The smiles on their tiny lips both stunned and frightened me. Their beautiful and pretty faces could not hide their unkind intentions. Fairies—usually—are good creatures, although many of them have an ignorant nature—at least that's what I often read in fairy tales and folklore books. However, the attitude Arlon showed when these fairies appeared made me feel doubtful.
"I didn't expect to meet the fairies in person," I muttered, still trapped in Arlon's hug. I still couldn't get rid of my awe.
"I know it was you who brought my bride into this forest and tried to harm her," Arlon said coldly.
"Heee, you found your bride, didn't you?" said the green fairy who had appeared first. It flew close to my face, and then smiled in a knot right before my eyes. "So beautiful."
A small jolt was felt as the little creature smiling at me was suddenly entangled in the grip of Arlon's strong hands. I almost let out a scream, but was held back by the tightness.
The fairy groaned even more as Arlon lifted his grasping hand into the air. "Wha... what the...."
"No need to pretend!" snapped Arlon. "I know you guys pulled her into this forest to get her lost."
The other fairies did not move. Apparently they also knew how dangerous Arlon was and how strong he was—though I didn't know how strong he was.
"I-I-I'm sorry. B-but… c-can you... let me go?" pleaded the green fairy.
Arlon released her into the air—he also released me from his embrace. The fairy flew around in a circle before finally coming back to Arlon right in front of his face.
The little fairy glared, sneering at Arlon in a tone that was not pleasant to hear. "That's why you're hated by all the creatures in this forest. Rude! Cruel! Heartless! You smell really bad!"
The other fairies surrounding us repeated the green fairy's words.
"I didn't expect you to finally get a bride," she continued harshly.
"Just admit that you caused this problem," Arlon snapped, as if he didn't care about all the insinuations the fairies were throwing around—and it seemed like he did.
"Yes, yes. My friends and I brought her here," admitted the green fairy. "But about that black creature, that's not me. I don't know anything about it."
Arlon caught the fairy again and squeezed her roughly. My reflexes made me almost scream when I saw the little fairy trapped in Arlon's grip for the second time.
"A-alright! I admit it!" moaned the fairy. Arlon let her go again.
Now the fairy's beautiful gaze turned into something that made me shudder. Her eyelids sharpened, looking at me cynically with her unfriendly amber-colored eyes. Her face looked like someone holding back vomit. "We brought that girl here. And we were also the ones who opened the gates to let that black creature wander around and scare the girl."
"What do you mean?" I asked clumsily. I didn't understand a single sentence the fairy said. "Why did you bring me here, little fairy?"
"First, don't call me a little fairy, human!" snorted the fairy. "My name is Marielle. Remember that! And you're asking why I brought you here?"
"Why?" I repeated.
Marielle flew over to me, but Arlon hurriedly shifted his body and protected me with his large body, making Marielle look like nothing but a small fly that annoyed Arlon.
"You!" shouted Marielle
"If you just want to annoy me and my bride, I won't hesitate to squeeze that little body of yours and crush it into tiny pieces!" said Arlon with an intimidating tone—and look.
Marielle—and the other fairies—slowly moved away, but they still seemed to want to deal with the impatient Arlon.
The little grass-colored elf now looked at me, and then gave a small grin before her face turned pitiable. "You see? He's such a cruel creature! How could you, who's innocent and doesn't know anything, stay with this big, scary thing. I just wanted to get to know you."
"Yes," continued another fairy with a fiery yellow color. "He looked lonely, so we wanted to invite her to play."
"By pulling her into the forest and putting her in danger?" snapped Arlon angrily. He went after Marielle again, but I quickly stopped him.
"Never mind, Arlon!" I said, trying to clear the air—even though I was still confused and scared.
Arlon obeyed me. He didn't react anymore, even as Marielle flew over to me with a triumphant face.
"Hee, you're interesting," Marielle said with a lopsided smile. "You know what? You have such a sweet smell and are so fragrant like a flower. What's your name?"
"Ro-Rosalynne," I replied nervously.
"Rosalynne. What a beautiful name. I actually dislike humans, especially humans who are arrogant and greedy. But, you seem like a nice girl. I like you," said Marielle, who was now flying away. "Maybe I'll visit you again sometime. See you later, Rosalynne! Sorry for scaring you, hihi."
And, Marielle and the other fairies flew away. The sparkles of light that glowed in the air slowly dimmed along with the fairies' departure. The forest was dark again, just like when I first entered it. It wasn't. The sky was already completely dark, and the enveloping darkness was now even thicker.
Arlon and I both sighed. All this nonsense was hard for my brain to digest. Hence, I looked up to Arlon for answers to all the questions running through my head. However, before I could really spill everything out, Arlon had already lowered his head and looked at me sharply.
"Arlon... I...."
"This forest is connected to another world. There are many strange creatures roaming around. You never know whether they are dangerous or not before you meet them. Hence, you must be careful. Don't just go out alone!" explained Arlon with a slight jerk.
"I never wanted to come to this place. I never wanted any of this. I'm scared. I'm confused too," I muttered under my breath. Without realizing it, tears were already sliding warmly down my cheeks.
"I know," Arlon replied. He again grabbed my shoulders, but this time he didn't shake them. Instead, the touch of his hands now felt so gentle. "This is a lesson for us to be more careful."
Arlon didn't get the point of what I was saying. Not at all. But, somehow, the words he spoke felt so soothing.
And then, I gasped violently as Arlon suddenly grabbed my body and carried me. "Let's go home. It's not good for you to be in this forest in the dark."
"W-wait a minute!" I protested while blushing slightly. "You... you don't have to bother carrying me. I can walk on my own."
Arlon, who had already started walking, was not the least bit bothered. He continued walking regardless of my words. "Your leg is sprained and has started to swell. I can't let you walk with your leg like that."
I was quite surprised to hear Arlon's words that seemed so considerate, so I couldn't argue anymore. In the end, I just kept silent while hoping that we could get home soon.
The sun had fully returned to its resting place, leaving the earth in an enveloping darkness. The air grew colder, making Arlon hold me even tighter. We were still walking along the path between the trees and bushes—I didn't remember going this far into the forest.
"About this morning..." Arlon suddenly stopped his steps. "I apologize. I was rude to you."
Now I felt trapped. Arlon's warm embrace of the wind that came out along with his apology made me feel indecisive. In my heart, I blamed Arlon for what had happened to me until this moment, how what he had done had left me with bitter memories that might last the rest of my life. In addition, the words of the fairies—about Arlon—before were still ringing in my head. On the other hand, I blamed myself for being so stupid. Why, why was I so easily swept up in these feelings that were swaying me? Why is he doing all this to me? Why is he so....
"I...."
"Hm?" Arlon looked back at me.
"No, it's not. It's okay. About this morning, never mind."
Never mind. At least for today I can feel a little comfort.