Fourteen

"Ladies, please, let me go with you," Asante said to Lilian and Adora.

"Are you sure that you are ready for this?" Lilian asked as she packed the weapons she had collected from the weapon storage.

"Yes, my Lady," Asante replied, looking at Adora who was struggling with the bow and arrow she was given he asked,

"My Lady, are you sure she can come?"

"Yes, she can. Never underestimate the power of a woman," Lilian said as she shook her head while looking at Adora.

"I am sorry, my Lady," Asante apologized as he started arranging his weapons.

"No, it's fine. Will you believe me if I tell you that she is as strong as Goliath, if not even stronger," Lilian said as she fastened the belt of a sword on her waist.

"What?" Asante asked and scoffed.

"You think I am lying? Just wait and see her in action. She is a tigress. Are you done?" Lilian asked as she finished arranging her weapons on her body and clothes.

Asante scoffed again, as he walked closer to Adora and helped her to wear the bow and arrow holder.

"What's taking you so long to figure out how to wear these?" Asante asked.

"I have never touched a weapon, nor do I know how to use it," Adora replied.

"What? Let me take them back then," Asante said and was about to remove the weapons from her body, but she stopped him by taking a few steps backwards.

"No."

"Don't take them back. I will learn how to use them within seconds. Haven't you heard about me before?"

"What about you?" Asante asked and scoffed.

"I am a very fast learner. I began running when others were still learning how to crawl,"

"Okay, if you say so, my Lady," Asante said and shrugged.

"I have no will to oblige." He continued as he walked away from her and walked closer to Lilian who was already standing and staring into the forest like a warrior who was ready to conquer her enemies.

"Adorable," Lilian called out.

"I am ready," Adora said as she joined them.

"Adorable?" Asante muttered and scoffed again.

They walked out of the Palace and went to the boundary that separates the worlds of all creatures from an unknown place. It's not the sixth world, it's like a forest that doesn't belong to any world. It's a place where evil dwells.

"Asante, Adorable, I hope you remember all the instructions that I have given?" Lilian as she looked behind.

"Yes."

"Yes, my Lady."

Adorable and Asante said in unison respectively.

"One last warning. Remember, whatever you do or happen, don't look back. You know what I mean, right? Don't look at what or where you have walked past." Lilian said at the top of her voice.

"Copy that," Adora said.

"Roger that," Asante said.

"We move now," Lilian said and led the way into the forbidden path, the place of all evil.

They entered the forbidden path and kept walking further and further till they found a hint.

On no account should they look back. It's better to turn around before looking.

No one knows if this is true or just a myth that someone brought up but whatever it is, obedience has always been and will always be better than sacrifice.

You can look sideways but never look behind. No one knows what will happen if you do but no one is ready to be a scapegoat.

"Any visuals?" Lilian asked.

"No," Adorable and Asante said in unison.

"Keep moving," Lilian commanded and continued to lead them deeper into the dark part of the forbidden path.

They continued walking and then knew the reason why one should never look back.

There were different sounds from all directions, the sounds of babies crying, children running around and playing, women singing and men shouting.

There were sounds of animals too.

Some were visible, others weren't.

If you get distracted and look at them, you might lose focus and look back.

"Help!" A voice that was very familiar to them called out.

"Goliath?" Adora asked.

"Yes, but don't go just yet," Lilian instructed.

"Why? That's my master's voice," Asante protested.

"I know. What if it's one of these things that is trying to deceive and distract us and make us lose focus?" Lilian asked.

"Help!" The voice cried out again.

"That voice sounds too familiar to be mimicked," Asante said.

"Just wait, first. Remember what I said back at the Palace," Lilian said to them.

Asante sighed, rolled his eyes and said,

"Yes, I do"

"Lilian?" Adora called out.

"What is it?" Lilian asked.

"I think we should cover one another," Adora said.

"Yes, let's do that," Lilian said as they backed one another and started walking in circles but were still moving deeper into the forest.

"Have you noticed? The voice has not called out for about five minutes now," Adora said and shrugged her right shoulder, slightly hitting Asante's arm.

"Yes, I have noticed too," Asante agreed, nodding at the same time.

"I love the spirit. Let's keep moving. Let's make it a bit faster," Lilian instructed.

They kept walking deeper into the forbidden path until Adora said,

"Stop!"

"What is it?" Asante asked and rolled his eyes.

"I have a visual," Adora said.

"You are just kidding, right?" Asante asked.

"No, I am not," Adora said.

"Swear," Asante requested.

"I swear with your life," Adora said and scoffed.

"What?" Asante asked, took a glance at her and continued looking at his front.

"Stop it, both of you. This is no time and place to make a joke," Lilian cautioned.

"I am sorry," Asante and Adora said in unison.

"Tell me, Adora, what do you see?" Lilian asked.

"I am not sure about what it is. Does it look like a house, a hut? I don't know. I think you should see for yourself," Adora said as they turned in half a circle and made way for Lilian to take Adora's place.

"I don't know what it is either. Let's go take a closer look. Walk normally and follow me," Lilian ordered and started walking towards the thing that looks like many things; a house, a hut, a carriage, a shade and lots more.

They got closer to it but were scared to go near it.

"Wait, ladies. This is not a ladies' first thing. I am a soldier, I think I should go have a closed look first." Asante said and walked closer to the place that looks like a house, has a hut outside, a carriage packed in front of it and a shade at its side.

"Wait," Adora said.

Asante turned around to look at her and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" He asked.

"Be careful," Adora said to the King's guard.

Asante laughed softly, scoffed, sighed, rolled his eyes and said,

"I have always been careful," He said and turned back.

He was about to take his first step when Lilian called out,

"Asante, wait."

"Ladies and their problems," Asante muttered to himself.

He turned around to face the woman again and said with a forced smile,

"My Lady?"

"Seriously, be careful," Lilian cautioned.

"Yes, my Lady," Asante said.

"If you need my help..."

"Our help," Adora interrupted.

Lilian sighed, rolled her eyes, cleared her throat and reconstructed her sentence,

"If you need our help, just scream."

"Guys don't scream," Asante said.

"Then shout," Adora suggested.

"That's okay. What should I shout?" Asante asked.

"Shout... Uh..." Lilian tried thinking.

"Uh?" Asante asked with a frown.

"Shout our names," Adora suggested.

"That's too risky," Lilian said.

"It's unreasonable too," Asante said and rolled his eyes.

"I was just trying to help. You know what? Whatever," Adora said and rolled her eyes too.

"Yes! I think whatever will do," Lilian said and clapped once in excitement.

"Whatever?" Asante asked with raised eyebrows, slowly shaking his head at the same time.

"Yes, whatever will do. Do you have a better option?" Lilian asked with a smirk.

"Okay, whatever. Bye!" Asante said, waving at the same time and walked away.

"Bye!" The two girls said in unison.

Asante walked even closer to the house, climbed the three stairs that were at the front of the house and knocked on the door that looks like what has been half eaten by a wide animal.

There was no response, he knocked again and said,

"Hello!"

"I don't think there is anyone here," He said to the girls.

"What did you say? We can't hear you," Adora shouted at the top of her voice.

Asante rolled his eyes, turned around and went back to the ladies.

"What is it?" Lilian asked curiously.

"I don't think that there is anyone in there," Asante said.

"Did you see anything?" Adora asked.

"No," Asante replied, shaking his head at the same time.

"How about you open the door," Lilian suggested.

"Are you sure that's okay? Isn't that trespassing?" Asante asked, scratching his head.

"What is it?" Lilian asked mockingly.

"Nothing," Asante responded with a shrug.

"He is scared," Adora said and scoffed.

"No, I am not," Asante said.

Lilian sighed and asked,

"Then, what is it?"

"I saw something," Asante responded as a cold ran down his spine.

"What did you see?" Adora and Lilian asked in unison.