The forest had a unique presence to it, something Ethan wasn't able to understand fully.
Despite the recent heavy blizzard, and the sheer cold, there was a warm breeze all throughout, and the ground was hardly covered by any snow, rather, nature was thriving.
Such a sudden change in environment was surprising, even more so when this supposed forest was covered in snow when he arrived in the clearing.
There was a sort of... special feeling here. Ethan wanted to explore and understand more of it, but abstained from it, wanting to preserve his energy reserves.
Ravu took the lead, as he had to, and Ethan silently followed. The man had stopped talking by this point, and was shaking as he guided Ethan towards the clearing.
Ethan steeled himself, letting his Ki flow freely through his body, warming his muscles for any sudden encounter. He was eager to meet the huntress once more, and if that didn't happen.
He needed to know where that damn clearing was, he needed to know if there was anything there, any clue to his appearance in these strange lands.
Was he that homesick already? He didn't know.
"There it is, brother."
Ravu pointed towards the distance, a thick cluster of trees blocked their vision, but even Ethan felt it.
"The clearing is beyond those trees."
"..."
Strange, were there this many trees when he exited the clearing to strike the huntress down? Maybe he did it on the other side.
Ravu jumped down, heading towards the cluster of trees, as Ethan drew his sword. Something... felt off.
Even though everything appeared to be right, Ethan's chest was tight, his heart rate had increased, and sweat formed on his brows.
Ravu passed the cluster of trees, and froze. Ethan stepped to the side to see what had made the man froze... and there it was.
Another group of trees, where the clearing was supposed to be.
"No, It can't be...?"
Ravu questioned himself, as Ethan silently went forward, examining the space.
"I'm sure it was here... I don't forget this kind of thing."
The man stepped back in shock, as Ethan continued to scour the entire area. He bent down, and finally found a sign.
The clearing was gone, however, a sign of his battle with the huntress was still here. Drops of his dried blood, and his footsteps, although they were barely indistinguishable, they couldn't escape the senses of a Knight.
He stood up, turned around and signalled for Ravu to turn back. The man stood still, frozen in shock, but Ethan was able to knock him out of it. Ravu turned around and ran away.
Ethan sighed, as he bent down once more, close to the roots of one particular tree. It was at this exact spot where his blood had been drawn by the silver arrows.
"It's a trail."
He mouthed, searching the entire area, and sensing the faint traces of Ki leading him somewhere. It wasn't his, but rather something else.
"That's what it was."
Before he followed that trail, Ethan finally figured out what felt off about this place. He backtracked his steps, and placed his body outside the clearing.
It was back again, the warm breeze, the refreshing feeling, and the sounds of fauna.
However, when Ethan stepped back in the clearing, all of it was gone. The warm breeze was no longer, the refreshing feeling was gone.
The sound of birds chirping, the small squirrel scurrying in the distance, even the sounds of the insects, all gone the moment he stepped in this clearing.
"Fine."
He smirked, he didn't really believe in gods or not, but he did know one thing. From the clearing onwards, it wasn't the Forest of the Beast God anymore.
"I'm coming for you."
He dashed forwards, following the trail. He knew it was a trap, but no Knight ever ran from such a thing.
----
Ian walked through the forest with a steady gait, the young men behind him, fidgeting around with their 'weapons' and chatting with one another. Ian hadn't uttered a single word since he stepped into the forest.
'Something... is off.'
He didn't say it out loud, though, not yet. It wouldn't be wise to create panic in such a clumsy group of people. But Ian was confused.
He stared at the lantern he held in his hand, it was the assurance given to him by Igimo, and his compass. An artifact that would grant him the ability to seek out any malicious spirit or demon, but there had been no such change yet.
Had Igimo's artifact failed? It was possible. It would explain the uneasy feeling he was getting. Worse, their most prominent guide was gone right now, no one knew the forest like Ravu did.
Ethan hung the Lantern to his waist, and wielded his halberd with a proper stance. Everyone looked at him, but he remained silent.
His nose elongated, silver fur grew, and sharp claws replaced his tender fingernails. He had assumed partial transformation to heighten his senses... a special gift of the Beast God to the Beastly Aris.
"What is it..."
"Sir Ian, is everything alright?"
He ignored them, and focused on the surrounding environment, and it was then that he realized it. The sound of the fauna was gone, an eerie silence had replaced everything...
But that was not all.
"All of you, stay here for a moment."
He didn't explain much, his figure disappeared as Ian sprinted forward, only to reappear behind the group.
"..."
He had only been going forward, but he had suddenly appeared behind the group?
"Everyone, stay alert."
That was where the odd feeling was coming from, they were going in a loop... That was where he felt odd.
They had circled the same area quite a few times. They had been caught in an illusion.
Ian sighed, and turned to look at the lantern hung at his waist.
'Did it not sense anything? Ha...'
There was no way an item made by a former high priest of the Beast god would fail in the Beast God's forest, the lantern was working fine... so then, what was it? What was this odd phenomenon?
'Eh, thinking much isn't for me.'
He laughed in his mind, as his muscles tensed.
"Everyone, duck."
He ordered, as he raised his halberd high into the sky, his mana rushed from his body to his weapon, stirring up fierce winds. Ian took a deep breath, amidst the typhoon and with a firm stance, swung his halberd down, drowning the entire area in a fierce storm.