My back hurts. How long has it been since we left Kazan? I don't know. I tried to sleep, but the horses' hooves kept echoing in my mind, reminding me of that creature.
"Ugh..." I sighed, trying to shake off the boredom.
At least I wasn't alone. An old man with white hair had been sleeping the whole trip — still was. The other passenger looked younger, but I couldn't see his face — he wore a green hood and stared out the window. I kept looking at him for a few seconds, curious, until he turned around. Our eyes met.
I looked away immediately, embarrassed. What if he thinks I'm some kind of weirdo?
"Carriage rides are always dull, aren't they?" he said, breaking the silence.
I turned back to him, surprised that he started a conversation. Now I could see him more clearly: pale skin with a hint of green, long pointed ears, light green eyes.
"An... elf?" I murmured without thinking, but he heard me. His ears twitched at the sound of my voice.
"A high elf, to be exact," he replied, then extended his hand. "My name's Acrylas Wirtz. Pleased to meet you."
I shook his hand, a bit uneasy at his smile — tight-lipped, but almost threatening.
"I'm Samo Gorynych."
"Gorynych, huh..." he rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "Never heard that surname before."
"Haha..." I gave a nervous laugh. "I've never heard of 'Wirtz' either."
We stared at each other for a few seconds. It felt like sparks were cutting through the air between us. Until the old man groaned:
"Hey, you two, quiet down. You're being too loud..." Then he went back to sleep.
Our eyes turned to the old man at the same time. Then silence again. I looked out the window — the world outside was just an endless carpet of grass. The sun was beginning to set, and I wondered where we would spend the night.
"So, Gorynych, what are you heading to Zielitz for?" Acrylas asked again, pulling me from my thoughts.
He had taken off his hood. His short white hair glowed under the orange light of the sunset.
"I'm going to enroll as a squire," I answered, not giving too much detail.
"Oh, so you want to fight demons, huh?" his eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Well… my goal is to become a knight. Whether I'll fight demons or not, I don't know," I said honestly.
To be fair, I never really thought about serving on the front lines or joining the royal guard. Just being called "Sir" by someone would be enough to make me happy.
"Now you — what are you going there for?" I asked in return, curious. What would an elf be doing in a human city? Zielitz is fairly close to Ygg, where the elves live, so why not go straight there?
He stayed silent for a few seconds before answering.
"I'm going for a competition," he said seriously. "This year's Great Archery Contest of Sestri. I plan to win."
I was impressed by his confidence — even a little jealous, to be honest.
"That's a very different goal from mine…" I mumbled, but he still heard me.
"But just as important," he replied, still looking out the window.
I disagreed, but kept it to myself. No point in arguing.
I tried to nap again… and this time, it seemed to work.
But… what? Where am I? This… this place is so empty.
I saw myself in a dark cabin. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could only cry — the high-pitched, fragile wailing of a newborn.
I felt arms around me, warm and gentle hands holding me with care. Still, my body burned from within. That same feeling... just like when I faced the demon. My blood boiled, my muscles tensed. I didn't need a mirror to know — my eyes were like that again. Serpentine.
"Don't cry, my child…" the woman's voice was soft, delicate, like a calm summer breeze. And suddenly, the crying stopped. I felt... safe.
"I'll be here with you."
Time passed slowly. Maybe minutes. Maybe hours. Then, the cracking sound of splintering wood shattered the silence.
"Miss... xxxx!" a hurried, desperate voice. Her name was lost in the noise.
"You have to get out of here, quickly! Zed will try to hold them off, but the villagers from xxx want the child!"
The hands holding me trembled. I was wrapped in something rough and cold — some cloth, maybe an old blanket. She carried me quickly to a corner of the cabin, where a dim candle barely lit the space.
For the first time, I saw her face. She wore a thick rain cloak that covered her eyes. But her skin was pale — white like mother's milk — and strands of red hair, as vivid as fire, escaped her hood.
She placed me inside something. A tight, cold, dark space.
Before everything faded, I saw tears streaming down her cheeks.
Then…
Thum.
The lid closed.
And everything turned to darkness.
"Wake up!" the coachman's voice snapped me out of the daze.
"We're camping here."
I opened my eyes suddenly. I was back in the carriage. My hands were trembling slightly, and cold sweat ran down my neck.
What was that?