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From the base of the cliff, the trees looked like withered skeletons, reaching their bony branches towards the sky in a desperate plea for life. The once lush foliage had shriveled and turned brown, leaving the forest floor blanketed in a sea of dead leaves. There was no sign of life, no rustling of leaves, nor chirping of birds. It was as if the forest was holding its breath, waiting for something to bring it back to life. But what could possibly revive this desolate land? I made my way through the petrified forest, the path was dry and rocky, making each step feel like a struggle. The forest was a graveyard of what it used to be, and it was evident that this place had seen better days.
As I continued on the path, I stole one last glance back at the cliff and the barren trees. The landscape was a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the impermanence of everything we know.
However, my attention was soon drawn to a rustling in a nearby bush. A jackrabbit darted out, startled by my presence. It was a relief to see that there was still some life in this desolate place, but my heart ached for the creature. I knew that its options for food and water were scarce, and it was only a matter of time before it would become prey for a larger animal. As I neared the edge of the tree line, the path forked into two directions, one leading to the north and the other to the south. I couldn't help but wonder which way to go.
“Now which way?” I said to no one in particular.
As I stood there, gazing at the enormous mountains looming to the south, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping up my spine. Gwendier, the tallest peak, seemed to pierce the sky, reminding me of my insignificance in the grand scheme of things. However, I had no other choice but to make my way towards the castle, no matter how daunting the journey may be. The open plains to the north looked more inviting, but my destination lay to the southeast.
My frustration bubbled up and spilled over as I shouted out into the desolate landscape, “Why did you have to make this so difficult for me?” The sound of my voice echoed back at me, hollow and empty, as if mocking my predicament. But I had to keep moving forward, even if it meant traversing the rough and rocky path that lay ahead.
With a heavy sigh, I set out towards the south, my slippers crunching on the dry, rocky ground. Each step sent jolts of pain up my legs, but I pushed on, determined to reach my destination. The open expanses of land seemed endless, and I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever make it to the castle.
This was unfair.
Goblin Kings and their tricks. He was a beast, an evil male. Cruel, insensitive, and loathsome. He was many more things, but I couldn’t dwell on those at the moment. But it would seem however that my mind had not listened, it decided to focus on him.
Solely him.
There was something about him that I couldn’t figure out, something that bothered me about him. It was like my mind was screaming at me to figure it out- to understand. And truthfully, I could not deny that he had an air about him that had my attention. I could not deny that Iwasintrigued by him. I could not deny that he made my body react in a way that was new and exciting. A simple touch had caused my skin to tingle, my heart to race and my core to heat. And while he made me feel those things, he was also alluring, confident, and. . . well he was handsome.
I could not deny that either, nor had it been lost on me. Not at all, but he was Fae. And above all else, he was aggravating. I should not, could not, allow these feelings or thoughts to run their course. I was already stupid enough to make a deal with him, I was not stupid enough to fall for him. I would be playing a lethal game if I did, I would be playing with fire and I would get burned.
As his face filtered through my head, his cruel but still handsome smile taunted me. For the briefest of moments, it distract me from the gravel path ahead. I lost my footing, and my feet skittered out from under me as I began to slip down the hill. The ground grew steeper, and I found myself struggling to keep my balance on the loose rocks and gravel beneath me. With every step, my feet threatened to slide out from under me, until finally, they did. I tumbled down the hill, feeling each rock and stone dig into my skin, the impact jarring me with each successive bounce.
When I finally came to a stop, I was bruised and battered, but thankfully not seriously injured. My thoughts went back to cursing him. Back to cursingathim. A string of unsavory words formed on my tongue as I righted myself. “Fucking prick.”
“I never imagined such foul language coming from someone like you.”
The voice caused me to jump. Whirling around to find the owner. I hadn’t seen him, hadn’t noticed his arrival. My blood boiled as my eyes found him. I was so angry that I could not form any coherent sentences. So angry, that all I wanted to do was lash out at him. His eyes gleamed as his grin grew, his canines on display.
“Hello again, Serra.”
“If you are here to taunt me then I want nothing to do with you.” I had nothing nice to say to him anyway.
“Oh? What have I done?”
“You know exactly what you did.”
He watched me for a moment, his features smug as he crossed his arms, “Is that so? Well why don’t you elaborate for me then?”
His question caught me off guard. “You really expect me to make it to the castle in four days? That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“Well, I guess you better hurry. You are never going to get there with that mindset.”
Oh, oh he was infuriating. I snarled at him, “fuckingprick.”
“I do find that foul mouth of yours rather,” He paused, “fascinating.”
“Go away.”
The Goblin King glanced down at me, his cloak fluttered in the breeze. His hair loose as his eyes danced, the words echoed themselves inside my head again. Cunning, cruel, alluring, and aggravating. “If I did not believe you could do it, then I would not have asked you to.”
My head tilted, I couldn’t stop myself, couldn’t stop the question that bothered me, “did you mean it? That I would die if I failed?”
He tensed at my question, hesitated only a moment before saying, “Yes.”
“Why?”
