Light and Shadow

35 - The Abandoned Village, Pt. 1

The group of three left the palace after Cao Cao informed his son, Cao Pi, that he was in charge until he returned. They quietly walked together to the tall stone city gates and exited the city. They then walked along the well-traversed dirt path outside of the city for three kilometers until they arrived at a path on the left side of the road that appeared to be less traveled. Sima Yi informed them that this path was the one that would lead them to their destination. The grass and weeds were relatively tall and wild along the sides of the path, and dense patches of grass sporadically littered the path. The branches of the trees appeared sharp and angled as they twisted and turned upward, pointing toward the sky.

A feeling of unease filled Xun Yu as he gazed past Sima Yi and focused on the path in front of him. The path, despite its disuse, bore an odd familiarity, but Xun Yu did not know why he found it to be familiar; perhaps he had traversed it numerous times before in his dreams. He stood there, like he was frozen in place, as he gazed forward. Cao Cao, who was standing beside him, raised an eyebrow in question and gently placed a hand on his arm.

"Wenruo, are you okay?" Cao Cao asked softly.

Xun Yu turned to look at him and noticed the concerned look in his eyes. Sima Yi turned around to face them as he awaited his friend's response.

"My Lord, I am fine. I apologize for worrying you." Xun Yu replied, prompting Cao Cao to remove his hand from his arm.

The group then entered the path, sticking close to each other. Sima Yi remained at the front of the group, leading them onwards, while Cao Cao and Xun Yu walked beside each other behind him. As they walked further along the path, they noticed that the trees grew denser, and the grass grew taller so that it was up to their knees. As the group quietly walked through the still, dense, forested area, the gnarled trees that lined the path on either side filled Xun Yu with unease. He couldn't shake the eerie feeling that they were being watched.

As they continued walking, the path began to twist and turn before branching off into many different paths. Sima Yi stopped at a fork in the path, unsure of how to proceed. Xun Yu stepped forward, causing Sima Yi to raise an eyebrow in question, and motioned for them to follow him as he entered one of the paths. He navigated the path as if he had done so numerous times before, and, indirectly, he had.

He understood now why the foreboding path seemed familiar to him, and it was because he had traversed it several times before in his dreams. He remembered every twist and turn in the road that led to the desolate village that housed the familiar abode where his nightmares took place. The image of the home lingered in his mind, like an imprint. Cao Cao and Sima Yi quietly followed behind Xun Yu, watching as he focused on nothing expect for the dirt path in front of them. It was almost as if he was in a trance.

After walking approximately one kilometer into the forest, a fog washed over them, concealing most of the ground and their surroundings in a thick, white blanket. The forest was silent and still, not a creature was in sight, even the wind acted as if it was terrified to move.

"We are getting closer." Xun Yu muttered.

Sima Yi and Cao Cao said nothing and continued to follow along as Xun Yu began to walk faster. The two struggled to keep up as they stumbled over thick branches and occasionally got caught up in the tall weeds that twisted around their legs. Why did I decide to join them on this adventure? Cao Cao thought silently to himself as he freed his ankle from a thick vine-like weed and trudged onward, noticing as Sima Yi also struggled to progress forward. It would not have been right if I let them wonder off on a potentially dangerous expedition on their own. Xun Yu still is not well, I can see and tell that much; it would have been dangerous if I let him leave on his own with Sima Yi. I don't know exactly what occurred in Xun Yu's nightmares, but it must have been terrible since he is adamant on finding this place and going through with Sima Yi's proposal. I can't shake the terrible feeling of dread that has lingered on my mind since we arrived here.