The shadow hovered slightly above Wara. It did nothing but hover about her, as if it was watching her.
Its form flickered slightly when it sensed Nak stir. Its head snapping to where he laid.
Nak shot up immediately and glanced towards where Wara lay asleep. He had felt it, he knew. She had definitely visited here.
The fire had just died, wisps of smoke trailing up to greet the sun as it rose over the horizon. He had no idea what had transpired the night before as he had been knocked into a deep sleep after using magic to stimulate himself for so long.
"You are awake." He heard Sica's voice beside him and hummed in response. "She may not agree to this but you will have to watch over the child today."
She may not agree to what? Nak thought to himself. Who is she?
"Ah. I remember you were not concious to have witnessed what transpired yesternight." Sica noted with a dull look. He was still exhausted after helping Yhra the night before. "Wara and I will be visiting the human village closeby."
Nak frowned. What had happened while he was asleep. "What happened last night?" He asked, pondering on why Sica would be risking another visit to that village.
"Yhra or Fjammi will fill you in. Wara is awake so we must be going."
Nak turned to see Wara rinsing her mouth with water she drank out of a small water bag.
She gave Nak a look that suddenly reminded him of their deal and he sighed. She would protect them as long as the boy was safe.
He wondered whether she had known this would happen or she was just a careful person who had thought of the million possibilities.
There was only one problem with Wara which was a major problem Nak seemed to have noticed. Wara was trouble.
***
The pair had been walking in silence for about thirty minutes. Sica was not the talkative type but Wara had not uttered a single word and that itself was disturbing.
She just followed behind, her eyes clouded with a dark emotion in them. He paused and she stopped walking immediately. She gave a him a questioning look but all he could do was stare into her eyes. They seemed to be swirling violently like a storm, clearing depicting the internal turmoil she was having.
"Why have have you stopped?" She asked when he did not state his reason for his abrupt pause.
"We are here." He said, gesturing to the open air.
"Where?" She asked. She could not see anything except more of the forest.
"The veil that seperated the humans from the Dakijen. This is Dakijen territory. " he explained, hoping to get a reaction. He recieved one but it was not one he had expected.
"Veil? Is this perhaps a joke? There is nothing here." She strongly replied and to prove her point, walked forward.
Sica opened his mouth to protest and warn her of how bad of a mistake she was making but his words died in his throat when she walked a distance without being affected.
"What is it?" Wara asked after noticing the look he was giving her.
"You crossed the veil. Easily. Without sacrificing anything!" Sica had lost his compusure and his pitch had gone several octaves higher.
He blinked again and stared at the electrically charged veil which had no end or beginning. He could see Wara's silhouette from the veil though it was slightly distorted.
"What? Enough with the jokes." Wara snapped, having little patience since she needed to find out what was happening to Zola and find a cure right away.
She stomped forward and pulled Sica, ignoring his protests as they crossed the veil.
The man finally stopped struggling when he realised he was on the other side. He paused again and stared at Wara with a look of bewilderment. He opened his mouth to speak when something swift and sharp enough to cut through the air whizzed past him.
He groaned when he saw the object in Wara's palm and her staring at it with a look of fascination.
It suddenly vanished into thin air as she raised her hand and slowed down another one headed straight for Sica's head.
He turned to notice her stare at her hand confused and realised she probably had had no idea she had been capable of such feats.
Two more of those objects whizzed past them and since Wara was still fascinated by the events, he had to dodge them.
Wara picked one up without care of how they were flying about and asked "what are these?"
Sica frowned, pondering on where exactly Nak had seen Wara.
"Arrows." He finally answered but with venom in his voice. "And they are coming from the bandits that plagued this forest."
"Are they protectors of the forest?" This question was odd but there was a strange glint in her eyes. The storm had died and it was calm. Too calm. It reminded him of someone.
"No. They are not. They could be called diseases."
Immediately that statement left his lips, Wara suddenly Started yelling.
"Come out you cowards! Quit throwing your arrows and show your faces."
Sica forgot to tell Wara that bandits moved in large numbers so when about ten men popped out from the bushes, Wara was startled.
"What have we here?" One spoke, stroking his stubbled chin only to reveal a dirty grin. "A N*gr*ss trying to be brave."
There seemed to be a hidden degratory insult in his words which caused the men to chuckle. Sica shook his head in pity. If Wara was anything like her, then the calmness in her eyes only spelled certain doom for the bandits ridiculing her.
"What is a young lass like you doing in the forest with a thief?" The question seemed to turn Sica's back stiff as he had failed to recall his notorious reputation with the humans.
"I am not with him." Wara replied calmly. "I ventured out here to explore. I had thought that the woods were not that dangerous."
The men let out chuckles and the one with the stubble walked forward. "A bold one. I wonder why you are not marked and still have courage. Let me see how bold you can be by the time I am finished with you."
As he made a move to grab her, he looked into her eyes which was a fatal mistake on his part.
He suddenly began to choke on his own breath as Wara stared at him calmly. His face turned red then blue as his air supply had been cut off. He gasped and tried to breathe in but could not. Eventually he collapsed and did not get back up.
"You vile witch! What have to done to him?" A man with an axe screamed and he fell to his knees next.
Wara's eyes widened in shock as the men slowly fell to their knees and withered to ashes right in front of her.
She jumped slightly as bodies dropped from the trees and also withered.
Nak was having a different reaction as he stared at the dropping bodies quickly deteriorating. "She is here." He mumured, a large grin slowly occupying his features.
He seemed to snap out of his daze when Wara let out a startled cry because one of the bandits had grabbed onto her leg. Her leg was slowly withering but after a while, the wither started to cancel out and her leg healed.
"Let us quickly proceed to the village." Sica said after her leg had healed. " Yes."
The walk to the village did not take long and soon they arrived.
Wara noticed the strange looks people seemed to give her and how the avoided her. It was neither subtle nor pleasant.
Sica noticed it too and groaned internally.
Although they kept giving her strange looks and kept whispering inaudibly from time to time, no one approached her, making the whole ordeal slightly tolerable.
That was until they reached the witch doctor's house. A woman who had hung out garments to dry had made a crude comment and quite loudly too. It was extremely obvious she had not the intention of whispering or mincing her words.
"Hmph! What is that thing doing here? Why has he brought it here? Is he not afraid it would dirty the place."
At that moment, Wara stilled.