Elize POV:
"No problem, I'll take you to the city gate," He held my hand pulling me up. After carrying me to the gate they questioned me for a while before they let me out, giving me a few coins, a change of clothes, some bread and dried meat.
"Be careful out there," The black-haired guard who I learnt was Bill told me. I waved to him and stepped into the forest.
I pushed the large leaves away as I traversed the forest carefully. I snapped my head back, hearing some rustling; I ducked behind a tree and pulled my dagger out. I peeked my head out and crept closer to the rustling, using the trees as a cover. Once the rustling was in shooting range, I aimed to the sound's location and threw the dagger. A squeak rang, I jumped up and went to check the animal.
"Oh, just a rabbit," I picked the dead white rabbit up by the ears. "Guess I have lunch now and I can save the preserved food for later," I walked to a small clearing and peeled the rabbit skin off, lit a fire and started roasting the rabbit.
"Where should I head to look for that girl? Should I head to Falcosia?" I tapped my chin while contemplating. "That's such an obvious place though, where else would she be though? There's Muse? No, that's impossible, Aurora? Maybe." I sighed.
I ripped the rabbit off the stick it was roasting on and bit into the unseasoned meat. A thunderous boom shook the entire ground, the leaves of the trees gliding to the forest floor as the trees rattled. I glanced to the source of the explosive bang. A gigantic boar jumped from the trees directly knocking them to the ground with a piercing creak, a man followed close behind leaping from the trees and pushing off of the trunks as he dashed towards the boar. The rabbit meat in my mouth slipped from my mouth as I stared wide-eyed at the scene before me.
If it couldn't get crazier, the man raised his hand, and the boar followed floating into the air stopping his crazed movements. Not long after the boar came crashing back down to the ground in a cavity, and as if pressed by a force the boar continued sinking into the ground. I side-stepped, avoiding the rumble flung in my direction. The boar pressed into the ground struggled, wiggling its enormous body, but as time went on his struggle died down before it stopped entirely; he was dead, not a single drop of his blood being shed. How the hell did he die!?
I looked confused at the man dressed in flaming red clothes and long curly black hair. "Um, Sir?" I called uncertainly. He tilted his head back, revealing his face. I stood stunned, a blush washing over my face at his beauty. His yellow eyes glowed softly, his inky black pupils in a long slit. He was the most handsome person I had ever seen, which I haven't seen many handsome men, but of the ones I saw, he topped them all.
"Yes?" I shuddered to his deep, melodious voice holding zero warmth.
"May I ask for your name?" I asked, a blush still on my face.
"Isn't it polite to give your name first?" He turned away from me and pulled out a dagger, squatting down to skin the boar.
"Oh right! My name is Elize,"
"Alphar,"
"Alphar? That's a wonderful name,"
He turned back to me, his face instantly brightening, a smile spreading across his face and his pupils turning into small circles. "Yes! My friend gave me that name,"
"Your friend? Don't you mean your parents?"
"No, my friend," He corrected. I gave an understanding nod. Was he an orphan also?
"Where is your friend now?" I came up close to him, leaning down as I asked him. He went silent and pursed his plump pink lips.
".... She left," He stared at the ground, ceasing all his movements.
"Oh, I'm sorry for asking,"
"It's fine," He resumed his movements, his joyous expression nowhere to be found. Tension hung in the air, only the sounds of slicing flesh reverberated in the choking air. He sighed and spoke trying to lift the tense atmosphere "What brings you to the forest?"
"I'm looking for someone..." I paused, and gulped, "Someone who murdered my family," Alphar looked up to me, pity in his eyes. "You don't need to pity me, I plan to avenge my family,"
"What will you do after that?"
"I don't know," I looked up at the trees, closing my eyes, enjoying the wind blowing through my short hair.
"Do you know where this person is?" I shook my head.
"I wanna check Falcosia, but at the same time I don't know if I'll be able to beat this person when I meet them, I'm still so weak," A small giggle erupted from the man beside me. I looked down at him questionably.
"My friend also claimed she was weak, yet she...." He trailed off.
"She?"
"Nothing. If you don't think you will be strong enough, why don't you just get stronger,"
"It's not that simple, I don't know just how strong they are, what if they can use magic?"
"How about this, you can come back with me and after you train a bit, you can search for them," He stood up dusting off his clothes and suggested.
"Are you sure?" I asked to make sure. He nodded and picked up pieces of the meat, wrapping them in large leaves and placing them in a sack slung over his shoulder. He folded the hide of the boar and held it in his other arm, bloodying his clothes.
"It's this way," He walked in the direction he leapt from and soon we reached a huge clearing, a bright blue lake sparkling from the sun and churning from the water of a waterfall that crashed into it, foam forming at the base. I looked around, amazed by the beauty of the scenery.
"This place is gorgeous!" I ran up to him, a bright smile smeared on my face.
"Yes, I live behind the waterfall," He said and led me to a small passage leading behind the waterfall. A table was in the corner and two stone beds sat on opposite sides of the room with animal hide laid on top. "That bed was the one my friend used, you can use it now, I know it's crude, but it's the best you can get in the forest. I nodded in understanding.
"How long do you plan on staying here?"
"Maybe two months?" he nodded.
"Well, you can train, however you want,"
"Oh, well... I was hoping...." I trailed off with a red hue on my face, "That we could train with each other," He snapped his head back, meeting my gaze. I flinched, his icy piercing gaze cutting right through me.
He sighed, "Fine, but only once a week," my face lit up at his consent.
"Thank you!" I grabbed his hands in mine, staring at him happily. He froze and pushed me back.
"I see why she was so upset about it now," he whispered
"What did you say?" I leaned closer to hear.
"Nothing,"