Chapter 2: Desperation

Within the forest, where the chirping of wildlife is heard among the trees. Through the woods, crunching footsteps are heard as well.

Alecia slowly walks her way through the forest, and continues to step on any untouched pathway that would lead her inside the dense wilderness.

The wild life above her, screech a variety of sounds, as they scamper through the trees. She is interrupted by a few twigs falling on her head, causing her to huff in annoyance. Still irritated by what happened earlier.

Looking up, she  watches as the four-limbed mammals play within the web of branches.

These creatures are covered in green fur with darker stripes running along their body. She stands for a moment, gazing into the one's button-like eyes staring down at her. The creature loses interest and continues on through the forest.

The tight feelings in her chest begin to loosen, these animals, their appearance, their eyes, urging her to chuckle with a gentle smile. With a soft sigh, her smile fades; the negative thoughts, and feelings of what happened, came back to her. Still, she carries on walking.

Alecia steps into a part of the forest that is more open, with the company of trees standing in a circle around her. She raises her head slightly with her eyes drawn to the trees ahead. Looking around for a moment, over her shoulder. Alone, no disturbance.

Grabbing the ends of her hood, she moves it over her head, and joins her hands together near her chin, only to  stay silent with her eyes gently closed.

The air around her begins to pick up, as the trees start to gently rustle, which muffles out the sound of the wildlife around the forest.

After a while of standing silently in her prayer, she opens her eyes, and blankly stares ahead with a calm peaceful look on her face.

Like the feeling from being stared at; a presence nearby, something looming from within trees. Turning her head slightly, she flips off her hood once more, only to turn around with a suspicious look on her face. Something is definitely there, a feeling as if there a knot is going in her chest.

"I know you're there!" She called out, staring at the trees, and takes a few steps forward, and stops. No, she'll wait, it's best this way.

After a moment of waiting, her patience runs out.

"I can feel your presence, you cannot fool me!" She called out once more.

"Alright!" A male's voice is heard ahead, and the man from before, the trespasser steps out from behind one of the large trees.

Alecia's eyes widen and narrows, her blood begins to boil.

"You," she said in a resentful tone and walks towards him with her hands closed into a fist.

"Wait!" He said with a wide-eyed while he steps back, surrendering his hands.

"Do you know what you've cost me?" She said, a sternful look in her eyes as she walks closer to his retreat.

"Listen, please..." he said, staring at her with a wide-eyed look.

"...what happened there..." Taking one look over his shoulder, he gestures his hand behind himself, and brings it to the front once more.

"I'm really sorry about that, but you sort of-"

"I sort of, what!?" She snaps, and continues to walk towards him.

"Just please calm down!" He said in desperation, now standing before her charge.

"Please, just let me explain myself okay?" Alecia stops walking, and stands in front of him with nothing but a glare.

He slowly lowers his hands and exhales.

"I know that I should have approached you in a different way, and I'm sorry for what happened."

Alecia stops frowning, and gives a downcast look for a moment, thinking how everything could have been fine if not for him.

"So... are we goo-" a fist connects with his face which causes him to fall to the ground.

He quickly sits up with his hand on his cheek.

"Why did you do that for!?" He said rubbing his cheek with a puzzled look on his face.

"You know why!" She said with sorrowful look in her eyes, and turns around with a huff. Doing that eased her anger a bit.

"Just stay away from me!" She walks away while she moves the hood over her head.

"No!" He said standing up from the ground with a groan.

"Please wait!" He walks after her and rests his hand on the one tree beside him.

He scans his eyes across the group of trees ahead for a moment.

"What?" He takes a few steps forward while looking around himself, and stands in the middle where Alecia stood.

Letting out a sigh, he mutters to himself only to walk through the trees ahead.

--

Gentle tinkling of water is heard with the chirping of the wildlife. Within part of the forest, a turquoise river lerks, with water flowing off into it from a rocky hill, which is surrounded by thin trees, overshadowing the river with their branches and leaves.

Alecia is seen standing at the edge of the river, staring at the ripples of water dancing from one end to the other.

She takes off the white robe and drops it to the ground beside her.

Fortunately for her, she has other clothing underneath, which is a black polar neck, with a thin long sleeve white top with a zip, which has black folds at the end of the sleeves. The top slightly lengthens over her waist, which matches her black pants and boots.

Alecia looks at her sleeves, only to adjust, and straighten both of them.

Straightening the ends of her top, she looks ahead of herself once more, the calm river, and peaceful air slowly drowns her troubles away.

"Umm... hello?" The same man's voice said from behind her, taking away any peaceful feeling she had. Looking over her shoulder at him, her eyes begin to burn with anger.

"Sorry, it's me again," he said with a slight wave, along with a slight smile.

"What part of getting punched in the face do you not understand!" She said, turning to him with her hands clinched into fists.

"What do you want from me?"

She takes a few steps towards him with her eyes fixed onto his.

"Please just listen." He said taking a few steps back.

"I really do need your help!" He pleaded, his hands drawn out in front of him.

Alecia stops, and stands before him with her eyes staring straight into his for a moment. Perhaps she was too hard on him, but her anger, she couldn't control it. Her eyes soften, and her hands open up beside her.

"Alright..." she said closing her eyes with a soft sigh, her thoughts stirs within her mind, it wasn't the best approach, the elder was right. She opens her eyes.

"What is your name, first of all?" She slightly tilts her head with a hint of curiosity showing from her eyes.

"Booker." He said lowering his hands to his side.

"Booker?" Alecia said, raising her one eyebrow slightly.

"Yeah," he said, before narrowing his eyes, noticing her odd expression. He slightly turns his head with his eyes locked onto hers.

"What's wrong with my name?"

"No, I didn't say there's anything wrong with it," she said, folding her arms with her eyes drawn to the ground, and looks up at him once more.

"I haven't heard of it, that's all. It is unusual." She averts her eyes, only to look at him, he seems like someone she could maybe trust.

"Well, I am Alecia."

"I know," he said with a slight smile, which urges the woman stare at him with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"I only heard that it was your name," he added as a quick response.

"Okay, now that we got that out of the way." She said rubbing the dust off her forearm.

"Booker... tell me something..." she looks at him once more.

"...why should I trust you? We have never met, and yet you want my help?"

Booker sighs and takes a step towards her.

"I've come a long way to see you," he said with a calm tone in his voice.

"My sister, she's sick, and I've heard what you can do-"

"Booker-" Alecia interrupted, and averts her eyes, she begins to feel bad now, for the harm she did.

"I would, it's just..." she looks at him once more to see the patient look on his face.

"...I have my own problems to think about at the moment."

"Like what?" He said with a fearful look on his face.

"My own sister, for one," she said with a calm tone in her voice.

"I haven't seen her in a while."

"This is a matter of life and death," he said with a saddened tone in his voice, which urged Alecia to have a conflicted look on her face.

"You get to see your sister whenever you want, I won't have that choice if you can't help me."

His words urged Alecia to avert her gaze.

"Now I'm asking you," he said holding her arm gently.

"Please help me, she's gravely ill...I don't want to lose her. You're the only hope I have left, priestess."

Alecia slightly widens her eyes. She begins to feel compassion for his plea. Looking down at his hand around her arm, she lets out a sigh, how could she refuse a plea like this? His sister sick, what would she do if her own sister was in the same situation.

"As you wish," she said, gently taking his hand off her arm, and looks at him with a gentle gaze.

"I will help you." She gives a gentle smile.

"Really?" He said with a joyful look on his face, which received a soft nod from her.

"Thank you so much!" He goes in and wraps his arms around her.

"Okay, let go of me." She said in irritation, and pulls away.

"Don't thank me yet." She now straitens her top.

"You're right, sorry," Booker said, averting his gaze, and watches the river.

Alecia clears her throat, trying to get the awkward feeling from her chest.

"Where is she, if I may ask?" She asked with a curious look on her face, and crosses her arms.

He turns to her attention.

"In Senteria," he said, looking down, slowly moving a few twigs on the ground with his shoe.

"Senteria?" She said wih a slight wide-eyed look.

"That city is miles away."

"I know," hr said looking at the river.

"That's how desperate this situation is for me." He looks at her once more.

"How did you get here?" She asked with a curious look on her face.

"Did you come with a ship?"

"Yes," he said with a chuckle.

"How else would I." He turns away and takes a few steps towards the forest.

"Come, the ship is this way." He said looking over his shoulder at her.

Alecia looks at the river for a moment, savouring the sight before her, only to follow Booker.

--

Alecia and Booker are both walking through the dense forest.

Booker looks over his shoulder at Alecia, only to catch her staring back, urging him to look ahead once more.

"So..." he said in a calm tone.

"...how long have you been a priestess of Angelica?"

Alecia frowns, such a random question to ask.

"You dare ask me that, after what happened?" She said with a calm tone in her voice. Making sure he remembers what he did.

"I told you I was sorry," he said with a discouraged tone, only to let out a sigh.

"I only have a vague idea, you've been a priestess for a couple of months isn't it?" He ducks down under a low branch.

"Then I don't need to answer," Alecia said, ducking under the branch as well.

"Very well," Booker said, walking slightly faster, urging Alecia to do the same.

"There it is." He points ahead.

Alecia steps beside him with her eyes drawn to his, only to look ahead to see a small red ship standing in an open space in the middle of the surrounding trees. The apparence having round edges, with the engines underneath the wins that are facing the ground.

"That's your ship?" She asked, stepping towards it with a puzzled look on her face. Smaller than she thought.

"My one, and only," he said, and walks behind her.

"Why do you sound surprised?"

"No..." she said placing her hand on the smooth surface, and stares at it with a gentle gaze. It's been a while since she touched something as smooth as this.

"...I just think it's..." she looks over her shoulder at him as he approaches.

"...it looks nice." Looking ahead, she steps back.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a cheerful tone, and walks towards the door in the front of his ship.

"So what are we waiting for, let's go."

Alecia turns towards Booker, and walks past him, only to circle around the nose of the ship.

"Is it unlocked?" She asked.

Booker, opens the door.

"I doubt there's anyone here to take this," he said, climbing in the ship.

Alecia opens the door, and climbs in as well.

"You've got a point, she said closing the door, and takes a seat.

"Okay, you're good?" He said pressing a button, ingniting the engines.

"You can say that," she said, looking at him, and turns her gaze outside to see the dust, and the trees being blown by the wind from the thrusters of the ship.

"Okay then," Booker said, holding the control wheel, only to move it down, the ship begins to levitate off the ground, and continues to ascend above the large forest.

The thrusters rotate, and points out from the rear, only for the ship to accelerate forward, and flies off into the distance.