The sun was directly overhead now.
Daisuke looked up through the tree branches, shielding his eyes from the sunbeams. He tried moistening his parched lips, but even the saliva on his tongue had almost dried out. Belatedly, he noted that the pup he had driven away not too long ago had shamelessly returned. Despite the creature's evident fatigue and injury, he had the hind leg of a Horned Rabbit secured in his small jaws, strenuously dragging the motionless game toward him.
Daisuke's eyes quivered. "You… and even though I… Argh!" he tousled his hair aggressively, utterly remorseful. "Goddammit. I really don't like being indebted to anyone. I guess… you can stick around until I pay you back."
The tiny canine barked once, as if in glee, and then he collapsed with a whine.
"Hey!" Daisuke threw himself forward. "Are you all right?"
The pup whimpered.
"Jeez, you sure know how to guilt trip a poor guy."
The tiny tyke weakly licked the hand that tenderly patted his head. Meanwhile, from the cover of the brushes, crimson-red eyes watched the tender scene unfold. Despite her own hunger and loneliness, despite the profound yet encrypted voice in her heart and soul crying out, urging her to stay, the girl turned away. With each thud of her bared feet on the leaf-strewn ground, her carefully crafted mask of composure shattered, and she cried, memories swirling in her mind:
A beautiful couple loomed close, their presence haunting. The man's once-handsome face was marred by a deep frown, lines of worry cutting through his features. The woman beside him carried a sorrowful gaze, her cheeks stained with tears as she turned away, leaving a small child behind—her heart torn in two. Suddenly, the memory shifted, blurring into the haze of towering flames that licked at the night sky, their ferocity consuming everything in its path.
Amid the chaos stood a massive beast, its formidable form a dark silhouette against the fire, fiercely shielding the little girl from the encroaching destruction. The beast's protective stance remained unyielding, its oceanic eyes burning with an instinct to defend as it faced the looming peril, numbering in the hundreds.
Dismissing the painful memory, the girl looked around warily. The forest never seemed so dark and suffocating. Without her loyal canine companion at her side, this was the very first time she had been truly alone, and the solitude gripped her with an unfamiliar terror. Clutching her scarf, she tried to reassure herself that everything would be alright.
But the world was merciless, especially to those who ventured alone, and it wasn't long before the unforgiving forces of nature, misfortune, and fate indiscriminately bared their teeth. At the forest's edge, several pot-bellied Goblins lurked within the underbrush.
Sniffing the air with a grunt, the fiends immediately detected the unfamiliar scent of a stranger who had unwittingly wandered into their territory. They had been lying in wait for a more substantial prey to approach the watering hole, but fortune had favored them today. Instead of a more challenging quarry, a defenseless child had strayed into their reach. Her frail frame, though insufficient to fill their bellies for long, promised an easy meal—one that would require little effort on their part.
Terrified, the girl froze in her tracks, her chest heaving as fear and panic coiled its icy hands around her. The Goblins slowly closed in, their disproportionate forms barely concealed by scraps of filthy leather and patchwork armor. They clutched crude weapons—rusted blades, jagged clubs, and splintered spears. Their yellowed eyes gleamed with malice, and their twisted mouths drooled ravenously as they cackled and jeered in their guttural tongue.
The forest seemed to close in, the shadows growing darker as the monsters crept closer. Their laughter echoed, taunting her stillness, but then, something changed.
The moment the beasts stepped into her reach, their snarls faltered. One by one, they hesitated, their movements growing jittery and uncertain. A cold, oppressive force emanated from the girl—a darkness so intense it seemed to consume the very air around her. It wasn't visible, but they felt it, an ancient, primal energy that crawled under their skin and gripped their hearts with terror.
The lead Goblin dropped his club, the clatter breaking the silence as his eyes widened in horror. Another stumbled backward, muttering incoherently in fear. In an instant, their ravenous hunger turned to panic, and without so much as a second glance, they scrambled over each other in their mad dash to flee. The forest swallowed their frantic screams as they disappeared, leaving the girl standing alone in the eerie stillness.
But she didn't linger either. The moment her heart settled back into her chest and she could breathe again, she bolted, eager to put as much distance as possible between herself and the Goblins. The sunlight blinded her momentarily as she stumbled into a clearing, shielding her eyes against the sudden brilliance. A watering hole stretched out before her, its tranquil surface shimmering like glass. Relief briefly washed over her—until she spotted them.
Less than three meters away, a Mithrilcrest Deer stood with her young fawn. The girl froze, her pulse quickening again. Mithrilcrest Deer were rare, majestic creatures known not just for their magnificent antlers made of mithril, but also for their fiercely protective nature. A mother with her fawn would view anything—anyone—within proximity of her young, as a threat. The girl's breath caught as she imagined the mother's antlers tearing into her flesh.
But, like with the Goblins, something unusual happened. Instead of rearing up in a show of aggression, the mother deer remained still, her intelligent eyes fixed on the girl. A strange, soothing energy seemed to ripple through the air, somehow regal in its intensity, that radiated from deep within the girl herself. It was a pure, calming force that stilled the tension in the mother deer's body, coaxing her wariness into tranquility.
The fawn was the first to move. With delicate steps, it approached the girl, its large, innocent eyes filled with curiosity rather than fear. It nudged her hand gently with its soft, damp nose, a gesture so tender it left the girl momentarily speechless.
Tentatively, she extended her hand, brushing her fingers against the fawn's silken coat. The small creature leaned into her touch, encouraging her to continue, and the girl let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Even as she caressed the fawn's head, her gaze remained locked on the mother deer, her movements slow and deliberate to convey she meant no harm.
The Mithrilcrest Deer stood unwavering, her piercing gaze softened by the same ancient light. Then, in a display of profound trust, the creature lowered its head and approached the curious child. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the deer bent its knees and knelt gracefully, bowing its majestic form.
The girl's hands trembled as she stroked the mother's gracefully long neck, her touch light and reverent. The creature's powerful muscles remained relaxed under her palm, and a lump formed in her throat at the sheer surrealness of the moment.
I can't believe this is happening, she thought with an unsure smile, her pulse stirring with a mix of awe and anxiety. First the Goblins and then this… it almost feels like—
As the warm memory of soft fur, lupine features, and an immense frame radiating maternal love started to emerge in her mind again, the girl's train of thought shifted as the Mithrilcrest Deer heaved a sound akin to a snort and a wheeze. It couldn't be anymore incoherent, but the girl was somehow able to find meaning in the utterance.
"Are you… telling me to climb on?" she asked meekly, crimson-red eyes quivering with uncertainty. "Will you truly take me to where I need to go?"
The mother deer let out another soft grunt, confirming her intentions, and the girl beamed in response. "Thank you so much!"
Gathering her courage, she clumsily climbed onto the creature's back and settled herself carefully. When the deer rose with effortless grace, its movements fluid and majestic, the girl clung to its neck in alarm and excitement. Beside them, the fawn bounced playfully, its tiny hops a stark contrast to its mother's regal bearing.
Taking one final glance at the forest, the girl allowed a wan smile as she raised the orange scarf up to her cheeks and rubbed the soft, knitted material against her skin. Rai. I'm counting on you…
***
Several weeks go by in a blur, but the crimson-eyed girl was able to endure the bitter sting of loneliness with her newfound friends.
The Mithrilcrest Deer raced across a rolling plain, its silver coat shimmering under the midday sun. The landscape stretched endlessly, a sea of golden-green grasses swaying in waves as the wind whispered through the open expanse. Here and there, patches of resilient wildflowers dotted the ground, their petals bursting in hues of crimson, violet, and sunlit yellow.
To the east, the plain dipped into a shallow valley where a crystal-clear stream meandered lazily, its surface catching the light and glinting like a trail of diamonds. To the west, pines, oaks and willows clustered together, their gnarled branches twisting skyward, bare from winter's touch but still imposing in their grandeur.
In the distance, the jagged silhouette of snow-dusted mountains carved into the horizon, their peaks stark and resolute against the endless blue sky. As the Mithrilcrest Deer galloped, the fawn bounded alongside them with playful energy, and the girl glanced down at the tranquilid with an open smile, beaming with delight.