Orchid walked through the dark and barren wastelands that were littered with pockets of decaying land. The sun was high in the sky, but even so the air itself was tainted black and purple, creating the illusion of an endless, miserable night.
Through the dark haze, Orchid could see another town on the horizon. If her map was correct, this town was supposedly near a large lake that was fed via a river that came from the Earth Country. If she followed the river upstream, she would make it to the Earth Country in no time.
Orchid walked around the outside of the town to avoid being spotted. She was tired from walking and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to use that Skill of hers again. A stronger scent of decay struck Orchid's nose as she approached the outskirts of the town and elf knew she was near the lake.
The detour around didn't take long, and once Orchid saw the river that fed itself to the lake beyond, she was filled with a sense of relief, if not a scent of revolt. It wasn't going to be much longer now that the river would guide her out of this cursed place. In fact, the more Orchid thought about it, the more she wanted to leave, so she grabbed some food from her bag and started eating.
Once Orchid finished, she started into a jog, following the river upstream. The water was murky and mysterious. She was curious to know what might be in that forsaken river, but not curious enough to commit to it in any way.
After running along the riverside for about half an hour, Orchid noticed that her legs didn't feel the slightest bit tired or fatigued. She had ran for much of her life, so this wasn't that big of a shock, but even still. She remembered the speed she had when using her Skill. The girl became curious now. Just how fast could she run?
Orchid began to pick up her pace steadily, though quickly. Before she knew it, the landscape around her began to whiz by as she sprinted like she never had before. The elf looked back and noticed the absurd amount of debris she was kicking up due to her speed. It almost felt like flying: The wind whistling by, the blur of the river and land. If this was what freedom felt like, then Orchid never wanted to stop.
To Orchid's amazement, she made it to the Earth Country quicker than she would have ever imagined. She could see the distinct, natural border of the Dark Country's dead wasteland engaging with the Earth Country's lushful green fields of flowing grass. Even the dark skies began to clear up more and more, letting the full strength of the sun reach her.
Orchid could make out a small hut just beyond the border, but just as she made the crossing herself, her entire body became terribly fatigued. It all came so fast, that she had just enough time to see someone step out from the hut before blacking out.