Countless, unseen creatures watched their every move as the Valors moved skillfully through the dark woodlands, trying their best to pay no heed to the eeriness that lingered in these untouched parts.
Guests in these parts were rare, and often unwelcome due to the monsters' fiercely territorial nature. However, centuries of experience have taught them one thing, and it was to steer clear from those that adorned the armor of the Valors as only one thing was certain to those that dared to mess with them, and that was death.
"A bit further out north and we'll be right in the center of their colony." The older and more experienced Valor stated as the younger one followed from behind, carrying with him the unconscious princess that they were ordered to abandon. "Come on, the track will get easier once we got over this hill."
"I... I can't believe we're doing this, sir." The inexperienced Valor admitted with a nervous sigh, but still complying to his senior Valor's orders. "I-I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
"I know, kid, I know." The older Kaxarene emphasized, patting him on the shoulder as a way to cheer him up. "But that's just part of the job as a Valor. We do what we're told, no questions asked."
After a few more minutes of hiking, they finally reached their destination, and without wasting a second, the two teamed up seamlessly, getting everything ready with expertise.
The younger Valor who had carried her all this way set her down against the giant tree in the heart of the forest, before double-checking that every restraint was tight, leaving her no chance to escape if the opportunity ever came.
She was still unconscious from the strength of the spell they had cast to keep her from struggling during the transportation process.
But he knew the spell was about to wear off very soon when he saw Kaari wince in pain when he pressed a sharp knife against her soft skin.
"I'm sorry." The Valor whispered to the princess, lightly dragging the sharp knife across her hand just enough to draw blood and catch the Dwellers' attention.
"Quickly, kid." The older one shouted for him to hurry. "All that blood's going to stir them up, and the last place you want to be is in the middle of their feeding frenzy."
The pair hurried to the makeshift shelter the older Valor had set up while the other was occupied, and now all they had to do was wait for the Dwellers to be done with her just as Scarlett had ordered.
"I expected this kind of cruelty from a Roseabelle but it still never gets easier to deal with." The older Valor said to the other as they settled down, shaking his head at the entire situation. "Let's just hope the Dwellers get the job done quickly. That is the only prayer we can give her, kid... nothing more."
The air grew still as they waited for the colony to catch the drifting scent of the princess's blood, and soon enough, company arrived, flooding the forest with their signature, citrus aroma.
"Hm, looks like they came straight after another meal." The older Valor observed his surroundings carefully as the colony moved towards the princess. "Good, that should make it easier for us to mask our scents from them."
The duo watched in silence as countless Dwellers ran right past them and straight towards the princess, until something seemed to have made them hesitate.
Predatorial growls erupted as they prepared to engage in combat with this mysterious threat and before the Valors could even make sense of what was going on, they heard chaos ensue right in front of them, the sight hidden only by the dark.
In the pitch black, their ears were the only guide, catching terrifying shrieks unlike anything the Valors had ever heard, sending chills through them as they tried to make sense of what was unfolding.
Slowly, with precision and expertise, they listened as the creature tore through the Dwellers, bodies hitting the ground with heavy thuds until the forest was silent once more.
"O-Over there." The younger Valor said, pointing toward a pair of glowing golden eyes watching them from afar.
"So, you're the ones behind all this noise?" A soft, but commanding voice echoed eerily from the direction of the eyes, but the Valors stayed quiet, certain that any sudden moves would instantly mark the end of their lives.
"Hm, only two this time around? Don't tell me Exousia's running out of Valors to put to use?" The woman remarked as she closed the distance. "Or have they already given up on finding me so soon? How disappointing."
"Show yourself, before we arrest you for trespassing." The older Valor warned, but the stranger only seemed more amused, their golden eyes curving crescent moons. "These parts of Stygia are strictly off-limits to the public."
"Trespassing, you say?" The woman asked with an unsettling calm. "Just because I've been gone for a couple of years doesn't change the fact that what's mine is still mine, you know?"
"How dare you-"
The Valor fell silent as he caught sight of her face, softly illuminated by the faint shimmer of moonlight.
"S-Sir?" The younger Valor called out to his frozen partner, but by then it was already far too late to escape.
"I'm afraid I may have said a bit too much. Letting you out of here alive would be far too risky for me now." She admitted with an ominous chuckle, quietly enjoying the fear in their eyes. "So, let's see what you were really up to, shall we?"
=================
The uncomfortable cold was the first thing Kaari noticed as she finally came to from her unconscious state, followed by the unbearable silence that seemed to consume her entire being.
'Where am I?' Her eyes strained to adjust to the darkness as she scanned her surroundings in desperation, searching for anything that might reveal where she was.
Her first instinct was to get to her feet and run, but that vanished the moment she realized her limbs were bound tightly with thick rope, keeping her completely restrained.
That's when she spotted the fresh cut on her hand, a dull, throbbing ache sinking into her bones as the numbness slowly crept in with each passing second.
Kaari still tried to break free despite the weight of desperation pressing against her chest, but a sudden flicker in the corner of her eye caught her attention, accompanied by the sudden, lingering scent of citrus in the air around her.
'Dwellers...' She noted, realizing that she was in more danger than she initially thought she was.
The scent of her blood was clearly what had drawn the colony, and she was fairly certain she was surrounded as the rustling grew louder all around her.
However, despite the dire situation she found herself in, Kaari couldn't help but remember the chilling stories Lex had told to her about these creatures. Fear gripped her to the bone, and yet she found herself scoffing at the sheer irony of it all.
'This... This really is the end.' She thought as she heard the terrifying snarls get closer to her.
She closed her eyes shut, silently accepting her fate but the end never seemed to arrive, no matter how long she waited.
Instead, the rustling around her stopped, before scurrying over somewhere else, leaving behind only a faint scent of citrus and yet more silence.
Faint sounds of a commotion could be heard from afar, but she couldn't make out whatever that was being said.
Then, out of nowhere, she heard slow and calculated footsteps approaching, but there was something distinctly different about them, something that felt almost dangerous.
'T-They're coming back?' She thought as her stomach twisted with anxiety at the thought of what the Valors may do with her this time.
Kaari braced herself for the worst, listening as the footsteps drew nearer until they stopped right in front of her.
"What a surprise that we meet again like this, princess." A voice she hadn't heard in seven years greeted her enthusiastically, catching her off guard.
Hurriedly, she looked up to see if it was really who she thought, but the yet again, the darkness made it impossible to be sure. All she could see staring back at her were a pair of golden eyes she knew she'd never forget.
"Z-Zeya?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty as she gathered courage to call out, but all she got as a response was a light-hearted laugh from the mysterious entity.
"I have to admit, even after seven years, you haven't changed one bit." The Roseabelle mused and before Kaari could question the response, they freed her from the tight bindings wrapped around her limbs by the Valors. "Comeo on, let's get out of here. Judging by the chaos we've caused, it won't be long before reinforcements show up."
The stranger offered a hand to help the princess to her feet, and just then, a sliver of moonlight fell across their face. In that moment, Kaari finally saw the face of her savior, and this time, her guess had been right all along.
"It really is you." Kaari whispered in awe, relief flooding her entire body.
"I will consider answering your questions once we're safe." Zeya stressed her point as soon as she the look of awe on the princess's face.
"And you have just as much explaining to do as well, princess." Zeya said vaguely with her eyes narrowed, but it was enough for Kaari to get what she had meant. "Start with what you did to get on Lex's bad side like this."