My legs are sore by the time we finally stop for a break.
I walk with an awkward gait to the trunk of a nearby tree and sit with my back against it. I slowly stretch out my legs and roll my ankles.
Riding a lion definitely isn't as comfortable as it seems, I think to myself as I yawn, suddenly exhausted from the hours of travel. I watch as Vul and Leo set up a quick camp for dinner. Vul warms up a few rolls of bread over the white flames as Leo rummages through his bag.
Lux zooms out of my pocket to rest of a patch of grass exposed to the sunlight. I remember her telling me that light pixie's absorb sunlight to keep their lights going. If they don't get enough sunlight, they burn out along with their light.
I train my gaze away from the pixie and to the sky, leaning my head against the tree trunk. I can feel the small patches of sunlight falling onto my face from in between the winding branches of the tree. A soft breeze wafts over me and the whisper of the leaves gently brush against each other as they fill the uncomfortable silence in the woods. Despite the unfortunate situation I am in, I feel relaxed and strangely peaceful. My eyelids slowly close as the sounds of the forest lull my thoughts. I can feel myself drifting off to sleep, but it is quickly interrupted when something drops in my lap.
A small roll of bread is wrapped in a blue cloth with a square of butter melting into its golden brown surface. I pick it up, feeling its warmth seeping through the cloth and onto my hands. The mouth watering aroma the bread emits induces a long and low growl from my empty stomach.
I quickly take a bite of the bread, my eyes closing as I relish the flavor of the dough mixed with the warm butter. It is only a roll with some butter on it, but it tastes amazing to my empty stomach so I take another bite. As I chew someone settles down beside me and my eyes flicker over to them, finding Leo sitting cross legged. He says nothing, only biting into his roll in nonchalance. Vul settles down on my other side with a considerable amount of space between us and I roll my eyes.
My mouth closes around another bite of the roll as I glance between the two. I lick some stray butter off my lips as I try to figure out why they suddenly decided to sit next to me. I mean Leo has never has a problem with me so it's not as strange, but Vul is only a foot-and-a-half away. That's progress.
A leather canteen appears in front of my face and I jump slightly in surprise. I glance at Leo who is looking at me as if I have two heads.
"You thirsty?" He asks with a raised eyebrow. I glance between him and the canteen for a moment before I hesitantly take it from him.
Unscrewing the cap with one hand, I hold the rest of my roll in the other and take a sip of whatever liquid is inside of the container. I don't know why I am suddenly so suspicious of the two, but I try to push these thoughts out of my head as the soothing liquid dances in my mouth before it trickles down my throat, mixing perfectly with the bread. It isn't water, more like an iced tea with a sweet flavor that I can't put my fingers on.
After twisting the cap back on, I hand it back to Leo and lick my lips, savoring its taste. All five of my senses seems to be heightened today and I can't understand why.
"It's good, what is it?" I ask before taking another bite of my roll. I can feel the gnawing hunger subsiding with each nibble.
"A herbal tea that Hesper made, she gave me the canteen before she left. Despite it being a liquid, it's more filling than the roll. It also helps any other food you eat fill you up faster no matter what it is."
I nod, finishing off the last of my roll. I feel practically full despite my small meal so it makes sense. Leo and Vul finish off their own rolls, both downing the rest of Hesper's tea in only a few moments. I guess the Arco can get hungry as well.
For a few moments we sit there, reminiscing the delicate but delicious flavors of our meal while resting in the peaceful woods with only nature surrounding us. My eyes train up at the sky, noticing how the light blue color fades into pinks and purples with the transition of the sun. a few clouds are speckled here and there, the bottoms of them reflecting the sky's vibrant colors.
All of a sudden a chill rakes my spine. The warm breeze grows colder and leaves icy kisses on my exposed skin. My body tenses as if waiting for something, but when I glance at the two brothers, they look as if nothing strange is happening.
"Aria . . ."
I freeze, my eyes widening as the familiar voice calls to me. Mortem.
"Aria . . ."
The gelid and demonic voice cuts through me like a frozen blade. I can feel it vibrate my chest with such intensity that I gasp and lean forward. A tremor of fear winds its way up every nerve ending in my body. My eyes widen and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as the world around me fades.
I can't hear anything save for the voice that calls out to me again. It is only a whisper, barely audible over the roaring fear in my ears, but it still induces an intense reaction out of me at the same time. My throat starts to close up, I can't breathe.
Time seems to slow as I distantly hear Vul and Leo call out to me, but their voices are muffled.
"Aria . . ." Mortem repeats—although instead of sounding as if he surrounds me, it comes from the brush across from me. My shaking hands slowly lower themselves from clutching my head as my eyes scan the trees.
Sweat beads on my brow and I feel a small droplet trickle down the back of my neck and my spine. My heart is put into overdrive as I see a pair of slit red eyes watch me from the shadows.
My head and heart pound simultaneously and an ache appears in my chest, a nauseous wave of dizziness causing the shadows to look as if they are stretching towards me. I stumble back against the tree, pressing myself against it and just wishing I could disappear as the shadows morph across the grass into the form of hands. The talons of one hand brush against the toe of my boot, sending another cold shiver down my spine.
I pull my legs to my chest. The world around me disappears into a hollow darkness, leaving only the shadows in front of me visible.
Mortem emits a low chuckle from the back of his throat, sounding like the rumble of an earth quake.
"This is only a small fraction of what I can do, Aria." The shadowed claw gently caresses my cheek, leaving a burning trail across my skin. "I'll be waiting."
The tightness around my chest and throat slowly recedes as the clawed hands withdraw into the shadows. I can feel my breaths steady as the world around me turns back to normal. The dizziness subsides and limb by limb my tense body relaxes.
Leo and Vul watch me with a mix of worry and confusion. I can practically tell what they are thinking and I totally agree.
What the hell was that?
____________________________________________
*Author's Note*
Two chapters in one day! I know they aren't long but I felt like they needed to be separate chapters.
Hope you enjoyed 'em!
-forever_lyrical
YOU ARE READING
Taken
Mystery / ThrillerAll Aria wants is to get her sister back. It has been two years since she last saw Nina who disappeared one night without a trace, and recently, Aria feels as if whatever took her sister is coming for her as well. Follow Aria as she travels to d...
