Chapter 12

  Darius had been searching for a while now. He knew that the presence of Sonas was not far. He continued to travel the oak forest, silently listening to the sound of his boots encouraging rustling sounds above the green and lush grass. His face displayed signs of determination, as well as a calm and cold look. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only - finding the princess and making sure that his plans run smoothly, or the mission would be jeopardised.

  To defend himself, he had to daggers at his sides, placed on both sides of his hips. Most of the time, Darius uses them to either hunt for food or if his antlers got stuck in vines or plants, which was an often occurrence in his case. It frustrated him. He’s been out in the woods many times before now, and he could never get over these cockroaches he couldn’t kill.

  He made sure to keep himself clean. Before having a rest during the night, He would seek a pond, lake, stream or waterfall before sundown, to wash off all the sweat he’s leaked from a hard day's search for Sonas and her group.

  At this point, Darius was starting to grow frustrated. He never knew that finding a girl and a Hybrid would be this challenging. It turned out the way he expected it to. He stopped walking, his hand rubbing against his face as he groaned. He wished that his horse was still around so travelling and searching wouldn’t wear his feet out. He had eaten his horse trying to survive the journey across the Barren Desert. He would’ve died if he didn’t eat it. The leftovers became little snacks to eat along the way, but those too, were consumed too quickly. All the energy that he used up during this trip made him awfully hungry. There wasn’t a single animal in sight that would help satisfy his hunger. He could hear and feel his stomach growling at him. Darius could feel the blisters on his feet ache the longer he stood, yet he still kept his usual expression.

  Suddenly, Darius could smell smoke, and something cooking. It smelt like soup was being made. Tomato soup. This made Darius’ stomach growl even more. He wanted to eat, and followed the scent as it became stronger and stronger the closer he got. Through the cracks of the bushes and trees, he saw a cottage, made of stone and wood. It was sturdy, and made a perfect fit in the clearing of the forest. It was a peaceful and isolated habitat. The edges of the roof at the front had a couple rabbit skins hammered. He slowly walked into the clearing, making his way to the door of the cottage. As he did, he noticed the straw dummies placed around the house. They looked like dummies used for combat. Whoever lived here may either be hostile or peaceful.

  As Darius opened the door slowly, he saw no one inside.

  “Uh, hello? Anyone home?” He asked. No response. Something was up. He could sense it. Someone was home, they just didn’t want to make their presence known.

  “No use in hiding, I know there’s someone here. There’s no way a hot soup can make itself.” He spoke firmly.

  Darius was now well aware that someone was hiding until the right moment to strike. Just in case, he held his left dagger tightly, prepared to unsheathe it if necessary. His steps further into the cottage were quiet and cautious. He checked his surroundings but found no sign of the resident. The cottage interior was slightly dim, with the fireplace being one of the only sources of indoor light. The curtains of the windows allowed minimal light to seep through the windows. The place was clean and tidy, and well nurtured. The floors were waxed and smooth, with lesser risk of getting splinters. The inside felt warm and cozy. Although not being the most spacey place, it had enough room to move around.

  He continued looking around, facing the door. He was right next to the back of the two person sofa. He noticed that the door was now shut. The thing that confused Darius, was that he never heard it shut.

  “Odd.” He observed.

  As he turned around again, he froze. He saw the tip of a sword pointed towards his neck. It was millimetres from touching his skin. By the looks of it, it was an arming sword. His hands raised in surrender, no longer holding onto the sheathed daggers.

  “You’re sneaky.” Darius stated.

  Darius took notice of the figure wielding the sword. It was a muscular man, with short blonde greek curly hair and brown eyes. He was an elf and wore a warm white tunic, with brown pants and black boots. He looked to be in his 30’s. His face was cold and firm.

  “State your business here, Hybrid.” He spoke sternly. His eyes narrowed.

  The man pressed the tip of his blade right against Darius’ skin. It wasn’t enough force to draw blood.

  Darius had to think. He was thinking of a plan, and quickly. Then, he got it. An act of deception.

  “My apologies, sir. I am here because all I wanted was some access to shelter and food. I’ve been travelling for a few days on foot. I’ve lost my horse and my rations. I mean you no harm.” Darius spoke in an innocent tone.

  “It’s hard to believe you when you look this clean. But then again, you do look like you’re starving, and I am not one to let people starve.” The man spoke. His grip on the sword loosened, but he didn’t move an inch. He nudged his head in the direction of the couch with a small grunt, as if he was telling Darius to sit.

  Darius slowly wandered to the front of the couch, sitting down. The man sheathed his sword, before walking to the front of the fireplace, where the small cauldron contained the hot soup. Darius’ stomach growled again.

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  The man noticed how hungry Darius was, and started to pity him. He walked over to the desk near the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and walking back over to the cauldron. He poured the soup into the bowl using a ladle, before passing it to Darius.

  Darius spilled some into his mouth and swallowed. His face got all red as he recognised the temperature. Saliva building up in his mouth from the heat.

  “Careful, it’s hot.” The man warned Darius.

  “Dearly noted.” Darius spoke sarcastically, holding the bowl of soup in his lap. He could feel the warmth of the bowl from the soup. The smell was intoxicating.

  The man leaned next to the fireplace, crossing his arms.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Darius Le Doux is my full name.”

  “Le Doux. It’s french, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It was passed down from my mother’s side.”

  “I see.”

  “What about you?”

  “My name is Caesar Ammius. Ex-knight who once served under his majesty.”

  “That explains the sword, and the combat skills.”

  “Indeed. By the way, you do look rather young. How old are you?”

  “I’m 21.”

  “21?”

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “I’m 38.”

  “Jeez, I thought you were younger.”

  “How young?”

  “Like 28? 30 even?”

  Caesar threw his head back and laughed.

  “Ha! 28, that’s funny. I get that a lot.”

  “Really? In the middle of the forest?”

  “Nah, from the people at the port.”

  “You mean the one from the direction I came from.”

  “Yes, the port on the edge of the Ethereal river.”

  “I’m guessing that’s where you get your produce?”

  “Yeah.”

  Caesar walked past the couch, making his way to the kitchen.

  Darius put the soup close to his mouth again, this time blowing it before taking a small sip. It was still hot, but it was tolerable.

  “This is delicious soup.”

  “You like it? It’s my favourite. I love tomato soup. High in nutrients and perfect for the winter. I’m glad you like my cooking.”

  “You’re welcome. So, what happened with your role as a knight? What made you leave?”

  “I was forced to. The king had believed that we left her highness to burn in the fire 15 years ago, with that Rogue attack on the castle. We were prepared to face the consequences.”

  “Did you leave her majesty intentionally?”

  “No, we had a reason to do it. We were ordered by her majesty to leave.”

  “Why?”

  “....Because she had a child.”

  Darius’ eyes widen in fake surprise. He knew he was keeping up the act of being dumbfounded.

  Caesar turned his head to the front door, as if he heard something outside.

  “Stay here. I need to go check something.”

  ??

  Sonas, Matteo and Nikolai had approached the cottage through the bushes. They made sure to stay quiet.

  “Shelter.” Whispered Matteo.

  “Proceed with caution.” Sonas warned.

  “Screw that, it’s an old cottage, we’re fine.”

  Matteo pushed forward and walked confidently towards the cottage, Not knowing that he was stepping into a trap.

  “Wait, Matteo-!”

  The three were suddenly scooped up into a rope net. They yelped in surprise as they were lifted off of the ground.

  “You idiot!” Sonas smacked Matteo in the back of the head.

  Matteo grunts as Sonas slapped him, rubbing the back of his head.

  “How the heck was I supposed to know there was a trap?!” Matteo defended himself.

  “I said to proceed with caution!” Sonas facepalms.

  The three squirm and wriggle inside the net, all squished together like a baby in a womb.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here.” Matteo reassured as he started chewing on the ropes.

  Sonas and Nikolai sighed.

  “Does anyone have a knife? Anything sharp?” Sonas asked.

  “Nope. I left mine in the cart.”

  Sonas groans in frustration.

  “These ropes are too thick.” Matteo complains.

  “You got us into this mess, so get us out and stop complaining.” Sonas spoke.

  “Alright, alright.”

  Matteo continued to chew on the ropes like a dog with a bone. He could feel the uncomfortable feeling between his jaws.

  “This is hopeless..” Nikolai pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Suddenly, the three saw Caesar appear in the blink of an eye. To him, they were nothing but strangers that fell into his trap. His arming sword pointed at them, as he slowly closed in, remaining cautious.

  “Who are you three? State your business here.” He spoke sternly.

  The three jolted in surprise by this sudden encounter. They weren’t expecting him to be so hostile. Sonas took in a deep breath and spoke with honesty.

  “We’re sorry if we caused you any trouble, sir. We mean you no harm. We were just passing by and spotted your cottage.” Sonas tried to hold her hands up in surrender, but her body was being squished between Nikolai and Matteo.

  Caesar looked at Sonas, analyzing her appearance. He took note of her eye colour, hair and attitude. It was awfully familiar to him.

  “What’s your name?” He asked.

  “My name is Sonas.”

  “Sonas?”

  It came back to Caesar now. It was the name the queen named her daughter before she died. He was the one who took her to Deersheild 15 years ago. This was the princess he saved. His sword cut the ropes, causing the three to fall onto the ground with a thud. He then dropped it and kneeled.

  “Forgive me, princess. I’m so sorry.” His voice pleaded for forgiveness.

  Sonas dusted herself off and stood up. Her eyes widened slightly. She was forgiving, but also curious.

  “You know me?” She tilted her head in curiosity.

  “Yes. I am an ex knight who once served under his majesty. My name is Caesar Ammius. At your service, your highness.”

  “Caesar Ammius? Why does that last name sound familiar?”

  “Your guardian was Otis, correct?”

  “How did you know that?”

  “I gave you to him after the death of her majesty. Also, he’s my brother.”