The Lost Princesses- COMPLETED

N.O 28 - 'She's here'

"So, what's the plan?" Sophia shouts from behind Alex as he shot through the forest

"I don't really have one"

"You don't have a plan? What are we going to do, run in yelling?" Sophia fires back, earning a small chuckle from Alex

"Not quite but-"

"That's what you were hoping for?" She cut him off.

"Maybe" he said sheepishly.

By now they had been riding on the horse for around 5 minutes. Both in silence as the wind travelled through their hair and the trees swayed in a greeting manor. The sun had begun to dip behind the towering trees. Their time was slowly running out and they both knew it.

"We need a plan" Sophia confirms from her spot.

"I know we do, but we don't even know what's happening right now. I've never had to protect you without information on the situation. I've never had to do this before. How am I supposed to protect you if I not even sure whether I can protect myself first?" Alex's mind ran wild. He had to protect her even if it meant his life for hers. But how could he do that if he didn't even know why or what he was sacrificing self for?

"If anyone can do it it'll, be you" Sophia tightened her grip around his body, leaning forward slightly to place a kiss on the back of his head.

"You're not alone" she whispered "not anymore"

.......

The gentle rocking came to a sudden halt. They had arrived.

The sun had disappeared leaving a red sky in its wake. This didn't spark any concern to the pair, After all it was just a piece or art that had taken over the sky. What did worry them was the quietness the painting brought with it.

"Where is everyone?" Sophia says as she slowly slips of the side of the horse

"This isn't good. This isn't good at all" Alex mutters quick and fast. His dismount less graceful than Sophia's.

"What's the matter?" Sophia turns to him. She could see all the features of his face. The wrinkles in his face. The tight shoulders. The wide eyes clearly showing his fear.

"The battles already begun" he takes a deep breath in before walking towards the edge of the field. He reached his hand out in front of him. He could feel the pain and suffering.

"What are you doing?" Sophia went to move towards him when she couldn't move. Her limbs had frozen in its place. The vines on the floor twisting them sleeves around her ankles. She was shackles down by the very earth that she had once felt peace in.

"She's already here" Alex said mostly to himself, unaware of the danger that was already surrounding them both.

"ALEX?!" Sophia called. The vines slowly travelled up her legs causing the panic to feel like it was rising with it. It felt as if she was trapped in a room and all the doors were locked. There was no escape. The water was rising threatening to take her under.

"Yeah?" he muttered half in the conversation but mostly in his own brain

"Alex!" she called again, the panic clear in her voice. The vines had wrapped their way tightly around her flesh. Her old, but still healing, wounds that she had momentarily forgotten coming back to her a fall blast.

"SHOPHIA?" Alex had never turned around so fast in his life. His eyes quickly surveyed the danger. "This is not good this is really not good." he muttered quietly, his feet moving quickly towards Sophia. His hand moving frantically and the vines that refused to give out. Nothing he was doing was stopping the quickly rising vines that was taking her hostage. He stepped back.