Shifter - Infinite Transformation-Chapter 79: Fortress

A wide stretch of land unfolded before us, rolling gently beneath the open sky like a vast, untouched sea of green. But it was nothing like the verdant mat of green the Eserian had formed. The Forea Alliance was different.

Tall grasses swayed lazily in the breeze, their soft rustling blending with the distant chirping of insects and birds hidden among wildflowers scattered across the fields. Bundles of vibrant color dotted the grass field–yellows, purples, blues, reds, and many more colors bloomed freely where nature had laid claim to the land. It was beautiful and completely different from the Eserian.

I did not have to turn and twist around in worry, making sure the plants around me were harmless. That was not necessary in this field.

The air still carried the warm scent of nature, of fertile earth that both smelled and felt rich and alive, but there was another touch–the scent of sunlit grass and flowers I’d never seen before.

Behind us, the Eserian rose like a living wall on the horizon. Its towering canopy stretched endlessly, dark and dense, the crowns of ancient trees knitting together into a deep verdant mass that loomed in the distance.

Looking back at the massive forest felt surreal. It didn’t feel like I’d been in it for several weeks. Time had passed so quickly it was hard to believe that two months had already elapsed since the Choosing, and I only now realized that I hadn’t thought about my family all that much.

Sure, I had thought about them before, but now... I didn’t really have the time to think about them all day. My life had been on the line.

Now... well, now that was going to change. We left the Eserian and joined the Forea Alliance. And once we told the officials about the Nature Dragon’s mother, the Zetrian Empire’s actions, and the dungeon entrance, we would be free to go where we pleased. I sure hoped it would be that easy. Then again, life hadn’t been as straightforward as I had hoped for.

But looking between the open, sun-drenched land before us and the forest that looked ancient, deeper, and far more mysterious, I couldn’t help but feel at ease. There was not much to worry about. Everything was going to be fine.

"You’re falling behind, Xavier!" Clove shouted, his voice tenser than usual.

"Coming!" I shouted back and kicked off the ground to catch up to the others. They were fast but had to slow down because of Jer, the smaller minotaur. He, too, was not yet at the 2nd Tier, though he was trying his best to run ahead rather than slowing the others.

The first sun descended in the distance after we had traveled for a long time, its last rays of light waving goodbye before fading when the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

That was when the first structures caught my attention.

Nestled within the tall grasses stood a small village. Modest huts with slanted wooden roofs and walls woven from branches and clay stood in loose clusters around a few narrow dirt paths. Scattered across the grass field as though they’d grown from the land itself, I was reminded of the Eserian Grove. It wasn’t the same, yet it certainly felt familiar.

Puffs of smoke curled lazily from stone chimneys, drifting into the clear sky while the clustered noises of the residents’ everyday life carried far and wide. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But most importantly, there were little to no defense structures. The village was no more than a two-hour jog from the Eserian, yet people did not seem to care all that much about defending their homes. Where were the walls, the outposts, the guards?

Glancing around, I noticed more Demihumans than fae. They moved between the homes and fields–figures with furred ears, horns, tails, and other subtle traits marking their bloodline. Some worked small patches of farmland carved carefully into the grass fields. They looked up and greeted Bork and Jer with bright smiles.

The minotaur men responded with grunts and smiles, clearly familiar with the Demihumans and their customs. We weren’t paid all that much attention. Some glanced at Fern, like she was the most interesting out of our batch, but their attention swiftly returned to their work.

Children darted through the grass, laughing as they chased one another, their movements quick and light.

No matter how I looked at the village, it didn’t feel like a border village, forget about an outpost. There was no way this was a town either. It was not even one-tenth of my hometown’s size, and my hometown had been on the smaller side.

But despite its modest size, the village felt alive and oddly welcoming. Its people lived in quiet harmony with the flourishing land around them. And beyond it all, more clusters that looked just like the village could be seen. There were dozens of them, if not hundreds, and they all felt just the same.

Amidst it all stood Cintre, a stronghold. A massive structure surrounded by thick earthen walls that looked tougher than most of the stone walls I’d seen before. It still looked like a structure that had been carved from the land surrounding it, but there was more to it than the clusters of huts spread across the dozens of kilometers the grass field reached.

It towered above all, and I didn’t doubt for a second that the tower in its centre was only there for decoration. With it, guards and others could watch across the entire field, spying enemies long before they reached the walls.

"That is Cintre. Our home." Jer slowed down beside me, his breath ragged, his chest heaving heavily. "We not only guard the border but also regulate the farmland and village clusters with pride."

There was pride in Jer’s voice, yet I was more interested in the way he spoke. Not only was he too trustworthy, but his accent was curious as well. Bork hadn’t been like that. His common was smooth, whereas Jer felt like he was not all that fluent in it.

"It looks amazing." I praised, which only seemed to entice the young minotaur demihuman.

"Wait until we’re inside!" he chuckled. "You will be shocked."

I didn’t think the inside would shock me, but I was fairly sure it would impress me. Heck, I was already impressed as it is.