Untold

3. Into the Dark

The forest was still and silent around us. Shadows moved in my peripheral vision, but when I turned my head to look at them, all was still. The Rodiac Thicket was the most notoriously haunted and demon-infested woods in all of Carsae. Evaris and I rode in silence. Our horses' hooves on the path were the only sounds. Nightfall was in a few hours, and we'd need to find a place to stop and set up camp before then. 

A shadow darted in front of the horses, spooking Grace. She tossed her head and reared back a little. "Whoa, Grace," I murmured, stroking her mane. It took her a while to calm down. While I stopped, Evaris had moved on ahead. He stopped and turned to look back at me. "Put your armour on," he commanded. "It's going to be dangerous in here." 
"Alright." I hopped off Grace, landing on stiff legs. I pulled the bits and pieces of my armour out of the saddlebags as Evaris came up behind me.

"Do you need help?" He was close. So close I could feel the warmth coming off of him. It was too close. I turned around and almost bumped into him. Evaris was towering over me, staring down at me. Our eyes met. He was still, barely moving. I clutched my armour in my arms, a barrier between us. I tried to move backwards but had nowhere to go since Grace was behind me. He took a step forward, a glint in his eyes. "Uhh... I-I," I stammered. His proximity was making me nervous. "Here, hold these." I shoved the metal into his hands. I started strapping the armour on, taking the pieces from him. He took my sword and various daggers from me, handing them back when I held my hand out.

"Thanks," I smiled once I had finished. He smirked. "What?!" 
"Nothing." He cocked an eyebrow. "Except..."
"Except what?!"
"Well..."
I glared at him. He pulled a dagger out of his belt, whisked me behind him, and threw the dagger. It landed square in the centre of a squat, fat demon's chest. My jaw dropped open. "Well, Iowyn dear," he chuckles. "It seems like me tagging along was a good idea, wasn't it?"
I rolled my eyes and got onto Grace again, who had substantially calmed down. "Let's get going, loser." He scoffed as he led the way down the path.

A few hours later, we stopped in a small clearing. "We'll stay here for the night," he said as he hopped off of Lucy.
"Alright," I sighed. I needed a nap and something to eat. I was exhausted, and my whole body ached in one way or another. He walked around the edge of the clearing, drawing red marks in the air, which floated down to the ground and dissolved into it. "What're those for?" I asked.
He ignored me until he was finished. "They ward against the demons. But the ghosts can get in. They won't be able to harm us, though."
"So it is haunted," I mused. "I thought that was just a myth..." 
"All the myths are real." Evaris suddenly appeared serious. "Especially the ones you think are least likely to be true."
"Oh, so the Demon King's a huge snake-like demon?"
"Of course not. He's only half-demon. If he was a full demon, he wouldn't be able to form proper thoughts, and the whole world would be in chaos."
"What's that supposed to mean?" 
"What do you think it means? Did you see that demon back there?" 
"Oh." I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know so much?"
"Fae are magical creatures. We've got our own realm because we're just so special." As if to punctuate his point, he waved his hand and a small tent appeared in a puff of black smoke. 
"That," I scoffed, "Is all you can make?" 
"Look inside," he smirked.

I pulled the flaps back and ducked inside. It was spacious inside, with separate rooms. The main room had a sofa, a few armchairs, a coffee table and a fireplace. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. I looked around in amazement. The side rooms were two bedrooms and a bathroom. The bathroom had marble floors and a freestanding tub. A gilded mirror hung over the sink. The bedrooms had large beds with red and black covers. I was in awe. This was amazing. 

I darted outside to see Evaris holding a flame in his palm. He was lighting torches around the tent. Our horses were tied up, munching on hay. He looked up as I approached him. "Well? What do you think?"
I beamed at him. "Why were we staying in those dingy inns when we could've had this?" I gestured towards the tent. "It's amazing!"
"Thanks." He gave a small, embarrassed smile. The flame in his hand disappeared.