Indigo Elf

Ch. 20

Ch. 20

Arlen

I couldn't show pity. As sad as it was to see shells of people walking around wailing over their death, one had to realize that these were no longer people. They weren't alive anymore. Despite how they appear and the stories they tell in their constant mutterings, they are no more than monsters that will kill you without a moment of hesitation. They were monsters, and that was an irrefutable fact.

I had been in the forest for hours and was getting a little tired. I was tempted to take a break, but I wasn't comfortable doing that here in this forest full of creatures that could kill me in a moment's notice. I was a bit hungry as well, but eating anything without throwing up would be absolutely impossible here. The undead was everything I looked, and as rude as it probably was for me to say, they looked absolutely disgusting. I had started traveling through this forest at 8 am, it was now 12 pm and I was very tired, but also starting to get a little nervous. I had only five hours left to cross a river I haven't even reached yet.

I sighed happily as I stumbled upon a large boulder. Floating up to the top, I sat there for a good ten minutes and drank some much-needed water. After resting, I started again, smiling when I heard the sound of rushing water. Picking up the pace, I approached the banks of the river, expecting to find clear flowing water, but no, the water I found was pitch black.

I sighed dejectedly, "Why did I expect anything different from the forest of the dead?"

Since I was a caster, I had the ability to manipulate the elements, and that meant that if I wanted to, I could walk across the river without getting wet. This wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't so nervous about what type of creatures lived in a black lake. I didn't have time to wonder as I heard a groan from behind me. Without any hesitation, I started walking across the river, risking a glance behind me.

A woman walking on all fours, her dirty black hair covering everything but her wide eyes that darted across the river in search of a potential meal, I turned around, not wanting to stare at her any longer. If I made it out of this forest alive, I was sure I would have nightmares for years to come.

I swiftly made it across the river and checked my minimap once more. Gabriel was in the same place, but he was still quite a ways away and it would take hours to reach him. If I picked up the speed, I could probably reach him with a few minutes to spare. I checked my mana bar and pursed my lips. Cloaking was low costing, but it wasn't meant to be used for long periods of time. Reaching into my storage, I grabbed a mana bottle and gulped down the foul liquid. I grimaced in disgust and placed the bottle back into my storage. There had to be a way to make that stuff taste better.

With my mana bar filled, I started on my mini journey once again. I was determined to reach Gabriel before 5 pm, there was no way I was going to fail after making it this far. I was going to get into this guild even if it killed me.

By 3 pm, I was certain that I would make it to Gabriel on time and without any problems. I was happy because I was making good progress and didn't have to kill a single undead. I was starting to think that I would get out of this forest and be accepted into the guild without any problems, but as soon as I got comfortable with the time I was making and not being freaked by the undead I saw, everything went to shit.

"Mmmm, I smell something delicious," I heard a woman giggle, "I smell a little elf, a little caster elf!"

I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. Immediately, my body started to tremble and my breathing became shaky and practically forced as my lungs felt as if they were being paralyzed. My eyes darted around in all directions, trying to find just who or what it was that sensed me despite my cloaking spell. I picked up the pace, wanting to get away from it.