The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 23: Searching for Vao

The priest ran through the trees, his boots slamming through the undergrowth, thorn bushes tearing at his robes. Everyone he travelled with was already dead; skewered alive in pitfalls, crushed to death by spiked logs that would swing from the trees, or blown to pieces by improvised explosives. He was the sole survivor, the homemade bear trap clinging to his right foot.

And the creator of the twisted traps was pursuing him, a black hood and scarf masking their face. They were in the trees, leaping from branch to branch, keeping up with ease.

Tears fell down the priest's face, a shrill, desperate cry escaping his lips.

"Help! Help me! God of Light, help me!"

But no one could hear him this deep into the unexplored, overgrown forest. There were no settlements this far west. He was lost, trapped with a murderer out for blood.

TWANG!

He never saw the cord that blended in with the leaves close to the ground. The moment his foot tripped it, he could see the flash of silver, and the sharp pain that followed when they sawed through his legs, cutting through bone. He collapsed face first on the ground, blood staining the undergrowth. Through his adrenaline, he tried helplessly to drag himself away.

Thud.

The faceless pursuer's boots slammed against the ground when they dropped from the trees, the sound of their bow creaking as the string drew back, an arrow already nocked. The priest pressed against the tree, terror settling in.

"Please! Please, I don't want to die!"

The pursuer didn't say anything. They only stepped closer, keeping two arms distance away from the priest. The man was growing desperate, bringing his hands together in prayer. Or was he begging? It looked the same.

"N-no... No, no, no!"

The priest was breaking down. He never thought it would end like this. He thought about his wife in the Royal Capital, waiting for him to come back. The pursuer stopped, glaring at him from under the hood.

"... How many?" A woman's voice hissed. "How many others are with you?"

"Y-you killed them all!" The priest screamed.

"How much do you know about me?"

The priest shook his head furiously. "N-not a thing! H-His Holiness, he sent us here on a whim! I won't say anything! I just want to be there for my wife!"

The pursuer paused, but didn't slacken her grip on the bowstring. "... You have a family?"

The priest nodded, choked gasps escaping his throat. The pursuer's eyes were hidden under the shadow of her hood - he couldn't read her expression. "... Go on. Tell me more."

The priest was willing to do anything at this point. "I-I have a wife, b-back home," he stammered. "F-four y-years... We're e-expecting... I-I promised... I p-promised I'd be back when sh-she goes to the h-hospital..."

The pursuer tilted her head. "... I'd bet you're really excited, aren't you?"

The priest only nodded slowly. "P... Please... I-I swear it... O-on the God of Light's sacred name... J-just let me see my ch-child's birth..."

The pursuer was silent for a long while. And finally, she spoke. "... I really don't like doing this... You're even swearing by your god."

The priest felt a faint glimmer of hope deep within his chest. "Th... Then can I g-go...?"