The dim surroundings of the forest turned dimmer, and large black energy clouds flashed past in all directions. Uncle Yaoi and Artreya instantly put up their energy shields, rushing towards Rihanna.
But before either of them could reach her, Rihanna's body shuddered violently, then toppled towards the ground in a motionless pile. Uncle Yaoi reached her first, and increased his shield to pull in the defenseless body into his protection.
Sensing the danger, Apu flew towards the group, hovering over the unconscious body to check on Rihanna.
'Can you check on her? What happened?'
'The souls of the forest have attacked. They will not attack directly, but simply absorb the essence of the living beings. She must have been drained off due to the fight. Her body and mind was taken a massive hit and succumbed to this sudden attack on her vital essence.'
Artreya was the only one who could see Apu, since both were contracted to the same person. Uncle Yaoi was still checking for signs of problems on Rihanna's body. Artreya stood to the side, discussing with Apu.
'So.....can you help her? How can we bring her back?'
'I do not have healing powers. Hmmm....at most I can secure her body inside a defense layer so she will not be affected by any other external attack. However I do not know how to bring her back. She will have to figure that out herself. Or perhaps we'll need to find out another way.'
'Is she just unconscious...or is there a deeper affect of the soul attack?'
'.....I don't know. I can still feel that she is there....but I am not able to connect to her in any way. Perhaps her soul has received a shock due to the attack and gone into hibernation. She'll find her way back once she recovers from the shock.'
"Her body seems to be fine, only her energy is completely drained off."
Completing his observation, Uncle Yaoi turned to Artreya.
'Tell him to give her energy supplements and let her body recuperate. Perhaps once the body has recovered fully, her soul will find it easier to reconnect back.'
Following Apu's instructions, Artreya guided Uncle Yaoi. Rihanna's energy was fully depleted, making her completely susceptible to all kinds of attacks. They gave her a few replenishing pills, before Apu wrapped her up in a golden-silver energy cocoon. Uncle Yaoi picked up the unconscious Rihanna, and all of them rushed back to the Main Group.
Many of the smaller teams had ventured out into the surroundings of the path for medicinal plants and herbs growing in abundance. And the lone souls had taken advantage of these scattered teams.
By the time Uncle Yaoi and Artreya returned to the main group, many smaller teams who had ventured too far, were rushing back. Many of them sported small and large wounds. Some of them were even heavily wounded. A few were unconscious or even dead.
In such a mass scenario, no one paid attention to the small team of three who quietly joined the main group at the back. Moreover, Rihanna was a commoner in their eyes. It was already a blessing that she had not died outright in this sudden attack. Perhaps the souls too weren't keen on the energy-less bodies of the commoners. That she was only unconscious and not dead was indeed a blessing.
The main group had already clarified at the very beginning that they would not e responsible for their life and death. Thus the teams which returned did not make much chaos, silently rejoining the main group. Those who had died, were burned and buried at the sides of the road. Those who were unconscious, were treated along with the wounded, then tied to their riding beasts, and everyone continued to move forward.
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Rihanna opened her eyes, then stared mindlessly at the dim green light of her surroundings. Her mind felt slightly blank, and she couldn't remember what had happened and where she was at the moment.
Taking a long, deep breath, she tried flexing her fingers and then her limbs. There was no pain and nothing seemed to be broken.....wait....why would she suspect she had broken bones? What exactly had happened before she opened her eyes?....And, where was she?!
Rihanna turned her head in all directions, surprised to see the familiar dark forest she had often visited in her dreams. Slowly sitting up, she stared all around still feeling confused. Well, one thing was certain...she was either unconscious or in very deep sleep. That was the only way she ever ended up in this strange place every time.
Sensing that nothing seemed out of order with her body, she got up to her feet, and started walking down the now very familiar path, moving towards the black river at the end of this path.
Somehow, this path brought her to a slightly different location that her previous dream-visits. Instead of leading directly to the white-sand beach. After breaking out of the forest, and crossing the line of yellow flowers separating the beach from the forest, she saw small clusters of trees scattered through the half-sand half-yellow earth spreading before her. At a further distance, the earth slowly disappeared underneath the thick layers of gravely, white sand, turning into the very familiar beach.
Rihanna looked around with interest. It seemed that even her dream could expand and re-create its surroundings! This was a very innovative and create dream!!
The gentle breeze rustled through the broad leaves on these clusters of trees growing randomly around the beach. Unlike the tall and thick trees of the forest, these trees were shorter, had very broad leaves, a dark, almost blackish-brown trunk, and blackish-white roots could be seen peeping through the ground at places. The leaves were as broad as banana leaves, but were much more thicker and had a fine layer of spines on them, making them very prickly to the touch.
A few large and small boulders were scattered around, making them comfortable seats underneath the soft shade of the trees. Enjoying the cool breeze, Rihanna first sat down on a boulder, then got up and climbed the boulder to stand on top of it.
Hmmm....this position was perfect. At this height she could just see the black waters of the lake and those tiny creatures floating in the air around the lake. They seemed to have sensed her, and some of them disappeared beneath the lake waters. Rihanna blinked in surprise. Some how she felt the dream was a bit different this time, but she couldn't point figure out exactly what was different.
A huge force broke through her reverie, rushing towards her threateningly. Sensing the danger, she instinctively tried to move, yet her body seemed to refuse her intentions, barely moving towards the right as the huge force slashed past her left side.
Rihanna blinked in surprise. She was more startled at the fact that she could not control her body than by the sudden attack. Looking down she noticed she had once more subverted to her original form....her earth form.
Turning her head, she looked around to search for what had attacked her.
A few meters ahead, an arrow as large as a spear had gone through two trees before embedding itself deep into the third tree. The cold metal of the arrow glimmered in the streaks of lightening circling around it. Rihanna blinked in surprise, wondering what would remain of her if that arrow had indeed gone through her instead of the tree!
Strangely, she didn't feel scared. Looking at the power of the arrow and the force with which it had come towards her, the person behind it surely had exceptional control. If they had wanted to kill her, there was no way she could have survived....especially in this form.
She looked down at herself again. Not only had she changed back to her earth form....she couldn't sense even a thread of energy within her body!
Before Rihanna could think any more, her body again moved on its own, turning towards the back. She felt a sense of crisis at this inability to control her own body, but decided on focusing on what her body....or rather the dream, was trying to show her.
She looked around for a while before making out a faint trace of a person hidden within the shadows of the forest. Instead of feeling scared or suspicious or anxious, all she could make out was the curiosity and excitement bubbling within her mind.
Why was all of this seemingly so familiar? A sense of déjà vu was confusing her senses, making her wonder where she had seen this before.
Was it possible to relive the same dream again? Was she actually remembering a dream she had had once before? Was this like the memory of a dream, and hence she was having this sense of déjà vu? Was it even possible to relive a memory of a dream?!
With all the confusions and questions filling up her mind, she stared at the dark, motionless shadow still hidden within the forest. Both of them seemed to be staring at each other, trying to figure out the other. Unlike her curiosity and excitement, the other seemed way more cautious and suspicious. A dim light flickered in the pair of glinting eyes as they glared at her through the darkness.
Rihanna was feeling even more excited and curious. That pair of eyes was glinting in the dark....like the eyes of an animal! But what kind of a beast could shoot arrows?! Even in this world, she had never seen any beast fighting with weapons. They used their elemental powers in a much more raw and crude form.
The staring contest continued for a long time. Finally the shadow gave in first. Probably not sensing any danger or ill-intention from Rihanna, the shadow moved, slowly walking towards her. As the darkness of the forest surrounding the figure gradually dispersed, and the dim light of the beach fell on the body, Rihanna gasped lightly, inhaling deeply in surprise.
Was this a man or a beast? And what was this chaos growing within her heart and mind?! This sense of familiarity, the strong desire to run towards this man, wanting to hold him in her embrace.....what were these strong emotions churning inside her?!