What Lurks Behind The Trees

Like a dream

"What is this?"

"Are you sure we're still in the Stygian forest?"

"I have no clue"

The forest looked different, when they crossed a certain point, it changed. Before them stood an array of different coloured trees, their trunks a normal brown colour, but their leaves dyed with the most unusual colours. Different shades of purple, red, blue and green made the view very much like something out of a dream. The trees were also much larger than before and their roots protruded piercingly from the ground. Swooping branches waved from a couple of trees, and an array of flowers, which claimed remnants of light, spruced up the otherwise mundane landscape. Little specks of glowing purple floated in the air around them. Gregor had a bad feeling about this. The men had started to scatter, distracted by the beauty of this surreal painting.

"We can't separate, come back!"

They did not listen, lost in their own worlds. That's when Gregor noticed that something really was wrong with this. He walked to one of the trees and stared at its colossal canopy, it was truly a beautiful, astonishing view. He looked behind him, heart quickly dropping in panic, everyone was gone. His head darted in every direction, scanning the place for any face. The colours of the trees were starting to blend into one, his vision started to blur, he fell to the ground feeling dizzy. He clutched his head as a surging pain shot to his head. He shook his head intensely and blinked a few times to straighten his vision. That's when he saw it, a blurry figure, a figure with long hair. Mother?

He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly. It's just a dream. He opened them slowly and that figure was still there. Long silver hair, long white dress. He squinted slightly. The figure walked towards him, silky dress trailing on the colourful leaves, stopping right in front of him. Gregor looked up. It was a girl, about his age. He could really see how ethereal she was up close, long silver-white hair framing her face, pointy ears, bright sapphire eyes, pouty lips and a strange looking silver design by her left eye. Her pink cheeks were adorned with specs of freckles and her hair was beautified with a crown of baby's breath.

She stared down at him, expression stoic and blue eyes unblinking. She sat down, dress spreading around her beautifully. Gregor blinked in astonishment, she was beautiful.

"Who are you?" She asked, voice soft like velvet. Gregor just stared, blinking stupidly at her. "What are you doing here?"

When Gregor gaped like a fish, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed in a thin line "What are you doing in my forest?"

At that, his eyebrows flew up "Your forest?"

She nodded "You stole my water and my flowers"

He ignored her and blurted out "Where are the other men?"

"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine."

He sighed "I must be dreaming" he muttered to himself

Gregor felt a sharp pain in his arm and hissed "What was that?" he snapped angrily.

"A pinch, you're not dreaming," she deadpanned

"Look, I don't know who you are; just tell me where my friends are"

"We've met before" this time she smirked

He lifted an eyebrow in confusion

"Twice to be exact,"

"I don't remember ever seeing anyone with white hair-"

"Its silver" She then stood up and smiled "I'll re-enact exactly how we met"

Gregor huffed "This is not the time for games"

What happened next made Gregor stumble backwards. Her dress magically wrapped around her, covering her with a white glow that twisting her out of sight. When the glowing specks faded away, Gregor gasped loudly almost choking on his own spit.

The girl had disappeared, but what sat instead of her was a white furry creature...

"A fox?!"

It was the same fox, he saw at the turquoise ponds. A silver fox with glistening sapphires for eyes. Gregor never noticed the mark by its left eye, the same one the girl had.

The fox moved towards him, and lifted its tiny paw; Gregor took this as a sign and brought his palm to the paw. He smiled, teeth showing and broke into a laugh.

"I remember you!"

The fox nodded and moved away, and the same thing repeated again, the white specks, the magical scene and soon the girl was back, in her white flowy dress.

"I remember you!" he repeated, eyes bright and face glowing with happiness.

She came and sat in front of him, smiling innocently and then in a blink she punched him on the face. Gregors expression was that of pure betrayal, holding his bleeding nose in pain "What was that for?!"

"As I said before, you stole my water and my flowers and I'm not a fox"

"I gave you bread for it!"

She burst out into a laugh, "My magical water, for bread? That's a joke"

"Why didn't you stop us then?"

"I would be killed without second thought, you humans are cruel."

"What are you anyway?"

She folded her arms over her chest and raised her head in pride "I am Illyria, of the Sylvan race, the protectors of the forest,"

"Woah, so you can turn into foxes?"

"They're not foxes, they're called Sisins, Sylvan spirits" she smiled

"How do you protect the forest? You couldn't stop us from taking your water."

Her face fell, her eyes became sad and she looked at the ground "There used to be many of us, this forest was filled with Sylvans. Until these Night Slayers invaded and took over, killing my people."

Gregor looked at her sorrowful eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she soon slapped it away, muttering "I don't need your pity" quietly.

"Thank you," Gregor said, making her look at him in confusion, "You saved my sister... and you saved me...your flowers and the turquoise water did."

"Was it the girl who was with you the first time?"

"No, that was Celia. My older sister Laina was seriously ill, I don't even know if she recovered but the village healer said she would. And as for me-"

"Yes, I was going to ask about your eye, is it because of a Night Slayer?"

"Yes, but as soon as I drank the pond water, it stopped spreading," He pointed at the black veins in his left arm.

"Well yes, the water has healing powers, the Silent Silverglow grows only around this water and absorbs all the nutrition from it and so it also becomes a healing plant. I'll forgive you if you took it for these reasons," She smiled.

Gregor smiled back, then frowned when he remembered his friends who suddenly disappeared "Illyria, where are my men?"

She sighed and pointed to one of the larger trees in the distance "They're there"

"How do I know you're not tricking me," He narrowed his eyes

She stood up angrily "Fine! Don't trust me, as if I care," She crossed her arms and turned her head away, pouting.

Gregor chuckled at that "I was joking" he stood up "Um, can I ask you some questions about this forest, since you live here and all?"

Her eyes brightened at that "Yes! I know everything about this forest, but it's a lot of information, so give me all your time!"

"Alright, let's go to the others, don't worry, they're good people,"

"Oh right, you didn't tell me your name"

"Gregor Blackwood" He smiled

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Tell me what you think? Choosing the name Illyria was the hardest part of this chapter lol

Please comment and vote!