After Boris's shoulder was hung in a sling, the people were expecting a short rest, but that couldn’t be further from the case. The Priest insisted that they travel as far as they could before sunset, so that’s what they did.
The moon began to wane, casting its dim light on the travelers. They continued to press on relentlessly, each step bringing them closer to the end of the onyx bridge that was just a few hundred feet away. Exhaustion, a sickness that sapped their strength with every step, spread through the people like wildfire.
As the weary travelers gazed up in awe, bathed in the dim glow of the waning moon, the Priest rose into the air. The Priest called for a rest, and the travelers, their bodies weak with exhaustion, gratefully accepted this invitation. They scattered across the bridge and began to settle.
Small pods of people settled after their long day of traveling across this almost never-ending bridge. They nestled near numerous small fires that they scattered across the area sectioned off by Zerin and the priest. The Priest monitored the ominous entrance into the crimson forest, while Zerin watched the path they came from.
The transfigured lizard returned to his side once again, this time carrying it sheathe in its mouth. Zerin reached forth and tugged at the sheathe, of course it didn’t like its precious treasure being threatened so it growled once again. He let go of the sheathe as he watched the lizard curl up into a ball next to him near the fire.
The number of fires and conversations that bloomed left Zerin wondering how exactly the Priest managed to transfer so many people over such a distance. Now that Zerin looked back at it, it all felt like such a long time ago, even though it had only been a couple of weeks.
Sitting in front of the fire, staring into the kindling flames, he lifted his eyes from its heat, seeing Wisteria meandering her way towards him. Navigating through the pods of people settled around the numerous fires, Wisteria held two bowls of piping hot stew in her hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Wisteria said softly, passing Zerin a bowl of stew that seemed to be cooked with several roots and herbs gathered around the castle.
“Nothing, just thinking…”
He exhaled softly, taking the bowl from her, blowing over the scorching stew. Tantalizing aromas blew in the air, the warm savory flavor filled his senses, promising to satisfy both his growing hunger and his need for hydration.
Wisteria sat across from him on the other side of the small fire.
“Just thinking, huh?”
She lifted her spoon to her mouth, blowing on it gently.
Zerin nodded and followed suit, lifting his spoon he scooped up some roots, lifting it to his mouth tasting it. As he enjoyed his crude meal, a piece of wood in the fire busted into sparks drawing his attention back to Wisteria.
The white dress she wore obscured her form, drawing his gaze up to her face as she blew over the piping hot stew. Her nose and ears were tinged red from the cold night air, but her hair and dress remained pristine. Her pigtails, perfectly braided and interwoven with vermillion hues, and her dress, a clean white despite her sitting on a tattered rug, were untouched by any debris. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her; it was utterly impossible.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She hesitated to take a bite, even after generously blowing the stew for a long while. She lifted her eyelids, her aquamarine eyes meeting his blue ones. The reflections of the orange crackling fire danced in her eyes.
"Hmm?"
Zerin looked away from her, the crackling and popping of the firewood snapping him out of his trance.
She set her bowl down, rising to her feet dusting off the invisible dirt off of her unblemished dress. She took a daring stride towards him causing his heart to stumble slightly.
"What are you doing?"
His heart began to race slightly as he set his bowl aside, looking up at her as she closed the distance.
"Tell me what's wrong..."
She stood over him, demanding an answer as she folded her arms just under her cloak that ended just right at the midsection of her chest.
He looked at her with a hint of confusion, only to be startled as her icy, delicate hand gently touched his forehead, sending a chill down his spine.
"Stop moving."
She demanded, and Zerin ceased resisting as his eyes locked onto hers. Her gaze flitted around, never quite meeting his, while he remained entirely focused on her shifting eyes. Only when her gaze finally settled on his did he find himself unable to contain his inner thoughts.
"You are beautiful..."
He didn't even give it a second thought, his words just spilled out from him.
Her face flushed red as she pursed her lips slightly.
"Was this the 'nothing' you were talking about?"
She spoke almost coldly, her voice barely a whisper. Yet her hands told a different story as she cradled his face in her palms, gazing down at him.
"Are you seriously thinking about that during all this?"
He averted his eyes from hers.
"Well, you brought this on yourself. You kissed me out of nowhere and then said you–"
A tinge of annoyance filled her face as she stopped his lips with her chilled index finger silencing him. She then leaned closer and kissed his forehead.
"And it might be your last if you keep that up..."
She said teasingly with a slight smile before she released her hold on him, retreating back to her seat. She grasped her bowl and began eating, leaving Zerin in awe.
-
-
-
The people rose at dawn, ready to embark on the journey into the crimson forest that loomed just ahead of them. In just an hour of their wake everyone was up and ready to move, ready to delve into the forest.
They approached the wall of mist, which had a scarlet hue and seemed almost alive with its eerie, shifting appearance. The miasma glided a few feet onto the bridge before halting abruptly, as if it feared or was forbidden from crossing an invisible line drawn upon the onyx stones. Zerin could see the people boldly follow the Priest into the scarlet mist as their silhouettes disappeared into its confines the deeper, they went.
He trailed behind the group, with Wisteria close by his side. As they stepped into the scarlet mist, it clung to him as he moved further. Wisteria grasped his hand, startling him slightly. He relaxed when he saw it was her and continued through the mist.
Emerging from the scarlet mist, the forest looked entirely different from how he had remembered it. Perhaps he was in a different part of the forest, as his last memory was of dead trees reaching for the sky and blood-soaked grass. Now, however, the environment was vibrant and full of life. The tree bark was a reddish hue, and their leaves shone with pinkish tones. Mushrooms of warm colors—red, orange, and yellow—dotted the trees.
Wisteria rushed ahead of Zerin to the foot of the tree, where she picked a few of the mushrooms. Smiling she lifted them up three mushrooms of different colors in the palm of her hand as she presented them to him.
"Are they edible?"
Zerin questioned as he looked at the brightly colored mushrooms.
"Mhmm..."
She pushed her hands further, offering them to him.
He plucked the orange mushroom from her hand, exhaling nervously before placing it into his mouth. Upon biting into this vibrant orange mushroom, his tastebuds were pushed with its sudden citrusy flavor that came unexpectedly, inadvertently causing him to close his eyes in response as he made as sour face.
"Oh no... Are they bad?"
Wisteria dropped the mushrooms as she panicked.
Zerin coughed as he shook his head.
"No, I just didn't expect it to be sour."
"Oh! Really? I like sour."
Wisteria picked up the red and yellow mushrooms from the floor, clutching them close to her.
Zerin turned his head back to the group that was distancing themselves from them slowly.
"We should probably catch up."
"Okay."
As Zerin walked, Wisteria stayed close by his side, matching his stride.
Once they caught up with the group, Zerin's eyes searched the environment, the mist created its own atmosphere and its own scent also, instead of the usual scent of blood the air was filled with sweet scents and the mist completely obscured the wind from passing through it, the forest was quiet and serene as only their footsteps could be heard in the scarlet mist.
What also drew his attention were the silhouettes of distant structures deep within the forest, each with its own mysterious allure. These structures reminded Zerin of the building where Bashir was held during his execution. The executioners, along with the rest of the people, had conveniently lost their memories, leaving only the Old Man to bear the punishment.
Zerin’s mind filled with guilt as he thought about withholding the truth of her brother’s death from her, but Bashir’s disappearance over the past few days, left Zerin to reason that she knew he was dead. Though he wanted to bring it up, he feared that doing so would only reopen an old wound for her.
As Zerin walked ahead, lost in thought, he was unaware that the crowd had stopped, and he was about to collide with them. At the last moment, Wisteria grabbed his hand, pulling him back just in time.
"Pay attention!"
Wisteria looked at him with a scolding face.
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
Zerin scratched the side of his head and chuckled nervously as he pulled his hand away from hers. He looked past the massive crowd of bickering people, who seemed puzzled by the sudden halt. His attention was drawn to what lay ahead: a towering statue of none other than the goddess herself. They had arrived at their destination.