The Goddess Of War

Chapter 192 - The Holy Forest

Feeling threatened by the power of the Elves who had just returned to their planet, all the clan envoys finally allowed Anna to join them towards the sacred temple that was in the neutral zone.

Once the party was on the border between the Fire Clan and the neutral zone, their journey was blocked by a wide, deep moat separating the plains where they were from the sacred forest behind the high walls.

Seeing the arrival of his guests, the six high-bodied Elves, who were almost equal in height to Nobara, spoke to them from above the gate wall.

"Why did you all come back with so much?" asked the guard while looking at Legalos whom he considered the oldest Elf among all the members of the entourage.

"They'll probably help us if the invaders come." Sahut Legalos, turning his head and looking at Nobara politely.

Realizing Nobara, the head of the Wind Clan, was among the entourage, the gatekeepers were shocked. As far as they were concerned, Nobara and his clan had been killed in a war zone.

"Master Nobara?" The guards did not believe.

The guards then bowed in honor of Nobara.

"I'm sorry we. Please come in." Say one of the guards, giving the other guard a sign to lower the bridge and open the gate.

The guard actually felt a little suspicious of Anna, who was wearing a long robe and covered her head with a hood. However, the moment they saw her extremely beautiful face as well as the graceful aura she had, the suspicion evaporated instantly.

'Very pretty and graceful. Are all the women from the Fire Clan as beautiful as her?'

The gatekeeper then saw Eleanor who was walking beside Anna, in the entourage of the Fire Clan. Seeing the beauty of Eleanor, she felt very confident in her thoughts earlier.

"Do they have their own clan?" ask Anna to Eleanor. Anna thought, if the 4 clans in the four cardinal directions had clan names, the Elves in the neutral zone might also have their own clan names.

"No, great goddess. They were the Elves guarding this sacred forest."

Anna nodded slowly.

"But, who is the nation of invaders do you mean? Are they the same demons as the ones who gave the demon pills to the Wind Clan?

Eleanor frowned, like she was thinking carefully about the information she was about to say.

"They're different. But it looks like they've been working together."

"Could they also be the beings behind the appearance of the gate on Earth?"

"As for that, we don't know it yet, great goddess."

"GOD...,"

"Yes the great goddess?"

"Can you just call me Anna?"

"I dare not, great goddess."

"..."

•••

As the group had already walked for 10 miles, Anna could feel the somewhat cool Mana energy around her.

In addition, Anna also felt that all the large trees along the path they were walking through felt like they had eyes and were watching.

Feeling uncomfortable as if she was being watched, Anna finally looked up and stared at one of the trees in a very fast motion.

Anna then smiled as she looked at the 7 eyes that were clearly visible to her instantly glared in surprise, before the entire eye closed.

However, Anna did not immediately destroy the tree that she felt was very disturbing, because she did not feel the presence of an evil aura that intended to harm her. But, Anna could actually sense that the trees seemed to have an angry look at her.

'Could they stare angrily at me knowing I have destroyed the forest belonging to the Fire Clan?'

Actually, Anna's guess was very precise. The trees hated him because Anna had killed many of their races for no reason.

"Do all the trees here have eyes?" ask Anna to Eleanor.

"W-what?"

"The trees," Anna pointed at one of the trees.

Eleanor followed Anna's index finger before finally shaking her head.

"No, great goddess."

Anna knitted her eyebrows.

'So they don't know?'

"They all have eyes." Said Anna.

"What?!"

Zingh... Zingh... Ziiig...

Hearing that, Nobara, Fael and Nyrna, instantly unsheathed their daggers and swords.

Only Cirdan looked confused as he reached into his thigh, but did not find his dagger. He blushed in shame when he remembered leaving his dagger in the tree house of his residence.

"Hey, what's wrong with you guys. Can't you guys just be calm?!"

Uncomfortable with the over-respect of her followers, Anna rebuked them loudly.

The Elves finally sheathed back their weapons and knelt before Anna.

"Punish us, great goddess," they said at the same time.

'Jeez, I nurtured a bunch of maniacs.'

•••

After taking a full day's walk from the front of the gate, the group finally arrived at a very large and tall tree.

So tall was the tree, when Anna looked up, she could barely see the end.

'Crazy, the height of this tree is almost the same as the distance between the Earth and the Moon!'

Anna then looked at Eleanor. "This tree is very tall."

Eleanor smiled brightly while nodding her head.

"This is a sacred tree, a great goddess. The tree reaches the sacred temple in the courtyard of heaven."

"What-what?!"

Eleanor's smile grew. He was happy when he saw Anna looking surprised. All the Elves were very proud of the sacred tree.

Anna then frowned when she realized something very strange.

"But, why can't we see this tree while it's still out in the woods?"

"The sacred tree is protected by the magic of the goddess so that it cannot be found by any nation that comes and wants to colonize our planet." Nyrna.

"This sacred forest even protected the goddess's magic, which made it unable to enter the war zone" Glynka added.

Still with a bright smile, Eleanor pointed at the road they had been on.

"This path also could not bring outsiders in carelessly, if they did not have special plates owned by each clan," after giving a moment's pause, Eleanor then continued, "We can't go in alone either. The four plates should be close together, and then the company will be directed to the sacred tree properly."

"So, if someone goes in recklessly, they'll get lost?" anna asked, her face looking very enthusiastic.

"Yes. The great goddess."

"So-so.," Anna muttered, gazing at the path of their arrival in amazement.

One of the Elves then spoke. "How about we go to the holy temple now?"

"Oh.., sorry. Let's go." Sahut Anna's.

Four Elves from different clans then took their respective plates and placed them on the bark of that sacred tree.

The wooden plate then emitted a very dazzling light to the eyes.

Soon, a part of the bark opened and a gate suddenly appeared there.

From where she stood, Anna could see the steps inside the tree.

"Is the temple in there?" asked Anna curiously.

"Yes, great goddess. The temple is right at the end of the sacred tree, up there."

"What?!" Anna screamed in shock. "You mean, we have to climb up the stairs all the way up there?"

"Y-yeah..."

Anna fell silent and looked at Eleanor with a sense of despair.

'How many years does it take to get there?'

"Can we just fly?"

All Elves : "..."

•••