Chapter 107

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Chapter 107: Moon Shadow

The end point that the road in the mind is pointing to is not a wilderness.

Before truly arriving, endless oak forests always linger in the mind. Even though Tasha knew that the sacred tree had long moved away and the oak forest should no longer exist, she still subconsciously felt that she would see a barren deep mountain. The end point would be among the secluded mountain forests, where the traces left by the Druid from the past still remain. Countless secrets are hidden in the mountains, asleep for hundreds of years, waiting to be discovered by later generations.

But in fact, it is not a deep mountain forest there.

Tasha thought they would get off the carriage somewhere and trek on foot, but the carriage kept moving forward, just becoming more bumpy. There were a few passersby curiously watching the bumpy newcomers on the road. Shortly after leaving the previous small town, their position coincided with the map in the mind.

The carriage stopped, they got off, Marion jumped down and looked around, disappointment evident on his face. The trees here were sparse, the vegetation not dense, and through the wild grass, one could see exposed red soil. Looking into the distance, human villages were not far away. Looking in another direction, the hillside looked like it had been cut, with bare red rock layers exposed, ready to turn into a mud bath if there was heavy rain, flowing down the unnatural cliffs.

Natural ruins are not desolate, just as the backside of greatness is not destruction. Destruction can bring heart-wrenching sorrow, but more tragic than destruction is oblivion, as if the once brilliant hero has become a tired middle-aged person bent with the burdens of daily life. The former sacred place is now just a backyard of a village, where Druids, elves, orcs, and covenanters of the Heart of Nature stand, feeling nothing.

"Time is truly terrifying, changing the world." Guide Martin gave a dry laugh, looking somewhat embarrassed, "Tripura’s manager once tried to develop this place, but… the fields mined here didn’t yield good crops, and it was too costly to maintain them in the mountains, not worth it. Magic weapons were brought in to blast the mountain, but unfortunately, after the rocks were split, they became too loose, leading to occasional collapses and deaths, and slowly the road was ruined. After that, trees on the other side of the mountain never grew well, erosion was severe, and after the tourism industry thrived, no one came here…"

Thus, leaving the current half-hearted appearance.

The people around were all living tightly, with no spare energy to care for the nearby mountains and waters. Nature had already been damaged, but the light of human civilization had not yet been lit. This awkward scene has lingered to this day, quiet and serene, with no one knowing its past glory.

Druid Eugene felt a bit sad, but he quickly calmed down. "It’s natural for things to change," he said, trying to comfort himself. "In a few years, the earth will heal."

It was already dusk when they arrived here, and the last rays of the setting sun disappeared from the horizon. With the temperature dropping quickly, it wasn’t convenient to find a place to stay. They decided to set up camp early to have a peaceful night’s sleep.

The group brought all the camping supplies they needed in their carriage. They had camped outdoors a few times before, so they knew what to do. Working together, they soon lit a campfire and set up their tents. They warmed up some food by the fire, noticing smoke rising from a nearby village. The campfire made it feel like they were having a backyard picnic.

Dinner that evening was quiet, with little conversation.

Tasha was in charge of staying up for the first half of the night.

The others had already gone into their tents. The night near the small village was peaceful, with occasional bird calls and barking dogs. The sky was completely dark, illuminated only by the campfire. Tasha stared at the bare ground nearby, thinking deeply.

Did the land she saw in a dream look like this? She couldn’t quite remember, maybe because the dream had oak forests and green grass. Tasha wondered how fertile soil that could grow oak forests could turn into such barren mountains, like Tripura that Martin mentioned, sounding like a place lacking in nutrients.

Were the actions of the Forest Elf and Great Druid at that time related? Could the answer be hidden in the part after the dream ended?

A huge shadow loomed over Tasha, swallowing her up. She felt the heat from behind, as if something was waiting there.

Tasha changed her sitting position, patted her thighs, and a huge creature walked over and rested its large head on her lap.

This place is too close to the village, the forest is too sparse, and there are no large animals that can live here. Foxes are the biggest predators in this generation, casting shadows so large that they could swallow Tasha, except for the giant wolf created by Marion, there is no other possibility.

Oh, not a wild beast, partly domesticated.

The silvery-white fur was warm, and fingers could sink completely into it. Marion rolled on the ground, pressing her head against Tasha’s body. Tasha touched her for a while, the she-wolf grumbled and rolled again, wrapping Tasha in her belly fur, probably to keep her warm.

The nights here are quite cool, but Tasha’s body can go from fire to ice without needing to sleep or catch a chill. Even so, being wrapped in a huge furry blanket was still comforting, easing her sense of frustration.

In this atmosphere, Tasha closed her eyes.

A certain scene flashed in her dark vision.

It was the same scene, with a black sky, dark silhouettes, everything fading before becoming clear. Tasha opened her eyes again, and the sky before her seemed to overlap with the previous scene, looking exactly the same.

Not the same.

In the sky in front of them, there was no round yellow full moon.

It wasn’t yet halfway through the month, so seeing a full moon was normal. However, on this clear night, before they reached their destination, Tasha had peeked out the window and seen the pale crescent moon in the southern sky. The moon was already there before the sun completely disappeared. If you could see the moon in the evening, why couldn’t you see it at night?

Tasha looked up, squinted her eyes, and saw a dark night sky with no moon or stars, like a giant blanket covering everything.

"Marion," Tasha said, "have you seen the moon?"

Silver Wolf lifted her head, her sharp snout pointing towards the sky, nostrils flaring in confusion. Tasha stood up, and Silver Wolf quickly scrambled to her feet.

"Call it out," Tasha said, stroking Silver Wolf’s head.

Call out the moon.

It sounded unreasonable, but coming from Tasha, Marion followed the command without hesitation, not questioning its sense. The wolf snout pointed straight at the night sky, and with a howl, she leaped up into the air.

The sky seemed to tremble.

In the vanished character card, there used to be such a record.

The powerful Silver Wolf was regarded as a god or devil by the primitive tribes. It could transform without the need for sunlight or moonlight. A Druid scholar who researched this mysterious creature once said, "It’s not the full moon that calls the Silver Wolf, but the Silver Wolf calling the full moon."

Indeed.

The canopy trembled, no, it flowed, as if the frozen black curtain turned back into ink, with shades of slate blue, indigo, and navy flowing within it, bringing the night sky to life.

If you have gazed at the night sky, you would know that the night sky is not just a rigid dark black canvas. The starlight, moonlight, and city lights under the night sky create subtle color differences in different parts of the sky. The natural and unique colors are hard to describe, even harder to distinguish, but when compared to a real night, the differences between genuine and fake become clear to you. The lifeless false sky disperses, but is the newly appearing canopy real? Overhead, above the former Druid Sanctuary, a radiant golden-yellow full moon shone.

It is early in the month today, not yet the middle of the month. Before the night fell, Tasha had seen the crescent moon.

In the few seconds she looked at the moon, the Silver Wolf sitting at her feet disappeared. For Marion, it was Tasha who vanished. As the half-elf Mavis slept soundly, she suddenly woke up, put on her cloak, stepped out of the tent, and saw the full moon hanging above the empty camp. Restless Druid Eugene was summoned by a premonition, so he got up, walked out of his tent, and found the ground empty and the moon shining brightly in the sky.

Under this strange moonlight, four people disappeared. Human guide Martin slept soundly, like the people in the surrounding villages. The empire’s mechanical bird perched quietly on a tree. Its reports showed nothing unusual, no one missing, and no untimely full moon in the sky. The animals in the woods seemed to sense something; an owl flapped its wings and quickly flew away.

The invited ones had set off, with nothing for the uninvited.

——————————

Eugene carefully held onto the oak magic wand.

The flames of the bonfire stopped, looking like frozen red flowers. Just as his gaze left the round moon overhead, he suddenly saw the person in front of him. The person was glowing faintly, making him stand out brightly against the dark background.

The tall, pointed-eared creature was smiling at him.

"You don’t need to know my name, just as I don’t need to know yours," the elf, glowing like the moon, said. "Friend, why have you come?"

This scene was extremely strange, the strange guest in the frozen space. Eugene almost doubted whether he had left the tent in his sleepless state, or if he had unknowingly fallen asleep. There was no sense of malice coming from the elf in front of him, only a familiar sense of warmth.

"May I ask," Eugene said politely, "are you also a Druid?"

"No, I am a warrior," the elf smiled. "But I am also a Forest Elf. It seems that no matter how many years pass, some things remain unchanged."

It was the scent of nature, even though he couldn’t be sure if the person before him was an illusion or not, the natural scent felt as comforting as a forest. The friendship between Forest Elves and Druids had deep roots, and it was only natural for these two beings who shared a love for nature to feel close to each other.

There were many questions to ask, and Eugene chose to answer first.

"I want to see the previous node," he said, "I want to see the broken story, just like a salmon growing up in the sea always returns to the river. When I knew this place existed, I wanted to come back, even though I didn’t know what was here."

"You don’t know?" The elf looked surprised, then turned serious, "What about the Druid historians?"

"I am a historian of the Druids," Eugene sighed, "but natural disasters and human tragedies have caused us to wander, and at one point even be separated from the Heart of Nature. Many things have been lost in the Druid heritage."

"Has it really come to this?" The elf said, a look of genuine sadness on his face, "I never thought the Druids would face such a catastrophe. You worship nature, no less than the priests who worship any deity. Nature’s followers are spread across all races, outnumbering us elves by so much, more united than wizards, with a heritage surpassing that of witches. How did it come to this?"

But all the priests of the deities have vanished, each race has been pushed to the edge of the world, wizards have faced massacres, witches are on the brink of extinction, and the Druids, as members of this group, have not been spared.

Eugene shook his head and did not say that.

"The darkness before dawn has passed," he said, "we have finally found the Heart of Nature, I have advanced from an apprentice to a true Druid, just like in my early dreams. Many people have moved up from being apprentices, many have joined, becoming new apprentices. I am lucky to have caught up with such a vibrant period."

The elf quietly watched him, just listening to him.

"I may not be very skilled, but I have seen some very talented people." Eugene said with a smile, "Arborist Alfred seems born for this, he is not even thirty yet, and the whole forest already recognizes his greatness. Beast Speaker Pulima has a lot of spirit beasts just like the legendary heroes, her animal companions love and obey her, she can lead an army all by herself. Shape-shifter Rubia is incredibly strong, he can race cheetahs and wrestle with bears. And those who control the weather…oh, there are so many of them. Maybe this is a difficult time compared to yours, but for us, it’s the best time. Everything will be okay."

"Hope," the elf smiled in agreement, "is the best thing."

"Someone helped us, and this person also brought me here." Eugene said, "I do not know where she comes from, or what she’s searching for here, but I trust her. She is planting new seeds in the barren land, sheltering fragile seedlings and under her care, Druids, along with many other groups, have thrived from near extinction to where they are today…If we can’t believe in someone like her, who can we believe in?"

"You convinced me." nodded the elf, "But you still need an acknowledgment."

The forest rustled.

When did it start? Next to this sparse woodland, suddenly various plants started growing. Flowers, grass, trees filled up all the visible space, red soil, cliffs, and the village nearby all disappeared. Eugene felt like he was thrown into an endless forest, turning back, the camp and the campfire were gone, and so was the elf.

Only the bright moon hung high in the sky, shining brightly through the night.

"Summon the forest, Arborist!" the clear voice of the elf echoed from the moon, "As a Druid, prove your worth."

"All of this forest?" Eugene asked in amazement.

"I’m sorry, I can’t create more environments with my limited abilities," the elf joked.

"But my powers are very weak," Eugene looked up at the sky and sighed, "I’ve never had high talents, and all my time spent learning is used to organize old pages. If I have to do so much, I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it."

Like every profession, Druids also have strengths and weaknesses.

Being a spellcaster has a high threshold, as power is linked to talent and diligence. Eugene’s progress has been bumpy, and he knew early on that he couldn’t go far on the path of extraordinary powers. He has lost interest in fighting and spells, and is more keen on organizing and writing. He has no energy left to practice.

The top Arborist, such as Alfred, would have some chance if it was him, but it’s really difficult for a librarian like Eugene to take action.

"But this isn’t reality," the elf said with a smile, "My guidance can only go this far. Good luck, friend!"

Eugene looked around once more and finally understood.

The plants here have various species from all over, growing in different seasons and eras. The composition of this forest is so complex that only the most knowledgeable and talented Druids can name each one.

"I see now," Eugene said, feeling relieved.

"When it comes to talent and abilities, I am really not sure," he muttered to himself, "but when it comes to knowledge and love for nature, I am not inferior to any Druid."

——————————

Marion suddenly turned around, staring alertly at the unexpected figure.

With the same black hair and equal beauty, another woman now stood where Tasha was. Her pointed ears were almost transparent in the moonlight, and her face shone like carved jade. The elf girl looked at Marion and nodded in greeting.

But this was not her master.

Marion called out mentally, not hearing a response. Was her voice unable to reach the other side? Or was the response unable to come back? Either way, it made her anxious. The she-wolf was fully alert, her ears pricked back as she faced the elf girl under the moonlight, just like she faced the Iron Golem in the past.

"I thought a Druid was coming," the elf girl sighed, "I haven’t seen the Silver Wolf in a long time."

She reached out her hands to Marion, which felt familiar to the she-wolf. She wanted to approach but remained cautious. What have you done to me? Marion lowered her head, revealing her canine teeth, and let out a low growl in her throat.

"I mean no harm," the elf girl said. She seemed about to say more but gave up when she saw Marion’s resistant gaze.

She took a small step back and clapped her hands gently.

Marion didn’t see where that thing was coming from.

One moment it was empty, the next a creature of undeniable elegance appeared, as if it had been hiding in the moonlight. Its fur was as bright as moonlight, with soft white mane draping over its neck. Its eyes were pure and innocent like a child’s, with long fluttering eyelashes, and a spiral horn growing from its forehead.

This was a unicorn, a magical creature that had disappeared without a trace for hundreds of years, only remaining as a legendary being.

Like snow melting on a matchstick, Marion’s anxiety faded away as she looked at the Silver Wolf observing the unicorn and elf girl, deciding not to change back to human form.

"Why have you come?" asked the elf girl.

I have come for "her."

Marion did not know the name "Tasha."

She knew the name Tasha used to sign contracts, the alias "Natasha"; knew some called "her" the "Lord Governor," others referred to "her" as "that lady," and enemies feared and hated "her" as "that monstrous woman" … the she-wolf knew her covenant had many names, many titles; she could not know them all, but it didn’t matter, just like any shell doesn’t matter.

"She" can be a faceless ghost, wear a wolf skull as a helmet, have dragon wings, be as pure as an elf or as charmingly evil as a demon, it doesn’t matter. "She" is Marion’s covenant, owner, and master, she is Marion’s caregiver, savior, family, and friend, no matter what she is defined as. Regardless of the name, appearance, or explanation, their bond will not change, "her" existence will remain, and Marion’s loyalty will too.

Marion came for "her," and wherever "she" goes, Marion will follow. She doesn’t need any other reason, that is the reason.

The she-wolf did not reply.

But when she thought of Tasha, the image of Tasha appeared, shifting from ghostly to wolf-headed, from dragon-winged to demon-like. The images changed, but the radiance surrounding her remained the same. In Marion’s heart, Tasha always shone brightly, like a warm, shining star.

"Shape-shifter?" the elf girl said in confusion.

It was only at that moment that Marion noticed the image, and she was suddenly furious upon realizing it. Her thoughts had been intruded upon! "Her" image had been peeped at by this stranger! How dare they! Silver Wolf let out a terrifying roar, her fur bristled, ears flattened back, and she pounced on the shameful intruder.

"Wait, this is a special space, our true thoughts will directly manifest, I had no intention of spying!" the elf dodged and jumped onto the unicorn. Marion’s thoughts were almost single-minded in her Silver Wolf state, and now with red eyes from anger, she wasn’t open to listening. The elf dodged once more, sighing.

"Forget it, it’s fine like this," she smiled ruefully.

The elf and unicorn both erupted in fluorescence, the light too bright for Silver Wolf to keep her eyes open. When she opened them again, there was no elf riding the unicorn in front of her, only a centaur-like girl with a single horn, standing proudly with a longbow.

"Come on, let’s fight!" the girl scolded lightly, "Defeat me, prove your worth!"