Arthur's Point of View

The Hollow Forest

"While I am glad you are interested, I must admit that I am a tad concerned." The Druid stated. "The forest has been speaking of a vile creature lurking within the shadows." Scanning the area with a more serious look, she seemed more wary. "It is near even now."

"And yet, you don't seem concerned." I pointed out.

She smiled softly. "A creature such as this is not something I could hope to handle. Life is fleeting for a flower, just as it is for a Druid." The Druid gestured to herself. "An angry beast of some manner would be much more plausible, but this creature is here with purpose." The Druid started walking towards me and put her hand on my chest armor. "It is here for you and you alone."

Taking a more serious look, I eyed the Druid. "How would you know that?"

"The plants have told me of your exploits against those creatures. Demonic creatures that have not been seen in the world of Crevalis for quite some time." Removing her hand, she put a hand on my cheek. "Did you truly believe that killing so many of them would have no consequences?"

Removing her hand, I narrowed my eye at the information. "What else have they told you?"

"Nothing too private, I assure you. They don't tell me what is said, merely what transpires." Thank god for small miracles. "The creatures you killed, or rather, the ones who hunted you down were likely brought here by the creature that hunts you now."

"You say hunt, but it hasn't revealed itself."

At this point, Typhon was looking everywhere. "I am unsure of whether you would want it to. Unfortunately for you, it is likely only a matter of time." Then she caressed my arm in fascination. "But you knew that, didn't you?"

Shaking her caress away, I crossed my arms again. "If Ghouls are demonic creatures, why do they resemble the other races?"

"Ghouls?" The Druid repeated as if just hearing the word.

"The demonic creatures. They appeared to be Elves and Humans."

Her arms fell, and some of the flowers in the area stopped blooming as she looked at me wide-eyed. "They were?" At my nod, she stepped away from me and looked down. "That is very concerning. Keep this information to yourself. The Priestesses likely knew this and did not want others to know."

I nodded again. "I noticed."

Typhon, who backed up against me and was pressed firmly into my side, spoke. "So, back to the creature hunting, Arthur…" He said in a shaky voice. "Is it still out there?"

"It watches us even now. I do not know what it is waiting for." The Druid replied. "However, it has clearly been following you for quite some time. I received several warnings that all of you were getting closer and closer."

"What's your name, Druid?" I inquired.

She gave a small curtsy. "My name is Camoa. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Arthur Pendragon, and you, Typhon Delmaris."

Typhon started to shakily wave as I replied. "I'd like to say the same. Maybe I'll be able to when we actually get the chance to sit down and talk."

Camoa pointed off into the woods. "My dwelling is not too far if you'd like to stay."

Putting my hand on Typhon's head, I wiggled him around slightly. "While I would love to have a long conversation with you, it must wait. If I am being hunted, getting him back will be my priority. If we joined you, I'd have to worry about you too."

"It interests me that you seem so complacent with your current situation. Being hunted by a creature doesn't surprise you and nor do you care that it is likely demonic in nature." She shook her head in amusement. "Not many would hold such an attitude."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Not many care as little as me." Giving a nod to show some respect, I gestured to the trees. "We should really be leaving."

"Until next time." Then she glanced to the side. "If there is a next time."

Smirking at Typhon's face dropping, I replied. "I'm feeling confident there will be." Then I nudged the Dragon. "Come on, Ty."

He nodded and held me close. "Yeah. Next time." I chuckled as he barely was able to get the words out.

Typhon and I left the clearing with Camoa watching us carefully as she went. A few branches soon closed off the clearing, and she disappeared. Frowning at this, I focused to see if I could feel where the creature was. At one point, my hand started up to my eye, but I glanced down at Typhon and stopped myself.

We were quiet for a bit, but Typhon couldn't stay that way for long. "Do you think it's still following us?"

"Yep." Was my nonchalant response.

"You don't see a problem with this!?" The boy asked me fearfully.

I shrugged. "What happened to you're with the Knight of Lestrania, and nothing could happen to you with me around?"

He gestured to me. "You're being hunted by some demonic creature! We need to tell the Priestesses!"

"Probably not a bad idea, but also not a good one either."

Grabbing his head as he looked around, scared, he continued. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were being hunted!"

"Well, you followed me, and once you stepped into the forest, it was pretty much impossible to leave."

"What do you mean it's impossible to leave?" Typhon looked up at me as we came to a stop.

Ignoring the child's concern, I looked around. Narrowing my eye as I felt the presence get closer, I removed my wrapping around my right eye. Moving Typhon behind me, I began to scan the area. However, as soon as I opened my right eye, fear took hold of me. Picking Typhon up startled him but said nothing as he held on tight as I charged my way through the forest.

Gritting my teeth in concern, I was truly worried. Fighting wasn���t an issue for me, nor was getting wounded or possibly dying, but I didn't want to get Typhon mixed up in this. It must've been obvious because the Dragon held me tighter as I ran. That, and he was clearly able to see my right eye, which would unnerve anyone.

"Arthur, what did you see?"

"Be quiet, Ty." He huddled closer to me at that. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you home."

With my right eye unwrapped, I was able to see all the energy in the area. Unfortunately, it was all overpowered by a vast red and black energy covering the entire area. Almost as if drowning the entire forest in its own foulness. No longer did the trees, bushes, or other plant life have a color of their own. Everything was tinted in a black and red hue.

"Shit!"

Slamming my foot into the ground, we came to a stop after sliding through the grass and dirt below. Dropping Typhon's legs from my grasp, I held him close with my left arm while my right arm quickly drew Defiance from my back. Bringing it in front of me, we twisted around to where I felt the creature was. If murderous intent was real in this world, that was likely it.

"Arthu-"

"Shh!" I shushed him.

It was almost as if I could feel my impending death coming in mere moments. The surrounding magical energy seemed to get thicker, and shadows started to shift throughout the underbrush and trees. Glancing down at Typhon, I frowned as I knew I had a handicap.

Taking a deep breath and readying myself seemed to halt the shadows as I stopped hesitating. Killing my emotions, for the time being, my gaze focused almost solely on the hidden source still a bit away. However, another wave seemed to emit from me when I did so, and I readied to kill the creature. Raising my own energy levels seemed to put the two of us at a standstill.

The flapping of wings overhead grabbed my attention, and I looked up to see two unhappy Priestesses looking down upon me. "Arthur Pendragon!�� Arceana's withering glare as she landed hard almost made me flinch.

"Release Typhon at once!" Elincia ordered as she landed behind me.

"Sure." Letting him go with my gaze fixed solely on Arceana.

Typhon didn't move as he looked around. "Typhon." Arceana held out her hand gently.

Shaking, the Dragon child held onto me as I kept my sword up. "I can't." Was his shaky reply.

"Arthur won't hurt you." Elincia told him from behind me. "We should've never made him our Knight. If you were his goal all this time, then we've thwarted him before he could hurt you!" She declared.

Annoyed, I sighed. "Look, I don't want Ty; I certainly wasn't trying to kidnap him. He followed me into the forest."

Pulling her hand back, Arceana raised her scepter in a threatening manner, which I didn't know was possible. "Typhon would never disobey us. He has always minded our words. If he came in here, it was because you made him.���

The shadows surrounding us were still as if watching us. "Brilliant detective work Priestess, but you failed to realize one thing." Her eyes watched me. "Ty is merely a child. Eventually, he's going to disobey you." Then I looked down at the shaking form of Typhon and rolled my eyes. "For the record, I told you this was going to happen."

"I'm sorry." The child whispered.

Shaking my head in annoyance, I gestured to him. "You can literally take him and leave. I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

Elincia summoned very familiar swords that started to float around the area. "You are going nowhere until you answer for your crimes."

"Oh my god…" I groaned out as my head tilted back. "I don't have time for either of you."

"Do not resist, Arthur. You will be questioned, and so will Typhon to get to the bottom of this but kidnapping a member of the Temple and our kin is a serious crime." Arceana pointed her scepter at me.

Rolling my eyes, I looked away from them. "To the creature that is watching me right now, can you give me like…" I glanced to both Priestesses for a moment and then shrugged. "Ten minutes!? Fifteen tops!?"

Arceana ignited her magic in her hands as she focused on me. "You underestimate us, Arthur Pendragon."

"This will not go like last time, Arthur." Her sister then said from behind me.

"Alright, so this is happening." Grabbing Ty by the back of his shirt, I yanked him off of me and held him off of the ground at eye level. "I blame you for this." Setting him down and pushing him away gently, I continued. "Now, I have to do my job as the Knight of Lestrania."

"And what might that be?" Arceana asked in a dangerous tone as she crouched and spread her wings.

Rolling my shoulders and shaking the limbs loose, I crouched down myself as I took a more combative stance now that I no longer had Ty holding onto me. "Putting two Lestranian Priestesses in their place. I'm willing to deal with some uppity bullshit from now and then, but you two are asking for it."

I could feel the glare on my back. "You dare to-" Elincia started, but I cut her off.

"I didn't want to be your Knight." I said evenly and shrugged. "Don't care for any lands or titles you could give me, and you still haven't figured that out." Gesturing to myself mockingly, I continued sarcastically. "What happened to me being the one from the prophecy!? Look at my eye, Arceana! Is it everything you wanted to see?"

"Your actions starting out as our Knight are horrible and dishonorable." Elincia stated from behind me.

Feeling as though energy was shooting at me from behind, I stepped to the side where a sword planted into the ground at an angle where I just was. Eyeing it for a moment and understanding quickly that this was truly happening, my gaze shifted behind to Elincia. She frowned as she saw me look at her.

"Really, bitch?"