Ghost and the Writer

A brother's love

Sarah no longer knew how many days had passed. This isolated world had an unchanging pale, cloudy sky above it, falling down on the swampy ground with its crooked and misshapen trees.

The only thing that changed was that with the passing of time more and more things came to life and attacked them. The deer they had hunted for food had returned wishing to feast on their flesh. The same happened with the birds. Then they could no longer use the trees for cover - they too swung their branches at them and the roots shot up trying to pull them under the water.

This marked the first day when those things managed to kill her - her body regenerated, but the clothes did not, so if Gerald hadn't been kind enough to share his jacket, Sarah would be walking around flashing her boobs. If that could affect the treants, she would use it, but those things don't care.

Their clothes were chipped and dirtied and their faces showed fatigue. At the start, they could get some sleep, but right now the things lurking in the fog wouldn't give them a chance.

The moss shifted and one of the trees plucked itself out of the ground, its roots moving like wiggling snakes and branches shaking in a drunken manner-- the first treant warrior had appeared.

Sarah gulped and readied her now chipped sword, Gerald did the same.

"I'm starting to doubt your brother's love," he said, a grin settling on his face. That was one of fear.

"Don't. He's a sadist," Sarah said, putting on a fearless smile.

The fight cost Sarah her sword and an arm, but Gerald managed to chop the thing in half. Their breaths were ragged, sweat was pouring down their backs. Sarah's arm was gradually regrowing, but then more movement came from the fog.

Two more trees came to life.

"Aren't there limits even to sadism?" Gerald said. His sword too might not last long.

But just as the trees plucked themselves out of the moss, they stopped moving. Sarah and Gerald stood in place. One minute. Two minutes. No movement.

The fog seemed to grow just a little bit lighter.

The two exchanged looks and started making careful steps through the fog. Eventually, they found an elven girl with ashen gray skin, hay colored hair, and clothes made out of aether lace.

She was breathing in the fog. When she noticed the two, she cast a dazed look at them with her golden eyes. "Sister... " She looked at Sarah, then "Church mongrel..." at Gerald. "You lucked out."

Sarah felt strength leave her limbs and she fell down in the moss. Luckily it was soft. Damp, but soft.

Gerald too joined her.

And they both passed out for a short nap. Very short. It was too wet and uncomfortable.

***

"What's your name?" Sarah asked after getting up.

"Lily," the girl replied.

"What are you, Lily?" Sarah asked. This one took three more times to ask, till Lily finally replied in fae.

A servant, a housekeeper, a master of a forest, August's belonging. The feeling was complicated, but Sarah nodded.

"Familiar, huh?" Gerald asked, walking up.

"No idea," Sarah honestly admitted. "She does belong to August, but in what way--?"

After that Sarah pestered Lily with questions like 'what is August doing' and 'hey, how do we get out', the last one--