Nightmare 2

So…...en!

…...Ren!

"SORREN!"

Sorren's eyes opened wide and he jumped up. He gasped for air and looked around. There was no sign of fires or blood-soaked walls. He didn't see a towering wolf either. Just the peaceful green meadow, and the glowing sun. He looked around him. Callie and Cale were patting his arms in worry, Jean was also looking worried.

"You alright there lad? Looks like you had a bad dream" Sorren breathed in slowly before letting it out. He sat up and crossed his legs, he nodded at Jean's words.

"Right...that was...all a dream," He said quietly. Jean glanced at him before throwing something behind him.

"Hey catch" Sorren flinched and barely caught a ruby red apple. "You haven't had breakfast yet right?" Jean said. Sorren nodded and took a bite. Refreshing juices seeped into his mouth as he chewed. He found his nerves relaxing.

"we're pulling up along the border, take a look," Jean said grinning as he pointed in front of him. Sorren and his siblings leaned against the wooden wagon and caught sight of a massive hill. The dusty road on which they walked on ran straight up the hill, thin trees with bright colored leaves aligned at the top. It was the Eldin Forest. A border that separated the capital villages and the suburban villages.

"Whoooa mountain hill! Big mountain hill" Callie shouted her chubby cheeks filled with apple bits. Cale nodded "mm...mm" He pointed towards the hill excitedly. Sorren smiled at his easily excited siblings. Jean chuckled "After this, we'll be approaching the capital villages, Let me tell ya, youre in for a surprise there"

"You've been there before Jean?" Sorren asked curiously. He only heard about them from other villagers, but not much. He'd never been them himself.

"Hm? Sure have...guess this ya first time huh lad?"

"Yes," Sorren replied

Jean smiled. "For us commoners, it's kinda like a safe haven there. I've been there a couple of times due to delivering wheat loads up there. It's completely different from our o'l village. They got real windows with glass, chimneys for heating up fires, and they even got warm clothes, it's quite the paradise" Jean mused.

Sorren was shocked "Are their fire affinities in the village!" He asked excitedly. Jean laughed "Nah, ya see they got new technology imported from the nobles. They're called Runes. They are large stones embedded with different affinities. Each home has 1 rune of the family's choice. Runestones are imported from the Northern Kingdom as that's where they are created."

Sorren frowned. "Why do we not have runes, were part of the kingdom too right" Jean smiled bitterly. "That's just how life is Sorren. If ya ain't born with luck, reality is going to give you ah good lashing. It's better not to question it lad, lest ya end up on a nobles bad side" Jean said the last bit with disgust, his hands clenching the reins.

Sorren stayed silent, feeling the change in the atmosphere. The horse carriage rocked gently as they went up the border.

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*Crrrack*

*Tap* *Tack*

"Uuuurgh" I groaned. My senses were a bit groggy, but I could hear the faint crumbling of small rocks around me. My body twitched, surmounts of aching coursed through my body like a wave, making me groan once more.

'Ow ow ow. That hurts...Well, I did fall pretty high. doesn't feel like anythings broken though' I thought. I tried to look around yet I couldn't see anything. 'Hm? Oh right open your eyes Yuiji' I thought. Yet, my eyes were already opened.

'Huh? I can't see anything! NO! MY 40-40 VISION!' I tried to open my eyes wider, but it was still pitch black.

'W-wait maybe if I maneuver myself I can probably adjust better' I thought nervously.

In my haste, I tried to move my body. Yet, I was immediately yanked back down.

"EH?" I tried once more and was met with the same result. I even tried moving my arms and legs, but they too felt like they were being pulled down.

"What the- did someone tie me up!"

" I was only unconscious for….NOT THAT LONG!" I shouted loudly, my voice echoing. I flinched, for some reason, I felt like that was a bad idea. I didnt know where I was and not being able to move was a huge problem for me.

"Ok, Yuiji! maybe I just need to wait until my eyes adjust, I mean, after all, I suddenly fell through a dark place, so my vision probably couldn't keep up!" I nodded satisfactorily. Once my vision clears, I can essentially figure out what's tying me down.

"....."

Minutes passed yet I still couldn't see anything. It was dead quiet, I couldn't help but feel anxious.

After a while, I snapped.

" ITS NOT WORKING!!! I shouted, once more my voice echoed. No matter how long I waited I still couldn't see anything. That meant, this cave was so dark that not even my clear vision was enough to see through it.

'O-OK calm down. What do I do…" I pondered deeply on this. '

[Mono 1]: Perhaps get a feel for the situation.

[Mono 2]: Can't think on an empty stomach.

[Mono 5]: Could papa be in this dark and scary place? It's so dark and lonely, he must be terrified!

'OK! First, I need to see what it is I'm attached to. I twitched my fingers. Though my entire body was stuck, I could still move my fingers and toes.

*Boing* *Boing*

'It feels...Sticky...and elastic….like thread…' I thought as I repeatedly tapped on the sticky fibers. My entire body slowly bounced upon my fingers' movement. Whatever it was, me poking it caused little vibrations.

"Haha, it's like I'm in some sort of spider web…." I said. Then I paused as the ominous thought dawned on me.

'Ha...ha...um....what if I am in a spider's web...n-noway right, maybe it's just something else really sticky'

Just as I tried to deny the thought. My body suddenly was bouncing….very very erratically.

"aAaAaAaAa….WhAt...I-Isssss...Thaaaaat" My voice vibrated as I bounced along. Suddenly the tremblings stopped, but the relief did not course through me. It was because I felt an ominous presence, like being in the presence of a hunter, and I the prey.

I said nothing, my eyes glued to one spot in the darkness, the direction in which I felt a presence. I breathed slowly, a waft of a very peculiar smell filtering through my nose. Then, it moved slowly towards me. I couldn't see nor hear anything, yet I felt like something was approaching me.

I felt it directly near me, like right near my arms.

*CRUNCH* I flinched horribly. A sharp piercing pain shot through my arm like a bullet. "AAAAAGH" I screamed. Something was biting my arm, I could instantly feel something foreign coursing through me.

'P-poison, I'm gonna be spider food!' I thought. If this was indeed a spider, then the only thing in this world that fits the description would be an Arachna. That can explain the thick webs that are pretty difficult for even me to get out of. Yet, an Arachna was pretty small like normal house spiders, so how was this able to hurt me to this extent?

I tried to move my other arm to get out of its bite, but the web was too tight. I felt my vision blurring, Arachna poison was pretty deadly. If bitten by an Arachna it slowly shuts down your magic circuits and damages your core. Then it slowly attacks your heart until you die.

" ALRIGHT! HEAVE HO!" I put the last ounce of my strength in ripped my other arm from the web. Then I flexed my fingers into claws and scratched at the Aracha bitting me.

My claws connected with flesh, easily tearing through it.

*SCREEEEEE*

The Arachna roared in pain and immediately let go of me. It must have run off because I instantly no longer felt its presence. Like it faded into dust. I proceeded to tear through the other webs and my body fell.

*THOOMP* I fell on my back, I was no longer able to maneuver my body correctly.

Various shapes and colors accented my dark vision.

"Hmph...urgh" I felt nauseous and was constantly heaving. Eventually, I vomited. The irony taste of blood lingering on my tongue.

"Huuuck...ergh...huugh" I struggled to breathe, the sound of my heart was like a loud drum, with every beat my head throbbed. I clenched my eyes shut and slowly, with much difficulty, lifted my claws to my pierced arm.

'N-need t-to get rid of it…' I thought, but even my thoughts were all jumbled up. I gripped at my arm tightly and slowly slid my nails down, I could feel the trickling sensation of blood, as it oozed down my arm.

Drops of blood pittered and pattered on the ground. I felt myself submerge into the darkness, my mind going blank.