Book of Trirealm. Master Of Elements [BL]

CHAPTER 3. A night in the forest

Tens only had time to cover his eyes with his elbow when he felt rocks and tiles falling down on him. At that moment something hit him painfully, not from above, as he had expected, but from the side.

The boy didn't realize right away what had happened. He was lying on the ground under something black, soft and warm compared to the stone. That something turned out to be a tall, slender demon wearing modest and comfortable black clothes and a mask on his face. The stranger hastily rose to his feet and offered Tens a hand, looking around cautiously.

Tens jumped up quickly, dropping all his pies. The spot where he had just been standing was completely buried under the collapsed houses on both sides of the street.

The stranger nodded approvingly, and ran toward the gate.

He's going that way, too, flashed through Tens's mind.

He picked up the scattered food hastily and, loading it back into the hem of his shirt, followed his savior. The ground was still shaking, but not as violently. Soon the two demons left the town behind and rushed down a wide road towards the mountains.

Who are you? Tens thought, watching the stranger. You're running so fast.

The mysterious demon suddenly froze, staring intently ahead. At that moment, Tens caught up with him and stopped as well.

"Hey, thanks for your help!" the boy said, deciding to be polite.

He had never had his life saved before. The collapsing houses might not have killed him, but they would have certainly crippled him. Intact bones and the ability to keep running–that was perhaps worthy of gratitude.

The stranger merely put a finger to his lips and shook his head in response. Then he ducked into the dense thickets of the forest lining the road.

Looking closer, Tens realized what his savior was hiding from. Demons were coming towards him, riding yellow lynxes, huge cat-like animals with powerful clawed paws, long straight tails, and menacingly sharp fangs. Only wealthy lords and envoys of the Ruler rode such beasts.

Tens would prefer not to be seen by either, so he followed the example of the stranger in black, stepping off the road and hiding among the trees.

The lynxes, as well as their riders, did not seem to care about the earthquake. They galloped forward with ease, paying no attention to the shaking. After they'd run past, Tens returned to the road. It had seemed to him that if he'd stayed in the forest, all the trees would've fallen on his head at once.

The stranger in black had disappeared.

Very well, Tens thought absent-mindedly. What do I need him for? I've already thanked him.

Remembering that last time he had been tracked through his earring, Tens touched his left ear. Now would be a good time to get rid of the dangerous piece of jewelry. The boy wrinkled his nose, clamped his mouth shut stubbornly, and tugged on the earring with all his might.

Doesn't even hurt that bad, he howled, examining the bloody ring in his palm.

He tossed the earring into the bushes and, applying a bronze leaf of bloodstop he found on the roadside to the wound, hurried away from the town.

The earthquake was coming to an end. Soon Tens turned off the main road and onto a path that led up into the mountains, bypassing his home village.

He had been running for about half an hour when he came upon a figure sitting on the edge of the path. Demons could see well in the dark, but the figure blended in with the trees, and Tens did not immediately realize who it was. He wanted to turn off the path, but the stranger had long ago noticed him and stood up to meet him. Recognizing him as his masked savior, Tens came closer.