Undestined: Fight your Fate

Chapter Two: The Unquest Begins

The weather was normal. Silay wasn't sure what she had expected— bright, sunny weather to welcome this new stage in her life, or dark, dramatic clouds— but she couldn't help but find it a bit anti-climatic that the weather was exactly the same as yesterday. Her entire life was about to change, but it seemed the weather was completely indifferent to the fact. 

Saying goodbye to her parents had been hard. Saying goodbye to the town was easy. Even though Silay had never left Dagrosa, she had become a stranger there.  Thanks to the town leaders, her parents, and the Seer, she now had a knapsack containing a map, food, a change of clothes, and enough money to last for a while if she was careful. At her side was a small dagger her father had insisted she take, though she had no idea how to use it. More useful was the small bottle of pre-activated warding potions the Seer had given her, for the nights she couldn't find shelter indoors. The Seer had given Silay something else, in secret. In a leather pouch concealed beneath her shirt was a Farstone.

The town leaders had suggested she take a horse, but Silay had refused. She had never been taught to ride one; that particular skill was only taught to those whose Destinies required it. Now, however, she beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake. Even if she couldn’t ride a horse properly, she could have used it to carry the pack. When listening to other people's stories of quests, she had never really considered just how much walking was involved. She had only set out two hours ago and could already feel blisters forming in her shoes and the knapsack straps cutting into her shoulders.

She pushed on for another hour before deciding she absolutely had to rest. Moving over to the side of the road, she she trudged over to a large, flat rock. Sitting, she shrugged the knapsack off her shoulders and set it between her feet. She rolled her shoulders around a few times, and rubbed the back of her neck. Questing was going to be harder than she had thought. Afraid of what she might find, she pulled off her left shoe and sock to inspect her foot. There was definitely a blister between her big toe and her second. A second blister on her ankle had already formed and popped, and there was a small bloodstain on her sock where the raw skin had rubbed against it. Silay grimaced. She was about to pull off her right shoe too when she heard a sound in the bushes nearby.

"Hello?" she called. Getting no answer, Silay quickly pulled her sock and shoe back on and stood. "Is someone there?" she called again, moving her hand towards her dagger. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. This stretch of the road had never had bandits on it, but if word of the plague had gotten out, anything might be possible. 

Suddenly, a small figure burst out of the bush. Silay jumped back, nearly tripping over the rock behind her. Regaining her balance, she was startled to find herself facing, not a bandit, but a young girl brandishing a butter knife. Before Silay could react, the girl took a threatening step forward. 

“Give me your food!” she demanded.

Silay looked at her for a moment, then reached forward and carefully twisted the butter knife out of her hand.

“Hey! That’s not fair.” The girl stomped her foot in frustration. “Give it back!”

“Not yet.” Silay knelt so she was eye-level with the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Not supposed to talk to strangers.” The girl crossed her arms and looked away.

“But attacking them with butter knives is all right?”

The girl didn’t answer and Silay sighed. “What are you doing out here?”

“Running away. I’m going to find a castle and be a princess.” The girl narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing out here?”

Silay considered the question. “I guess I’m running away too.”

“Really?” The girl’s frown turned into a grin and she stuck out her hand. “I’m Hazel. Can I run away with you?”