I could not sleep as Kolya asked me to. I don't think I would risk my chance to get inside the VOID again even if I don't want to. And this sleep meant that I will be closing my eyes and let the darkness get to me.
Not a chance. Over my dead body before I can get inside the VOID again.
I got to know the lads—that's what Kolya, his real name was Nikolai Ivashkov—called them and they introduced themselves that dawn to me. I smiled as I tried to remember every one of them.
One with black and green eyes named Harold Davenport.
One with blonde and grey eyes was Robin Douglas.
One with brown and blue eyes called Jeremy Ortiz
One with auburn and green eyes was Logan Cavendish
Lastly, one with chestnut and hazel eyes was only called Ronny. No surname or given name. even Ronny was a nickname.
I nodded at them before they gave me some dinner to eat. I did not know why they were moving when the sun was up. Since Kolya thought I was a dumb lady, again I don't know what dumb means, he explained to me that we were in a forest.
That's what was these lovely things that stood alongside on my left and right was called. They were trees and they have green leaves with brown trunks. I never thought I would be greeted with such colors before.
The VOID only has one color, pitch black and I don't think I wanted to go back since I have known all of this. I was taking in the blue sky with the gentlest breeze against my skin. I was still wearing the borrowed clothes from Kolya and he thought that we should stop at a seamstress to get something for me later in the village.
"So," Kolya said after he explained everything to me, "What's your name?" he asked when I blinked at him.
Name, I never thought I could have a name before for everything in the VOID was just a shadow. A silhouette that stalked through the VOID without anything to distinguish us from each other.
Then, a breeze comes to me with the word Alvina.
"Alvina," I told him before Kolya was looking at me intensely with his grey-blue eyes. He nodded.
"Alvina," he tested on his mouth and for some reason, my heart skipped a beat with his mouth called to my name. I never felt like this in the VOID, mainly because we were not talking and right now, I think I would love to listen to Kolya call my name forever.
"Yes, and you're Nikolai," I said, not daring to call his nickname yet for we were not familiar with each other. Kolya smiled before he was saying the thing that I have been dreading to hear from his mouth.
"Please, you can call me Kolya,"
And isn't that the best thing that ever happened in my life?
*****
We were riding the horse for miles now and still, there was no sign that we might get out of the forest. I was riding Kolya's horse with him behind me and no one would stop him from riding with them. Though Logan did mention ruining my reputation.
Reputation, what does that even mean?
Later, we stopped by the creek as Kolya asked me if I was thirsty or not. I nodded at him before he gave me a canteen and I drank from it.
It was a relief for a moment before I was looking around the forest. It was too quiet but I don't think that I would be concerned with it. Not at first but then something was itching along my skin.
"Kolya," I asked for him when he was down at the creek, the others were with him. Only Ronny stayed with me at the horse.
"What's wrong?" he asked me before I felt something in a distance. It was an enormous feeling for I cannot speak for a moment. I was riding on its emotion before I saw that Kolya and the others were running from the creek.
"Take cover!" he shouted before he was mounting the horse and nudged him forward. I was holding to its neck before the mare neighed and we were running through the forest. Kolya was panting but I don't focus on that.
Instead, I was focusing on the attack that was coming for us.
"Left, turn left!"
"What?"
"Trust me!" I said as I was asking Kolya to go left. I was breathing hard before I was holding onto the horse's neck and we were running as fast as we could. The others noticed that we were going left and followed.
Please, please, please!
I sensed that the attack was not coming our way after we were settling in the open space as Kolya slowed the horse. I was breathing hard and I can sense that my legs were throbbing.
It was as if I was running for my dear life with them.
Kolya turned to look at his crew before everyone was breathing hard. Except for Logan, he was smirking as hell.
"I told you we could outrun it," he said before Harold scowled at him.
"You fool! If you did not touch it, we don't have to run away from it anyway. Sometimes, I wish that you would not be so bold for your own sake, Logan," he said before Logan laughed and Kolya sighed with relief.
"What did he do?" I asked him before grey-blue eyes were settling on my face. His hair was catching like and I was holding my breaths as I was taking in his scent, make sure to plant it in my memory if I have to go away from him.
Sweat and leather. My favorite.
"An alligator and I don't think I want to remind him again. If Logan wanted to touch it next time, I would not be there to save his sorry ass," Kolya said before he was focusing his eyes on me again.
"But how do you know where to go to avoid it?" he asked me before I shrugged.
"I don't know, must be lucky I guess,"
But I don't think it was that case. I can sense that the alligator was running like a rampage and it would be hard to maneuver its body to the left for his inertia was too great. But I don't tell Kolya that for I was sure that he would not understand.
Kolya arched his eyebrow at me before he clicked his tongue and nudged the horse forward. He was looking at the crew before he took something out of his pack. It was parchment paper before I was looking at it. It has symbols and lines but I don't understand it all.
Sensing that I was looking at it, Kolya let me take a look and he was telling me that we were off course from our original plan. He needed to use the sun to locate us on the map before we can make our move.
But, Jeremy was shouting at him as we looked up at him.
"I think we find our way out. I saw some smokes coming from the other side," he said cheerfully before we were moving to follow him. Kolya sighed and this time, it was a huge relief for, in a distance, we saw cobblestone buildings and smokes. I think we might have finally been at our final destination.
I think we have finally found Miofea.
*****
The villagers were running as our group led into the village. I was looking at some children as they were chasing after one another, mud was all over their faces but they sure were happy with it. There were wagons with stuff on them as the merchants were calling out for customers to buy their products.
"Well, this is something to be proud of," Harold said before he was laughing with his friends. I was scanning the faces of the villagers as they were shocked to see the 6 mortals on horses with a lady between them. Kolya asked them to find the inn for the night as we will venture out to get some new garments for me.
"Don't be too long," Logan smirked before I was tilting my head, not knowing what he was implying. Kolya nudged the horse in the direction of a store. He dismounted and tied the rein of the horse to the post before he was holding my waist and got me off the mare.
"Let's get you something appropriate now," he said before we were getting inside the store that showcased a different set of clothing that I was sure Kolya would insist me to wear later on.
But I did not tell him that I was comfortable enough in his garments but that would be improper as Logan told us that it would ruin my reputation.
Then again, do I know anything about reputation?