Solsae Kingdom - Part 11

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Episode 5: "Welcome to Noxnuo"
 ~Amami

By caravan, we reached the edge of Solsae by nightfall. I suggested to the Devil Hood that we set up camp and wait for morning, but he disagreed. “If we act fast with the cover of night at our helm, we are less likely to be discovered.” He said. I didn’t disagree. “And, I want to save Myrrh… before it's too late! I owe her that much…” I have no idea what debt he owed her, but he was serious. So I resolved myself to set off even now, in the dead of night. But that was before I saw what loomed ahead. My knees trembled before it. That mighty forest. That fearful forest, heavy with the weight of despair.

Crooked trees like gnarly fingers clutch the full moon in the night sky like the suffocating hands of death around my home-land’s neck... My home… Gripped by darkness… my breath stuck in my throat at the thought of it! But I shouldn't let my imagination get to me… I take a deep breath, find my nerve, and stick very close behind The Devil Hood.

We pass through two very specific trees. Both of them are redder than the others, red like fresh blood. Both so tall that they blot out the sky. They are like a gate to the Forest - for all the other trees are bound tightly together like matchsticks in cobwebs so big they could catch a dragon. When we enter, the most haunting birdsong carries on a chilly, howling wind, sending shivers right through me. As we press on, the ground gets softer and softer, my feet sinking with each step.

A strange fear permeates me from all over like a thousand needles being driven through me. I instinctively pull myself in tight like a small mammal hiding from a predator. The hood on the other hand moves at a respectable pace. I try to keep up. The Forest zigzags down steep slopes that coil like a helter skelter. I noticed as we travel further that we had covered much more vertical ground than horizontal. So that's what it was - they call it ‘the Dark Side’ because it's at the foot of the cliff that new Solsae is atop. In its shadow. In the dark side.

The light had all but vanished - if it wasn't for the lanterns at our waists, we would not be able to see our noses before us. The ground seems flat now though. And the stench of rot seemed to be gone too. Could we be at the bottom? Hard to tell.

“We’re almost there.” The hood says. He slows down, so I do too. He grabs my hand tightly and starts pulling me along behind him. “If we don't navigate this bog though, it could well be our death. The fungus is explosive and if you step into the water, you will be dragged down - no escape. Stick close.” He orders. I laugh inwardly - I had stuck close. I wouldn't dare come down here on my own… but I do as he says and let him guide me.

He guides me around like I'm on a leash. I follow anyway. I don't want to get exploded! What a scary place… in front of me, I see a blue light like a ball of fire. It dances and sways so beautifully. It's so energetic and warm - it brings a smile to my face. Gently,  I reach out to grab it. The moment before I wrap my fingers around, The Devil Hood slaps my hand aside.

“O-owch!” I whimper.

“Will o’ wisps - said to be the souls of those killed in an inhuman experiment by a coven of witches, apparently. These vengeful spirits will fill you with a thousand years of dread and despair if you accept them. Because they look so beautiful, people are lured in… but don't treat a book by its cover.”

“O-okay…” I stutter. Did I just avoid death by a hair's breadth? The wisp disappears before us like a poof of smoke, and then my tour guide says the last thing I expected him to say!

“Look - we’re here.” He releases my hand. “I… can't see anything….” I say, bewildered.

“Oh it's here alright. Do you believe me? Before us are the ruins of old Solsae. The Dark Side. Noxnuo. Close your eyes. Believe me.”

I do as he says and close my eyes. He takes my hand and leads me forward. Not in a rush like before, but at a calm pace. We travel hand in hand in a straight line. I notice as the sponginess of the bog is replaced with tiled flooring, I hear the sounds of people chattering. I feel the warmth of fire on my skin. I taste the delightful air that fills my lungs. “Open your eyes.” I hear. When I do, I see it all around me. The Dark Side of Solsae.

“Welcome to Noxnuo Boulevard.” He smiles wamly. Proudly. Proud of the place that saved him and housed him. It's a beautiful place, actually. Different. But beautiful.

“H-how did I not see this before… it's so bright and glitzy... So dazzling. So full of life.” I utter, mesmerised in the lights of the city.

“There is a trick to it - you can only enter if you know it's here. If you believe.”

I gasp in bewilderment. Inside my head, a million little gears whir into action, clinking and grinding. Because what he just said sounds too familiar. Because what he just said is what I know as “Lunacy”...

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