Angel Of The Damned

Angel VIII | Kindness of A Stranger

CHARMAINE'S POV:

To be honest, at this very point, I'm awfully a lot closer to actual death than any idea of adventure. My legs are sore and slowly starting to feel more like mud than muscles and bones. Bruises and cuts from the earlier fight against that unfortunate wolf were still fresh on my skin and they stung occasionally too. I ran out of food and water stock about half a day ago with apparently no human habitation in any near approximation. The only source of light and warmth I had was from my hand lamp which was almost out of oil too. Above all, I have long lost Zeus in the Valerian Woodland.

So much for a solo adventure!

"I swear if I don't find at least a stream in this stupid woods..."

The sky was burning in dark auburn and the Sun was clearly setting behind me as I advanced forward. With the aid of my half-destroyed map and an almost dysfunctional compass, I had no option but to believe that I was headed in the direction of Crimson Crown by some God-forsaken miracle. Since the idea of returning to that hut and asking that angry girl for some directions flew right out of the picture when Xavier Montgomery's so-called Elixir of Life failed to heal her wolf, I was simply left with nothing at all. To my untimely utter demise, I had even lost my poisoned dagger which was the only other weapon I actually brought along.

Right then, the serene swooshing of water seeped into my auditorial senses amidst the various sounds of nature at that early hour of dusk. Mindlessly, I followed the faint noise in that dark woods until the pleasant sight caught my eyes. A few steps ahead of me laid a glorious stream of clear water, framed by a magnificent dense of maple trees and before I knew it, my legs were sprinting in that direction. Although the possibilities of crocodiles abode could be quite high in there and the reflection of maple leaves birthed an illusion of bloodstream instead of plain water, I still couldn't care less about it. In the desperation of the moment, I didn't mind becoming dinner for crocodiles, if I could get a handful of water first. Placing the lamp safely on the ground, I settled down in a comfortable position.

Before quenching my burning thirst, I decided it was wise to refill my water stock first. Who knows, my bipolar brain might betray me and leap for an escape without a drop of water if a predator does actually emerge out of nowhere. After restocking enough for the uncertain length of my journey, I finally grabbed two handsful of water and God, it tasted like paradise. Immediately, I was collecting more of the heavenly liquid to feast my thirst when a sharp spear flew right past my face, precisely by the sheer space between my watery palms that were almost at my lips and my actual lips. Right at that wrong timing, the faint light from my lamp faded out completely.