A Woman in the Woods
"I swear it felt like there was something scary watching us," Kael muttered.
Rell loosened his stance, his fear leaving him, slightly. "Yeah, it does. But standing here like statues won't help us."
Kael nodded, his eyes darting toward the direction the brick path was in. "Let's check the wagon again. If we don't find anything, we'll have to follow those footsteps."
They both turned to look at the large footsteps that went from where the bodies had been to a deeper part of the forest.
Rell didn't reply, but his face twisted into a frown. Both men knew the decision to follow the massive tracks wouldn't end well.
As they turned toward the wagon, a woman's loud scream came from the forest.
"Help me! Someone, please!"
Kael froze, the cry for help echoing through the woods and chasing the birds away. His head whipped toward the direction of the voice, his heart racing.
"Someone's out there!" he said, already taking a step forward.
Rell grabbed his arm. "Wait." His voice was unusually serious. "Think about this, Kael. That scream? It could be a trap."
Kael hesitated, then he looked down at his fragment. Its slightly ticklish pulse in his wrist confirmed Rell's suspicion, something wasn't right. He clenched his teeth feeling frustrated.
How could he just ignore the loud screams of a woman calling for help?
"We can't just ignore it," Kael argued.
"And we won't," Rell replied. "But charging in blindly will only get us killed. Let's stick to the wagon first. We'll figure out the scream after."
Reluctantly, Kael nodded. They cautiously moved towards the path. But as they walked, the trees seemed to close in tighter around them. The path back to the wagon seemed longer than before, they should have arrived by now.
Kael's breathing quickened as he realized they were trapped in another loop.
"This forest... it's playing games with us," he muttered.
Rell's expression darkened. "We're being trapped. Whatever's out there is toying with us."
Kael gritted his teeth feeling very irritated. All he wanted was to reach the capital and find his sister, why were all these things getting in his way?
Regardless, they continued moving forward, determined to reach the wagon or find something to break the illusion. Then, just as their frustration was about to boil over, they saw something up ahead.
Instead of the wagon, they came upon a massive tree. Leaning against the tree was a woman.
Her clothes were torn all over and and covered in blood, her hair was a tangled mess. She looked up at them with wide eyes full of tears, her lips trembling as she spoke.
"Please," she said weakly. "Help me."
Kael and Rell exchanged a glance, both were cautious. But there was no denying the fear and desperation in her eyes.
"Who are you?" Kael asked slowly.
The woman's voice cracked as she answered. "My name is Selina. I'm a merchant. I and my colleagues were attacked... corrupted creatures. My whole group... they're all dead." She broke into sobs, holding her left arm that seemed to be injured.
"A merchant? You wouldn't happen to be with the slavers we found earlier?" Kael asked, ready to strike her where she stood, if he could master the courage to do it that is.
Selina's eyes widened in horror. "No! I swear, I'm part of the Merchant's Guild." She reached into a pouch at her side and produced an ID card, its official seal glinting in the faint light.
Kael studied it carefully, finding no reason to doubt her claim.
All merchants had to be registered in the Merchant's guild to be allowed to sell in the kingdom. Slave traders could not register in the guild as slavery in the kingdom was illegal.
Beside Kael, Rell had already taken off his long coat and put it over the woman's bare shoulders.
"Here," he said gently. "This should help."
Kael raised an eyebrow, surprised by the driver's sudden shift in demeanor. Rell's usual attitude had been replaced by a gentlemanliness.
"Thank you," Selina murmured with a voice shaky.
Kael crossed his arms. "Selina, you said your group was attacked. Do you have any idea what killed them?"
She shook her head. "It was... something. We never saw it. Every time we stopped to rest, someone would turn up dead. The last thing I remember was running. Then... I don't know."
Kael's eyes narrowed. Her story had too little details to understand what was going on.
"We're stuck in this forest too," Rell added. "Whatever's out there doesn't want us to leave and we keep appearing back at the same spot."
Selina's face paled even further. "Then we're doomed."
"Not yet," Kael said with a determined look. "We'll get through this. That's the only way you should see it."
Rell nodded. "Stick with us. We'll figure it out."
Kael couldn't help but notice Rell's overly reassuring tone. He gave the driver a skeptical look but said nothing.
With Selina following, they moved through the forest again, choosing a random direction in the hopes of breaking the cycle. But as expected, they soon found themselves back at the bloody clearing, where the bodies had been.
The sight was even worse than before. The blood had spread further, staining the grass around in red and making the area look like something straight out of a horror film.
Kael tightened his grip on Ignis, making sure he was ready for any surprises. "We're not getting out of here without a fight, it would seem."
Just then, a loud roar came from the direction the large footsteps were headed to. The roar shook the ground beneath their feet. The sound was lie that of a wild animal, filled with rage and hunger.
Kael's heart pounded. "Whatever's been playing with us just made itself known."
Rell unsheathed his sword. "Stay close," he told Selina. "And don't do anything stupid."
Kael glanced at the woman, noticing her trembling hands. "Rell's right. Stick with us, and we'll protect you."
The roar came again, closer this time. The ground trembled, and the air shook. Kael took a deep breath, readying himself.
Whatever was coming, it would be far more powerful than anything he had ever seen before.