Mei

Journey

 "Niiiko! Are you seriously sleeping in?" I got up as soon as the sun rose and got everything together, yet here Niko is, asleep.

"Wake up! Niko, come on!" I shook him gently but soon got harder and harder, Niko mumbled to himself, still dreaming.

"You're so handsome Niko!" He said in a high pitched feminine voice, he turned to the side and replied to himself.

"Oh thank you ladies, you're so kind-"

"Niko!!!" Niko suddenly sat up getting out of his sleepy state and turned his head left to right uncertainty.

"What is it Mom?" Niko yawned then his eyes suddenly widened, he saw me all geared up, with armor and a sword.

"Alessia! Good morning! What the hell are you doing in my room?"

"We need to get moving, get dressed!" I darted out of his room and Niko slammed his door, making a bunch of rustling noises.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He was cursing on the top of his lungs, after several minutes he came out almost dressed, with messy hair.

"Your boot?" I looked down and noticed a boot missing on his left foot, he groaned and got it.

"Okay sleeping beauty, we need to get going!"

"Wait! Can I at least say goodbye to my parents, please?" I nodded my head and Niko went around the whole town, saying goodbye to everyone. I met him by the saddled up horses and I rolled my eyes, he chucked, mocking me.

"You said you were going to say goodbye your parents?"

"Whatever, come on" We mounted our horses and soon began our journey, our village was alight with hope and wishes.

"Be safe Alessia!"
"Don't be stupid Niko!"

"Niko!" Niko's mother suddenly darted after him, Niko came to a halt, he faced his mother in surprise.

"Take this with you, it will protect both of you" He was handed a silver chain bracelet, Niko's mom smiled at me then took off. Even as we got farther and farther we could still see the town, in worry and excitement.

"I envy you"

"With what now?"
"You have...Parents" We were going up an incline, I tightened my hands on my reins and Niko looked down in guilt.

"I'm very sorry Alessia"

"Me and Ayen saw our parents die right in from of our eyes...It was terrifying"

Niko was silent yet I could feel his empathy, we soon entered an enclosed forest, the ring was slowly producing guidance.

"So, how does that thing work?" Niko pointed at it, I explained to him that it used a streak of light to point us to our destination.

"Neat! Even more handy than a compass" The forest was getting more and more sketchy, I felt like I was seeing things at the corner of my eye.

"Something up?"

"I...I feel like we're being watched"

"Ahh, Lisa, we're not even 10 miles from the town and you're already getting skittish"

"I'm serious!" A series of birds suddenly flew out of the forest, which almost always seemed to be a bad sign.

"Um...Migration?" Niko looked at me cluelessly, the air suddenly seemed to get colder and colder, I shivered.

"Hm, let me check the map..."

"The Forest Of Voces"

"What?"

"That's where we are"

"Why not go around this crazy place?"

"Do you wanna fall off a cliff or drown?" On the right side of this forest there were deadly cliffs, on the left, a dangerous river.

"Alessia, do you hear that?"

"What?" Suddenly a soft choir of death became audible, there were numerous voices, speaking.

"Make it stop!!" Niko screamed, they were growing louder and louder, saying self-doubts to us.

"You'll die"

"You won't make it weaklings"
"Turn back"
"You'll die like your parents"

"Kill"

"Death"

Suddenly, it came to me, I remembered my mother telling me a story about a forest that could drive you insane.

"Niko, don't give in!"

"W-what?"

"These voices are trying to drive us crazy, you need to ignore them!"

The horses were suddenly going very wild too, I gestured for Niko to run with me, we needed to get out of here! They were saying some of the most disgusting things to us, they were trying to find our weaknesses. We went faster than ever before, our horses galloped, bouncing us up and down. Finally, the voices began to tone down and we were out of the forest, seeing daylight once again.

"That was terrifying!"