Enthralled
I continued running, fearful of what it would mean if I stopped.
'Would they catch me?'
'Was I even being chased?'
'What should I do about food? Water?'
I continued running deeper and deeper into the Melizas Forest until I heard the sound of rushing water. Following that sound, I found a river that I could drink from. By the time I made it to the river, the sun had long since set and I had to use the aura on my eyes again until I could find a safe spot to camp for the night.
Following the river, I found a tree that was easily climbable and had a place where I could lie and rest for the night.
The following morning I woke up to the sound of demon tongue. Looking down I saw a couple of imps. Children of Rax, imps are small creatures with red skin known for their greed and betrayal of other demons.
Luckily for me, imps were on the weaker side of the demon hierarchy, only being strong in numbers. The 3 imps, noticing my movement picked up rocks and started throwing them at me hoping to knock me down.
Drawing my blade I jumped from the tree and landed on one of them stabbing down into his face I finished the first one off. The second charged at me with a shoddy, if not broken, sword. Parrying the blade to the right I tripped the imp and then stabbed the third that was coming at me with a club. Finally, I finished off the one trying to recover from when I tripped it.
Searching the imps' bags I discovered they had caught some fish and had some mushrooms I could eat, as well as some random metal objects like a pin or mirror.
As I sat down to eat the profits from my victory the voice spoke again in my head. "Don't that one is poisonous." I put the mushroom I was holding to the side starting a pile. "That one is fine"
Like this, the voice and I sorted what I could and couldn't eat. "Who are you?" I asked, hoping I wasn't just going mad with voices in my head.
'Silence. Great.' I thought
'Maybe I am going mad.'
Anyway after cooking the edible food at a fire made from sticks I had gathered along the shoreline, I traveled upstream looking for a better shelter. It is there where I came across an empty clearing save for a woman sitting in the middle.
I was awestruck by the woman. Even from a distance, I could tell she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She looked about 30, had long brunette hair, pale skin, and a body men would start wars over.
I walked up to her hesitantly, "Hello my lady, do you know where I could find a place to stay tonight? Is there a village nearby?"
"Ah! You startled me. Come rest with me for a little while and I shall bring you to a place where you can rest for the night." She said in a sensual voice that sounded like the greatest bard playing on a harp.
"Thank you so much." After sitting next to her all my exhaustion from the past few days hit me like a tidal wave.
"Tell me, young one, where do you come from? What is your story?"
"I come from Ashmere, it has been a- a- attacked," I said, struggling to remember what happened. "It's not safe here. We must leave."
"But I am almost done. It will take me but a minute to finish. Rest now, child, your fight is over." She grabbed my body and let me rest in her lap, a sense of comfort I had not felt in days washed over me as I lay there.
As I lay in her lap, my weariness gradually melted away, replaced by a strange sense of tranquility that enveloped me like a warm embrace. Her gentle touch seemed to soothe the turmoil within my soul, offering respite from the chaos and uncertainty that had consumed my world.
"Wait. Don't look." A voice whispered to me inside my head but sounded oceans away
"Rest young one, stare in my eyes and rest."
As the minutes stretched into eternity, I found myself lost in the depths of her gaze, mesmerized by the haunting beauty that radiated from her ethereal presence. There was something otherworldly about her, something that defied explanation yet beckoned me closer with an irresistible allure.
In that fleeting moment, I forgot the horrors of the past, the pain of loss, and the specter of betrayal that loomed over me like a shadow. All that mattered was the serenity of this tranquil clearing, the gentle rustle of leaves, and the soft whisper of the wind as it danced through the trees.
And then, as if awakening from a dream, she spoke, her voice a melodic symphony that echoed in the depths of my soul. "You carry a heavy burden, young Bellona," she murmured, her words a gentle caress against the tumult of my thoughts. "But fear not, for you are not alone in your struggle."
'Did I introduce myself to her? I guess I must have.' I thought
Her words stirred something deep within me, a flicker of hope amidst the darkness that threatened to consume me. In her presence, I found solace and strength, a beacon of light amidst the encroaching shadows that sought to engulf me.
With each passing moment, I felt myself drawn closer to her, bound by an unseen thread of destiny that defied logic and reason. In her eyes, I glimpsed the promise of a new beginning, a chance to rise from the ashes of despair and forge a path toward redemption.
And so, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the world faded into twilight, I surrendered myself to her embrace, entrusting my fate to the enigmatic stranger who had emerged from the depths of the forest. And for the briefest second, I thought I saw horns appear on her head, and her eyes turned pink.
At this moment, I knew that my journey was far from over and that the road ahead would be fraught with peril and uncertainty. But with her by my side, I faced the unknown with renewed courage and determination, ready to confront whatever challenges lay in wait.
As the night descended upon us like a velvet curtain, I closed my eyes and surrendered to the gentle embrace of sleep, knowing that whatever trials awaited me, I would face them with unwavering resolve and the unwavering guidance of the mysterious woman who had become my beacon of hope in the darkness.