The light grew increasingly intense, captivating the eyes of Tirrellda and Daroon. As they reached the end of the cave, the scene unfolding before them felt as if they had stepped into another world entirely.
"What in the world..."
Tirrellda's words trailed off before they could fully escape her lips, swallowed by sheer wonder.
Emerging from the narrow passage of the cave, a vast expanse opened up before Tirrellda and Daroon.
In stark contrast to the cave's exterior, dominated by winter's biting chill, this place resembled an eternal paradise where spring lingered forever. The ceiling soared high and wide, with sunlight filtering through cracks, mingling with golden ores to fill the entire space with a warm glow.
The walls were densely studded with golden ores that sparkled like stars, illuminating the surroundings with a radiant light.
The cave floor was carpeted in soft moss and grasses of varying lengths, forming a lush green tapestry. Amid the moss, flowers in shades of white, purple, and pale yellow peeked through, their petals unfurling delicately.
At the center of the space, a small spring bubbled forth, sending clear water trickling outward, encircled by several trees that thrived despite the winter outside. Their leaves were a vibrant green, full and lively. A tiny stream flowed toward the far end of the cave, murmuring softly with the gentle sound of water.
"I can't believe it." Daroon muttered in a low voice.
"For such a place to exist inside a cave..."
Tirrellda advanced cautiously, step by step. The moss yielded softly beneath her feet before springing back.
With wide eyes, she slowly surveyed her surroundings, then drew in a deep breath from her chest. The warm air and floral scents tickled her nostrils, and her eyes trembled quietly with the breath rising in the face of this unbelievable beauty.
At the innermost part of the space stood a tree far larger and more immense than any of the others around it. Its trunk was gnarled and twisted, bearing the marks of branches that had extended over untold ages, with deep fissures etched into its thick bark by the passage of time.
The tree's roots spread across the cave floor, enveloping earth and rock as they radiated outward in all directions. Its branches soared endlessly upward, veiling the cave's ceiling. Shadows intertwined and settled among the boundless limbs.
And scattered along those branches hung fruits of a peculiar shape. They were a deep purple tinged with hints of red, their surfaces rough and textured, roughly the size of small apples. The fruits grew sparsely along the branches, emitting a faint luminescence.
"This is..." Daroon suddenly inhaled sharply. "The fruit of Vrant."
Tirrellda turned to him with surprised eyes.
"You're right." she said.
"But how did you know? It's not exactly common..."
Daroon approached the tree with care.
"The apothecaries in Damu would sometimes venture deep into the forests to procure these fruits. I've seen the ones they brought back. But..."
He tilted his head back to gaze up at the colossal tree.
"This tree... it's my first time seeing one."
Tirrellda drew nearer to the tree, slowly.
"According to scholars' records, the fruit of Vrant has been known for ages, but the tree that bears it has never once been discovered."
Her voice was laced with awe.
"What we're looking at now... might very well be the Vrant tree that has eluded all eyes for eons."
She reached out tentatively and placed her hand on the trunk. The surface was smooth, yet she felt a subtle vibration within—like the pulse of a living being.
"The fruit of Vrant holds astonishing power." Tirrellda explained.
"Ancient texts describe its potent antidote properties. Even someone poisoned could be cured with just one fruit... Moreover, it's imbued with abundant mana, which is why so many mages seek it out."
Daroon nodded with an intrigued expression.
"And that's not all." Tirrellda continued.
"When the fruit falls to the ground and gradually seeps into the soil, it revitalizes the surrounding ailing trees over time. That's why it's called the 'life of the forest.' Perhaps the Tharn Forest thrives as lush and vibrant as it does today because of these very fruits."
At that moment, Aornn approached Tirrellda and Daroon. His vine-composed body glided smoothly over the moss like a slithering serpent. The blue light in his empty eye sockets glowed even more intensely.
Aornn halted before Tirrellda, pointing toward the tree with his snout. Then, he moved toward it, swiftly ascending a low branch. He navigated the limbs with effortless grace, carefully plucking a small Vrant fruit before descending once more.
Standing before Tirrellda, Aornn extended the fruit to her. It shimmered faintly in his vine-laden grasp.
"Is this... for me?" Tirrellda asked.
Aornn shook his body in a nod-like motion.
Tirrellda accepted the fruit gingerly. The moment it touched her hand, she felt a warm energy radiating from it—not mere heat, but something akin to pure vitality contained within.
"Hey, what about mine?"
Daroon asked playfully.
Aornn turned toward him, and Tirrellda noticed Aornn inflating his body as if drawing in a deep breath, then deflating with a sigh-like gesture. His vine shoulders slumped slightly, and the light in his empty eye sockets dimmed momentarily before brightening again.
Aornn turned back to the tree, climbing to a higher branch this time to pluck another fruit. But instead of handing it to Daroon, he clamped it in the vine crevice that served as his mouth and approached.
Pausing before Daroon, Aornn hesitated briefly before spitting out the fruit with a "phett" sound, letting it land at Daroon's feet. Tirrellda couldn't suppress her laughter at the sight.
"What the... This feels kinda gross..." Daroon said, though amusement colored his voice. He bent down to pick up the fruit.
"Should I say thanks...?"
Daroon examined the fruit for a long moment before resolving to take a bite. His face twisted briefly, then shifted to one of surprise.
"Hm!? It's a bit sour, but..." he said while chewing the Vrant fruit.
"There's a deep sweetness that follows."
Curiosity piqued, Tirrellda nibbled at her own fruit. The instant it entered her mouth, an intense tartness assaulted her tongue, but it was swiftly overtaken by a rich, profound sweetness that spread throughout. Along with that sweetness, she felt a subtle energy diffusing into her body.
"Perhaps..." Tirrellda said, gazing down at the fruit.
"These little ones have been the ones scattering these fruits throughout the forest."
She looked at Aornn. He had drawn close to her side, crouching by her leg. His vine body leaned against her thigh like a contented cat.
"Come to think of it." Daroon said, scanning the surroundings.
"There are no other creatures in this space. Is Aornn the only one here?"
Tirrellda lifted her gaze and surveyed the area once more. Her eyes then fixed on something beside the Vrant tree. At first, she mistook it for part of the tree, but upon closer inspection, it was a distinct form.
"Daroon, look over there." Tirrellda said, pointing toward the side of the tree.
Leaning against the cave wall was what appeared at a glance to be a withered stump, but upon scrutiny, it resembled a being shaped like a tree.
Its body had the texture of bark, and from its head grew long, fine roots like a beard. Its eyes were closed, and its face was wrinkled like the bark of a centuries-old tree, yet faint traces of facial features remained.
They approached it slowly. The nearer they got, the clearer it became that this was no ordinary tree. It lay utterly still, as if in profound slumber, yet a faint aura of life lingered around it.
"This..." Tirrellda said in a voice filled with reverence.
"I think it's a Vrant."
"A Vrant?" Daroon asked in astonishment.
Tirrellda nodded.
"According to the records, the Vrants were shepherds of the forest who loved trees so dearly that they wished to resemble them. Their appearance... must have been just like what we're seeing now."
She extended her hand cautiously and touched what seemed to be its arm. It felt like wood, yet a subtle warmth emanated from within.
"They've tended the trees of the Tharn Forest and Belrant Forest since time immemorial." Tirrellda continued.
"There's a saying that sheep and shepherds grow to resemble one another. Similarly, the Vrants came to mirror the trees they cared for, eventually taking on the form of ancient stumps."
Daroon regarded the Vrant with eyes full of wonder.
"So... is this Vrant sleeping now?"
"Probably." Tirrellda replied.
"Or perhaps it's entered a state of prolonged dormancy. Beings like this live within a flow of time utterly different from humans."
Tirrellda scrutinized the Vrant's face intently. Centuries were etched into it like growth rings, and amid the beard-like fine roots lay an expression of profound stillness—a visage lost in the quietude of distant eons.
After gazing at the Vrant for some time, Tirrellda suddenly realized how much time had passed.
"It seems late," she said.
"We should head back now. This place we've discovered... it's truly unbelievable."
Daroon nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. But we mustn't tell anyone about it. If word got out..." He trailed off, but both understood the implications well enough.
As Tirrellda and Daroon prepared to leave, Aornn approached Tirrellda once more. In his mouth, he held something—a small, polished stone fragment. He came quietly before her, placed the stone on the ground, and nudged it toward her with his snout.
"You want me to take it?" Tirrellda asked.
Aornn bobbed his body up and down in a nodding gesture. Tirrellda picked up the stone fragment. It wasn't an ordinary rock; its surface was engraved with Vrant patterns.
Then, Aornn returned to the Vrant tree and plucked a few more fruits. He placed them before Tirrellda and Daroon.
"Thank you, Aornn." Tirrellda said with a smile.
"For showing us this wondrous place and giving us such precious gifts."
They took one final look around the cave's inner sanctum before quietly retracing their steps along the path they had come. Behind them, Aornn remained in place, silently watching their retreating figures.
Emerging from the cave into the winter's frigid air once more, Tirrellda felt as though what they had just experienced was like a dream. Yet the Vrant fruit in her hand and the stone engraved with Vrant markings proved it was all real.
The forest remained silent, with only the whisper of wind through the snow-laden trees brushing their ears. But now they knew: deep within the Tharn Forest lay a serene haven where a Vrant slumbered in eternal repose—a small paradise.