Harland Hunter's Point Of View

Oh bloody Scarlet, things have turned into a mess. Everything has been a mess ever since the enemy spy started interfering. Certainly this whole mess could have been solved much more elegantly on my behalf, but how in the world was I going to predict the Celeste army coming by with this sort of timing?!

Furthermore, miss Ruche just called the Augustus Celeste, child of Scorog for LILY! LI-LY as in the daughter of Lord Celeste! Daughter!

I remember rumors among the ladies that she tossed Lionel Tepet when they were children, and quiet accusations that her family had taught her how to use her fists, but this is far beyond that level.

Her parents were letting a girl be in danger. No, knowing what little I do about Lady Lily, it would not surprise me if it was more correct to say that they let her put herself in danger. I never thought that House Celeste would be so cold and uncompassionate as to throw the life of their daughter away in such a way... and now I know.

I know, and she just saw me!

Her eyes darted in my direction even though I'm like thirty meters away hidden in the bushes, and she is not looking happy.

If she finds me and thinks I heard anything I'll die. Even worse, miss Magdalin had some sort of misunderstanding about my fight with the enemy spy and thought I was an enemy!

Ah.

The lady got up.

There is no way I'm staying to find out what she wants while glaring over here.

I start dashing through the forest and place a few illusionary trees and bushes to block their view just for long enough to let me escape.

As long as I don't head too deep into the forest everything should be fine.

—-*—-

A chill runs through my body as the first cracks of branches sound by the tree line a good deal behind me. They're not wasting time in chasing me, but thankfully the illusions should distract them.

I place a nice little illusion over the ground and remove the extra trees and bushes after I find a nice and dense bush to crawl into. It should largely prevent them from finding any remains of footprints. It's late midsummer, so the ground is drier than usual, but I don't want to take chances.

Their shiny armor sticks out among the foliage, and they're not being quiet either. At least the Lady isn't. I can just barely catch glimpses of what they're doing. It's just two of them...

It might be a waste of mana, but I need to check up on the others.

...

Looks like miss Magdalin and two others have remained at the road. I can't help but to find relief in this. I can't help but to take it as a sign that they aren't that serious about this.

By the way, I'm not a fool, so I didn't run directly in the opposite direction of where they found miss Magdalin. I mean, who would run the same direction that a stone ball is rolling? In this case the stone ball is the Lady and the knight by her side.

Still... they've started taking their time now.

Unexpectedly they're studying the ground. No, they probably just noticed the magic. The same knight noticed the magic I hid the deadly scene with earlier after all.

Ugh. Mana drain. The knight by her side is dispelling an area of my magic.

I stop the spell. If they dispel it then it'll just be a ma-

Eh?

Wait... she's coming directly this way.

She just took a glance at the ground and started heading this way! Are you kidding me?!

I mean, even I can't see any sign of my footprints in this dry ground and she just took a glance.

"Celeste-sama? The footprints lead the other way."

See!

Like him you should be following my footprints from earlier today!

She looks up, but doesn't look back to her knight. Just kind of stares in my direction and searches the area.

No matter how you look at it, this isn't safe-

Oh by the bloody Scarlet, our eyes just met.

Her body lowered in an instant in what I can only describe as a moment feline grace. In that same moment I scramble to my feet much like a newborn fawn about to be ripped to shreds by a predator.

"Wait! I'm an ally!"

I yell out, nearly falling over the words as well. My stomach tightens at the mere feeling of hostility from her. It's Game over. That's not someone I can fight. I'll tell her everything, except that I know about her. I should be fine. At least... so I'd hoped, but she didn't stop. A roar hits me like a brick wall as she runs at me unarmed but with eyes of seething fury.

The warm summer day froze over as a wave of realization came over me from the roar. She wants me dead. In an instant I'm short of breath as her killing intent grips my body like a yarn of doom.

She didn't care I was an ally, she just wanted to see my blood flow from her claws.

I step away and feel everything become clear. The green around us, the knowledge that if she gets a hold of me I will die, the feeling of my guts sinking and my blood rushing like a waterfall.

On instinct I send the strongest windblast at her that I can do, and it envelops her instantly. She curls up as she's thrown black like a leaf in the wind, and that one instant is all I have to flee.

I turn. I'm not going to face that. Call me a coward all you want, but every fiber in my body is throwing a fit. I need to run.

She didn't find me with the illusions covering the ground earlier. I'll need to place illusions. Forget about the knight removing them, every second counts in this moment.

Every branch, tree or bush between us is a chance for me to live. I've no choice. I thicken the woods behind me and just run on these fawn like legs that are still in shock.

A scream of frustration and rage sounds in the distance behind me, and another rush moves through my body and makes it feel light.

I sprint until I'm out of breath and end up cautiously glancing behind me. My throat is burning as I gasp and wheeze for breath. My legs shake under me uselessly though I've no time to rest. They're surveying the area again, but she's studying the ground irritatedly like a beast in a cage.

Like a blood crazed beast enraged that its prey got away.

"When I get my hands on that filth I'm ripping his guts out!"

I catch those words and quickly hug my stomach. She says that while unarmed. Is it possible for someone to rip your stomach open with their bare hands?

Filling with nausea and my breath quickly turning ragged from the thought convinces me that I don't want to know.

I didn't even hurt miss Magdalin! Why am I going through this?!

With stings of pain in my sides and my lungs feeling like they're trying to crawl out of my chest I continue.

—-*—-

I've run for a good while, but even so I can still hear her with magic coming directly in this direction. I think they're even running lightly whenever they uncover my tracks. I even tried to brush the ground behind me, but if anything that just made them find my tracks faster.

What is this? You can run but you cannot hide?

My feet feel like lumps of ice, and yet like fire. It's past midsummer but it feels like they're frostbitten. I still can't think of a proper way to get away from her. It's a long way to Grandalla's main city, so disappearing in the crowd of a city isn't an option at all. My legs simply won't carry me far enough before she finds me and...

Still... there's that place.

It's cursed, but I've no need of a child anyway, and I'd be dead if I don't go there. Even now I can hear her catching up on me, and I can hear her unimpressed huffs whenever she passes somewhere I tried to cover my tracks.

I'm confident she's crushing the twigs underneath her foot with the same force she'll crush my skull.

My instincts are telling me I'd rather face the curse of a thousand faeries of darkness than be stuck with the beast that is that woman for more than a minute.

Her knight should keep her from going into the cursed zone. She's too important to risk the curse.

I can hear the cursed place from here already too.

It's moaning like a ghost wailing. I know that House Listere has tried blocking the area off in the past with no luck, so the fences were left to crumble.

—-*—-

I stumble exhausted towards the wailing sound, choosing the pained wails over the angered growl behind me.

It doesn't take long before I reach the edge of the cursed area. There's no doubt of where the zone starts, for the trees within the zone are all a creepy dark purple color rather than any sort of green. Even the undergrowth has a smokey red and purple shade. It's like stepping into a cursed painting where only the occasional small weed looks any semblance of green.

This place is quite infamous among knights too. This place could end their bloodline, and unlike the nobles they do have to head into the forests once in a while. With it being so close to the capital as well there's no doubt that the beasts's knights will know. I'll be safe in there... hopefully... even if she wants to see me dead she wouldn't take a foolish risk like this, right?

I take a deep breath through my ragged burning lungs and crawl over the broken wooden fence.

I stumble through the unmanaged forest ground with legs too heavy to lift properly anymore, and finally... finally a stone carved mausoleum rises magnificently among the dark foliage in a boring and time stained grey color.

It's a grave. The only proper place to find faeries of darkness. It's practically a shrine to those evil faeries. No wonder that only House Listere can manage the territory with this being here.

Unexpectedly, the ghostly wail is coming from a set of wind pipes erected next to the building. Probably to scare or warn people where they were heading.

Still, I guessed it would be a tomb, but it look a lot more expensive than I thought it would. The statues decorating the marbled surface look like they could catch quite the pretty penny for anyone brave enough to take them. There's four of them just on the front side, and just one would easily cost a year of my pay if not more.

Furthermore, they look pristine. Old and dusty, but without a hint of damage. I can't tell if that means even bandits want nothing to do with them, or if the bandits were cursed before they could try.

If I remember right, the faeries of darkness will curse you and then they and ghosts will drive you mad and turn you against the throne. Is it worth the gamble to hide here?

Well... I'm really not tasty and if I act good and quiet they'll let me go, right? I'd say I have better chances with a curse as long as I don't touch anything important.

If the lady decides to follow me in here, I might be able to hide in the crypt.  Some mausoleums are quite deep and complex, and this one looks as though it could easily be five rooms just on the surface.

I end up walking to the door with more doubt than fear... and stare up at the massive engraved wooden door. It's engraved with skeletons, mangled bodies and faeries flying between them.

Perhaps I should reconsider this?

My skin is crawling from the sound of the wind pipes too. Perhaps I can just walk around it instead of inside?

What about her?

I search for sounds... they're at the border to the cursed zone. They seem to have stopped.

The knight is warning her of the curse. Good. This should be enough I won't need to go... in...

She... she just stepped past the fence. She headed in despite of the warning!

Why?!

What about the knight?

He stopped!

If you're stopping then stop your Lord or Lady too! What in the world are you thinking?! Oh god, why?! I didn't do anything deserving of this sort of dedication!

I was protecting miss Magdalin from the enemy spy trying to kidnap her! I may have gotten rid of the merchant family because they saw my face and had already gotten caught in the crossfire, but I never laid hand on miss Magdalin!

I rushedly pull the mausoleum door open. Despite being heavy it opens... fairly easily. Creepily so. It was supposed to be rusted shut, right?

Never mind, no time to worry about that!

I rush inside and shut the door firmly behind me, ignoring its sharp whine from the rushed movement.

Unsurprisingly it's pitch black in here except for a tiny line of light by the edge of the door. I feel my way around desperately to get further into the mausoleum and by following the wall... and to my despair, I can't find a door or a path deeper into the mausoleum. It looks way bigger from the outside though, so there's definitely a hidden passage, but where is it?!

A bang on the doors cause me to freeze up like a baby fawn.

I haven't found a hiding spot. What do I do?

There should be a grave in the middle I can run around... but can I outlast her? What do I do if I do outlast her. Should I just blast her again? Even if I try, I'm practically out of mana. I won't be able to hide my tracks anymore.

I sprint to the middle and as expected find the grave. I curl down behind it and cover my mouth to hold in my shallow breath as my blood begins to rush again. She's here. She's here.

Why can I already imagine her eyes peering through the door when it hasn't even opened?!

I- I must get past her. When she gets in I'll... I'll run out.

Oh by bloody Scarlet who am I kidding. I ran here because I can't move anymore.

I left my spear in the spy's body too.

Do I stab her with a knife? It's... it's the only chance I have.

When it opens...

When it opens...

When...

...

Nothing is happening.

Why isn't she opening the door?

She's here. She banged on the door to tell me she was here, right? Then why doesn't she go in?

Is she scared?

No. She went in, she shouldn't be.

Is it because it's a grave? Was the bang out of frustration? Does this mean I'm safe?

No, she's probably trying to get my guard down.

—-*—-

It's been a pretty long time now. There's no sound of movement outside, and she hasn't entered either. Is she giving up? Perhaps her rage calmed down?

No. Knowing how determined she was to get a hold of me she may be waiting outside for me to go out. Starving me out is an option. Though, as an army they don't have the resources for that... but neither have I. I didn't exactly have time to bring food with me when I found out miss Magdalin took a ride with a merchant and that damn spy.

My body has mostly calmed down again. I think I'll be able to run for a while. There should be a village south east of here. If I can get to there I should be able to steal a horse or something.

I can't stay here if she intends to starve me out, and if she's gone then things should be fine.

I quietly crawl towards the faint light between the two front doors and feel around for the handle. I dropped my bag a while back in the forest because it was heavy, so sadly I don't have any oil to prevent the doors from creaking.

I take a deep breath and rub my arm for a moment. My breath is getting shallow just from the thought of what is waiting on the other side.

What if she's sitting quietly on the other side holding her breath, just waiting for me to open the door? She could reach in and pull me out.

Bloody Scarlet, I'm driving myself into a corner. Just open the door.

With shaking hands I push one of the doors open just enough to peek out.

Nothing's there.

I carefully push it open a tad more and peek into the crack that shows what is behind the door.

Nothing.

There's no sign of her. She may be hiding around the mausoleum corner so I'll just check for sound too.

Nothing.

Or if there is, she's holding her breath.

Bloody Scarlet, I'm doing it again. Things are fine. There's no sign of her. She's acting as a commander, she doesn't have time to deal with this for that long.

I stand up though my body still feels heavy. Just telling yourself not to be scared just doesn't work fully.

I survey the surroundings again and step through the doorway.

I wish I hadn't.

My legs buckle beneath me on their own and my stomach churns, twists and clenches together, causing me to vomit all over the ground. I can't move. It's like I'm locked in place. It's cold. My hands are feel frozen, but I can hear the blood pumping in my ears together with a sharp screeching sound as my sight goes starry and blackens. I can't breathe. I'm breathing, I'm breathing, but I can't breathe. My lungs hurt, my throat hurts. My cheeks feel cold. Stop. Stop. Oh Scarlet, I can't breathe. I can't move. Is she coming? I need to move. I need to go. I- I can't stay here but I can't move. My legs feel like lead. I sound like a wheezing child.

"Chase over. Filth."

A shadow moves over me. Stark blue eyes and narrowed pupils. She leans down over me and puts a hand on my head, letting her nails dig into the skin. Still, I can't feel it. Why?! Why can't I move?! Help! Let go! Please!

Why can't my lips move?!

All I see is a blur before my vision goes black and my breath disappears for good. I try to gasp, but only a pained whine escapes me before I sink into an almost comforting darkness.