The Secret Realm Hidden within the Beast Glades( Part One)

One Week before Thorjen escaped the Fate Stone.

Princess Lana POV

A sleek, dark carriage was steered through the swamp marshes. Two mightily bred mountain horses, trained to carry large cargoes through unpredictable terrains like this, pulled it along.

A soft sigh escaped through her delicately shaped lips. Her dreary gaze drifted towards the uncertain heavens above. Lana felt a terrible sense of foreboding; a disaster was stirring. She could feel it in her bones, in the faces of her companions, and in the whispering fates that constantly sent her warnings. A murky grey tint had plagued their skies ever since they entered the territory of the Rode Empire, the realm of the beast kin. While her thoughts swirled with constant grievances and woes, she could hear the sound of a whetstone polishing a shimmering iron sword beside her. Ness was focused on sharpening her swords, an arduous task that seemed to be helping Ness more than the actual blades. To her right, sat an Elven girl with short blond hair, dressed in slightly skimpy leathers. She also wore bangles, trinkets, and a few silver piercings dangled from the tips of her pointy ears, softly tapping her fingertips against the side of the carriage. Amongst the quartet, Lana felt the most uncertain about the Elven girl's intentions. It wasn’t just the sudden change in her appearance that was strange, but her attitude felt completely different from the girl she had met by Thorjen's bedside not too long ago. As they rode in silence, it was the fourth member of their group who broke the uncomfortable silence, a gallant knight who served as Lana's guard. He was seated in the lotus position, seemingly in a trance of some kind. When he finally opened his eyes, all eyes turned toward him.

“We should be at the meeting point shortly,” he announced, a strange green light circling within his iris before fading away.

“Thank you, Furro. Your scouting abilities have truly been a great help to us,” said Lana earnestly. Furro tried to hide his blush, nervously scratching the side of his head before performing a respectful half-bow.

“Hmph! I hope your sword skills are as good as your scouting abilities then. We’re going to need all the help we can get...sigh, what a drag,” remarked Ness. Lana could sense Ness’s **** to continue this mission. To be honest, Lana herself wasn’t so keen anymore, especially after...

“Are you two going to keep moping around then?” spoke a spirited, smooth voice. Threyja, the Elf, was the one who spoke out.

Ness's brows narrowed as she glared at the girl.

“Got something to say?”

“Indeed, haha. I don’t know why you’re both still sulking about the past. Thorjen...is gone, again...but that shouldn’t stop us from focusing on the quest at hand. Do you know how many people get the opportunity to venture into a hidden realm? Do you realize the hidden treasures and opportunities awaiting us? If we don’t prepare ourselves...we will all die,” she spoke matter-of-factly.

Lana shifted her gaze towards her best friend, sensing her ire reaching its limit.

“Are you insane? Thorjen is gone? You say it like it’s not something for all of us to be up in arms about. What's actually the matter with you? You got a new haircut and suddenly you don’t care about anyone? Tsk! I knew you were trouble the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“I couldn’t care less what you think of me, but the truth is, we are all here together because of Thorjen. And do you think Thorjen would want us to miss an opportunity to grow the party that she decided to form in order to help him? Haha, you don’t know Thorjen like I do, so I suggest you keep those sentiments to yourself.”

“Or what...” Ness growled, Lana’s eyes widening as she quickly sensed her friend's aura spiking. The carriage almost seemed to lower in response to the heaviness.

“Whoa-whoa, let's all just relax...” Furro spoke out. “Why don't we all just breathe and -”

“Shut up!”

“Shut up!”

Both girls spat in unison.

“I’m not scared of you. I’m not some weak Elf who will let a beast girl bully her. If you truly want to go, I’ll take you on at any time,” Threyja spoke with a snide grin, which only spurred Ness's fighting spirit even more.

Lana was sick of the infighting herself. They both wouldn't stop going at one another ever since they left the capital. And if things continued...

“Both of you...enough! Sigh...Ness, she’s...she’s right,” Lana said sheepishly.

Ness’s eyes widened in complete shock.

“L-Lana, you’re taking her side?”

“No, I'm not on anyone's side, but she isn’t entirely wrong...Thorjen...he would want us to see this through, with or without him,” Lana’s gaze lowered as she tightly held her clothes gathered on her lap. Seeing this, Ness’s own ire softened. She could only sigh and fold her arms in response.

“Oh, Lana...you’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

The shocking remark caught both Lana and Threyja off guard, the latter giving the Princess a scrutinizing gaze.

“Anyway, Thorjen was lost for a year. We all heard his tale ourselves, and then he’s summoned by that strange company where they practice magic, and all of a sudden, he’s nowhere to be found...sigh. These things seem to follow Thorjen wherever he goes. I’ve come to expect the wonderful, the strange, and the unfortunate to happen around him. If you both wish to be in his life, accept that and have faith that he’ll return home.”

Both Lana and Ness shared a quick glance. They both understood the things that didn’t need to be said. Whether they liked the way she spoke or carried herself, Threyja wasn’t wrong. Lana herself had only just met Thorjen. She was still trying to come to grips with why her heart beat so fondly towards him.

‘Is it because he is the one the fates made me see? Or is there some other reason why I am so enamored with him?’

To these questions, she held no answer at this moment.

The crowded swamp was slowly left behind, and a bright, blooming sky suddenly took over from the gloomy clouds. Lana had heard about the strange climates of the Rode Kingdom, but she hadn’t expected them to be so volatile.

“We’ve arrived! Welcome to Khyanmoth,” announced the carriage driver. Lana peered out the small-sized window. Unsurprisingly, there were countless carriages from across all realms littered across the vast, partially grassed lands. Erected on the other end were towering brown mountains, their helms brushing against the clouds. Most of the Rode Kingdom featured similar structures: bolstering mountains with grimacing faces, vast swamp lands, and open clear spaces.

Once they disembarked from their carriage, Lana felt the bizarre sensation of tropical air against her skin. She made sure to wear a delicate shawl to cover the lower half of her face, which wasn’t uncommon in the Rode Kingdom.

As they announced themselves, perhaps as the last of the arriving parties, all eyes seemed to instantly lock onto the three beauties. Despite her camouflage, even the little of her appearance that was visible was garnering attention.

Ness led the way as the three girls made their way through the throng. Once they arrived near the front, they all noticed a gaping hole glaring against the cave. Lana narrowed her gaze to get a better look. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

‘It looks like a portal?’ She noticed the shimmering outline against the darkness. Lana always possessed good eyesight, enabling her to naturally notice traps and hidden things that others couldn’t spot straight away.

Ness appeared beside her. “Lana, is that it...the hidden realm?” she asked in a half-whisper.

Lana simply nodded, feeling a tremendous amount of aura flowing from that gaping mouth.

A resounding voice suddenly bellowed through the slightly chilled air.

“ATTENTION!”

All murmurs ceased beneath the almost roar that belched forth from a voice standing at the helm of the crowd.

A mature wolf kin woman appeared, dressed in tight-fitting gold armor.

“I welcome you all, who have scaled many great lands to come here. We, the Rode Kingdom, are honored to welcome you all as guests,” she announced.

A roar of applause moved through the crowd. Lana could feel the spirits of all who had arrived, ready and eager.

“In a few moments, once the sun moves east, the secret realm shall open. I advise you all to stay vigilant. This is a realm that has still not been fully explored. We have lost over 46 parties thus far and urge you all to understand the risks involved. I wish you all the best of luck.”

Lana held back her words; she knew there were struggles with completing the realm, but she hadn't realized how many lives it had claimed until now. She noticed Ness suddenly preoccupied with something happening behind them. She tugged at the hem of her friend's skirt.

“Nesselda, what's wrong?” she inquired.

A look of deep concern and shock was displayed on her friend's face, prompting Lana to follow her line of sight. Oddly enough, she noticed a group of fellows arriving from across the field. The crowd soon picked up on their approach as well, and murmurs and whispers began to fester.

“H-hey, look!”

“Ara, it’s the Knights from the Lucien Kingdom!”

“Oh my gosh, look who is leading them!”

“N-no way? Is that...”

“Rhaegar? The famous Gold Ranked Knight!”

Lana's heart sank. There was no mistaking him; even from afar, his golden bright hair and polished faux horns glimmered beneath the fading light. He walked proudly towards the gathered crowd.

“Damn! What’s Rhaegar doing here, and look who’s wagging his tail behind him,” Ness grimaced. After Lana finally came to terms with Rhaegar’s arrival, she turned her eyes slightly to find a mischievous-looking redheaded youth, whistling into the air as he followed the knights sent by the Lucien Kingdom. It was Rudd, who looked almost bored until his gaze happened to fall in their direction.

Threyja looked confused as she saw them approach. “I thought...Lady Eleanor was supposed to be leading them? What happened?” she spoke loud enough for the other two to hear.

“I heard she was sent on an urgent mission with that new Gold Ranked Elf, you know, the one with the green hair. You know him, don’t you?” Ness asked. Lana noticed a look of deep panic set against Threyja’s face; she didn’t know where to place her gaze as she stammered a reply.

“Ah-y-yes, I... know him...I know him quite well, ahem.”

“Damn it, they’re coming this way. Quick, Lana, hide behind me,” Ness spoke, quickly positioning herself away from the prying eyes of the onlookers. Lana felt a little annoyed, seeing as Rhaegar's decision to bring his group towards them had garnered unwanted attention for their small quartet. Once the large group arrived, the rest of the crowd parted away like flies. Rudd swiftly brought himself forward, wearing a lecherous gaze as he sized up both Ness and Threyja.

“My-my-my, Nesselda, you didn’t tell me you had such sexy friends. The name’s Rudd, beautiful. How may I be of service?”

Threyja’s brow arched in bewilderment. “Who is this pervert?” she asked Ness.

Meanwhile, Rhaegar casually walked past them, but as he passed Lana, his steely gaze trailed down.

“What are you doing here?” Lana stammered out weakly. Rhaegar's composed face remained poised, and rather than speaking, Lana suddenly felt his voice invading her mind.

“Princess, although that get-up might fool the masses, these eyes of mine could never be fooled. By the way, the Queen has tasked me with protecting you once we enter the secret realm. I agree, of course. You must make sure you don't overexert yourself. I will protect you, and if need be, I'd sacrifice the lives of every single person in there for you. Whether you like it or not, I am your best bet at survival.”

Once Rhaegar’s voice faded, Lana felt a swell of annoyance rising inside her.

“I...I don't need you nor my mother's help. Thank you, but I can handle things on my own,” her voice was purposely low, but she knew Rhaegar would hear her. He briefly paused in his nonchalant walk, taking a moment to observe the space around her.

“It seems that the fellow you chose over me isn’t here? What kind of man allows a Princess to venture into such dangers alone? Choose your companions wisely, Princess Lana.”

Rhaegar's voice soon drifted away from her thoughts, but Lana was left gazing at his fading back, a deep swell of frustration and hurt twisting inside her. Rudd eventually followed after him, making sure to blow Ness a kiss.

“I’ll see you in the secret realm, Nesselda, hehehe.”

“Ugh, hopefully, I can find a chance to kill him,” Ness spoke. Lana couldn’t shake away the fear crawling inside her heart. Rhaegar was as overbearing as he was cunning. And knowing her mother, there were definitely measures in place to ensure she didn’t succeed.

Her thoughts unknowingly trailed to that smiling, handsome face - a half-ling youth who seemed to have this infectious aura of making those around him feel warm.

‘Please be safe, Thorjen. Be safe and come back to us.'

Lana felt the ground rumble beneath her feet, an echo suddenly erupted likened to the squall of a giant animal.

"PREPARE YOURSELVES! THE SECRET REALM IS OPENING!!"