Frides, was a tall skinny teenage boy with short straight hair combed over to the right with a few strands of hair falling in front of his face.
"He's not swimming in the lake, working out, or playing with the animals. He never veers from his regular routine and so far always goes out on a warm, clear day like today. Where could he be?"
So deep into his thoughts he hadn't noticed Criselda heading his way.
"Hello." She greeted him when their eyes meet.
"Ho, hello. " He fumbled his words. He contained his surprise and upheld his composure. Never did he expect to be blindsided by Nero's mother.
Criselda looked him up and down.
"Have you seen a boy around your age, wandering around?" She continued to size him up. "How old is this boy?" She thought, not sure why but his face was clearly very stern and his eyes seemed to be too wise for how young he looked. She could also see the mental exhaustion in his face that comes from from mourning.
"No you're the first person I've seen since entering the forest." He replied with a courteous lie and attempted to keep walking and quickly end the conversation.
"Never seen you before." She exclaimed in a high pitch. She walked up beside him imposing her company on him. "Who are you?" She boldly requested after he didn't respond to her other question.
"No one special. My name is Russo. Just traveling from Opryke to Shanou Port. My family fell victim to plague and didn't want me to get infected so they are sending me to stay with relatives down in the port." He lied again hoping to shake her off quickly. Now that he'd been in contact with her, he had to complete his mission swiftly.
"Opryke is in the south so your traveling north? Hah." She corrects him.
"Haha you're right. I don't really know north from south all that well." The moment the words left his lips, Frides felt a chill come over his body, like none he had ever endured. The fact that she lived seemingly alone with Nero in this dangerous forest was enough to cause concern. Her presence in that moment exceeded what he had expected from her given that information. He had been trained to keep his composure and trust his instincts especially fear and that particular instinct told him to flee. His gut told him to run away as fast as he could and get as far away from her as possible. A feeling like none of his deceptions so far had worked, and the more he talked the more transparent he would become.
"Well that sounds tragic. Would you like to stop by my home for some food and water, maybe a bath? You've travelled so far, surely you could use some rest." He could feel the edge in the air. The hair on his neck rose to full alert.
"No thank you, I already sent word to my family that I am on my way. I'd hate for them to worry." He struggled to maintain eye contact while not noticing that he had stopped in his tracks. The intensity he felt had somehow allowed Criselda to imperceptibly cut him off while talking to him. While staring into his eyes she mesmerized him with her gaze. She was luring him to his death.
"Very responsible. I understand. If you see that boy, tell him I'm looking for him and he left his dishes on the table. And that this is the last time. And when I see him I'm going to tear his hands off. No his arms off if he doesn't want to accept all of the responsibilities of a grown adult. There will be losses and consequences and he obviously doesn't deserve those arms of his."
Frightening.
"Could you tell him that for me, Russo?" She changed her frown instantly to a glimmering grin.
Frides was frightened by her anger and shaken by her fake smile. He was a little confused and doubted he would deliver that message, due to the genuine empathy that he now had for Nero.
"Dishes on the table?" He repeated.
"Please?" She smiled again cocking her head to the side.
"Sure...if I see him. I'll be on my way now if that's fine. I am in a hurry." He replied seeing that he must answer.
"Thank you. Please don't let me keep you Opryke boy. " She stepped out of his way. Criselda turned around and continued on her way in the opposite direction past Frides.
Frides couldn't shake the upsetting feeling that he had. He just couldn't shake the eerie feeling that his cover had just been blown. "If I wasn't distracted, I would have already completed this mission." He berates himself.
He obsessed thinking that the woman is going to get in the way of his mission, now that she's seen him. Even if she did seem genuine, there must be no witnesses. He berated himself again for his carelessness, now unable to shake the feeling of regret. He had hoped this mission would allow him to become his old self. It seemed that his new found trepidation was making him unfit to continue this line of work. Maybe he needed more time than he was given to process the recent events. Were they that recent? He didn't know how long was a normal amount of time.
His expression had changed and for the first time since he'd entered the forest his eyes reflected the act he was to carry out. His eyes sunk and he had detached himself from his feelings. Instead he had attached himself to what needed to happen. He curved around the bend and was no longer in the sights of Criselda. As nimble as the wind, he bound his way into the tree and nestled himself behind the coverage of the leaves, barely rustling them. Frides activated his glow creating a purple transparent bow and arrow out of thin air. He searched for Criselda but couldn't spot her. He released and the bow and arrow disappeared.
"She was supposed to come from around that tree." He muddled to himself out loud. A sense of urgency came over him as he found himself in a place where he may fail a mission for the first time.
Then he hears a loud cry from an obviously large animal.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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