He clicked his tongue.
"This is bad! I'm already losing my grip."
Dragging both of his feet, the boy said ruggedly with overuse exhales.
He hardly grips the sword he is holding as if his life depends on it.
He gulped trying to swallow whatever was left in his mouth trying to squeeze enough liquid into his body.
While he is running for his life, he's being chased by a swarm of eight-legged creatures. Dragging his feet onwards is what keeps him alive.
Suddenly, rustling sounds from above disturb his heavy breathing.
"Damn you, trees. Distracting me like that!"
He knows cursing at some random object won't make his current predicament any easier but still, he did.
Everywhere his eyes see looks dim.
No wonder he couldn't see very well but that didn't mean he can't see at all.
In fact, those eyes of his were adapted to the place, no, to the world he lived in.
It's the world where there's no sun nor moons and stars. Those things weren't meant to exist.
This is reality.
Rationally looking at things carefully, indeed, humans wouldn't survive long, not in this kind of environment but somehow humans adapted and exist alongside other different races.
"I messed up! I messed up! I messed up! I freaking really messed up big time this time!"
He lamented over and over again as he saw the glowing stone on his bracelet begin to fade in color.
Lumiere stones.
These are special glowing stones engraved with magical runes that primarily enhance the wearer's eyes to cope with darkness.
Adapted to his surroundings, he look around him and saw trees all over the place.
The trees around are with different thicknesses and variations that can be measured ten meters tall above him so he had to check if there is someone secretly lurking behind those trees.
It may be an enemy or something and if not, he still ought to know just in case. There's no telling when will a surprise attack may happen.
The air is wet and cold, showing signs of fresh vegetation and a clean environment. However, that didn't mean he could rest easy in this forest.
His eyes exhibit every bit of caution.
Every step he made is like a mad dog guarding his meal during eating. Not that it was time for eating though. If there's something he had to guard, it would be his kindling life.
Occasionally, he would lean beside a tree for a minute and then proceed walking briskly yet painfully.
While limping his left foot, he strives for every little step he can get so that he can outrun his pursuers.
Who?
He looked back and saw them crawling through their creepy limbs. The sounds of their creepy footfalls felt like a thousand echoing water drops ringing in his ears.
They were hairy and black in color with eyes glued to him dyed in blue.
With their eight limbs that closely measured a meter and a half, they stroke the unpaved path almost effortless that they look seemingly gliding within the area of intertwining roots and debris with ease.
"Talk about being creepy..."
He commented.
Dark Creepers, it's the name officially given to those creatures. Simply put, they looked just like a normal spider. However, they're way much bigger and sturdier.
They're like a little hundred meters away from him as he goes through the dark forest alone.
His breathing is ragged. His wounds are opening. He can hardly move his left foot but if he forces it, he can manage.
What did he do for things to come into this? He had a sword at his hand. Why is he running? Can't he fight them back?
The answers should be obvious but it wasn't the conclusion he wanted to face.
He himself didn't want to admit that he still isn't up for the task. He's still green for these things.
However, even if he wanted to fight them back it was already too late. He can't fight let alone defend himself, not in those wounds he already has.
From the looks of it, he is some sort of guy training in the way of the sword, a warrior.
"I must make it outside of the forest at least. They should stop chasing me when I get there." He said as he tries to lift his spirit.
His ruby eyes glare at the path he is taking.
From time to time, his dark maroon messy hair would hinder his sight but he would either flick his head or use his exhale to blow it away.
Perhaps a wise choice, given the fact that he is being chased. There's no time fixing hairs. Even his enemies knew what time it is.
It's kill or be killed.
His face is covered with scratches here and there which is caused by his seemingly endless struggle fleeing from them.
Despite his despairing look of his, he's properly equipped with a leathered armor set. Though it may have been looking worn out and torn apart, he's properly wearing his blood-stained leathered armor.
…Am I not there yet?
Constantly he would say that in his mind and look back to check his pursuers. It would be bad if he notices the incoming attack late. That would be lethal.
Maybe it's a good thing he was in the forest, he thought.
If he weren't, it would be impossible to dodge all incoming onslaughts from the number of enemies around. There are trees around and he can hide when it comes down to it.
If only he weren't injured, he can easily climb a tree fast enough without them noticing.
"I wonder if spiders have noses."
"Wait, dumbass. Of course, they have! Or they do even have a sense of smell? I don't really know."
He paused for a moment.
"Well, if they had, no, wait, I guess they shouldn't have. That's unfair, at least for me. I wish they haven't."
Despite laughing it aside, he's quite gotten himself into a predicament.
While grimacing in pain, he clenched his teeth. With a few cuts and wounds from all over his body, he treads the ground, not that the ground was well paved though.
It made it hard for him to walk. Usually, he should be able to tread this path very easily, even running.
Now and then he would trip over debris or some kind of tree root. Despite that, he would stand up and continue to walk.
"It's been roughly ten hours since I got out. I guess the effects of the curse are showing"
He said looking at the stone stuck on his armguard.
He hides himself resting beneath the large roots of the biggest tree he found. Without even resting his cautiousness, he tilts his head around to see if there is a suspicious silhouette.
He can't afford to give in to mistakes now.
As he finally sat, he let out a big sigh then looked skyward. His ruby eyes are beginning to fade in color.
Myrk.
It's what the historians of Darkheim call it. It's the sickness of the world.
Once a human goes out beyond the protection of the borders of the village, the dark land's curse will magnify their effect.
However, most humans were trained to sustain themselves within these dark lands but that didn't mean they are already safe. No matter how long can anyone sustain themselves, there has to be a limit.
Barely below that limit will make your eyes go pale, became forgetful, hindering someone's hearing, on and off numbness, and many other things. They depend on people's resistance and the amount of time they spent after all.
But passing that limit will expose you to a whole other and more severe symptoms of the curse that will make someone blind, unable to feel, deafness, and many other things.
Although the symptoms aren't that deadly, small changes can play big differences when you're at your wit's end. Just like what he's in right now.
"Crap! I'm feeling it in my skin. My blood's throbbing. No, no, no, is it just me, or I'm actually hearing it? My heart's pumping like heck."
He didn't even need to check through his palms. The throbbing was indeed that loud. He wants to rest but his mind is telling him he shouldn't. He can't just yet.
...Not yet,
...But,
…Just for a bit.
Resisting fatigue has its limit. Talkin about limits, he must've gone beyond them already.
This is what means to go outside. Exhaustion takes twice the effect so inexperienced guys like him won't do well here.
He finally shut his eyes to rest.
"Faya let me out…."
A voice echoed directly at his ears. He felt the words like the wind itself damping his ears. It's as if there is someone there with him speaking through his ears.
His eyes were forced open.
He gasped loudly then immediately places his right hand on his chest. And as if grabbing it, he catches his breathing. His constant exhales are in a hurry as if he's being chased by a nightmare.
The voice is strange. It's like a voice of a child with a thousand different pitches speaking at the same time.
"Who am I?"
He said to himself as if upholding his existence. His breath became heavy before reaching a conclusion then a thought came to him.
"I am Faya."
"Faya of Enuma. I am the student of the Weapon Meister, Master Rokusai." To his relief, he clenched his fist.
Looks like is he is still what he thought he is.
He struck his sword onto the ground and checks his arms. On each of his arms has one tiny glistening stone with special runes engraved into them.
"Looks like these guys are still working." His relief can be seen from his eyebrows.
If only they were high-graded Lumiere stones, he wouldn't be in much of a problem. High-graded stones work in wonders after all.
"Look's like the voice is gone..."
"Why am I here again?" He breathes heavily yet again before answering his question to himself. His eyes turn to the sword struck on the ground.
"I took a gathering job from the quest board… to go to the Weeping Forest and bring at least five black exquisite eggs from an elusive bird called Night Parrot." He paused then sighed.
"Perhaps it was just an excuse." Despite that pitiful situation, he managed to crack a smile or more like a smirk to himself.
"Who freaking wants to do these kinds of stuff? I mean, other kids around my age are out there discovering unexplored lands, finding relics, and experiencing exciting adventures while here I am, picking up eggs, doing odd jobs, and finding lost pets."
He heaved a deep sigh.
"If only that girl didn't steal my one and only ticket to participate in the exam, I should be the one training with Master Rokusai and being called the Weapon Meister's Apprentice."
"I mean, how cool is that?"
He gestured his hands trying to prove a point as he continued talking. Talking? Talking to who? His sword perhaps?
"This is lame..." He rummages through his backpack only to find the quest items crushed.
"If only those freaking creepers didn't gang up on me, I would be fine."
It was time to check up on them so he did. Fortunately, they still didn't know where he is.
"Another excuse, huh?" He said while heaving yet another sigh.
"I get it. I got carried away and conceited. Along the way, I spotted a Spearbeak and thought I was lucky."
"Yeah, I'm trying to hunt one of those but failed along the way. Long before actually capturing a Spearbeak I was caught off guard and alerted the nearby camp of creepers which leads to this mess I have right now."
Hence, his ten-hour fleeing battle with them.
"I guess trying this quest and forcing a detour when I'm still new to the area is backfiring. I thought it would go well considering that I'm pretty much used to fighting spiders near the village. Is that it? Deeper and farther sections are more dangerous? Well, I've been repeatedly warned, and yet I still…
...No, my luck must've run out when I failed to notice my warding incest running out.
Both his palms hit his forehead as he said this in his mind.
"I should've noticed it sooner. During that sudden attack, I should've immediately fled. But then again, the target is right in front of me. I panicked and it got away as a result. I mean, who would stay sane and composed?!"
"No, although panicking can't be controlled, right decisions still must be made. It's just that I made the wrong choice at that time and it gets worst from there that led me here. My other things would still be with me if I weren't that stupid. Being inexperienced truly is haunting me."
"I thought the Dark Creepers were manageable though. They're just small after all."
"Faya, don't be conceited. I know you're in trouble. How about letting me out for a second…"
That creepy voice of a child speaking with a thousand other pitches once again spoke.
"Shut up!" He interjected as if it were from a person. It looks like he's hearing this voice for quite a while to the point it became quite a habit of him to respond to it.
He doesn't know if it really is from a person or not or maybe it's just an effect of the curse from the land. His consciousness and the voice are intertwining so it made him difficult to discern it.
"Naïve, aren't we? You'll be mine inevitably. Time will come you will give in…."
The mysterious voice said as if it were smiling.
Soon the voice never again resounded. It didn't take a moment for another sound to take over.
Creepy raining footsteps start to increase in number.
They're here.
"Look's like it's time to unleash my ultimate move."