The air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves as we plunged deeper into the shadowy embrace of the forest. Degnie, a seasoned woodsman, moved with an effortless grace, his steps silent as he navigated the treacherous terrain. A knot of apprehension tightened in my stomach. The possibility of a trap lurked in the shadows, but the thought of inaction was even more unbearable.
"Shit," Degnie muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice echoing unnaturally in the stillness.
"They're here too," he said, his gaze sweeping across the dense undergrowth. "We'll have to circle around and hope they don't spot us. There's a large river to the east, but there's also an old, abandoned tunnel that runs beneath it," he explained, his voice laced with urgency. "When we get there, keep going straight, no matter what you hear."
"How about you?" I had to ask, a wave of concern washing over me. He was risking his own safety to help me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I owed him more than just blind trust.
"I'll be fine," he said, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hand that I caught out of the corner of my eye. "Just keep going straight." I nodded, trying to appear confident even though my heart hammered against my ribs.
We continued our trek, the forest growing denser and more oppressive with each step. The shadows seemed to writhe and twist, and the silence was broken only by the rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. Doubt gnawed at me, whispering insidious suggestions that I should turn back, that I was walking into a trap. But Degnie's unwavering determination kept me moving forward.
Finally, we reached a dark, gaping maw in the earth, the entrance to what looked like a tunnel. The air hung heavy and cold, and the darkness seemed to swallow the light from my lantern.
"Hey," a voice called out, the sound echoing eerily in the confined space.
"You can't take a torch, you'd be noticed," Degnie hissed, his voice barely audible. "Just keep walking straight. This place is an old mine, we shared it with Dirmil in the past. Dirmil is an ally of Erries, they might be able to help you," he said, pushing me gently towards the dark opening.
"And you?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"It's a long road, but it should be safe," he said, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he turned to leave. His words were a balm to my fears, but the uncertainty gnawed at me.
I stepped into the tunnel, the darkness swallowing me whole. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something else, something metallic and faintly acrid. My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic drumbeat against the oppressive silence. But hope, fragile and flickering, kept me moving forward. I was grateful to Degnie, grateful for his courage and his willingness to risk everything for a stranger. The pain in my stomach, a constant reminder of the danger I had escaped, faded into the background. All that mattered now was getting away, getting to safety.
…
I heard someone ask a question, their voice muffled and indistinct. I couldn't make out the words, and confusion clouded my mind. I looked up slowly, my vision blurry and disoriented. The tunnel walls seemed to close in around me, the darkness pressing against my skin. Where was I? How had I gotten here?
"I..." I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. A sharp pain lanced through my stomach, a searing reminder of my injuries. I tried to move, but the effort was too much. My body felt heavy, leaden, and the pain intensified.
Blackness crept in at the edges of my vision, swallowing me whole. I felt myself slipping away, the world fading into a hazy blur.
"I'm Lilien," I whispered, my voice barely a breath.
He started shouting, his words a jumble of sounds that I couldn't decipher. Panic surged through me, a cold wave that threatened to drown me. I had to communicate, I had to make them understand. With a surge of adrenaline, I forced myself upright, ignoring the searing pain that ripped through my body.
"I'm Lilien," I repeated, my voice hoarse. "I'm not from..." I gestured wildly with my hands, hoping that my movements would convey my meaning. "I'm not from Lysan, I'm from Erries," I said, my voice strained. But he didn't understand. His eyes, wide and confused, reflected my own bewilderment. "I'm not..." I panted, trying to catch my breath, the pain in my stomach a constant, throbbing reminder of my ordeal.
He yelled something at his subordinates, his voice harsh and commanding. One of them spoke back, their words lost in the echoing darkness. Then, strong hands gripped my arms, pulling me roughly to my feet. I struggled against them, but it was no use. I was dragged away, my protests swallowed by the oppressive silence.
...
I kept my head on the table, the rough wood pressing against my cheek. The room was dark, the only light a sliver of moonlight filtering through a crack in the boarded-up window. My body ached, a symphony of pain from the long walk and the gaping wound in my stomach. I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The fear that had been my constant companion since I had entered the forest now felt like a heavy weight pressing down on me, suffocating me.
"Hi," someone said, walking into the room. I sat up, startled. Someone who spoke Erries? It was a miracle. He looked young, barely a man, but his eyes held a chilling intensity that sent shivers down my spine. His smile, a thin, almost predatory curve of his lips, made me uncomfortable, even scared.
"I was told there's someone here that was found by the old tunnel," he said, his voice smooth and deceptively pleasant. "It's customary that we send anyone that crosses there back to Lysan, but you speak Erries, so that piqued our interest a little." He opened a file and started writing, his movements precise and efficient. "Name?"
"Lilien," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
"Lilien," he repeated, his gaze unwavering. "Why are you here? Are you a spy?"
"You're from Erries and we found you coming from Lysan," he said, his voice laced with skepticism. "You don't even look like a shifter, so how am I supposed to believe you?" He had a point. My story sounded ridiculous, even to me.
"I'm not a shifter," I said, trying to sound calm and collected. "I'm actually originally from Garhian, but I..."
"Now you're from Garhian," he interrupted, his smile widening, a mocking glint in his eyes. I was losing him, my story unraveling like a cheap thread.
"No, I..." I started to protest, but he cut me off again.
"No?" he asked, his voice a low purr.
"I..." What could I say? Every explanation I could think of sounded like a lie. "I'm from Erries," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"We'd send you back home," he said, standing up, his gaze hardening. "I don't care what your intentions are, I'm not giving one of you crazy people a chance to act." He paused, his eyes narrowed. "We'd prepare to send you home in the meantime. If you want to talk, I'll listen," he said, turning to leave.
"I'm not from Lysan," I repeated, my voice rising in desperation.
"Of course," he said, his tone dismissive.
"I was kidnapped," I said, my voice trembling. "I barely escaped."
"How did you know of the tunnel?" he asked, his skepticism evident.
"I didn't," I said, my voice strained. "Someone helped me escape."
"Is he also from Erries?" he asked, his eyes boring into mine. He didn't believe me. Not for a second.
"He's from Lysan," I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper. He started laughing, a harsh, grating sound that echoed in the small room.
"At least try to be believable," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you know how religious those people are? If their leader says something, they do it unconditionally." He knew. I knew. I had learned the hard way.
"Please, believe me," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Just... can I send a message to Erries?"
"To your allies?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
"No, I..." I started to explain, but he cut me off.
"We're sending you home," he said, his voice cold and final. He turned and walked out, leaving me alone in the room, my heart sinking.
Things had taken a turn I hadn't expected. I couldn't go back there. I had just escaped, and now they wanted to send me back? I was trapped, a pawn in a game I didn't understand. My mind raced, trying to find a way out, a way to survive.
I'm in no state to keep running. My body is exhausted, my spirit broken. I can't handle any more running. I need to rest, to heal, to find a way to fight back. But how? Where? The questions swirl in my mind, a dizzying vortex of fear and uncertainty.