whatever happened in the woods

They say that love knows no boundaries. And those who are slaves of love are fools because fools still insist on entering the gate with a huge ass sign of 'No Trespassing'. Just like the girl in a crimson hood. In her case, she's not in love. Just a... Fool. Although she's sort of a nincompoop, her beauty was beyond compare. When going out of the town, her mother advised her to wear a hood for the Lycans will see her goddess-like look and she will get kidnapped by them. Lycans are humanity's enemy especially in terms of food. Unlike humans, the Lycans can transform into a huge beast-like form that resembles a wolf when the sun was engulfed by the sea. “Mom! I'll be back don't ye worry alright?” The girl in a ruby-colored hood said while carrying two baskets. She will go out of town, beyond the borders of their village where humans are forbidden. "Stay safe, Lily!” Her mother replied in a groggy voice. Lily ran as fast as she can to avoid the guards and to race with time. She needs the berries so bad for her mother's recovery. They could have grown it in their village, but it mysteriously can only grow beyond the borders of their town, so Lily took the risk. She thought that it might be the soil or the climate difference between the two lands. But who knows? Even their best botanist could not even decipher it. And if Lily tried to study those so-called healing berries, she might get accused of witchcraft for she needs to experiment and do maths. Humans in this era were afraid of smart women who can do Mathematics and Astronomical observations. She will sure receive a whole mob with pitchforks and raging torches. So back with our heroine, Lily. The discussion regarding women's intelligence went out of hand that Lily bonked her head on the dirt when she attempted to jump through the fence. She examined her forehead if there is any inflammation. Unfortunately, there is. Lily sighed and stood up to continue her journey through the forest. Lily is never good at directions. She is not good at memorization. She even gets lost in her little hometown. Good thing there's an explorer that gave her a map of the forest. ??? ????? ????? ????? Those were the words written on a stained paper. Lily sighed in relief, and she felt calmer for she has a guide to the woods. Little did she know that there is a danger that awaits her. She scanned the map once again and read the notes that were placed on the upper left of the paper. ??????: • ????????? ???????? ????? • ?????-?????? ?????? ( ?? ??? ????? ???? ) • ???? ????? • ???? ??????? ????: ?? ??? ????? ????? ????????. ??????? ?? ???? ???. ???? ???? ?? ????! The temperature is slowly varying as she approaches the entrance of the Lycan Woods. It's chiller and foggy inside the forest than in their village. She felt something strange when she set her foot on the grounds of the place. As if she's in another world and the time suddenly slowed its pace. As she walked further, the trees that surround the place thickens. The chirping of birds was replaced by cicadas' noise. She set adrift away from the lively green meadow through a dark forest. “This is so creepy,” she mumbled under her breath. She rubbed both of her palms to produce heat and to somewhat warm herself but there's no use. She continued to wander around, looking for the berries, but she still couldn't find them. - The man in his twenties was peacefully lying on the hammock he made at the top of the tree when he sensed a human. He never got to see a human when he was a kid. His heart pounded in excitement and fear. For the first time in his life, he will get to see one. He went down from the tree carefully and did his best to avoid any sounds. He hid behind the tree that made him look like a creepy stalking p*****t. He can't help but smile in anticipation to see the human face. His smile was immediately replaced by a frown for he cannot have a glimpse of a human profile. The body was covered in a long red cloak and the face was hidden under the shadows of the hood. “This might be a witch,” he said to himself. He brushed off the thought and proceeds to watch her movements intently. The human seems lost and is unfamiliar with the place. The map won't really help her. The man thought. The Lycan Woods is alive. Their elder cast a spell on it that every night, the path will change. So if that map contains directions that were taken yesterday or the other day, it will be useless. The human did not see an elevated part of the uneven ground and trips down. A huge thud echoed throughout the woods. The human struggled as it tried to get up. “Ow. Stupid road!” The human groaned in pain. It sat down on the log, and he can finally have a look at the human face. He was surprised when it- no- she looks like them. Even though she just looks like them, he's still mesmerized at the sight. The pecan strands were gracefully blown by the cold wind. Her azure eyes glimmered because of the tears. "I need this for my mom. Why must the berries reside here in this stupid gloomy forest?!" She whined while holding her two baskets and a map. At that moment, he wanted to go to her and tell her that she already passed by where the berries can be found. A sound of a twig snapped stopping her cries and making her alert. The man immediately shrunk himself beside the huge tree. "This goddamn twig! Why is it always happening?! Argh!" The man protested in a whispering manner. Well, the twigs are stalkers' number one enemy though. No doubt. He felt a hand on his shoulder then he jolted up. His instincts got the best of him and as what his forefathers had taught him, he held an anonymous creature by its neck to cease its movements. - Oh, great. Lily couldn't move for she was choked by an unknown man. She saw the eyes. And it made her whimpered in fear. Those are the eyes of a predator. Her back was glued at the tree, and she's running out of breath. "P-please..." She pleaded. Tears rolling down her cheeks. She grabbed the hand of the man and tried to remove it, but she's powerless. Her slender arms couldn't do any better. Her eyes are slowly blurring, and then she felt at ease when the air passage was cleared. Lily fell to the ground coughing and gasping for oxygen. “Jesus Christ. I'm so sorry,” the man spoke. “I promise. I didn't mean to. You surprised me.” Lily was still coughing and the man was caught off guard when she held the clothes' collar and pulled it towards her. “Damn you,” Lily hissed at him then punched him. “I almost died! For heaven's sake. Is that how you treat strangers?!” Lily stood up, dusting off her dress then picked up the two baskets. “Well... If you don't like getting choked, you should at least speak before you touch a stranger's shoulder!” The man retorted. Lily knows that this man was no Lycan. If he's a Lycan he will transform immediately in the dark. But it's dark now and nothing's happening yet to him. She fished the basket to get the guide but there is nothing inside. She was indeed unlucky. "Uhm... Mister..." "Azrael." "Mister Azrael, do you happen to see any berries around here?" She politely asked. "Yep. I know this place very well-" Azrael was cut off when he was suddenly hugged by Lily. Lily was filled with hope. She can finally make her mom better. "Oh, thank heavens! Can you please show me the way? Please?" Azrael couldn't say no to a lady especially for the lady he choked earlier. He was still flustered by her beauty. He felt something down there agreeing with his thoughts. "Fine. I'll show you." Little did Lily know that the berries were right by the entrance of the forest. Azrael on the other hand was filled with amusement. Azrael chose not to tell her about that and decided to make a detour around the woods. - Azrael couldn't believe that he has a human companion. He couldn't take his eyes off her. For some reason, his hunger intensifies, and Lily's scent surrounded his mind. An awkward silence reigned between them as they walk further. "So..." Azrael began. "What are these berries you are looking for?" "Oh, that," Lily laughed awkwardly. "Well... The town's doctor said that only the berries that are found in this forest can heal my mom's illness. My mom only relies on me. So... Even though I'm dumb with directions, I went here," Lily beamed at him, and Azrael was once again astounded by her appearance. Her hazel eyes glistened and her moist lips curved in optimism, "good thing I found you! The map isn't reliable, though." "Oh, r-right..." Azrael averted his gaze away from her. She's just too cute to handle. "Are you okay? Your face is red," Lily reached out Azrael's forehead, concerned in his condition. But Azrael stopped her right away. "Y-yeah, I'm alright-" "Is somebody there?" A voice from a distance thundered. "Oh, s**t," Azrael muttered to himself. "Who's that?" Lily looked sideways to locate the owner of the voice. "Come here," Azrael pulled Lily behind the thick bushes. "What's happening?" Panic bubbled inside her. "Just don't talk. That's my friend. A Lycan!" "Wait... You're friends with the Lycans?!" "Well, duh, I'm a Lycan that's wh-" "You're a damned Lycan?!" Lily wants to escape but Azrael's arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He then covered her mouth. "I'm a Lycan and so what? And can you please shut yer trap? Stop making a fuss!" "Azrael! I know you're out there. I can smell you, bud!" The other called. "Okay. Here's the thing. Do not make any sound. I'll let you borrow my coat so that he can not smell you. Got it?" Azrael gave her a threatening look and Lily gave him a nod in return. Azrael stood up and went out of the bush to greet his friend and to lure him away from Lily. Knowing his friend, he had control issues. "Yow, Leonhardt! What you doin' here?" "Oh, there you are! I'm just here to tell you that the elders requested for your presence-" "Is that so? Hmmm... I'll be there right away. Thanks." Good thing, his friend didn't intrigue him on why he's out here in the woods. He let out a sigh of comfort. And his heart calmed. He went back to the bush only to be welcomed by an angry woman who's now holding a silver cross. Azrael couldn't contain it anymore. He burst out laughing and then wiped his imaginary tear. "Oh, God... Oh, God. You're so funny I can not even-" he wheeze this time he tried to stop himself from laughing but the sight is too comedic. "I'm sorry for laughing. It's just... You're using a silver cross to protect yourself from Lycans." "Yeah? And so what?" Lily knitted both of her eyebrows while staring at Azrael, still holding the cross. "Crosses or silver things aren't our weaknesses. In fact, we don't have any," Azrael leaned closer to her and the cross touched his bare chest. "See? There's no effect," He whispered. Lily can feel his warm breath caressing her ears. Her face heated up in their closeness and she smacked Azrael's face. "Stay away from me!" She snarled, her heart's close to jumping out of her ribs. She was not contented in smacking Azrael so she chose to throw the silver cross. Just a few inches before hitting Azrael's forehead, when he caught it. The cross snapped in two and he threw it to the ground. He's upset. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to throw that. It's just you're too close to me and I panicked," she let out a nervous chuckle. Azrael had not yet said a thing. He's still quiet and it's scaring her. "Please say something," Lily pleaded. A growl was all he replied. Fear crawled in every fiber of her being. She will be totally dead. This time for real. "Hihihi~" "Azrael? Are you-" "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" She was cut off when she heard him laughed. An uncontrollable laugh when one can not even speak properly. "You thought I'm going to transform ain't ya? HAHAHAHAHA!" Azrael smacked the tree in front of him and he's tearing in amusement. "Oh, God. You should have seen your face!" He laughed once again. "You goddamn i***t!" She shouted. Her face turned pink in shame. "Alright come on. Let's find that berries you're looking for," Azrael passed by her still laughing, and Lily was left dumbfounded. - Gods were in Azrael's side. He couldn't contain his joy for Lily's slender arms were wrapped around his left arm. He can sense fear in her. They were almost near the location of the berries. Lily kept glancing at her companion. She only noticed his features when everything went silent. He has long locks of black strands. Some of them were braided loosely. His eyes are fierce and alluring complimented with thick eyebrows. His lips were more moisturized than hers and his jaw is in perfect shape. Then she saw the furry ears. They look so soft and she was tempted to feel them. "What are you staring at?" Azrael seems to notice her gaze. "Can I touch your ears?" She murmured. "What?" "Nothing-" "Come on. Say it." "Can I touch your ears? I know you won't allow m-" "Sure. No problem," Azrael gave her a sincere smile. He bent down a little to make his ears reachable for Lily. Lily giggled and softly caressed the furry ears like a child having a puppy for the first time. They're so soft. Softer than her hair that used lots of conditioners. Azrael felt goosebumps. No one had ever touched his ears that soft and caring. He felt... Loved. "They're so cute..." Lily muttered in awe. "I suddenly miss Laurent," her eyes saddened, still caressing his ears. Azrael became intrigued by hearing another man's name. "Laurent?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes. My dog." He frowned at the thought. How could she compare him to a lowly dumb animal? Lily cease touching his ears then continued to stroll. "Laurent is dead. I miss having a dog. They ease my stress." For the first time, Azrael wanted to be under someone's care. He wanted to feel her soft touch on his ears again. If only she can have him. "You can have me, though-" "Uh, what?" He muttered his thoughts too loud. And Lily almost heard him. "Oh, look. The berries!" He immediately changed the atmosphere. Lily smiled and clasped both of her hands in delight. There are so many of them. Finally, her mother's illness can be cured now. Lily went to the berries then sat on the ground. She picked them one by one and placed them inside the basket. Azrael served as a lookout just in case a Lycan is roaming around. "Ouch," Lily whimpered. Her fingers were pricked by the thorns. She squeezed her finger for the blood to flow out and prevent infection. "What happened?" Asked him. "Nothing. I just pricked my finger. What a bummer-" "Good grief. You're so clumsy. I thought humans are smart," he clicked his tongue. "Let me see it." "I told you it's nothing-" "Show it." "Fine. You're so persistent," she rolled her eyes. Azrael took her hand and examined her finger. He moved it closer to his lips then licked Lily's blood that dripped on her palm up to the wound. "Azrael, what in the hell are you doing?!" Lily's hyperventilating and she doesn't know what to do. She cannot move her right arm to slap him as if they're paralyzed. Azrael put her whole finger in his mouth and he slowly pulled them out while staring at Lily's confused eyes. An awkward silence dominated the scene before one of them broke it. "I uh... Sorry for doing it," Azrael said shyly. "I cleaned the wound already. Look." Lily was silent as she looked at her finger. There was no trace of wound or blood. Only Azrael's saliva. "Uh... Thanks, I suppose?" Lily murmured. She stood up and grabbed the two baskets that contain berries. "Right! That's enough," she smiled at him. "Thank you for showing me the way, good sir of the woods," she curtsied. "Now, let me out of here. My mom must be worried." This short interaction was not enough for Azrael but seeing Lily in an exhausted state bothers him. He wants to talk to her more. He wants to get pet by her. Azrael was being eaten by greed and wants to spend more time with Lily, so he decided to take another route. This time, it's longer than before. "Right. I know a shortcut to the grasslands. Let me carry the other basket for you," he demanded. "Oh, no. I am alone is a burden. I don't want to put another weight on you," Lily shook her head. "Nah," Azrael abruptly took the other basket out of her grasp, "I can help." - Their walk was both fun and awkward. Lily learned a lot of things about Lycans. Azrael told him that most of the human stories are lies. Lycans never wanted a war with them. "And what about transforming in the dark?" Lily inquired laughing. "Well... There's no such thing, really. We can control our transformation. It could be daylight when we feel like it." "All these years we're sort of trap in these rules and regulations-" "But I never told you that we will not hurt humans. We have the instincts of a beast so humans must be careful too," Azrael warned her. He glanced at an opening. The meadow's lively hues are the complete opposite of the wood's gloomy aura. "So... I guess this is it," Lily spoke. "Are you going to come here again?" "Maybe, maybe not. It depends though. You can visit the town if you like. You look nothing like a beast told by our predecessors. You look human. That's why..." Lily removed her hood then gave it to Azrael, "you can visit me there. Just wear this hood so that no one will notice your cute ears." Lily's eyes glimmered in satisfaction then hugged Azrael without a warning. Azrael was taken aback by Lily's action. All he can do was hugged her back. "Lily I..." The urge to kiss Lily became strong. He wanted to do it so bad since the berry incident. And since they're parting ways, Azrael cupped her cheeks and gently pulled them towards his face. Lily closed her eyes unconsciously. Her lips seem to throb and craved for something she's not expecting to receive when she first set her foot in the woods. Lily felt his warm breath brushing against her lips. And in a matter of seconds, Azrael's lips were on hers. This was Lily's first kiss. And her first kiss was taken not by a human, but by a Lycan, a creature that their predecessors forbid humans to interact with. Azrael deepened the kiss even more. He softly nibbled the lower lip of Lily and she gasped a little, creating an opening for Azrael's tongue. If only he can devour Lily, he will do it. Lily was in a daze and now trapped in a sweet ecstasy coming from his lips and his naughty tongue. Azrael held her head, pulling her closer to him. He wanted her and he loves her so bad. "Azrael..." Lily moaned softly between their kisses. He broke the kiss then stared at her. Lily averted her gaze. She buried her reddened face in her hands. "It's so embarrassing. I don't know how to kiss," she squealed. "Wait... It's your first kiss?" "Y-yeah..." "Hell yes- I mean... Sorry to steal it," Azrael combed his hair upwards using his fingers. "It's okay," Lily whispered. "Goodbye. I'll see you soon," Lily waved her hand as she walked out of the woods, leaving him behind. - Lily got out of the woods with a satisfactory smile plastered on her face. She hummed as she hops through the meadows and into the town. The village was the same as usual. Women in dresses, some of them have hats and some were bareheaded. Everyone talking about the news, the price of the chicken, potatoes, and the new policy regarding the safety of the town. But a poster glued on the wooden beam caught her attention. Her picture was in it and was reportedly missing. "Lily!" She turned around to see who called her, it's her friend, Goldilocks. Goldilocks hugged her while crying. "I thought you're dead! Everyone thought you're dead!" "What?! Wait... How's mom? Is she alright?" "Yes. Your mom's fine. It's been four days since you haven't returned and everyone presumed that you're a corpse-" "Four days? I'm only out there for an hour. What do you mean? You're kidding right?" Lily laughed but Goldilocks gave her a deadpan look. "Oh, God. You're not kidding. Okay... Tell the chief that I'm alive and kicking. I need to give these berries to mom." "Got it," Goldilocks gave her another tight hug, "I really thought you're gone. I'm glad you're safe. See you around!" Her friend waved goodbye to her then ran towards the town's hall. Meanwhile, Lily was mystified. Maybe her intuition was right. Time in the Lycan Woods moves differently from their village.