Chapter I
The moon had reached center sky and it illuminated the plains of grass, bush and trees that I ran past. I could feel the beasts gaining on me, but I didn’t dare look behind me, because I feared what I would see. I felt like I was nearing my destination, the wall of trees was almost in my reach, I wondered at how I was going to penetrate through the thick solid trunks which stood robustly side to side. But all I could do was hope that some miracle would happen and I would find away.
I was now under the shadow of the trees, and I scanned the dark woods for the slightest chance of entrance, as if by magic one appeared right in front of me and I ran straight for it. It felt as if my body was being engulfed as I squeezed through the trees, but after a while it seemed to let up, I began to slow down, and my aching muscles began their scream of exertion, my feet throbbed as they bled heavily on the twig, and leaf filled ground.
I was in a daze, struggling to keep moving, but something was calling me, begging me to reach it. Then I stopped suddenly in my tracks, I felt eyes on me, beastly eyes, I broke into a run again, ignoring the pain in my muscles. All I knew was I had to reach there, the place to be my sanctuary from the coming death.
The trees then opened up into a clearing, at the center was a giant Boa bab tree, it’s few leaves seemed to sparkle against the new moon, as if it gave it power. Around it was soft grass, that cushioned the soles of my bleeding feet, and to the side was a pond, that neither rippled nor flowed, just stayed gently still with its crystal blue waters.
My fear forgotten, I wondered why a savannah tree, such as the Boa bab was doing in the middle of a forest. I walked dreamily to it, and stood beneath its canopy of trees, I touched its huge trunk, then felt all my energy drain from my body and I collapsed into a dreamless sleep.
My Beta, Bartholomew called from the door way of my study. I was seated at my table with a candle burning at the side of my desk, I was going through stock, profits and purchases of the kingdom. Winter was soon, so the food houses had to be stocked. Many people would die if it wasn’t taken care of, for winters were harsh, especially to humans.
I ran my hand through my hair and looked up from my work to see Bartholomew holding a human girl in his arms.
“Who is this?” I asked him, his face shone shock and curiousity at the human he held in his arms.
The girl’s clothes were stained and torn, her feet were bleeding and her fair caramel face was lined with bags under her eyes. But what stood out the most was her hair, it was white and in the candle light; almost silver, it was tied back with a head scarf with tribal designs of animals and some form of dialect.
“The survey groups found her beneath the sacred Pine tree, she was covered in the leaves of the Boa bab tree, meaning she’s not from the Kingdom,”
“What did the exterior survey groups have to say?” I asked him, because something like this had never happened in the history of the Kingdom. Only with allowance from its Leader, could anyone leave and exit the Kingdoms fortress of trees.
“They said that, as they were patrolling the fortress walls, one group found a girl running in the forest, they decided to first follow her but then she picked up on them and she ran off even faster,”
“She noticed them tracking her?” I said half not believing.
“Yes, than she ran to the sacred Boa bab tree clearing, where they watched her touch the trunk and collapse, then the interior survey group found her under the sacred pine tree,”
“What was she running from?”
“Lamented, there almost a thousand of them surrounding the forest, trying to get in,”
I looked amazed at the girl, she was able to run from a thousand Lamented, I guessed she had reached the forest before or just when the moon had reached center sky, because then, there would have been no way despite her acknowledgeable superior human strength, that she could have survived.
I couldn’t exactly catch her scent, she smelled of the forest which meant it was protecting her. Knowing that, helped me in my judgement, but the fact still remained that she was human.
“Take her and have her treated in one of the isolated rooms in the maids’ quarter.”
With that, Bartholomew left me back to my work, but I couldn’t help but wonder about the girl.
