Chapter 18 - Friend or foe?

Erik stood wide-eyed. He wasn't sure what he was looking at.

The snowman, on closer inspection, was actually a person who was covered in spider threads. But it definitely was not a cocoon, like the one he had found himself in—this was man-made.

But the main reason he knew it was a person underneath was because of the few small parts of exposed skin around the joints and hands and the pair of eyes staring at him.

"H-Hey?" he ventured.

However, the figure turned around and ran down the mountainside. Or, more like lumbered down for a bit before tripping and rolling down.

"Wait!" Erik shouted and rushed after them.

Whoever this small person was, they bounced down the slope only for a little bit before they crashed into a boulder, which stopped their charge down the hill.

Erik caught up with the figure as they were struggling to get up.

"Ha-ha... I just want to talk," he said, while trying to catch his breath.

The pair of green eyes underneath the silk thread seemed determined—yet there was also uncertainty.

"I won't follow you there!" a young boy's voice called out.

A child? How did a child survive in this nightmarish place?

"I won't ask you to follow me anywhere. I just want to ask you about the valley."

He didn't want to say that he was new here. But there was no way to hide it, as after even a small interaction, he was sure that his lack of knowledge of the valley would give him away. It was better to take the initiative.

The uncertainty in the boy's eyes grew. "Wh-what do you want to know?"

"Are there any safe places around here where a person can rest? Any sources of clean water and food?"

The boy was silent for a long moment before his eyes widened.

"Are you... new here?" he asked in wonder.

"Yes, I came to the valley yesterday."

"How did you get here?" the kid asked hurriedly.

"Hmm, maybe I'll tell you if you answer my questions. Where do you come from?"

The child seemed to struggle with some sort of internal debate for a long moment.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. If you were one of them, you already know where we are... I live in a small village not far from the lake in the southeastern part of the valley."

"A village? Can you take me there?"

Erik was not expecting to actually find a whole settlement of people in the Whisper. But the question now was if they would be antagonistic towards him.

The boy kept silent for a while before nodding. He turned around and took the lead.

They were currently in the eastern mountains, and if his guide was telling the truth, they would need to spend some time walking on the path that led to the harbor, and then they would have to take a different trail.

Together, they descended the slopes, albeit with a few yards of distance between each other. The kid did not appear to trust Erik at all, and he was happy to maintain some space between them in case the little guy decided to pull some trick. However, he needed to get more information—he still hadn't asked the question he wanted to the most—so he kept within talking distance to his guide.

"By the way, what are you wearing? Why are you covered in those spider threads?"

It seemed extremely inconvenient. The kid had to walk in an awkward and slow way so as to not entangle the threads or have them catch onto something as they appeared to have retained their sticky property.

“It’s my own invention—the spider armor,” the boy said, a sparkle in his eye. “I got the idea when I saw the mosquitoes avoid the threads. Nobody believes in it, but I think it will work. Though, I still have to test it out—there are a few kinks to work out as well.”

He reminds me of me when I was younger, Erik thought.

He couldn't help but remember the time he built his own wooden armor to try and breathe underwater. He got the idea after that trip to the river with his friends and parents. His underwater armor was also the inspiration for his stunt yesterday when he flipped the boat.

"I know they are annoying, but they are not everywhere. I've only seen them in the mines and the lake. Isn't this a bit unnecessary?" he asked.

The kid shook his head.

"No, it's the only way. There are very few sources of clean water. And most of them are up in the mountains."

"So there are even more mosquitos inside the mist?"

"That's not mist."

"What?"

"The peaks of the mountains are not covered in mist—but the essence suckers."

Does he mean mosquitoes?

Erik stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze slowly shifted back to the eastern mountains, the peaks were hidden by the dark mist.

His eyes widened in horror. He traced the swirling haze through the entire edge of the valley. It was twisting on itself and slowly moving down towards its centre. Now that he knew... he could not unsee it.

It was not mist indeed. It looked and moved a bit too unnaturally for that. It was those infernal insects.

He needed to leave—he needed to leave as soon as possible.

Which brought him to the most important thing he wanted to ask.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he continued walking.

Now was the moment of truth, and trying to sound as casual as possible, he asked, "By any chance, have you seen any peculiar trees in the valley or heard of any?"

"Peculiar trees...? No, I haven't seen any. But... there is an old legend. I don't know why the elder keeps on telling it."

Erik's curiosity was piqued.

"What is it?"

"Well, apparently a long time ago, just when the city had fallen. The first generation of survivors was split on what to do. The passages leading out of the valley had collapsed, and the mountains became impassable. Still, some wanted to try and transverse them regardless, while others thought that it would be best to stay in the valley. Those who stayed were our ancestors, while the ones who wanted to leave took the northern route. And on its peak, they transformed a single tree into a glowing beacon so that they could use it as a guide in case they lost their path. Nobody knows what happened to them."

The northern peak?

Erik's gaze shifted to the only mountain that wasn't covered by the swarm of insects.

A tree that was turned into a glowing beacon... this must be it!

He was excited. Finally, he found a clue that might lead him out of this valley of misery. However, the kid put a damper on his mood.

"But no one actually knows if the tree exists or if it's still there. That mountain is the lair of the rat king as well as the massive butterfly. No one that I know has gotten close to the place and lived to tell the tale."

Erik's sunk deep in thought, and his expression became grim.

They continued to walk in silence, eventually making their way to the road that led to the harbor.

The kid then took off the spider silk armor and carefully stored it inside a large backpack. Carrying it would still be a hassle, but it was better than actually wearing it.

Erik took another look at him. The kid was a head shorter and even scrawnier than him. Dark brown hair and green eyes did not make him stand out much. His clothes were practically drab rags. Whatever the village could offer, it definitely would not be anything luxurious.

After that, they started making better progress.

A while later, they reached the part where Erik had camped the night before. And they made a small detour so that he could pack the stuff that was left behind. The boy watched with curiosity but did not ask any questions.

Then they continued on the journey towards the village.

At one point, the kid turned off the road and headed off southwest into the forest, following a small trail. Erik had not seen it before when he passed on the path, and most likely wound not have found it if someone did not show it to him.

They had to spend quite some time walking, and the day was well in the afternoon now. The trek was taking a bit longer than he expected.

He observed the boy closer.

Is he trying to pull something?

He decided to fish for some more information.

"I didn't ask. What is your name?"

"Endur Spegilmann son of Omr and Gylfi."

"Nice to meet you, Endur. I am Einrik Naudrson... say how long do we have left until we reach the village?"

Just then, Erik actually saw it through the trees.

It was small, compact, and well hidden from sight. A person would have to be close by to actually see it. The settlement was a mixture of ancient stone structures and wooden cabins. It looked like an odd patchwork of old and new. Much of it was covered in vines and wooden branches, which were supported by spiderwebs. It all looked purposefully placed, like one massive protective net.

The boy said evenly, "Just a little further."

Maybe I should not enter it and keep my distance for now in case I need to make a run for it.

But Erik was too late to exercise caution because after a few dozen feet, Endur suddenly jumped to the side. Vines sprung from everywhere and entangled Erik.

He could not react in time but struggled to free himself. However, a group of warriors jumped from behind the surrounding trees and restrained him completely. They took away his hatchet and his beloved supplies, stripping him of nearly everything aside from his clothes.

He struggled all the way, but it was not enough. His Talent enhanced his physique, but it was not enough to overcome a dozen grown men. Especially with his injuries from yesterday.

"Sorry, Einrik," the boy called.

Erik gazed at him expressionlessly.

Bounded tightly the hauled him away towards the village. He did not see anyone aside from a single person. At the entrance was a frail old man covered in tribal tattoos.

"Esteemed warriors, I am sure we can come to an arrangement. There is no need for this," Erik attempted to persuade them.

The old man's eyes narrowed, and he said in a raspy voice, "Put him in the cell for now."

Erik protested, but no one paid attention to him. Going into one of the stone buildings, they took him through a few corridors, then down into a basement with a single cell. They then threw him inside and left.

Groaning on the ground, he cursed himself for his stupidity. He knew that he should have been more careful, but everything was starting to get to him, affecting his thinking. 

However, his attention was immediately brought back to his surroundings when he heard a familiar voice call out to him from the darkness of the cell.

"Erik?"