Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 54

The first thing Merida registered was that she was standing in a sparse forest with huge, thick, red trees that towered high above her.

She couldn't see much in the dim light.

Was it dawn or dusk?

She glanced at the crystal in her palm, wondering what place she had stumbled into.

But if she didn't know, hopefully, that meant this place would allow her to keep a low profile...

Because people were probably going to search for her. Hunt her down and lock her into a corner.

And she'd be back where she had started- but worse.

She couldn't prevent her brain from screaming, Is this all a big mistake?

But she wasn't going back- and she wasn't going to be caught.

She had to prepare.

Merida turned in a slow circle and scanned her surroundings.

She couldn't see anything but trees and more trees...

She made a mental checklist. First, she would disguise herself to avoid suspicion in the human world.

Then, she would locate the nearest humans, acquire a permanent food and water source (she had heard that human water was... disgusting), get clothes that were drab enough, find a place to call home, and somehow find an inconspicuous yet comfortable place in society.

Merida suddenly realized how difficult that would be. And she still didn't know what she wanted to do in the human world.

She had to do something... but what?

Merida took a deep, steadying breath. She was wasting time.

She directed herself to the first step, crafting a disguise.

She didn't want to waste time with makeup, so she turned to her ability as a Flasher instead. It would take a lot of energy to hold the illusion long-term, but it would serve well for the time being.

The transformation was finished in an instant.

However, she didn't know how it went- she had made the illusion without consciously deciding it.

Was that good or bad?

She didn't know.

Merida hadn't st- borrowed a mirror from her former home, so she didn't know what she looked like either.

But she had no time to stress about that.

She had to locate the nearest people, which meant using her telepathy.

With a forceful push, she expanded the range of her mental view until she sensed lights in the distance.

Only a few lights... and all were in one small area. That probably meant she could find a village or small town of some sort.

So Merida started hiking through the woods.

She was so fixed on her destination and anxious about the pressures of time and being tracked that she didn't realize...

How beautiful everything was.

Merida saw the first sign- a wide path free of any trees that was definitely not natural.

Then, she got closer and saw the first houses.

They were nowhere near as beautiful and extravagant as her former home, but they looked more welcoming and comfortable.