CHAPTER 7.1

1.5K 112 12
                                    

Long ago, in the ancient times
the heavens and skies used to meet.
The Ancients of this world
used to be able to tap into nature
and all it's might.

Really, Grandmother?

Yes, my child.
The world used to have life
but then the Balance Goddess
sent him.

~Ancient Texts of Amaryllis

_________________________________

"The wagon ride was otherwise peaceful

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

"The wagon ride was otherwise peaceful."

If one was deaf.

However, for anyone with ears, the sound of bickering between the god, Mutare, and Lekki would have long driven them mad. The further into the Wild Woods the cart went the fewer trees there seemed to be, and the afternoon sun was especially warm that day, despite it being the middle of winter. 

Dai told them that in the Wild Woods it was always summer, and the lack of trees in this part was due to a battle fought here a few years ago. As soon as he spoke the words, however, Honey could've sworn she could smell the stench of both death and decay.

It was midday when Honey began to complain about being hungry, and Lukas pulled the wagon over for them to eat. It was the same stale bread they'd been eating for the past few days of traveling, and Honey hated it almost as much as the growling in her stomach. 

She still ate the bread though, which was more than Dai. The young Mutare refused to eat any of it, and instead, he simply watched Lukas and her eat, which was rather unnerving. Lukas told Honey that Dai was going to have to eat sooner or later unless he planned on starving himself to death, which couldn't be entirely overlooked.

When the sun was at its peak, and it was too hot for conversation, Honey's face was dotted with sweat, yet she noticed that Dai had yet to remove his cloak. The young Mutare's cheeks were flushed and his strange animalistic ears dropping. 

He kept the cloak on though, despite his obvious discomfort, not wanting to let it go. Instead, he messed with it, until his sharp golden eyes found the tear from Lukas's blade and he scowled. He would need to have it mended in the next village they came to. "Fire God Lukas," Dai called to the god who seemed unfazed by the heat or sunlight unlike the other two.

"What?" Lukas snapped in response, his eyes not turning from the path before them. It was all too easy to get lost in these trees.

"Fire God Lukas has teared my cloak," Dai said, his tail flicking behind him in annoyance as they traveled down the bumpy path. Lukas sighed but said nothing else in response to Dai's comment.

"Torn," Honey corrected, her mind elsewhere as she stared out the side of the cart, trying to distract herself from the heat.

"What?" Dai asked, tilting his head in an almost animalistic way.

THE ROSE BOOK // A NOVELWhere stories live. Discover now