Chapter 06 - Daphne

Taking a deep breath, I parted my lips slightly, preparing to say something that would let Rosalind know how determined I was to be more than a little helpful on that journey… But a voice interrupted me.

"What do you mean by us going in circles?!" Leon's angry shout was so loud it sounded like thunder.

We all turned to see him standing before Jude, who was still staring at the map in confusion, even though my brother looked ready to strangle him.

“I’m saying none of this makes sense. We’ve already ridden miles past that landmark and still haven’t found the cave. According to the map, we should already be there.” my best friend explained “It’s impossible that we took the wrong direction without me realizing it. Maybe this map…”

“It’s impossible that he’s wrong!” Leon insisted “Several wounded soldiers from different packs described seeing a cave covered in runes identical to those found on the stone bodies of those monsters! And all of them had their squads attacked and practically wiped out soon after! Their accounts pointed exactly in that direction…!”

“Are you saying we came all this way for nothing?!” Sean grunted, standing up “My father was right. We shouldn’t have left such an important mission in the hands of someone like Leon…”

"Say that again, you son of a bitch…!"

“Wait!” I pleaded “We’re talking about the likely nest of those demons! It’s probably very well hidden or something. Maybe if we keep walking…!”

“The forces of darkness are strong enough to hide their roots from the eyes of mortals,” Rosalind lamented, and, unlike when I was speaking, the three fell silent to listen to her “But we are near their source. I can feel it. It’s as if a part of my soul is being torn apart, but…” Her face contorted with pain until she pointed eastward “There… I… I can feel it…”

Before she could finish speaking, her body slumped forward and she would certainly have fallen to her knees on the floor…

If Sean hadn't pushed me aside at that very moment and rushed to grab her.

My aching head spun and I needed a moment to regain my balance, but I was still able to see Sean gently pull Rosalind into his arms, cradling her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

"Rosie!" the three said at the same time, deeply concerned, but she just shook her head, looking nauseous.

“Don’t waste your time with me. This presence seems almost as powerful as the magic of the Goddess… We have to hurry, before it’s too late.”

“I’ll carry you on my horse.” Sean’s voice made it abundantly clear that none of us could disagree with that decision “That way you can recover while we move forward.”

"I'll go in the lead." Jude quickly mounted his horse "In case something attacks us."

Again, I stood there as my fiancé carried Rosalind in his arms, helping her onto his horse before he followed, wrapping his arms around her waist almost possessively. In response, Rosie rested her head against his shoulder, leaning on him until their bodies seemed as one.

That acidic feeling gnawing at my chest almost made me open my mouth, but I quickly closed it. Yes, I was counting on Sean to carry me on his horse like that, since my body was still unsteady and sore, but…

The saint's health was more important than mine. I had no right to complain.

“What do you think you’re doing standing there?” Leon’s shout brought me back to reality, besides making my head pound “Get on your horse! Right now! Are you trying to delay us?!”

Swallowing hard, I ran to my horse, doing my best not to groan in pain or vomit as I trotted briskly behind the three of them, also needing to keep an eye out to make sure Rosalind's horse didn't get lost. It was an almost torturous journey, but the further we advanced in the direction Rosie had indicated, the more things appeared in our path to distract us. Or rather, to disturb us.

A fog began to form around us. At first, it was thin, imperceptible, almost like vapor enveloping the horses' legs. Gradually, it became denser, until it enveloped the entire horizon, turning the path into a grey mess where it was impossible to see even a step ahead.

And then, as if it had suddenly materialized in the middle of the fog, there it was.

A cave whose enormous, dark entrance stretched for meters and meters, seemingly swallowing the forest floor instead of disappearing into it. Just as our soldiers had described, there were runes drawn in a strange red ink, like blood that could never dry. I had no idea what that language said, or if it said anything at all, but even so, I felt a shiver run down my spine, as if an icy hand were squeezing my throat.

Rosalind was right. Whatever was inside, it was strong. And it needed to be stopped as quickly as possible.

“Fuck…” Sean grunted, dismounting his horse, as did the rest of us, so he could gently put Rosie back on the ground “Stay close to me, Rosie. We don’t know what might be around…”

"Watch out!" I yelled, reacting as soon as I noticed the sudden movement in the fog, right beside us.

I managed to push Sean and Rosalind out of the way of the stone beast that leaped toward them. However, I couldn't stop the thing's body from hitting Sean's arm, my heart pounding as I heard the sound of something breaking and he let out a cry of pain.

Unfortunately, I didn't have that much time to escape either, unable to stop the enormous paw from getting too close to my hip, the tips of its sharp claws tearing my dress and drawing blood from my exposed skin.

A groan of pain escaped me, and when I looked up again, there was more than one stone demon surrounding us. The fog, it seemed, wasn't just there to hide them. It was also there to prevent us from realizing we were surrounded until it was too late.

Even though I was alarmed by the number of bright red eyes gathering around us, I took a deep breath, preparing to do everything I could to help Sean, Jude, and my brother fight…

Then a hand grabbed my wrist, almost crushing it.

“Let’s go inside!” I was surprised to see Rosalind there, her expression harder than I’d ever seen before. “Now!”

“What?” I blinked, incredulous “But we can’t leave them to fight alone…”

“We have to go!” she growled, pulling me toward the cave with a strength I never imagined she possessed. “I am the saint! You. Listen. To me!”

Then she practically started dragging me, making me stumble over my own feet as I looked between her and the three men fighting for their lives behind us. With Rosalind leading me like that, I really had no choice but to follow her into the dim light of the cave, moving away from the sounds of fighting until I could barely hear anything but my own panting breath.

At least, just like earlier, Rosalind seemed to know exactly where we should go inside that place…

Then, suddenly, she let go of my wrist.

And she ran alone towards complete darkness.