[ Chapter 11 ] Mask

Anathea runs deep into the forest, trying to run in the direction of Fiend. Hearts follows behind Anathea diligently.

[ Anathea ] ¨I´m sure he´s this way!¨

Anathea keeps running into the forest, following her gut.

[ Hearts ] ¨How do you know he went this way?¨

[ Anathea ] ¨I don´t. I just hope.¨

Hearts stop a bit.

[ Hearts ] ¨Wha- so you don´t even know? What if we´re going the wrong way?¨

Anathea stops in her tracks, peeking from the tree.

[ Anathea ] ¨Look… a cave.¨

Hearts walks closer to where Anathea is at.

[ Hearts ] ¨How did you actually find something?¨

Hearts and Anathea both peak from the tree looking at the cave. The cave was near a small river. Anathea walks out a bit towards the cave.

[ Hearts ] ¨Hey! What if he is in there?!¨

[ Anathea ] ¨Shh~ it´s fine, I´m just going to check…¨

Footsteps are then heard from inside the cave echo, startling Anathea. Hearts comes out and pulls Anathea back into the trees.

[ Hearts ] ¨See someone is here!¨

They both hide in the bush and trees around the cave.

[ Anathea ] ¨Is it him…?¨

Both Anathea and Hearts peak slowly from the tree and bushes. More footsteps are heard coming from the cave, like the sound of keratin scratching stone. Then, Silver Fiend appears to be coming out of the cave, walking towards the river, and limping with one hand on his stomach.

[ Hearts ] ¨He´s actually here…?¨

[ Anathea ] ¨Is he injured…?¨

Fiend walks to the river, kneeling to the water. He reaches out with his hand to cup a tiny amount of water.

[ Anathea ] ¨What is he doing?¨

The same silver wind and shade come in for a quick swirl around Fiend´s gut area. The next second, the scale armor skin of Fiend disappears. What is below it is a… human stomach but with a huge gash bleeding slowly. Both Ana's and Heart's eyes dilate in surprise.

[ Anathea ] ¨He´s… human…?¨

Fiend washes the area around the gash on his stomach and flinches a bit from the pain.

[ Silver Fiend ] “Caught off guard. Why was I careless?¨

Anathea and Hearts continue staying hidden.

[ Anathea ] ¨He´s injured…¨

Anathea tries to move a bit closer trying to get a better sight.

[ Hearts ] ¨Hey! Don´t push our luck!¨

Hearts says in a low and quiet tone.

[ Anathea ] ¨It´s fi-¨

Anathea steps on a stick, causing a cracking sound to be heard.

[ Anathea ] ¨Shi-¨

Fiend turns over to the sound's direction. Being wary, standing up.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Show yourself. Before I make you.¨

Hearts and Anathea both panics at the words said.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

[ Hearts ] ¨What do we do!?! We shouldn´t have come here!¨

[ Anathea ] ¨I don´t know???¨

Fiend walks a bit closer to where both Ana and Hearts are hiding.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨I guess we´ll do it the hard way.¨

Anathea sticks out her hand quickly to show her presence to Fiend.

[ Anathea ] ¨Wait!¨

Anathea slowly steps from the tree and bushes she hid in.

[ Anathea ] ¨Uhh… so… we followed you.¨

Hearts come out also from hiding.

[ Hearts ] ¨Letting you know, it was her idea.¨

Fiend seems to glare out his claws. Anathea notices and pleads with Fiend.

[ Anathea ] ¨Wait wait wait! We don´t want trouble!¨

Fiend keeps his guard up and is wary.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨You´re the two from earlier… why did you follow me?¨

[ Hearts ] ¨Her idea!¨

[ Anathea ] ¨I- uhh… wanted too…¨

Fiend lowers himself, his tone becoming more friendly.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨I don´t sense any ill intent… didn´t I tell you two to run earlier.¨

[ Anathea ] ¨Why did you warn us?¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Don´t answer me with a question… and I have my reasons why I did.¨

[ Hearts ] ¨It was a big commotion, that Emessio dude and you fought, we had to observe.¨

Fiend glances over to Hearts.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Why are interested in me… I can tell you guys came to me for a bigger reason.¨

Anathea hesitates for a moment.

[ Anathea ] ¨You… weren´t trying to kill him… even though you could of right?¨

Fiend looks down a bit.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨I have my reasons…¨

[ Anathea ] ¨Aren´t you… a fiend? And! He was trying to kill you.¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨I´m surprised you´re talking to me. If you know who I am.¨

Anathea backs up a bit.

[ Anathea ] ¨Know who you are?¨

Hearts chime in.

[ Hearts ] ¨So you weren't lying… you are… actually the Silver Fiend?¨

Anathea stares at Hearts with confusion.

[ Anathea ] ¨Actually? What does that mean?¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Someone who doesn't know of me… that's surprising.¨

[ Anathea ] ¨I mean… I just arrived here in the human country. I don´t know all too much.¨

Silver Fiend takes a better look at Anathea.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Hmm… oh.¨

Silver Fiend relaxes a bit after seeing Anathea´s ears.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨ An elf is here in the country of Astrea. Didn´t think I would see the day.¨

[ Anathea ] ¨I know an elf hasn´t been in this country for a long time but answer my question. What is your story!?¨

[ Hearts } ¨Allow me. For the knowledge I know.¨

Hearts sits down on a small rock.

[ Hearts ] ¨The Silver Fiend… it is a story of a fiend who destroys all in its path. Around… 15 years ago… Granpa told me the story of you. The Fiend was born from the evils and malicious energy of Will. He Destroyed the Village of Fod when you first appeared. An evil being whose purpose is to destroy.¨

Silver Fiend clicks his tongue visually annoyed.

[ Silver Fiend ] In a quiet tone ¨That´s bullshit.¨

Anathea and Hearts both look at Fiend.

[ Ana and Hearts ] ¨What?¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Now that you know my story, are you still interested in me?¨

Anathea thinks for a bit.

[ Anathea ] ¨You know… for being born of evil and all that stuff, you don´t seem so… evil.¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨You got a problem with that?¨

Fiend shoots a glare at Ana.

[ Anathea ] ¨I- uhh, well no… just… I am sure… you have a good heart. I can feel it.¨

Fiend's eyes shake for a bit, then return to normal.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨You shouldn´t trust a fiend. Especially not me.¨

Fiend turns around.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Once again, I recommend you guys leave. It isn't safe.¨

Anathea looks at Fiend, with a sigh of disappointment.

[ Anathea ] ¨Alright… Let's go Hearts.¨

Hearts hop off the rock towards Anathea. As Anathea and Hearts set to leave they both hear a loud thump behind them.

[ Anathea ] ¨Huh?¨

Both turn around to see Fiend collapsed on the floor, from blood loss and exhaustion.

[ Anathea ] ¨Fiend…?¨

They both panic as they see the situation.

[ Anathea ] ¨What do we do?!?!?¨

[ Hearts ] ¨Don´t panic alright! We just need to help him right?¨

They both panicked, unable to do anything. Silver Fiend thinks to himself as he lies there.

[ Silver Fiend ] In his mind ¨I´m going to die in front of idiots…¨¨

Fiend slowly closed his eyes, and then, out of nowhere, a distant voice—the voice of a deep teen—was heard. All Fiend heard from them was incoherent mumbling.

[ ??? ] ¨Help him into the cave.¨

Ana and Hearts both look over in the direction of the voice.

[ Anathea and Hearts ] ¨Huh…¨

Fiend fully closes his eyes, staying closed for a while, as he finally opens it. He finds himself looking up at the ceiling of the cave he was in earlier. He felt his head on something soft, like a pillow. Fiend grunts as he slowly moves a bit.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Where am I…?¨

Fiend then hears Ana´s voice.

[ Anathea ] ¨Awake now?¨

Fiend lying there, Anathea pokes her head into Fiend´s vision. Fiend realizes he is lying on Anathea´s thighs resting. Fiend quickly gets off backing up making distance. Anathea shakes a bit from the sudden movement.

[ Anathea ] ¨Wuaha!¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨What did you do!?¨

Fiend´s tone was alert and defensive. Hearts standing on the wall resting talks a bit to Fiend.

[ Hearts ] ¨That's how you thank us for helping you!¨

Fiend softens a bit at the words said.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨You helped me…¨

Anathea gets up off the ground.

[ Anathea ] ¨We weren't gonna leave you there.¨

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨You helped me… why?¨

Anathea walks closer to Fiend.

[ Anathea ] ¨Like I said… I just have a feeling… you have a good heart. Even if you are a fiend.¨

Fiend visibly shakes a bit in his eye. Then a crack sound was heard, and Fiend´s mask cracked. Fiend grabs his face.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Shit!¨

Anathea and Hearts both watch in a sense of horror.

[ Anathea ] ¨What´s happening!¨

[ Hearts ] ¨You okay?!?¨

One side of Fiend´s mask cracks, Fiend looks at Anathea and Hearts. Fiend´s right eye broke, revealing a human face and eye. Fiend grips his mask.

[ Silver Fiend ] ¨Why now!¨

With another loud crack his mask snaps into thousands of pieces. Revealing Fiend´s true face, as he was a… human. He had spiky silver hair with silver eyes. Hearts and Anathea both blush a bit from looking at him.

[ Anathea ] ¨Why is he…?¨

[ Hearts ] ¨Good looking…?¨