Caspian

9 - The Forest of Outlaws

Why am I always running away?

Is this just really what my life will be about?

Amethyst’ mind was full of these thoughts swirling all over. The night was pitch black and she was now being attacked by rain for hours. Even hail had started to fall. She was drenched wet and she looked down at her skirts in annoyance. It started to get heavy the moment it got wet. She sighed. Luckily, she saw a sharp piece of wood and decided to cut off some of the fabric from her dress. She forcefully sliced the bulky dress down on all sides, tearing the fabric, especially the inner linings of it which absorb most of the water. Satisfied with the result, she went on walking. Thunders were everywhere making her leap from time to time. Lightning suddenly strike a nearby tree making her yell in fear.  

Why did it rain all of a sudden? It was just a clear sky throughout the day until evening.

Why is there a storm unexpectedly?

She grumbled, a deep pout formed in her beautiful face.

She calmed herself down for a bit and decided to keep moving. She wiped her face with her hands as the rain pours harder and the water blurs her vision. But her poor eyesight failed her, Amethyst slipped suddenly and started tumbling down the slope. She tried to grasp whatever she can to scramble back up but it was all too slippery that she just kept falling until she landed on the mud. She incurred cuts and scratches on her head, hands, arms and legs during the process but she didn’t mind. She felt a strong pain in her ankle when she pulled herself up and thought she might have sprained it during her fall. Amethyst sat down and carefully massaged it. The rain grew stronger by the moment and the cold wind makes her shiver to the core. So with all the energy she had left at the moment, she pulled herself up and started walking again. It was a nonstop walk. After some time, she finally saw something close which looked like a cave. As she walks closer, she felt oozing happiness when she realized that it was a cave. Amethyst rashly run to the cave as the hail grew in size. Even though there was a lot of trees to sift the impact, she’s sure if she stays out any longer and the hail got any bigger, it could easily crush her skull. Upon reaching the cave’s mouth, she rested as she sat on the ground shivering in fear and the cold. She was beyond exhausted. She sniffed and coughed a little before bringing her knees to her chest, embracing herself, seeking a bit of warmth.

“I’m so tired.” She whispered as she sighed and laid her head back on the cave’s wall. She’s not sure of how far she made it but she still fears that because she was only on foot and the storm, they would surely be able to catch up to her. She closed her eyes and out of exhaustion she unintentionally drifted to sleep.

***

The Forest of Outlaws may be the most dangerous place yet in this kingdom and the whole continent. It is home to the rebel dragons and traitors who tried to usurp the kingdom of Mortana years back. Cronus was now flying above the giant trees whose roots hug the earth deeply. It is also a place of ancient souls and of the creatures who embody the waters and the earth. This forest has always been considered sacred by dragons. That is the reason why it is somehow untouchable and it became the hideout of these sickening monsters. They made this forest dull and dead and so the spirits have also gone mad. They left the place to rot. Somehow, he just wished that the princess has not gone too deep or it would be more dangerous.

“Where are you, Amethyst?” Cronus asked worriedly as he kept his eyes open and tracked her smell.

The swirling frustration, anger and rage inside him made the hails grew bigger by the second and the storm stronger. He then decided to land as the trees grew thicker and wouldn’t want to miss a spot. So he dropped further changing his form mid-flight and landing gracefully, not too loud to the forest floor. It would be the first time again for a very long time since he stepped foot on this forest. The storm he brewed, he put just enough power to it that he knew she would eventually be forced to stop somewhere and find shelter.

As he looked around, he realized that the forest was now ancient. The trees grew copious and old. And their roots were twisted all over the place. It was once filled with bird-song and animals that wandered around it. But now it was ages and years past its former glory. Its awning was so dense now that it is impenetrable and you could only see the occasional streak of light which would rarely warm the forest floor. That made it slippery. Thick vines were everywhere. Nevertheless, whatever changes it had gone through years, Cronus is still very much familiar with this land. For in his almost a hundred years of existence, he practically remembered every tree and corner of this huge parcel of land.

Cronus knew of the several potential possibilities of shelter where Amethyst could be in now, he just got to move quicker. He then closed his eyes and immediately dark smoke consumed him until he became a silhouette. He hated this form but he had no other choice for now. He moved fast all over places, imperceptible along the ground. Like a scoundrel, he scurried from tree to tree until he saw the pieces of fabric scattered in an area. He immediately shifted to human form and picked it up to smell it.

“It was hers.” He concluded and worry enveloped him.

Why are there pieces of fabric all over these places?

Was she hurt?

Did something happen to her?

Where the heck is she?

Damn it!

The only thing that made him calm was the fact that there were no signs nor smell of blood in any of it. He then shifted again into his silhouette form and rushed over to the possible areas she would have taken as shelter until he heard a scream from a very far distance.

***

Amethyst shivered in cold and felt like someone is watching her. She then opened her eyes and looked around but saw no one. Then there was a sudden pop and in a blink, a full-grown man sat next to her. The man immediately wrapped his arm around her, and Amethyst screamed at the top of her lungs in her terror. She used all her strength trying to kick away from the man but he was like a brick and he didn’t budge. The man hastily yanked her back against him and placed his other hand harshly over her mouth. Amethyst tried to bite it but it didn’t hurt him a bit.

“Hmmm. I do admire your guts, but that is a wimpy bite. Hahaha.” The man grinned and laughed evilly as he slurped disgustingly. “You look delicious. I bet you would make a very nice meal.”

Amethyst kept struggling and to her luck, she was able to grab some mud and she threw it back to his face which hurt the man’s eyes and so she was able to temporarily escape. The disgusting man yelled behind her but she ran as fast as she could, forgetting the raging storm. Then she heard loud footsteps after her and the ground started to shake which made her trip over a large root. As she looked back, her eyes widen in shock and she cowered in fear when she saw an enormous brown dragon coming in her direction.

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!” Amethyst screamed again as the dragon picked her up and threw her on a tree. The force was so strong that she felt her ribs c***k on the impact making her feel an excruciating pain as she fell.

“You think you can get away from me? You, stubborn piece of s**t! Hah, I have not eaten in months. And a human for food would be excellent!” The dragon said as he walked towards her dangerously, ready to tear her in pieces. “I am going to nibble every piece of you.”

Just as he was about to pick her up, a ball of fire suddenly landed in front of her transforming into the most magnificent creature Amethyst had ever seen. It was a gigantic red dragon glowing with all its glory. Its size was twice as big as the brown one who wanted to eat her. It had two large golden horns upon its head, which pointed backwards toward its wide range wings. And it also had golden spikes on its back which extended down to its tail. The scales were all glossy and pointy. Then all of a sudden, it smelled of smoke and sulfur when it came and Amethyst temporarily forgot her agonizing pain when she saw it. She immediately thought it’s beautiful.

The brown dragon growled and breathed fire directed at it but it just spread its wings and absorbed all the fire and heat as nothing happened. It wasn’t hurt at all. The red dragon breathed fire as well which was also countered with fire by the smaller one but then the red one started to walk through it while the other one step back when the fire reached it. And as for the red dragon, the fire even made the scales on its body shinier and even more captivating. Now they look like rubies shining on its skin. Then the red dragon growled mightily making the brown dragon in front of it cower in fear as it finally realizes who it was. But it was all too late. The red dragon growled again making the thunders stronger and in a split of a second, a bolt of lightning struck the brown dragon down, electrocuting it. Then it flew right on top of the brown dragon, biting it at the neck like a barbarian, decapitating its head. And it wasn’t even enough, he went on tearing the brown dragon into tiny little pieces. It was a b****y scene and the rainwater mixed with the blood flowed all over the place. Amethyst saw all of it despite her feeling dizzy and the throbbing pain inside her. When the Red Dragon seemed satisfied, it finally shifted its gaze to Amethyst.

Amethyst, for some reason, didn’t understand why she didn’t feel scared seeing this dragon slowly approach her. And as it walks closer to her, she noticed a big straight scar on its left white eye. And its right eye was a glowing red one. She was already losing her consciousness due to the impact when she was thrown to the tree but she pushed herself to stay awake. At that moment, she saw the red dragon transformed himself into a human form which she can barely recognize now as her eyes roll, lightheadedness consuming her.

The man immediately came to her and scooped her from the ground. “You’re safe now.”

Still, in human form, Cronus just grew his wide-ranged red wings and immediately flew above the trees holding his wife ever so carefully. “Just hang in there. Please.”

The soothing voice was so familiar to her. Those words were like a cherry on Amethyst ears making her feel light despite the pain she’s feeling from all her broken bones and cuts. She suddenly felt secured and warm. It was the same feeling she had felt in the arms of the stranger who captured her heart two years ago. The same sense of security and care. She will never forget that emotion and feeling.

Was I dreaming? She thought. Did he come back to save me again?

Cronus was racing through the clouds as he swiftly flew towards the castle. He was worried to death. He is just somehow comforted by the fact that he can still hear the heartbeat and breathing of the woman he’s holding carefully in his arms.

“We’re almost there. Hang on.” He expressed once again as they neared the palace walls.

Then Cronus growled loudly as he carefully landed on its grounds. Then the servants and guards started swarming from all over the palace in their direction.

“We are here.” Cronus said softly as he restlessly looked at Amethyst. “You are safe now.”

With teary eyes, Amethyst then smiled weakly as she brought up her hand and caressed his face.

“Caspian.” She whispered before darkness consumed her.

***