Chapter 15:
The mist thinned as the trees opened into a steep slope. Leo adjusted the strap of his rifle and pushed through the last tangle of vine-choked undergrowth. A gasp caught in his throat as the view unfolded.
Below them, nestled against the base of one of the Nara Tree's sprawling lower roots, was a **town**.
Warm orange lights flickered from lanterns strung between houses carved into the gently sloping bark and clustered along the root's natural curves. Stone chimneys puffed smoke. Walkways of vine-wrapped wood and moss-covered planks formed winding streets, and waterfalls cascaded from the side of the root into shallow pools glowing faintly with aether-rich lichen.
**Welcome to Rootwake** — the wooden sign said in curving script as they approached the first post.
Tarra, her metal body wrapped in a dark brown cloak Leo had crafted from scavenged canvas and padded leaves, walked silently beside him. Only her face was visible — humanoid in shape, but still clearly artificial. The hood cast shadows over her luminous eyes.
Leo paused at the town's edge. A wooden palisade ringed the settlement, but the gate stood open. A pair of guards in barkwood armor stood alert, halberds crossed as they spotted the approaching duo.
"Halt," barked one, his eyes narrowing. "State your name and where you came from."
Leo raised his hands slightly, showing no aggression. "Name's Leo Makjin. I came from the... uh, east edge of the forest. I passed through the Eldorian Forest."
The older of the two guards, a heavy-set man with gray streaks in his beard, lowered his weapon. His brow furrowed.
"Eldorian? Are you pulling my root, kid?"
Leo blinked. "No. I—"
The guard stepped closer, studying Leo's mud-caked armor and the scratches across his arms. His eyes lingered on the unusual design of the Aetherpulse Rifle, then on Tarra, whose hood concealed most of her mechanical features.
"No one comes out of Eldorian alive," the guard muttered. "That forest's cursed. Been unexplored for centuries. Last scouting party never even left behind bones. You're telling me you walked through it?"
Tarra moved slightly forward. The younger guard flinched, hand tightening on his weapon, but the older one didn't budge. He squinted at Tarra's half-visible face, then looked back at Leo.
"You're either blessed, insane... or something else."
Leo just nodded quietly. "I had help. I got lucky."
The older guard chuckled and tapped Leo's shoulder with a heavy hand.
"Then you're *damn lucky*, kid. Especially now." He leaned in, voice dropping. "**Red Moon rises in two days.**"
Leo stiffened. "Red Moon?"
The younger guard made a warding sign. "Bad omens. Monster tides rise, fog creeps deeper. People lock doors. If you were in Eldorian during one of those, you'd be ash and bones."
The older one nodded grimly. "You'll want to stay inside the barrier once it starts. We have a protective dome — weak one, but enough to keep the fog off. You're welcome to enter, but don't bring trouble with you. And keep... her" — he glanced at Tarra — "on a leash."
"She's under control," Leo said flatly. Tarra didn't react.
The guards exchanged a look, then stepped aside.
"Welcome to Rootwake, stranger. You might be the first to walk out of Eldorian and into town. Try not to make us regret it."
---
Inside Rootwake, the town was alive — but wary.
Children played near open-barked dwellings, while vendors packed up under tarps, already preparing for the coming moon. Everywhere, red cloths and carved charms were being tied to doors and windows.
Tarra kept her hood low. Despite her cautious posture, eyes still followed them — especially hers. Some whispered "construct," others murmured "old world relic." One merchant even dropped a stack of glowshroom candles in shock.
They eventually found an inn built inside a hollowed knot at the base of the root — **The Sleeping Sapling**. The bark walls pulsed faintly with natural warmth, and a strange clockwork root-gear turned near the fireplace.
Leo sat by the window as dusk fell, watching the lights shimmer along the root's surface. Tarra stood beside him like a silent sentinel.
"That town guard," Leo said. "He mentioned the Red Moon like it's common."
"It is a major event in this world's cycle," Tarra replied softly. "Every third lunar phase, the moon bleeds. The fog deepens. The system called it a 'Critical Phase Shift' in corrupted zones."
Leo sighed. "Of course. Can't have a moment of peace."
He looked out again — past Rootwake's dim lights, into the dark trees beyond.
Two days left.
And the moon was already starting to turn red.