Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 25: Sunyu Foorst

The city of Sunyu Foorst rests within the heart of a far-reaching, mountainous forest with a canopy of fir nettles. With the morning sun hanging overhead, beams of light make their way through the canopy to allow for a plethora of lush groves to monopolize the rocky crags below.

A medley of sounds belonging mostly to woodland critters resonate through the air, and are backed by the croaks of frogs in the nearby ponds that are broken off from the river dividing the island from the rest of Letroseli.

Sunyu Foorst itself is built on the side of the mountainous grove. Sturdy stone buildings and bridges, cave paths wrapping around the cliffs in a rising spiral to the sublime keep at the top, silhouetted by the rising sun and the overlay of trees.

Within the city are, as expected, the world's last stable population of centaurs.

And as expected, they're already seeing the rivalries at just a glance.

As centaurs pass each other in the streets, a mere nudge is enough for swords to be drawn and fists to be thrown. Reela herself had never been to Kilead before Aramora was destroyed, but she's always known about the violent nature of centaurs. But judging by the dreary looks on Corb and Todo's faces, something about this aggression seems different.

As she's trying to read Todo's face, he catches a glimpse of her staring and she quickly looks away. After she got back from Avinalyn's castle last night, Todo had asked her what they wanted to give her but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Todo had already been on her case about thinking she was sleeping with Avinalyn, so telling him that they just kissed her is probably a bad idea, even if she did poison them in the process.

So she just told him that it was her phone and went to bed. But now she knows that Todo is suspicious. Every time he looks at her, she knows he's wondering what the hell she's hiding. She's going to tell him eventually, but right now she herself needs to process what the fuck happened last night.

But first, Sunyu Foorst.

The moment they cross the ancient stone bridge, they are stopped by a centaur woman with dark skin and an ebony horse body, and she's clad in bronze armor with a sharp metal spear held ready in her hands.

"Halt. Wha' business dae ye have in Sunyu Foorst? Our city isnae in any state fur tourists right now, sae unless ye have good reason tae be 'ere, ah suggest ye take yer leave," she plants the base of her spear on the stone ground.

Reela steps forward and straightens her shoulders. "We're looking for someone. A mage. Goes by the name 'Adaste Mar'Eveis.' Do you know if she's here?" she asks and the centaur woman narrows her eyes and looks her over.

"Maybe. Depends on who's asking," she states and turns to examine Corb and Todo as well, but before Reela can answer, another centaur woman down the road laughs dryly.

"Haw! Good luck. You'd be jammy tae git a single pumpin' dram in this town wi' th' Endile tyrants breathing down yer bloody necks!" the woman picks up a rock. "Hey, wank stain, go suck yer own boaby somewhere else!" she curses before chucking the rock at the woman in front of Reela, Corb and Todo.

The woman turns and slashes her spear at the rock, splitting it into pieces before she readies her spear and faces the other woman. "Ye really want a fight right now, Panele? Yer tribe is nothin' but traitors 'n' cowards 'n' we al' know it!"

The other woman, Panele, scoffs. "Sae says th' knobhead hidin' behind self-proclaimed authority," she spats. "Ye say Sunyu Foorst isnae good fur travelers, but yer tribe is th' one stirring th' pumpin' pot. Dae us al' a favor 'n' take a dive in th' Recharn, ye mungy arse. They two are centaurs. Let them pass," she crosses her arms and glances at Corb and Todo.