gaze at him as if staring into his soul, her dazzling appearance still beaming.
Then she turned to her side, and stared at the part of the forest which was destroyed and covered with aftermath of the flames.
In that moment, a single tear dropped down from her eyes, fell to the ground and hit a small plant which was dead, but had suddenly come back to life upon impact.
Aegon saw this and thought in his heart.
’Hold on... is she the one? The actual protector of this forest? The one who grew back in the forest after it was destroyed by the forest?’
There were questions to ask, but he knew otherwise. Seeing the sad expression she had on her face he asked.
"Was it one of yours?"
At this moment, he wasn’t asking about the forest but of the tree giant which he had killed, and the dryad replied.
"He was before, but now, is no more..."
Aegon noticed something about the way she spoke it was weird.
’She isn’t human after all. I’m sure the language is not her common tongue.’ Then, he said to her,
"But you can bring it back to life, isn’t that right?’
He said this because he had seen what had happened after her tears dropped to the plant, its resurrection, so he had to ask.
Hearing the words come out from his lips, the dryad turned and faced him, her expression more sad than before.
"I have no such power, for once I did, but not anymore."
Aegon was puzzled, didn’t she just heal a dead plant?
"The forest is dying and I’m going with it. If it isn’t stopped our entire existence would be erased from this life."
Hearing this, Aegon felt something in his heart as his eyes relaxed but with worry.
It was at this moment, he dropped his guard, holding his dagger in a not deadly way, then he asked.
"Can it be saved?"
The dryad gaze brightened as though she was expecting him to say that, then she uttered.
"Yes it can. And for this reason, you were brought here?"
"What?!"
Aegon was taken aback.
"It is written in the ancient stroll that a lone warrior from a distant land would come and liberate the people of the forest when in time of distress."
"And you, my friend, are ’The One Who Was To Come’ the ancient prophecy had been fulfilled."
Aegon was quiet while listening to her words. They were like songs coming out of her lips, pleasant to the ear and magnificent to listen to.
But, he wasn’t buying it.
’A lone warrior? Prophecy? Ancient stroll? What is she talking about?’
He didn’t understand, nothing was making sense to him.
’She said that I was brought here. Hold on, did she bring me here? I thought it was the system...’
The dryad gaze at him as he was thinking in his heart. Then he raised his head and asked;
"But I am not a warrior, I might be from a distant land but that doesn’t mean anything. I’m not the one in your prophecy."
Hearing these words, she had an expression like she already knew what he was going to say, and therefore, had a response.
"It is unlikely that it isn’t you. For this reason you were brought here, and entered the forest, as the forest doesn’t allow strangers from the outside world to enter."
"But you, you were allowed, and guided to this particular place."
Hearing this, Aegon bent his head, and again thought in his heart.
’Guided? Is she talking about that small child earlier? I mean if you look at it, it does sound reasonable....’
He raised his head again, looking at her and asked:
"Are you the one that brought me here? To this forest...the Forest of Aranyani?’
There was a moment of silence after the words were spoken, and he was puzzled as to why she didn’t say anything.
The dryad had an expression of awe and happiness. The once sad expression on her face has suddenly turned into an expression of joy.
"You know the forest’s name?" she uttered, her voice shaking with joy as though tears were about to fall from her eyes.
Meanwhile, Aegon was confused. He didn’t know what she was asking, and didn’t even consider that he had called the name of the forest unknowingly.
Seeing this puzzled expression, she moved down slowly still floating but only a half inches away from the ground.
Then she bowed her head and spoke with a sincere heart and a servant voice.
"The prophecy is true indeed. Apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I am Suisho of Aranyani, it is a pleasure to meet you oh One Who Has Come."
Hearing this Aegon felt evena more perplexed than before. It was now he understood the question she asked and noticed he had called the name of the forest.
But, there was one thing he needed to understand first before going forward, then he asked, saying:
"Suisho of Aranyani... are you not Aranyani?"
Suisho raised her head and stared at him with a soft expression, her eyes watery almost to the point of pouring tears.
"Of course not, oh One Who Has Come, I am but a mere servant of the forest. Aranyani is the goddess of the forest who lived over ten thousand years ago and is now one with the forest."
Hearing this, Aegon had to ask:
"Is she dead?"
"Oh no, oh One Who Has Come. The goddess Aranyani isn’t dead, she was the forest, lives in the forest and is the forest."
"But her power is fading, and if this continues she won’t be remembered any longer."
’So she is dead, although they don’t think that but believe she’s one with the forest... fascinating.’
"Then do you know a way in which you could stop this from happening?" he asked.
"Of course, oh One Who Has Come. I know where the cause is from..."
Suisho was about to continue speaking when Aegon stopped her with his right palm.
"Hold on..."
"What is it, oh One Who Has Come?..." she asked very promptly.
Even Aegon was shocked at this speed; she cut him after he had just done so to her.
"Here is the thing," he began. "...stop calling me ’oh One Who Has Come’ that’s not my name..."
Suisho had a confused expression while he was saying this, it was as though she didn’t understand what he was saying anymore.
"My name is Aegon, and that’s what you should call me, understand?"
Suisho nodded her head but still had that puzzled expression on her face. She didn’t know why he asked her to not call him that, but nevertheless it didn’t matter.
"Okay, oh one... master Aegon, I will call you that from now on, but I must say, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the light that came out from her body suddenly blinked for a moment, halting her statement.
Then it blinked again, twice this time.
Suisho coughed out a mouth full of blood and dropped to the ground, losing her ability to float.
The once bright light that was surrounding her, had now reduced to a size that couldn’t even be called bright, anymore.