SOL (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 30

I settled back down, stretching my legs in front of me, perhaps too comfortably. I huffed out a breath. Why would a king so powerful take a back seat? What kind of king refuses to rule?

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustling. I scrambled to my feet, listening intently, as Ele did the same. The rustling increased and then a scraggly looking forest imp stumbled into the clearing. The imp looked around as if dazed, blinking his black eyes. Then his gaze settled on me and he screeched, lunging.

I stumbled back and thrust my sword out into his path, causing it to pierce right through his taut greenish-grey skin.

"Well that was anti-climatic," I mumbled, pulling my sword out, and shaking off the dark liquid that coated it.

"Yes," Ele replied, arrow still notched, "but imps move in packs. And I think you just stabbed the messenger."

I convinced him not to wake up the others. I could already imagine Pelias' sneer when he found our we woke him up because of forest imps. I shuddered.

"I don't like this." Ele frowned, as he stood, muscles still tensed.

"They're forest imps, Ele. There's no need to bother the others," I said, gripping my sword tightly, "even if more come looking for him, I'm sure we can handle them."

He nodded, although he still didn't look particularly pleased. Then I heard another sound, not a subtle rustling of leaves or the quiet snapping of twigs. This sound made my blood run cold.

It was a human scream.

"Yeah, maybe we should wake the others up now," I said, the scream still pounding in my ears.

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"It's too early to be saving lives," Aester growled, as we rushed through the trees.

He was the first up despite his constant grumbling and black gaze so we went forward while Ele woke up the others.

I grimaced, dodging branches and roots, until the trees cleared once again and we stumbled onto a large, flat plateau of grey rock.

"I thought Odelyn said the forest went on for miles," I stated, as I peered into the distance. We had been walking for a few minutes at most, and now seemed to be in a deserted rock plain.

"What is up with this place?" I heard River ask as the others rushed up to us.

Save for a few large rocks, the plateau was empty. Or so we thought. As I stepped forwards, the rocks began to shake, breaking up into many smaller rocks. No, many smaller rock imps.

The grey creatures hissed as they rushed forward, claws drawn.

I stabbed and slashed, narrowly avoiding one's talons as I searched the plateau still.

The rock imps were not particularly strong nor were they many and, soon, they all lay scattered around us like discarded toys.

Then I heard the scream again loud and clear, accompanied by... squawks?

A large raven flew up to us, flapping its dark feathers in our faces and flying in a circle before pulling forwards. We followed the raven silently, until we could see a girl.

She had a wild look in her eyes and her dark armour was splattered with even darker spots of blood. The limp bodies of rock imps were littered around her, and as she tried to step over one of them, her legs shook and gave way.

We were by her in a second. Her golden skin looked wan and her ebony hair stuck out of its braid at various angles. She was still breathing, but barely.

I glanced desperately at Pelias, who was taking in the various gashes and bruises on the girl. Sighing, he placed a hand on her chest and closed his eyes.

"We need to get her back to camp-" Fyn began, eyes wide.

"Let him concentrate," I shushed, as Pelias' breaths deepened.

The moments seemed to drag on, with the raven hopping frantically around us before the girl sucked in a deep breath and proceeded to sit up, cough her lungs out, and collapse back down.

Her eyes were closed again, but her breaths were steady. Aester scooped her up and we trooped back to camp, where Odelyn and Ciel paced.

"So it turns out the forest is definitely not endless," River said, as Aester lowered the girl into one of our tents.

Odelyn gave him a pointed look.

He offered up a smile as he smoothed back his white hair. "Ah, yes, and we made a new friend."