Falling Kindom

Haunted Forest

The sound of someone whistling rang through the forest, the trees catching the melody and sending it to them.

Almost as if it was scripted, Hajime and Aoi whistled back together, not a note out of tune. Hajime knew something was wrong, but he couldn't think. He struggled to remember. Why were they here in the first place?

Their call received an instant reply, and Harmony appeared to be almost mesmerized, as she walked in the direction of the whistling. They whistled with the stranger back and forth, until the whistling got louder. Aoi laughed for no reason, and that knocked sense back into Hajime. Aoi wouldn't laugh when he was so afraid, and in a forest at that.

Aoi covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes widening as he looked at Hajime. They hopped off Harmony, gently coaxing her away into the covering of the trees.

A woman carrying a basket, her face obscured by a veil, wandered into view. Hajime felt a chill down his spine as she whistled again and again, but no one answered. Aoi kept his mouth covered, attempting to slow down his breathing. The woman went the other way, still calling, in the hopes someone would answer. Aoi collapsed to his knees on the floor.

"That lady," he whispered. "Wasn't there a story about the whistling lady? She whisks away people and children who wander into the forest, and they are never seen again."

Hajime nodded. He couldn't believe that a children's story told to keep children at home at night was actually true. But there were so many stories. "We need to find Haru and Arata, fast."

A glint caught Hajime's eyes, and he saw a mirror leaning against a tree. Aoi had caught sight of it too, and looked rather pale, as if he knew a mirror in the forest would bring them nothing but trouble.

Styra and Lune wandered in from the cover of the trees, and Harmony ran to meet them, as they nuzzled each other. Aoi took in a breath. Arata and Haru were nowhere to be seen. The mirror glinted again, and Hajime walked over to it, Aoi reluctantly following. Every step he took gave him a bad feeling, until he stood in front of the mirror.

Aoi gasped as Hajime's eyes widened. Arata and Haru were inside the mirror, pounding on the glass. Arata was mouthing something, as if trying to communicate with them, but Haru pointed past Hajime. Hajime turned around to see a thick black smoke swirling near the tree, and knew, instinctively, that it had come for the mirror. That it was a trap a hunter had set.

"Break the glass," muttered Aoi, and Hajime knew that was what Arata had been saying.

Hajime stood behind Aoi, facing down the smoke. He watched as a shape appeared from the smoke, and a rather beautiful man stepped out, wearing knight's armor, his dark hair billowing around his shoulders. His eyes were ice-blue.

"You dare trespass?" he asked.

Hajime heard the sound of shattering glass, and turned back to see Haru and Arata on the floor, Aoi with a hand on Arata's shoulder.

"We mean no harm," said Hajime. "We simply wish to cross the forest."

"I told you not to go off the path!" called a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Reiji walk up to them. He turned to the knight. "They're with me."

The knight gave him a good, hard look, before nodding and disappearing, leaving a swirl of mist behind him.

"Come on," said Reiji, gesturing to them to follow. "I'll take you to the path."

"Thank you," said Hajime.

"Who was he?" asked Aoi, pulling Harmony by the reins.

"An old friend," said Reiji. Hajime got the feeling that Reiji was well connected. "Apparently there used to be hundreds of hunters who exploited the forest. He's just making sure it never happens again."

"How long ago were there hunters?" asked Haru.

"A few centuries ago."

Before Hajime could ask further, Reiji pointed down the pathway, where no trees or bushes or murderous whistling ladies awaited them. "Would you like me to accompany you to the end of the forest?" he asked.

Hajime shook his head. "Thank you."

Reiji waved a hand and pretended to tip his hat, as he headed back. He disappeared again.

"Is he a wizard?" asked Arata, sounding amused.

"Most likely," said Haru.

They walked the rest of the way through the forest, not risking a second trip off the path. Night fell as they reached the end. Haru, Arata and Aoi refused to set up camp near the forest, and Hajime could hardly blame them. They walked until they reached the borders of a city, where no guards stood by to greet them.

Inviting themselves in, they walked until they saw an innkeeper dozing off in a chair in the front of his inn. He woke up at their footsteps and yawned. "Who are you?"

Haru and Hajime shared a look, as Aoi gave a nervous smile. "A travel delegation from Lunox."

"Welcome to Nivor," the innkeeper said with a friendly smile. "The palace is in an uproar and a lot of people are sick, but welcome. Would you like to stay the night?"

Haru nodded wearily, as the innkeeper relieved them of their horses, calling a stable boy from nowhere.

They made their way to the tavern downstairs, Hajime having to confiscate gin from Arata.

"No," they heard the bartender say. "You're too young."

A young orange-haired man, wearing something resembling a uniform, put his head down on the table. "I'm seventeen!"

"You need to be twenty to order that," the bartender said dryly.

"Don't I get some consideration for being captain of the guard?"

"No."

Arata walked over to him and took a seat next to him. The boy looked up.

"Why don't we have a cocktail together?" Arata offered.

"Can't I at least drink with a girl?" he muttered before nodding.

Hajime, Haru and Aoi made their way to his table.

"Captain of the guard, did you say?" asked Haru, adjusting his glasses.

"You Haduki, captain of the King's guard, at your service."

"We'd like an audience with your king," said Hajime.

You started laughing. "They want an audience with him. Why?"

Hajime wondered if their king was stern or eccentric, as he explained about the disease and this place that popped up out of nowhere. "We want to know if these are correlated."

You considered his words, before downing his cocktail in one go. "I'd love to see you try to make sense of anything that guy says, but I'm afraid there's no point." He looked around to see if anyone was listening, before putting his glass down. "The king's missing."

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