Vlad relentlessly marched through the thick forests and valleys. The sight he witnessed just a few hours ago already made him extremely wary of his surroundings and even just the slightest sound made a lump form in his throat. He felt like a piece of meat, ready to be eaten.

He took a deep breath, constantly bringing one foot in front of the other in a mechanical motion. Most of his stamina was spent, and his legs suddenly buckled under his own weight and he plopped to the ground, leaning his head against a tree.

"I… think we should be far enough," he rasped before looking up at his steed, who was at its own wit's end. It slowly laid itself down on the ground while making sure the passenger wasn't crushed under its weight.

"Right," Vlad exclaimed with a sigh and forcefully lifted himself up. He untied the red-haired girl from the horse before leaning her on a tree as well. She was soundly sleeping, her breathing surprisingly stable. It made Vlad curious and he decided to check on her wounds.

Once he untied the bandages, his eyes widened. The burn marks the girl had hours ago were gone, and not a single scar was left behind. Her regeneration was surprising, to say the least. Almost frightening.

Shaking his head, Vlad decided to make a small campfire, not only because there was no way they'd be able to go further, but because he was hungry. Luckily enough, there was a river nearby and getting dinner was as easy as skewering a fish.

At least this time Vlad would make sure to gut it first.

While it took the last of his strength to get himself some food and a drink, he let out a sigh of relief once he sat down on the ground. He crossed his arms and stared at the dinner in front of him, sizzling with fat.

He was able to catch a big one this time.

Vlad glanced at the sleeping beauty. At least there's going to be enough for the both of us. If she wakes up, that is.

His eyelids began to grow heavy from exhaustion before taking a swig from his waterskin. He couldn't allow himself to sleep, not only because his dinner would burn, but with what happened today, what he had seen…

Vlad hissed. This isn't going to be a stroll through a pink field, is it?

The more he thought about it, the more he began to question the reason why he was here of all places. Young, and in a world with living mythical beasts? It still felt like the weirdest dream he could have experienced, but everything surrounding him was telling a different story.

A log snapped, making Vlad jolt in place before snapping his eyes at the fish. It was done, and while the smell could be worse, it still wasn't that appetizing. He took the skewer and was about to take a bite, only to hear a groan from the other side.

He lifted his head and saw the girl sluggishly moving in her spot. She rubbed her face with the back of her hand and eventually opened her blurry eyes. She tilted her head from side to side and eventually stopped at him.

"Welcome back," Vlad said as he took a bite. "Quite the show you put out there."

Her eyes snapped open and quickly stood up and her hand moved to her hip. She tried to grab a hilt but she found nothing. A confused look adorned her features while Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"Looking for something?" he asked, and she gave him a silent glare.

A sigh escaped Vlad's lips before he stood up from his spot and reached his horse. From one of the straps, he grabbed a smaller sheathe compared to his and stabbed it into the ground.

She scowled in his direction and took one step closer before Vlad leveled his dinner at her. "Now, no sudden movements, got it?"

She didn't listen and put all her weight on her front leg, only to buckle and fall down to the ground with a thud. Vlad cringed and checked on the girl before offering a hand. "Come on, get up."

She lifted her head, her crimson judging eyes staring at him. She didn't take his hand. Instead, she forced herself up while drawing short breaths, and the sight only made Vlad shake his head. Despite his young body, she was barely up to his shoulders.

"Just sit down. I'm not going to do anything to you if that's what you're worried about," he reassured while taking the sheathe from the ground and sitting down next to the tree. He took another bite, but the girl was still staring daggers at him.

His face formed a thin line. "Are you going to just stand there? Rest."

She stayed glued to her spot and Vlad let out a groan. "If you're going to be so persistent then you might as well say goodbye to your dinner. I was planning to share, but if all you can do is stay silent then that's your loss."

Her eyes widened for a moment before her stomach rumbled. It was loud enough for Vlad to hear and once he took one more bite, he offered the skewered fish to her. It took her a moment to decide and she eventually reached out with her hand, but once she was within arm's reach, Vlad pulled back.

"First, sit down," Vlad said and another glare was her answer. Instead of shying away, he gave her one of his own. "You sit and get your dinner, or you don't. Decide."

Her scowl couldn't get any deeper. She clicked her tongue and eventually obeyed his command before plopping on the ground like a grumpy child, at least in Vlad's eyes.

He breathed a sigh before finally offering the fish to the girl, and this time, she immediately yanked it from his hand.

It didn't take long before all that was left of the fish was just the carcass and the girl was somewhat satisfied, even if her only expression was a permanent frown. She absentmindedly noticed the loose bandages on her arms and legs while the blue liquid seeped through.

She tilted her head in Vlad's direction with a questioning brow and he matched it. "Shouldn't it be obvious? Of course I was the one who tied you up. Not a perfect job, but you're awake at least. Honestly, I'm surprised you're even up."

Again, not a single word escaped her mouth. Her only answer was another grunt, which was getting on Vlad's nerves. "Are you going to talk to me or not?"

The shake of her head was so light it might as well not have happened. She threw the skewer into the fire and walked away from the campsite. Not even her sword still being with Vlad was important enough for her to get back.

Vlad scowled. "What a waste this was."

A neigh from his horse interrupted him from drinking his waterskin and Vlad gave his partner an unamused scowl. "If she isn't even able to say thank you, then we were done anyway."

He glanced at the disappearing girl in the distance before she abruptly stopped. She checked her hand before a gasp escaped her lips. She whipped her head in Vlad's direction before quickly walking back to his camp.

"Where is my ring?"

The malice behind her words was almost palpable, but Vlad decided to take a sip from his waterskin anyway. He let out a satisfied sigh.

"Now you're willing to talk?" he remarked, and yet again, she glared.

"The ring. Where is it?"

Vlad took a deep breath. "If I told you I had it, what would you do?"

"Take it. By force, if I have to," she said without compromise.

"Convincing, but not enough of a reason to give it back," he countered. "Do you have something better?"

"I don't care what you think. I need the ring, and you will give it to me," she stated, but all she got from Vlad was an unamused scowl.

"This isn't how things work, girl. Yes, I have your ring, but why should I give it to somebody who hasn't even shown an ounce of gratitude?" he said, his scowl getting deeper. "If you can't even do that then we have nothing to speak about. Think of it as payment for me helping you out of your deathbed."

She clicked her tongue. "I would have been fine."

"Your state back then would have said otherwise," he said before he rubbed his head. "Just sit down, already. I will give you the ring, but not until you answer some of my questions."

She growled but decided not to say anything. She reluctantly sat down on the other side of the campfire and crossed her arms. Vlad couldn't help but rub the bridge of his nose.

This girl is going to be a hassle.

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

Vlad leaned his head on his arms, mulling over what the girl said, and none of it clicked with him.

Elyos?

A war between dragons?

What is she even talking about?

Vlad didn't have the slightest idea of where he was, but to hear such outlandish answers from her didn't make it more believable. While the sight a few hours ago should have been proof enough, hearing it from a person who was constantly on the verge of killing him with looks alone didn't convince him.

"Are you done with your questions?" she said with a half-lidded look.

Vlad let out a low hum. "What's your name?"

"Not important. Now, the ring," she demanded while outstretching her hand.

"Has anybody told you the basics of courtesy?" he remarked.

"You haven't told me yours yet."

A vein popped on Vlad's forehead. The nerve of this girl.

He shook his head before taking a deep breath. He fished out the ring from his pocket, showing it to the red-haired girl. "Is this your ring?"

She nodded. "Yes, now give it to me."

Again, Vlad couldn't help but think how pointless this entire conversation was. However, when he was about to give the ring back, a loud growl vibrated throughout the forest they were in. Vlad immediately retracted his hand before grabbing his sheath.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyes darting in the direction of the sound.

The girl stood up, holding her left arm. "The Corrupted."

"You mean those things?"

"Yes," she said plainly before outstretching her hand, a small hiss of pain escaping her. "We have to fight. Give me my sword."

Vlad clicked his tongue. He spotted several dark shades in the distance despite the sun already setting. He looked back at the girl who was still waiting for her sword, but Vlad noticed how much her hand was shaking.

If it was from fear or sheer exhaustion, he didn't know. Once he took a sharp breath, he took hold of the girl's arm, much to her surprise. "No, we're running away."

"What," she exclaimed before gritting her teeth. "No, I have to fight! I have to get strong—"

"There's no room for arguments," Vlad said before loudly clicking his tongue twice. The horse woke up and immediately sprung into action. Once the steed reached Vlad's side, he hoisted the girl on top of the horse, despite her protests.

"Let me go!" she demanded, but Vlad was fast enough to fasten her tight to the horse before giving the girl a piercing glare.

"You're far from fighting shape. Do you wish to get mauled to death by those things?" he asked, and the girl's breath hitched. Vlad let out a sigh. "I thought as much."

He climbed the horse as well, and he could feel how his steed buckled lightly under their weight, but that didn't stop him from lashing with his reins. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look back and his eyes widened.

The venomous girl he interrogated at the campfire was now reduced to a shaking mess, clinging to his clothes for dear life. He shook his head and held on tight to the horse with his legs.

"Hold tight!" Vlad said as they bolted away from the forest.

Another round of growls reached his ears despite the wind assaulting him, but he kept looking forward. His horse began to slow down due to their combined weight and Vlad's own hands began to shake. Even with the girl's poor description of the supposed monsters that were nearby, uncertainty permeated his mind like a parasite.

Pull yourself together, damn it.

A shadow appeared from trees, galloping on its own dark horse. Vlad's eyes shot open when he saw the glowing red ruptured veins flowing through its body and armour. He instinctively reached for his blade, almost struggling with its length but still pulled it out nonetheless.

The dark rider noticed their fleeing form, and if Vlad could see in the dark, he'd guess it was grinning under that helmet. It didn't take long for the Corrupted to charge toward Vlad while pulling out an axe and dragging it through the ground. Vlad clicked his tongue, and through his fears of falling off of his horse, he grabbed his sword with both hands and readied himself for the clash.

Vlad wished his ground was more stable, the stirrups didn't give him enough of a footing to be confident enough to actually commit to an attack. However, he had to act, and once he saw that axe lifted from the ground, the two riders met eye-to-eye.

Vlad swung his blade with all his might while the axe sailed through the air in a wide arc. The twank resonated in his ears and he was lifted from the powerful strike. He fell off his horse and met the ground with a dull thud, sword still in hand.

A groan left his lips and he quickly raised his head to see the girl still fastened tight to the horse. To his astonishment, his steed turned its head back, but all Vlad did was swing his arm. "Go!"

He stood up and turned back to the rider, who dashed in his direction, readying another swing. Vlad planted his feet on the ground while holding his sword like a baseball bat. Whether it was the right position to take or not, he didn't care, there was a rider with a giant axe in his hand, all too eager to take his second chance at life.

He took a deep breath. At least that girl will make it out safely.

His face morphed into a frown at the thought before a mirthless chuckle escaped his lips. "What is going on with me? No matter."

As the rider was within Vlad's sword length, he gritted his teeth and stomped with his foot forward, ready to give the Corrupted a taste of his own medicine.

wield me.

His breath hitched. Those weren't his thoughts, yet… they formed in his head nonetheless. It threw his swing off, and instead of knocking the rider down, he had to bring his sword back to guard the axe.

Again, the force of the attack launched him off his feet and his back met the ground. Air got knocked out of his lungs before he took a sharp breath. He turned around but didn't have the strength in him to lift himself fully up and leaned on his leg.

Quickly, before it's too late.

His head jolted, staring at the rider guiding their horse back in his direction for a finishing blow. Vlad vigorously shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts as quickly as possible and focus on the threat in front of him.

There is no time for second-guessing! Adorn the ring!

"What?" Vlad snapped to his pocket, and quickly took out the ring. To his astonishment, it was glowing a faint red color despite the discoloured gem. He felt an air of unease, but still clutched the ring and hissed.

Hard to be decisive when my life is on the line!

He put the ring on his ring finger, and once it was in place, his heart gave the strongest beat that had ever vibrated through his entire body.

His hands were shaking even more than before, but not from fear. It was something else, as if the ring was filling his veins with hot oil. His heart went into overdrive, trying to pump the diluted blood. His body became lighter, and the weight of his sword began to almost disappear. It felt like he was holding a feather, and lifting himself up was easier than ever before.

His eyes automatically snapped to his target, and he sprung into action. With a single step forward, he launched himself at the rider with incredible speed and completely caught the Corrupted off guard. With a decisive swing of his two-handed sword, the monster was split in half like a hot knife through butter, spilling black ash everywhere. The rider was too stunned to do anything else, and disappeared into red smoke, leaving nothing behind.

Vlad breathed a long sigh. It felt like his lungs were on fire before his mind was finally able to catch up to what he just did. He brought the hand with the ring up for inspection, and it still was shining an ominous red glow, similar to the Corrupted.

"What is this?" he asked, but his musings were interrupted by a cacophony of growls behind him. He whipped his body and found half a dozen Corrupted gazing at him impishly. Their jerking movements felt robotic, as if they were nothing more than mere puppets controlled by strings.

He took a stance. "I probably shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Now I'm not regretting giving the ring back."

Whatever the ring did to give Vlad the courage and strength to fight didn't matter to him. Or at least not until that girl would give him another set of answers. Only this time, he wouldn't force her to say anything. The face she had before he got knocked out of his horse reminded him too much of his daughter's when his son died.

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

"You have to stop! I need to get the ring back!" the girl shouted at the horse, still galloping as far away from the battlefield as possible. She tried to wiggle her legs out from the straps tying her to the saddle, but the man had managed to make it tight enough to keep her in place.

She had to find something, there were too many bags on this horse to not find anything sharp. Her eyes widened when she realized Vlad hadn't taken her weapon with him, and she quickly unsheathed her sword.

Carefully cutting the straps loose, her first leg was finally free, but she had to make sure the horse didn't notice. It was surprisingly loyal to its master. She kept her freed leg close to the horse, and once she let the other strap loose, she jumped away from the saddle and bolted back to the skirmish.

She looked back to make sure she lost the horse, but her heart jumped to her throat when she saw the brown steed rushing towards her. She tried to quicken her pace, but there was little she could do.

Once the horse reached her, she was knocked down with a headbutt, making her tumble to the ground. She groaned in pain, turning her body around to face the sky, only to see the horse looming over her like a bad omen.

The steed sniffed her, but she jerked her head away. "Just let me go already."

A quick stomp next to her told her she wouldn't go anywhere, but she wasn't one to take no for an answer.

"I need that ring, and you," she leveled her sword at the horse's stomach, "will not tell me what I can and cannot do."

While it took a moment, the horse let out a whinny before slowly leaving the girl. She carefully stood up without withdrawing her sword. She took a step back, then a second, then a third while the steed stayed put.

She turned around, but couldn't see any traces of Vlad. The few hills they went over obscured her vision, and she didn't have her ring for the added mobility. She clicked her tongue before looking back at the steed.

"You will take me back," she said while sheathing her sword. "You want to save your owner, right?"

The steed shook its head, a chortle escaped its mouth and the girl gave it a slight nod. "I thought so."

While she didn't have a clue how to ride a horse, she quickly climbed on top and urged the steed to take them back, earning herself an unamused glance from the animal. Eventually, they began moving, but at a much slower pace compared to when they were running away.

She would have been happier if they were faster.

She experimentally whipped the reins and the sudden change in speed almost knocked her off her ride. She held on tight and leaned her head forward while keeping her gaze focused on any sign of the man.

It took them longer than she would have liked, but she eventually found the clearing where the Corrupted had separated them, dreading to find only a corpse. A fate shared by those closest to her.

She was astonished to see nothing of the sort. Black and red dying embers permeated the air, and in the middle of it was the man, standing tall with his large sword in one hand, his back turned to her.

The horse let out a relieved whinny and quickened its pace to get to its master's side as soon as possible. His body jumped in place but still didn't turn around. He only raised his head, gazing at the sky.

The crimson girl narrowed her eyes and quickly dismounted, and once she was close enough, she pulled out her sword. "Now, give me the ring."

Vlad let out a large sigh, a puff of purple smoke escaping his mouth. He slowly turned around, and the girl's eyes shot wide open.

Several dents and scars adorned his body, eyelids barely open, and his fingers were locked to the sword too tightly. His face had an empty expression, eyes staring not at her, but at the scenery behind her.

He blew another puff of purple smoke and once his blurry eyes landed on the crimson girl, his lips formed a tired smile. "Ah, you're finally back."

"What?" she exclaimed before shaking her head and adorning her frown. "That doesn't matter. Give me the ring."

"Oh," he let out and brought his hand for inspection, the red gem shining under the moonlight. "You… mean this?"

She took a sharp breath before leveling her sword at him. "Take it off, now."

"I'm glad… you're safe," he said, ignoring her question. He took a step forward and extended his hand. "I wanted to give you a ring for your birthday actually."

Her breath hitched, and she took a step back.

"Will… that be enough? To atone?" he asked. "Please… tell me it's enough, The… re—"

His eyes rolled up and his legs buckled before he plopped to the ground face down unconscious. The crimson girl stared at him, too stunned to act while the horse bent down and sniffed its owner. The steed nudged Vlad with its nuzzle, hoping he would get up, but there was no response.

The girl hissed before quickly grabbing Vlad's hands and forcefully taking the ring off his finger. It wasn't damaged and was surprisingly clean. She tried not to think about it.

However, once she took her first step to leave, her body refused to go any further.

What are you doing? Move.

No matter how much she tried to convince herself, she couldn't. She turned back to the man's unconscious form and the more she thought about it, the more she was at a loss. He didn't have any reason to help her out, only now did she realize he wasn't acting any different than…

She eased her stance while her frown eventually fell and tried to get closer to the man, but the steed suddenly blocked her way. She brought her hands defensively. "I'm… not going to hurt him."

The horse breathed through its nose and stomped the ground once.

"I'll help. Please, trust me," she pleaded, and while the horse was wary, it took a step to the side, but not fully giving her free rein.

With a slight nod, she bent down and picked the man up before hoisting him on top of his steed while sheathing his blade into its scabbard. Once everything was secured in place, she took a deep breath, took the horse by its reins, and marched.

Where? She didn't know yet.


AN: As promised, here is chapter 2.

I don't necessarily have much to add, only that I wonder how long I can keep this up.
I guess only time will tell.

I'd like to thank Cavik for beta reading today's chapter, and the Fanfiction Treehouse community. They're a blast to be with, and if you want to join, here is the link to our discord server: gg/u89gs745fn

Thank you for reading the chapter.

God's speed.