Our Differences

Chapter 16 - Her First

I had set up a small camp yesterday for the night after it began to get dark, at first I couldn't sleep thinking about what lurked out there, what wanted to kill me. Eventually, sleep overtook me though as I was completely exhausted. 

So as I woke up I was on high alert and my hand was almost immediately grasping the dagger under my chest. As I surveyed my surroundings I saw nothing, heard nothing but the sound of birds and insects. 

The sun was only just rising, I decided I bet of get going as I packed up my bed roll and kicked the ashes of the small fire I had lit last night. I grabbed my cloak and slid it back on as I took it off last night and laid it over my body and bedroll to hopefully cover me from the dangers of the night. It either worked or nothing came by as I was still alive, which I was highly grateful for. 

I grabbed my backpack and continued to walk following the map Nyra had given me. She had circled my final destination, the city of Dardunn know more commonly as The Dark City. Nyra had told me it used to be a gorgeous city and around two centuries it used to have a different name. When the war started, around two-hundred and fifty years ago, the city became ruins as it became a target for the enemy. It took five decades for people to slowly start calling the city what it is known as today. Maps started to change, removing the old luxurious city from existence. 

Mairwen added on to this though and said some fae still whisper about the old city to this day as they were alive before and whilst the war started. At first it creeped me out knowing that most fae last for centuries but most of the older fae had been wiped out at the beginning of the war. They wanted to prove there loyalty to the king and there braveness to their families. Apparently everyone thought it was courageous until the war didn't stop and it kept raging on and as the elders started to drop everyone came to a realisation. They weren't courageous. they were stupid, for feeding into the kings ideas. 

Well that's what Mairwen said, sometimes I wonder how old she really is. She has all this wisdom yet only looks about 60. Maybe she was secretly one of the elders that had seen the city, who knows?

Now that I am here though, everything has made me curious. I know there is lots more to know of this world that could take me centuries to learn and I want to learn it all now. If I didn't have a job to complete I think the first thing I'd do would be to find a library full of this worlds past and I'd stay there until I had read every book. This world brings out all my curiosities. 

𓆩♡𓆪𓆩♡𓆪𓆩♡𓆪

I had kept on walking and along the way I gathered berries and wild fruits I knew were safe to eat to keep my supply full. But as the sun began to set I felt eyes on me even though no matter how many times I surveyed my surroundings I saw and heard nothing. At first I thought I was on delusional and maybe I had accidently eaten something I shouldn't of but then I heard it. 

Above me in the trees I had heard it, I looked and saw nothing. I slipped my knife out from underneath my breast, gripping on to it for dear life. My pace sped up and my heart hammered in my ears.

I was terrified because I couldn't see it but it most certainty could see me and what you can't see you definitely can't kill. As I sped up I heard it speed up too but this time it seemed like more than one, a lot more than one. The tree branches above me groaned as they appeared to jump from branch to branch. 

They were letting out a wretched sort of laugh, they were laughing at me and my fear.

I knew though if I kept walking on the verge of running I'd tire out and be easier to kill so I decided to stop and wait.