The quantity of mysteries in the world remains unknown. One simply cannot learn about everything there is, no matter how much they would devote their entire life time in learning about the secrets and stories that have been told around for generations. Impossible for mortals, at least. But for the curious ones, whether they were fine adventurers or simply just scribes who want to document everything they can, there is an abundant number of mysteries to experience, giving fulfillment to their lives. There are a wide variety of things that pique the interest of many people, such as objects which radiate strange power, places where it is forbidden to go, beings that very few have seen and tales of shady disappearances, like of ships that got lost in the sea never to be seen again. These stories excite people, no matter who they are, and acknowledging their existence makes the world a truly profound and vivid place.
One peculiar mystery resides somewhere in the northern part of the world. It is not well-known, there probably doesn't exist many documentaries about it, but for the locals, it is something that they'll learn about at a very early age since the parents like to tell it forward in a form of the bedtime story. There is an enchanted forest that goes by the name Forest Of Lamentation. No one is sure what kind of purpose it serves; some say it is a hideout of an ancient monster, others are sure there is a great treasure hidden somewhere deep within and then there are those that think it is a cursed place meant to imprison an evil king that lived thousands of years ago. Usually people steer away from it, but there have been brave ones who have wandered into its cryptic world. Their stories have varied a little and it is possible that some have embellished their experiences, but one thing is for sure: laments of spirits could be heard all around, sometimes they even appear to the travelers. It differs what kind of emotions they are expressing, but mostly these wailings have inflicted the hearts of people with sorrow, but quite often they have also felt hostile. Do these spirits want help or do they want to be left alone? No one knows the answer. The energy of the forest feels oppressive and overwhelming and thus, people cannot stay there for long and most of the forest's secrets remain a mystery. But perhaps that is partly why people find it intriguing.
In this northern corner of the world, relatively near Forest Of Lamentation, there is a little town where the story of this fabled forest is the most well-known. Because of its fairly remote location, travelers are a rare sight and they have learned to be self-sufficient. There are a few fields surrounding the town and the townsfolk get grains from them during the few warm months. A nearby lake offers them fish throughout the year and some of the denizens are excellent hunters that have honed their skills for generations and they hunt in the woodlands that dominate the scenery. Then there are few who take care of cattle. And so, the townsfolk live a modest and simple lifestyle, have done for generations, and they are living in peace and quiet and not touched by the many problems of the outside world.
Although there usually weren't travelers around this remote land, that day two foreign men were getting closer to the town, walking along the curvy roads that went through the fields that were filled with grain, ready to be harvested. A light breeze was blowing through the open terrain, waving the grain almost in a gentle way. The weather was pleasant at that moment, a little cloudy and chill, but not too cold, however there was a hint of rain in the air. The sky was grey and the clouds were hanging low, but it seemed like there was a few hours before any drizzle would happen. The two travelers still had time to reach the town before the rainfall would occur.
They were Isrek and Esekíel. A little quest had caused them to drift into this remote region, it wasn't because they originally had business in the small town or Forest Of Lamentation. They came from far away, after accomplishing a mission in another town. There had been a huge problem because the town had been tormented by a terrifying beast. Every night it would come out from its nest and hunt people in the dark streets, desperately trying to satisfy its everlasting hunger and thirst for blood. If it couldn't find prey from the streets, it would even invade homes of people if its need to kill was high enough. No one was safe and the townsfolk could only pray that they wouldn't be taken and survive the night. The denizens were just ordinary people with no fighting skills or weapons and so they were defenseless against the beast. Terror and despair dominated the town and some of the townsfolk decided to leave the place, simply for valuing their lives too much. It was clear that the matter with this monster needed to be urgently taken care of and so Isrek and Esekíel had ended up in that area, since Isrek had heard of this problematic beast through the adventurers' guild he was part of. Successfully they had slain the beast together, thus returning the peaceful days of that region. The townsfolk had been endlessly grateful, as expected. The two men had been about to head back to their homes when a strange old lady came to them. Apparently she was a seer of some sort. She had told them that in the north, in a place which is not heavily populated by humans, there is a mother who urgently needs help from someone brave. The old lady couldn't really specify any of this, she just said that she had a vision and this was all she could tell. But she was adamant that the mother she was speaking of really needed aid, and that was enough reason for the two men to head north.
And here they were now. With the howling wind blowing against their faces, they had made their way through the fields and stepped into the ground of the town. As soon as they passed the first buildings, they stopped for a moment and looked around. The place was silent. There were few people walking around, minding their business. A couple of people were chatting quietly with each other and whenever someone would notice the travelers, they would stop whatever they were doing and take a good look at the men. They didn't get visitors often, after all. But then they would get back to their tasks and leave the travelers alone. Soon after taking the first glance over the small settlement, Isrek and Esekíel began to move forward, wondering where they could find the woman who needed help.
Esekíel didn't like to be around people, but he had decided to tolerate walking into the town, for Isrek's sake. Isrek was aware of this and appreciated his friend's little self-sacrifice, wanting to make the trip through the town as quick as possible. They didn't know where to start, though, and spent a good while just walking around the town, trying to observe the behavior of the residents. Eventually they spotted an old well and right by it, there was a woman who seemed very distressed at that moment. Her hands were shaky and she accidentally knocked down one of the buckets she had, splashing water all over the ground, soaking it wet. As the two men walked closer, they could see that the woman had dark circles under the eyes and she had a worried expression on her face. Something was clearly troubling her mind, so the travelers assumed this was the woman who was seeking for aid. Esekíel stopped a few meters away, letting Isrek do the talking. Isrek walked to the woman and was ready to help her because she managed to repeat her mishap and bumped another one of her buckets by accident, splattering even more water on the ground. This really darkened her mood; it could be seen from her face.
“Let me give you a hand”, Isrek offered and took a hold of the crank that was part of the mechanism that was used to get the buckets down to the well and back up again. The woman had one of her buckets in the well and Isrek began to turn the crank to get the heavy water-filled bucket up.
“Oh, thank you”, the woman said with a little quivering voice as she tied another empty bucket to the rope so it could be lowered to the well.
“Pardon, but is there something troubling you?” Isrek asked while operating the crank.
“Oh dear, is it that obvious?” she replied, suddenly looking completely exhausted, as if she had tried her hardest to remain strong, but now collapsed because she was allowed to show her weakness. “Yes, I'm worried sick! My little boy got lost a few days ago and I'm afraid something bad has happened to him!”
“Do you have any idea where he went?” Isrek asked gently and helped the woman to pull up another filled bucket from the well.
“I'm not completely sure, but I have a strong feeling that he's now in Forest Of Lamentation”, the woman answered. “That's why no one has wanted to help me find him, especially because strange and eerie shrieks have been heard around those parts. I feel so hopeless…”
“What kind of place is Forest Of Lamentation?” Isrek inquired.
“Oh, of course, you've come from somewhere else so you're not familiar with it.” The woman took a deep breath. “It's an enchanted forest that can be found if you go east from here. It's a place filled with spirits and their sorrow, but its ultimate secret is unknown to us. Usually we don't go there because it feels so hostile and also because no one can stay sane there for too long. It's no place for a little boy, especially for a shy child like him… I don't know what to do, no one wants to risk their life in order to find my son. But I don't blame anyone… I can't go by myself because I have two other children. I can't leave them.”
She looked so defeated, so incredibly heartbroken. Isrek could see a tear glimmering at the corner of her eye, but she wiped it away immediately, disguising this gesture as a swipe to move a strand of her messy dark hair away from her face. She was a miserable sight. And after hearing her story, Isrek felt so sorry for the woman and decided that she deserved help.
“We will go to Forest Of Lamentation and look for your son”, he said.
The mother looked shocked for a brief moment, her eyes widened. It took her a while to register the man's words and then another moment to realize that Isrek wasn't joking, he genuinely meant his words. After that, a wave of relief washed over her and her eyes teared up again as a piece of hope found its way into her heart for the first time since the disappearance of her son.
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed. “Please, come rest at my place before you head out, it's the least I can do. It's getting dark soon and there is no inn in this town.”
“We'd appreciate that”, Isrek responded.
The two men helped the woman with her water-filled buckets and carried them to her house. It wasn't far away from the well, but it could still have been a little difficult for her to carry all three of them. She was grateful that the men had helped her with this task and had told that usually her children would aid her, but now her remaining two children were sick. That was one more reason why she wouldn't go to the forest by herself.
The house was a small one, but kind of cozy. Inside it was in pretty clean condition, some toys just were lying around as a sign that kids lived there. Most of the first floor was taken up by a spacious room with various pieces of furniture, giving an impression that this was both a workplace but also something where to enjoy free time. There were two doorways to a couple of other rooms and then there was a stairway to the upper floor. The woman had gestured to the men to carry the buckets towards one of the rooms which then turned out to be a small kitchen. She had offered them food, but the men had refused, assuring that they had enough in their bags. Besides, they didn't want to rob any food from a struggling mother.
The woman had led the travelers to the upper floor. They came to a corridor with few doors surrounding its sides. She took them to one of the rooms that belonged to her two children, explaining that they were at the moment sleeping with her downstairs where she can better keep an eye on them now that they were sick. It was a little tiny room, but the beds seemed big enough for two grown men to sleep in them – even tall men like Esekíel and Isrek. Then the woman had left them alone and headed back downstairs. The travelers did ponder for a moment what had happened to the father of those children, but they just left it at the level of thought as it would have been inappropriate to ask it aloud. And with that, they went to bed, it was important to rest well since they didn't know what was waiting for them tomorrow. Rain was softly spattering against the window as Esekíel and Isrek drifted into sleep.
It was the sun's first golden rays that woke them up. It took them just for a moment to be ready to go. Because they didn't know if any of this house's residents were awake, they moved as silently as they could while descending the stairs and reaching the bottom floor. There was no one around, only silence. The men didn't want to wake anyone so they made their way quietly to the door leading outside, opened it and slid through it to the other side. There was almost no sound when the door closed behind them, leaving the mother and her children to sleep.
A fresh scent lingered in the air after the rain that had been pouring down last night. The ground was dotted by the puddles and the light of the morning sun was glimmering in them. Esekíel and Isrek didn't spot many people getting themselves ready for the brand-new day, it seemed like the town was still sleeping. They saw only a couple of people as they walked through the town, heading to the east since the mother had told them that Forest Of Lamentation could be found from that direction. Soon they left the little settlement behind, also leaving a sense of safety within the town. They had no idea what was waiting for them ahead, but they had the courage to face whatever would come in their way.
And at first, it felt just an ordinary journey. The two men were walking through a patch of land where trees were growing sparsely. And with the golden rays of the sun making their way to the ground through the branches of the trees, the sight was quite fairy-tale-like, a true testimony of nature's beauty. At the beginning when the men had left the town, Isrek had taken his magical compass and asked it for guidance, just to make sure that they were going the right way. The compass confirmed that they were indeed walking to the correct direction, pointing right ahead. If they just kept going forward, they should be fine. So Isrek put his compass away and the travelers kept going ahead.
The scenery stayed the same for a good while. Sun had climbed higher in the sky when Esekíel and Isrek found themselves from a little plain, grass and flowers growing strong. Somewhere in the distance they could see a tree line that seemed strangely eerie, even when observed from afar. Could that be Forest Of Lamentation? It was highly possible. The men followed the road through the plain and all the while kept their gazes at the weird trees that were standing dark and tall, waiting for them to come closer. The whole trip across the plain felt strange, as if the woods looming in the distance were affecting the surrounding area with unnerving energy. The closer the men were getting, the more powerful this sensation got.
Then Esekíel and Isrek managed to cross the plain and their road had led them to woodlands. But they had stopped on their tracks, looking at the trees that were now standing in front of them. This was a rather strange area, because it looked like the woodlands were split by the road that slithered in between them. On the other side of the road there was a perfectly fine, just ordinary forest. But on the opposite side, something odd and sinister had taken over the woods. It definitely didn't feel like a normal part of nature. Someone had tied white ropes in some of the trees and the men had no idea what their purpose was. And then there was a sloppily made sign standing, with a warning painted on it with a black paint.
It said: “Caution! Do not enter the forest if you value your lives!”
This confirmed that they had come to the right place, they were sure that they were now standing before Forest Of Lamentation. The thick trunks of the trees were dark and had a slight hue of purple in them. The foliage had a touch of darkness in them as well, having a dark green color and a weird shining texture in them. A faint breeze was blowing, rustling the leaves eerily, sounding almost like whispers of the dead. Everything was indicating that they should stay away from this place, they weren't welcome here. Esekíel and Isrek shifted their gazes from the line of trees and looked at each other. Sure, people had ventured into Forest Of Lamentation before them, but how many demigods had stepped inside the forest? Probably none. But they, as demigods, maybe had better chances at surviving whatever they would face in the forest.
“Ready?” Isrek asked.
“Yes”, Esekíel responded and nodded.
Eyes set forward again, they took their first steps towards the forest and their tall figures were swallowed by the world of darkness and shadows as they passed the first trees and disappeared.
It became clear very soon that the atmosphere felt oppressive somehow, so the men proceeded with caution as they walked further in. They kept eyeing their surroundings, just in case, since they didn't know what the forest had to offer to those that invaded it. Esekíel nor Isrek didn't spot any beings around, but they had this unnerving feeling that they were being watched by numerous eyes. They had been inside the forest just for a little while, but the world had already darkened in a strange way even though there had still been daylight when they arrived at the border. The forest was so dim and although the treetops were very dense and thus prevented light from coming through the branches and touching the ground, there were several spots where the sky was visible and thanks to those, the two men noticed that the heavens had darkened as well. It seemed like that this place was denied the light of day. This, of course, served the shadows well and gave them an ideal environment where to thrive.
But the strange darkness that dominated the forest wasn't the only thing that perplexed travelers. As Esekíel and Isrek kept going in further, they started to hear faint noises; this was the element they were most prepared for. And at first, they were very distant and didn't have much impact on the souls of the men. But as they progressed, gradually the noises became a little bit louder. They were crying, moaning, expressing great anguish. These mourning entities were tormented by some wicked force that resided in the forest, and it did get under the skin of the travelers. Now the men really understood the words of the mother when she had said that no one can stay sane in this place for too long. If somebody would wander in the forest while listening to these constant wailings for weeks, or maybe just for days, it wasn't a farfetched idea that their sanity would diminish. Noting this was a grim reminder that the distressed mother's son had been in here for a while and who knows what kind of effect the voices of spirits would have on a child. They had to find him as soon as possible, especially because it seemed like the boy was so lost that he hadn't been able to get out of the forest by himself.
However, the little boy's mental state wasn't the only one at stake. In Esekíel's ears, the moans had eventually started to chant silently a name – a name he had wanted to forget.
“Éothain… Éothain… Éothain… Éothain…”
Anxiety immediately made its way into his heart. He stopped suddenly, trying his best to restrain his painful memories, but their flood was too strong and he couldn't contain them. Isrek had noticed something to change in his friend's demeanor and stopped as well. He looked confused but also worried, attempting to understand what was the cause for the pained expression on Esekíel's face.
“What's wrong?” he asked and placed his hand on Esekíel's shoulder in a caring way.
But Esekíel couldn't utter a single word, it was almost like his mouth was sewn shut. It was obvious that Isrek couldn't hear the same things as him, this was a torment tailored only for him. The chanting of Éothain's name just kept going endlessly, not really increasing in volume, but not fading away, either. Esekíel was almost expecting to see Éothain take form in front of him, no matter how much he tried to tell himself firmly that he was dead, he couldn't possibly do any harm anymore. But sometimes all it took to make one's soul crack was a simple memory that would make way for more of them and crush the victim with their immense quantity. Anxiety didn't ask for permission to enter one's mind. Painful memories were swirling around Esekíel's head like a mad vortex, filling his heart with dread and anguish. He could only stand there frozen, reliving some painful events of the past in his mind, feeling so helpless at their mercy.
Isrek had followed the distressed look in his eyes and simply by observing him, he knew that he had to try to do something. Something was clearly troubling his friend's mind and he couldn't just stand and do nothing. So he stepped in front of Esekíel and reached out by having both of his hands on Esekíel's shoulders. Determinedly Isrek looked into Esekíel's eyes, although he wasn't sure if his friend was even able to register he was there.
“Look at me”, Isrek pleaded, though kept his voice stern.
Esekíel did blink a few times as a sign that Isrek's words had reached him even through all the debris of horrible memories. But still, the voice seemed to come from far away…
Then Isrek wrapped his arms gently around Esekíel and gave him a tight and loving hug. This seemed to calm him down a little, it was like Isrek had just pulled him from the dark depths with his kindness. But it was true, Isrek was his rock… It was him who had given Esekíel a reason to live. With a little shaky hands, Esekíel answered Isrek's hug and embraced him back. Such a warm, comfortable feeling… It was like Isrek's benevolence had driven away the darkness that had made its nest inside Esekíel's heart and caused the chanting to fade away as well, so now Esekíel could only hear the mourning voices of the spirits. He let out a sigh.
“Feeling better?” Isrek asked, freeing Esekíel from his hug and backed off a little bit.
“Yeah, everything is fine”, Esekíel replied, although he wasn't completely honest with his words. But it was close enough and he didn't want to keep talking about unpleasant things.
“You're good to go?” Isrek tried to make sure.
“Yes”, Esekíel answered and managed to make a faint smile to decorate his face. “Let's find that kid.”
Isrek nodded and then they resumed their mission. It was strange how much strength those who sincerely loved you could hold, strength that was an effective weapon against the darkness of your mind. Esekíel was happy that he had such a person in his life, although he felt like he didn't deserve anyone. But he didn't want to dwell on these matters anymore, so he tried to shake away these nasty intrusive thoughts and focus on finding the little boy.
After the men had walked further into Forest Of Lamentation, they started to notice that they definitely weren't alone. There were some weird beings with them, their presence fluctuating strangely. At first, their forms were really faint and transparent and it was hard to keep an eye on them as they seemed to disappear by the moment Esekíel or Isrek glanced at them. They were like fleeting shadows. But then, it was like they began to get a better handle at how to maintain a visible form. They started to get a ghostly appearance; their whole forms filled with different hues of blue. That was when the two men were able to tell that these entities were animals. Wolves, deer, rabbits, birds, foxes, bears… Suddenly the area was full of them. But they weren't hostile, they just curiously circled around the travelers. They had a somewhat calm aura, so Esekíel nor Isrek felt threatened by them. However, it was odd how the tone of the forest had shifted like that, first being filled with anguish of spirits and attacking Esekíel's mind. And now, the wailing had faded away a little, it was still audible, but somehow, the forest felt now much more welcoming.
It started to feel like the spirit animals wanted to lead the men somewhere. They began to run around them, then dashed forward and disappeared while some others joined the circle. It was truly a magical experience and it almost seemed like the forest wanted to apologize for being so hostile at first.
“What do you think, are these spirits trying to guide us to where the little boy is?” Esekíel pondered aloud.
“It's highly possible”, Isrek replied. “We just have to go and see.”
So they let the animals show them the way. More and more of these blue spirits appeared as they went further into the forest, but a lot of them were just observing the strange convoy. Esekíel and Isrek also noticed that their surroundings had changed a little as well; that magical hue of blue had touched the trees and other vegetation, giving them an enchanted look. It was like they were walking through a wonderland, a place that was forbidden from mortals – which wasn't really a farfetched idea. The men got a mutual feeling that not many had experienced this miraculous part of the forest and felt somewhat privileged.
Then they came to a small clearing. The spirit animals were running around the area, taking their places in a formation which they had created. It circulated the clearing and the spirits were solemnly staring at the center of the space. Esekíel and Isrek had stopped their going and both had let their gazes wander around the area, however, their eyes would forcibly set at the center.
There was a dragon lying on the ground. It was relatively small, about the size of a horse, and had this blueish transparent look just like the other entities the men had encountered. And right by the dragon's side, there was a little boy sleeping, slumbering so comfortably as if the dragon was his parent and he had no worries in the world. The men had found him, this had to be the child of the distressed mother.
The dragon looked at the men. Apparently it didn't have the ability to speak, but suddenly the travelers got a bizarre feeling in their hearts, it was like they were experiencing foreign feelings, feelings of someone else. They realized that the dragon was communicating through their hearts and so they focused on listening to what it had to say.
“Welcome… we found… the boy… lured by… wicked entity… I put him… in a magical slumber… forest will not consume him… his soul is safe… we are bound and cannot leave… we could only wait… someone brave… thank you… take the boy to his mother…”
Isrek decided to approach the dragon and the little boy. Carefully he picked up the child and this motion didn't wake him up. The little boy felt so light in his arms, but maybe that was partly because he was stronger than an average human.
“He sleeps… until… out… of here…”
Isrek looked at the spirit dragon. “Thank you.”
The entity simply nodded. Isrek turned around and began to walk away, carrying the little boy gently in his arms. The animal spirits were on the move again and began to run around the travelers to show them the right direction. Soon Esekíel and Isrek left the magical clearing behind, being guided by the benevolent spirits. Now they just had to get out of the forest, but that wasn't going to be a troublesome task since the blue beings would guard them as much as they could because even they wanted the child to reunite with his mother as soon as possible.
Not everything was sinister and hostile in Forest Of Lamentation, it seemed.
