As the monster charged at us, Gyles ran toward me, ready to defend me with her shield. I scrambled to my feet and sprinted toward the spot where I'd dropped my sword. Blood gushed from my wounded arm, dripping into the earth, but I didn't let it slow me down.
I turned back just in time to see Gyles block the monster's attack. Her knees buckled under the impact.
"Gyles, we've got to go!" I shouted.
She turned to me and ran without hesitation. I had no illusions-there was no way we could win against that monster. Not with no real experience.
Branches whipped at our faces as we fled, the forest trail narrowing. Behind us, I could hear it-the wet slap of footsteps, the ragged, heavy breathing. I pushed myself harder. It sounded like it was right behind us.
Then I heard it: the rush of a river.
"Gyles, if we keep going, we'll hit a river!" I panted.
She nodded and picked up the pace. We burst out of the forest and saw the river ahead. Gyles jumped in first. I followed right after.
A cry caught in my throat as the icy water slammed into my wound. The current pulled us both downstream. I struggled to keep my head above water.
Behind us, the monster reached the riverbank and shrieked at the edge. It growled and roared but didn't follow.
We were safe for now.
As Theli and Gyles were carried by the waves, they sputtered, struggling to keep their heads above the water. The current dragged them relentlessly downstream.
Gyles spotted a low-hanging branch and grabbed it. "Theli! Grab my hand!" she shouted, glancing back.
Theli, trailing behind her, was bleeding heavily from her injured arm, red ribbons of blood mixing into the river. She swung her good arm forward and caught Gyles' hand. Gyles pulled her in, and Theli wrapped her arm around Gyles' waist. Gyles did the same, holding her tight.
"Watching you run was so amusing," the croaky voice from the shield said, clearly entertained.
"You could've helped us!" Gyles snapped, her tone sharp with frustration as she and Theli hauled themselves onto the riverbank, soaked and gasping.
The feminine voice In the shield laughed. "Even if we could help, we wouldn't. That was some prime entertainment."
Gyles muttered under her breath while Theli flopped onto her back, the sword still in her hand thudding to the ground. She gulped down air in heaving breaths. Gyles sat beside her, knees pulled to her chest. She looked behind them-the trees were thinning.
"Finally, we're getting out of this cursed forest," Gyles said, then glanced at their bedraggled appearance. "We look like hobos," she added with a laugh.
Theli gave her a look like she'd lost her mind, and maybe she had-but it didn't matter now.
Gyles suddenly cried out in dismay. She pulled out her pouch and checked inside. "Nooo... the books are all soaked," she muttered sadly. She let them fall onto the forest floor with a wet plop. "Guess I'm not studying those anymore."
She shrugged off her cloak, realizing walking in a drenched one would only slow her down.
Standing up, Gyles turned to Theli. "Get up. We need to move before that thing learns how to swim." She offered her hand.
"Alright, I'm up." Theli took her hand and got to her feet, wincing and clutching her wounded arm. Blood oozed down, soaking into the ground.
Gyles winced. "That needs healing, fast. You'll get an infection."
They started walking toward the thinning trees. Soon, a dirt path revealed itself between them.
"A dirt path, finally! No more trees!" Gyles said, relief evident in her voice.
But the sound of hooves interrupted them.
Gyles immediately pulled Theli into a nearby bush.
"Why are we hiding? They might help us," Theli whispered.
"We don't know anything about this world," Gyles hissed back. "They might hate people like us."
Theli gave her a confused look. "Better to meet people than run around like headless chickens. We need help, Gyles."
Gyles ground her teeth. "Fine."
They stepped out onto the path, standing just off to the side. Soon, three riders came into view-one a dark-haired woman with long, furred, pointed ears. All three riders had pointed ears and wore ranger-style armor, fur draped around their necks. Their eyes glowed eerily-pupilless.
The man on the black horse eyed them, then leaned toward the woman and said, not nearly quiet enough, "Xyryra, there's a Thorgon and a Therios."
Both girls stiffened. They had definitely heard that.
The woman-Xyryra-turned her gaze toward them. Even without pupils, her stare was piercing.
"State your names," she commanded from atop her horse.
Gyles and Theli exchanged a glance.
"My name is Gyles. Nice to meet you," Gyles said first, forcing a casual tone.
"I'm Theli. Also nice to meet you," Theli added quickly.
Xyryra studied them, her gaze sweeping over Theli's wound. Her expression softened slightly.
"Likewise. I am Xyryra. This is Ellar," she nodded left, "and Varro," she nodded right. "One of you is injured. Tell us what happened-where you came from-and I may heal it."
Gyles nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course."
Xyryra gestured Theli forward. When Theli stepped closer, Xyryra took her arm gently and traced the wound with a finger. As her touch glided over the injury, the skin mended itself, leaving only blood behind.
Both girls stared in awe.
Then Xyryra looked expectantly at Gyles.
Gyles didn't hesitate. "We were living in a village nearby when a monster attacked. It tore through everything. We ran... and ended up here."
It wa' a lie, but it slipped out of Gyles as easily as a breath. They had never lived in a village.
"Damn it. We should have gotten there earlier," Xyryra muttered, her voice low with regret. She sighed, then looked up. "Sorry to hear about your village. We were heading that way-some rangers heard roaring."
She turned to Varro. "Please guide them to our camp."
Varro nodded and turned his horse. Gyles and Theli followed him on foot, while Xyryra and Ellar rode back the way the girls had come.
Gyles glanced back at them, her eyes sharp, tracking every movement.
Theli, meanwhile, walked beside Varro, curious.
"So... what are you?" she asked, pointing at his ears.
Varro gave her a glance. "Elveth."
Theli made a fascinated sound. Gyles internally facepalmed.
'She's going to blow our cover. We don't even know if people like us are common here,' Gyles thought grimly.
"What country are we in?" Theli asked, her tone bright.
Varro hesitated, then answered, "Ishara. Continent is Valdorn."
"And the city you were going to?"
"Sharable. Southwest of here. A bustling city."
His answers were curt, stiff. He clearly felt awkward around them.
After that, the walk was mostly quiet, broken only by Theli's occasional questions and Varro's clipped responses.
As the three of them walked into the camp, another Elveth woman sat off to the side, idly playing with a string tied to her bow. Her ears perked up before her head turned, her brows furrowing as she studied Gyles and Theli with a questioning gaze. Varro caught her look and offered an explanation.
"Refugees from the village. Leader told us to bring these two here," he said, dismounting and sitting outside a tent, his form rigid and straight-backed.
The woman stood and walked toward Gyles and Theli. "Well, since we're all going to be here for a while, you two are going to have to set up camp." She pointed to a pile of camp supplies, clearly indicating they were to get it themselves.
Gyles moved first, and Theli followed. As they picked through the supplies, the woman called out, "Oh-I'm stupid, sorry for not introducing myself. My name's Argyro."
Together, Gyles and Theli laid down a groundsheet and began assembling the poles for their tent. Argyro helped guide them through the process.
Gyles had assumed, as refugees, they wouldn't be expected to do any labor. But Argyro told them this would be valuable later on. Once the tents were up, the girls sat outside them, catching their breath.
"So," Gyles asked, "why are a bunch of Elveth hanging around this forest?"
Argyro responded, "We're Wood Elveth-but I guess Varro forgot to mention that." She glanced toward the other tents. "Sorry about him. He's a little shy around newcomers. As for what we're doing here... That village you came from? We hadn't heard anything in days, so our Verdant Regent assigned Xyryra to lead a squad to check it out. That's when we found you."
She sat down beside the fire, stirring the pot. "But your village wasn't the only one. There are several nearby that work with us. We supply food, clothes, and some of the newer technologies from Sharable."
Gyles noted the mention of new technologies, wondering just how advanced this world really was.
"What year is it?" Theli asked, tone light but curious. Gyles perked up-she hadn't even thought to ask that yet.
"Cycle 998," Argyro replied, focused on stirring the contents of the fire-lit pot. "Why do you ask?"
Gyles and Theli glanced at each other.
'Cycle 998?' Gyles thought. 'Of course they have a different calendar system. Nothing can ever just be easy, can it?'
"Was just wondering," Theli said quickly, trying to play it off. "Almost had a near-death experience, just wanted to make sure I'm still here, y'know?"
Argyro nodded. "Yeah, I know that feeling. I've had too many of those moments. I'm surprised I'm still alive." She tossed some peppers into the pot, mixing with a long wooden spoon.
A relaxed silence settled over the camp as the food cooked and the three sat near the fire. But it didn't last.
The quiet was broken by the sound of hooves approaching at a slow, steady pace. Xyryra and Ellar emerged from the trees, their expressions grim. Gyles and Theli instantly knew why.
Argyro stood, abandoning the pot. "What happened?"
"The village is gone," Xyryra said flatly. "Bodies everywhere, eaten. The only thing left behind was black ink-coating everything."
At that, Gyles and Theli shared a glance, and Gyles stood up.
"So none of you saw the monster that attacked Theli?" she asked.
All the Elveth heads snapped in her direction, their gazes sharp and questioning.
"There was a monster," Gyles explained. "Black, made of the same ink you saw at the village. It injured Theli. We jumped into the river to escape it."
Xyryra's expression darkened. "Shit... we might have a summoner on our hands."
She looked around at the others, and Varro emerged from his tent, alerted by the tone.
"We need to go to the Verdant Regent. Immediately," Xyryra ordered.
The other Elveth sprang into action without hesitation, moving with practiced speed as they packed up the camp.
Gyles and Theli stood off to the side, letting the Elveth do their work. Once everything was packed, Xyryra looked back at them and gave a single nod.
They followed behind the three mounted Elveth as they rode deeper into the forest, both girls wondering what lay ahead.