Alpha King and I

Chapter 12: The Forest

I finally decided a little exploration might be good for me. Outside of this room, and hopefully, outside of this castle. I want to know more about this place. See more.

He did say I could go anywhere as long as a guard followed me past the gate.

I shifted around my toes in the tough leather boots I'd found in the closet. A scratchy dark brown, perfect to match my dark brown dress. Copper buttons adorned it and black lace held it around my waist surprisingly comfortably. The dress was so eye catching and nice, it sort of is what inspired me to get up and into this adventure in the first place. My cheeks warmed up as I played with one of the buttons. I almost smiled but then I stopped myself.

Even though it was just me in this hallway, I was trying to practice. I patted down the dress a little and thought of the weather channel voice while ignoring my excitement. I let thoughts of missing Puffs and Nala cascade over me. Pulling down my mood further. Finally I managed to calm down and then continued down the hallway.

I'd been walking around for quite a while and had a pretty good idea of the design. The castle was a complete circle, but the hallways were done in such a way one would think it was actually a square, though as one kept walking the straight line which never ended, it became apparent this must be a circle. The only way to get out of it would be to enter one of the doors into either a room or a center set of stairs which led to different hallways, also circles, but smaller and overlapping each other then the main hallways. Doors for a main hallway had green nobs, doors for minor hallways had blue nobs, and doors to rooms had grey nobs except for a certain few. The library on the fourth floor down from Cadeth's room, and Cadeth's room itself, had a Porusae stone nob on the outside. There was also one room on the floor of Cadeth's room and one room on the ground floor which I could not open and had rainbow glass nobs. The rainbow glass nobs actually burned to the touch when I tried to open either of them.

I was currently on the ground floor about one hundred feet from that nob after hearing what sounded like breaking glass coming from inside. Dr. Chibin had came out of that room just a few moments later soaking wet and cursing very loud. He walked the opposite way of me yelling something about faeries and bad alcohol. I wonder if maybe that is his room?

I sigh and turn back toward my current plan. To my left just a few feet further out, there is a door with a wood handle. I'd seen a couple of these doors on the upper levels, and they all led to outside, but only if one could jump from the level they were at. Since this is the ground level, I hope I can just walk on out.

I opened it and stepped out onto incredibly hard ground. Harder feeling than the stone floors of the halls. Teal grass managed to grow out from it, but as I crouched down to touch it, the edges managed to cut my skin. Unlike the grass on earth, this grass was sharp as jagged glass. Stinging just as much as a paper cut, but making a deeper wound. I stood back up and sucked on my finger, not wanting to get any blood on my dress, then just started running around.

After a while the cut stopped bleeding and began to heal. I started to run faster, enjoying the air and the freedom. The air was chill yet the sun beat down strong against my face. The warmth of it contradicting how cool my lungs felt. There were no clouds out and the sky was a soft violet with hints of grey throughout. People saw me and were kind enough to make space for me and even waving.

I passed a target range, some horse stalls, and a small garden before almost falling down a large hill. Below was a beautiful forest. Filled with teal and blue plants, but still soft brown tree trunks for the most part. I could see in the distance there was one trunk that was a more golden amber color. It had something growing off it too. Possibly a fruit?

I wanted to roll down, but the grass looked just as sharp and unforgiving as the grass just outside the castle. So I stepped down carefully. It was then I realized how achy my feet felt. This tough ground was really painful. I'll see if Baba could put some padding into my boots for next time.

I got to the edge of the forest and stepped in. I couldn't see any bugs and as I continued to walk toward the amber colored tree, I did not run into any webs. I didn't see any smaller animals either. For so much plant life, it was desolate of anything else.

I reached the tree and pulled at the fruit. It took a little force, but I got it to come off. The texture was firm and when I shook it I could hear liquid. I sat down against the tree, trying to avoid any of the grass, and grabbed the closest rock to me. I then used it to hit at the fruit until it cracked open.

Red thick liquid poured all over me. It smelled like blood.

I threw the weird fruit as fast as I could off of me. It hit something though. Making a loud cracking sound.

I looked up where it landed. A grey skinned two legged creature, covered in the red liquid, stared at me with its teeth barred. Teeth like a shark and eyes with pupils that consumed most of the whites. All pitch black. Its long tail kept flicking around like a cat's. I shot up and stepped to my right.

It lunged at me. I turned and ran. It tried to catch me, its claws ripping right across my back. I fell forward, but quickly turned around pulling my arms up to defend myself. It's claws cut halfway through both of my arms. Slicing them like butter. The pain was near unbearable.

With all my might, against everything weighing me down, begging my body not to, I kicked it. Kicked as hard as I could. Aiming right for its chest, as it loomed over me.

It caught my foot before I could hit it. In the same movement as catching my foot, the creature began twisting my foot down, farther than it could go. Just begging the ankle to break. With a wild look in its eyes, teeth barring in rage, I knew that was exactly what it was going to do. Break it right at the joint. There was nothing I could do anymore. Defeat filled through me. I could only watch in terror, just like when I was on earth, at the home of my parents'. Watch as I was destroyed by my own undoing. Hurt again for something I could have never predicted. Well except this time, here on Devaleon, I may just die. No one would save me, no one ever could.

I looked on. Quiet and accepting my fate.

The creature pulled my foot toward itself before getting ready to do the final twist. I prepared. A slight wince escaping me as I bit down on my lip. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain. Then I heard it. Echoing against my ears.

Snap!