Trip To The Inferno (Unedited)

Part 59

I let Tlaloc guide me away from the dying fire and towards the group of women. In the middle stood the Herbalist with a deer skull, its antlers proudly protruding in perfect condition. Women were already in a circle around the Herbalist and I decided not to step closer to the woman since just seeing her made me frown. With my guts and mind heavy from worry, the Herbalist's words flew pass my ears as I looked around, anxious. That's when I noticed it.

Orna was gone

My guts squeezed almost painfully as I began looking around the circle of women. With her face nowhere in the crowd, I looked towards scattered and chatting males, but she wasn't near them as well. Walking away from the circle, I began aimlessly walking around and just searching for her, completely forgetting about the ritualistic dance. My chest was heavy from fear as I began cursing the killer in my mind. What was his/her problem anyway? Why can't he/she leave us alone? And why does he/she target only women?

With my mind deep in thought, I didn't notice how I walked away from people and behind the row of tents. My eyes landed on the forest line and I froze. There, on the path stood a single huge stag and lazily ate some bush leaves. While it was weird to see a prey so near a pack of wolves, the shocking part was its unnatural white coat and massive antlers. As if reading my mind, the stag lifted his head and looked at me with his black eyes. I don't know how long we stared at each other, but the stag suddenly turned around and slowly walked deeper into the forest. With its movements my mind awoke and I instantly remembered history lessons from Laird. It had to be coincident, right? A huge white stag just like from stories about Gods during the Festival of the Harvest that celebrated God of Death when Orna was missing.

My feet moved on their own as I began running towards the forest where the stag disappeared. I didn't want to think that I just met the celebrated God. However you look at the situation, it didn't look good.

In less than a minute I was on the path and running deeper into the forest. The sun was already dipping behind the horizon and shadows began claiming the forest. My brains began scolding me for not going straight to Tlaloc and explaining everything, but doubt was quick to intervene. Would Tlaloc believe what I saw? Just because he was religious, doesn't mean he would believe if I just went to him and was like "hey, I saw one of your Gods". He would probably think I was bluffing just to stop the Festival. And I myself wasn't really keen on believing this "Gods are real" thing.

With that thought I ran into a clearing and my eyes went wide. At the back of it some volcanic rocks laid thrown around and next to one of them sat Orna, her hands tied to the rock. Her face was tainted with tears, hair disheveled and mouth covered with cloth. Away from her and me stood the stag, continuing to eat and paying no mind.

'Orna!' I shouted worried and ran to her. When her eyes landed on me, she began screaming something to me and trashing around, clearly distraught.

'Shh shh, I've got you' I tried to calm her down as I began untying the cloth around her mouth. The moment it was gone from between her teeth, her voice rang around the clearing.

'RUN! HE IS HERE TO TAKE SOMEONE'S SOUL!'

I frowned, confused by her words. Take someone's soul?

'Orna, calm down and lower your voice! We don't know where the killer is' I warned her and grabbing a sharp rock began cutting her tied arms. She was hyperventilating, clearly upset by her situation.

'He is waiting, Lynea, you have to run' she whimpered and I looked at her. She was looking at something behind me and I turned around. The only thing I saw was the white stag that was scratching the tree with his antlers.

'There is just a stag' I spoke and continued cutting the rope.

'It's the Death' she barely whispered and shivers ran down my spine. Not stopping cutting I glance behind me. The stag was eating again, but with Orna's words I noticed its eyes. It was watching us. My mind was everywhere. The Death? From stories? The God himself? Why was he here? I had a very hard time believing everything, but everything with this situation was weird.

My eyes landed on almost cut rope.

'You are not dying today' I spoke sternly to Orna and moved the rock more furiously.

'But it's waiting' she whispered, her body trembling next to mine.

'Once your arms are free, you are running away from here and getting your ass to Tlaloc, got it?' I asked quietly and she nod. I glanced at the stag, fear and uneasiness raking my body. It was shaking his head as if something was caught on his antlers, slowly moving behind us.

Not only a second later, the rope gave in. Quickly pulling Orna up on her feet, I pushed her towards the path I just came from.

'Run!'

She didn't need to be told twice. I watched as her body morphed into dark brown normal wolf mid jump as she bolted forward. I ran after her with my own slow human speed. And I was too slow. Orna was the first to reach the path, but the moment her back paws touched the walked ground, the white stag jumped in front of me, halting me in my steps and separating us. I froze in my spot, my body shaking from adrenaline.

Orna stood behind the stag, looking at me with her big yellow eyes full of dread as I watched the crazed stag.