This is all your fault, you know?
AsaHi grumbled to herself as she shifted the aching weight of the traveling pack on her shoulders. All she had done for the past three days was walk, and it was starting to catch up with her now.
You can’t blame anyone but yourself.
She was used to long days of traveling, but something about this journey was different. It was more pressing, more exhausting and more terrifying. Every sound on the road sent her scampering to hide. Every shift of the air made her glance over her shoulder in fear.
What’s going to happen to Aunt SaRa if they find out that she helped me? What’s going to happen to SoYa if I’m not there to take the blame?
She stumbled along the path, head drooping in a long stream of white hair that hung loose around her shoulders. So many days she had been alone, left to think about her crime. She wished so much that she had thought about all these things before she chose to challenge the truth of the Dreigiau.
If I had known it was going to end up like this… that I would have to leave my home… my Promised… everything. If I had known…
AsaHi found the nearest tree and leaned against it to catch a moment’s rest.
Would I have still done it?
She dropped her forehead against the rough bark, drawing in a broken breath.
Now all I have left is what I carry on my back. And a sketchy map that is supposed to take me to a place I’ve never even heard of.
The girl closed her eyes, letting her pack slide down over her shoulder to rest on the ground.
What have I gotten myself into?
For a time, the world turned around her in pale silence. The sun was going down for the third day, and now more than ever she missed her home. But there was nothing she could do except continue forward.
AsaHi gave a somber sigh, reaching to gather her pack. That’s when she realized that it was gone.
What?
The girl turned quickly, looking at the spot where she placed her bag. Though it was getting harder to see as the night shadows drew long, the pack was too large to overlook. It was nowhere.
What’s going on?
She heard the sound of footsteps crunching on the path only seconds before the voice came, “So… are you having second thoughts yet, AsaHi?”
A man stood there, dressed in the Apprentice robes of Nefol, the hood over his head rendering his face unknown. His voice was familiar, but she couldn’t identify him by the sound of it alone. He obviously knew who she was, however. And her pack now dangled from his hand.
AsaHi took a step back, “What do you want?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
As he approached, she heard the sound of more footsteps from the surrounding brush. There were eight of them. All were hooded, wearing Apprentice robes.
“We were sent here to bring you back, AsaHi,” another one of the Apprentices spoke.
“We don’t expect any trouble out of you,” said another.
AsaHi shook her head and turned in a full circle. They completely surrounded her. For the first time ever, the hooded robes worn by the Apprentices seemed terribly foreboding. As the last traces of the sun melted from the sky, darkness loomed over them.
The girl watched them, her mind leaping from fear, to thought, to courage, to plea, to hopelessness. Her eyes flashed for a moment before her shoulders hunched slightly. Then her stance drooped, and with misery written on her face, the girl took a slow, docile step towards them.
“That’s it,” the nearest Apprentice said quietly, reaching out to take her by the arm.
I’m not coming without a fight!
With a wildcat yell, AsaHi threw her whole weight straight into the Apprentice’s open stomach. There was a sinking feeling as her elbow slid deep into his gut. With a grunt, he buckled over in shocked pain.
She turned the surprised man around so that he stood between her and the others. It was just in time — one of the more trigger-happy Apprentices had already unleashed a leaping bolt of sizzling light at her. AsaHi threw herself as far away from the point of impact as possible.
The others all watched with wide eyes as the bolt struck their companion, rather than the intended target. The Apprentice reeled back with a jolt, surrounded by flickering sparks of dull yellow light. She could hear a crackling sound as he stumbled and dropped face-down in the dirt.
Everyone stood absolutely still. The Apprentices stared at their fallen companion in a combination of awe and horror.
I bet they’ve never used their hocus-pocus on another person before.
After a minute, the fallen Apprentice gave a choking wheeze and shook his head out. Momentarily stunned, nothing more.
“What are you doing? Stay on target!” the leader of the group was chafing at how poorly the situation was unfolding. Eight magic users against one magic-less girl had seemed more than enough.
The Apprentices advanced towards the girl again, somewhat warily. This time, she knew they would be wise to her tricks.
Great, AsaHi, you’re getting a wonderful track record. Summoning the Dragon Patron. Running away from home like a criminal. Throwing people out in front of lightning bolts…
Before they could reach for her again, a rumbling thunder echoed from the darkness of the forest, a thunder that did not come from the cloudless night sky. The Apprentices turned as the sound swelled through the creaking trees and shifted into a roar.
“What was that?” one Apprentice choked.
Another Apprentice blubbered, “Something’s out there. Something big! Can you feel it?”
“SHHH! It’s going to hear you!” the leader hissed sharply. But he, too, was backing away towards the center of their circle.
They all fell silent. The only sound was the hissing of their breath and nervous shifting of their feet.
AsaHi’s eyes darted in every direction, only to be met with darkness. She couldn’t hear or feel anything, but it was apparent that the rest of them could. The tension in the air was tremendous. Fear rose as thick as fog.
That’s when she finally heard it — a low, throaty growl. It seemed to be coming from every direction all at once, vibrating through the very fiber of her soul. AsaHi had faced many creatures in her wanderings. She had seen her fair share of close calls. But something about this sound was unnatural, unlike any animal she had ever heard.
Squinting into the darkness, AsaHi could make out a pair of slitted teal eyes watching them from the nearby tree line. Her body froze, staring with terror into the unearthly glow.
“Noooo… noooo…” someone moaned.
With a jolt of panic, the men behind her began to shove each other, sending her stumbling straight towards the teal-eyed creature. AsaHi shouted and fell forward, her breath whooshing out of her lungs as she caught herself on her palms. Staring up, she could see the eyes focusing down on her. They were glowing coldly, only a few feet away.
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!
The growl grew louder, thundering into a soul-freezing roar. AsaHi heard her own scream rip through the night as she flung her arms up to protect her head. She could feel the motion of the creature stalking closer. And then…
In complete astonishment, the girl watched the blurring shadow leap from obscurity, straight over her, to land among the Apprentices. As their shouts mingled with animalistic snarls, she managed to gather enough sense to run.
AsaHi fled, stumbling over the rocky hill sides, dodging through trees and bushes in the darkness. Tree limbs raked at her face and pulled at her tattered clothes. The night’s darkness shifted and reeled at her feet, closing thickly behind her. Her flight was blind, sending her tumbling and rolling down steep inclines, terror riding her every step.
Taking a wrong turn on a narrow ledge, she suddenly found herself without footing. AsaHi’s body met air as she cartwheeled and fell on a mossy rock outcropping below, where she sat dazed and exhausted, trying to catch her breath. A welling of fearful discouragement rose in her heart. She was still alive… but that was about all she really had at the moment.
I’ve lost my packs… my food… my map. It’s all gone… and I have no idea where I am or where I’m going.
AsaHi’s body ached fiercely as she pushed herself up, daring to peer around. Not too far away, she saw a sheltering shelf of stone in the rocky hillside with a narrow crawling space tucked underneath. Her hands and knees were raw and scratched, but she knew she couldn’t remain out in the open, not with the creature still lurking out there. She began to pull herself towards it.
From behind her, she could hear the low-throated growl. She hefted herself forward into the crawling space and froze as the sound vibrated down into the little hollow where she hid. To her horror, the pair of teal eyes watched her from above — she was cornered.
Much to her surprise, the creature did not move. The eyes simply watched from the shadows. A strange sensation swept over her as she stared into the teal lights. It felt as if something was trying to coax her to sleep, and she was too exhausted to fight it. Soon, numbness crept over her body. Then her eyes closed and AsaHi was swept into a deep, soundless slumber.
