As we wandered into the woods, we immediately noticed a clear path ahead. As we followed it, we noticed that the faint and distant sounds of birds began to fade, and even the wind became still shortly after we came upon a strange sight.
There was a clearing before us in a perfect circle, and in the middle of it, a black tree. The circle was perfect, even the branches of the trees didn't grow towards the tree in the middle. The forest floor within the circle was overgrown with vines and tree roots snaking out in every direction. We stood at the edge of the circle, looking at it.
"I guess that's the black hollow"
"It seems… evil."
I nodded and leaned forward, inspecting the area. I would have stepped forward and approached to take a closer look, but the fact that the branches of the surrounding trees grew away from this tree had me hesitate.
"Do you think it's magic?"
"Magic? Only the most ancient things in the world could be magic; it's long since been extinct"
"Wait, Kona, you seem to know a bit about magic."
"Hm? Of course, the Godi family axe is magic. The metal is eternally cold and can instantly cause frostbite to anyone who holds the axe who isn't a member of the Godi clan. Some people have had their arms freeze and shatter just from holding it too long."
"So, magic is real?"
"Well, those stories are hundreds o' years old. The metal is cold but not that cold. I think magic used to be real, but it died off."
"Magic is ancient, then how old is this tree?"
I lifted my foot and moved it towards the circle where the forest floor suddenly changed from grassy to viney. Though as I was about to put my foot to the floor, I felt a strong tug on the back of my shirt, and I fell backwards.
I looked up at Kona, who had pulled me, but she looked down at me, confused, both of her hands still hooked around either strap of the travel pack. If she didn't pull me, then it must have been Wrath. Was this place dangerous? The only other time he did that was when he was about to fall to my death in the Viltin sky cell. Does that mean stepping close to the tree is the same as dying?
I stumbled to my feet and leaned against a tree as I wiped my pants and ass clear of dirt.
"I think we should avoid it."
I turned to leave, but Kona reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Wait. What was that? What just happened?"
Right, no point trying to keep a secret.
"Come, I'll tell you as we go. It's a long road ahead."
We walked east and soon hit the shoreline and started to walk along it. I explained that Wrath had somehow made me move, that he could control my body at moments of great danger to save my life, and that it was always something small. A stumble back, a move of an arm. These moments were different to his full possession, something I explained would probably not happen again. As we walked through, I couldn't help but think about what in the world that tree was. Why would Wrath treat that tree the same as falling to my death? How could something like that even exist, and did Wrath know something about it?
As we camped that night, I had a dream. That alone was something strange, as lately all of my dreams have either been nothing or something that happened that day, and I would forget it upon waking. Not in the same way I used to forget my dreams.
I dreamt I was stuck down a well, looking up at a red sky. I was in the well for years, decades, centuries. I was so, so hungry. One day, a rope came down, and I was lifted from the well, and I was so hungry I ate the creatures who saved me. I ate them whole and all at once. It didn't make sense thinking back on it, but that's how dreams are sometimes. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor, full and satisfied with my meal. Then, suddenly, a tree burst from my stomach and grew rapidly. Its vines wrapped around my body and crushed me, pulling me into it. I became one with the tree. Then people came, they laid sacrifices down at my trunk. They looked so tasty that my vines ate them up. But no matter how much I ate, I was still hungry.
When I awoke, I lay still for a while, staring at the leaves overhead. Kona and I were sharing a sleeping bag; I was lying on my back, and she was on her side with an arm draped over me. I closed my eyes and focused inward to try and ask Wrath a question and hear the answer.
Was that you? That dream? Do you know what that tree is? Give me a word, just one.
Sin.
I thought about going back to the tree to look at it closely. But what good would that do anyone? It would be a pointless risk.
"Shinya?"
Kona said, half asleep. I looked over to her as she nuzzled her head against my chest. Looking up at me. I enjoyed this more feminine side of her. She only tended to show it when we were alone.
"What's wrong?"
"Just talking with Wrath about the tree."
"You can do that?"
"Mmh, I'm glad we avoided it. I think it's more dangerous than anyone realises."
She rolled onto her back and lifted her arms above her head, stretching them out as she started to wriggle out from the sleeping bag.
"Hey Shinya, do you know if the ocean over there is safe to bathe in?"
Over the next week, we continued up the coast of the black sea. Our pace was slower than by road as the beach itself was little more than a few rocks between the water and the winding tree roots.
Continuing up the coast, the rocks became darker in colour as we neared a cove. Walking around it, we found the infamous black rocks, all dark six-sided pillars protruding from the ground that look man-made.
The trip was long, uneventful, and quiet. Our only company was each other and the ever-present waves of the sea lapping the shore.
Unlike the last time we spent days on end walking, right before our stay in Black Hollow, Kona was more lively, talkative and closer. I suppose she really was concerned that I was less of myself than I used to be.
Every morning, we would bathe in the waters, a luxury we didn't have in the ironwoods, so it was something we took advantage of. And every morning, I would look at my reflection in the water to see that my eyes were still red. I suppose this change is permanent; that I'll be stuck with these eyes till the day I die.
As we started to turn eastward across the coastline, we had officially entered the Black Lands. The path continued onward, and soon we came upon a massive fortress wall on the shore, huddled between the trees.
The walls looked old and damaged, and rubble was on the shore. It looked like this was to defend against threats coming from the ocean. Perhaps from a time before Vilta united the states of the southlands. Either way, this fortress is clearly long abandoned.
We continued onward for a few more days before the shore once again turned north, and from behind the trees, a grand city sat in the distance between the shore and a mountain. It looked perhaps half the size of Vilta just from this far, with a towering stone wall and tall spires piercing the sky. Though Kona said I only saw half of Vilta from my cell, so this city would be a quarter of its true size. Even still, it was massive.
Its scale only grew more impressive as we got closer. The forest gave way to a large clearing that we walked through as we neared the main gate of the city.
I pulled my mask up as I spotted people standing about. There was a line to enter and five guards talking with people, gradually letting people inside as the line slowly moved forward.
"I've never seen a line to enter a city before."
"Well, security here is tight; the Black Ravens need to keep track of everyone who comes and goes to catch criminals."
"Criminals!? Did you forget that I'm one? Also, isn't the Black Lands where the mercenary guilds started? I would be like a super criminal here."
As the line moved forward, Kona put a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, I got this."
As a guard approached us, I noticed his clothing was cheap: a tattered brown robe, leather armour, and mismatched gauntlets. He stood with a book in his hand and a pen in the other.
"Nom?" [Name?]
"I'm Kona Godi from the Fyordland."
"Ah, you speak Imperial. Okay, Kona Godi. And what's his name?"
Kona put her hand on my head, signalling she was going to speak for me. Suddenly, she pulled my hood back, and my mask fell, revealing my face to the guard.
"This is the famously wanted criminal, Shinya Akame."