Chapter 15 – Run away

As I venture deeper, the air carries a blend of earthy scents and the subtle fragrance of strange flora.

My senses are heightened, attuned to the symphony of unfamiliar sounds that echo through the woodland.

The trees, their trunks adorned with moss and lichen, create a maze of shadows that dance with the shifting light. My progress is marked by the rhythmic thud of my boots against the soft forest floor.

I spot peculiar fruits hanging from branches, their vibrant colors catching my attention. One type resembles a luminescent orb, emitting a soft glow that hints at an otherworldly energy.

Another appears to be a cluster of crystalline berries, refracting the dappled sunlight into prismatic patterns. I pluck a few of these fruits, wondering what I am going to call them in my book.

As I am plucking the last one, I hear strange voices come from deeper in the forest. Hiding behind the thick foliage, I strain to listen.

"Blast it! We've lost their tracks again. How are we supposed to report back without any findings?" A male voice says, guttural and low. My eyes widen. They sound human…

"They are elusive… I never thought tracking two dimwits would be such a challenge," a female voice chime in, irritation marking her tone.

"Perhaps they possess some magical trickery?" A third voice chime in.

"Magical trickery?" The woman laughs, "Or maybe it's just your incompetence shining through."

"You watch your tongue! Tracking in this forest is no walk in the park-"

"Enough you two." The first male voice says, sending shivers down my spine. "If we don't find them we will get more than just some tongue slashing. She will carve our hearts out, so how about we stop fucking around and find those two?!"

The voices fade away as the mysterious figures move deeper into the forest, I swear they are moving away from where Mila and I are… but I can't be for certain with my shitty direction skills.

I wait for countless heartbeats before making my way back, looking at the marks I've left behind.

They mentioned a "she", there is no doubt in my mind that these people are sent from the spider queen herself. But why sending people after us when she could have come out herself and probably kill us on the spot?

I want to scream from the frustration but I keep going, my walk turns into a frantic run towards Mila. After what feels like forever I see her waving towards me from the clearing with the runes.

"I did it!" She screams.

I hush her with my hands, looking around and hoping the three people didn't follow me or hear us. "I deciphered it," she smiles and gives me a heartwarming thumbs up.

I don't wait for her to tell me and I grab her, hissing her up to my shoulder like a sack of potatoes before I start running north, or where I think it's north, as far to those people as possible.

"What the fuck!?" Mila shrieks, "Put me down!" She clutches the book to her chest – scared of it falling in our run.

"We're followed, so keep quiet."

"How do you know?" She mumbles. Protesting as her body slams against my shoulder at every step I take. "The runes, I deciphered them! Someone wanted us to know we were being followed."

I frown, none of this was making sense.

"It says," Mila continues and does not keep her tone of voice quiet at all. "You're followed."

So the mysterious figure who was spying on us yesterday was trying to help? I can't even elaborate the thought into words that a sudden and thunderous crack shatters as a bullet whizzes through the air, missing me by a hair's breadth.

The unmistakable echo of the gunshot reverberates through the enchanted trees, sending birds into a panicked flutter.

I instinctively drop to the ground, my heart pounding in my chest as I send Mila rolling on the ground in front of me. The bullet lodges into a nearby tree trunk with a resounding thud, embedding itself into the bark. My eyes widen in shock as I realize the gravity of the situation.

From the depths of the forest behind us emerge the figures whose voices I had overheard earlier.

Three menacing silhouettes, armed and ready for action – The first, a towering and broad-shouldered man with a rugged appearance. His face bears the scars of countless battles, and a grizzled beard frames a stern expression.

"Look who we have here, Elvira."

Elvira, the woman next to him, licks her own red plump lips. Her attire is just simply skimpy, her breasts barely hidden by the thin layers of fur wrapped around her body. Her attire suggests a nomadic lifestyle, adorned with various trinkets that glint in the faint light. Raven-black hair cascades over her shoulders, and her eyes, piercing and perceptive, seem to size me up with an air of scrutiny.

"Looks like I was right after all, boss," she says with a laughter. "The rats are here,"

The third figure, a wiry man with a deceptive strength evident in his sinewy frame, completes the trio. His sharp features are accentuated by a pair of calculating eyes, and a hood partially conceals his face, leaving an air of mystery about him. Clad in dark, practical clothing, he exudes a sense of quiet confidence.

"Don't get too cocky yet, Elvira, we haven't caught them yet."

My body aches in protest as I try to stand up. The first man fires another bullet in my direction, purposely missing me.

I look at Mila, she is just in as much pain as I am.

A large moss-covered rock, conveniently positioned nearby, provides a potential hiding spot. As our eyes lock in that fleeting moment of understanding, a silent agreement forms between us.

Without exchanging words, we both gravitate toward the concealing shelter of the mossy rock as bullets start raining behind us.

Mila is sweating, her eyes widen in disbelief as we both try to make sense in what is happening to us. The three figures laughs as they keep firing a bullet after the other, I can hear them walking and their bullets getting closer.

I grab Mila's sweaty hand, and then I start running and pull her behind me. Hand in hand, we plunge deeper into the woods while bullets whiz past us.

Mila screams, her voice pierce through the chaotic bullets over us.

With each passing moment, the relentless laughter of the pursuers and the staccato rhythm of gunfire intensify. 

A sudden, searing pain erupts in my leg, a jolt of agony that feels like my very bones are being scorched. The forest floor rushes up to meet us as the impact sends Mila and I sprawling, a chaotic tumble of limbs.

The bullet's impact reverberates through my entire being, and I grit my teeth against the pain, suppressing the instinct to scream. Blood seeps through the fabric of my pants, staining the cloth a deep, ominous red above the knee. Each beat of my heart seems to pulse through the wound, burning me like a wild fire.

The world around me spins, colors blending into a disorienting swirl.

Mila's voice, urgent and desperate, echoes in the distance. I summon the last ounce of strength to push her away, a feeble attempt to protect her. The forest floor meets me with a harsh embrace, and my vision darkens.

"Go!" I groan, I plea.

As consciousness slips away, the distant sounds of footsteps approach. Rage courses through my veins, fueled by the frustration of helplessness. My grip on reality loosens, and the world succumbs to the enveloping darkness.