Cursed Odyssey

"Rayah!?"

He stuttered, his senses going from blank to wide awake.

His body stopped falling, suspended in mid air by a cold, tight grasp. Her hair, a dusty white waved above him like dancing clouds. Stretched out from her sides he saw shards of ice crystalized into thin wings.

They were not flying, but slowly gliding down to the earth below.

Her breathing was heavy, he could hear every breath even through the whipping wind and the screams of that monster… He knew exactly the reason why…

He looked at her sides and hips, gashes of blood still leaked open from what he made her go through. Yet even still…

Through the dust raining from her hair, he tried to look more clearly, but her face pointed upwards was hidden by her chin and the obscure dark night. Not even Joseph could predict what went through her mind.

He took a moment to himself, snapping back to this surreal reality.

And with a deep breath, he spoke…

"Why did you save me?"

…

There was silence—

…

*GRAAAHHHH*

The monster behind them let out a mind numbing cry, and yet she did not even flinch.

"Rayah?"

He spoke once again, yet there was no response.

If anything, her breathing simply became more ragged.

"Mistress Rayah…"

…

"He he he… Finally you speak properly slave…" She broke out in hitched laughter. "I'll have you know I was this close to dropping you…"

"I'm forever grateful… Thank you for saving me… But I'm not sure why I deserve it…"

"Oh you… don't deserve it… This is just simply necessary… I was actually planning to kill you… But!! From my grace! I decided against it!! I need a guide and slave to get me back home…" She struggled to even talk.

"I apologize…"

"Who are you!?" Her voice suddenly spiked. "There's no way you're Zephyr!! It's ever since you woke… Sometimes you're you, sometimes you're not!!"

"Mistress calm down… You'll pass out at this rate!"

"You shut it! You're the one behind the whole escape too aren't you!? The voice? That's just you! You needed to get freed from the slave mark to continue the plan… It couldn't have worked without it… You never planned on killing me, you even sent Arthur afterwards to free me and tend to my wounds… You planned all of it! Zephyr could never!! Was it all planned for my escape!?"

…

"Mistress… you're far smarter than I gave you credit to be…"

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!!"

They both shook, and became turbulent, nearly losing control.

"I'll explain it all when we're on solid ground…"

…

…

…

"FINE!! YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT!"

"Please keep your calm…"

As they continued to descend, the cold wind whipped against their faces. There was only silence between them, punctuated by the howls of the leviathan behind them and the slow, strained beats of Rayah's ice-formed wings.

But it was not long before the sky below them gradually began to clear, and through the heavy clouds, the ground finally came into view.

Vast, sprawling forest, unlike anything he had ever seen. Thick, towering trees spread and glissened endlessly in all directions, their leaves a deep, unnatural green that shimmered under the pale light of the moon.

The branches stretched in swirling patterns, intertwining with one another, creating a tangled, dense canopy. A forest that seemed to have its own heartbeat.

Far In the distance, jagged mountains rose, their peaks sharp, piercing through the clouds like the teeth of some great beast. The forest extended all the way to the base of these mountains, blanketing the land like walls.

It was an almost unnerving scene— once again so similar to forests he had known back on Earth, and yet… so entirely alien.

The air itself felt different, heavier, perhaps from atmospheric pressure, perhaps not.

Joseph's eyes darted around, trying to make sense of it all, catching every detail from this fleeting vantage point. From patches, water, movement, smoke—

Then suddenly—

Suddenly, Rayah's wings began to falter, the crystal shards shimmering with a dulling glow as her strength seemed to wane.

"We're coming down fast…" Joseph muttered.

Rayah's voice broke through, though barely a whisper, "Hold… it…"

The ground rushed up to meet them, the forest growing larger and larger as they plummeted.

*Crash*

Branches snapped, slightly breaking their fall.

Their hands separated, as they continued their descent—

And then—

*SPLASH*

Rayah

*Ggggreggrgerrr*

OH HIGH PRIESTESS

I struggled to breath. Water rushed through my body. I tried to summon my arcane energy, but it was futile. My body felt like it was on the cusp of breaking.

I gritted my teeth. With all my might, I pushed with my arms and legs, forward, upward until—

"GAAAA!!"

I took a breath, the freshest in my entire life. For a brief second there, I felt like I was going to die… again…

"Glad you can make it mistress…" His voice was the one that greeted me on the surface.

I struggled to turn my head, but there I saw him, standing on land, resting along the glowing leaf of a gregor tree.

How was he out so fast!? Why was he not in the water pushing me out!?

"GET ME OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!! WHAT USE DID I HAVE FOR SAVING YOU IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE— YOUR… SELF USEFUL…"

"Mistress… land is directly to your right… get out quick before you get sick…"

Huh?

In my haste, I was truly blind. Indeed there was land. With all my might I pushed myself out, laying on the wet grasp, panting.

"Useless dog… even if I was so close you should have pushed me out…"

"Apologies, but we have no time to waste…"

Is he saying saving me is a waste of time… Oh I… I… I… I can't even move…

My wounds, my stamina are getting to me… I used that last ounce of my power to get out of that disgusting lake…

"Take off your clothes—"

"HOW DARE A PIECE OF FILTH—!?"

"You might get sick. We can't afford that right now and—"

I heard footsteps approaching me, and when I looked up and saw him… he… he was… naked…

I mean, there was a small leaf tied around his groin… but other than that…

"Luckily it's not too cold, so I'd suggest you do the same as me and—"

"I'D RATHER DIE YOU PIG!!"

How could he ask such a thing with a straight face?

"Up to you mistress… Well, can you move?"

"I… no I can't move… Let us rest here before we—"

"No time for that,"

Suddenly, I felt a tug, and before I knew it… I saw the world from a standing height.

My weight was pressed on something, and my legs were suspended in mid air.

"Let's get moving mistress…"

"LET GO OF ME!! I SAID WE SHOULD REST!! GIVE ME 30 MINUTES AND I'LL BE FINE!!"

"Even if that's true, we can't spare 30 minutes… let's go…"

"I COMMAND YOU TO UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT!!"

I waited, I made my absolute intentions clear.

Only my orders were now no longer absolute…

"I can't do that. Sorry,"

I gritted my teeth, and shook in protest. But he would not yield. He held me like a helpless child, and began trudging into the forest.

My arms, my legs, they did not respond to me. But this humiliation was too much to handle.

I let my head fall, and I bit him on the neck.

"RAYAH CALM DOWN!! Do you honestly think the Warden and her men wouldn't be out looking for us!? We have no time to spare!! What's the point in me carrying you!? Do you not realize I can just drop you right here and leave you to die among the forest beasts!? Why must you be so stubborn!? Do you not realize how fucking dire our situation is!? Who cares about pride, status at a time like this!? Survival is all that matters! What good is pride and status when you're dead! Was I too hasty calling you smart!?"

"30 MINUTES WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! I AM YOUR SAVIOR AND YOUR MASTER!! ABANDONING ME IS PREPOSTEROUS!!"

…

"Preposterous? Now is it?"

Without warning, my body came crashing down. Everything rattled from my bottom all the way up to my brain…

He… actually dropped me…

He's walking away… he turned his back… on me…?

"YOU DREG!!"

I roared, summoning all my arcane energy.

But all it amounted to was a small ball of ice that barely escaped my fingertips. I tried to move, but I couldn't even bring myself to crawl.

"ZEPHYR!! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!!"

"I'd be quiet if I were you… You don't wanna alert any forest beasts, do you right?"

That… that was his response?

He kept walking…

Walking…

Of all people…

He too, was going to leave me…

He kept walking… It was so dark it was as tho he faded away…

My eyes burst wide as I watched. His figure shrank with each step, swallowed by the towering trees and their tangled limbs…

'He's testing me.

He'll turn around any moment, and scoop me back up…

Any moment now…'

…

The wind whispered against the leaves, cold and biting. But the only sound I truly heard was the pounding in my chest—

Still... nothing.

I waited.

And waited.

!!!!

I heard a rustling to my left, and my head snapped—

The forest was thick. Shadows curled around me, twisting into shapes. Then, from the darkness—

Beasts.

Silhouettes slunk through the underbrush, eyes gleaming yellow in the pale light. My mouth went slack, and my arms holding my body up began to jitter.

How long has it been since he left? Time made no sense to me anymore…

The rustling in the bushes became louder…

Is my life worth my pride?

I swallowed, my throat tight. My mouth dry. I wanted to scream, to that damn dreg Zephyr's return—but his words echoed in my mind.

'Stay quiet, or the beasts will come,'

I bit my lip. Silence. The darkness shifted again, closer. I could see it now—the shape of a creature, massive and hairy, fangs glinting like daggers.

A mouth lined with circles of teeth dripping green saliva. It crawled toward me, slow, deliberate.

Don't move. Maybe it hasn't seen me…

My heart nearly stopped, but my breath became louder—

My heart exploded.

Suddenly—it pounced.

My voice ripped from my throat. "ZEPHYR!!"

Then—darkness.

Complete and utter silence.