Blinking several times, Mya still couldn't figure out why she had just been thrown out of the forest. She let out a huff of annoyance as she got to her feet and dusted herself off.
As she slipped closer to the sounds, she realized that Lothar had not only thrown her out, but she was in a completely different region.
It wasn't like a town but more like a city, and she could see a few wings and tails here and there, she was obviously in a Supernatural city.
Looking around, she carefully climbed the tree closest to her, ignoring the stinging in her joints.
Sitting on a sturdy branch, she decided to observe before going in. The first time she went into a supernatural town she had ended up in trouble and she did not need to go through that again.
From where she sat, she could see most of the city's buildings. She had figured out that she was in a park at the centre of the city.
There was a pain in her gut, she clenched her hand against her stomach, licking her dry lips she leaned her head against the trunk.
Her mind drifted back to the previous events, she could still smell the burning flesh, and she remembered the silver eyed girl, the memory of her final state made her dizzy with guilt.
It didn't make sense to her, she didn't know the girl, yet here she was, unable to get her off her mind. She bit her lip, holding back a groan and blinked hard, trying to see through her blurring gaze.
She could hear the shuffling of squirrels nearby, and the tranquil sounds of nature, just as well as she could hear the bustling of the city.
It all served as a reminder that she was here, and others weren't, not her mother, not her abusers, not the person who had suffered with her.
She didn't feel the relief that came with destroying those that hurt her, she instead felt the guilt of destroying an innocent, it didn't matter if the girl wasn't.
To Maaike, the silver eyed girl was a victim, just like her, one who had suffered for so long that her eyes didn't hold even a sliver of hope. She was someone she could've saved, she wasn't sure, she let out a shaky breath.
The world went on, and she remained there, seated on a tree wallowing in hunger, pain, and guilt. In her silence, she didn't notice the auburn-haired man approaching the tree she was on.
He had on a black hooded robe with golden embroidery and a brooch shaped into an eye.
While following the directions on the compass he held, he soon noticed the breath of life above him. His eyes flashed red as he glanced up at her before returning to their hazel colour, he then looked away as his compass began to spin out of control.
He swept his gaze across the area before pricking his finger on the sharp edge of his compass, dripping a drop of his on the arrow, he muttered a spell, letting out a silver-grey light from his fingertips.
The light spread across the air like a wisp of smoke, gradually scattering and clouding the area like a fog. There was a sudden suction, pulling in the mists and the corner of his reddened lips tipped up slightly, he flicked something right in the middle of the suction which let out a flash of light and returned stable.
He waved his hand slightly causing the mists to vanish, then looked up at a still oblivious Maaike.
Maaike's body, weakened by hunger and stress began to tip off the tree, she lost balance and fell off. Landing on her back, she groaned out and place the back of her hand over her eyes.
There was a crunch of leaves coming from beside her and she propped herself up on her elbows, looking up at the man above her. He smirked as he stared down at her, she grumbled incoherently before getting off the ground.
"Who are you?" he stood there, still smirking, Mya frowned and began to walk away from him. "Pfft…ha." He placed his fist against his lips, muffling the laughter that threatened to burst forth.
Maaike spun back to look at him, and her hair flew into her face slapping her hard and stinging her eyes. Letting out a yelp, she pushed her hair out of her face, ignoring the now boisterously laughing guy.
He followed her snickering, prompting her to stomp her feet, "You sadistic bas…" She tripped on a tree root that wasn't there before.
Turning slowly to shoot him a death glare, her face twitching, she took in a deep breath mentally counting backward. He raised his hands in surrender and walked around her, then discreetly flicked his finger directing a tree branch to swoop toward her.
Sensing the incoming danger, Mya hopped out of range, her eyes widening "You're a mage!" "No! I'm a warlock." He stated and continued walking, feeling a bit surprised at what she managed.
Mya snorted and split off from the direction he was walking, until she approached a small restaurant. After checking to see if the open sign was displayed beside the door, she slipped into the building.
Walking over to the cashier's desk, she looked over the menu, there were only the typical New Orleans dishes.
"Excuse me, are there any banks nearby?" she asked, she wasn't sure if things would work out without any documents to prove her identity, but she had to try.
Following the directions she had received, she soon arrived at a bank, and ignoring the attention she was attracting, she walked over to the receptionist. "Hello! Welcome to the CSA bank, how may I help you?" she smiled.
Lowering her voice, Mya mumbled embarrassed, "Can I enquire about making withdrawals? I think I need to talk with a financial advisor." The clerk nodded and excused herself to make a phone call.
Maaike was ushered into an office, and after a long discussion, she got herself a new credit card and left the place relieved.
On her way out, she ran into the receptionist who smiled brightly at her, "Do you want to grab a coffee with me?" Mya glanced around before realizing who she was talking to her.
"Uhm…I'm sorry, but I want to find a place to stay and…" stopping her rambling, she pursed her lips blushing. The receptionist held out her hand, "I'm Alyssa! It's nice to meet you."
Wiping her sweaty palm on her coat, Maaike took her hand, "Maaike… Yeah just Maaike."
She nodded mutely, still beaming, "Could you... maybe show me around? I don't know where to find a store…I got here today." Alyssa was silently lost in thought, as she stared at Mya.
Coming out of her reverie, she turned and began to run, pulling Maaike behind her. She let out a bubble of laughter, excited, her mind ran in circles filled with ideas on outfits to make her try on.
Shopping with someone so pretty, she couldn't wait to make her try on many outfits. Mya felt a shiver run down her spine, she seemed to sense the impending doom that came with bringing Alyssa along while shopping.
In the haze of Alyssa's excitement, Mya found herself in her home and taking a bath. She couldn't help but freeze at the feeling of her hair being touched, it felt like the pub all over again.
Taking a moment to calm her mind, she carefully cleaned her body, avoiding her nearly healed wounds. As soon as she was done, she gently pulled her hair away from Alyssa's grasp and carefully washed it, avoiding her pouting gaze.
After getting out, she towel-dried her hair and went to put on the borrowed coat, "Nope! Not at all! Not on my watch Maaike!" Alyssa grabbed the coat and shoved some clothes and underwear into her hands.
Feeling conflicted, Maaike bit her lip, "Could you keep that safe for me? It means a lot to me." Nodding surprised, Alyssa turned away to hide her flushed cheeks, she had forgotten that they were still strangers and had already started making decisions without consent.
Sitting on her couch, she waited patiently for Mya to finish, and when she came out Alyssa's grin was so wide that her face hurt. "Oh My Gosh! You're so pretty, that baby pink and your skin tone are doing wonders together."
Hurrying over to her and fixing the babydoll style dress, "Wow! Your skin is such a pretty olive tone, I can never get mine to look this good no matter what tanning techniques I try." Mya dropped her head, letting her hair fall over her flushed cheeks.
"Aww…You're so adorable, like a little kid." Her head shot up and her nose wrinkled slightly at the statement. Deciding that she might go too far too soon, Alyssa ushered Mya out the door and they headed toward a nearby store.