The four remains

Chapter 6

Time seemed to pass both quickly and slowly; everything in the world felt complex. I gazed around, noticing how light seemed to reflect differently, like tiny dots in the sky. My tears must have caused this—they temporarily blurred my vision. Even shedding tears has a price these days.

I kept swinging my leg, hoping the pain would leave if I forgot everything that had happened. For a brief moment, it felt pleasant, as the soft breeze passed through the air and across my face.

It was calming, but I knew it wouldn't last long. For once, I knew what was coming, and it wasn't going to be enjoyable.

The peaceful experience won't last long; it never does. For now, all I can do is survive. I swung both my legs over the tree branch, letting them dangle in the air. I gripped the branch before pushing myself off.

Now I was clutching the tree branch, trying to hold on. Falling and causing an unnecessary injury would just waste time. I found my footing and released the branch with one hand. I lowered my hand before gripping the thick trunk of the oak tree.

I placed my other hand off the branch and onto the trunk. I proceeded to gently climb down the tree, carefully watching my footing and holding tight despite my sweaty palms.

I took a deep breath and jumped when I was finally close enough to the ground. I landed, only to find myself staring right into Nicolas's face. Before I could stop myself, my reflexes took over.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry if this is a bad time to talk... I'll go if you want..." he said sympathetically. He seemed worried rather than fearful. My sword was at his neck, and I gripped it tightly, fearing that if I let go, I would break down.

"You startled me," I said, keeping my voice as firm as my grip on the sword. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." he repeated, still sympathetic. "Stop, stop apologizing," I told him, and he fell silent.

I saw him open his mouth but quickly close it. "We need to search for the village; no time to waste. Get the tent."

He nodded and ran back to the tent while I covered the campfire with a special cooling moss that traps oxygen and cools down the fire until it dies. Making a fire here was risky, and we needed to relocate as fast as possible.

I sharpened my sword, carried the remaining logs by tying them with a long vine to create a makeshift rope.

I handed Nicolas's dull sword back to him, extending my hand. "Well, Prince Charming, in case anything happens, I need you on guard."

"I hope this means you're warming up..." Nicolas mumbled loud enough for me to hear. He took the sword with a kind smile. I decided to hold my sappy retort and moved swiftly across the ground.

Nicolas, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was clumsy, with no skill to hike through the woods calmly.

A wave of irritation began to form in my mind. That sappy comment might come in handy.

His royal uniform shone brightly, attracting unwanted attention from animals. The soldiers won't notice—they're daft anyway, I thought to myself. The woods were dimly lit, but my eyes had adjusted to the low light. I moved cautiously, my palms sweaty and grimy, ready to draw my sword at any moment.

We would get out of here and find the village, just as we hoped. My father always told me that karma would help you when you needed it the most.

This was a desperate time, and so far, everything that had happened felt like pure luck. I was grateful for that.

As I was deep in thought, Nicolas tripped on the grassy floor, catching himself before hitting the ground by quickly kneeling.

"Be careful!" I scolded, and he nodded. Despite everything, those kind features remained on his face, even in this dire situation.