Cursed 2

ONE

Under the empty and dark night sky, a body drifted gently propelled by the current, dragging it to shore.

A sharp pain in her abdomen caused a stunned Nimue to wake up abruptly from what had seemed like a long sleep. She directed her cold hand to the wound in her belly trying to remember what had happened. Despite having another arrow stuck in her leg, the pain was less than in her stomach.

“Father?” Nimue whispered unconsciously with difficulty.

That word was the last thing she spoke before falling into the abyss, a word that little by little brought her back to reality.

Badly wounded and disoriented, she drew the arrows with difficulty, exploding in a grunt of pain. The blood that came from her wounds began to run stronger and she tried to stand up but her legs did not respond to her.

Still sitting in the wet and cold mud, a buzzing in her belly made her look up seeing in the distance two deep and expectant black eyes fixed on her of a somewhat strange fawn. Nimue's heart fluttered, but not out of fear, but because she felt like she had seen that animal long ago. It was a familiar feeling and she realized right away that it was not the first time she had seen it. The last time she saw him was in the Iron Forest, at his home.

“How is it possible?... I saw you die” Nimue said in surprise.

“Death is not the end.” There it was again, a voice that did not come from her thought. Still stunned, she narrowed her eyes to see the animal better and understood that it was not the same little animal she once found in the green and lush forest that she thought she would never miss. It was the voice of The Hidden who were once again whispering the same phrase to them through an innocent animal.

Suddenly, a rustle in the undergrowth sent the fawn running down her side. For fear of meeting the Red Paladins or the Trinity, she looked around desperately trying to search her sword, but to no avail, it was not there.

The darkness of the night made it difficult to see what or who was approaching in the undergrowth, only a waning moon partially illuminated the clearing where she was.

Quickly Nimue slipped through the mud to hide behind a tree in the hope that they had not seen her. She was wounded, too weak to ask The Hidden for help, and her legs were still numb but she couldn't allow the Red Paladins to find her.

The moonlight showed shadows approaching her from all directions, cornering her.

“Who are you?”

They looked like lifeless beings, a flock in old black rags and scaly hands that rushed toward her like a hungry swarm leading her to their King. They were lepers!

Nimue's eyes began to close falling into a deep sleep due to a strong blow to her belly.