Her Scar wasn't Blood

Chapter 15 - The Frogshire.

We arrived at our second destination- a swampy forest that stretched endlessly before us. Massive, twisted trees loomed overhead, their roots weaving into the muck beneath our feet. The air was thick with humidity, making it difficult to breathe, and there was a strange buzzing noise, almost like the hum of a distant engine. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings, but something was off. Everything was enormous. We weren't just in a strange world-we had been shrunk down. The towering trees made me feel as small as a cat compared to my original world.

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed through the swamp, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Welcome, dear voyageurs!" A bizarre figure emerged from behind a tree, and I instinctively took a step back. "I'm Eliot, your guide for the tour of Frogshire!" His voice had a strong, exaggerated French accent, and it almost distracted me from the oddity of his appearance.

I blinked in confusion. This thing-was it a toad? But no, it wasn't like any toad I had ever seen. It had human-like anatomy, standing upright with limbs that resembled ours but still distinctly toad-like. Not like Althea, who just had some fish attributes-this thing was... wrong. Cursed, maybe. Its bulging eyes blinked at us, its wide grin unsettling, but Frye didn't seem fazed.

"We're here to find the next portal," Frye said coldly, her gaze hard and unyielding as always. She didn't even bother with pleasantries, cutting straight to the point.

"Ah! Très bien, mes amis! Follow me!"

He led us through the thick forest, hopping along with surprising agility for a creature of his shape. As we trudged along, the swamp began to shift into something more... inviting. The dense, damp atmosphere gave way to a small clearing where a quaint mushroom town sat nestled amongst the trees. Tiny homes sprouted up from the ground like colorful fungi, each one glowing faintly in the dim light. In the center of the town stood an enormous spruce tree, its branches like arms spreading wide.

The tree's trunk was hollowed out, forming what seemed to be a community hub. We stepped inside, and the sight that greeted us was unexpectedly grand. The interior of the tree was filled with cozy corners, small libraries, and an assortment of games scattered across the floor. Shelves lined the walls, and on one of them, something caught my eye. A sword.

"This is the community center, mes amis!" Eliot announced, gesturing grandly around the space. "We have everything you could want ; libraries, games, and even the legendary Sword of Ether-"

I stopped listening. My eyes were glued to the sword. It was magnificent, with a gleaming silver blade that seemed to shimmer even in the dim light of the room. As Eliot continued his tour guide spiel, my chest tightened with an unexplainable pull. The sword... was calling to me. I shook my head, trying to clear the fogginess. Maybe it was just the exhaustion from traveling, or maybe I was hallucinating from lack of sleep.

Frye's voice snapped me out of my daze, and I followed her to a small corner where Eliot offered us food. I sat down, which was a relief after the long walk. The meal was surprisingly good, the flavors delicate but rich, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to relax.

As I rested, my mind kept drifting back to that sword.