Chapter 2

Outside of the walls, Rae took every opportunity she could to swing her father’s sword at whatever she could find. That being a random tree, or a couple of bushes but still being overally cautious about damaging the blade. Now having that blade gave Rae a great amount of confidence while outside of the walls of Alencia, she now had a way to protect herself from harm. With this new form of protection, Rae spent her time outside getting as close as she could to any creatures she could find, no fear that they would harm her, just pure fascination. Every time she found a creature, instead of watching from a distance to fill in her journal, she got up close, even going as far as to pick the creature up if she can. Picking up the creatures made Rae realize that all of the stories that were told to her as a child, all of the tales of the creatures outside of the walls, the tales that all of them were dangerous, weren't true. This then lead to her wondering how true the tales about the more dangerous creatures were, if they were as dangerous as she had been told. Yet still, even with the sword, she was not yet brave enough to get up close to a dragon or an imp or even a Minotaur.

Rae spent hours outside of the walls, recording every little detail she could find about each creature she came across, spending as much time on each page as she could. Even the pages she thought she'd finished, got even more details added to them as she was able to see them up close, able to see a few mistakes she'd made about them. One creature she picked up, she realized she'd gotten it completely wrong. When she first wrote the page, she'd written that they were vicious, cruel little creatures with teeth almost like needles. As she cuddled with this creature she got a better look at it and noticed that it wasn't how she first perceived it as. It was just a friendly, cuddly ball of fluff. While updating the page, Rae heard some footsteps moving towards her. As they moved closer towards her, the sounds of the footsteps slowly began to sound like hooves and a lot of them moving together. Rae's heart skipped a beat as the rhythmic thud of hooves grew louder and louder, her eyes widening with a mix of excitement and fear. She hastily closed her journal and grabbed hold of her fathers's sword. Peering through the foliage, she caught a glimpse of something magnificent yet terrifying for the young girl. A group. No, a heard of minotaurs approaching. Their towering figures and muscular frames sent a shiver down Rae's spine, the memories of the last time she'd encountered one ran through her mind. Panic surged within her, threatening to paralyze her every movement. She clutched the sword in her hand, terrified of what could happen, of what they could be capable of doing. The old tales of the minotaurs, fierce and formidable, began to replace the memories that were plaguing her mind. But amidst the fear, an ember of curiosity still flickered within her. What were they really like? Were they as savage as the stories proclaimed? With a deep breath, she went to take a step towards them but quickly stumbled backwards as the piercing orange eyes, of what seemed to be the leader of the heard, were staring right towards her. The intensity of those eyes bore into her soul, seemingly weighing her worthiness to stand in their presence. Rae's heart raced, her mind torn with retreat and standing her ground with the beast. However, just before she could make any sort of decision, the minotaur turned it's head away from Rae and towards it's heard, seemingly saying something to them. As soon as the Minotaur stopped speaking, they marched off again, leaving Rae alone. For a moment she relaxed, taking deep breaths to calm herself down, until she realized what direction they were heading in. They were heading towards her village. In a panic, Rae gathered up all of her belongings and frantically ran after the heard, worrying about what business they had there.

As Rae neared her village, she couldn't shake off the strange feeling that ran through her body as she walked through the eerie silence of the forest. The heard of Minotaurs she'd been following had changed their pathing, veering away from the direction of her village. A mix of relief and curiosity washed over her. What had caused their sudden change in direction? Was there something in the village that deterred them? Determined to uncover the truth, Rae quickened her pace, heart pounding in her chest as multiple theories ran through her mind at the exact same time.

When she finally reached the outskirts of her village, a sight awaited her that sent chills down her spine. The usually bustling and vibrant village now stood deserted, engulfed in an unsettling stillness. The homes were empty, doors ajar, and the familiar sound of laughter and conversation were replaced by an unsettling silence. Rae's pulse quickened, her mind racing with worry for her family and her friends. What had happened in her absence? And where were the villagers? Her mother, her teacher, her friends, all of them no where to be seen and as Rae wandered the deserted village, already assuming the worst had happened. Already assuming they were dead.

Eventually she found someone. As she approached them, she noticed a few more people, but each and every one of them were stood still, no movement whatsoever. Rae's heart sank at the eerie sight, her steps cautious as she slowly moved towards the people. She called out to them, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and hope, but alas she received no response. Not from a single one. She reached out, gently touching the shoulder of the nearest person, only to feel an unnerving coldness radiating from their body. It was as if the life had been drained from them, leaving nothing but empty shells frozen in time. Panic set in, and she frantically searched for any sign of what had happened to her village, or any sign that someone had survived.

She explored further, hoping to find any sort of clue as to what had happened, who had done this and most importantly how can she help. She soon discovered something, strange markings etched onto the ground, consisting of symbols she had never seen before. They seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, hinting at a dark and mysterious force that had swept through the village. These markings were accompanied by two lines of faint foot prints, which she followed but gradually faded as she followed then through the village. As she looked at them more closely, she noticed that they had clearly come from two completely different creatures. One had come from something with the same shaped feet as her, while the other was clearly made by something with hooves. The only creature that Rae could think of with hooves were the minotaurs, then remembering the minotaurs that she had seen earlier. Could have one of them helped cast this curse through her village? Who did the other foot prints belong to? Determined to unravel the truth and find a way to bring life back to her loved ones, Rae vowed to embark on this new journey. A journey that would take her beyond the boundaries of her village and into the realm of ancient legends and forgotten magic.