Chapter Text
The rhythmic pounding of boots on the earth mixes with the occasional crack of a branch underfoot. Your breath comes out in quiet bursts as you move, your form weaving seamlessly through the trees. It’s cold, and the rain is coming down in sheets, but the forest comes alive with the sound of your movement—every instinct of your body honed to perfection.
The skin of your hands grips a slick branch as you propel yourself forward, landing on another, eyes scanning your surroundings. The faint glow of the moon above barely cut through the thick canopy of the forest, leaving only shadows to guide your path.
They're still behind me.
You move from tree to tree, the wind painfully slapping rain against your face. The cargo pants you wear cling to your legs, a little too worn down from months of living in the forest, but they still fit well. Your snug top is no better off—dirt and weather-worn, but it allows you to move easily, and you need every bit of flexibility right now.
You can hear them now—the hunters—crashing through the underbrush below. There's three of them, the first two are armed with bows, their arrows whistling through the air, while the third has a sword strapped to his side. They’re the second group of hunters to track you down this week, and you’d dealt with the first just fine. These guys shouldn’t be any different.
You swing yourself off another branch, landing silently on the next, pulling your legs tight against your body to crouch, waiting.
You hear the soft rustle of leaves as one of the hunters, a tall man with messy blonde hair, crouches under you. You can’t see him, but you know his bow is trained on you. His breath quickens in his chest, and you could almost feel the focus radiating off him.
Time to move.
With a quick burst, you swing yourself from the branch and flip into a graceful (albeit unnecessary) somersault through the air, landing on the thickest part of a tree's trunk, your legs wrapping around it so you can hang upside down. The hunters start shouting below, but you’re already drawing your own bow, the motion smooth from years of practice. You grip the string, pulling back with quiet precision.
One shot, right between the eyes.
The arrow whizzes by, hitting the blonde hunter with a sickening thud. He collapsed with a strangled cry, his bow clattering uselessly against the forest floor.
Your eyes darted to the remaining two. A woman with short, curly brown hair, and a man with an oversized sword. They both advance quickly, unaware of their unavoidable fate.
You don’t hesitate. You let go of your position on the tree trunk and flip backward, using the force of your momentum to launch yourself higher into the branches.
They’re too slow.
You aim your bow at the woman, currently scanning the area below her, and shoot another arrow. The woman cries out as the arrow buries itself in her shoulder, spinning her around and sending her to the ground with a strangled gasp.
The final hunter—the one with the sword—turns sharply at the sound, his eyes wild with panic.
You drop down behind him, flipping a small pocket knife from your belt.
“Boo.”
In the split second before he can turn, you're jamming the small blade into the side of his neck. His body hits the ground with a hard thud, the sword slipping from his grasp while all life drains from his eyes.
You stand over the bodies, chest heaving with a mixture of exertion and relief. The sound of the rain filling the silence feels almost deafening.
Just another group to add to the list.
-
The chase takes you farther from the fort than you expected.
Your body is exhausted, and the last thing you need is to wander aimlessly through the woods in search of shelter.
Your stomach grumbles loudly, just another reminder of your current lack of food. You mumble something about forgetting to hunt before trudging deeper into the forest. Your home is hidden far enough in the forest to be unseen, but close enough to the village so you could use the nearby river for daily necessities. You had chosen the spot years ago, and had built yourself a pretty stable home, using tree roots as a base for the other materials you had collected.
You brush a branch out of the way to avoid running into it, your feet dirtying in the forest mud. You decide not long after that you’re too far away from the fort to make the journey back, especially this late at night.
You know, demons and all.
You’ll have to set up camp, probably find a tall tree to tie yourself to so you don’t fall while sleeping, and find some sort of berry or small animal to eat before your loud stomach attracts any unwanted attention. A fire is out of the running, lighting one is practically begging for a demon to find you.
Deciding that forming a game plan takes too long, you busy yourself with prepping for the night. You grab your trusty pocket knife from your belt, wiping it clean of any remaining blood, and begin cutting through vines lining a tree you’ve deemed worthy of sleeping in.
It’s only once you’ve managed to scale the tree do you notice a faint light in the distance. Through the hazy rain you can make out a couple of lights, each belonging to one shadowy building in the distance that flickers every once in a while. Most likely lanterns. Most likely man-made.
Coming to the conclusion that you’d rather sleep in the rain for one night than investigate a suspicious looking building, you set up camp in the highest branches, and attempt to rest your eyes.
Obviously, you get no luck.
The rain slaps your face and branches dig into your sides like it’s personal. You groan to yourself, knocking your head back in frustration only to find that hitting the tree also hurts like hell.
“Damn forest.” You complain to no one in particular. “No beds for me tonight, huh?” The forest gives you a nice response in the form of more wind, which you’ve found out is a good sign to stop talking.
You tilt your head to the side, peering at the strange lights once more. Maybe it’s a village? No, you’d know better than anybody just how cruel isolated towns can be, best not to stop by if that's the case. But maybe this one’s an exception? You ponder for a long while. It is a bit strange for a village to be this far out from any form of water, not to mention you would have heard about any neighbors back in your village days…
Your discomfort and curiosity team up against your sense of reason, and after a long back and forth in your head, you decide to leave the comfort and coziness of your tree and set off to explore the lights.
You set off, legs carrying you with an unknown purpose.
An alliance would be nice. You won’t lie, the idea of being welcomed into a village makes your heart beat in excitement, and the thought of being given free food and a roof makes you even more giddy. While staying permanently has been forever left out of the running, maybe getting on this town’s good side could pay off later. You could visit occasionally, maybe even get to know some people.
You swat away some low hanging branches as you fantasize, feeling more awake than you did an hour ago. Perhaps this is where life takes a turn for the better, and you’re rewarded for surviving for so long! Certainly a decade’s worth of survival is bound to have some form of accomplishment at the end.
After rounding multiple trees, narrowly dodging their roots, and climbing numerous hills, what was once a blurry figure in the distance clears up to reveal a breathtaking sight. Tall, stone pillars began to take form in the misty light. The temple stands at the edge of a clearing, looking almost serene under the stormy sky, with lanterns lining the outside. The red tint it gives off gives it the feeling of a god’s palace, topped with the detailed carvings and intricate designs adorning the roof and sides.
You creep cautiously toward the entrance, careful to avoid making any sound. The doors are left slightly ajar, meaning someone is probably still inside. You brilliantly deduct from the majestic exterior and the building’s isolation on a hill that this is most likely a temple for worshipping.
Religious people are nice, right?
As you enter the dimly lit space, a strange quiet surrounds you. The scent of incense mixed with the smell of wet earth. It’s too quiet.
You risk another step inside, but as soon as your foot connects with the polished floor, the lanterns along the inside walls flicker to life, bathing the room in an eerie glow.
Yet that's not what snatches your attention. A soft, almost teasing voice breaks the silence shortly after.
“Well, well… what have we here?”
You freeze, your heart skips a beat.
A figure emerged from the shadows—tall, regal, and covered in fine clothes and silks. His features are striking, silver hair cascading over his shoulders and a sly, almost playful grin on his lips. He leans against one of the pillars, eyes gleaming with mischievous amusement as he surveys you.
“Whats a young girl doing out in the forest at this time of night?” he continues, his tone as light and airy.
This man’s not normal. Whether it’s his oddly colored hair, or the dead giveaway that is his rainbow colored eyes, you know for certain that this is no human standing in front of you.
He continues with that cheerful tone. “You know, it’s quite dangerous.”
Your hand instinctively flies to the knife at your belt, but you don’t make any moves. Not yet. You’re wary, and yet, there's almost something mesmerizing about the way he stands there, like he’s playing with you.
Your voice stays steady despite your racing mind. “Who are you?”
The man’s grin widens. “Cutting right to the chase now are we?