Lonely One

Chapter 4 - Followed and Slain

××Stormy×

Fallow and I spent the entire day flying towards the mountains. We stopped a few times to rest and forage, because I had somehow lost my bag in a single day's time, but for the most part, our time was spent in the sky.

The sun was beginning to set when I had us land again. We needed to catch up on rest and we needed to find a safer place to sleep. It was all too easy for that stranger to approach us earlier.

Fallow dropped to the ground into a walk, continuing our journey a little further. I was surprised when a cave came into view, it was sunken into the ground slightly and was part of a small hilly area.

I slid off Fallows' back and slowly approached the mouth of the cave. Since my bag was gone, so was my easy light source so I'd have to build a fire soon. First I wanted to ensure the cave was already inhabited with anything.

I paused at the cave's mouth and held my breath as I listened. It was dead silent inside the cave which was a good sign. I stepped to the side and clapped my hands a few times, trying to see if the sound would rouse anything that might be inside. When nothing made a peep, I deemed it safe enough and waved Fallow over as I stepped into the darkness.

I wanted to see how deep it went before settling in and starting a fire. I padded into the darkness, Fallow stopping just at the entrance.

A low sopping sound met my ears and I froze, my hand reaching out to touch the wall. My fingers met something sticky and I yanked my hand back with a gasp. I cringed, if whatever was in here didn't know I was here before, then it knew now.

I took a solid step back and glared into the darkness. I couldn't fight something I couldn't see. Another step back. I had to get closer to the light.

Two large red eyes blinked open. They grew wide, honing in on my unmoving form. I spun around and dashed towards the fading light outside, yelling to Fallow.

"Go! Go!"

I fell onto Fallow, tripping right at the mouth of the cave. Fallow grunted but attempted to take off without a running start anyways. He lifted off the ground uneasily, having nothing to help him gain speed and height. We weren't able to move fast enough. It didn't help that I was hanging off his side and throwing off his balance.

A red, slimy tongue wrapped around my ankle and yanked us back to the ground. The tongue pulling me and my grip on Fallow pulling him.

Fallow grunted when his hooves hit the rock below. The rocking movement caused me to lose my grip. My fingers slipped out of Fallow's fur and my body hit the ground hard, forcing the air out of my lungs. I wheezed, trying to push myself up off the ground.

The tongue pulled me further into the cave but I managed to turn myself around, finally freeing my hands. I fumbled to get my knife out of its sheath, almost cheering out loud when I had it firmly in my grip. I brought the knife down on the appendage pulling me into the darkness, severing its ties to my leg.

It sliced apart easily, spilling dark blue blood over my leg and the rocky ground. A wail echoed from the cave as the monster pulled its rope-like tongue back into the black depths. A line of blood trailed behind it. The liquid acted like acid and sizzled against the grey rock.

It was in that miniscule moment of calm that I felt the searing pain coming from my leg. I reached down and pried the end of the disconnected tongue off my leg to find it had burned through my tight pants and into my skin, leaving behind bright red, bubbling skin.

My fingers burned too from the contact they had with the slimy organ. I bit back the pain as I pulled myself up and stood on wobbly legs. There must have been some kind of poison injected into my bloodstream to cause this bad of a reaction. I struggled towards Fallow, him crouching down so I could get a better position this time.

As I reached over, grasping at his side, his grunts of panic met my ears. I looked back in time to see the monster lurking out of the cave. Its wild yellow eyes angrily aimed at my struggling form. It knew I was weak. It faintly resembled a large frog. Dark green but its back was covered in bubble-like pockets of sizzling liquid.

A dark sword came down on its head just a foot away from my face. I shut my eyes tightly, flinching back as hot blood splattered my face and clothes. Fallow pranced backwards with an unhappy grunt at being covered as well.

I cracked my eyes open and met the dark orbs of Niton. In his hand sat the wicked sword. Sharp, jagged edges and a hilt lined with silver skulls and intricate designs. It was covered in the ugly blue blood of the creature, still steaming from the heat.

I quickly wiped my face, wanting to get the stinging blood off of my skin. Fallow followed suit, dropping to the grass to remove it from his fur. The dead frog creature was slowly losing its color as the blood flooded the rocky surface. I didn't know what to say.

My eyes met his again and soon enough, Niton's signature smirk was reappearing. Niton swung his arm out, the sword along with it, letting the blood dripping off the sword splatter to the ground.

The sound was louder due to the absolute silence around us. It was loud enough to bring me back. My brows furrowed and a glare replaced my dazed expression.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me?" I spat the questions out quickly, backing up a little more and trying to keep the weight off of my injured ankle.

Niton glanced down at it, taking in the burning flesh, his eyes gaining a strange glint but it was gone quickly.

"Of course I am."

The sword in his hand disappeared much like the knife did earlier that day. I almost wished to ask him to bring it out again so I could examine it up close but refrained, pushing my weapon obsession down. This was not the time.

"Why?" I grit out, allowing myself to lean against the cave wall. The pain was only increasing.

"I told you my secret. Now I have to make sure you keep it to yourself," Niton said, leaning against the other side of the cave, crossing his arms against his chest. He grimaced when a rock lodged itself in his back and forced him to readjust. I smiled inwardly at the small victory against him.

"What secret?" I asked with clear confusion, thinking back to our previous conversation. Why would he even say anything if it was a secret?

"The demon blood, cutie."

I balked at him.

"Also I have your backpack," He said with a sinister smile, holding it out in a tight grip.

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Its okay ig