Valen walked toward the light, which slowly began to grow larger. It remained bright....brighter.....until.... he emerged from the tunnel.
He found himself in a clearing covered in swamps and crocodiles. Beyond that, he could see nothing. A thick fog hung over the land, and an immense cold ruled the air.
Val used his fire magic to warm himself, for only a moment.
"Fire," he said, and flames burst from his hand, warming his cold face...
Valen scanned the murky depths of the swamp, but aside from the wildlife he might later hunt, nothing stood out.
"I should find shelter and get some rest... even for a while," he whispered to himself, heading to the right.
There, he noticed an enormous tree almost alive, yet completely still. As he approached, something unusual caught his eye. A face. Its eyes, though closed, seemed to slumber rather than remain lifeless.
It was unlike anything Valen had ever seen. Intrigued, he gave the tree a cautious prod with his sword.
Slowly, the eyes opened. A deep, ancient voice rumbled through the mist.
"Who dares to wake the holy Eruk?"
"I didn't know you were alive… I'm sorry," Valen said, keeping his sword at the ready.
Eruk's voice thundered through the swamp.
"Where did you get that sword? Who forged it?!"
Valen glanced down at the blade.
"Oh, this one?" he asked.
Eruk let out an irritated growl.
"What other sword, you fool? Are you an idiot or what?"
"No, of course not!" Valen snapped. "This is Crimson. My companion. It was forged by Orlen, my friend."
"Orlen, you say? Where is he? Who is he? And how does he know how to forge a demonic blade?" Eruk bombarded him with questions.
Valen interrupted, his grip tightening on the sword.
"Demonic?" he asked.
"Yes, demonic. Especially that crystal," Eruk said, his voice heavy with meaning.
"I know nothing about that. You'd have to ask Orlen yourself," Valen replied. "But he's in his village....Restall."
Then, after a brief pause, he added, "I have a question of my own… What exactly are you?"
"I am the Great Tree of Wisdom from the Night Swamps. Here, we never see the light… and yet, I am here. I live. I thrive. Unlike my sisters, who dwell somewhere beneath the light," Eruk said.
Then, after a moment, he added, "I would like to see a little light....." Gazing at the sky
His gaze shifted to Valen's hand.
"You wield magic?" he asked. "Where do you come from? Where are you going? What is your name?"
"I am Valen. You can call me Val doesn't matter to me," he said, his voice steady. "My goal? I can't reveal that, unfortunately. I don't know what your intentions are. Besides, I'm only here for a short while."
Valen turned for a moment, his gaze shifting to the other trees in the distance. These ones were different normal, yet far larger. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, moving toward them.
Behind him, Eruk's voice thundered.
"Do not leave! Stay for a while!"
But Valen ignored his calls. He pressed forward, finding a quiet place among the towering trees. There, exhaustion took hold, and he drifted into sleep two hours, perhaps maybe even three.
Who could say? Time flowed differently here, and without the sun, he had no way of knowing.
Valen was jolted awake by Eruk's voice—more like an off-key, wailing attempt at a song.
"You here, you here, heeereee," Eruk hummed, repeating the same off-tune melody over and over.
Valen's ears ached until he finally snapped.
"Shut that damn mouth, I beg you!" he yelled.
Eruk fell silent.
For a moment, the wind picked up, whispering through the trees as if something was approaching… but nothing came. Instead, Eruk resumed his wailing louder, and louder, and louder still.
Valen had enough. He drew his sword, channeling fire magic into the blade. With a swift slash, a stream of flames cut through the mist, striking the ground just beside Eruk's roots.
"Next time, it will be you," Valen warned before lying back down.
This time, Eruk stayed silent for good.
"Ughhh," Valen yawn as he slowly woke, the fog of sleep lifting after what felt like eight hours.
He rose to his feet, channeling fire magic into his palm to chase away the lingering chill. With a determined glance ahead, he moved deeper into the unknown....