Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 9• In the Forest

Orlando groaned as he sat on the floor. His back against the cold, stone wall of the cell. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Suddenly, the cell door opened next to him. Orlando glanced over his shoulder to see the she-elf standing by the door. "I thought I made it clear. Stay away from me before I slid your throat." He threatened. Serena let out a quiet giggle. The young man glared at her. "What's so funny?" He asked her. She smiled at him. "It's nothing," She tells him, "Are you coming?" She asked. "Coming? With you?" Orlando asked her. The she-elf shrugged at him. "Yeah, do you see any other elves here?" She said jokingly. Orlando stood up from the ground. "Why would I go with you?" He asked her, "Because it feels like you're leading me towards my death." He added. Serena frowned at him. "Why would I do that?" She asked him. The young man started to walk towards her. "Well, you people aren't overly fond of the fact that I'm here." He replies. Serena holds up her hand. "No, no, no, my brother isn't overly fond of you being here." She corrected him. She steps aside for him to walk past her. But Orlando wouldn't walk past her. Serena let out a sigh. " I'm not going to kill you. I am going to take you back to your realm." She tells him. "Then why does it feel like this going to be the death of me?" Orlando asked her. Serena's lips formed an evil smirk. "Maybe it will be." She said. Orlando's eyes widened a little. The she-elf laughed at him. "I'm joking." She tells him. She started to walk away. Orlando frowned at her. She then took a few steps back to look at him. "You can come with me now, or stay the rest of your life in this cell. It's your choice, really." She tells him. The young man walked after her. The two of them geared up and started to make their way out of the caste again. At the front gate, stood Hayes. Serena rolls her eyes at her brother. "You're unbelievable." She tells him, "What are you doing here, Hayes? Shouldn't you be brushing your hair?" Serena asked him. "Very funny." The elf replied. He looked at Orlando for a second before looking back at his sister. "You're not coming with me," Serena said sternly. "I know." He said, "I wanted to give you this." He added. He holds up a necklace with a small white crystal hanging on it. "What's that?" Serena asked her brother. The elven prince shrugged. "It's a goodbye gift from your brother. I enchanted it with good luck." He tells her. Serena frowned at him. "A gift? From you to me?" She said. Hayes glared at her. "Would you just take it?" He tells her. The she-elf took the gift from her brother's hand. "Thanks." She said. Serena and Orlando walked past Hayes. "Be careful!" Her brother called after her. "I will, Hayes." She replied, "I'll be back in a few days." She added.

Orlando walked in front of Serena. The she-elf focused on her surroundings as they hiked through the forest. Only small rays of the moon managed to shine through the branches of the large trees. The brunette boy glanced over his shoulder. "So, you're actually taking me back?" Orlando asked her.
Serena's forest-green eyes met his chocolate brown ones. But no words came from her lips. "Hello?" Orlando said, "I asked you a question. Did you hear what I said?" he questioned. The elven princess didn't open her mouth. "Wow, for a princess you're very rude." He complained. Serena kept looking around them. Orlando rolls his eyes at her. He turns his head back on the road. A twig snapped a couple of feet away from the duo. Serena snapped her head to her right, where the sound came from. Orlando noticed the elven princess was no longer following him. He stopped his pace, turning around again. "Why did you stop?" Orlando asked. Serena scanned their surroundings. Orlando glared at the she-elf for not answering him again. Another twig snapped. The duo focused on the sound. "What was that?" Orlando asked. Serena grasped her sword. "Someone's here." She whispered.
It was silent for a few seconds until a large, dark figure jumped up from behind Orlando. The brunette was pinned against a tree by the creature. Golden, glowing eyes focused on the human. But, it didn't take long for Serena to kick the creature away from Orlando. It landed a few feet away from the she-elf. It growled at her. Serena drew her sword, never breaking eye contact with the creature. The dark figure jumped up at her. The elven princess swung her weapon at it.
The blade almost cut its skin. The creature knocked her into the dirt. Serena quickly jumped up again. Before it could strike again, Serena had her sword pointed at its neck. The dark figure slowly raised, what appeared to be arms. The glowing eyes slowly faded away. "Good one." It chuckled. The voice was male. Was it another elf? The elven princess forced the point of her sword against his neck. "What are you doing in my forest, dog?" She questioned. A smirk appeared on his lips. "New nickname." He acknowledged. Serena forced the tip into his skin. "Answer the question, brat." She snapped at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" The young man in front of her asked.

Serena's green eyes were practically burning into his soul. "Don't make me ask you a second time." She said, now calmer than before. The young man in front of her let out a low chuckle. His eyebrows then furrowed together, changing his expression to a more furious one. His eyes lit up again.
He then grabbed the blade of Serena's sword with his hand, small drops of blood falling from his hand. He tossed away the weapon and wraps his hand around Serena's throat. He backed her up against another tree. The elven princess tried to pull his hand away, but she lacked the strength to do so. "Not so strong now, are you, Princess?" The young man smirked at her. Serena glared at him. "Let go of me, Asher." She orders, using his name for the first time. Asher brushed his thumb over the skin of her neck. "No, don't think I will." He said. He leaned closer to her face. "Let me ask you a question, too, Princess." He started, "What is a human doing in my forest?" He asked her. "First of all, my business is my own," Serena answered.
Asher let out another chuckle. "Elves." He whispered. "Second of all, this isn't your forest," Serena added. "Isn't it?" The werewolf asked her. Serena kept her deadly glare on him. "So what's a princess like you doing here all by yourself protecting a human? Where's your overly arrogant brother?" He asked her. "Probably looking at himself in the mirror," Serena replied. The werewolf let out another chuckle. Asher raised his other hand to brush his fingers over the soft skin of her cheek. "Tell me why he's here." The young man asked, now politer. The she-elf tilted her head slightly. She put on a fake pout. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She replied. Asher growled at her and tightened his grip around her neck. Serena let out a small whimper. "What is it doing in my forest?" He asked again. "Uh, I have a name." Orlando cut in. The two mystical creatures glared at the human behind them. Asher rolls his eyes before he turned back to Serena.
"Why?" He asked again. He tightened his grip once more. "Technically, this isn't your forest," Serena said. "Don't go there, Princess. You know what happens when I get angry." He replies. "You sit on your father's lap and let him pet you until you're calm again?" Serena questioned. Asher let out another chuckle. "If you won't answer to me. Then maybe you will answer my father." He said. He roughly pulled Serena away from the tree.