The Hidden World of Nitea [2 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter Twelve

The bus slowed to a smooth stop before halting in front of the bus stop. Giorgino gripped the straps of his bag as he stood up from his seat. The doors opened. He waved his wrist in front of the scanner to pay for the bus ride before he hopped off. He then marched towards the forest.

The forest felt too tranquil for him. Being from the bustling city, Giorgino was accustomed to noise. He was used to hearing rumbling engines, beeping cellphones, and people's footsteps. He heard none of that once he set foot inside the seemingly empty woodland. No wind. No rustling. Nothing. Not even chirping crickets. Giorgino scanned the area. Apart from the plants, there was no other living being near him. He shrugged. At least that meant that there were no insects or predators nearby. Giorgino opened his bag and retrieved his equipment. He then ventured into the forest. This should be easy.

Giorgino's eyes moved side to side as he scanned the woodland for a clearing. There was a clear patch somewhere to the East. He trod towards that side, holding the ropes in one hand. He went over the plan that he formulated while on his way to the forest. First, he would create a trap using the ropes and set it on a flat, unobstructed patch of land. Next, he would enchant the berries and use them as bait. He would then climb a tree and wait for a unicorn to fall into his trap. Once it did, all he had to do was cut off a horn and go on his merry way. It was simple, really. It should not be too difficult.

Giorgino set up his trap in an area that did not have many trees. He moved his fingers in a twiddling motion as he wove a net from the ropes, then placed one hand on them. Invisible, invisible, he chanted mentally. A soft white light emerged from his hand and consumed the trap. The net then became invisible. Giorgino placed the berries on top of the net and cast a spell to make its aroma more potent. He briefly closed his eyes as he used his telekinetic sight. There were no unicorns nearby. He cast one more spell, this time one that would close the trap if a unicorn stumbled upon it, before climbing up a tree and hiding between the branches. Now all he had to do was wait.

And wait, he did. Nothing happened for the next ten minutes. Giorgino sighed. Where are they? He closed his eyes and used his telekinetic sight once more. He detected not a single unicorn. He chose not to open his eyes, not because he wanted to keep using his telekinetic sight, but because he felt tired and decided to take a nap. After all, if something did fall into his trap, the sounds would alert him.

He woke up. Still nothing. He checked his phone; it had been fifteen minutes. He stared at the trap he laid. It seemed alright. He opened his phone to browse the internet, checking if he got everything right. Berries were indeed part of a unicorn's diet, daytime was indeed a unicorn's preferred time to forage, and the forest he visited was indeed a unicorn habitat. Perhaps the legends of unicorns only approaching women were true. He shrugged. He outstretched one arm and cast an incantation, one that would give the net a woman's scent—not that he knew what it smelled like or anything. In fact, he found it a bit ludicrous that a man and a woman could have different body odors. The only thing he knew was that they both reeked when neither were given deodorant. Perhaps it was because he was a person and not a feral animal whose noses were far more sensitive.

Giorgino rotated his body so that his back would face the sky. He then leaned forward, wrapped his limbs around a thick tree branch, and took another nap. Days with morning lessons deprived him of sleep. He had always stayed awake till an hour or two past midnight, but on most days he would make up for it by waking up by nine o'clock. Not on Wednesdays and Fridays. On those days he would have to rise by six so that he could arrive at the laboratory before Grimelda's lessons started. Naps were his way of recovering some shuteye. As minutes passed, his breathing slowed, his heartbeat relaxed, and his body grew still. Giorgino let himself drift into a deep sleep.