Shadow Cursed

Chapter 32: A Walk Through the Woods

The world was all unclear when I opened my eyes again what seemed like days later. My body ached all over still, and moving was painful. Struggling, I sat up on the ground.

I stretched my sore arms brushing against feathers. Afraid the wings were an illusion of death, I looked behind me to see them still there. Curious, I let my hand glide over the lose and messy feathers. I really had wings, real functioning wings. Carefully I stood up and slowly stretched them out. They could wrap around me like a blanket for warmth and looked like they could touch the sky.

A boy walked out from behind a tree with his eyes wide open as he looked at my wings spread out. "They're-" He couldn't finish his thought before he snapped back to his senses.

I'm the distance I heard shouts and foot prints as he dove for me and knocked me onto the ground behind a bush. "What was tha-" He covered my mouth. The footsteps grew louder as they got closer and he crouched blending into the forest as he kept a close watch on them.

"Sir, are you sure this is where they were spotted?" A voice questioned moments later. I sat up a little to see a tall man in a uniform talking to a kinda short fat man sitting on his horse.

The short man responded in a deep and demanding voice, "Keep searching up ahead. They can't have gotten to far away." The horses and foot steps rushed ahead and out of sight.

He took his hand off my mouth and stood up after they disappeared. "What was that about?!?!?" I exclaimed.

"They were looking for you-" he paused, "Us I mean."

"Why us?" I sat up since my back was hurting.

He kept an eye out and determined it was clear before he continued talking, "Look, it's better you don't ask questions. Just let me take care of this."

I stood up and crossed my arms, "I'm supposed to trust someone I oh, just met and pushed me to the ground and just saved my life, and I know nothing about." I rolled my eyes afterward.

"Ugh," he walked over to a tree and hit it, pieces of bark went flying off in different directions splintering the ground. Turning back to me, "What do you want me to do then? Waste time explaining what's going on, or start our long journey."

"How long is this gonna be? Cause I don't have my walking shoes and I-" He cut me off again.

"I'm going with or without you," he threw his hands into the air and started walking the way they came.

I stood there alone for a few seconds, then I started chasing him to catch up and not get lost, "Wait up!"

He looked behind as he smirked when he saw a crazy girl who hasn't bathed in probably days was flailing her arms in attempt to catch up to this stranger she just met. "Okay here is what you are going to do. Only talk when I ask you something, don't ask anymore questions, and stay on the path."

I stopped running to catch a breath. "Fine, but I want to know at least where I am or where we are going."

He ignore my request, and started walking again. Irritated, I took the closest rock from the ground and threw it in his direction. It hit him on his back. He stopped walking and turned around, he walked back over to me. He took deep breaths, "Are you just gonna be a pain in my ass this entire trip?"

I didn't respond an looked on the ground pebbles on the ground. He violently lifted my head to eye level and stared into my eyes. Fear filled my eyes, "I promise I won't say anything else!" He let go of me and I fell on the ground crying.

"Now get off the ground and don't waste anymore time," he ordered.

I stood up and followed him silently keeping my distance. I didn't want him touching me again, it didn't feel right. I pulled my wings around me closer as the temperature got colder around us.

An hour passed. Then another passed. Soon I lost track of how many hours passed, and my feet grew tired. I wanted to ask to rest, but I didn't bother since he would probably throw me to the ground easily. I stays walking behind him silently.

From up above he asked, "How did you get here?"

I was zoned out, "Wait are you talking to me?"

"Who else would I be talking to?" I could feel his eyes looking into my soul from where he stood.

Well I kinda found myself kidnapped by this demon monkey thing, and was thrown in this warehouse with my traveling companion who I seemed to have lost when I jumped off a cliff hoping I would die? It sounded crazy in my mind so I just said, "I fell off the cliff accidentally."

He chuckled to himself, " So you expect me to believe, you survived a fall off of Dead Man's cliff and you are still in one piece?" He chuckled some more as he turned around and continued walking.

I didn't respond and he didn't say anything else to me the rest of the trip. I was fine with that, I needed time to collect my thoughts and reorganize them. So much has happened in such a short amount of time.

What seemed like hours later he stopped in an abandoned village. "Well here we are, don't say anything." He walked to a house near the edge and rang the door bell, no answer. He rang it again as a slot opened on the door, then the door opened for him.

"Where have you been!" Came from the voice behind the door, it belonged to a old lady with grey hair and witch robes on.

They chatted a little, I couldn't understand any of it. "I've been traveling, we need to stay here for a few days to regain our strength before we cross the realms."

The witch turned to look at me and nodded, "Come in. You both could use a bath and meal. Dinner is ready in an hour so hurry up if you don't want to go to bed with an empty stomach." She left the door open for me as she headed inside the house.

I closed the door behind me as I walked into the village building. The inside was massive, based on how big the outside was. I was shown to my room and left to go bathe and a change of clothes.

I took my dirt and sweat covered shirt and jeans off and headed to the bathroom. The bathroom was small, a sink, toilet, and tub. I turned the water on, letting it run over my hand, it was hot. After I let it fill, I turned it off and stepped into the scalding tub. I instantly had the stress removed from my shoulders and sat there soaking for a few minutes. I then took the small bar of soap and scrubbed the remaining dirt and grime off my body before pulling the plug on the drain and putting a towel on. On the bed was a change of clothes and I quickly put it on as I heard a knocking at the door. "Come in."

A boy with dirty blond hair and amber eyes walked into my room, he couldn't have been the same boy that dragged me through the forest? I didn't realize I was staring at him until he spoke. "Is everything alright?" So he wasn't all that rude and aggressive. He actually has a caring and kind side.

"Yeah," I mumbled looking at the ground.

"I owe you some answers," he ran his hand through his wet hair. He must of just bathed also.

I shrugged, "I guess." I sat down on my bed and laid down.

"Well the people looking for us were members of the Darkness Army, some of the most well trained soldiers you would ever find. They follow every command given. They also have the best trackers and hunters, which is who we need to look out for." He paused.

"So, you're saying we're being hunted as we speak?"

Continuing his story, "They are relentless. And to answer your question where are we, we are in a forgotten sub section of the Shadow Realm. They rarely patrol this area anymore so we should be safe. Once we rest up I'm bringing you back where you belong."

"Where do I belong?" I was torn between two worlds, the Celestial Realm, or Earth where I was raised as a human most of my life.

"You are the Daughter of the Celestial Realm, your highness." He bowed to me.

I blushed, "You really don't need to do that."

"Cerin, call me Cerin," he interrupted.

"Okay then Cerin, you don't need to bow down to me." I stood up to stretch when someone came in to tell us dinner is ready.

Overjoyed that the food was ready, "See you downstairs." He slipped away from the room and rushed to claim a spot at the table.

I stood alone in my room absorbing all the info I was just given with a confused expression.