A Damned Domain

Chapter 3: An Ominous Ally

TW! Cussing and Comfort. Oh, and blood.

(Branzy POV)

I sigh and slow down my horse. Staring off into the distance, I gulp down the fresh air. "Wow, I have absolutely no fucking idea what I'm doing." I admit aloud. The endless grass in front of me stretches out for miles. I only have a map and a compass to guide me. Heck, I've never been outside of the walls! I take my backpack off my shoulders and peer inside. I own a bow and arrows, a small dagger, matches, coins, a map, and of course a compass. Shit. I forgot food. Maybe I can hunt in the woods? I need to pass through them anyways...

Using the compass, I point Lola, my mare, southeast. I nudge her forwards, a sign to gallop. Lola complies and takes off across the infinite plains. The tall shrubs and taller trees go by in a blur. Wild animal dung litters the fields. An unfavorable scent assaults my nose with extreme force. I look around to try and spot where the smell is coming from. Covering my nose with my hand, I manage to block out the smell. There it is a cattle corpse lies amongst the green. Flies swarm the rotting flesh. My nose scrunches up in disgust. Why oh why did I have to pass this on my way south? At this rate I'm not going to survive a day in this wilderness.

Lola, sensing my discomfort, runs past the putrid stench. Her hooves carry us far into the day. Long shadows stretch across the land as the sun begins to set behind us. The silhouetted trees appear in the distance the closer we get to the forest. I beckon for Lola to slow down before penetrating the tree line. We enter the forest, not expecting to spend the night there, but that plan seems to have changed. The limited light hardly filters through the thick leaves here.

"C-CRACK!" A loud sound startles me and causes Lola to whip around. What was that?!

(ClownPierce POV)

Shit, shit, shit! I quickly duck behind a tree and hold my breath. He's already heard me! Forests are the worst places to follow someone. All the dry crunchy foliage makes for a loud: "IM OVER HERE!" My dark cloak blends well with the blackened scenery. The dense forest should shield me from Branzy's sight. I can't let him know I'm following him. Is it... weird that I'm stalking him? No, don't get ahead of yourself, this is your job! I slowly shuffle around to the other side of the tree to avoid his gaze. Suddenly the familiar click clack of bones alerts me of nearby danger. Skeletons are close to us... too close.

Twang! An arrow sails past my face and towards Branzy. A panicked whinny escapes the mare's mouth as she tries to flee. In a blind frenzy, she throws Branzy off her back and dashes away. I watch as Branzy jumps to his feet and looks around. He ruffles around in his bag before pulling out a dagger. He clumsily unsheathes it and holds it out unprofessionally. Shoot, I'm going to have to help him. He won't survive this with absolutely no combat skills. Luckily, I don't have to reveal myself because seconds later he sprints off into the woods, deciding that it isn't worth it. I follow in pursuit of the noble, careful to not get close. Arrows continue to be propelled at us from clever bowmen. The undead litter these woods and their precision is dead on.

Branzy takes a sharp turn and dives into some bushes to avoid projectiles. I'm quick to follow him. I watch as he desperately scans the terrain for any hiding places. His adrenaline filled eyes dart to a hollow tree. Branzy doesn't hesitate to make a move towards it. He's not quick enough. An arrow is shot at him from the trees. Time seems to slow as my eyes follow the arrow's trail until it embeds in Branzy's leg. He lets out an animalistic howl of pain and fear. The white-haired man stumbles as blood gushes out of his wound. Through the pain and the tears, he forces his legs to work, making it to somewhat safety. I watch as the noble collapses and presses his back up against the bark.