•Our Daydreams of Kings and Queens•

•Chapter Five•

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to run.

I mean, I'm in perfectly healthy condition don't get it twisted, but legging it through leaves and branches that have inconveniently fallen in my way did not make for the most stable journey.

At least we could kinda guess that we were probably getting nearer from the pungent smell of burning that we inhaled, resulting in excessive wheezing.

The burning also seemed to seep into and around everything, choking up up the air with dark smoke.

It obviously got stronger as we got closer, I felt a little like I was suffocating due to the fumes I was inhaling.

Eventually though, it was becoming harder and harder to see.

"God that smells foul." I said followed by a wheezy cough so hard it felt like my whole body was trying to expel an inner demon.

Felix spoke much more comfortably however, since he didn't have such damning regular human lungs.

"It really does stink, and the fumes are making my eyes burn, I can hardly see where we're going," he said while squinting his eyes.

"I hope there's something interesting in there, otherwise this detour would be such a waste of time."

"Im just hoping we can get in and get out without any trouble.
The sooner the better. Also you're such a bad influence.
I really can't believe you talked me into this shit."

I could tell he put extra emphasis on the 'you' to make sure he knew that he thought it was my fault.

I rolled my eyes.
"Felix this isn't time to point your petty fingers of blame, just admit that we both had equal parts in this."

I could feel the cold glare he gave me.

God even in such life threatening situations he still feels the need to sass me.

Although, I was acutely aware that it may have in-fact have been my convincing that lead us here.

But I was not about to give in.

And so we continued onwards.

Further into those tall, towering, definitely not-yellow trees of terror.

Except this time, gripping each other's sleeves so we wouldn't get lost or separated from each other and tip-toeing our way stealthily over roots and the odd intruding log.

The air was filled with a thicker smoke now to the point of obscuring every inch of our vision.

Limited light was being let in from the dense foliage above us, only letting brightness slip through cracks in the leaves, and paired with the smog, it was the darkening the already dark surroundings.

That and it was getting fairy late into the evening.

But we kept on, fuelled by our curiosity and nosy-ness. (Or maybe that was just me-)

Until we saw flame.

It wasn't enormous and invading like the castle fire was, engulfing  entire sections of the grand structure in seconds, but this was much more feeble.

The remnants of what was probably eating the woods seconds ago was now just hanging lightly off charred trees, like the pretty fairy lanterns at a New Years festival.

It seemed more inviting than it should have been.

The air was stilled filled with smoke, but the shadows the light created made it easier to navigate.

It felt like we had been walking forever.
Just stepping further and further into the unknown.

The tension was literally as thick as the smoke.

But,
Eventually,
We reached the source.

I let out a staggered gasp and I heard Felix harshly suck inhale next to me.

Was that-
a child?

No, a young boy, who couldn't be any older than I was, lay at the base of a tree.
He didn't seem to have any belongings other than the clothes on his back which were singed to near crisps and covered in a layer ashy soot.

Dotted around in an odd looking formation was 5 neat piles of incinerations.

The sight was unnerving to say the least ; it almost looked a little cult like.

I stumbled to the boy as fast as my mind could react, with Felix shouting things behind me, the most audible being along the lines of - "OH MY FUCKING GOD IS HE BREATHING?" - though I drowned him out of my head.

I needed to concentrate.

This was my thing.

What I was good at.

What I loved to do.

I couldn't fuck it up now.

This is what I was practically created for.

I checked him over as briskly as I could.

For the most part he looked ok, which was a little odd considering he's just been possible on fire, but I couldn't just assume from a general asses.

Still he looked fine enough to manoeuvre.

He was a lot bigger and stronger looking up close than further away, probably only about 19.

For a second I wondered who he was? What was he doing all the way out here? How did he get into the situation?

But I paused my pondering, for this was not the time.

I could ponder all I want later when I knew he was okay.

And with those swirling thoughts put away to the back of my mind, I wrapped my arms under his as firmly as I could and, with all my strength, began to drag him away.

•|::::::::::>

A/n
IM ALIVE
Soz I disappeared I was doing mock gcse exams and it takes a toll on your free time.
I got a 4 in RE and a warning because I wrote about the clit in a sex question 🤪
But I did get an 8 in geography and a 7 in English language 😏