I stared at the statue before me, breath heavy from running. My back arched again to release the tension from stopping so suddenly from the mile run. The thoughts of the creatures chasing me came back from my lapse in memory. They were out there, muttering in their harsh language by the tree line. They wouldn't enter the forest, I saw one of them try but fail in fear. My bag hung off one shoulder, the connected arm raised to help my hand swipe at the seat gathered from my brow. I let out another deep breath, my heart still pounding wildly. The statue stood there, solemn, lonely, and wrapped in growth. Vines and other flora hid the gray stone, only letting some hands poke out. But the face of the sculpture stood out, and I took a second to admire the crown it wore under a small hood. I wanted to laugh, to scream at my pursuers to hunt me in this crowd of trees. Who would build this statue of a random lady and let it come to such a state. I held my breath and looked around the statue to the path led out of the trees. My hunters were now deliberating in quiet, looking over their crudely adorned shoulders to the east. I stole a look at that direction to only see black hills and a larger black cloud in the distance. I stiffened at the sounds the forest made, having only noticed them all around me. The air was strange among the trees and I could almost see why my hunters didn't want to go after me. There was a repulsion that came from the very heart of the wood, and I felt its direction orientating itself around me. I blinked and noticed my pursuers were turning around. They mounted their equally black steeds and strode away. A minute later they had stopped a kilometer away, and set up a black speck of a camp. There was no way I would leave the shelter of the trees. I took a moment to breathe evenly and corrected the position of my pack. I marked the tree line to my rite and began walking parallel to it. I avoided the double path that appeared before me and remained where I could see the meadow beyond the forest. Towards the center I noticed the approach of night, already darkness heralded the setting of the sun behind me. The stray shafts of light lit up only some of the meters ahead of me, but the canopy above blocked any remaining light. I shifted the fabric I stole from a market around my tunic, and sighed at the sight of the holes in my jeans. Unfortunately that one distraction was enough to set me on the path leading further into the forest. I studied the bushes around me then cursed at the trees. There was ancient magic here that confounded trespassers and all else who weren't familiar with the forest. I felt the weight in my bag and judged the quantity of food I had left before I really starved. There was only so much stored harvest I could steal from, as no one had any cooked meat stored in their icebox. Not like the people in this country had iceboxes, considering their way of living. Walking into another realm, world, dimension what have you – was not part of my plan. I huffed in irritation, and considered a spell for guidance out of this forest. But spellcasting was the reason why I stood in a darkening wood. I just had to try a new spell for lost objects, and I was missing my choker desperately like a stupid teenager. It was just a leather strap with my birth sign on it, fish scales!
I looked over my shoulder towards the light, and shook my head at its absence. At this point I couldn't tell which direction I had entered the forest. The trees were different in color, but were all big and looming overhead. The shadows stretched around me, and I took a moment to feel for the pull of the ominous center of the forest. There were bound to be odd animals in this place, and I knew the obvious. I steeled myself for the night and headed into the heart of the wood. As I doubted whether I should be climbing a tree, spells formed in my mind. Spells for guide lights and night vision bloomed in my thoughts. But creating a guide would cost me less energy and attract unwanted attention. While changing my eyesight gave me a greater advantage, it would also drain what energy I had left from running and hiding during the day. I stopped for a moment to appraise a tree trunk next to, and I stepped away from the path to lean against the tree. I waited precious minutes for the dark to settle in, gathering my concentration for another spell. I ignored the creaking around me, and brushed away a stray leaf on my hand. I looked one more time at the forest around me then closed my eyes. I reached into the back of my consciousness, and tapped into the flow of the universe where all the atoms danced in an endless harmony that described all of existence. They vibrated there and sang of all that was, is, and would be. I picked out the symbols needed to transfigure my vision. I concentrated on materializing the forms on my tongue and expelled them into my waiting hands, one by one. At last I had a string of characters in my hands, wavering like still water in my palms. In one motion I splashed the spell onto my face, and remained seated for another minute. I stood and opened my eyes, checking that the night vision worked properly. There was no hint of sun hidden by a distant horizon, just a gray forest with darker patches far off. But I saw the trees in greater detail and the path ahead of me stretched out further into the wood. I returned to the beaten path and followed it again, wary only of the sounds around me. I placed my feet carefully one after the other, cautious not to make my position known to any lurker nearby.
Time moved slowly among the gray night, and the trees stopped rustling with the wind. I stopped to crouch by a nearby shrub, and looked up into the canopy. If insects existed here, they would have gone silent long ago. Two trees away sat a giant spider, resting on a high branch and feeling the air with its front legs. I used my eyes to glance at the ground for a rock or branch for a distraction. There was still the chance it hadn't seen me, what with its eyes high on that hairy head. My body jerked an inch as another spider came clicking into view. The two arachnids clicked to each other, and I became curious. It's not every day you see giant spiders, and get to hear them communicate. My mental vacation ended when the spiders went into action as three figures jumped from a higher elevation in the trees. For a moment I thought the albino Amazonians were making a debut but I soon realized these people were men. The silver haired people wielded short blades and bows against the spiders. Their slim bodies twisted in a deadly dance as they slew the insects. One spider escaped on two legs only to fall feet away from me. I screamed with my mouth closed and jumped up, ready to cast any spell for defense. One man ended the spiders' misery and, and rose to meet my alarmed gaze, his sword gleaming with blood. I stood still as the three surrounded me, weapons still exposed, and then one began to speak. The words twisted like vines and sounded desert like in my ears. After the one man stopped his obvious interrogation, I tried to answer. But no one understood me, and the other men tried different languages with me. Back and forth they went for a minute, with long silences in between. I got the feeling they wanted to be careful with their words. One of them kept his eyes on me, every now and then looking at my hands, hair, and pack. Finally one managed a choppy sentence I could comprehend, and only then did I glimpse a look at their ears. I wasn't sure how I missed that small detail, even with my night vision I passed their pointed ears for a trick. I returned my attention to the conversation in hand and answered the inquiry sent my way.
"What business have you in this forest?" The question was accented from a native tongue and accusatory.
"I intend to find a path that would let me leave, but I'm lost."
Two pointy men talked for a moment while the third peered into my eyes. He abruptly turned to his comrades and uttered harsh sounding words. Then they all turned to me and tensed against their weapons.
"What are you?"
"I'm a lost person hoping for a way out. Why are you looking at me like that?"
I got nervous as one man folded his arms, while another motioned to my face.
"Your eyes are…peculiar… "
I cringed. I should have known that along with their swinging powers and bad ass moves they could obviously see in the dark. That meant they noticed my pupils dilated in a cat like fashion, a result of the spell I used to see in this darkness.
I raised my hands slowly and stated. "I'm a human being, honestly. My eyes changed because… it's dark."
The strange men directed me into the forest, where no path could have been. One had his word loose an inch from the scabbard. One of them led me along while the other two remained behind me, their steps absent from my hearing. More than once I glanced behind me to make sure they hadn't disappeared. I only received blank or suspicions glares. Thanks to my night vision I could easily keep up with my guide. The only reason I could move forward was thanks to sight and sight alone of the man before me. Sounds returned around us, but it didn't ease my escorts. Despite their pristine features their shoulders were tense and features guarded. An hour later my escort stopped, and my interpreter told me to sit where they could all see me. I rolled my eyes and obediently sat on the rock interrupting the forest floor. The three men formed a three point guard around me, one facing outwards and the other two looking after each other's backs. Two of them whispered together in the language I couldn't fathom to comprehend. The deeper night passed this way, and I had long judged the men to be of no threat. They guarded me while at the same time looking out for any trickery of magic. From my view I could tell their armor wasn't spelled to defend, but what crafted by expert smiths. Their hair seemed a source of vanity, as they kept it down and straight. Even for men, the way they wore their hair was odd. The weapons they had were crafted as well, and I never noticed any taste of weapon magic.
One man turned to me and spoke softly, "Rest if you will, no harm will befall you in our company."
"Thanks, I guess, and for trusting me enough to let me sleep." The last part came out as sarcastic, but I don't think anyone noticed my derision.
If a night passed for us to rest I didn't notice it. The light remained as it was, dark and gray in my vision. I took the time to meditate on my current status. Did I visit as many old timey villages as possible; nope. Has I stolen enough supplies to last me a week; maybe. I reached into my pack and pulled out a late fall apple of some kind, it was green and too sour at this point. Maybe it was supposed to be used in cooking only, and not eaten raw. I bit in quietly and tried to ignore any suspicious looks my way. I finished my night snack and threw it into the brush a few feet away.
A time later, the men shifted in their boots and formed the same escort formation as before. They looked at me expectantly and I stood up to take my place in between them. We walked a few hours, stopping only once for a pee break. I didn't need one because I knew for a fact I was dehydrated. I rolled my eyes as two of the men went around a tree to do their business. The remaining man stayed behind to watch me carefully. Once we were on our way again I tried to have a whispered conversation with one of my captors. It was one sided and gifted me with much annoyed glares from everyone. I was bored and walking all the time tired me out to a degree.
Not ten minutes into our morning hike did my escort stop. One grabbed at arm and pulled me around a tree, only to shove me up on a branch out of sight. I tensed at they pulled out their weapons, and the forest shivered as a lump of a beast came snuffling into view. It was pig like in mass and scaly of skin. It made no noise as it charged at one man, but was killed swiftly by an arrow. I didn't flinch at the sense of death, and mused as I felt the creatures' spirit attempt to return to the shadows. Two more of its cousins revealed themselves and made horrible noises at the fighters nearby. Their skin proved tough and I watched avidly as the men's blades danced around then necks. Soon they too lay dead, and I twitched as the souls fled into death this time. The archer was close to me, and kept an eye on the offensive creatures. A moment later an odor permeated the air around us and a thumping brute of a specimen crashed into our clearing. My heartrate increased as the men toughed it out in order to penetrate its hide. The archer pulled an arrow to aid their efforts. In his concertation he could not restring another or move away in time to evade the other giant running at him. But I had long prepared for an attack from my perch, and I let loose the green fire I had spelled at my fingertips. One, two spheres of flame burst against the creature as I jumped down and concentrated on charring the offensive thing. I fed my spell with symbols of cleansing and silence, pulling them out from my knowledge of magic. I squinted at the brightness of my offense and bowed myself down as a smaller beast attempted to maul my back. I swung around to see the archer return my assistance in our skirmish. The last of misfit creatures died by the men's weapons, and we all stood in a pile of a charred pulpy rot. The archer looked over at me and into my eyes; I returned to the glance and inclined my head. I'd like to think we came to an understanding then. I hoped my actions at least doused their suspicions of my being a bad witch. I wrung my hands to the sides, as if shaking off water to rid of the symbols on my hands. The men with blades took some time to clean them before putting them away. Then they began their walk with words that I had no chance of hearing. On occasion they looked back at me, and one grimaced. One of the men called out me, and motioned for me to stand beside them.
"Your aid was much appreciated, however we fear your magic may attract more unwanted creatures."
Oh, well shit. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but pout like a child.
"However, our destination is not far. It is there we will have your mystery solved."
"Sure," I replied. No longer did I have two guards at my back, and we stepped in single file on another path. Many times the men glanced up at the trees, then back at me. I looked at them questioningly as I remembered their adept movements, traveling between vines. We all stopped and my interpreter pressed a finger to his lips before whispering.
"We must take to the branches for faster travel if we are to make it before dawn."
"Where are we going?" I crept closer to a tree and stared up at it.
Two of the men literally hopped into the tree, and gripped these vines that hung from nowhere. They looked as if they were showing off, and I shook my head as their hair flowed perfectly behind them. The last of them climbed half way up a trunk then offered me a hand up. I looked at his hand then judged the distance between him and a sturdy looking branch close by. I stepped on a knot in the tree and grabbed the man's hand, and pulled myself not into his waiting grip but swung my feet to the other branch. I kept myself from falling off by holding onto his hand while simultaneously leaning towards the tree trunk. With my other hand I leaned against the wood, my head swimming from the maneuver. I released my grip behind me and began looking for another branch to continue my climb. I looked up at the men as they looked away hurriedly before beginning their swinging.
"What!? I took gym in school. You didn't think magic was my only talent?"
"You have proved to be, surprising, if anything my lady." My interpreter stated before resuming his climb.
I wished I could have swung like the George character in the jungle, but at that point I had to be carried. I climbed as high as I could with my human body, but being agile like a monkey was not my forte. I had to buddy up with the silent man who didn't speak my language, but he showed me how to cling to his back and tighten my arms around his shoulders. I admit it did take me a moment to realize I was about to be swept around the forest like the Jane character. I know we just shared a hiking trip and fought monsters together, but would he drop me if he had the mind? At my hesitation he made an odd gesture with hand and arm as if beckoning to me like a dog. With care I hung onto my friend, and refrained from blowing his hair from my face. To ignore the tumbling of my stomach into my other guts I tried to think of explanations of my appearance. I thought that if I didn't learn the name of my swinger, I would keep calling him George. With each downwards swing I counted the trees that went past. I didn't have the time to admire how close the canopy was to our heads or that no other creatures were pursuing us. I wondered if these people always traveled by way of vine. But if that were the case their arms would be so toned due to upper body strength, and I didn't observe that when I first saw them. I hoped magic was common enough for these strangers to accept my attendance in their company. I hadn't bothered to perform spells around the villagers I had encountered. Jerks roused me from my musings as my carrier descended to the ground, but he landed on a branch instead of the ground. Carefully I peeled myself from his back, and breathed deeply to compose myself. I followed the men along a path that was smooth and free of rocks. Minutes later the forest opened up to reveal a stone bridge that hovered above a silent river. It could have been moat if it was any bigger, and I could only see large gates on the other side. As we crossed the men my side signaled to others standing by the gate; their armor silver in the coming dawn. I glanced up at the stone structure and noticed the illumination of the gates. I looked around me and saw a creeping light come from beyond the river. Already the world around me began to brighten in contrast to my night vision. As we neared the sentries my interpreter began speaking with one of them. For my part I concentrated on removing the spell that covered my eyes. I brought one hand to my forehead and curled my fingers around an invisible layer of magic. I closed my eyes and I felt for the loose thread of symbols that would undo the guise. With a pulling motion my hand peeled the layer of magic from my face. I opened my eyes to see the surrounding men looking purposefully at me; slowly, I noticed that the gates were open. One man stepped inside and waved at me to follow. I walked in after him and the other two stepped in after. I didn't look back as the guards closed the gates from outside, but I did hear the stones grind against one another.