Chapter Text
"Is this seriously all you found? We graciously take you in, and all you can find is a few berries?" An exasperated thief glares down upon the young lady cowering before him, "Out of all the places we’ve visited, this forest is the lushest and most full one we’ve come across! Hell, there’s even a village nearby." The man threw the handful of berries to the ground, allowing them to roll away from the pair. "And this is all you can find us for food? Guess I should know better than to trust a girl who refuses to hunt down animals so we can eat." The man spits, voice laced with venom. Around them were a few more thieves. They remained quiet as they watched their leader berate the youngest of their group. This was a common occurrence for them, and they learned long ago not to interfere.
"I-I’m sorry! That's really all I could find. I didn't want to get lost…" She looks down at her feet, refusing to meet his eyes. "There was no clear path to where the village and I didn't see any sign of people..." She sniffles, glancing at the other thieves. A couple were chuckling at her situation.
"We would've been better off if you did get lost. Don’t expect dinner tonight." The leader shoves past her, reaching for a bag that leaned up against a tree, "I’ll get us a real meal, one that you'll cook and watch us eat.” He snarls, pulling some arrows from his bag. With the arrows in hand, he snatches a bow from one of the other group members and storms off into the woods.
One of the other thieves approached the young lady. ”Aphmau, you're lucky we still keep you around.” She threatens. With that, the group split off to set up their camp for the night. Aphmau slipped away behind the trees. No one would notice if she left for a little while. Part of her was tempted to run away, but she had nowhere else to go. She continued to walk until she found a nice log to sit on. She wasn’t too far from camp, but far enough that the others wouldn’t see her.
It was peaceful to be alone, left to her thoughts. She almost began to relax, until the forest went quiet. The birds were suddenly silent, and the light breeze seemed to pick up and turn into a harsher wind. She pulls the dagger off of her belt and stood quickly. She felt eyes boring into her skin, though she was unable to tell where they were coming from. ”Who’s there!?” No response.
She shivers and looks around her. She saw no sign of life, no evidence of anyone around. ”Come out! I have a weapon, I will use it!” She threatens, though her words hold little weight.
A man drops from the branch of a tree. He wore a hood, as well as a green scarf that covered his mouth and nose, though she could still see some of his shaggy brown hair sticking out of the hood. His eyes were visible: a deep shade of green. They were cold and calculating as he observed the young woman before him. Aphmau squeaked and held her dagger up in front of her. ”Who are you?” She demands. He began to walk closer, causing her to step backward.
“Who I am doesn’t matter.” He says, his voice soft, almost gentle. He raises his hands in the air slowly, proving himself to be unarmed. ”I’m not an enemy. I want to help.” He doesn’t elaborate. Aphmau lowers her dagger slowly, though she keeps her distance.
“What do you mean help?” She looked warily at the stranger, ”I don’t even know you, why should I trust you to help me with anything?” She stepped back once more, and this time he doesn't push forward to follow her.
“Those thieves, you don’t seem to have good a good relationship with them.” He takes a seat on the ground as if to show that he means no harm. Aphmau cautiously puts her dagger away.
“They’re my family. Of course we have a... good relationship.” Her voice held uncertainty and discomfort at the thought. She frowned, glancing in the direction of the camp. ”Well… it isn't the best relationship, actually.” She admits quietly.
“I could tell. A family that takes food from one of their own isn’t a good family at all.” His eyes held a look of deep understanding.
“Well, they aren’t my real family. They just… took me in after my parents died.” Aphmau sinks to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest as she watches the stranger.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I am surprised however, you never tried to leave the thieves?” He leans back against his hands. ”I would’ve run away instantly.”
“Where would I go? They’re all I have.” Aphmau sighs. "Not ideal, of course. All I get from them is the bare minimum and hatred. I don’t know why they insist on keeping me when I’m just another mouth to feed.” She shrugs to herself. The forest remains eerily silent around them. She couldn't help but find it odd that the appearance of the stranger came just after the forest went quiet.
“That's why I’m offering to help. I can help you get you away. The village nearby wouldn’t be a bad start.” Chatter from the camp echoed in their direction. It seemed as though the leader had returned; They would start looking for her soon.
“What about the fact that I'm not educated? I know so little about the world outside of that camp. Can I really live with others?” She tenses as she begins to hear the other thieves shouting for her. Some of them sound closer than the others. The stranger springs to his feet and she quickly follows suit.
“There's a man who lives in the village nearby. His name is Garroth. He should be able to help you with your education. You wouldn’t be the first person he has helped.” The stranger speaks quickly, but he takes a moment to pull his scarf down, smiling at her. For a moment, she gets a better view of his face. He had a light spattering of freckles across his tanned skin. "Just, heh, don’t tell him I sent you there.”
“I... I don’t even know your name. I don’t see how I could.” She tenses, watching as she sees someone walk nearby the trees they were at. ”I think… I would like to-” Her sentence is cut off by a shout.
“Get away from my daughter!” The leader steps out of the brush, aiming a bow at the mysterious man.” Aphmau, sweetie, please come over here.” His voice sounded condescending, and unwelcoming towards her, almost like he could care less about anything that may happen to her.
“I… Uh. No.” Aphmau says firmly, crossing her arms, finally meeting her leader's eyes. ”I'm not your daughter and I won't go to you.” This seemed to anger him because he switched his focus from the stranger to her.
“What do you mean 'no?'” He raised an eyebrow. The stranger steps in front of her cautiously.
“She said no, get over it.” He seemed unbothered by the arrow pointed at his chest. “Take fire if you want, but there’s a patrol going on nearby. If I yell, guards from the village will come running.” The stranger grinned and watched as the leader flinched in response. Aphmau smiled a bit, she had never seen him fall to intimidation so easily before. ”What? Can’t handle a few guards? You can handle manipulating your supposed ‘daughter’, but can’t handle confronting some guards. Funny.” He gives the thieves a smug look.
The leader's demeanor shifted quickly from angry to paranoid, ”She can’t just leave! We own her!” He sounded frantic.
“No, you don’t! Just because you took me in, doesn’t mean I belong to any of you!” Aphmau argues, finding her voice now that she has an opportunity to leave those who have tormented her for years. The other thieves find them, having heard their shouts.
“You would be dead without us!” He raises his weapon again. ”Guards or not, I will shoot either one of you.” He threatened once more. There was no fear in his eyes.
“Why do you need her so badly? I would think that you thieves wouldn’t mind not having another mouth to feed.” This seemed to stump the leader, as he stopped talking, trying to formulate a response. Another thief spoke up.
“So we can sell her.” They reply bluntly, shrugging. Another thief smacks them, clearly to shut them up. The stranger’s eyes widened.
“What…?” Even Aphmau looked surprised. The leader sighs, seemingly annoyed with having to explain.
“Looks like the truth is out. We hoped to teach you basic survival skills and make you obedient. That way when you grew up you would make for the perfect wife, and someone would pay handsomely for your hand. However, those hopes have died, seeing as you’re twenty and still incapable of listening.” He shakes his head in disapproval, ignoring both the horridied look from Aphmau and the disgusted look from the stranger.
“Why would you still hold on to me then? I’m incapable, according to you. So why won’t you let me go?!” Aphmau shouts, beginning to tear up, face red from anger. The thieves seemed to have had enough. They all pull out their weapons, following the example of their leader. The leader seemed to give up on the conversation entirely.
“Run.” The stranger pushes Aphmau in a different direction. ”Run! Get to the village!” He shouts, but it was clear he was concerned. At his words, the thieves start shooting arrows at the two of them. Aphmau yelps, running as fast as she can from the situation. All she hears behind her is shouting, but she refuses to look back. Trees, bushes, and all sorts of plant life blur her vision as she stumbles her way through the thick forest. At some point, Aphmau lost track of how long or far she ran.
Eventually, the sound of fighting couldn’t be heard, and a pathway was beginning to show up on the forest floor. She followed the path all the way to the entrance of a run-down village. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. She quickly glances around her, worried that she may have been followed, but she soon relaxes when she finds that no one had. The only people she sees are two guards walking along the outside of some buildings that look like they were falling apart. Plants appeared to have overtaken the area, making the village look lush. The village would look totally abandoned had it not been for the two guards there. Unsure of what to do, Aphmau called out to the guards. ”H-help! Please….” The guards turn their gaze over to her, alarmed. Both of them rush over.
“What's wrong?” The taller guard asks. Both guards were dressed in armor, they both wore helmets that blocked Aphmau from seeing their faces. She couldn’t tell, but one of them was assessing her for any visible injuries.
“I-I got… away. I was trapped by these thieves for years… I got away.” Aphmau seemed to be at a loss for words. She was away from them, the people who kept her in hopes to sell her one day. All because one stranger decided to interfere. A stranger that she isn't even sure is alive anymore. All because he wanted her to be safe. Her tears started up again.
“Kidnapped?” The first guard asks, crouching down to where she was kneeling on the ground. She finally caught her breath, but she couldn’t stop crying.
“I… I don’t know.” She closes her eyes and sniffles. Exhaustion began to hit her like a sack of bricks. That big adrenaline rush was wearing off now that she was safe.
“Garroth, I don’t see any major injuries. Just a few scrapes and bruises.” The other guard, Garroth, glances off into the forest.” What should we do?” As he speaks, Garroth offers a hand to Aphmau, intending to help her up. She hesitantly takes it, allowing him to pull her off of the ground.
“Go get Dale, and start a patrol in the forest. Look for these thieves she speaks of. I’m going to take her to Molly. She'll be willing to let this poor girl rest there.” Garroth sets a hand on Aphmau’s shoulder gently. ”Be careful, Zenix.” The guard in question walks off into the village. Garroth looks to Aphmau.” Do you have a name?” He asks.
She gives a tired nod. ”My... my name is Aphmau.” She didn't seem to notice as they began to walk, and she seemed to forget that this is the Garroth the stranger spoke of. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lady Aphmau. We'll get you fixed up and situated in no time.” They walked past a few people, tired-looking villagers who seem confused as this new woman enters their village with the head guard.
”Welcome to Phoenix Drop.”