The Forest Chronicles

Chapter 15

Everything is great. No, really. I can see the look of surprise on your face. Everything's great. All that's happening is Victoria scaling a mountain with only a messenger bag and the clothes on her body. Nothing too out of the ordinary for her.

Victoria scoffed, "vampire was acting ridiculous and arrogant!" she said to herself. "He simply does not understand why I need to do this!" Victoria's cloak, which was draped around her shoulders and its hood was up, caught itself on a rock. Victoria tripped, falling backwards. Nothing laid behind her to support her and keep Victoria from falling. "Oh, what a good fortune that has fallen its way down with me, I shall see my parents soon," Victoria said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she fell.

Usually, most people would be screaming bloody murder they fall to their literal doom. But the Lady of Knolas manor is not a part of "most people." Yes, I am aware that this story is becoming more and more unhinged. It gets weirder as we go on. Something that smelt like fresh copper made in a forge–like the one Victoria was breaking into–caught Victoria in its giant metal jaws. "Oh, what misfortune has fallen its way down with me," they mumbled.

As Victoria found herself ensnared in the metal jaws a sense of foreboding settled over her. "What misfortune has led me here?" she whispered, her breath trembling in the oppressive air. The scent of copper grew stronger, causing her to steel herself for what was to come. Suddenly, a low metallic creak echoed through the chamber as the jaws tightened around her.

Then, she slipped and a sharp pain shot through her chin and lips–or lack of. She had just accidently taken out a chunk of skin from her lips, her mouth bleeding like a river that faded into an ocean of crimson. In that haunting moment, a chilling realisation dawned upon her, as she knew the journey ahead would be fraught with peril and darkness.

Thoughts swirled around her mind: I hope vampire can find the recipe for the sun potion. Maybe I did fail my parents. I was too rude to everyone.

Everything went black, the pain in her face was both terrible yet numb. Victoria knew she wouldn't wake up again. She could feel it.

An undetermined amount of time passed as Victoria laid unconscious in the mouth of whatever held her. Something around her was warm, oddly warm. The temperature was growing immensely, just like her consciousness. Victoria's eyes slowly fluttered open. She gasped through her mouth, but then she remembered–and felt–what had happened to her back when she was awake.

Even though she was hurt and dying, she had to get out of there. She couldn't die at the hands of whatever machinery kept her captive in its mouth. She stood up, one hand on a tooth, the other on her head, keeping it upright. Victoria then moved her hands on the roof of the metallic creature's mouth, trying to pry it open. Her attempt failed but she still continued. The flying beast opened its mouth to roar. Without the creature's second row of sword sharp teeth, Victoria would have fallen out.

She saw something both wondrous and absolutely horrifying.

Demidragons of all breeds flew around the flat top of the mountain, the direct opposite of where Victoria needed to be since the forge was in the heart of the mountain. She now recognized the creature to be a dragon.

The dragon, which Victoria examined to be a newer design of Demidragon, maybe a new prototype, landed on top of a rock. It launched Victoria out of its mouth cavity.

As Victoria rolled off the rock and onto the dusty mountain top, dragons flew away. Victoria stood up. She wiped the dust off her arms, knees, and shoulder. Victoria looked up. All the dragons had left, taking everything beside a giant hunk of metal.

It wasn't a hunk of metal. It was a giant, clanking, monster of a dragon. It was Pyr, Sfyri's first and best dragon. Pry was made to fight. Victoria narrowed her eyes. Pry dashed towards her, Victoria was not ready. With a thunderous noise, loud enough to be heard from Acyris, the mechanical dragon's metal scales clashed against the mountaintop.

Something, a liquid of sorts fell down onto Victoria's cheeks. She put her hand to her bloody face. It was tears. She was crying. It was a miracle that she was alive, but how? And what happened to Pyr?

Pyr steadied its legs, trying to get to its feet, but something pushed him down. The fiery light in Pyr's eyes faded back to its dull light bulb. "If you needed the scrolls, you could have asked me. Syfri would have let me hand them to you," a small and shy voice spoke inside Victoria's mind. Victoria, if she would have been able to, would have smiled. "I won't give them directly to you. You need to fix your problem. You need to talk to your servant," it added. Her hands balled into fists. "It's my job. Goodbye, Einar."

"Stop calling me Einar!" she shouted, but it came out with a struggle and lisp. Because I wish for you to understand what she is saying, I will only tell you what she wished to say, not what is being pronounced. If I did not, it would be annoying to hear "Sthap calthing m' Eina!" instead of "Stop calling me Einar."

It has now been three days after Knolas manor was left with only Benjamin and Koibito and three days after Jason and Alexander had to fend for themselves in the woods since they couldn't stay in LampShade.

"Great," Jason huffed, covered in muddy slush, floating in a river. He and Alexander clung to each other and a log. "Hey," Alexander said, out of breath from swimming and almost drowning, "at least we aren't on fire!" Jason rolled his eyes. "I just knew you would bring that up!" Alexander nodded, "yep." He paused. "So how are we getting out of this?"