Chapter 45: The Undergrove (Part II)

Kingdom of Zuland, The South Border, Present day.

  Anaria opened her eyes as she felt cold water slither onto her back. She quickly sat up as droplets of mud rolled down her leg. She winced as a sudden jolt of pain traveled up from her ankle up to her knee. I must've injured my leg during the fall.  

The forest was quiet, shallow of any sound or echo. The surrounding area was a labyrinth of thick trees, all of which shared the width of a carriage. Their large roots protruded out of the ground and water like snakes. 

Behind her was the slope she'd fallen from, its peak hidden under a blanket of darkness. It was too steep to attempt to go back. Even if it wasn't, the Zuland soldiers and that beast were up that way.  A thick musk—no, a fog enveloped everything around her. All that was visible were the trees and the silhouettes of the unknown. She inhaled through her nose in short bursts to avoid gaging at the smell of rot water. She slowly pushed against the hillside. Her attempt to stand was cut short by another sudden jolt of pain from her ankle and up to her thigh. She tumbled and caught herself on the knoll. Roy, Xeto where were they now? 

The marsh had an eerie air about it, brought out by the lack of wildlife. Not a single cricket chirped, as if there was something out there that even they hid from.  

Anaria held her palm over her ankle, focusing her remaining aura on the injury. The warm light of her celestial aura wrapped around her heel as the pain faded. She wouldn't be able to walk on it just yet, seeing as all she could do for now was stifle the aching. She pulled herself up using a nearby stump. Her hand nearly slipped due to a thick slime on its surface. "Uhh." She limped from tree to tree, making sure not to fall over the oversized roots. She sighed. She would have to continue on like this. Out of energy, and nowhere enough to help her heal her ankle. 

The forest showed no end, every tree resembled the last. The silence was now replaced by distant growls and what sounded like howls.

She continued slowly, though the deeper she traversed, the colder the air got. Her teeth jittered as she took another short breath and stopped to rest. Moss now covered her hands. She shook it off as her nose coiled. 

The sound of snapping wood can from behind. 

Anaria froze in place. Could it be? She leaned into a tree and peered behind it. She squinted as her eyes cut through the fog. 

The ceiling of the forest had only small gaps between its leaves, allowing only a fraction of moonlight through. Another disturbance of silence; this time of what sounded like someone dragging their feet through the water.  

A shadowy clump moved slowly in the distance. It drew closer, revealing the shape of a man. 

"Roy?" whispered Anaria, as she leaned in more. The man wasn't close enough to see expose his features. She heightened her voice, maybe he hadn't heard her. "Roy, is that—"

The figure was hunched over, he arched his head back. The thing before her wasn't Roy—far from it, it wasn't even human. Its glowing yellow eyes now stared back at her. Its face resembled that of a human skull, though with the texture of wood. Its head appeared hollow with torchlight coming from its nose and stitched smile 

Her shoulders tensed as she quickly threw her back against the tree.  

Its footsteps drew closer at the speed of a sprint. The monster's heavy wheezing made it sound as if it was in pain. 

Anaria panted as she felt its unsettling presence right behind her. She quickly covered her mouth and pushed harder onto the slime-covered trunk. 

Its long claw-like hand slithered around the tree as the light of its eyes broke the darkness. 

She counted every second as she held her breath, heart thumping at her chest like a war drum. Xeto…Roy…please… This was it, once this thing found her, there would be no running from it, not in her condition. Putting a last prayer to the gods seemed like her only option. 

The gods must have heard her call as a thunderous sound ricocheted throughout the marsh, pulling the monster's attention elsewhere. As if provoked, it growled loudly before running towards the disturbance. The light of its eyes was swallowed by the fog as its wheezing was nothing more than an echo. The thunderous sounds continued, it sounded as if someone was bringing down the entire forest. The sound was distant though it was easy to distinct, the hacking of wood followed by the groaning of a falling tree.   

Anaria slid down the trunk and slowly continued through the darkness, praying for her good fortune to remain, at least for the remainder of the night. The moans of the fallen trees came to an abrupt end, replaced by screeches and howls. 

Heavy thumps seemed to be retracing her steps as they grew louder by the second. 

Anaria pushed herself into a crevice between two large stones. She slowed her breathing once more, trying her best to inhale the stench of algae.

The loud thumps were now joined by the clanking of armor.

 Her heart froze as she saw a threat worse than the last. 

The Zuland demon knight was now a minor distance away, the blue light of its visor ripped through the fog like water through snow. Fresh blood decorated segments of its armor as fresh blood dripped from the blades. Its chest heaved as if out of breath. The way it resembled human behavior was almost convincing, making it hard to believe that it was nothing more than a monster in armor. It looked in all directions slowly, examining everything from branch to stalk of longrass. 

Anaria gasped as the azure light found its way into her hiding place. She quickly pushed herself loose of the stone's grip and ran opposite of the knight. Her pace was nowhere enough to escape as the sound of its footsteps drummed in her ears. Louder and louder they grew, no amount of prayer would save her now. She suddenly lost her footing as her ankle was caught in a lattice of vines. She looked up to find the skeletal demon from before hovering over her. 

Its stitched mouth made it appear as if it was smiling, smiling over having caught its prey before letting out another ear-wrenching screech. 

Anaria whimpered before covering her face with her hands. Roy…Xeto…I'm sorry. Her labored breathing warmed her for the final time as she waited for the end, be it by blade or claw. Gods, I pray you find a place for me in your garden… 

The demon's screech was cut short by the sound of steel piercing flesh. 

Anaria hesitantly peaked through the gap in her fingers. 

The cobalt knight stood above her with its blade in the demon's mouth. A river of blood painted the sapphire steel a deep red as the blade emerged from the back of its throat. 

The unholy creature desperately clawed at its adversary to no avail as its nails couldn't even scratch the paint from the armor. 

The knight impaled its second blade into the demon's torso before lifting it up with ease. There came an unsettling crunch as the knight it slammed it into a nearby boulder, breaking its back.  

The monster's corpse went limp as the yellow flame of its eyes extinguished. 

Anaria turned over to find another two demons charging at her, they resembled their dead companion in almost every way, though these were significantly smaller. 

Mud splashed onto her tunic as the knight quickly freed its blades from its last victim and stepped over her. It swung its arm horizontally, allowing a combination of its strength and the demons' momentum to cleave their heads from their shoulders—like stones they sunk into the murky water seconds later. Was this knight protecting her? No, of course not, it was likely just protecting itself. 

A second another demon appeared from the fog behind the knight.  

"Behind you!" yelled Anaria with a mix of fear and newfound poise.  

The frail demon leapt on the knight's back and began clawing, its aim focused on the nape. 

The cobalt behemoth reached around and took hold of its attacker's head. Another series of crunches and squelches followed as it crushed its skull like a moldy gourd. The knight pulled the wilted body over its shoulder before letting it plop into the mud like a wet cloth. 

Anaria sat up, her hands in a pond of water and blood. She crawled back slowly as the knight continued to eye the surroundings, ready for another attack. She would take this gods-given chance to escape once more. She swallowed her fear as she focused her remaining energy on blocking out the pain from her ankle. 

Distant screeches bounced throughout the trees as a miniscule amount dawnlight peaked through the canopy, with further luck, signaling an end to the darkness-filled night. 

There was a loud clanking of armor followed by a splash. 

Anaria panted loudly as the cold air stung her throat. She continued for a few more feet before her curiosity commanded her to look back. 

The knight was on its knees, slumped over its breath was visible in the cold wind as its chest heaved. The azure flame of its helm was now snuffed out.  

It protected you. No! It's just a monster, nothing more. She grimaced as she eyed it more carefully. Wait. Its…breathing? Anaria recalled the demon from earlier, how regardless of the cold, its breath was never caught in the air. She swallowed hard as she made her way back to the knight. What am I doing? This thing took a blade through the chest, it couldn't be alive. Despite her mind shouting that she turn and run, a sense of pity came over her. "Are you well?" she asked. 

The knight slowly craned its head towards her. "S…safe?" Its deep voice echoed from behind the helm. 

Anaria's eyes widened as her mouth went dry. "What did you say?" 

"Are you…safe," it echoed.  

It can speak? Anaria licked her lips. "Yes, I think I am." She paused for a moment. "You protected me. You…saved me." She knelt down. "Why?" 

It retracked its blades back into the armor before eying its blood-covered hands. "Protect?" 

"Do you have a name?" 

"Name? Lionsla—" It suddenly clutched its head and began screaming in agony as it twisted and turned. 

Anaria took a step back. A pin of guilt pierced her mind as the wails heightened. Wails that sounded human. How was it possible for this thing to sound so human? Upon focusing, she felt a warmth in her, she had regained a bit of her aura. It would be enough to nearly heal her ankle, allowing her to move quicker through the marsh. But what of him? Him? When did I start thinking of it as a 'him'? How could I not? She clenched her teeth as she focused her energy. Her celestial light enveloped her hands, illuminating the knight's features. 

The Lionslayer flinched as she neared him, putting up a hand up in defense. 

The pin of guilt dug deeper; it was odd seeing this brute cower at her touch. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please, I can help." She couldn't explain why or how, but she could almost see his pain through the helmet. She hovered her hands over his temples as he tentatively lowered his hand. Healing others came with a sense to feel a fraction of their pain, especially when it came to distress within the mind. It was like undoing threads of pain, wrapped over one another in continuous knots. Normally she'd find the end to the key-thread rather quickly, loosening it meant curing the mind of its immediate distraught temporarily. She felt a tense grip on her chest. His mind was different, it felt like an infinite web of yarn made up of confusion, pain, anger, sadness, and love. No man could ever survive this type of torture without going mad. So, how was he?

~0~

Anaria rubbed her shoulders as she shuttered. She put her hands over a newborn campfire. It was difficult, but she managed to convince the knight to follow her, she almost had to hold his hand and guide him into a nearby cave. She took in a breath of confidence as the orange light flickered and crackled lightly. She built fires only a few times in the past, a skill that she hadn't imagined using much in her lifetime. They were deep enough so that the flamelight wouldn't reach the outside. Even so, there was a curtain of vines and shrubs covering the entrance, another gift of fortune from the gods. The pain in her ankle had lightened, though not enough for her to continue onward. Her stomach growled loudly as a discomfort set in at the base of her gut. Her aura would have to retore before she could move freely, it would take even longer now that she had no way to stifle her hunger.       

The Lionslayer sat at the edge of the light, his stare locked on the tongues of fire. He was as still as stone, no heavy breathing as before, no twitch from cold, and no sign of uneasiness. 

"You should get closer to the fire, else you catch cold," said Anaria. What am I saying? Was is it even possible for him to catch ailments? Any normal human could fall ill to sickness, but he was far from normal. Even so, what she felt in his mind were emotions, no demon could harbor emotions, that much she knew. Her eyes remained on him. What are you?   

"Flame," he said in a low voice. 

Anaria leaned up closer to him. "What is it? What about the flame?" She eagerly waited for a response that never came. He hadn't said a single word since they'd entered the cave, perhaps this was her chance to unveil more about him. "If you can speak, that must mean you can understand me, right?" Her lips parted. "I know what I felt was human. I don't know how to explain it, but somehow under that armor, you are human. I just want to know the truth. Why did you attack my home? To kill Xeto and the others?" She lowered her head. "You attacked them without hesitation—but then you saved me, why? Was it remorse?"

The knight's attention piqued at the mention of the word. He tilted his head. "Re-morse?" 

"Y-yes," she stuttered. Her words were caught at her throat. Though her sudden surprise was replaced with confidence, confidence for breaking through his shell of silence. "Remorse. It means pain, when you feel pain because something you did."

"Pain," he said as he inched closer to the fire. He put out an open hand above the fire, allowing it to be engulfed in a cloak of flames. 

"What are you doing!" she gasped as she took hold of his arm. "You're going to hurt yourself." She took hold with both hands, though it wasn't enough.

He turned to her calmly. "No…pain."

No pain? She loosened her grip. "How?" she murmured. She sat back as more questions flooded her mind. In such a short time, she had seen so much that she wouldn't have believed had she not witnessed it firsthand. The dead returning to life, demons that made nightmares seem like a delight in comparison, men that could be poisoned with unmeasurable pain—both body and soul, and yet continue on. It was written in an old scripture that the gods created Elsire with an immeasurable amount of questions, questions that would remain unanswered even after the light of torians faded. She now understood that scripture more so than ever, even so, as the scriptures also stated, her ignorance gnawed at her consciousness. 

The knight pulled his hand out of the fangs of the fire, his hand devoid of any damage. He turned it over as a small burst of light floodlit the cave. A small flame now levitated above his palm. Like a child mimicking a parent, it hummed as it mirrored the campfire. 

Anaria as she felt an urge to question the feat, though she refrained as she accepted that uncertainty was the play of the night. Instead, she felt a warmth of awe as he crushed the flame in his palm. 

The flame sizzled as the embers turned a deep blue. He opened his hand in front of her, releasing small orbs of light reminiscent of sapphire fireflies. 

She couldn't help but smile at the marvel. As felt a sudden rush of energy as one of them landed on her arm. One by one, the orbs perched on various parts of her body, sinking into her skin and replenishing her aura. Her muscles eased as the energy coursed throughout her body. She clasped her ankle, conjuring a haze of celestial aura that turned the pain into a memory. She gifted the knight a smile born of her further gratitude. "Thank you." 

He simply nodded. "No more…pain." Like a spooked stag, his head jolted towards the exit. His armor reverberated as he jumped to his feet; steel grinded on steel as his blades unfolded and released from his armor. 

"What is it?" she stammered as her heart began to hasten. 

He took a defensive position as he focused on the exit. In a low growl he answered. "Danger."