(KBTCM) Ch 13: Roots Beneath the Throne

(Sylara) Sylara squinted through the thick fog, her tall frame wrapped in ghostly mist as she stepped cautiously beneath the towering canopy

(Sylara)

Sylara squinted through the thick fog, her tall frame wrapped in ghostly mist as she stepped cautiously beneath the towering canopy. The air clung to her skin like dew, and everything around her shimmered with a strange, quiet energy. The trees in this part of the forest were unlike any she'd seen before—great hulking things, their trunks wide enough to rival city towers and their branches so high they nearly brushed the clouds.

She rubbed her arms, an involuntary shiver running across her skin. "What is this place?"

From his perch on Rowena's shoulder, Kerren adjusted his seat, his legs dangling lazily as he peered through the fog. "We're entering the heart of the forest," he explained. "Locals call it the Rootwell, though most don't come out this far. Too many stories. Too much quiet."

Sylara gave a small grunt, her eyes narrowing as she continued walking behind her sister. The forest floor muffled even the giants' steps, soft moss and vine-covered stones swallowing their footsteps. It was almost peaceful—eerily so.

After several more minutes of silent wandering, the trees thinned just enough to reveal something extraordinary.

The ground sloped gently downward into a sunken grove, and there, at the center, stood a tree unlike any other. It pulsed with a gentle, golden glow. Its bark shimmered as if lined with ancient veins of starlight, and its roots twisted into the earth like a spider's web, wrapping around dozens of other trees in a vast embrace.

Both sisters stopped without a word.

"...Amazing," Sylara whispered, a rare smile tugging at her lips.

"I have to agree," Rowena said, her voice soft and reverent as she knelt down and gently plucked Kerren from her shoulder. She lowered him to the ground with a tenderness that made Sylara glance over and smirk.

"Thanks for the ride," Kerren said, brushing himself off and turning his attention to the glowing tree. He took a few steps forward, then placed his hand on the trunk. It was warm—not with heat, but with life. Like the heartbeat of something ancient just beneath the bark.

Sylara followed Rowena, sitting cross-legged as carefully as one of her size could manage, the earth groaning slightly beneath her. She made an effort not to crush too many roots—or at least, not the big ones.

"Sister," Sylara said, her voice low and cautious as she looked around. "This place... you don't think...?"

Rowena nodded slowly. "Yes. I do."

Kerren turned, tilting his head. "Think what?"

Rowena leaned forward, her face descending slowly until she was eye-level with the boy. A playful glint sparkled in her eyes as she narrowed them and made a mock-spooky face.

"Legend time," she declared in a theatrical whisper.

Kerren blinked. "Legend?"

"Long ago, before our father discovered Vaeloria," she began, voice low and hushed, "this land was ruled by shadow. Savage barbarians roamed the forests, creatures as tall as us and twice as ugly—monsters who devoured human flesh and drank the blood of beasts!"

Kerren's eyes widened, though a twitch of amusement played at his lips.

Rowena continued, relishing the moment. "They wore the bones of their prey as armor, howled at the moon like beasts, and had a fondness for seasoning their meals with the tears of frightened travelers."

"Very colorful," Kerren muttered.

"But!" Rowena's voice rose dramatically, "our parents came. Queen Aelira and King Allaric, with a mysterious power at their side—some say a spirit, some say a god. Together, they drove the monsters away and sealed the evil into the land itself. That power has protected the kingdom ever since."

Sylara snorted, biting back a grin. "It's Nice bedtime story don't you think." 

"Maybe," Rowena said innocently, before returning her gaze to Kerren. "And that power... could very well be here. In this place. Look around—it's so close to the kingdom, and our kingdom's symbol is the growing oak tree. Doesn't it seem like more than a coincidence?"

Kerren looked back at the glowing trunk, his hand still resting gently against it. "It... kind of does," he whispered. "I wouldn't be surprised at all."

He didn't say anything else for a moment, letting the silence return as the three of them stared at the tree—giants and human alike. The mist curled lazily around their feet, and a breeze swept through the grove, sending leaves whispering overhead like an ancient choir.

Rowena sat beside her sister, resting her hands in her lap. The usual worry lines on her face softened as she leaned back against one of the tree's vast roots. Sylara lay beside her, arms crossed behind her head, eyes half-lidded but alert.

Kerren sat cross-legged on the moss, eyes closed, just listening to the forest breathe.

For a rare, fleeting moment, there were no duties. No suitors. No expectations or weight of crowns.

Just three people and one glowing tree.

And the stillness of something greater all around them.

Sylara tilted her head downward, her piercing gray eyes narrowing on the boy who sat beneath the tree. Kerren was resting with his back against one of the thick, gnarled roots, his massive black hammer propped beside him like a sentinel. The soft light reflected gently off the smooth metal, casting an odd glow across his freckled face.

"You," Sylara said, breaking the quiet. Her voice was calm but direct, always a little too sharp to be truly casual. "I have a lot of questions for you."

Kerren looked up, blinking. "F-for me?"

Sylara nodded, brushing a strand of wind-blown hair from her face. She leaned her arm on one bent knee, towering even while seated. Her stare never wavered.

"W-well, ask me anything you want, Your Majesty," Kerren replied, flashing a nervous smile. It wasn't every day a titaness the size of a castle asked you questions. Or looked like she could crack the earth with a finger flick.

Sylara's gaze drifted away from him for a moment as she looked around the grove again, taking in the soft shimmer of the golden leaves above. Then she turned back, her expression thoughtful.

"How did you come across this place?"

Kerren's smile faltered. His shoulders lowered just slightly, and his eyes turned toward the mossy ground in front of him. He ran a hand absentmindedly across his right shoulder, fingers brushing a spot that seemed to carry weight. Not just physical, but something deeper.

"It was... a coincidence, I guess," he said quietly. "That's how it started."

Rowena glanced over at him from her seat, but she didn't interrupt.

Kerren's voice was steady, but slow, like someone walking across ice, testing each step. "It had been a hard day," he said, his hand still on his shoulder. "A very hard day."

He paused a moment, as if deciding whether or not to keep going. "I just wanted to get away. From everything. So I left the city... I ran. I didn't care where I went, I just needed to be somewhere—not there. The Thryndel Forest felt far enough. Wild enough."

Sylara's expression softened just slightly, though she didn't speak. Her gaze didn't leave him.

"I walked for hours," Kerren went on. "Until I was completely lost. I think that's when I saw the fog. Or maybe I walked into it without noticing. It's hard to remember. But then... I found this place. Or maybe it found me." He gave a soft chuckle. "Honestly, I'm not sure which is true anymore."

He looked up at the massive tree beside him, the golden veins glowing brighter with each breath of wind.

"But the moment I stepped into the grove... everything just stopped. The weight I'd been carrying, the things in my head, the pain in my shoulder—it all faded. Like the world paused to let me breathe. This place... it matters to me. A lot."

His words drifted off into the stillness, settling into the moss and roots like old leaves.

Sylara didn't respond right away. She recognized the kind of hurt that didn't need to be dragged out and examined, not right now. She nodded once, accepting the answer without pressing further.

She let the silence linger a little while longer, then glanced at the hammer lying next to Kerren. The weapon looked far too big for any human to carry, let alone swing with the ease he seemed capable of. Its black surface shimmered faintly in the dim light, runes etched into the sides like veins of obsidian.

"So what's the deal with that?" Sylara asked, gesturing lazily toward it. "That hammer of yours. Looks like it was meant to flatten buildings."

Kerren followed her eyes, then chuckled softly. "That... is a much longer story," he said with a grin.