The Golden Throne

Chapter 41: Odara's most wanted

It was the early hours of the morning. A gentle breeze blew through the forest, causing hundreds of leaves to rustle. Somewhere, deep in this forest was a cabin- secluded from the rest of the world. Its wooden walls were old, but they were still very strong, albeit the fungus and mold that were thriving on them. The breeze blew all the way to the cabin, making the wind chimes at the front door tinkle soothingly, sweetly- like a gentle lullaby.

The inside of the cabin was spacious, with little to no decoration. A couch was located at the center of the cabin's simple living room, A couple of rugged, makeshift beds lay on the floor in one room, and a flight of stairs led to the upper section where the bathroom and bedroom was located. There was no kitchen, and the rubbish bin overflowed with empty cans of food.

A girl with crutches was standing by the window, admiring the view outside. She was bespectacled, with wavy golden hair. Her body was incredibly frail, and there was a bandage on her thigh.

"It's so peaceful outside," Zeno whispered. She looked over her shoulder to see Hilda sitting down on the couch- her eyes closed and her head rolled back. Suddenly, the sound of someone's footsteps approaching caught Zeno's attention. She turned her head to the source and saw Hilbert. His hair was disheveled and his eyes sunken from lack of sleep. In his hand was a glass of water. He sat down next to Hilda and brushed a a few strands of hair away from her face.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, placing the glass on the table in front of him.

"I threw up again this morning... but other than that, it's all good," Hilda strained a sarcastic chuckle.

Hilbert sighed. "Here, drink," he guided the glass of water to her lips. Hilda gratefully drank it all up. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"No," she shook her head and tried to push him away. "I might get you sick."

Hilbert stopped and blinked at her. Then, when she least expected it, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Damn it!" Hilda grumbled. "Aren't you worried I might infect you?"

"No," Hilbert made a soft laugh.

"Idiot..." Hilda chuckled weakly. She rolled her head back again, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. For the past two days, Hilda has been experiencing nausea along with cramps in her lower abdomen. What's strange was, she was the only one in the group afflicted with this illness. Perhaps it was stress induced? Among the group, Hilda went through the most pain and shock when Hilbert confided the truth about Ripley. Ripley became one of her closest friends. To be betrayed like this... it was too much for her to handle.

It has been three days since the Massacre of Merrilea, and the group has been hiding here, in a forest cut off from the rest of Odara.

"Red is back!" Zeno cried excitedly from the cabin window.

Immediately, the front door swung open, and a tall young man stepped in. "How is everyone?" Red asked. He stole a look behind him to double check if he wasn't followed. Then he locked the door behind him.

Hilbert got up on his feet and turned to Red. "Hilda's still not feeling well."

"I see. Here, these were all I could grab while I was in the city," he placed a bag of meds on the table. "It's getting crazier out there," Red began, "the number of soldiers stationed at every city has tripled. I don't think I can carry on sneaking into cities for supplies if this carries on."

"Then it's time to stop hiding!" Hilda voiced. "It's been three days, guys! How long are we gonna keep this up?"

Hilbert and Red turned their attention to her. "In your state, we're not going anywhere," Hilbert said.