Chapter Text
Disaster struck.
People knew that a few fae had been spotted outside the city walls, so everyone thought you were ready. Ready for a siege, ready for the walls to be climbed, ready for the gates to succumb to the battering ram…but no. The fae did no such things. Instead, they dug. They made tunnels. And now they are destroying the city.
Chaos has been ushered in and at this moment, despair was the only thing you could feel. Being crushed between the sea of people crashing against one another like waves on sharp rocks jutting out from the deep, almost shouting at the sky, grey… and cloudy… and furious. Begging for its mercy or perhaps challenging it further.
Fear.
Is this how it feels to be hunted? Death… Are you more afraid of dying or the pain before it? Should you keep running or stop and face the carnage? What would hurt less?
You don’t even get the chance to choose as the violent current of your fellow comrades is carrying you towards the city gates. Will you be… safer in the forest?
When you finally passed by the gate you could feel the chaos lessen as people dissipated in different directions. Some headed towards the fields, perhaps to hide and wait the ambush out, others for the river to the boats, most though, just kept running onward.
Some dared head towards the forest. Courage or stupidity? you couldn’t tell. The fae were more knowledgeable about them, but right now they were busy creating a tragedy. Will they really follow you to the forest? There were easier ways to find the escaped humans. And even if they did, there weren’t many of you in there; it wouldn’t be worth it. Surely…
…..
…step…
step…step…
….GASP!…
…stop.
AIR! you need air!
Your lungs ache with the shallow breaths you are barely able to take. your brain scrambling for a plan; for anything at all. Your legs tremble; they threaten to give at any moment-
Not yet!
You plead, desperate for this nightmare to end. What will you do?! Where will you go?! -these questions will have to wait. You need to make it out alive first. So you start running again, limping a bit at the sudden raw feeling of your flesh rubbing harshly against your shoes; at this moment they feel more like a hindrance, rather than help. -so you discard them.
Questions. Your mind would just not stop! Between the petrifying dread, your racing mind and your collapsing body things didn’t seem to be getting any better.
Why did all of this start? Ah, yes… how could you forget; princes, young lords and their knights willing- no, desperate to prove their “worth”; and now everyone has to suffer for their hubris. So many have died, but you’ll have to mourn them later, for now you have to run.
…..
The forest is close.
Dirt is sticking to the soles of your feet. It’s as if it wants you to stop… to give up. Your clothes stick to you like glue, it’s uncomfortable, but it you’ll have to make do. The dryness of your throat is more of a problem. If you remember properly, you should come across a pond soon enough.
So, gripping the trunk of a tree you encourage yourself with the promise of water; cold, cold water, and you throw yourself forward into the foliage.
After bit more trekking through the overgrown bushes and ferns you come across a clearing, framed beautifully by trees, you need only cross the grass covered soil and you’ll be able to quench your thirst.
As you grow closer to the much needed liquid something seems to be amiss…
It couldn’t be…
…right?…
There is rustling behind you; to your left, then to your right. This isn’t good. Your breath hitches in your throat, your heart is drumming in your chest and you quicken your steps… It’s not like you have anywhere else to go but forward.
And as you take another step you are met with a pair of eyes.
Red.
A beautiful, breathtaking, deep red.
Oh… how you wish there wasn’t a war happening…
Maybe then…
Maybe then you could get to know him… maybe… at least for a bit…
His eyes stared right into yours. Serious, although you could swear there was a flicker of something else in them. His face was young, but a fae’s looks can always be deceiving.
Your gaze flickers slightly over his clothes, slightly disheveled, soiled with dirt and…some light splatters of blood…
“…apologies…” he seemed saddened as he murmured those words, you could already see the remorse forming in those mesmerizing garnet like eyes-
and as he raises his sword, you try to dodge his blade.
If only you would’ve had the chance to grab that knife from the kitchen table before the alarm sounded… well you doubt it would have made much of a difference, but at least you would’ve had something to defend yourself with; something made of iron.
You try to grab a branch off the ground to block his attack… but it’s too late; you’ve already been struck. Falling onto the dirt you don’t see his face anymore; it’s obscured by the rays of the sun.
…and it’s warm…
…and you feel warm…
…maybe it’s because the sun is setting…
…who knows…
……….
…….
…..
….
Cold
You awoke with a start. What happened?! Was that a dream-… no it felt all too real to be one…
You’re alive.
How is that possible?!
What is the meaning of this?…
This is… quite the unsettling development. What to do now?
…..
You seem to be in a forest and the sun seems to be rising… wasn’t it setting before you… uh… yeah… you’d rather not recall the previous events. If this is a second chance at life you’ll take it.
So many questions… Is this even the same year?
As you get up from where you laid you take a look at your clothes; they appear unchanged. You should find a water source… maybe an exit out of here too; for now you’ll go forth.
Walking barefoot through the branch covered soil wasn’t a very enjoyable experience, but it was worth it; you’ve finally reached water. A river. The first sip you took felt better than anything you’ve had before.
After quenching your thirst, and splashing some of the water onto your face, you finally take a good look at yourself. Nothing seems to have changed, you still look the same you did the morning of the attack. Interesting.
…CRACK!
SNAP!
Not again!
Rising quickly from your spot; you look around wildly. ’Damn it all!’ you curse silently to yourself. As quickly as you prepare to bolt you stop at the strangers words:
“We’re humans too!” bellows the voice of a man.
And as he steps out of the foliage a few others follow. They’re all armed from what you can see. Swords, daggers, bows with arrows and even the occasional axe, the armor they wore was minimal, you suppose they weren’t going to stay in the forest for long.
“We’re not gonna hurt you!” says another. Should you believe them?
“Yes, we’re on the same side here.” a third one joins. “We could always use more hands.” he offers.
There’s many murmurs of agreement.
“Where are you from? You look like you’ve been on the run for a while now- not to insult you or anythin’…” the first one to speak continues.
….
You take a deep breath and while your lungs fill with gentle air, you decide to trust these people. So you begin your explanation, from the sudden attack to your seeking of refuge. You omit the meeting with the fae that resulted in your death; it wouldn’t do you any good to talk about that.
Lucky for you a trip from the city you’ve known all your life to where you find yourself now is possible and no one’s going to question why you’ve wandered for so long. You see… the walk should’ve taken you between two to three weeks, with stops and everything, but considering the war happening, detours and longer breaks between moves won’t be suspicious.
It would seem three months have passed since that fateful day. You shake your head at the memory. ‘It’s all in the past now.’ you offer to yourself.
You managed to make fast friends with the people that stumbled over you and now you’re walking towards the closest village. You’ve come to learn these people are also fighting in the war, well they’re more like scouts and messengers for the actual soldiers.
You’ve been promised a roof over your head, food for your stomach and some new clothes in exchange for your help. And it’s not like you could refuse, you have nowhere else to go. So you’ll do what you can.
……
….
A few more months pass and you’re still tagging along the people you’ve come to consider your kind of family. You have your own weapon now, made of iron, of course, you’ve also come to trust your abilities more. And while the war is still raging on, you’ve managed to escape the brunt of it; moving from one place to another seems to have its perks in times like this.
One morning however, one of your companions comes to the rest of you in a hurry.
“The fae!” he says, almost screaming at you all. “I think they’re planning on camping in the valley!” he’s desperate and wide eyed. Doesn’t seem like he’s seen fae before.
Most are scared, too shocked to speak. You’ll need a plan; and quick. Ugh… there goes the small bit of peace you had.
…But your thought refuse you peace.
….
…Is he there too?…
No. You shouldn’t be thinking about him.
He killed you!
So WHY are hoping so badly that you’ll see him?!
WHAT KIND OF CURSE IS THIS?!