The forest was unnervingly still. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, like the calm before a storm. It wasn't unnatural, not exactly—this was the deep woods, far from the bustling paths that most travelers took. But there was something in the air, an almost palpable tension that made the leaves hang motionless, the air thick with the scent of earth and decay.
She moved with grace and precision, her silver hair blending perfectly with the shadows, an extension of the forest itself. Her emerald eyes glinted in the dim light, sharp and alert, scanning the ground before her. Her senses were heightened, drawn to every rustle, every shift of air. There was a disturbance, and she could feel it in her bones.
The chimera, otherwise known as 'test subject #34'
Her hand instinctively went to the hilts of her twin blades. They were warm to the touch, their enchanted edges humming softly with the promise of danger. She had been tracking this beast for hours, following the trail of destruction it left in its wake. The creature—a grotesque fusion of lion, goat, and serpent—was a menace, it had escaped from their lab, and because she was in the area, looking for the source of the spacial anomaly that happened a couple days ago, it fell to her to end the beast before it made it to the human city. She had to end it.
But that wasn't what she had expected to find.
Through the trees, she saw it: the chimera, massive and lethal, its lion head roaring in a primal fury. But it wasn't attacking the forest—it was attacking something else. Something... someone.
A man, or more accurately, a boy. He lay sprawled on the ground, blood seeping from numerous wounds, his body battered and broken. His chest rose and fell erratically, each breath a struggle. The scent of blood, mixed with something more sinister—the poison from the chimera's serpent tail—was unmistakable. He was barely alive.
The boy's dark hair was matted with blood, his face pale, and his body twisted in a way that spoke of extreme pain. His arms trembled with the effort to hold himself up, but he was losing. The poison was already working its way through his body, draining him of strength, the remanent of incomprehensibly powerful space magic hovered around him, labling him as her target.
She froze. Her gaze locked onto him, and in that moment, the world around her seemed to disappear. The chimera's growl barely registered in her ears as she assessed the situation, her mind working at lightning speed. The boy demanded medical attention.
Her hand tightened around the hilts of her blades. The chimera was still focused on the boy, its serpent tail coiling around his leg, venom dripping from its barbed tip. The lion head was preparing to strike, its jaws opening wide. The boy didn't have much time.
Without hesitation, she leaped into motion. Her blades flashed through the air, cutting through the forest's underbrush with the ease of a master. The chimera's serpent tail was the first to fall, severed by a clean stroke. It recoiled with a hiss, and the beast's other heads snapped toward her.
The lion head growled, eyes narrowing, but she was already moving. She twirled, her body flowing like water as she closed the distance between herself and the chimera. The goat head turned, its horns lowered, and the creature lunged, but she was faster.
She moved like a shadow, a blur of silver. The chimera's lion head snapped at her, its teeth bared, but she ducked beneath it, her blades cutting through its throat in a single, swift movement. The creature let out a final roar, but it was cut short as the head fell to the ground, lifeless.
Without pause, she swung her blades toward the goat head, her arms moving with practiced precision. The sharp edges of her blades sank deep into the creature's flesh, severing its head with a clean, decisive strike. The chimera's body convulsed, its roar of pain replaced with a final, deafening screech. It collapsed to the ground, twitching as the last of its life drained away.
She stood over it, her breath steady, though her heart raced with the exhilaration of the fight. But there was no time to celebrate. The boy—no, the man—was still lying unconscious on the ground, his body ravaged by the poison.
She turned toward him, her gaze softening. Her heart clenched as she knelt beside him, her hands glowing with a soft green light. His body was a mess of cuts and bruises, but it was the poison coursing through his veins that worried her most. His breathing was shallow, each intake of air a struggle. His skin, once tan, had taken on a sickly pallor, and the wound on his leg where the chimera's tail had struck was already turning an angry purple.
"Hold on," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper, though she wasn't sure if he could even hear her. Her fingers brushed against his skin as she reached for the poison, feeling its malicious grip on his life force. She could feel the poison fighting against her magic as she pressed her palms to his chest, channeling the healing energy she had honed over centuries.
The magic flowed from her, a soft green light spilling out of her palms and into his body. She could feel the poison resisting, but she wasn't about to let it win. She poured more energy into him, her concentration unbroken, even as she fought to keep her own breath steady. His body shuddered beneath her hands, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if it was from the poison's effects or the healing magic taking hold.
The poison was powerful, but so was she. The green light intensified as it enveloped him, weaving through his bloodstream, purging the toxic substance inch by inch. She could feel it leaving his body, the poison's grip weakening with each moment. His breathing steadied, though he remained unconscious, his pulse still weak.
She didn't stop.
Not yet.
His skin was warm now, his body no longer trembling as it had been. The poison's lingering effects faded, and his features softened, though his face remained pale. The magic she had used was draining, but she refused to stop until he was fully healed. She had no idea who he was, but there was something about him—something that called to her, something that whispered to her that she couldn't let him slip away.
The forest around them began to darken as the sun sank lower in the sky. The light shifted, casting long shadows across the forest floor. She didn't care. He needed rest. He needed time.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally pulled back, her hands falling to her sides. The boy's breathing had evened out, and his pulse had strengthened. He was no longer in danger of dying from the poison, but he was still deeply wounded. His body would need time to recover.
She sighed softly, her gaze lingering on him. There was something about him that intrigued her, something in the way he looked—defiant, even in unconsciousness. His sharp features, dark hair, and lean, muscular frame spoke of a life that had been hard, full of battles fought and struggles endured. His appearance alone told her that he was no stranger to pain.
Her eyes softened as she studied him. She couldn't help but feel a strange sense of admiration. He was young, younger than she had first thought, and an aura of innocence and naivety hung around him almost like a blanket. He looked about 17 or 18, just a child, and she couldn't bear to watch a child get killed by a chimera, and to be kidnapped by Elves to be studied by the elven Queen and Princess might be a worse fate, but she had to do her duty.
She glanced around, noting the clearing they had arrived in. It was safe here, sheltered by the ancient trees and surrounded by the protective wards she had placed long ago. The magic of the land here was strong, and it would allow him to rest and recover without fear of further harm.
She moved carefully, making sure he was comfortable as she adjusted his position on the ground. Her fingers brushed against his cheek, her touch gentle, almost tender. She could feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips, the steady rise and fall of his chest. There was something undeniably human about him, something that called to her, though she didn't know why.
Her heart fluttered in a way she hadn't expected. She had lived through centuries of life, and yet, this moment—this boy—was unlike anything she had ever encountered. There was something about him that called to her, he was an enigma, and she felt like she desperately needed to unravel that mystery surrounding him, like dangling the cure in front of a terminally ill patient,
She walked closer to him, and before she knew it, he was tied to a tree with magic suppression cuffs on. She moved closer and closer until she was right next to him and patted him down, "We will figure you out, whether it is me, the Queen, or the Princess," she murmured as a fanatic gleam shone in her eyes.