My Friend the Hunter

Chapter 2: Who are you?

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I swiftly ran across the trees pant-less. The wind whipped around my legs as I glided through the forest. Figuring I had gained enough distance from my perpetrator, I crouched down on a branch to catch my breath.

I growled in annoyance as I looked at tiny scrapes making their way up my leg. If I had not been careless, I would not be in this situation. Twisting my neck side to side, I heard a satisfying crunch be emitted. I let out a sigh of relief and scanned the area from my elevated perch.

Focusing on my hands, I muttered out a surveillance spell. I watched as a flashing signal erupted not too far behind me. Whatever she was, she was able to keep track of me. I furrowed my brows in annoyance. She lacked speed, but seemed to catch on to my magical aura. Sighing, I picked myself up from my crouched position and pushed forward. Even with her tracking abilities, she would never be able to catch up.

As I continued further inside the tree-line, I spotted a flash of blue. I stopped and jumped down by a river. Carefully, I stepped in and quickly scrubbed down my cloak and body. This should throw her off my trail. With one last thorough scrub, I stepped out of the water and back into the trees. I shivered as the water clung and cooled my skin. This is what I get for not being cautious.

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I was heaving and sweating, running was not one of my favorite hobbies. Eventually, I arrived at a dead end. A river ran in front of me and the magical trail seemed to stop at its edge. I could not help the groan of irritation that escaped my mouth. Whatever that thing was used the river to their advantage.

Frustrated and tired, I lowered myself to the ground. The pants were held loosely within my grasp as my heavy breathing began evening out. Whoever that was held a good amount of magic. A twinge of jealousy racked through myself as I berated my own abilities. If I were able to use magic, I would have been able to catch up.

Trying to lighten my mood, I switched my train of thought. I racked my brain to what the figure could have been. It could have been a warlock or witch. They were magic users and often wore some kind of cloak. However, why would they have run away? Our peoples were and still are allied, as far as I knew. Lost in thought, I did not notice how my grip tightened on the pants. Even if this figure had gotten away, I had a feeling that we would be seeing each other again soon.

I came out of thinking and loosened my death grip on the pants. The soft grass against my back lulling away my worries. I gently smiled and closed my eyes, trying to forget the whole chase.

Relaxing into the ground, I let out a yawn and stretched into a more comfortable position. The sound of rushing water created a tuneless song that blessed my ears.

Slightly cracking my eyes open, I looked up at the sky. The sun stared back at me and I squeezed my eyes back shut. It was midday. Cursing my stupidity for looking into the sun, I laid still. Normally, I would not let myself doze off in the middle of the forest. However, I was tired and irritated. I just needed to get my energy back and I would head back to my humble abode. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

//
Darkness surrounded me.

"Hello?" I called out. Silence was all that responded. Then, I heard a sweet song drifting through the dark abyss. It was captivating. I tried walking towards the melody, but I was frozen in place. The voice rang out a sorrowful tune in a language I could not understand. Suddenly, a bright light shun down and I winced. Blinking a couple of times to adjust my eyes, I looked up to see a girl. Her bottom half consisted of a fish-like tail.

She looked towards me and gave me a warm smile. Her wavy dark hair cascaded down her back and her gray tail shimmered beneath the light. As I admired her, another voice began speaking. However, it was too far off to make out. I watched as she started to have a worried look. She began rapidly waving her hand, making a "go away" motion. I tried moving, but I was still stuck. Shrugging, I looked at her with a defeat. As she disappeared she sent me a look of pity. I tensed as another figure took her place.