The Phoenix's Maiden

Doubt

Amber’s Point of View

As we walk forward towards this lush forest when a loud rustle suddenly popped out of nowhere, it came from the aisle of bushes on the right. We stopped on our tracks and we stare at those bushes. It continues to rustle, and right now we can tell that there is something moving inside those bushes.

Arthur withdraws his sword, but I stopped his hands from doing so, as the creature may be friendly and we might scare it away.

“Just calm down for a second,” I told him. We watch as the bushes rustle and I am curious what lies and what wonder these shrubs is about to show us. Then a hand pops out, and my eyes widened as we never expected that there is a hand popping out of nowhere. Of all places, here?

It crawled out from the bushes with its clothes torn off and his body is totally injured, weakened, he noticed us and slowly looks at us with eyes begging for help. Arthur and Kamandag quickly rushed towards him.

This scene, it’s familiar. The time, the state, and the situation. It’s like when I met Mirana, I did not move from my place as I don’t want that guy to join us. I will not trust strangers again; I don’t want to. I will not.

I don’t want to feel the same way again and be devastated again just like last time. One is enough and I will not go through the same thing again.

“Hey,” Kamandag called onto me. “This one is injured,” she told me but I stare at them with blank eyes, as all of those moments that happened to us because one betrayal, is flashing onto my mind, just like a reel in the movies flashing the scenes one by one.

She ignored me and began to tend the man’s bleeding and behind them Pyro is standing using his flames to seal the injury.

“Are you still with us?” Arthurs asked the weakened man. He is offering his body to give support to the man, as he is elevating his body.

“Y- yes,” the weakened man forces to say one word to Arthur.

“What happened?” Kamandag asked the man and he just stares at her, so Kamandag just ignored her question as she continues to wipe the blood from his injuries. “Carry him towards safety,” Kamandag commanded Arthur, and he carefully lay down his body on the ground. Then he stood up and quickly positioned himself to carry the man.

He lifted the man as if it was nothing but I ignored the fact that he just showed up. For some reason, strangers are equals to bad people since that happened.

“We must find a shelter quickly,” Pyro suggested.

“No doubt about that,” Arthur agreed.

“Hey, you still with us?” Kamandag went onto my side and asked me the question. I look at her smiling a bit to tell her that I am still with her. “You look more fainted than that mystic we just met,” she remarked and I raised an eyebrow.

“And what made you think of that?” I asked her and chuckles softly.

“It is as if you were seeing a ghost,” she answered.

“I just remembered something, that’s all, no worries,” I told her. Well, can’t really tell her the exact reason why because that will just make her worry about me.

“Look,” she said and I look at her again, curious. “I know that someone betrayed us, but it does not mean that the others will,” she said. “After we help this mystic to regain his strength, enough to survive on his own in the wild, we will leave him be, if that’s what you want,” she suggested but she make sure that no one hears about what she said.

“It’s okay, thank you for the worries but I can assure you that I am fine,” I told her. “No need to worry about me,” I added.

“Are you sure?” she asked concerned. I forced a smile on my face trying my best to make it look genuine.

“Yes, I am fine, trust me,” I said to her reassuring her that it does not bother me that much, I lied it really bothers me. Because who knows when it might attack Arthur from the back. Inside my mind, every brain cell of mine is screaming that I should be wary what it might do next, but on outside, I did the very best I could to remain calm to not add up in this situation.

“If you say so,” she uttered. “But first we need to find a town quick,” she said and I am confused because where can we find a town in the middle of this nowhere?

“Where?” I asked her, I really can’t hold my curiosity.

“You don’t know?” she asked then she was surprised by her own question and she shakes her head. “Oh, sorry for the rude question, obviously you don’t know, silly me,” she told herself. “Every part in this country there is a village existing,” she informed me.

“What about the land of the blazing souls?” I asked.

“The fire minotaurs’ camp,” she answered quickly and she has a point and I am surprised that it is still considered as civilization because what I see is that they are just hungry beasts. “Villages are not only built by sentient creatures like us, and fortunately forest elves are living in this area and it is up to us to find them, they are really tough to find,” she told me.

For some reason I got excited when I hear that forest elves are settled in this area and not gonna lie. I want to see their civilization and how hospitable they are towards strangers like us. A quick tour won’t harm us and the bird that Arthur sent will find us if the kings decided to send back a message to us.

“So, what are the odds for us to find them?” I asked.

“I can say that it’s about 1 out of 100 chances,” she told me and I am saddened to know that the odds are high for us.

“Fortunately, I can locate them,” Pyro butts into our conversation and it seems like that this cheeky ball of fire is eavesdropping to our conversation.

“Really?” I asked and had my hopes up.

“Yes,” he told me. “The spirits in this area are good friends of mine and as we speak, they are leading us towards them right now,” he said and I smiled very wide, excited just like a child that is about to go on a field trip.

Pyro rushed towards Arthur’s side, it seems like that he just butted in to our conversation to brag but I am still thankful, because my hopes are alive again. I turned to Kamandag because I have still questions in mind to ask her.

“So, what makes them hard to find?” I asked.

“Oh,” she reacted on my sudden asking. “What makes them hard to find?” she repeated the question that I just asked her. I nodded at her to confirm that its the exact question that I asked her. “Because they are capable of concealment magic,” she said and woah, that’s a new word for me. “Saying that they are capable is an understatement,” she takes her words back.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because they are the masters of concealment,” she said.

“Woah,” I reacted. “That’s cool,” I remarked.

“You bet,” she replied.

“I can’t wait to see them,” I remarked.

“They are not as welcoming as you think they are,” she warned me in a serious voice, and I raised and eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“They do not trust so easily, especially to strangers,” she told me. “Just like you,” she said then she compared them to me.

“I am fine,” I said again emphasizing those three words.

“I am just kidding, chill,” she said chuckling.

“Yeah right,” I told her and she just laughs it off. We continue to walk following the lead of these two men in front of us, as I am putting my faith to Pyro that he really knows where the village of those forest elves are located.

We walked quietly for some time as I observed Arthur carrying this unconscious man, to safety. Just by looking at him is giving me an illness, PTSD to be exact. A mental illness commonly seen on veteran soldiers that has seen enough in wars. Traumatizing them for life.

Its an overstatement but the fact that I am experiencing the same made me think that maybe I had the same illness as them.

I can’t help it though, but I am trying my very best to remain calm in this situation. I am calm on outside at least, but I will stay vigilant, because the thought of this man being one those spy that was sent by that wretched creature is not going anywhere besides my head.

Maybe I will let time to take it away from my mind, but the scar won’t go away. I am still healing from the wounds that I had suffered from the past, and they are still very fresh. One thing is for sure, this will leave a scar that will be forever embedded in my heart.

As my life goes on, I will remember and remember every ounce of memory that I had with the goddess. I grief, yes, because I will mourn her death. But I must remain steadfast, and I know that this is what the goddess wants for me.

I will show the world that she trained me to be a very strong woman at heart and skill. No other things will make me fall again. I fell once but I was saved by her graceful hands and she gave me a second chance to think what I really am.

This gratitude will forever be with her. I know wherever she might be right now, I know that she can feel it, and I will remain strong. Stronger than anyone had seen.

“Hey,” Kamandag called for my attention again so I gave her the attention that she wanted.

“What?” I asked her.

“We are here,” she said then chuckled. “Spacing out again?” she teased me but I ignored her. I looked around the area but I cannot see anything but the same lush forest filled with trees.

“Where?” confused, I asked.

“What did I just tell you?” she asked me in disbelief. “Obviously we will see nothing at first because they concealed themselves in the first place,” she reminded me. I noticed that the two are gone.

“Where are they?” I asked again.

“They went on first,” she answered. “Follow me,” she said and walked towards deeper in the forest. I had my doubts and this is not helping.

I watch Kamandag as she takes her every step, and then something suddenly happened.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-