Thanatos's Curse

Three: Old Friend

Just as she thought, the rain soon poured again. She sighed to herself quietly, walking under the dense leaves of the trees that blocked the rain from falling on her. Droplets of water would still fall upon her from time to time, wetting her long hair and clothing.

A deep, twisted feeling crawled from her stomach to her spine. She shivered, biting her lip. She should've at least said her final goodbyes to her parents, to everyone. What if she never saw any of them ever again? She was all alone, in the Forest of Giant Trees. The trees were the only things she saw, no matter where she looked. She should have stayed until morning, to spend more time with them.

She wiped the onset of tears. Now wasn't the time to cry. She needed to survive. She swallowed her guilt and bottled it up. It was pitch black, and she couldn't see a thing in her perimeter. With a swift motion of her hand, a spark resonated and created a flame. It helped create a little light in the shadowy dark.

Kaida walked and walked, not caring to stop. She couldn't stop. She needed to distract herself from her home, from herself. She kept an eye out for the Corrupt Souls that were said to wander about the Forest of Giant Trees, feeding the little fire of her hand extra qi to keep it from lighting out. The Corrupt Souls were things that she hoped not to encounter, for she had never actually fought one. The locals who did encounter them, however, recalled that they were ghoulish looking, with pale faces and dark hair that covered their disfigured remains. They would haunt their victim, shoving and twisting the victim's body until they finally died. On some rare occasions, the more powerful ones manipulated their victim's blood, having the power to break the body itself. The very thought sent more shivers throughout her body, sickening her.

For quite a while, the world had been in imbalance. Ever since she was born, evil spirits and monsters would attack the surrounding villages, but never hers. Everyone thought it was strange. They all thought it was Aunt Li, whose magics and skill would scare off the monsters and spirits. They came to worship her as their protector, keeping their village out of harm's way. Eventually over the years, she came to predict certain situations that came out to be true, earning her the title everyone called her for; the Fortune Teller.

The occurrence of monsters wasn't just around there. Kaida used read the local newspaper scrolls, which were only to be read by the men and elderly people of the village, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to know what was happening to the world outside of her. According to what she had read, the slew of monsters were first seen in Thous Acirema and Ailartsua. After that, they kept spreading. Strange goblins and giants would terrorize cities in Eporue. Rabid demons and undead skeletons would massacre humans everywhere. The only strongholds that kept them out were the southern cities in Acifra and the country of Acitratna, where most people fled to for safety. The Queen of Acitratna would provide everyone safety and shelter, as long as they obeyed her orders. Her ministers would assign certain jobs for everyone, according to their skill sets, and physical and intellectual abilities. In a way, it was a orderly system that worked for almost everyone.

Acitratna was also the place to go when fellow warriors wanted to enlist to fight for the World Army. Warriors from all over the world would be put into a group of six, depending on age and physical capabilities. Kaida didn't know much about the program, but something in her gut told her that Acitratna was the place she needed to go.

By the time the density of the leaves lessened, she could tell that daylight was coming upon her. The clouds had finally washed away, revealing a dawning sky. She felt incredibly tired. How long had she been hiking along the giant trees? Her lids felt heavy, her breathing becoming more ragged. Kaida leaned on a tree, sinking to the damp, forest floor. She let the fire in her hand dwindle, until it let out a final spark of smoke. She rested her head against the old bark, her sack of supplies settled on her lap. Staring at the still air unblinkingly, she let out a quiet yawn, closing her tired eyes.
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"Kaida..."