Everfree book 1

Chapter 8: Arkin

~Katrina's POV~

    I run to the waterfall. I don't stop. Something urges me to go on. Go... go... don't stop... run... I know i've heard the voice before, but I can't recall when...

    When I reach the waterfall, I remember the scene where Nathan and Hunter die. Climbing up the rocks, I see a bright green glow coming from behind the waterfall. I had never realized that you could go behind the waterfall. I thought it was just rocks. I decide to go up first to look at Nathan and Hunter, then go behind the waterfall.

    When I reach the top, I don't see any bodies. Just the arrow that had speared Hunter's heart. I walk over to the arrow, and see a note attached to it. Most of the note is covered up in dried blood, and all I can make out is "you next." Puzzled, I pick up the arrow and head back down the rocks.

    When I reach the bottom, I take the note off my arrow and wash the arrow in the water until it's pretty clean again. There is still some dried blood inside some small dents in the arrow, but I feel satisfied. I stick the arrow back in my quiver with all the others, and start to walk around the stream where the waterfall lands. I can't seem to find a way over to the other side.

Disencouraged, I start to head back up the rocks. Then I see it... A single rock that's only about 4 feet away from the ground... then 4 more feet away to behind the waterfall...

I start to jump onto the rock. It's not that big, but I can fit myself on to it. My backpack and sheath weigh me down by the slightest bit, but I manage to get across. When i'm behind the waterfall, all I can see is a... a door. It's made of metal, and is engraved with a name on it. 'Hunthan Arabius.' There's a small control panel on the side of the door as well. I had to enter a code... The voice came back. 279413... it told me. I entered those numbers on the panel like I was a controlled robot, and the door gilded open. The voice stops controlling me, and I return to my normal state. Fog comes out from the doors entrance.

~Karina's POV~

    The bodies. They were gone. Just dried blood. And a scroll. I take it. Katrina had left. I open the scroll. "quest ut liberabo eum quod furatus animarum," it says on the top in curly writing. My latin was pretty good so I tried translating.

"Quest? To..free...the...stolen? Umm." I tried.

"Souls." A voice said. "Do you accept?" I looked towards the sound of the voice. A man in a black cloak appeared. I couldn't see his face. I thought about it.

"I..I accept." I said stuttering. He laughed. Then a table with a knife on it appeared.

"Repeat it, and pour some of your blood on the table." He said grinning. I walked toward the table.

"I Karina ------, accept the quest to free the stolen souls." I said boldly. I took the knife. My blood dropped on the table. It shaped into words. Accipio a quest it said. The man laughed and then disappeared. The place I cut myself was healed.

Puzzled, I started heading back to the cottage, until saw a deer. I took my spear. I threw it at the deer. Once it hit, I started walking to retrieve it. But it was scooped up by a guy. Good looking too. His hair was as black as night. Eyes are as brown as chocolate chips.

    "Hey!" I shouted. "That's my dinner!"

    "Well, it's now mine. I don't take orders from a girl," He said. I walked up to him.

    "I'll give you a choice." I said. "Either you give me back that meat, or you'll be dead meat." I glared at him.

    "Okay, okay." he said. "I'll leave." He ran off with the meat. I chased him. I was fast. So fast that I caught up with him after 30 seconds. I punched him in the gut. He clutched his stomach, moaning. I took the meat. Then I took a vial from my pocket. It was full of knockout gas.

    "Now, either I punch you then tie you to a tree. Or I knock you out, and then tie you to a tree." I said. "Your choice." I smiled prettily. He didn't answer. So then I punched him, knocked him out, and then took rope and tied him to a tree. I rushed home, cooked the meat, and then rushed back to the tree I tied him to. He was almost awake. He moaned for awhile. I took the meat and started to eat. The smell of food woke him up.

    "Get...Me...Out!" He roared. I kicked him in the shin. He was now quiet. I ate the meat in front of him.

    "Tell me your name and promise never to take anyone's food." I demanded. "I'll know if you do."

    "I'm Arkin." He growled. "Who are you?"

"Karina." I said. "Now get out of my woods." I slashed the ropes around Arkin. He fell on the ground. As he tried to get back onto his feet, I noticed a small tattoo on the back of his neck resembling the number 7.