T
he first thing I felt was the ground—cold, damp, and unyielding. My head throbbed, and my lungs burned as if I’d been pulled from a river moments before drowning. My body was alien to me, lighter, unfamiliar. But the discomfort was drowned by the overwhelming realization that I wasn’t home anymore.
I opened my eyes to a twilight sky. The clouds hung low, streaked with violet and deep gold, casting an ethereal glow across the jagged terrain. Trees twisted unnaturally, their branches bare and curling toward the ground like claws. In the distance, the rhythmic drumming of distant hooves—or was it something worse?—echoed through the air.
I wasn’t alone.
A growl rumbled behind me, low and guttural. I turned slowly, heart pounding. It stood on four legs, its body the size of a small horse. Covered in shimmering black scales, the creature’s fiery eyes bore into mine, its snarl revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Its tail, barbed and serpentine, lashed at the ground, leaving deep gouges in the dirt.
I wanted to scream, to run, but my legs were frozen. Fear clenched my chest, tighter than any chain. I’d faced death before in my past life—an abstract inevitability, a cause I believed in. But this was raw and immediate. And yet, despite the primal terror, one thought pierced through:
I would not kill it.
----------------------------------------
The creature lunged.
Reflex took over, but it wasn’t the kind of reflex the world demanded. Instead of fighting or fleeing, I dropped to my knees and pressed my hands to the ground. “Stop!” My voice cracked, desperation bleeding through the word.
The beast halted mid-charge, claws skidding through the dirt. It loomed over me, close enough that I could feel its heated breath against my face. Its snarls echoed, but it didn’t attack.
Instead, it tilted its head, golden eyes narrowing in something that almost looked like confusion—or recognition.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I met its gaze, trembling but resolute. “I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered, though my throat was dry and my voice a trembling reed. “And I don’t want you to hurt me. Please.”
The beast growled once more, but then... it stepped back. Its gaze lingered on me, almost as if it were studying me, before it turned and padded into the shadows of the twisted forest. Relief flooded through me, though it was laced with unease.
Why did it hesitate?
----------------------------------------
A sharp whistle sliced through the air. The creature’s ears perked, and with a low snarl, it retreated further into the darkness. The sound of crunching leaves faded into silence.
“Idiot,” someone muttered.
I turned to see a young woman stepping out from behind the trees. Her bow was still raised, a nocked arrow aimed where the creature had stood moments ago. She wore patchwork leather armor and a hardened expression, her dark eyes scanning me with a mix of disbelief and annoyance.
Behind her, two others appeared: a broad-shouldered man hefting a heavy sword and a slight figure in a dark cloak, their face obscured beneath a hood. The group moved with the wary precision of hunters.
The woman lowered her bow, but her scowl deepened. “What were you thinking? You didn’t even try to defend yourself.”
“I...” My throat felt dry. “I couldn’t. I mean, I didn’t want to.”
“Didn’t want to?” the man repeated with a bark of laughter. “That’s a new one. In case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t the kind of place where you get to make that choice.”
“She’s right,” the woman added, crossing her arms. “That thing would’ve torn you apart if we hadn’t stepped in. Are you suicidal or just stupid?”
“No,” I said quickly, forcing myself to my feet. My legs wobbled, but I held my ground. “I just... I don’t believe in killing.”
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
The hooded figure chuckled softly, their voice smooth and unbothered. “Well, aren’t you an anomaly. This’ll be interesting.”
The woman shot them a glare before turning back to me. “Fine. If you’re determined to die, that’s your business. But for now, you’re coming with us. At least until we’re out of this cursed forest.”
----------------------------------------
The journey with them was tense and quiet. Hale muttered under his breath, but Lira kept her focus on leading us safely through the woods. Kael moved like a shadow, occasionally casting curious glances at me.
We came across a broken sapling, its leaves wilting but still alive. As the others moved ahead, I knelt and gently cupped its base, brushing dirt over its exposed roots. Hale noticed and let out a scoff. “What’s next? Apologizing to the trees?”
Kael smirked. “Leave him be, Hale. Maybe he’s onto something.”
I didn’t answer, but the sapling seemed to stand a little straighter. Maybe it was just my imagination