Chapter 36: We Found the Elves... They Kidnapped Us

[Luceille’s POV — Northern Forest — Deep Inside the Forest — Later]

CRUNCH!

CRUNCH!

The sound of our boots crushing through the snow, dead leaves, and patches of frozen mud echoed between the trees.

We had parked our poor horse near the edge of the forest. Bringing it any deeper would have been practically asking the poor thing to become lost, eaten, or accidentally adopted by an elf.

So now, it was just the two of us. Cassian walked beside me, completely alert, one hand holding his sword and the other holding mine. His eyes constantly moved across the forest, watching the trees, shadows, and every suspicious movement around us.

Meanwhile, I was busy staring at the endless wall of green.

"I wonder how an entire elven village can be hidden..." I mumbled.

We had already walked deep enough into the forest that the entrance had completely disappeared behind us. Cassian glanced at me.

"Elves do not only possess healing abilities. They are also skilled in architecture and nature magic. They know how to conceal their settlements extremely well."

I nodded thoughtfully.

"So they basically have maxed-out stealth stats."

Cassian stared at me as I continued walking.

"They must either hate humans..." I looked around at the ridiculously enormous forest. "...or they really love quarantine."

Cassian’s brow furrowed.

"Quarantine?"

I waved my hand vaguely.

"You know... being isolated willingly. No neighbors. No annoying visitors. No taxes. No one knocking on your door asking to borrow sugar."

Cassian was silent for a moment, and then he hummed.

"Perhaps."

We continued deeper and deeper and somehow...deeper.

At this point, I was beginning to suspect the forest had personally decided to swallow us.

The trees became thicker. The sunlight barely reached the ground. Snow covered the branches overhead, while twisted roots pushed through the muddy earth beneath our feet.

The farther we went, the quieter everything became, no birds, no animals, and not even the sound of wind.

Just our footsteps.

Crunch...

Crunch...

And the occasional creaking of branches somewhere in the darkness.

Okay, this was officially starting to feel like the beginning of a horror movie.

I tightened my grip on Cassian’s hand. "How are we supposed to find them?"

He looked ahead.

"We will."

"That’s not an answer."

"It is the only answer I have."

I sighed dramatically. "There has to be some secret spell, right?"

I looked around, suddenly inspired.

"Like..." I raised my arms. "SAMINAMINA AEY AEY—WAKA WAKA AEYY! AEYYY~!"

My voice echoed through the forest. Cassian slowly turned his head toward me; his expression was completely blank and utterly dumbfounded.

Why did I marry this woman?

I lowered my arms.

"What?"

He stared at me for another second. "Do not forget your babies are sick."

My entire body deflated, and I slumped forward like melted ice cream left under the summer sun.

"I know..." My shoulders dropped. "I am trying to create a positive aura around us."

I looked at him with the saddest expression I could manage. "But you...keep bringing reality into my coping mechanism."

Cassian immediately panicked, his sword lowered, and his free hand quickly wrapped around my waist.

"I apologize, beloved."

I remained completely limp against him like a defeated pudding, then he sighed softly, and then, after a moment, he said,

"I will increase your allowance."

My eyes snapped open.

. . .

. . .

Did I hear that correctly?

"How much?"

Cassian’s lips twitched.

"Enough."

ENOUGH.

Those were magical words. Instantly, my soul returned to my body, and I straightened. My feet planted firmly against the ground and my shoulders squared.

I raised both hands toward the terrifying forest ahead.

"LET’S FIND THOSE WEIRD-EARED BEINGS!!!"

I marched forward with renewed determination.

"We are making my babies strong like monsters!"

Behind me, Cassian remained completely still. He stared at my suddenly energetic back for several seconds before muttering under his breath, "She really loves money."

I stopped walking and slowly turned my head toward him. "I heard that."

Cassian’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He simply walked past me, his sword still in one hand while his other remained intertwined with mine. "Let’s keep looking."

And just like that, our search continued, for elves, for a hidden village, and maybe for some kind of miracle.

Preferably all three.

The deeper we went into the Northern Forest, the more convinced I became that whoever designed this place had a personal grudge against travelers. The trees seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance, their enormous branches blocking most of the moonlight. Snow covered the ground in thick patches, while fallen leaves and wet mud made every step feel like I was personally fighting the forest.

Eventually, my legs gave up on me.

***

[Later — Or, According to My Soul, One Hundred Years Later]

I sat beneath a tree with my back against the trunk, looking so exhausted that I was fairly certain I had already become part of the forest ecosystem.

My face felt pale, my legs were aching, and my soul had probably already returned to Minato’s body and filed for permanent leave.

Cassian crouched beside me and handed me a bottle of water. "Here. Drink this."

I took it without arguing and drank slowly, like a dehydrated crow that had finally discovered water after crossing a desert. After a few sips, I handed the bottle back and released a long, miserable sigh.

I tilted my head toward the sky. Night had already reached its midpoint, yet there was still no sign of the elves.

"Cassian," I said weakly, "do you think we’re actually going to find this hidden village?"

He looked at me.

"No."

I stared at him; he stared back, and that was it.

No encouragement, no reassuring speech, and not even a polite lie.

Just no.

I honestly didn’t know how to react anymore.

At this point, even Dora the Explorer would have been useful. She had a map, a backpack, and apparently unlimited confidence in situations where normal people should have turned around three hours ago. If she had been here, we probably would’ve found the elves already.

I leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes.

"I miss civilization."

"We haven’t been gone that long," Cassian said.

"That’s what you think."

I was about to continue complaining when something suddenly moved beneath me.

WRIGGLE!!!!

. . .

. . .

Huh, what was that?

WRIGGLE!!! WRIGGLE!!

. . .

. . .

Something moved again, and my entire body stiffened. I slowly lifted my half-butt from the ground and looked underneath me.

There, sitting innocently among the leaves, was a tiny white snake; it was completely unharmed, and it lifted its little head and stared at me.

I stared back; the snake blinked.

I blinked and then its tail moved slightly, almost as though it were waving. My brain stopped functioning, and for five whole seconds, we simply stared at each other.

. . .

. . .

. . .

And then----

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I launched myself straight at Cassian and wrapped both arms around him. "THERE’S A WHITE SNAKE UNDER MY BUTT!"

Cassian staggered slightly from my sudden weight before catching me properly around the waist. "Luceille, calm down. It’s harmless."

"HOW CAN IT BE HARMLESS?!" I pointed desperately toward the creature. "IT WIGGLED UNDER MY BUTT!"

Cassian looked at the snake, then at me and then back at the snake.

"Luceille..."

"Kill it!"

"No."

"Kill the snake!"

"It’s not going to hurt you."

"IT HAS ALREADY VIOLATED MY PERSONAL SPACE!"

The tiny snake calmly flicked its tongue, and I gasped.

"SEE?! IT’S MOCKING ME!"

Cassian sighed.

I, meanwhile, had already reached the conclusion that diplomacy had failed. I grabbed a nearby branch and marched toward the snake.

"Fine. I’ll do it myself."

"Luceille, wait—"

Too late. I swung the branch; the snake immediately wriggled to the left.

"HA!"

I swung again. It moved right.

I swung left. It moved right.

I swung right. It moved left. We continued like that for several seconds until I realized something horrifying.

I wasn’t fighting the snake.

I was losing to it.

"STOP MOVING! HOW DARE YOU WIGGLE UNDER MY BUTT!!!" I shouted, but the snake continued moving.

"YOU LITTLE WIGGLING DEMON!"

Behind me, Cassian had gone completely silent. He was watching me with the expression of a man who had accepted that his wife was simply beyond saving.

"I came all the way into this forest to find a cure for my babies," I complained, pointing the branch at the snake, "and instead I’m being forced to fight a creature that is smaller than my hand!"

The snake hissed, and I raised the branch again.

"I WILL MAKE YOUR WIGGLING STOP—!!! YOU WIGGLING DEMON—"

Before I could finish, something suddenly flashed in front of my eyes.

SSSSHHHIIINNNEEEE!!!!

"AGHH!"

I stumbled backward and covered my face, and for a moment, I thought the sun itself had decided to rise directly inside my eyeballs but when I lowered my hand, I realized it wasn’t sunlight at all.

Something beneath the mud was reflecting a brilliant golden-white glow.

I frowned and crouched.

"What’s that?"

Cassian immediately became alert. He stepped closer as I brushed away the wet leaves and mud covering the strange object. At first, I thought it was nothing more than a large piece of rusty metal, but the more dirt I cleared away, the more of it appeared.

A long blade, ancient, weathered, and half-buried beneath the roots of the enormous tree.

I grabbed the exposed hilt and tried to pull it free.

Nothing happened.

I frowned and pulled harder.

"Come on..."

The earth cracked.

Cassian’s expression changed.

"Luceille. Stop."

I ignored him and gave the weapon one final tug.

With a deep crrrrraaaack, the earth around it split apart.

The blade emerged from the ground.

Ancient symbols suddenly began glowing across its surface, illuminating the surrounding trees with a strange golden light.

I stared at it; Cassian stared at it, and even the tiny white snake seemed to stop moving. "Did I pick up the dead warrior’s blade?"

Cassian furrowed as he said, "But it shone."

He is right. I looked down at the ancient blade again, but then again...why did it shone?

. . .

. . .

I feel like I have forgotten something, and I had a horrible feeling this wasn’t just some random sword.

And then----

"THE DRAGON HAS AWAKENED!!!"

A distant voice suddenly thundered through the forest. We froze as the voice got closer, fast and very, very fast.

It sounded like whoever was shouting it had entered some sort of marathon and had decided that the only acceptable prize was our immediate kidnapping.

Cassian instantly stepped in front of me, his sword raised as his entire body shifted into a defensive stance.

"Stay behind me." I grabbed the back of his coat.

The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder. Branches snapped, snow scattered, and then someone burst through the trees.

My eyes widened.

He was tall and slender, with long pointed ears, sharp green eyes, and pale features that looked completely different from any human I’d seen before. His clothes were covered in leaves and bits of snow, and he was breathing heavily as though he’d sprinted halfway across the forest.

An elf.

An actual elf.

I stared at him; he stared at us, and then his furious gaze shifted toward the ancient sword buried beside us.

His eyes widened; for a moment, he looked genuinely horrified.

"You two!"

Cassian’s grip tightened around his sword; the elf took another breath before shouting, "You’re coming to our village!"

I blinked.

"...What?"

"You heard me!" he snapped. "You are coming with us! You agree...or I willforce you."

. . .

. . .

My brain struggled to process what was happening.

We had come here looking for elves. We had spent hours wandering through this gigantic forest. We had nearly died of exhaustion.

I had fought a snake and now...

The elves were kidnapping us?

What in the world is going on?

The elf looked impatient. Cassian looked ready to fight.

And I? I suddenly had the horrible feeling that our peaceful little trip to find a cure for my babies had just turned into something much, much bigger.

I glanced down at the useless dusty sword. Its mysterious symbols continued glowing beneath the moonlight.

I just didn’t know yet that I had found the weapon forged from the bones and blood of the Divine Dragon.