Here we are at Chapter 34. Been a long time since I last worked on this story. I was focusing on my bigger stories until I had more time and space for this. Anyway, Fuyumi continues her way to the Elf Village. Let's see how well that will go. I do not own Code Vein or Skeleton Knight. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 34. Enjoy.
Chapter 34: Forest of Monsters
Fuyumi and her friends continue on their path to the Elf Village. However, Elane has been keeping a slight distance between herself and Fuyumi ever since that night she let her drink her blood. The situation was so much that even Iris and Anelia noticed something was off.
Iris leans close to Anelia, "Did these two get into a fight or something?" she whispers.
"I don't know. Maybe we should just leave them be for now. I hope this doesn't make things complicated when we reach the village," Anelia replies.
"You don't think Elane will suddenly change course and keep us from the village, will she?" Iris asks.
"No, I don't think so. But, it's her people I'm more concerned about. Elves are wary of humans, especially after recent events with the kidnapping and illegal slavery of their people. Remember, we need to be on our best behavior. The chief knows who Fuyumi is and he's seen me, but they don't know you. It may be a while before they trust either of us though," Anelia says.
"I'll keep that in mind," Iris replies.
They just passed the border leaving Anatolia, entering the forests beyond.
"So, uh, how far is this village of yours exactly?" Iris asks.
"It's far deeper in the forest, beyond where humans would go. It keeps us safer that way. Though, we still have the occasional monsters to deal with. We keep good defense around the village," Elane says.
"But, for some reason, new monsters that don't usually show up there have been popping up?" Anelia asks.
"Yes, which is very concerning. My people have lived there for generations. We're quite familiar with the local fauna. That's what makes this even more concerning. I must help my people. Once again, I appreciate you coming to lend us your aid once again," Elane says, though she quickly looks away after glancing at Fuyumi.
"We were low on leads on the trafficking ring anyway. There's also the possibility that this could be related. What do you think, Umi?" Fuyumi pets her feathered friend on her shoulder, causing the latter to caw.
"How could they be related?" Anelia asks.
"Don't know exactly. Just a theory, and only because it involves the elves," Fuyumi says.
They continue deeper into the forest, but as they do, a sudden rumble in the ground causes them to stop. Focusing their senses, they hear faint noise from up ahead. The sounds of battle.
"That doesn't sound good," Iris draws her sword.
"My people may need help. Come on!" Elane rushes ahead, with the rest following behind her.
Moving through the foliage, they eventually come across signs of a battle: broken trees, singe marks in the ground, and just chaos. The sounds get louder and they rush, only to find a group of elves fighting a pair of large, red-skinned ogres wielding spiked clubs. One elf tries going for its flank, but the ogre lifts its left foot and tries to smash him to the ground. The elf jumps over the leg, only to get knocked from behind by the second ogre, sending him crashing into a tree.
"Gale!" Elane yells before drawing her shortsword.
"Let's go!" Fuyumi conjures up a Plasma Roar, firing it at one ogre's back.
The attack electrocutes the ogre, making it fall onto its knees. Iris makes the charge, her blade glowing.
"Spirits of light, bathe my blade in your holy glow. Holy Sword!" her blade glows light as she jumps and makes a slash at the ogre's neck.
However, the ogre raises an arm to block, losing the limb in the process. The second ogre swings its club down on her, forcing her to jump back.
"Spirits of fire, consume my enemies in your flames. Fireball!" Anelia fires off a few fireballs at the wounded ogre, which seem to finish it off.
With one down, Fuyumi and Elane charge at the second together. They dodge its club before jumping up, making several slashes across its body. The ogre roars in pain, its eyes glowing a bright red as it goes into a crazed state, swinging its club around wildly. The girls jump back and Fuyumi conjures a Homing Hellfire on the ogre. A twister of flames erupts beneath the monster's feet, consuming it in fire. The ogre roars as it's burned alive. When the flames end, the ogre, body burnt and smoking, falls onto the floor, dead. Fuyumi cautiously walks up to make sure they're dead. With the rush of battle over, Fuyumi notices a pair of black collars with glowing red markings on the ogres' necks. However, the collars suddenly break and disintegrate into dust a moment later.
"That doesn't seem right," Fuyumi mutters.
"Gale! Gale, are you alright?!" Elane checks on her wounded kin, with the others joining her.
The male elf, Gale, grunts and coughs in pain as he opens his eyes, "Argh... E-Elane... you came,"
"Yes, I came as soon as I got the message. Don't talk now. You're badly injured," Elane says and turns to Anelia. "Anelia, please, heal them,"
"Of course," Anelia walks over, but the elves only aim their bows and swords at her, making her freeze.
"What are humans doing here? Elane, why did you bring them?!" one elf yells.
"For all we know, they could be the ones responsible for sending these monsters after our people," another notes, glaring at them.
"That is enough!" Elane shouts, gaining their attention. "These are my friends. I am aware of what they are, but they have earned my trust and have aided me in saving our kin in the past. This one here even knows healing magic. Gale is gravely wounded. Do you want him to die?!" her words make her kin hesitate. "Anelia, please, heal him. I'll handle the rest."
"O-Okay," Anelia kneels next to her and begins using her healing magic.
"Spirits of light, bathe my allies in your warm glow. Heal," her staff glows as a healing light washes over Gale.
Fuyumi gets a quick look and sees the other elves have different levels of injuries. Some only have some bruises or slight injuries, while others are in worse condition. However, the elf named Gale seems to be the worst of them all. Anelia works her magic, healing their injuries. The animosity they showed her earlier dissipates along with their wounds. The elf known as Gale slowly sits up.
"Easy, your wounds may have been healed, but the blood you lost cannot be replaced. You must regain your strength," Fuyumi says, just as Umi flies down to land on her shoulder.
"You... I've heard of you. The chief spoke of a human who had earned the blessings of a Hydras Helioptas. So, you are the one who aided Elane in her missions in the past," Gale notes.
"I am Fuyumi Kusanagi. Elane is my friend, and we share a common goal in seeing an end to the kidnapping and slavery of your people. I myself do not approve of slavery. I understand your hesitation to be working with humans, but we share a common enemy here. I am only here to help. Both Elane and your people. We all are here to help," Fuyumi says, with Umi cawing next to her.
"Gale, are you sure about this?" one elf asks.
"Even if they came to help, the fact remains that they are human," another notes.
"Even if they are human, they still came to help us. I would be dead if not for the aid of their spellcaster," Gale stands. "I am Gale Kovo Glendas, an elf warrior for the Glendas elf village. You have my gratitude for saving me and my comrades," he bows his head.
"Glendas? Are you and he related, Elane?" Iris asks.
"No, for elves, we basically have three names. Our given name, then our family name, and then the name of our clan. All are put together," Elane explains.
"I see. Thank you for the explanation," Iris says.
"I needed them to explain it to us when we first heard that too," Fuyumi notes.
"Gale, what about the village? Is everyone safe?" Elane asks.
"The village remains safe for now. The monsters have not found it. The main concern is simply seeing all these monsters, which normally don't appear in this part of the continent, showing up here. It's not natural,"
"I wonder if it has something to do with those strange collars on them. The second the ogres were killed, the collars broke down as well," Iris says.
"I've noticed that too. A number of the other monsters we've fought against also had them on. When they were killed, the collars would disappear. They were also unnaturally aggressive as well. This is all too strange. But, it would be better to discuss this elsewhere. Fuyumi Kusanagi, Elane, the chief would like to speak with both of you," Gale says.
"What of my companions?" Fuyumi asks.
"It may take a little convincing, but I'll see about getting them passage. With Elane with you, it should make things easier as well," Gale says.
"Then, we'd best get going. Lead the way," Fuyumi says.
Though some of the other elves are still unsure, they follow Gale and Elane to the elf village. They head deeper into the forest, beyond where humans have travelled. After a few more moments of walking, they break through the forest, finding themselves before a giant wall made of cut-down trees stacked together standing, along with smaller ones used as spike across the wall for added defense. A few watchtowers are seen, with elven archers in them to act as lookouts.
"Fuyumi, you and the others wait out here. We'll convince the elder to grant you passage. Let's go," Elane says before she and the other elves head inside after the large metal gate opens to grant them entry.
"Do you think it will go well?" Iris asks.
"Nothing we can do now but wait to find out. Might as well get comfy. This may take a while," Fuyumi says, walking over to sit under a tree.
Anelia ends up sitting next to her as they wait, while Iris keeps one eye on the guards in the watchtowers. The ones that have their bows semi-drawn with knocked arrows at them. Yeah, she can really feel the welcome here.
…
What feels like a few hours have passed before Fuyumi wakes up from her nap. She notices Anelia resting her head on one shoulder, while Iris does the same with the other, and Umi perched on top of her head. No wonder she felt so warm. She looks over as the gate begins to open up.
"Guys, wake up. The gate's opening," Fuyumi nudges her shoulders to wake up her lovers.
Iris wakes up faster than Anelia, who remains a bit groggy as they stand up. Elane and Gale walk through the gate to meet them.
"The elder has granted you all entry into the village. Please, come with me," Elane says.
The gang follow her inside and get a close-up view of the elf village. Anelia gazes in awe at the sights around them, as does Iris. The village has many elves going about their daily lives, in many ways similar to how humans live their lives. One notable difference is that their homes seem to be built to look like massive mushrooms. As they walk, the elves that call this place home watch in curiosity and concern at seeing humans in their village. Fuyumi can certainly understand why some would be worried, given the actions of a few humans to their people. They do seem to smile when Elane waves to them. Guess being the elder's daughter has its perks. Their path takes them to what is probably the largest tree in the whole forest. Iris and Anelia freeze at the sight.
"Are you saying... you live in such a big place?" Iris gasps.
"Yes. The village elder lives here; my father. Come along, they're waiting for you. Gale, I'll take care of things here. Go speak with the other warriors about your findings," Elane says.
Gale nods, "Understood," and takes his leave.
They walk up some stairs before reaching the main entrance to the tree house. Waiting for them is the village elder, Makutei Mistral Glendas. Standing next to him is a female elf that looks like an older version of Elane. She has on an orange dress with a long skirt, sandals, a shawl around her shoulders, and an apron at the front.
"Lady Fuyumi Kusanagi, Lady Anelia, it has been some time," Makutei greets them.
"It's been a while, Elder Makutei," Fuyumi nods her head to him.
"First, allow me to introduce you. This is my wife, Maruna," Makutei gestures to the lady next to him.
"A pleasure to meet you. Thank you for keeping our daughter out of trouble," Maruna greets them.
"Mother!" Elane shrieks.
"I admit, she has certainly made things interesting at times," Fuyumi rubs her head, making Elane blush out of embarrassment. "Please, allow me. These are my friends, and my fiancés, Anelia and Iris. And this is Umi," she introduces her friends.
"Fiancés? My daughter told me you were engaged like other humans, and that you had more than one betrothed, but seeing it is something else entirely," Makutei notes.
"Oh? And what else did she tell you about me?" Fuyumi glances at Elane, who looks away.
"Come, this isn't exactly the place. We may continue this conversation inside over a meal. It's almost dinner time," Maruna claps her hands.
The group head inside. At a large wooden table, Fuyumi and Elane explain in more detail what they have been up to since Elane had joined her journey. She had been sending reports through her Whispering Fowl, but here they can talk in full. More importantly, they do so over a hot meal.
"That was delicious. Thank you, Mrs. Glendas," Anelia finishes her meal.
"Oh, please, just Maruna is fine, my dear. I'm not that old after all," Maruna giggles.
"You're 250 years-old, Mother," Elane mutters.
"I see you've discovered much in your travels. Do you believe the Gravlon Empire might be behind the kidnappings?" Makutei asks Fuyumi.
"Nothing concrete as of now, but I wouldn't be surprised at this point. Still, if it is them, they've managed to dig their operations deep into Anatolia, which isn't easy. We couldn't find any more kidnapped elves in our last trip. I don't know if that's good of bad though. However, you called Elane back not just because of this, have you. These monster attacks are that concerning?" Fuyumi replies.
Makutei nods, "Yes. There's little doubt that each of these attacks are connected. Someone captured these monsters from their native lands, placed those strange collars on them in order to control them somehow, and then sent them loose into the forest. We still don't know why though,"
"Father, could whoever's behind this be using the monsters to find the location of our village and people. Since the kidnappings began, we've increased measures to keep our kin safe. What if they're trying to find out where they live so they can try and get all of us at once?" Elane ponders.
"That is a possibility, I must admit. I called Elane back in order to provide extra aid to our defenses here. I understand you have your own obligations, Lady Fuyumi, and I appreciate you escorting my daughter back home safely. There's no need for you to involve yourself in this matter," Makutei says.
Fuyumi shakes her head, "Too late for that. Elane is my friend. Her concerns are my concerns. Besides, no doubt if Anatolia learns of this, they'll want to try and send aid in order to strength relations between your two peoples. This way, you have someone you know and trust. What's more, if these monster attacks are indeed related to the kidnappings and slave trade, then it's definitely my business. Question, if someone is behind this, how would they go about transporting all these monsters to the forest?"
"Some of these creatures lie on other parts of the continent. They would have to go through the human territories to transport them here. Someone with connections could do so. As for the collars that control them, that is certainly new to me. I know of some people who work as beast tamers, mercenaries who learned to control monsters through special techniques. It's not as easy as it sounds though. Perhaps these collars are a product of their work," Makutei theorizes.
"Where would beast tamers normally be located?" Anelia asks.
"I've heard of them, myself. Some beast tamers have been finding work in the Gravlon Empire. Others bounce around. There aren't a whole lot of them though," Iris says.
"We'll need to figure out how they're transporting the monsters here, then trace back those route to the source," Fuyumi says.
"If those routes lead back to the Gravlon Empire, then that's where I'm going next," Elane says.
"Not alone, you're not. We'll all go together," Fuyumi adds.
"That can wait for another day. For now, it's been a long day. Please, stay here for the night as our guests. We have a few spare rooms," Maruna says.
"Thank you. We appreciate it," Anelia says.
They clean up the table and Maruna shows the group the way to the guests rooms. However, as they do, Fuyumi notices a garden outside one of the home's windows. Specifically, something within the garden. Taking a door outside, they heads to the garden and finds none other than another Mistle plant standing within.
"Another one?" Fuyumi mutters.
"Does this interest you, Lady Fuyumi?" Fuyumi turns to see Makutei behind her, with the group coming back out through the doorway. "This strange plant has been here for a long time. We don't know how it came here. It just... always was. It doesn't grow, but it doesn't die. We studied it, but couldn't find many answers. Some of us thought about destroying it, but we ultimately decided against that. We don't know what would happen if we tried. Besides, it never caused us any harm, so we left it alone. Would you happen to know what this is?"
"It's like a door, basically. All you need... is the right key," Fuyumi drops a drop of her blood onto the mistle. The mistle glows and opens up, now fully activated. "It's called a mistle. It's a type of plant from my homeland. It can teleport people to any other location where a mistle is situated. However, only I can activate them, and only I can use them,"
"Just like the plant at the duke's manor. So now you could travel between there and here in an instant, correct?" Elane asks.
"Yes, so now, if you ever needed to return here, we can do so through the mistle back at my home," Fuyumi replies.
"I see our daughter was not lying when she told us about you," Makutei notes. "Forgive me, but she informed us about your... origins,"
Fuyumi gets defensive, "And... is that going to be a problem?"
Makutei shakes his head, "You have helped our people time and time again. You helped me daughter as well. You have shown no bias towards our kind. Rest assured that your secret is safe here with us. You will always be welcome in our home,"
Fuyumi sighs with relief, "Thank you, Elder,"
"It's been a long day for you all. Come, let's rest for the night. Tomorrow, we'll discuss further the issue with these monster attacks, and hopefully find the source of the problem," Makutei says before they head back inside.
…
Out in the forest beyond the elf village, a group of hooded men standing outside several cages converge.
"You still have not found it yet?" one asks the others.
"No, sir. The elves have taken great pains to keep their village secret. Hopefully, this new batch we received from our employer will work. However, our efforts to control them have proved useless," another says.
"That matters little. As long as they find the village, then the contract will be complete. Just make sure you're not caught in the crossfire. These things attack anything that's alive, and have no control whatsoever," the leader notes before looking to one of the cages.
Inside, a pair of red eyes glow as an inhuman growl is heard in the darkness.
And that's the chapter. Sorry for the late update. Been busy with a lot of other stuff. Fuyumi reaches the elf village, but things may be more dire than they first thought. Meanwhile, a new enemy is about to appear, one that will surprise Fuyumi most of all. Will they figure out the menace plaguing the elves? Until then, please Read and Review.