Survive As The Brute's Wife

Alexandra screamed and ran forward.

"Help! An ugly tree is attacking me!"

She shouted as she ran without turning back.

"Somebody! Help me!"

*Ugly? Ugly? You chose death, Drovarys! Who'll save you this time? Your father? Hahaha… Call me ugly one more time!*

The snickering voice turned malicious and the ground started to shake. She heard booming sounds behind her and that creature that was more than fifteen feet tall and had skin like a tree bark ran behind her rather briskly. With each of his steps, the earth shook and darkness rose.

Followed by a cracking noise, she felt the air getting displaced and she increased her pace.

*Boom*

She heard a noise right next to her feet and she stumbled. She turned to see the tree trying to attack her with another one of its branches.

If she stopped now she'd be torn to pieces by the creepy hands on the ground if not for the branches that are brandished as whips by that creature following her.

Balancing her life, she started running again.

*Whoosh*

This time the branch targeted her torso. Alexandra jumped to the side, but some of the twigs scratched her calf as the branch retracted.

Blood trickled out of the scratches and the laugh of that creature intensified. But she noticed the dark mist that was rising becoming clumped up and heavy. It then started to sink to the ground.

[Ah… My blood deters monsters!]

Alexandra remembered that and she started to shake her leg that was already bleeding. A drop of her blood fell on the ground and that caused the screeching sound to commence.

[Why did I forget about this noise?]

Alexandra closed her ears and she saw the hands poking out of the soil returning into the soil. She didn't hear the screeching afterward and she removed her hand from her ear.

What followed was a serene song that echoed inside that gloomy forest. She didn't stop running but she slowed down seeing little balls of lights rising above.

The whole forest got filled with a serene light and combined with the serene song that would put the sirens to shame was played, Alexandra wondered if this place is paradise.

Mesmerized, she stopped and watched the scene unfolding in front of her. The sound of the song, the rising balls of light that were like fireflies, and this intense happy feeling in her heart…

[So my blood released the souls trapped here? They are free and they can rest now.]

Her lips curved up and her heartfelt light as a feather. She felt like flying with no cares in the world.

*You did not take away my army! Arrrgh!*

Her peace was broken as the tree shouted in rage. She turned to her side and she saw the tree approaching her at a faster pace and it slung four of its branches towards her.

Alexandra's heart skipped a beat as she saw the fast-approaching whips. She turned and started running wondering if that tree is not scared of her blood.

*I will drink your blood and burp feeling quenched! I will get the power of the dragon! I should have never left you alive, dung-filth! *

The tree shouted and Alexandra got her answer.

[Guess not everyone is scared of my blood. It gives power to some, helps some, and brings fear to others… Ugh! Why is nothing simple? What a sorry state I am in! ]

She dodged two of the whips by running zig-zag but the third one came straight for her feet. The branches moved as swift as a snake and as it hit the ground it sounded as if an anvil landed on the ground, sending tremors. They easily broke rocks. 

She jumped up avoiding the branch coming for her feet and at the same time, the other one approached her face.

She bowed and covered her face with her forearms instinctively, bracing for impact. She knew she would get hit.

But the expected pain didn't come. Instead, she heard a voice filled with pain.

"Alexandra!"

The next she heard was the neigh of a horse. She opened her eyes to see the figure on a horse blocking the branch approaching her with his sword.

[Tubby?]

*Sling*

With just a swift slice, the branch got cut and it fell. The trees started screaming and Arioch grabbed her waist and lifted her in his strong arms. Alexandra was started as she saw something dark and pungent leaking from the place where the cut was made.

[The tree is bleeding?]

"It's okay. You're safe," he placed her in front of him. His hands held the reigns and she was in his embrace.

"Yah!" he commanded the horse and the horse galloped away from the living tree that was screaming in pain as if its limb was cut.

Alexandra turned back to see the branch that was cut twisting on the floor like a cut lizard's tail. And as she watched, the tree bent over the cut branch. The oozing liquid started to thicken and the twisting branch slowly attached itself to the tree.

[It self-heals!]

*I Will Get You!!!*

The tree shouted at her and Alexandra didn't break her eye contact with the tree. The tree couldn't catch up with the gallop of the horse and the distance between them greatly increased.

She turned to the front and accompanied Arioch in silence.

She felt like they passed through a barrier and the gloominess of the forest disappeared and she could see the color returning although they were in a dimly lit place.

"What is this place, Tubby?" she asked.

Her lips curved naturally seeing that impeccable face of the man holding her. She didn't feel the same happiness she felt that other day she met him. But she is happy, nonetheless.

[Tubby saved me as always!]

"Brume Thicket," he answered.

He smelled like grass... fresh and bright.

"And don't call me Tubby…" he slowed the horse as they are in a fairly safe place and looked at her with a slight smirk.

"At least, in this life…"

Alexandra smiled. "Do you still hate that name, Tubby?"

He glared at her without being able to hide his smile.

Alexandra giggled.

"Should I call you Ma-"

She paused.

She didn't feel that it would be right to call him Max. Maximus is Max.

"I'll call you Arioch, then... Arioch!" She smiled at him.

"That's better," he smiled but she could sense that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"You have changed, Alexa..." he said in a lazy tone as if he was contemplating something so serious.

He stared at her for some time and Alexandra averted her eyes not being able to look at his eyes.

[It seems so... I have changed!]

She didn't understand why, but those green eyes made her feel... distant.

Looking at the shifting ground, she rehashed her memory of that fateful day she helplessly watched Tubby embracing the sharp blade of her sword in her chest. And that image of Tubby kissing her on the rooftop flashed in her memory too.

[My Tubby..!] 

"Alexa..."

His hand reached to her cheek, but as if she is about to be coming in contact with a burning log, she turned to the side, avoiding his touch.

She didn't plan it, she didn't think of avoiding his touch. She just did.

"Sorry," Arioch let out a wry chuckle before retracting his hand. 

She saw that he was hurt by her refusal. She never refused his touch. But this time, she didn't know why she did it.

"Just call me Alexandra," she said, not liking him calling her 'Alexa'.

[Well, it seems like there are a lot I don't like... What would Tubby think..?]

She looked at his face. He looked hurt.

But she didn't like that. It is too similar to the way Maximus addresses her. His face popped in her mind. 

'Lexa...' he'd say. And his eyes would smile. His smirk, his mocking laugh, his voice, his touches, his kisses...

[I miss him already...] 

But then the image of him opening his eyes and safely landing on the roof came to her mind.

[He lied... He lied to me...]

"Where are we going?" she asked Arioch.

"Where do you  want to go? Do you want to return-"

His tone got a little deep signifying his anger. But he stopped himself from speaking further. 

She said nothing. Her eyebrows trembled seeing his hurt face. She's seen this hurt face of his a lot in her past life. And she ignored it.

And she paid handsomely for it! 

But still... Even in this life...

After that they travelled in silence for a long time. She saw the sky brightening up at the horizon and figured it is dawn already. She heard a river flowing nearby.

[Maximus would be searching for me...]

-----

Meanwhile, in the Brume Thicket,  a dark figure wearing a dark cloak jumped from one tree to another. He stopped at one tree and whispered a spell.

A moth flew to him.

He extended his finger and the moth rested over his finger.

"The Drovarys has awakened and she set free the Army of the Undead with her blood..."

His dark whisper sent vibrations around.. Carrying the news, the moth fluttered out of the forest.