THUNK.

The sword bit into the dirt as it easily sliced through the dead arm as if it was paste. It was remarkable that Lucien’s arm had managed to hold itself together until this point.

On one side of the sword, fresh blood sprayed out, dyeing the grass red. On the other, the insides of his arm oozed out in the form of a vile, disgusting liquid.

Grass wrapped around the dead arm and pulled it deep into the earth, never to be seen again. And where no animal can harm themselves by trying to eat it.

A green glow wrapped around Lucien’s bleeding arm, healing it. The bleeding stopped as skin coated over the open wound, turning it into a stump.

The elf sat up and wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked down at Lucien’s face and decided to leave him in the comforting embrace of the grass.

He needs it.

~

Lucien woke up, finding himself remarkably well rested. He didn’t even realise how badly his body needed to rest until he did so. What happened? He squinted, looking around in a sleepful daze as he tried to figure out what was going on. He saw towering trees that blocked out the sky, and felt the rays of sunlight on his face that managed to sneak through.

He felt the grass release him, as the calming scent slowly started to dissipate. The fog tried to settle back into his mind, but it was remarkable what a rested mind could do. He allowed the fog in, for he knew that fighting it was useless, but he didn’t let it conquer him. He allowed it to wash over him, to firm his resolve.

All this time since the massacre had allowed him to think. And with the help of the calming grass, he came to a realisation. He had to do something. What he could do, he did not know. But he knew that he had to, in some way, seek justice for those who died. He had to keep going until they had reached true peace.

Sitting up, he felt himself oddly off balance, it was only then that he was reminded of what happened to his arm. He looked down at his missing left arm and sighed. This wound will be a reminder for me. Only when I am done will I find a replacement. He vowed.

“How are you feeling Lucien?” The elf said, and it was only then that he remembered he wasn’t alone. The elf sat cross-legged nearby, having just opened her eyes after meditation when Lucien sat up. The air felt cleaner and more refined around her, as if her very presence was making the world better.

This must be the benefits of meditation. He sighed, having had no luck with magic, he had heard about meditation, and the benefits it could provide, but he had never experienced it for himself. Wait a minute. “How do you know my name?”

She smiled as she moved over and sat across from him. “Uther always boasted about you whenever he came around for a chat.’”

“He did?” Lucien asked, finding that unbelievable.

“Oh all the time. He was very proud of you, you know. And I can see why. When you came her carrying Cassandra’s body while bearing such horrible wounds, I knew you were his boy.” She said.

“Well, I’m not actually-” Lucien tried to say before being cut off.

“Shh. Biological or not. He cared for you like you were his son, and that’s what matters.” She said.

Lucien felt a warmth inside from knowing that Uther felt of him like that. But also sadness at how he could no longer fight alongside him. There’s so much about him that I still don’t know. But from what she’s been saying, It seems like my guess was somewhat right. “I never got your name.”

“Aerin.” She answered kindly. “Now, can you tell me what happened?”

Lucien took a deep breath before looking into her eyes, he saw kindness in them, and knew he could trust her. “We were betrayed.” He told her about everything he found, starting with the campsite in the forest and his lingering suspicions about Adam.

He recounted what he found when he left the forest, from the dead guards on the outskirts, to the massacred civilians in the village proper. He told her his thoughts on how it happened, about who was responsible, and why.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” She consoled him “We knew something had happened when Cassandra died, but to think that it had happened like this... I’m sorry that you had to witness such a thing. If you need a place to stay, you will be welcomed with open arms here.”

Lucien felt warmth in his chest. “Thank you, but I’ve still got things I need to do.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

She saw the determination in his eyes, and knew that she couldn’t stop him. “Tell me what you want to do. I want to help you however I can. Uther... Was a close friend of mine, and I want to bring peace to his soul.”

He could tell her words were genuine, so he told her exactly what he wanted to do. “My nephew is still out there. Likely taken by Adam and held captive by the bandits. I need to get him back before something happens to him.”

“With only one arm? You don’t know how many people they have. It’ll be suicidal to try and fight them in this state.” Aerin said, wanting to lay out the reality of the situation.

“But I have to!... He’s all I have left.”

“I know, but just here me out. You can’t win, not on your own. Go to Lord Whitmore. He needs to know about this, and he will help you. He won’t just let his people die in vain.” She explained.

“But what about Roddy? I can’t just leave him.”

“We will we find him for you. I will make sure he stays safe until you return. I promise.”

Lucien hesitated before reluctantly nodding. He knew her plan would give Roddy the best chance at freedom. He just didn’t like how long it would take. “Thank you... I mean it.”

“It’s the least I could do. Just think of it as thanks for bringing Cassandra back.” Aerin said. She didn’t want to burden him or make him think that she was pitying him.

Lucien had long since noticed that Cassandra’s body was gone, but he never found the opportunity to bring it up. “Is she with her family?”

“Yes.... Her parents are arranging her funeral. Do you want to stay for it? I’m sure they would want you to.”

Lucien looked further into the forest, hesitant and uncertain. “I think it’s better if I’m not there. Besides, I should probably get going. The sooner Lord Whitmore hears about this, the better.”

“Of course, I understand. Let me send you off then.” Aerin accompanied him as he walked through the forest back in the direction of his village.

After a few minutes of silence, Lucien heard a rumbling drawing closer to them. His instincts flared up as he reached for his sword, preparing to defend himself.

The ground shook as a massive blur broke through the trees towards them. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Lucien locked eyes with the beast. His body tensed up as fear seemed to pulse through his missing left arm.

A giant wolf with fur as pure as snow was bounding towards them. It was much larger than the one that took his arm. It was as big as a house, with muscles powerful enough to crush a city wall to dust. Each step it took crushed the ground beneath it, kicking up a dust storm that caused branches to whip around.

A single swipe from it could shatter a tree in half. It could clear any normal tree in a single bound, and even come close to clearing the immortal trees of the eternal forest.

This was the most powerful creature Lucien had ever seen. The wolf he killed seeming more like the starving runt of the litter compared to what he was now faced with. Every part of his body was screaming at him to run. To leave as fast as he could. And to not look back. But he knew that he couldn’t run. The wolf would catch up to him in an instant.

He was going to die. After all this, he was going to die to a wolf.

It bounded closer to them with no signs of stopping, only a couple seconds away from bowling them over, and crushing every bone in their bodies.

Out of the corner of Lucien’s eye, he saw Aerin raise her hand and point her palm out at the wolf. But where he expected to see some kind of magical glow, he saw, nothing. It was just a simple hand gesture. And astoundingly, it worked.

The wolf dug its heels in and slid to a stop, leaving long trails in the dirt and reaching a stop mere moments before it crashed into them. It sat down with a heavy thud. Even in this pose, it towered over Lucien.

It tilted its head and looked down at Lucien quizzically. Its eyes gleaming with intelligence as they stared into Lucien’s soul. The two locked eyes for a brief, intense moment before it stuck its tongue out.”

“Boof.”

Lucien’s ears rang as saliva splattered on his face and his hair was swept back by the force of the wolf’s controlled bark. He flicked the saliva off his face and looked up at the wolf. It’s kind of... cute? Looking at it closer, Lucien found an adorable goofiness that undermined its terrifying stature.

It was like a big, fluffy dog. Lucien’s fear and trepidation had been wiped away in an instant looking at its silly face.

The wolf’s snout nuzzled against Aerin’s hand, looking for pats.

“There you are boy. Is everything ready?” She cooed, scratching behind his ears.

“Woof.” The wolf barked in affirmation, turning its body to the side, showcasing a pack that had been strapped to the side of its body. The pack looked positively tiny compared to the wolf, but was sizeable enough for a person to carry everything they would need for a trip in it.

Lucien relaxed upon seeing how close the two of them were, so he returned his sword to its scabbard. “What’s going on here?”

“Sorry to frighten you.” Aerin apologised. “I know it must have been really hard to travel here on foot, so I thought I’d have my companion take you back to the village. I’ve also packed you some supplies for the journey ahead. It should at least tide you over until you meet with Lord Whitmore.”

It was clear from her tone that she would not allow Lucien to refuse this help, so Lucien simply nodded. “Thank you.”

She helped him onto the wolf’s back, then whispered a few words into the wolf’s ear before stepping back. “Take care.”

And then they were off.

The wolf bounded through the forest at a blistering pace. Going so fast that the trees became nothing more than a blur.

Lucien’s vision swam as he was flung back and almost fell off the wolf. He reached out and grabbed onto a patch of the wolf’s fur in desperation, narrowly managing to stay on. He closed his eyes, planted himself into the wolf’s body, and whispered prayers in hopes that he could survive.

The wind whipped past them as the wolf bounded through the forest, leaving the trees untouched.

I’m going to die. Lucien clung to the wolf for dear life. His stomach churned, threatening to spill its contents onto the lush white fur of the beast. The wind dug into his face, and he could no longer open his eyes. He relied on his hearing and sense of movement to guess what was going on.

The world whipped past them in a blur, the trees growing smaller as they left the domain of the Eternal Forest. The trees also became denser, forcing the wolf to slow down to avoid destroying anything, and finally granting Lucien some peace.