Word Count: 2,403
Eren plodded alongside Mikasa as they walked through the woods. Since entering on their search for Sasha, absolutely nothing suspicious or even remotely strange had happened to them, and it had been like that for what to Eren had felt like hours.
He was about to mention the suspiciousness of nothing suspicious happening to them when he heard a loud rustling of leaves in the higher branches of the trees. His ears perked up, and he was about to warn Mikasa when she suddenly snapped to attention and yelled:
"Eren, jump!"
Without thinking or hesitating, Eren jumped, and an arrow whizzed between his legs and sunk head first into the soft, mossy soil. He cursed loudly and looked up at the trees above him. While his eyes couldn't see anything wrong with them, his sharp ears managed to catch a softly uttered expletive.
"Mikasa, they're in the trees!" he cried, stumbling backwards only to have another arrow graze his flank. He yelped in pain and twisted around to see only leaves, fluttering to the ground.
Mikasa had her dagger drawn, her posture low and defensive. Eren crept backwards even further so that they covered each other's blind spots.
Then suddenly, everything was laughing at them. Eren grit his teeth and pawed at the dirt slightly, but did not move, his shifting eyes searching for the source.
The laughter slowly died down around them, until it came from just one direction, one clear voice. A high up branch dipped and swayed, its leaves rustling loudly and a girl jumped down.
She appeared to be a dryad of some sort, with rough patches of bark covering large parts of her arms and legs and a nubby set of floral antlers peeking out of her chestnut brown hair, but she did not have traditional dryad wear, instead sporting a plain leather tunic. She held a simple wooden bow in her hands, and there were a few arrows in a quiver slung across the girl's back.
The dryad looked sternly at the duo, adjusting her grip on her bow as her free hand drifted towards her quiver. "What are you doing in these woods, mortals?" she demanded, every word spoken very distinctly and enunciated perfectly.
"Are you Sasha Braus?" Mikasa asked in exchange.
At first, Eren wasn't too sure where that leap in logic had come from; this dryad was far taller and looked far more muscular than the girl in the flyer, not to mention her face seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on it. The nubby antlers were also a problem, since dryads age very, very slowly and four years wouldn't have been long enough to develop that large of antlers.
But at the same time, she might not have been wrong about it, either. While the drawing definitely depicted a much softer, less rugged little girl, the puberty brick never left a person completely unrecognizable from their former selves.
The dryad's expression completely changed from a bridled one to one of shock, then morphed into one that looked angrier than ever. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it, pointing her drawn bow threateningly at Mikasa. Eren growled and stepped forward, ready to defend her.
"How would you know and why do you care about who I used to be," the dryad loudly spat.
"Your father's looking for you," Mikasa calmly replied.
The girl, at this point Eren assumed it was safe to call her Sasha, scowled even more. "LIAR," she roared, but her hands were trembling now.
Mikasa fished around in her basket and pulled out the ancient flyer from the inn. She unfolded it in front of Sasha. "Yes, he is. He's been looking for you for years, ever since you left, really. He misses you and wants you back, Sasha," she insisted.
Sasha bit her lip as she slowly lowered her bow. Her scowl was gone, and her eyes were watering profusely, threatening to streak her face with a waterfall of tears. She slowly put her arrow back in her quiver and slung her bow over her back, taking a disbelieving step towards the pair, her hands reaching for the fragile scrap of paper.
Eren relaxed and sat down as one fat tear after another rolled down Sasha's cheeks, softly pattering on the paper, causing the ink to smear and blur. Her face became red and splotchy and the girl began to sob.
Eventually, Sasha's tears slowed, allowing her to dry her cheeks. "Thank you… for telling me," she choked out as she pocketed the now damp flyer. "But I cannot return to the inn."
"Why not?" Mikasa asked.
"Did the witch turn you into a dryad?" Eren queried at the same time.
Sasha blinked slowly at Eren, then shifted her gaze to Mikasa. She motioned to the tree she has jumped down from. "I have… responsibilities… outside of human society now. And as for… Eren, was it? As for Eren's question, I don't recall ever being cursed by any old hags, but…" she trailed off and looked deeper into the forest and ground her teeth a little.
"There usually isn't any traffic in these woods, but for the last few weeks, there's been a strange man heading in that direction. He's tall and blond, and normally I wouldn't pay him any heed, but I could sense some very powerful and deep-rooted magic anchored to his being."
Eren's ears perked up and he sat up a little straighter. "But what about you being a dryad?" he pressed. "Did you really go twelve years living among people without realizing or knowing you're a dryad."
Sasha tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, you see, I didn't know I was a dryad until I was twelve, and even then, I'm only a quarter on my mom's side.
"You see, the way human and magical humanoid hybrids work is that at the cusp of puberty or so, it's traditional that the offspring's magical kin visit them and give them the choice of living as a human for the rest of their lives, or as a magical creature. Should they live as a human, then they're enchanted so that they can pass as one for the rest of their lives, and if they choose to live as a creature, then they forsake the world of man and enter the fairy realm for good.
"Right now, I'm living as a dryad. But I'll never be able to live as the full-blooded or even halfling dryads do. I have difficulty merging with my tree. It's weak and sickly always. I don't wear traditional dryad wear because my body simply cannot produce it.
"But I enjoy this life. It's quiet. The others don't bother me; they're asleep in their trees. I find it peaceful. And thus, I cannot return to the world of men, for I have given my life to the fairies. But give my regards to my father," Sasha quietly said and reached up into her hair and pulled at her tiny antlers, which came off with a nearly noiseless snap.
"It's close to shedding time anyway. The flowers shouldn't die until I do, so be sure to tell him that," she explained as she dropped them into Mikasa's hands.
Sasha sniffled a little and began to return to her tree. "Thanks for–"
"Wait!" Eren cried, springing to his feet. "You said there had been a tall, blond man coming through the forest lately, right? Could you perhaps take us down his route? We're not as in-tune with the magic balance of the area; we'd have no idea where to go."
Sasha slowly blinked at him. "Why?" was all she asked.
"We've been hunting for a witch for years. She's cast a curse on the both of us, and we have to kill her in order to return to normal. We know there are two Cursed in this forest; a magic map told us," Mikasa answered, her voice borderline pleading.
"But there have been no women walking through the forest, just the blond man," Sasha pointed out.
"Maybe she shapeshifts, because I remember it was an old lady who did this to me," Eren insisted. "Please, Sasha, it's for the greater good. Remember what it was like to be human? Your human friends and relationships? Please. Help us."
Sasha ground her teeth in thought. "Very well," she replied, stepping down from her tree onto the ground for the first time in what Eren assumed must have been ages. "I will be your forest guide. I will help you find this witch or warlock's hiding place. No strings attached; it's for the greater good."
Eren felt himself heave a sigh of relief and Mikasa notably relaxed.
"Thank you."
Sasha tread lightly on the soft green grass of the forest. Not because she cared deeply for the little nanofairies that lived in and around it, but rather because something deep within her gut told her that, the further she went into this area of the forest, the darker and more unnatural the magic felt.
Her temporary companions seemed to sense it as well. On occasion, Sasha looked back to make sure they were okay and she noted that Mikasa had, instead of keeping close her basket and in turn whatever meager protection she might have hidden in there, pulled out a dagger of sorts and kept it on her belt. Both Eren and Mikasa tread so quietly, sometimes Sasha feared that they had simply vanished. Disappeared, and never to be found again.
The forest grew shadier and, strangely enough, bluer as they continued on. Sasha's instincts began to nag at her to return to her tree before it was too late. She ignored them, insisting that she would be okay.
There came a light in front of them. It felt promising and hopeful, yet every fiber of Sasha's being screamed at her to turn back now, that this place spelled danger.
Inexplicably and as though in a dream, Sasha looked back on her followers, then began to run towards the light.
She didn't know if her companions were following her, but she began to run faster and faster, feeling strangely freed. Her feet began to dance on nothing but air, her legs churning as though they were mechanical, nothing seeming to matter but the space in front of her, growing lighter and lighter until she burst into a clearing and stopped.
Her instincts fell silent and she began to listen, and quietly, a breeze carried her a song.
"Baw me bairne, sleep softly now.
"I saw a sweet and seemly sight,
"A blissful bird, a blossom bright,
"That morning made and mirth among."
It was sad and poorly sung, the voice too low and full of cracks to be able to sound even remotely beautiful. But it was full of sadness and desperation, of longing and grief.
"Lullay lullow, lullay lully,
"Beway bewy, lullay lullow,
"Lullay lully,
"Baw me bairne, sleep softly now."
The somber melody filled Sasha with sympathy for the poor soul that was singing it. She heard her companions crash through the woods behind her, but before either of them could say them, she softly shushed them.
"A maiden mother, meek and mild,
"In cradle keep, a knavë child,
"That softly sleep; she sat and sang.
"Baw me bairne, sleep softly now."
The singer fell silent. All Sasha could hear now was the singer softly weeping.
She hushed her companions again and began to follow the noise, motioning for them to follow her.
The sun felt lovely and warm on her skin, especially after all that darkness and shadow, and began to fill her with an energy she hadn't felt in ages.
They followed the weeping as it grew louder and louder, but as they approached it, the air around them began to mist and cloud.
"Sasha… are you sure this is where the sorcerer came? The air doesn't feel as… heavy anymore," Mikasa nervously said as they plunged deeper into the mist.
"No," Sasha truthfully replied. "I don't feel the heaviness of dark magic in the air anymore, either. But there's someone crying, and since there's no one around for miles, that's your best bet of finding anyone useful."
The couple– were they a couple? It seemed so to Sasha from the way they trusted each other– seemed to silently agree.
At one point, the fog grew so dense, Sasha was sure she could drive nails into it. The sobbing had died down a little, but there seemed a dim outline of a cottage close by.
They walked to the cottage, right up to the white picket fence.
Jumping over it, Sasha knew immediately that something was wrong. She had no shoes on and the ground beneath her felt slick and wet, but not in a clean way, like the fresh morning dew. It felt thicker, more viscous, and definitely very wrong.
Biting her tongue and hoping that her comrades were following– the mist was getting too thick; Sasha could barely see her own toes– she took a step forward. Splosh.
Her foot landed in a thick, cold puddle.
Horror began to make a nest in Sasha's stomach as curiosity started to take her over. She slowly crouched down and dipped two fingers into the puddle and brought the liquid up to her lips, as unsanitary as it was, and tasted it.
Sharp, metallic, and unmistakable.
Blood.
She could hear soft sniffles very close nearby. "Hey," she called, not too sure what else to say.
"Who's there?" a boy's voice croaked in reply.
Sasha duck walked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure hunched over a limp body. "I'm a dryad," she answered, hoping her voice sounded kind enough. "My name's Sasha. What's yours?"
She could see him now. His golden eyes were puffy and bloodshot, blood covered him from the chest down, and he held a somewhat disemboweled, limp girl that resembled him in his arms.
He stared at her, not saying anything for a while.
"Connie. Connie Springer."
Author's Note xi. HOLY CRAP GUYS, IT IS 11:45 PM, MONDAY, FOR ME, AND I LITERALLY JUST MADE THE DEADLINE. WOW GUYS THAT WAS THE CLOSEST SHAVE I HAVE EVER HAD OH MY GOODNESS. Should I change the rating of this to M? It's getting a little disturbing, in my opinion. Tbh, Sasha was originally going to be one of the Cursed along with Connie, but then like, I saw really nice Springles fanart of Sasha as a dryad and Connie as a shepherd and I was like y e s. But it's okay, if you haven't figured out the second Cursed yet, you'll find out soon enough anyway. Wow this was a really close shave. I've been suuuuper busy lately, and I had to write like half this chapter in two hours. Anyway, my really long ramble aside, if you're new, feel free to leave a follow or favorite! Leave your thoughts in the reviews (if that's what you're into), and as always, have a greaaat daaay~