Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

four

Ruby had never felt more tired.

Although she was hardly sixteen, and still awfully young, not a single part of her felt young. She'd seen too much, experienced too much since the moment her grandparents were killed.

Once she returned to her village, she simply collapsed onto her mattress and took a long nap, hoping she'd feel better after a little rest, and that she'd forget all about Alucard and his stupid girlfriend.

She didn't know how long she slept exactly, but it seemed to be a long time, since she'd barely gotten any sleep last night. After a while, Ruby finally woke up from her nap, blinking the sleep from her eyes in a daze. She glanced out of the window.

It was already sundown. She'd forgotten all about her job. And the wolves.

Ruby cursed under her breath. She stood up instantly, grabbing her scythe from where it sat against the wall. She grabbed her long crimson cloak and draped it over her shoulders, pulling the hood over her blonde locks. As she burst out of the door of her house, she inwardly prayed that if the wolves had come again tonight, they hadn't reached the village yet. If they had, she would never forgive her own carelessness.

'Ruby!' hissed a quiet, feminine voice all of a sudden. Ruby was startled. She looked around to find the person who'd called her and spotted one of her young friends who lived jn the village, Reina, hiding behind a corner of the house nearest to hers. She had two long brown braids and was only around 10 years old. 'Ruby!'

Ruby hurried towards her. 'What is it, Reina? If it's not important, you can tell me later. I have responsibilities.'

'No, this is important,' insisted Reina, her blue eyes wide. 'When I was out picking berries earlier, I saw the wolves.'

Ruby frowned in suspicion. How exactly did you see the wolves before hearing their howls? Still, she trusted Reina, because what could the innocent young girl get from tricking her? Ruby nodded. 'Thanks for informing me, Reina. I'll watch out for them.'

Reina forced a tight smile. 'Be careful, Ruby.'

Ruby smiled in response and, without another word, headed off into the Black Forest.

---

Ruby ventured deep into the Black Forest, her brows knitted together in a vaguely suspicious frown. Strangely, she still hadn't seen or heard anything, which gave her the creeps. Actually, she didn't know whether to be relieved or suspicious.

She wove her way through the tall grass, squinting into the distance. If she didn't spot anything soon, she was definitely turning back. What a waste of time and energy. Ruby made a mental note to properly question Reina when she got back.

Just then, she heard the very first strange noise that day. It was hardly even audible - just an extremely faint slithering noise that anyone wouldn't have heard. But Ruby had been hunting for years, and she heard it.

There was someone here.

Her hand tightened around the handle of her giant scythe, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She could tell she was being watched by a human by the way her neck prickled with an intensity much stronger than when the wolves watched her. Ruby could almost feel the... coldness of the gaze that was being fixed on her.

Worry curdled in her gut. That intimidating air... it had to be the unknown figure that had been watching her yesterday.

Time seemed to stretch into an eternity. Ruby stood rigid, not a single limb moving, only her eyes constantly sweeping from side to side.

She maintained her silent stillness for what was probably thirty seconds, but felt like an hour. In the end, Ruby gave in to her growing impatience.

'Has no one ever told you that it's rude to sneak up on people?'

Okay. So maybe she shouldn't have been so careless. But as much as she was unwilling to admit it, she hadn't fully gotten over Alucard yet, and her mood was only slightly less foul than it had been before.

A barely audible snicker. 'I guess I should wear a bell in the future, then.'

Ruby turned around, her face completely impassive.

A man stood dangerously close to her, enveloped in shadows. The same man who'd been watching her yesterday, who had menacing spikes lining his shoulders.
Ruby stiffened, a bit more obviously than she would've liked. He never should've been able to sneak up that close. Very few people could get within fifty meters of her, and here he was, leaning against a tree as if he hadn't even tried.

Ruby felt the first spark of fear ignite inside her. His nonchalance was far more fearsome than outright violence would've been.

'And who are you?' she asked warily.

The man stepped into the beam of light spilling from between the leaves of two tall trees. Ruby's breath caught in her throat.

He was sickeningly beautiful, with that perfect smirk curving his lips, the angle of his head casting the dim moonlight on his features and emphasizing his prominent cheekbones. Ruby couldn't help being transfixed by the very sight of him for several seconds.

'Seen me before?' he questioned softly, a hint of laughter in his voice.

Ruby's eyes narrowed. And that was when it hit her.

She had seen him before. And, with a sudden horror that made her recoil, she realised she'd seen him more than once in the past.

The curly, silvery blond hair on his head and his mismatching eyes, one completely dominated by a malevolent purple and the other all but ordinary except the whites were completely dark... They were all tauntingly familiar.

He was Dyrroth, the Prince of the Abyss.

Ruby instantly retreated, putting as much distance as possible between her and the evil prince. She hadn't felt this scared for years. To the notorious, well-known Prince of the Abyss, she was nothing.

I have to run.

Dyrroth had nearly torn apart the Moniyan Empire with nothing but his brutal forces. He'd placed all the innocent citizens in peril, demolished the supposedly impenetrable Barrier of Justice effortlessly.
Ruby didn't stand a chance against him.

'Where are you going?' he asked idly, looking almost bored. Another mocking grin pulled at his lips, sending more spikes of fear through Ruby. 'You can't run, little red hood.' At that moment, his small smirk blossomed into a full grin, expectant and evil. 'Little... Ruby.'

Ruby didn't bother asking him how he knew her name. She was in a far too terrified state for that.

So without another word, Ruby turned and sprinted off into the woods.