Lost

It was just another day in the forest for Anastasia while she was collecting herbs. She held her basket full of different green leaves and gracefully walked among the huge trees. It was the blood moon today and was the day when the tribal nomads went rogue in the jungle and hunted for flesh. They would become cannibals just this day and wouldn't spare any human who appeared in their path.

Anastasia had to finish her work and head home since it was not safe for her at this hour. It was almost sunset and the tribes would arrive any minute. She rushed all around for the last one of the herbs she was looking for.

Just one more, because Lisha had begged for it an hour ago when she had visited the store. It sure was a rare one; the White Snakeroot. She had asked for it for the sake of her father who got bitten by a snake while he was collecting firewood in the forest. She had to hurry because if she is late either she might get killed by the tribes or even if goes back alive Lisha's father would be dead already.

At last she did find it; it was just three steps away from her. She just needed to pluck some of them. She moved forward but had to retreat back as she heard the shouting noises headed her way. She was sure it belonged to the tribes. She went behind a tree and hid herself from them. She saw them as they passed in front of her. They were carrying a man; he looked almost the same age as her, maybe a few years older. The tribes were carrying the unconscious person only for one specific reason. For the sacrifice .

Anastasia could have run away and escaped from the eyes of the tribes. But, her conscience was more stronger than the urge to save herself. She slowly went and grabbed the herb that she was looking for and followed them hiding behind the trees. Sprinting from one to the other at an inhuman speed. Being a person who had dedicated her whole life to helping others, Anastasia was not ready to let the person die for no reason.

The tribes went to their hideout and placed the man's body into the cage. She slowly went behind the cage and sat down placing the basket beside her to look at the person clearly. He was gorgeous. His body laid there in peace and his face... Oh his face, she had not once seen a face so handsome as his. His lips were slightly parted and one of his hands supported his head like a pillow. She took a moment to admire the features of the masterpiece in the cage.

Suddenly his eyes fluttered open and a pair of brown eyes were staring into her soul. He opened his mouth to ask her something but she shushed him and whispered, "If they know that I'm here they will kill both of us so be as quiet as possible". He nodded and slowly got up and slightly peeked at the tribes who were busy dancing around the fire prior to the sacrifice they had planned.

"Close your eyes" she said and he did what was said to him. After a few minutes she asked him to open his eyes and he was shocked when he opened his eyes.

Some of the rods of the wooden cage had fallen down more like cut down and were on the ground. He was surprised as to how she did it but at that instant he wanted to escape from the creepy place. So, he just followed her as she grabbed her basket in one hand and his hand in the other and ran.

Both ran away from there glancing back every now and then to see whether someone was chasing them. They reached the city and went in. Now they were safe but Anastasia's work was yet to be finished. She rushed to Lisha's house and gave her the herbs she had asked for. She made the boy hide from Lisha since she wasn't ready to introduce him to her as even she herself didn't know who he was.

After Lisha closed the door, Anastasia called out for the boy by whistling and he came out. "Follow me" she said and he obeyed her. Both of them walked on the dark road. She walked forward and he followed her like a lost pup looking at all the houses on his either side.

They reached her house and she led him into the hall as she made him sit on one of the chairs. It was not very big nor was it too small. It was just the right size for her to live. She had closed the shop in the back of the house. She adjusted the lamp which she kept in front of him and sat across from him.

"So, who are you ?" Anastasia asked, looking at the boy. "I don't know," he said.

"Don't joke around with me. I did save your life but that doesn't make me a friend of yours. I can kick you out at this moment if I want to" she said in a threatening tone to which the boy started sweating. For a moment she looked very dangerous and the fact that she had somehow broken the thick wooden bars of the cage was proof.

"I swear, I don't know. The last thing I remember was waking up beside a huge dragon-like serpent thing at the banks of a river. And then I started walking into the forest. After I had walked for an hour someone held some flower to my mouth and I blacked out. Next I woke up to see your face" he said trying to convince the dangerous woman in front of him. She narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

"So, you are telling me that you lost your memory and the last thing you remember is that you were in a river along with a Leviathan?" she asked. "What is a Leviathan?" he asked to which Anastasia sighed. "The dragon-like serpent that you were talking about," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah, exactly!" the boy said, nodding furiously like a child almost making Anastasia smile.

"You don't even remember your name?" she asked him as she cupped her face and leaned on her lap. "My name ?" the boy asked himself and suddenly an excruciating pain started to attack his head which made him shut his eyes tight as he held his head and bent down. Anastasia got worried by the boy's behaviour and started rubbing his back asking him if he's okay.

A series of blur images started appearing in his head and he heard a faint sound, "Ness". "Ness?" Anastasia asked with raised eyebrows. "Yeah, Ness. I think that's my name" he said, breathing heavily as he stared at the ground. He was not sure what was going on with him but he was sure that this place was not his home. He was scared that if he stayed here any longer, he would never remember who he really is.

"Okay, Ness, I have some of my brother’s clothes which might fit you. There's an empty room on the right and you can sleep there. Tomorrow we'll go search for that river you were talking about. I think I know where it is. If we go there, we might bump into someone from your family who would be searching for you" Anastasia said as she got up from her seat. "Wait here" she said and disappeared into the room to the left. Ness guessed that it was her room. She came back with a set of fresh clothes.

"The bathtub is over there," she pointed to the room behind him. "Go wash up and come. I'll prepare something for both of us to eat" she said with a smile.

That small welcoming smile caught Ness off guard. He expected her to be colder than ice itself but here she was showing that she cared. Something stirred inside Ness's head but he shrugged it off. He nodded and went to the room she had pointed earlier but he stopped and swiftly turned back to her.

"Your name? You never told me" he said. She smiled again and said, "Anastasia". That smile of hers again caught Ness's attention. Her smile was something anyone rarely saw because she never pretended. She was one of those people who would give up their life rather than to pretend to be something they are not, even if it displeased their audience. Not that she doesn't lie. She will lie only if she has to save someone's life, not otherwise.

Ness was in the bathtub as he laid his head back and closed his eyes. He tried to remember his past. He had to remember something; anything. Then that beautiful smile started invading his mind. The plump pink lips stretched slightly upward on either side. He wanted to touch them, devour them and claim them to be his.

And in a snap Ness realised what he was imagining. What was going on in his head? He hit the back of his head by himself and cursed. It was high time for him to plan on how to get to his family and he is having intimate thoughts about a girl whom he just met. He put on the new set of clothes Anastasia had provided him and entered the other room.

Anastasia had already arranged the food on the table and was waiting for him. "Come sit," she said, pointing to the chair across her. He sat down like a puppet and both of them started eating. Ness decided to ask her the question that was bugging him from when he met her earlier.

"How did you break the wooden part of the cage?" he asked Anastasia. Her head snapped up at his question. She gulped down the lump of food that was in her mouth and spoke, "You are not that close for me to explain everything I do. We will part ways in the near future anyway and I don't see any good in telling you anything about me. So, don't pry on what kind of a person I am. It's better if you keep your distance and act like a guest which you are one right now".

Her words were harsh but Ness was no toddler to cry over it. Even though she tried to portray anger and annoyance, Ness saw how lonely she was. It was easy for him to read her since she was like an open book. Apart from all this there was still something he could not accept that this girl in front of him broke the wooden bars.

He did not ask any further questions and ate up silently. After the silent lunch both went to bed in the rooms they had agreed to sleep in.

Anastasia lay in her bed thinking of what to do about the stranger she had brought home. She was worried that he might know about her secret. She was not yet sure whether he was a human or a magical being. No human in their right mind would end up at the river in the heart of the forest, that too with a Leviathan unless he is one among the magical beings. She had to be careful around him, so that he doesn't get suspicious.

It was morning and Ness wouldn't budge from the bed. Anastasia was not calling out his name now; she was screaming his name at the top of her lungs.

She had had enough of trying to wake him up the good way. She went inside the bathroom, brought a mug of water and splashed it onto Ness's face. Ness sat up in a jolt wiping off the water from his face.

"What is the matter with you?" he groaned in annoyance. "What is the matter with me? You sleep like a pig that wouldn't wake up. I have closed my shop today just to go find out on how to get you back to your family and you are sleeping like you have no worries in your life. What do you expect me to do?" she asked with anger taking over her.

"I'm sorry" Ness said smiling like an idiot which cooled Anastasia's anger.

"Wash up and come to the table; breakfast is ready" she said and walked away. Ness got up and looked out of the window of the room.

A memory again flashed in his head in which he stood in front of a man in armour. He was standing in the middle of an arena and people were cheering something which was not clear to him and the flash back stopped. The sudden flashes of memory were getting him anxious. He wanted to know more about his past but God had his own plans for him.

He washed up and went to the dining room to have breakfast with Anastasia. Both Anastasia and Ness had breakfast in silence and in no time they were in the forest headed to the river that Ness had mentioned.

"So, do you remember if you are human or a magical being?" Anastasia asked as they walked among the tall trees. Anastasia was not sure which way the river was. So she had brought jam in a big bottle. She took a leaf from the trees and stuck it to the tree by applying jam to it as they moved further into the forest. She didn't get any answer from Ness for a long time which made her turn to him and find him licking his fingers.

"What are you eating?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "The jam you are applying to the leaves. Why do you waste it applying it to trees and leaves? Give it to me if you don't want it" he said to her.

"Ness!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs that the whole forest vibrated. She dropped the jar of jam on the ground and sat down holding chunks of hair in both her hands. The jam wasn't even edible. It was made to stick to the bark of trees for a long time and its composition was so that no animal or bird would eat it. Ness had no idea what he had done. He just blinked at her innocently while she was muttering cursing words.

Suddenly the ground started to vibrate in rhythm and Anastasia stood up. Both of them came closer looking around trying to find out what was causing it. The vibration stopped and both of them turned around to find a giant, with a huge log in his hand, staring down at them.

Ness leaned to Anastasia and whispered "What do we do now?” "Run," she said. "Huh?" Ness asked, not sure that what he heard was right. "Run!" she screamed and both ran in opposite directions. The giant started chasing Anastasia ignoring an insanely screaming Ness. Ness ran for a few seconds and stopped when he realised that he was not chased. He turned and saw the giant going after Anastasia.

She had saved him before and this time it was his chance to save her. So, he ran after the giant that was chasing Anastasia. Surprisingly his legs moved way faster than he expected and in a blink of an eye he was right behind the giant who was hitting the log in his hand on Anastasia while she tried to escape it.

Ness picked up a stone as big as his palm and threw it at the giant's head.

As soon as the giant felt the impact of the stone that hit his head he turned around and started running behind Ness. Anastasia slapped her forehead at Ness's stupidity. What was he thinking? Now what? Will he wrestle with the giant? Even Anastasia started to run behind them.

After running for a long time Ness reached a cliff and stopped at the edge. Even the giant stopped a few steps behind him and lifted the log in his hand to smash it on Ness which made Ness cover his face in defence. He waited for the wood to slam on his skin but did not feel an impact at all. He lifted his head up with curiosity and what he saw made him freeze in his spot.

A huge array of fire was aimed at the giant which was burning him and making him scream in pain. Where was the fire coming from?

It was coming from Anastasia's hand.