The trees loomed above them, their canopies so dense that the sky was completely hidden from view. The spaces between the trees offered little respite, as the lack of sunlight made it impossible to gauge their surroundings.
As night began to fall, Louis lit a fire using his fire magic, casting flickering shadows on the trees. The warmth and light brought some comfort, but it was clear they were far from safe.
The group fashioned torches from fallen branches, wrapping dry cloth around one end and igniting it with Louis's magic. The flames cast an eerie glow, illuminating the faces of the knights.
"Louis, in which direction should we go?" Kai asked, his eyes seeking guidance.
Louis turned to him, his face set in a determined expression. However, the truth was that he had no answer. He had never experienced a situation like this before, and the uncertainty was palpable. Yes, he had fought in wars, but something like this is just not what he expected or was ready for.
As the night wore on, Louis leaned against a tree, using its trunk as support. "It's still night," he said, his voice low and measured. "If we're lucky, the sun will show us the way tomorrow. If not, we'll follow the wind. For now, both are absent."
Kai nodded in agreement, and they decided to set up camp. With Louis's fire magic, they managed to stay warm, but the tranquillity was short-lived. The snowfall suddenly intensified, and strong winds threatened to extinguish the flames. The night was brutal, but they managed to endure.
By luck, the sun showed them a ray of hope, and by looking at the map, they knew they had to head south to exit the forest. Sanlow was also inside the forest-or perhaps it had been swallowed by it. They didn't know.
They started walking toward the south. The winds were still strong, just not like the night before-enough to make their teeth chatter. Soon, hunger caught up with them. They had been walking for the last six hours without eating anything. Water was their only relief, gathered by melting snow.
William decided to distract himself from hunger and started talking.
"Hey, Henry how is your grandmother? I will visit your house just for her jam, once we get out of here. " he chuckled.
"She died 6 months ago." Henry, a stern knight replied.
William got awkward and apologised, then he turned to Jerry. His stomach made that rumbling sound but he tried to ignore it.
"Hey, Jerry. What was your magic again?" Will asked the baby-faced knight. He remembered this man from his training days-strong, but always keeping himself withdrawn, as if scared of everyone. Later, Louis had told him that Jerry was simply shy. He didn't talk much and only spoke when necessary or when asked.
Kai also remembered Jerry mentioning that his father's magic was related to plants. He mostly trained with Draconis knights to learn.
"C..Creating plants," Jerry stammered.
For a second, everyone stopped and stared at Jerry, making him uncomfortable. His shoulders hunched further, making him look even smaller than his already slight frame. His eyes darted around nervously, trying to understand why they were all looking at him.
"W..what's wrong?" he stammered again.
Louis stepped forward, towering over the smaller knight. Jerry was almost five-five, but in front of Louis, he looked much smaller.
"Why didn't you mention your magic before?" Louis asked calmly.
"No one asked," Jerry replied, avoiding everyone's eyes. He didn't know what he had done wrong.
"Jerry, kid," Louis continued, still calm. "You do know plants can bear fruits we can eat, right?"
Kai glanced between the two of them. They looked like a father explaining something to his child, the kind of relationship he had always wanted with his own father.
"Yeah, we can. B..but why are you asking me tha-oh. Oh. I'm sorry." Jerry realised mid-sentence that he could easily provide food for everyone, but the thought had never crossed his mind. Embarrassment flooded his face.
In the next second, a green light glowed from his palm, and fruits began to appear one after another. His magic allowed him to create separate parts of plants-leaves, fruits, flowers, and more.
Everyone ate their share and stored some in their satchels. They had no idea how long they would have to walk, but with each other's support, they continued forward. Louis, leading the group, stayed alert, guiding them in the right direction-aware that danger could come from anywhere.
Kai was being alert, trying to listen to every noise so they won't be surprised and panic if something or someone attacks. One thing special about him was that his 5 senses were way too strong compared to others. Even his father, who had trained and fought in wars a lot, couldn't reach the level of kai. Caspian guided Kai for 3 years working on his senses.
As they pushed themselves forward, their feet sore because of snow and cold, lips turning blue , fingertips felt numb but they didn't stop and walk towards the south. Forest getting more dense, canopy covering whole sky made sun totally dissapear and the ray of hope disappeared too.
The sounds coming from different directions were creepy. Definitely not of animals. Kai even heard a woman weeping but it was different in something sinister way. It was far away and just for seconds. He ignored it thinking of it illusion made by his brain.