Chapter 119: Creepy Place
They continued their journey toward the mountain for several days. They followed the riverside, but since the water had not fully returned yet, the river was still quite shallow.
As more and more grass began to grow along the riverbank, Maeve didn’t complain at all when her husbands refused to let her walk there.
After all, just yesterday, she had accidentally brushed against a tiny sprout that had only just appeared, and it had instantly grown into a full-sized tree.
The pain she suffered because of that was so intense that she couldn’t sleep at all that night. Even now, her bones still ached so badly that Ikarus and Axan didn’t dare take turns carrying her. They were afraid that moving her around too much would only make the pain worse.
In the end, Axan carried her in his arms while Ikarus walked ahead, keeping watch for any wild beasts that might suddenly appear.
"Oh, have we already left the Lumivale Forest?" Maeve asked softly as she rested her head against Axan’s chest.
As she looked around, she finally realized that the forest was a little different from the Lumivale Forest. Although many of the trees were still dry, the ground gradually became more damp, while other areas looked like patches of dry clay.
"Yes," Axan replied. "We’ve entered the Gordin Forest. The closer we get to the mountain, the cooler the air will become."
At first, the border between the two forests was almost impossible to notice. The trees, the grass, and even the air felt nearly the same, making it seem as though they were still traveling through the Lumivale Forest.
However, the farther they walked, the more obvious the differences became.
The trees grew farther apart, and patches of dry clay became more common beneath their feet. The air felt cooler and carried a faint earthy scent that hadn’t been there before.
Maeve instinctively scooted closer to Axan’s chest, curling into a small ball in his arms as she tried to keep herself warm.
Axan looked down at her and smiled softly. Without saying a word, he adjusted his grip, pulling her a little closer and wrapping his arms more securely around her. He lowered his head and gently brushed a kiss against her forehead.
"Cold?" he asked in a low voice.
Maeve gave a small nod and buried her face deeper into his chest. "A little..."
Before Axan could say anything else, Ikarus glanced back over his shoulder with a helpless smile. "You’re making me jealous," he teased. "I’ve been walking in front this whole time, and all I get is the cold wind."
Maeve peeked out from Axan’s chest and let out a soft laugh. "I’ll hug you later."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Only then did Ikarus smile in satisfaction before turning his attention back to the path ahead.
After several more hours of walking, the forest finally began to thin out. The towering dry trees gave way to rocky slopes, and the cool breeze flowing down from the mountain grew stronger with every step.
Soon, an enormous mountain rose before them, its peak hidden among the clouds.
"We’re here," Axan said softly. "This is Mount Troja."
At the foot of the mountain lay the entrance to the Sylvara Tribe’s territory. It consisted of two towering stone pillars standing side by side, resembling a massive stone gateway.
Suspended from a thick stone slab resting across the two pillars were countless animal bones tied together with worn vines. Whenever the mountain wind blew, the bones clinked against one another, creating a chilling rattling sound that echoed through the silent forest.
The place felt strangely unsettling.
Although many of the mountain trees were as dry as those in the forests below, several enormous ancient trees still stretched high into the sky, their twisted branches blocking out much of the sunlight. The silence was so deep that even the sound of the wind seemed loud enough to make Maeve’s heart race.
Ikarus took a step toward the entrance, intending to walk through it.
"Wait." Axan quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him before he could take another step.
"The mountain is filled with trap mechanisms," Axan said seriously. "If you take even one wrong step, you’ll trigger them."
Ikarus immediately withdrew his foot. "There are traps?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the seemingly ordinary ground. No matter how carefully he looked, he couldn’t spot anything unusual.
Axan nodded. "The Sylvara Tribe has lived in isolation for generations. They don’t welcome outsiders, so the paths leading into the mountain are filled with hidden mechanisms. Some are harmless warnings, while others are deadly enough to kill anyone who enters without permission."
Maeve instinctively tightened her arms around Axan’s neck. "That’s terrifying."
"It is," Axan agreed. "Even I don’t know whether my mother ever entered their settlement or not."
Besides its unsettling atmosphere, the entire mountain looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
"So what should we do?" Ikarus asked. His eyes searched the area, hoping to spot someone. "We’ll never be able to talk to them if we can’t find anyone."
"Let’s think for a moment," Axan said. He walked over to a large boulder before turning to Maeve. "Is your body still hurting?"
She shook her head. "No. I’m feeling much better now."
The truth was, the pain had disappeared about two hours ago. But being carried in Axan’s arms felt so warm and comfortable that she hadn’t wanted to tell him. Besides, he didn’t seem bothered at all. To him, Maeve was so light that carrying her took almost no effort.
"I’ll look around first," Axan said as he carefully helped Maeve sit on top of the boulder. "Stay here with Ikarus until I come back."
Maeve nodded without hesitation. She had absolutely no interest in exploring such a creepy place.
[Why not, Host?!] Pinky suddenly asked. [Most Hosts would wander around to look for more clues.]
To be honest, even though Maeve was curious about many things in this world, she rarely tried to investigate them on her own.
If her husbands told her something was dangerous, she simply trusted them and stayed away from it.
’Why should I?’ Maeve replied. ’The last time I wandered off by myself, the cartel captured me and tried to drown me.’
More importantly, her life in her previous world had already been hard enough. It had been filled with pain, fear, and endless struggles. Maybe that was why all she wanted now was a quiet and peaceful life.
After finally finding some peace of mind, she only wanted to protect it.
Unfortunately, even though peace was all she asked for, the universe seemed determined not to let her have a calm and ordinary life.
Just as Axan disappeared from her gaze, a loud whistling sound suddenly cut through the silence.
Thwip!
Something no larger than a finger shot out from the shadows. Maeve suspected it was a small tranquilizer dart.
Before Ikarus could react, the dart struck him squarely in the chest.
"Ikarus!" Maeve cried.
He staggered back a step, instinctively reaching for the dart embedded in his chest. "What—"
His words were cut short as his vision blurred.
"Ikarus!" Maeve jumped down from the boulder and ran toward him. At the same time, she turned her head and shouted, "Axan!"
Thwip!
Another tranquilizer dart flew through the air.
"Ah!" Maeve gasped as it pierced her upper arm. A sharp sting spread through her body before a strange numbness quickly followed and her legs suddenly felt weak.
She tried to pull the dart out, but her fingers refused to listen. Her eyelids grew heavier with every second, and even breathing became difficult.
The last thing she saw was Ikarus collapsing onto the ground before her own vision faded into darkness.
===
When Maeve slowly opened her eyes, everything around her was dark.
No, wait. It wasn’t dark. It was dark because something was covering her eyes.
Her breathing instantly became uneven. She tried to move, only to realize her wrists had been tied tightly behind her back. Her ankles were bound as well, and a strip of cloth had been wrapped firmly over her mouth, making it impossible to call for help.
"Mmph!" Her heartbeat immediately shot up.
She couldn’t see, she couldn’t speak, and she didn’t know where she was. All of those feelings sent a wave of panic into through her.
Ever since she had lived with her uncle in her previous life, she had hated this feeling more than anything. Being unable to see what was happening around her made every terrifying memory come rushing back.
After all, her uncle used to lock her inside the cellar for days at a time. Surrounded by endless darkness, she had no way of knowing when he would come back or if anyone would ever find her.
Little by little, the darkness had eaten away at her sanity. Even now, those memories still haunted her.
She struggled so hard that the cloth covering her eyes slipped down slightly. The moment she saw Ikarus and Axan lying in front of her, still unconscious, a muffled cry escaped her lips.
"Mhmp! Mhmp!"