Lim opened his eyes. His head was buzzing, his body was aching, but he felt much better than the day before. He was lying near a small fire, covered with a warm cloak. The air smelled of smoke and something... meaty.
Rake was sitting next to the fire. His face, hidden by a hood, was not visible, but he looked calm and focused. He held a long, serred knife in his hands. Something dark and juicy was roasting on the spit nearby. It emanated an appetizing smell that excited the appetite.
- I woke up, finally, - said Rake, without turning his head. He cut off a piece from the sweel and handed it to Lima. - Eat. It's... well, let's say, a special delicacy.
Lim looked puzzled at a piece of meat. It was dark in color, with barely noticeable feathers. He recognized the remains of a monster crow in him, which almost killed him. But hunger was stronger than disgust.
Lim took a piece and started eating. The meat turned out to be tender and juicy, unusually tasty for Lima.
Rake watched him for a while, then asked:
- What are you doing in these places, kid? It's a dangerous forest.
Lim wanted to answer, but he couldn't. He looked at Reik again, trying to figure out what to do. An idea came up in his head. He took a stick lying nearby and started drawing on the ground.
He depicted a hut, then drew a figure of a hunter who stole Kiki. Then he drew himself running in the forest, and finally drew a big hollow in the tree. He showed his wound, then the figure of a huge crow. And, in the end, he drew Reik killing a monster.
Rake watched him with curiosity. He saw Lim telling his story, expressing his feelings and experiences through drawings. And he realized that the kid was looking for his girlfriend.
- Kiki... - Whispered Rake, looking at the drawings. His voice sounded low and quiet. He understood that Lim was trying to talk about what had happened and that he needed help.
Rake looked at the drawings that Lim depicted on the ground. He carefully followed every movement of the stick with which Lim derived his feelings. I see. Hunter, kidnapping, escape, monster... and finally, him.
- You drew a hunter, - said Rake, his voice sounded thoughtful. - So you're going to Lord's castle?
Lim nodded. He looked at Reik with hope, he was waiting for an answer.
- Well, - said Rake, and in his voice, for the first time, there were notes of fun.
A light, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his lips. - You're lucky, kid. I'm just on my way there.
Lim froze, not believing his ears. He didn't understand how to be happy that you were going to the very lair of horror, but he understood that Rake would help him.
- I have a task," Rake continued, looking at the blazing fire, "to kill Lord and save all the surviving children he holds captive. If your friend is there, I'll help you free her.
Lim couldn't hold back his smiles. His chest was filled with a sense of gratitude. He nodded with such force that it seemed that his head was about to come off his neck.
- So, - said Rake, rising to his feet, and he held out his hand to Lim. - We're going together. We can't waste time.
Lim took his hand, and they set off together.
Rake and Lim went on their way. The Forest of the Fallen seemed to come to life, as if death itself decided to arrange its gloomy feast here. Dead trees, ugly and broken, pulled their branches to the sky, as if desperately begged for mercy.
The ground underfoot crunched bone fragments and charred wood, every movement evoked an echo of the past.
Rake moved with confidence and grace, he seemed to be part of this forest, his movements were smooth and silent.
He taught Lim to be careful, to stay behind and look closely at every rustle. Lim, in turn, tried to keep up, he understood that Rake was his only hope for saving Kiki.
Their journey was long and difficult. They walked for hours, overcoming ravines and swamps, hiding from creatures that wandered through the forest like ghosts.
Sometimes they came across flocks of rats that flowed on the ground like black rivers, or huge spiders weaving their sticky nets between dead trees. But Rake, with his sword and sharp eyes, protected Lim from any danger.
And so, when the sun almost disappeared behind the horizon, they bumped into them.
Figures in black clothes with masks similar to bird skulls suddenly popped out from behind the trees. They were dexterous and silent, like the shadows themselves.
They moved with grace and frenzy, as if their bodies were woven from only muscles and tendons. Raven assassins, as Rake called them. They were known for their cruelty, they were loyal servants of the Lord, his personal guard.
The first assassin pounced on Reik, trying to hit him with a dagger, but Rake, like a whirlwind, dodged the blow, and in response struck with a sword, cutting through the air and depriving the assassin's head. Blood splashed on the charred ground, leaving terrible imprints on it.
Three more Reik was attacked, they tried to surround him, clamp him, but he didn't give them a chance. His sword danced in the air like a black lightning, cutting through flesh and bones. Their bodies fell to the ground like bags of bones, and black blood whipped from their wounds.
Lim, hiding behind a large tree root, watched with horror what was happening. He saw a brutal fight, fierce and uncompromising. He understood that Rake was fighting not only for himself, but also for him, and for all those children who languied in Lord's castle.
The battle didn't last long. Rake, like death itself in human guise, crushed all the assassins. He was standing at the scene of the battle, his sword was stained with blood, his chest was erating heavily, but he didn't look exhausted. He just looked at Lim and nodded, showing that everything was fine.
After the battle with the crow assassins, Rake and Lim continued their journey through the Forest of the Fallen. Rake became more and more silent, his face was hidden under the hood, and Lim could not read his emotions. Lim only felt the tension floating in the air, like a premonition of imminent danger.
When it started to get dark, Rake noticed a small cave, the entrance to which was hidden behind a thick bush. He decided that it would be a good place to spend the night, to take a break and regain strength. They entered the cave, and the silence that reigned inside seemed sinister.
Rake made a small bonfire, and his flame cast bizarre shadows on the walls of the cave. Lim sat clinging to Reik, still frightened by the recent battle. But suddenly the silence was broken by sharp, shrill screams coming from the depths of the cave.
Rake, tensing up, ordered Lim to hide behind a stone, then stood up, clutching his sword tightly.
They flew out of the darkness, like shadows from hell. Dark guides, as Rake called them. Creatures similar to giant bats, but more terrible and disgusting. Their skin was pale, as if corpse, their eyes were burning with hungry, inhuman fire, and their sharp teeth were visible even in the dark. Their wings were memored and shabby, as if woven from the darkness of the night.
There were a lot of them, dozens, if not hundreds. They flew out of the depths of the cave, screaming and pounced on Reik and Lim like wild animals.
Rake, without losing his self-control, began to fight off them with his sword, striking quickly and accurately, like a whirlwind. He chopped their wings and heads, but there were more and more of them.
Rake fought back as best he could, and Lim watched it with horror. He saw how Rake, though strong, began to get tired. He understood that they would not be able to hold out for long.
At one point, Rake, passionate about the battle, did not notice how one of the creatures flew up to Lim. She grabbed him with her claws, clinging to his clothes, and took off with a sharp movement, taking Lim deep into the cave, into the darkness.
Rake, coming to his sawes, screaming, trying to catch up with the kidnapper, but it was too late. Lim, screaming with horror, disappeared into the depths of the cave, and his cry slowly dissolved in the darkness.