I quickly grabbed a moonflower and put it in my bag. I knew I had to get out of there as soon as possible. The elves were closing in on me, and they looked furious. They shouted insults and threats at me, calling me a thief, a demon, and a monster.
I had no time to waste. I drew my bow and loaded it with a fire arrow. I aimed at the nearest elf and let it fly. The arrow hit him in the chest, and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. The fire arrow was one of my special skills. It was a fire red arrow that ignited on impact, causing severe burns and damage.
The other elves were shocked and enraged by my attack. They fired their own arrows at me, but I dodged them with ease. I was faster and more agile than them, thanks to my demon blood. I ran towards the river, hoping to find a way to cross it and escape.
As I ran, I fired more fire arrows at the elves, trying to slow them down and create some distance. I hit two more of them, and they collapsed in agony. The rest of them were more cautious and careful, but they did not give up. They followed me, determined to catch me and make me pay.
I reached the river, and I looked for a bridge or a boat. But there was none. The river was wide and deep, and the current was strong. I could not swim across it, and I could not fly either. I was trapped.
I turned around and saw the elves approaching me. They had me cornered. They formed a semicircle around me, blocking my escape. They had smug and cruel smiles on their faces. They knew they had me.
"Give up, demon," one of them said. "You have nowhere to run. You have stolen our sacred moonflower, and you have killed our comrades. You will pay for your crimes with your life." During the chase, my disguise magic must have dispersed, revealing my red eyes and fangs.
"Never," I said, defiantly. "I need the moonflower for a potion. It's a matter of life and death. And I did not kill anyone. I only defended myself. You attacked me first."
"Lies," another elf said. "You are a liar and a murderer. You have no right to use the moonflower. It belongs to us, the elves. We are the guardians of nature and magic. You are a demon, a spawn of evil and chaos. You are an abomination that should be wiped out."
"Enough talk," a third elf said. "Let's finish her off. She has caused enough trouble. Shoot her down."
They raised their bows and aimed at me. They clearly leave me no choice.
I made a lot of red fire arrows appear and shot them at the elves. They exploded in flames and smoke, sending them flying in different directions. Some of them fell into the river, others crashed into the trees. I heard their screams and curses, but I did not care. I had to get away from them.
I ran along the riverbank, looking for a safe place to hide. I hoped they would not follow me, or that they would lose my trail. I did not want to fight them anymore. I just wanted to save myself.
As I ran, I felt a sharp pain in my belly. I looked down and saw blood soaking through my shirt. I remembered that while I was fighting my wound had reopened before I knocked the elves out with a fire arrows. I had ignored the wound, thinking it was not serious.
I needed to find some medicinal herbs or plants. I just use my new skill to heal. I had the moonflower, but that was not enough. I needed one other ingredients, and I needed it fast and I had to get to the witch.
As I ran, I saw something in the water. It was a girl, about my age, struggling to stay afloat. She was wearing a green dress and had long purple hair. She looked like an elf, but she did not have a bow or a quiver. She was drowning.
I hesitated for a moment. Should I help her, or leave her to her fate? She was an enemy, after all. She might betray me, or attack me, or call for help. But she was also a person, a living being. She did not deserve to die.
I decided to help her. I made disapear my bow, and jumped into the water. I swam towards her, and grabbed her by the arm. She was unconscious, and her body was limp. I dragged her to the shore, and laid her on the grass. I checked her pulse and her breathing. She was alive, but barely.
I did not know what to do. I did not have any healing skills or potions. I only had the moonflower, but that was for me, not for her. I looked around, hoping to find some medicinal herbs or plants. But I did not recognize any of them. I was not familiar with this forest. I was a stranger here.
I heard a groan. I turned to the girl, and saw that she was waking up. She opened her eyes, and looked at me. She gasped, and tried to move away from me. She was scared and confused.
"Who are you?" she asked, in a weak voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm... I'm a traveler," I lied. "I saw you in the water, and I saved you. You were drowning."
She looked at me with suspicion and disbelief. She noticed my fangs and my red eyes. She realized that I was a demon.
"You... you're a demon," she said, in a trembling voice. "You're one of them. You're the ones who attacked us. You're the ones who stole our moonflower. You're the ones who killed my friends."
She reached for something in her dress, but she found nothing. She had lost her dagger in the river. She had no weapon, no defense. She was helpless.
"No, no, wait," I said, quickly. "I'm not one of them. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm not your enemy."
She did not believe me. She glared at me with hatred and fear. She tried to get up, but she was too weak. She fell back on the grass, and coughed up some water.
"Please, listen to me," I said, softly. "I'm sorry for what happened. I'm sorry for your friends. I'm sorry for the moonflower. But I had no choice. I needed it for a potion. It's a matter for me. I have a wound in my belly, and I need to heal it. The moonflower is the one of the thing that can help me. I need it for a potion. That's why I took it. That's why I came here."
She looked at me with curiosity and pity. She saw the blood on my shirt, and the pain in my eyes. She saw that I was telling the truth.
"You're... you're wounded," she said, in a low voice. "You're bleeding. How did you get hurt?"
"While I was fighting my wound had reopened but nothing serious for the moment. I need to make a potion, and I need to make it fast. But I don't know where to find the last ingredient. I don't know this forest.."
She looked at me with sympathy and guilt. She felt sorry for me, and she felt responsible for me.
"I... I know this forest," she said, hesitantly. "I know where to find the other ingredients."
She pointed to a cliff, not far from the river. She said there were some herbs and plants growing there, that could be used for healing. She said we had to hurry, before the elves found us.
She offered me her hand, and I took it. She helped me get up, and we walked towards the cliff.