Chapter 12: The Dark Forest
Tuka's trembling grew steadily with each passing moment. She atop Silver's saddle in front of Jean, who held her in his strong arms. Despite his warm embrace, she remained pale and silent. The dragon knight sighed and leaned in closer to one of her pointed ears and whispered.
"It's not too late if you want to turn around."
"No." She muttered. "I have to face this, I-I have to."
Silver whined a little and arched her head back to nuzzle Tuka's face. The wood-elf evaded her for a moment but then gave in and let the dragon lick her. Jean's heart melted when he saw a slight smile and a bit of color return to Tuka's face as his dragon gave her some love. Crusher flew across from them, carrying Suzaka and Yao in her saddle. The dark elf rested her head on the samurai's shoulder with both hands wrapped around his abdomen.
"We're here." She muttered with a somber expression. They arrived over the densest forest Jean ever encountered here or back home. Even Silver's keen eyes could not penetrate its thick canopy. Given what Tuka told him about dark elves, it did not surprise Jean that Yao's people dwelled in a place like this. His mind ran wild with the kind of exotic beasts that must live within the dark forest.
Unfortunately, he got his answer. Both dragons growled as a horrible stench of burned wood and flesh overtook their senses. Jean and Suzaka gritted their teeth, knowing well what they were about to see. Through the dragons' eyes, they saw the Flame Dragon's desolation. An entire section of the forest lay a charred ruin with the remnants of trees standing over piles of ash. Scattered out around them rested skeletons of every size, from deer-like beasts and little fairies to manticores, chimeras, boars, and even wyverns.
Jean tried to cover Tuka's eyes, but it was too late. She started hyperventilating and shook so hard he feared she might fall out of Silver's saddle. Thus, Jean wrapped her tight in his arms and let Tuka bury her face in his shoulder even as tears soaked him. She clutched her christogram tighter and tighter, begging for Saint Circe's intercession.
"My home, my people." Yao's eyes, too, swelled when she saw three elven corpses among the others.
"We will avenge them. On my honor, I promise." The samurai gripped his katana and scoured the area for any sign of their target but found nothing. "Where is it? How can something that huge remain hidden?"
"I know where it is." Yao said, choking on her tears. She raised a quivering finger to a mountainside resting near the forest's northern edge. The great fortress of brown stone loomed high above any tree. Jean and Suzaka's eyes fixed themselves on a massive cave near the forest floor with jagged rocks atop the entrance into the darkness like the mouth of a monster.
They needed no instruction. Silver and Crusher descended on the area, careful not to get too close, and landed in a thinner section of trees a few hundred feet from the cave. Darkness crept over them the moment they broke the canopy. An artificial night enveloped them with an eerie silence. No birds chirped, all the branches remained still, and the absence of sound unnerved Suzaka. Tuka, too, quivered at the forest, clutching Jean tighter.
"Yao, how can you live in a place like this? It doesn't even feel like a forest." She stuttered.
"This is a proper forest, Tuka. Far separated from the machinations of humans and high elves. At least it used to be." Yao sighed.
Just then, Silver and Crusher took aggressive stances and growled at the trees. Their heightened senses warned Jean and Suzaka of movement around them. Jean held his hand out and lit up the darkness with silver light until he spotted over thirty figures clad in black with bright eyes fixed on them. Each held a bow with a drawn arrow aimed at the riders and Tuka.
"Stop! It's me, Yao! These are the people who wounded the Flame Dragon! They came to help us!" She jumped down and waved her arms about.
Soon, the figures lowered their weapons and climbed down with gleaming eyes. One by one, they revealed themselves as dark elves, just like Yao, and shook before the two dragons.
"At last! I knew you would not fail, Yao!" Another elf said. Despite his ethereal appearance, this one somehow looked older than the others and inclined his head before the dragon riders.
"I am Dehan, the Dushi clan's chief and Yao's father. The goddess Hardy smiles at us for your arrival."
Jean cringed at the idea of a pagan deity bringing them there. Suzaka, too, bit his tongue at such a notion and just inclined his head back. "Konichiwa, I am the samurai, Suzaka. This is Crusher and my companions, Jean, Silver, and Tuka."
"Wood elf." One of the dark elves muttered.
Many glanced toward Tuka with visible contempt and distrust. At least until Jean and Silver shot them warning glances. Yao, too, stepped forward in her defense.
"Enough, she is the only survivor of her village after the Flame Dragon attacked."
The muttering silenced, and many gave her more consoling expressions.
"The Flame Dragon is in the cave?" Suzaka asked.
"Yes, it has just returned from its latest hunt and will feast for some time before entering a deep slumber." Dehan said.
Silver and Crusher picked up the faint scent of burnt meat from the cave alongside the Flame Dragon's distinct odor, one the dragons would never forget. Jean nodded and stroked the pommel of his sword.
"Alright, we wait until the dragon is asleep. Then we kill it. Suzaka, you and Crusher. If it does wake, the cave will restrict its movements."
"Hai, Crusher and I can keep it restrained with gravity while you and Silver deliver the killing blow."
"What about us?" Dehan asked.
"You and your people should stay clear. There's nothing you can do to help us." Suzaka added.
"No! We cannot stand aside as you to fight on our behalf!" Yao cried. "We can distract it while you-"
"Enough of your people have died already!" Sauaka shouted, making Yao jump. He took her by the shoulders, steadying her shaking body.
"What about Tuka?!" Yao cried back, tears starting to fill her eyes.
"I can help them in my own way." Tuka muttered.
She approached one of the dark elves with severe burns on his arm. Closing her eyes, she started to pray for Saint Circe's intercession and touched a blue gemstone in her christogram. Combining her magic with Aciemes healing magic, Tuka grew sparkling flowers over the burn marks. The dark elf shook at first but then exhaled with an enraptured expression. All watched in disbelief as the flowers retracted, and the arm looked as good as new. Tuka smiled a little with Jean, and Silver licked her. The dark elves prepared a supper of fruit, bread, vegetables, and stew. Suzaka sat among them and ate while taking slow sips of tea. He had a waterskin filled with sake, but that was for after their victory. Crusher grumbled at his large pot of meatless stew and groaned.
"It's just for tonight, Crusher. Come on, we'll need our strength." Suzaka sweatdropped when his dragon let out a grumble that almost sounded like 'humph'.
"Fine."
Suzaka pulled out the stache of dried jerky he had saved for afterward, and Crusher devoured it in moments. The samurai shook his head, but as he did so, he saw Yao sitting near her father. The dark elf woman curled herself up while Dehan lectured her about listening to Suzaka, how foolish it was for her to try and fight the Flame Dragon and to just let them handle it. She did not touch her food and, after a minute, shot the samurai a contemptuous look before climbing up a tree to get away from everyone. However, Suzaka noticed she ended up getting into a branch directly over him. He and Crusher shared a mischievous smile before the samurai reached up and applied a little gravity magic. Moments later, Yao screamed before falling down and landing safely in Suzaka's arms.
"Careful." He said with a wide grin, all while Yao puffed up her cheeks. She remained silent even as Suzaka started to feed her some soup. Dehan watched this with visible discomfort but said nothing.
"Aren't you happy? You got what you sought out. Jean and I are here to kill the Flame Dragon for you." Suzaka said.
"Yes, I am grateful. But I need to help you. I am a warrior, and that monster took friends from me. It hurt my forest, and I am honor-bound to avenge those I care about." Yao almost shouted.
Suzaka heard the passion in her voice and saw it ignite flames in her eyes. Yao gripped her sword and held it out toward the cave entrance, and the samurai thought back to his training. More than once, his father and uncle scolded him for losing focus and boasting about future accomplishments.
A thick bead of sweat ran down his forehead upon reviewing his attitude this entire adventure into the Special Region. Crusher gave his rider a sharp expression, and he tugged at the collar of his kimono.
"Yao, dying honorably is something to aspire toward, but pointless honorable death, especially when your people have lost so many already."
"Don't talk to me like I'm some child. I'm over a hundred years old, human. You're like a child to me." Yao said and tried to give him the cold shoulder, but he pulled her back until they met eye to eye.
"If you are that old, show some wisdom. Convince me you can do something against the dragon."
"Well, I have a reasonable mastery of spirit magic. Observe." With a cocky smile, she held her hands out and muttered a series of words. Moments later, a bowl-sized fireball conjured itself, and she cast it at Crusher.
However, the dark elf's face turned crestfallen after the dragon snapped his tail at the flames, which disappeared. Yao avoided Suzaka's face and returned to her soup. Yet a minute or so later, she almost dropped her spoon after seeing half her surviving clan listening to Tuka talk about the Father and his Saints.
The dark elves listened with peaked curiosity across their expressions. The more she taught, the calmer Tuka became. All the color returned to her face, and her voice steadied itself.
"Is she trying to turn my people from the goddess Hardy?!" Yao growled.
"Yep." Suzaka said. "Tell me more about Hardy."
"Well, she's the goddess of the underworld and keeps the world in balance."
"Ruler of the underworld." Suzaka muttered. His mind raced at the idea of just how such a deity would keep the world in balance. As preachy as the Aciemes' God was, he at least sounded pleasant. A healer willing to die for the redemption of man.
"Given everything that's happened. Maybe the idea of healing sounds more appealing than a diety of death." Suzaka said.
"I-I-"
Yao went back to her food. Upon finishing, the dark elves stood watch while Suzaka, Jean, and Tuka got some sleep in preparation for their task. Suzaka set down a futon in his tent with Crusher's head sticking inside. He was just about to lie down when someone else entered. Yao knelt there with a trembling body and quivering lips.
"Yao? What's wrong?"
"I want to fight beside you. If you let me, I'll-I'll do whatever you please." She gestured to her body, and Suzaka turned bright red. The samurai gulped while Crusher perked up a little.
Back in the town, Suzaka sought out just such a thing, and a twinge of intense guilt overtook him upon realizing he still did want to reach such a point with Yao. However, taking advantage of her like this was dishonorable. With a heavy breath, he took her by the shoulders and stared into the elf's eyes.
"Yao, not like this. That would be no different than forcing myself upon you. If you still desire such things after our battle with the dragon, perhaps."
"Hold on, our battle!" Yao's eyes lit up. "Are you saying I can join you!?"
"...Hai." Before Suzaka knew what had happened, Yao wrapped her arms tight around the samurai and pulled him into a fiery kiss. Suzaka let out a few muffled sounds before collapsing onto the futon with her. Before long, they both fell asleep in each other's arms, much to Crusher's delight.
Elsewhere, in the other tent, Tuka likewise cuddled up beside Jean and Silver. As the wood elf slept, she found herself transported back to her home village. Tuka gazed in awe at the restored treehouses and her friends walking about, smiling and waving at her.
"What's happening? How, how is this possible-"
"Tuka! Tuka, dinner is ready!"
The young elf caught her breath upon seeing him. Her father stood before their old home. Tears swelled in Tuka's eyes as she ran straight for him. Yet, just as she came within arms reach, he vanished into a cloud of ash. Tuka's heart shattered as the village returned to its desolated ruins.
"Papa! Papa!" She sobbed.
The whole world came crashing down around Tuka, who looked up and saw the Flame Dragon coming straight for her. Yet, it did not come alone. A winged figure flew with the dragon. Two glowing red eyes pierced Tuka while a slimy tongue locked jagged fangs.
"Fall into despair! Fall into Hardy-"
"No." Tuka said and stood up. Clutching her Christogram, Tuka faced the dragon and creature together. "I'm not afraid of you anymore! Saint Circe, pray for me!"
Just as the Flame Dragon bellowed out flames, a golden ethereal light shined over Tuka, shielding her from the fire. The beast and its guide shrieked, fleeing in terror at something or, rather, someone now over Tuka. Staring at the golden woman healed the elf of all her angst, fear, and doubt. The woman wore gleaming armor with two angelic wings and a golden halo over her head as she smiled down at Tuka.
"Trust him, and he will never abandon you."
Tuka awoke, still in Jean's arms. She looked around the tent, unable to find the woman. Yet, the unreal sensation remained, and Tuka held her Christogram closer.