The heavy, ornate iron gates of Blackhaven, far more functional and utilitarian than those of the Dukker manor, slowly disappeared behind them. Elias, Aina, and Roric stood for a moment, the deafening roar of the city still echoing in their ears. But as they veered off the paved road and began to walk down the packed dirt trail, the noise slowly gave way to a new symphony. The sounds of the forest—the rustling of leaves, the distant call of an unseen bird, and the gentle hum of insects—began to replace the clamour of the city. The air, which had been thick with the smells of baking bread and charcoal, was now cool, damp, and scented with pine and the rich, earthy smell of decaying leaves.
The towering trees of the Blackwood closed in around them, their branches interweaving to form a natural canopy that blocked out much of the sunlight. Elias craned his neck to see the tops of the massive trunks, which looked like the pillars of a grand, living cathedral. The world was no longer one of grey stone and bustling humanity, but of deep green, shadow, and the quiet, breathing life of the wilderness.
"Right then," Roric said, his voice a low rumble that seemed perfectly suited to the forest.
"It's about a good few hour's walk to the chosen location. Might as well use the time to give you a lesson. As they say, walking is food for the soul."
He looked over his shoulder at the children, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"This place, this whole region, is the Blackwood region of Aerthos one of it's sixteen regions and located close to our border with the Sultanate of Kemet to the east and Nordhelm to the north. It's our land, the Dukker's land, and it's one of the largest and most valuable territories in all of Aerthos. Your parents don't just rule it; they protect it. It's a natural barrier to the north-east, keeping all sorts of unpleasantness away from us."
He pointed to a thick, scarred tree trunk. "But it's more than a simple barrier. It's the engine of your House. This forest provides immense wealth. The timber, of course, is a high-quality export, but it's not the only one." He gestured vaguely into the dense undergrowth.
"The various beasts that live here are fierce and rare. Their hide, their bones, and their are valuable. Your mother, Elara, has her hands full with northern merchants from trying to get their share of it all."
Elias and Aina listened intently. Roric was giving them a tangible sense of how important Lord Alaric was. He continued, explaining that the true source of the family's immense wealth lay in the region's Flow nodes.
"The Blackwood contains more active Nodes than any other territory, which means we are a primary producer of Flowstone. It's the very lifeblood of our economy, used for everything from artifacts to weaponry." Roric's tone then shifted.
"Our destination is a special place. We're going to a special place called the Iron Forest."
He turned to face the children, his expression serious.
"It's a unique and dangerous place. It's a Flow node with so much ambient Flow that the very trees have absorbed it. Their bark and leaves have a metallic sheen and an incredible density, hence the name. The forest floor is littered with fragments of Flowstone that have formed over time."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"The high level of ambient Flow means that the beasts here are larger, more aggressive, and stronger than their counterparts elsewhere. There are mostly Imbued beasts but no one has gone deep enough to find out what's really lurking in those woods. This is where you, Elias, will have your first rite of passage. We'll hunt around the Forest to get you used to the terrain. Take note that the world inside the node is completely different from outside, warped beyond your imagination by the power of Flow. Now,what should we start with?"
A sudden, panicked shout echoed through the trees.
The trio turned just in time to see a young boy, no older than his early teens, running for his life. Around his neck hung large, polished prayer beads, and beaded bracelets dangled on his wrists as he ran.
Behind him, a swarm of Imbued bees descended with a low, menacing roar. The bees were much larger than normal, with dark, pulsating bodies and razor-sharp stingers. Their translucent wings, in the dim forest light, seemed to glint with a pulsating hues of blue and green.
The boy suddenly turned around and started running backward, holding his
hands up trying to use his Trait ability but just then, he tripped on a gnarled root and fell to the ground.
With a click of his tongue, Roric stooped down and picked up a stone. He hurled it, not at the boy, but directly into the heart of the approaching swarm. As it passed through, it seemed to bond with every single bee, their tiny bodies connecting to it with a fine, silver thread of light. The stone then slammed into a tree, sending a powerful wave of shock through the swarm. The bees fell to the ground, stunned.
Roric, with Aina and Elias following close behind, walked over to the scene. Elias stared at the fallen bees, their legs twitching, and then at the boy on the ground, who was breathing heavily.
Roric squatted next to the boy.
"What are you doing this deep in the forest?" he asked, his voice low and firm. "This place is off-limits to the public, and you're clearly not a knight or a hunter."
The boy, still shaken, pushed himself up to a sitting position.
"I... I sensed an evil spirit," he stammered, his eyes wide.
"I came to exorcise it."
Roric's eyes rested on the boy's prayer beads. He gave a weary sigh.
"Go home," he said simply.
"I'll deal with the wraith."
The boy, regaining some of his composure, protested.
"But you don't know where it is! I can–"
Roric simply picked up another small pebble, and while the boy was still talking, tapped his forehead with it. He then stood up and threw the pebble in the direction of the city. A faint silver line of light shot from the stone and wrapped around the boy, pulling him along behind it with incredible speed.
Roric grunted as he got to his feet and clapped the dust off his hands. He muttered something about "Itinerants" and turned to the children. "Come along," he said, his voice now urgent.
"Before those bees wake up and make us their next target."