Chapter 14 – Encounter

We pressed on, deeper into the heart of the forest, the light dimming, the air growing thick and heavy. It was time to find another resting place.

“Noah, look!”

Yuri pointed towards a small clearing nestled amongst the trees. A large tree stood at its center, its branches laden with clusters of glistening, ruby-red fruit. A small pool shimmered at its base.

The fruit looked succulent, their sweet fragrance filling the air, beckoning us closer.

“Never seen that kind of tree before,” Yuri said, her voice tinged with curiosity. “Think it’s edible?”

I approached the tree, examining the fruit. They were beautiful, their skins shimmering like polished gems, a translucent membrane revealing tiny seeds within.
They have to be sweet.

Yuri joined me, her gaze fixed on the fruit. “Wow… they look delicious. I didn’t think anything this… appetizing could grow in the Abyss.”

I pulled out the
Compendium
, flipping through its pages, searching for an entry that matched the fruit.

“Strange…” I muttered. “It’s not in here.”

“Let me see.” Yuri took the book, scanning the pages, her brow furrowing. “You’re right. It’s not listed. Maybe it’s a new discovery?”

I hesitated. Anything not listed in the
Compendium
was a risk. But the fruit looked so tempting, their fragrance intoxicating.

A new discovery… we could be the first to try them.

The fragrance intensified, sweet and alluring, clouding my judgment, my senses.

“Noah,” Yuri said, her voice slightly slurred, her gaze fixed on the fruit, “they look… so good…”

“Just one,” I murmured, reaching for a cluster. “Just one couldn’t hurt…”

Yuri plucked a fruit from a nearby branch. It was warm, soft, the skin yielding beneath her fingers.

“They smell even better up close…” She brought the fruit to her nose, inhaling deeply.

I lifted the fruit to my lips, a single thought echoing in my mind.
This will be amazing. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

“Noah… wait.” Yuri’s voice was barely a whisper. “Something… doesn’t feel right. Why do I feel… compelled to eat this? It’s… strange.”

Her words snapped me out of my trance. I looked at the fruit in my hand. The seeds… they seemed to be moving, shifting beneath the translucent skin.
Or was it just my imagination?

The sweet fragrance washed over me again, pushing away the doubt, the hesitation. I lifted the fruit to my lips again.

“It’s fine,” I muttered. “Just one…”

“No!”

A sharp cry startled us. We turned to see a small girl emerge from the shadows, her movements quick, agile. She snatched the fruit from my hand and threw it far away.

What a waste!

“No eat!” she cried, her voice sharp, urgent. “Bad fruit! Make… stiff!”

She was small, her limbs thin, covered in a fine, downy fur. Large, pointed ears twitched nervously atop her head, her golden eyes wide with fear, fixed on us.

She pointed to the tree, her voice trembling. “Bad tree. Eat fruit… die. Become… tree.”

We looked closer. What we’d initially taken for tangled roots… now, we saw them for what they were.

“What… is this?” I asked Yuri, pointing to the trunk of the tree, its surface strangely smooth, almost… skin-like.

“Noah,” Yuri whispered, her voice hushed with horror, touching the trunk, “this isn’t bark. It’s… skin.”

I looked again, my blood running cold. Faint outlines, almost imperceptible, were etched into the surface of the trunk. Arms, legs…

“This… this can’t be…”

The little girl watched us, her eyes wide, then spoke again, her voice barely a whisper.

“People… eat fruit… die. Become… tree.”

“This tree… it’s made of… people?” Yuri’s voice was barely audible.

“Yes. Eat fruit… sick. Die. Become… earth. Stiff.”

I looked up at the fruit, still glistening in the sunlight, no longer tempting, but horrifying, each one a testament to someone’s final moments.

“Noah…” Yuri whispered, her voice shaking, “are all the trees… like this?”

“Maybe,” I said, my stomach churning. “Maybe this whole forest…”

The Compendium. We should have stuck to the Compendium.
We’d almost eaten the fruit of a… a human tree. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

“Bad tree… eat fruit… die,” the little girl repeated, her voice a chilling reminder of our near-fatal mistake.

“The Abyss…” Yuri murmured, her eyes wide with horror. “It’s consuming them… turning them into…”

“Yuri! Wait!” I looked at the little girl.  “What’s your name?”

She hesitated, then spoke, her voice small.

“Luna.”

“Luna,” Yuri said, smiling gently. “I’m Yuri, and this is Noah.”

“Boy Noah! Girl Yuri! Remember!” Her childlike speech and simple words suggested she’d spent a long time in this strange, isolated world.

“Luna,” I asked, “how did you know the tree was dangerous?”

“Arka… Arka told me.”

“Arka?” Yuri tilted her head.

Luna looked at us, her eyes hesitant, then whispered, “Arka… protects Luna. Always… together.” Her voice was filled with a fierce loyalty, a deep affection.

“Someone named Arka protects you?” I asked. “Where is Arka now?”

Luna pointed towards a large rock formation in the distance.

“Arka… there. Luna… take you.”

“Take us?” A flicker of hope ignited within me. “Is it safe there? Can we rest?”

“Safe,” she said, nodding. “Arka… strong. Bad things… no come.”

We exchanged a look. This could be our chance.

“Alright, Luna,” I said. “Lead the way.”

“Follow Luna! Know the way!” She grinned, her golden eyes sparkling, and set off into the forest.

Luna moved with surprising agility, her small form weaving effortlessly through the dense undergrowth, never hesitating, never faltering.

“She really knows her way around, doesn’t she?” Yuri murmured.

“Yeah. It’s like she can’t get lost, even with all the… terrain fluctuations.”  The resonance shifted the forest floor, making navigation a constant challenge. But Luna seemed unaffected, her movements sure and steady.

“Hurry!” she called back to us, glancing over her shoulder. “Bad things… come!”

We quickened our pace, the oppressive air of the forest pressing in on us, yet the path Luna led us along felt… safer, calmer.

She stopped before a large rock formation, a faint light flickering from within a narrow crevice. Signs of habitation were evident: a small, cleared area, a pile of neatly stacked stones.

“Is that… a shelter?” Yuri asked.

“Safe place,” Luna said, nodding. “Arka… protects.”

“Let’s go, Yuri.”

We followed Luna through the narrow opening, into the heart of the rock formation.

The space within was a welcome contrast to the oppressive forest outside. A large, cavernous chamber, its walls glowing with a soft, blue light, the air cool and dry. But it wasn’t the shelter that captivated our attention. It was the figure standing at the center of the chamber, bathed in the blue light.

“Is that… Arka?” Yuri whispered.

The figure was female, tall and slender, with smooth, metallic skin and movements that were fluid, almost… human. Her eyes, glowing with a soft, blue light, fixed on us.

She tilted her head, looking at Luna. “Who are these, Luna?”

“Arka!” Luna cried, running towards the figure, her small arms wrapping around her legs. “Good people! No eat bad tree!”

Arka smiled, a gentle expression that softened her metallic features, and stroked Luna’s hair. “Good. You’re safe. But be more careful next time.”

“Missed Arka!” Luna grinned, winking.

Arka chuckled, then turned her attention back to us. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors. Hundreds of years, in fact. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m Noah,” I said, “and this is Yuri. We were looking for a safe place to rest. Luna led us here.”

“Luna saved us from eating… something we shouldn’t have,” Yuri added. “She’s a good friend.”

Arka looked at Luna fondly, then nodded to us. “Luna is under my protection. I’m glad she’s safe. And since she brought you here… I’m happy to offer you my hospitality.”

Her voice was calm, soothing, with a warmth that belied her metallic exterior.

“Thank you,” I said, grateful for the offer. “Could we rest here for a while?”

Arka glanced around the chamber, then nodded. “Of course. This place is shielded from most of the dangers of the Abyss. Rest and recover your strength.”

“Safe here!” Luna chimed in, still clinging to Arka’s leg. “Arka… protects!”

“That’s right, Luna.” Arka smiled. “You’ll be safe here, too.”

The tension that had been building within me since we’d entered the forest finally began to ease. We’d found sanctuary, an unlikely haven in this hostile world.

We’re lucky to have found them.

But why were they here? In this strange, isolated place?