Crimson And Blade

Maya's Mystery

Alex found himself getting pulled by the neck of his cloak.

Lance crouched on the ground behind a tree and pushed Alex down into a thick clump of shrubs. Alex winced as the shrubs scratched his arms and face.

Alex glanced at the older man to question such a sudden move, but he saw that Lance's brows were furrowed again as he stared out at the path they were walking just seconds ago.

Alex, curious at what had gotten Lance so serious, squinted through the shrubs. His breath caught in his throat when he saw several hooded figures running by. He watched them nervously, careful not to make any sound to alert them.

It took a few minutes for all of the mysterious people to travel out of earshot. The moment they were far enough Alex gave a shaky breath of relief. The rain had stopped completely, but the leaves of trees and plants were still quite wet. Alex came out of the shrubs a little damp despite his waterproof cloak.

"We're lucky we haven't run into any of those Sentis until now." The boy heard Lance say.

"Sentis? What are those?"

Lance looked at Alex and sighed. "They're the thorns in Crest. They work at night, following the orders of whoever it is they're serving. They've brought nothing but trouble the last twenty years. I don't know what they could be doing here at this time. They've been laying low lately."

Alex thought back to the previous night. "I think they were the ones chasing me."

Lance's gaze hardened for a second. "They were the ones who caught you eavesdropping?" Alex nodded, this side of Lance was new. Sure, they'd only known each other a few days, but this part of him seemed different.

The man shut his eyes and exhaled. "If you're caught up in their plan, then we need to get you inside the inn right away. They must not know you were out last night, or you'll be in danger."

Alex nodded. "Do you know where I can find Maya? The sun is barely up, so I have no idea if she'll be awake."

Lance eyed the boy in front of him. "Are you sure she's someone you can trust?"

Alex looked down at the ground for a moment. ' I've been asking the same question.'

The boy looked at Lance again and hesitantly answered. "It's not like I have any other choice, I don't know anyone else. Besides, she's already helped me once..."

"Alright, I'll trust your judgement." Lance grinned a little and began walking through the woods again, Alex following close behind.

Alex saw the inn past a few trees, but Lance had kept on walking. "Maya lives a little further away from the inn. Her house is near the town's border, so it should be easier for us to get there."

Soon enough, a little cabin came into view. Lush foliage surrounded the little wooden house. It looked like it belonged out in the woods because of some vines that clung to its walls.

Lance and Alex drew closer to the cabin. When they were but a few feet away, they became aware of a small flickering light coming from inside.

The two of them found their way to the back of the cabin which was only a few steps from where the forest line ended. They slowly approached the back of the house, planning to knock on the closed window shutters.

Lance began to lift his right hand to tap on the shutters when it began to creak open. Startled, Alex and Lance took a step back. The first thing they saw was candlelight in the darkness. The light illuminated the image of a familiar girl.

Maya was staring out at them, candle holder in one hand while the other was resting on the window frame. Her eyes and face glowed with the warm hues of light that the small flame flickering on the candle gave.