บท 25: A copse of trees

"What task is it?" Syryn asked, ready to reject it if there were any signs of danger.

Alka held the paper up and read it out, "Task: Burn down the old orphanage home in Fena forest." The sunlight falling on the yellowed edges of the paper gave Syryn the impression he was looking at dried skin crisscrossed by black veins of paper folds.

"But why?" Magnus asked. "It's not like you're low on money." No Magnus, Syryn thought, the real question is why do they want the orphanage gone?

"To see it hanging on the board for an entire year bothers me," Alka replied. "Unfinished business.. is bothersome." Somehow Syryn felt like Alka wasn't telling them something.

Milky chose that moment to stretch and bump a candle off his perch. Its metallic base clanged loudly, drawing their collective attentions. The two shapeshifters turned as one and silently regarded the kitten.

"Milky, do you want to come with us?" Alka asked the kitten. Blue eyes flickered once towards the plant mage and Milky jumped on his shoulder. It was decided, Milky was going.

Syryn pondered upon the weirdness that his kitten displayed. Milky was intelligent and showed signs of an awareness that no cat should possess. But it wasn't like he could interrogate Milky. Syryn decided to leave it be until the kitten revealed its secrets voluntarily.

2 hours later, Syryn had successfully joined the young ranks of adventurers. He had a spelled document inside his satchel that stated his status as a novice adventurer. Syryn could only take grade E tasks on his own. However, being partnered with the intermediate levelled Magnus and Alka, the grade D task in Alka's hand was open to Syryn.

"It only pays 90 silvers. No wonder nobody wanted this task. Who in their right mind would trek 7 hours into the forest and back for 90 silvers." Magnus complained.

Luci was walking beside Magnus, a cherry-flavoured candy in his mouth. There were more in his pocket and he couldn't let Syryn or Alka know because they would take it away from him. He slipped his hand into Magnus' who right away grasped it firmly while still complaining about the task. Luci could feel the other person watching them all from a corner of his mind but this newcomer never made Luci feel afraid or uncomfortable. In fact, when Luci was having a nightmare, his other person took over and woke him up. The redhead felt like he had a friend in himself, well, a friend that never talked to him.

"Our last trek inside a forest, remember how that turned out?" Syryn was grumpy. He couldn't understand why he had agreed to accompany Alka and Magnus knowing their track record for punishment.

"Fun times," Magnus said with a laugh. "We nearly died." And it was cheerfully spoken. Syryn wanted to check what was inside the head of the fire mage.

With Luci alternating between walking and getting carried by the boys, the group reached the foot of a mountain that loomed above them. The sun had begun to set and there was no way they could turn back the same day. Alka had brought them sleeping bags and all the necessary items for camping out in the open.

"Almost there, do you see that building? That's the orphanage." Alka pointed with one pretty finger.

All Syryn could see was a decrepit building that had seen better days with its bright yellow paint which had faded to dark mustard. As they got closer, he saw the broken fencing, trees and climbers that had taken over everything, a dried off well and a sad-looking sign that creaked with every gust of the wind.

Syryn looked up at the overcast sky and thought about their task which included fire. "Alka, which star were you born under?" Syryn asked the plant mage who was busy checking the room for habitability.

"No idea," Alka called back. "I found an empty room with little to no junk. Let's sleep here tonight and burn the place down tomorrow."

Inside the room, Alka and Syryn shared a bedroll in one corner. Magnus and Luci's bedroll was in the other corner. The child had gotten habituated to sleeping next to Magnus and now they were inseparable. Syryn almost felt a little jealous that his Luci was being stolen by Magnus.

Dinner that night was a plate of fruit with roasted meat. After the meal, Syryn stretched out in his bedroll with Milky and listened to the sounds of thunder rumbling in the sky. To his right, Alka rolled over and scooted closer to Syryn.

"Syryn," Alka whispered. "Come with me."

The two mages silently got out of their bedroll and walked with quiet footsteps. Before leaving, Syryn turned back and saw Lucien breathing deeply next to Magnus, red hair splayed out on the pillow. They were both fast asleep.

When Syryn and Alka had walked out, the redhead opened his eyes and it was the crimson of blood. Lucien made next to no sound while lifting the blanket with subtle movements so the guard dog in his bedroll wouldn't rouse.

To his chagrin, an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him right against Magnus. "Where do you think you're going, Lucien?" Magnus pleasantly asked. His voice did not sound like that of someone who had been sleeping.

"Toilet," Lucien answered.

"Is that so? I feel the urge to pee as well. Why don't we go together?" Magnus said in a conversational tone.

"You're a pervert Magnus. I should tell Syryn you're creeping on me." The child threatened.

"It seems like you're both gutter minded." Magnus chuckled and told the boy. "Toddlers are not my type at all Lulu, I only like big sisters with curvy bodies."

"Who the hell are you calling Lulu?!"

Syryn and Alka stood outside the building shivering in the drizzle that had started. "Why did you call me out here?"

Alka pulled his coat around himself tighter and motioned for Syryn to follow him. Walking close to Syryn, Alka began to explain, "This place wasn't just an orphanage, it was a home to abandoned young pregnant women who could stay here and give birth. And most of the women gave up their babies at this place after paying the caretaker a sum of money to admit the baby into the orphanage."

The two mages walked through a dark thicket of trees that threw tall shadows in their path.

"The caretaker ran out of funds with the decrease in abandoned babies. She had to shut the place down." They were now walking down the other side of the mountain. Rain lashed against them but neither seemed to take notice of the wetness that clung to them.

The sudden strike of a powerful arc of lightning caught Syryn's eyes and he stopped in his tracks. In that single moment of brightness, Syryn saw several grave markers between the trees. Alka stopped next to Syryn and they looked at each other.

"Alka, that's a graveyard with tiny little graves." Syryn pointedly stared at his friend.

A sombreness had settled between the plant mage's brows, "That's not the only one." He informed Syryn in a hush that the rain drowned out.

"Alka why are we here?" Syryn asked again. He had faith in his friend's goodness but he needed to know what his role in Alka's plan was.

"You'll know soon," Alka replied. Two pairs of feet stepped into muddy waters and grass that was slick from the rain. As they walked, Syryn could feel dark energy around the area that made him uneasy. He glanced at Alka's face and allowed the mage to pull him forward, closer to the source of whatever it was that kept repelling them both like the opposing poles of a magnet.

"Haunted -- this place is really thick with ghostly energy." Syryn's gaze flickered to Alka. Being a half-demon, the ghostly energy did not affect him as much as it did humans. Syryn grabbed his friend's hand and found it was as cold as a block of ice.

"Stop." Syryn firmly ordered the plant mage and tugged him back by the hand. "What is up ahead that you're so eager to kill yourself for?"

Alka shivered from the cold of the rain and the ghostly energy that was sucking away the heat from his body. "I planted a seed ahead. I want to look at it." Alka replied with small trembles.

"A seed?" Syryn raised his brows.

Alka shifted his gaze and looked away, "A corpse tree." His face had turned very pale from the cold. If Alka didn't get back inside the house to warm up, he would fall sick. But even that was less important than what Alka had just confessed to.

"I think you meant to say a copse of trees." Syryn placed his hands on Alka's shoulders and smiled sinisterly. "Right?!"

There was a twitch at the corner of Alka's mouth like he was repressing a smile. "I planted a corpse tree one year ago Syryn. I need your help to kill it."

Frankly, Syryn was impressed. He should have just left Alka to the skin collectors!