Evil?

Perry could hardly breathe. If felt like someone was squeezing the life out of his lungs and his heart kept pounding on his chest, demanding he slow the fuck down or they were going to have words. 

Wheezing, Perry eventually gave in to his body's demands and practically threw himself against the nearest tree, letting it support all of his weight. 

"Are we being followed?" Perry panted, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"We are being hunted," Mal informed him casually.

"You know, sometimes, complete honesty is not the best policy," Perry said. 

"Truth," Mal said. "Always the truth. That is what you asked of me."

"Oh." Perry blinked at him and only then realized they were still holding hands. Or, rather, he was still grabbing Mal's hand. He quickly let go and braced it against the tree he was currently hugging. "Right. Yes, I did say that. Thanks. For, you know, doing that."

If his entire body didn't feel overheated and sweaty, he might be embarrassed about how warm his cheeks felt. 

"Cabin," Mal said, tilting his chin in a random direction.

"Cabin?" Perry could barely breathe, let alone think. 

"On the map. There's a supply cabin. We must go there. It will be easier to defend against whatever is hunting us."

"Quick pit stop. Defend. Got it." Perry pushed himself upright and followed Mal. 

Under different circumstances, Perry thought he might have enjoyed a hike through the forest. Sure, he was a city boy through and through, but even a concrete baby like him couldn't deny how beautiful and peaceful the scenery around them was. 

The canopy above them was so dense that only slivers of sunlight managed to push through and reach them. The forest was alive with the sound of birds and insects going about their business, completely oblivious to them. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, but there was also something else - a subtle sweet scent that probably belonged to a flower Perry had never seen and wouldn't even recognize if he did see it. 

Sure, the atmosphere might be a bit eerie. And sure, Perry was maybe imagining that the rustle of leaves could just be the wind, or something strange - and probably dangerous - moving just out of sight. Perry's heart skipped a beat when a twig snapped nearby. Had that been him?

"Follow my steps," Mal whispered and pointed at the ground. 

Perry nodded and understood the unspoken part that he was making too much noise. It also hadn't escaped him that Mal had said 'whatever' was hunting them, not 'whoever'. 

And that wasn't an unsettling thought. Nope, not at all. It wasn't like there were about a million places to hide. Or that in some places the trees grew so close together, that they almost seemed to form an impenetrable wall, blocking out almost all the light. 

They walked in silence for what felt like hours. Mal occasionally stopped, tilted his head to the side as if listening for something, and then started walking again. Perry's movements were clumsier than before and even though he tried very hard to follow Mal's every footstep, he still winced at all the loud noises he made as they picked their way through the forest. 

It was so thin at first that Perry didn't notice. But soon it surrounded them and was impossible to ignore. The fog wasn't heavy or oppressive, but it did make it even more difficult to see the footpath they were supposedly following. 

"Where is this fog coming from?" Perry whispered, leaning as close as he could to Mal. 

"The forest itself. It is very common here." Mal practically glided over the dead leaves and fallen branches. "The tallest mountain is called Foggy Mountain precisely because of this."

Perry nodded to himself. "Wait, do you mean The Great Foggy Mountain Beast lives nearby?" 

At that point, Perry was more than willing to believe it was a real creature. He just wanted to know how close to it they were. 

"Not unless it has relocated. It burrows atop Foggy Mountain." Mal half-turned his face to smirk at Perry. "That is why it is called The Great Foggy Mountain Beast."

Perry glanced down at the creature embroidered in the soft armor he wore. Creative liberties aside, it looked like it had a lot of teeth. And sharp claws. 

"We're not going near Foggy Mountain, are we?" He asked. 

"Not unless circumstance forces us to. It is not only far away, but also very dangerous, the Great Beast notwithstanding." 

"Lovely," Perry mumbled. He made a mental note to find out exactly what those dangers might be. 

In fact, he promised himself that the moment he got back to the Palace - after a very, very long soak in the tub, of course - he was heading straight to the library and burying his head in as many books as it took for him to understand this strange and dangerous world he was in. 

Mal whirled around without any warning and grabbed Perry's armor. But he wasn't quick enough. Something sharp slashed across his back and he let out a yelp. 

In a fluid movement, Mal turned again, pulling Perry along, and pushed his shoulders down. "Don't move."

Perry crouched on the ground, bitting back a painful hiss. Something warm trickled down his back. He was bleeding. The wound stung as his sweaty clothes clung to it and Perry did his best to ignore the uncomfortable sensation. 

A high-pitched giggle circled the trees around them. Goosebumps broke out all over Perry's body and he frantically searched the woods around them with his eyes. He couldn't see anything. The fog thickened and it became difficult for Perry to make out anything around him. He could barely see his own hands. 

It clung to his skin, cold and damp. It made its way into his nose and mouth, making it hard to breathe. And the sounds… all the sounds were gone. 

The forest around them had gone completely silent. He couldn't hear anything other than his ragged breathing. He couldn't hear Mal. Was he still there? Or had he gone off to find whatever it was that was hunting them? 

Perry bit back the urge to call out for Mal. He was still there, he wouldn't just leave Perry there, alone. Bleeding and defenseless. He was still there, right next to Perry. He had to be. 

Sweat dripped down his face. Perry's breathing was too loud, too loud. A hand landed gently on his shoulder. Perry scrambled away from it, pebbles and branches dug painfully into his palms until his back hit a solid trunk. The rough bark dug into his wound and he gasped. 

Something whooshed past him. The giggle echoed again, coming from all around him. It was closer. Perry scrambled to his feet. He swiveled his head and blinked, but all he saw was white. It would reach him any minute now and-

The giggle cut off, replaced by a choked scream. The thick fog dissipated and Perry exhaled heavily as the forest around him took shape again. He never thought he'd be so happy to see all that green. 

But the sight that greeted him made the breath catch in his throat.

"Hello," Mal said to the girl he held by the throat. "You must be new."

"Mal?" Perry couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. It was a girl, a literal girl who looked no older than ten. "Mal, what are you doing?"

"Pl-Please, sir," the girl sobbed and batted pitifully at Mal's hand. "Please let me go."

Mal didn't budge. Perry took a couple of steps toward him, wincing at his stinging back. 

"Do not come any closer," Mal said without looking away from the girl. 

The girl turned her desperate eyes on Perry. "Please, sir. Please, I am sorry for any offense. Please, I was just getting herbs for my mother." She pointed to a fallen basket overflowing with greenery, her movements jerky and strange.

"Mal, let her go," Perry said and took another stumbling step closer. "She's just a scared girl."

"This is most certainly not a scared girl." Mal tightened his hold on the girl's neck and her eyes bulged as her face turned an ugly shade of red. Mal's own face was as impassive as the silent trees around them. "Filthy evil creature."

Perry couldn't reconcile what he was seeing with who Mal was. Or who he thought Mal was. The girl let out a choked sob, her face shifting from red to purple. Her movements slowed, became more erratic, and Perry's stomach sank as he realized Mal wasn't going to let the girl go. Not until she stopped moving. 

"Evil? Mal, let her go. You're killing her!" He ignored the pain that flared up his back and grabbed Mal's outstretched arm. 

The purple-faced girl stopped kicking and choking. She grinned at Perry, her mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. With a single fluid movement, she dug sharp claws into his shoulder and raked them down his arm. 

Perry didn't even have time to scream before Mal pushed him away and threw the girl. Her back collided with an audible crunch against a tree. Perry fell onto his butt but hardly felt the impact. The girl giggled and grinned, her mouth growing, sharp teeth elongating. Saliva dripped from her mouth and a reptilian tail flicked out from behind her. 

"My mistress will love to hear of this. Oh, yes she will. She will! She will!" The girl's giggle turned into a cackle that hurt his ears. Perry felt suddenly weak and glanced at his arm. Blood stained his clothes and ran down in four jagged rivers. "The Red Vengeance is coming! She will reward me, yes, yes, all the delicious human flesh I want will be mine. The Red Vengeance! AHAHAHAHAHA. I just need one tiny bit of proof. What should I take? Your tongue? Your fingers? I know, I know. Your eyes!"

When Perry looked back, something glinted under the faint sunlight that filtered through the trees. Mal held a simple-looking sword loosely in one hand. 

"As I said, you must be new." Mal's tone was flat and uncaring. Sudden coldness spread through Perry's body. 

The girl cackled and launched herself at Mal. Perry knew what was coming before Mal even moved. 

"No!" He shouted, but it was too late. 

Mal slashed his sword in the air once and the girl's body fell limp at his feet. Her head rolled and came to a stop at the base of a nearby tree. Viscous black blood poured from her severed neck, staining the green leaves underneath her. The stench of rotting corpses filled the air and Perry gagged. Her body twitched and with a flick of his wrist, Mal buried the sword into her chest. 

Anger and confusion bubbled up inside of Perry and he barely had time to turn his head to the side before vomiting everything he'd had for breakfast.