Lost Lullabies

The person lowered his bow and dropped from the high branch he was standing on. He approached the unconscious Seeker that lay face down on the ground to check if she was still alive or not. With his foot, he nudged the body when its hand suddenly gripped his ankle. She hissed at him as she dug her nails in his skin, causing blood to appear and leave a trail of red down to his foot. He grunted and twisted his leg to stomp on the Seeker's hand, bones crushing as he applied force. She yowled in pain and tried to scratch at him but he immediately moved away while she missed. Her free hand clawed the air until a man entered the scene and finished her off with his rapier, digging it in her neck firmly. Her chest rose once, and that was it. She was dead.

The man with the gray hair pulled out his weapon from the corpse and flicked it to the side, splattering blood on the forest floor. After he was sure it was clean, he sheathed Revelation and faced Cosimo.

"Our business here is done. Let us leave." He was about to take off when the Human girl called out to him.
"W-Wait! Are you..."

Ashen Gray did not bother to turn around. He continued to run towards the trees when he deftly jumped, disappearing into the leaves. The person known as Cosimo looked at the girl and smiled. "Sorry, but he tends to be quite shy sometimes. Well, take care little one!" He headed towards the same direction as Ashen when she called out again.

"The mark on your neck..."
His hand involuntarily reached for his birthmark.

"You're a Seeker, aren't you?"

Cosimo threw her a curious glance. "Yes, I am."
"But... why are you helping us?"
He shrugged. "It's fun, I guess. Hey, make sure not to bump into another one of those," he pointed at the bleeding Seeker on the ground, "alright?" Then in a flash, he was gone with the wind.

The stench of the Seeker’s blood reached the Human girl’s nostrils, making her recoil. Still a little shocked upon what just happened, she struggled on her feet and left the place with her eyes still watching the carcass. Once she knew she was safe among the trees, she ran endlessly back to Ghzarr without stopping to pause.

>

Ghzarr was the main village that belonged to the Humans located in the remote area of the Forest away from the Seekers who resided in the deep woods. The villagers were safe and secure in this part of the Forest unlike the small village of Kurom that was out in the open and close to the waters. Here, the people could live at peace without the intrusion of any Seeker because of the reliable and trained Protectors that scouted the vicinity. They were always on guard and wary of any person that came near Ghzarr, so there was no need for them to worry.

Nearby, there was a sound of leaves being stepped on. A Protector who was sharpening the tip of his spear perked up and surveyed the tall grass in front of him. With the weapon in his hand, he cautiously took a step forward. The crunching sound continued while he went closer and closer to the source. All of a sudden, a girl dropped to the side, surprising the Protector. The grip on his short spear tightened as he bent down to look at the body. As he turned her over, he saw to his relief that it wasn’t a Seeker but a Human. He hurriedly put behind his weapon and carried the girl who had fainted in his arms.

“We need a Mage here! I found a girl by the shrubs!” The Humans made way for him as he ran in search for someone to heal her when a Mage dressed in navy blue robes stood in his path.
“Come with me to the Blue Room. We must treat her there,” she spoke in a quiet tone of voice while she led the way with the Protector following behind. Once they were at the center of the village, they entered a shack that was adorned with patterns of whorls. There were trinkets that hung on the walls and ceilings and deeper in the shack was an archway which led to a room where rituals and healing rites were conducted. Mysterious symbols and hieroglyphs covered the walls. The place was indeed, draped in the hue of blue light.

“Tell me what happened,” the Mage uttered while the Protector laid the unconscious girl on the wide table before them.
“I was outside the village when I heard something near the bushes, so when I came to check she just collapsed right in front of me. I don’t know what happened to her or where she came from, but it looks like she fainted.”
The Mage took out a small case that contained some kind of body oil which she applied on the girl’s forehead.
“What’s that for?” asked the Protector curiously while the Mage continued to treat her.
“It’s a soothing oil that calms the soul. She fainted from exhaustion… must have come a long way from the deep parts of the Forest. I don’t see any wounds or injuries, so she’s fine. She will wake up soon.” The Mage checked her pulse to see if she was breathing normally and nodded her head. The Protector faced her and rested his hand against his left breast.
“Thank you, Madame Roma. I shall take my leave now.” He bowed slightly in respect.
“Thank you for your help, Chess. It is a good thing you found her.” Roma’s expression remained blank, but her words were sincere. She accompanied Chess to the exit of the shack.
“I’m glad to be of aid. I will be here if you need me.” Chess gave another bow and left to attend to his business. Meanwhile, Roma returned to the Blue Room and waited for the girl to wake and tell her story.