“Where exactly are we and why are we here?” Damien asked, his eyes scanning the entire greenery with uncertainty and fear.
Just ten minutes ago, he’d been taken out of his room by his uncle’s Osbourne who’d told him that they were headed somewhere very important.
Six hours ago, Damon had been sent off to Elderglow Academy alone as his punishment but Damien had no idea. He did feel somewhat odd but since he didn’t know the reason, he kept it to himself.
He’d remained in the confines of his soundproof walls awaiting the punishment from his father after what Damon had done. To be fair, Damien also had a hand.
Their father seemed to have placed a tracking device or spell of some sort on Damon without the boy’s awareness. They’d been caught just seconds after reuniting and from the glare his father had given them both, Damien knew. They weren’t getting out of it easy.
He was probably in this area filled with dense grasses and towering trees of different sorts that gave him the creeps as a form of punishment.
‘Ten minutes ago, uncle Osbourne said we were leaving the estate for a while. He took me to one of the three transport rooms of the estate and seconds later, we arrived here.’ As they continued their journey heading deeper into this dense forest, Damien kept analysing his current predicament.
He hadn’t received an answer to his question from his uncle so he tried to come up with theories of his own. ‘Uncle Osbourne probably brought me here to punish me. That’s the only thing I can think of. As for the punishment, I have no idea what it is.’
A sigh escaped his mouth as he failed to understand what was happening. His sight caught the attention of his uncle who paused to look at him for a brief moment.
Damien could swear he’d heard the man sigh afterward but he kept it to himself. ‘Yeah, something’s definitely not right.’
Damien was preparing to ask his uncle another question when he heard a furious roar that shook the surroundings.
Everything and everywhere shook at the sound of the roar, immediately alerting Damien of the dangers that lurked in these woods. He’d decided it was a random forest after seeing a lot of common trees but now, he was beginning to rethink that decision.
A thought crossed his mind and he froze. ‘It can’t be, right?’ Damien asked himself and then turned to his uncle.
“This…isn’t where I think it is, right?” Damien asked with eyes that betrayed his utmost curiosity as well as his fear of being right.
“Phew…”
A sigh was all he received from his uncle.
‘A sigh? No! No!! It can’t be!’ Damien shok his head in fear.
Osbourne noticed and sighed again. “Listen Damien, this is the Forest of Twin Disasters. A wrong move will get you killed.”
As those words registered in his ears, Damien’s legs froze, too terrified to move. There was almost no one in the entire Eastern Shirefort Continent who didn’t know of this forest.
A dreaded area that housed a large number of not only magic beasts but also humanity’s greatest threat… Demons.
Seeing the look on Damien’s face, Osbourne decided to continue. Since he’d let the cat out of the bag, he’d better done it completely.
“Your punishment as decided by the Lord of The Terrace Family, Lord Ashbourne, states that you be condemned to death in the Forest of Twin Disasters.” As Osbourne began to speak, Damien could feel his heart shattering piece by piece with each word his uncle released.
‘Condemned to death, huh? Damon’s punishment must’ve been tough as well.’ Even amidst his own peril, he still thought of his twin brother.
Osbourne watched the life drain from Damien’s face and although he kept a cold exterior, his insides were screaming for him to defy his twin brother’s command.
However, Osbourne couldn’t. That would be treason and he would end up dead. Since he couldn’t do that, he offered the next best solution he could give.
“Would you rather I end it here and now, your life I mean. Or would you face your punishment as declared by the Lord, your father.”
At the mention of the word “father” Damien’s face grew cold and icy. His pain was replaced with anger and regret.
The young boy shook his head. “The punishment states that I be condemned to death in here. I’d rather be devoured by the creatures lurking in here than have you stain your hands with my blood. For now, protect the family like you’ve always done.”
As Damien spoke, Osbourne’s hand curled into fists, his fingers digging into his palms. Every word from Damien stabbed at his heart.
“Take this with you.” Osbourne couldn’t bear it and unbuckled the strap on his waist. It was the strap that held the weapon he used. “This should at least keep you safe for a while.” Osbourne handed the thing sword still tucked in its sheath to Damien.
“I will use it well,” Damien said with a weak smile. He received the weapon from his uncle and held it in his hands. He turned away with an icy expression. “Farewell, uncle.” Damien said after a few minutes of silemce and then ran off, heading into the unknown.
He didn’t even notice that his uncle had left before his words reached him.
Within minutes, Damien found himself being chased by creatures he’d never seen before. It was a group of beasts that looked like a jackal but had scales and was twice as big as him. A Scaled Dog.
Damien screamed as he ran through the forest madly, attempting to escape them.
The pain in his eyes were undeniable as he received another slash from the monster closest to him.
Damien had constantly proven himself to be elusive but the creatures also found a way to reach him. Once one for close enough, it would swing a claw at him, leaving a cut on his back. They didn’t seem to care if it was deep or not. After all, their injuries had a corrosive ability. Soon after, the cut would begin to decay.
Dozens of small cuts covered Damien’s back that were beginning to decay. He’d bleed enough to faint twice but the adrenaline didn’t let him stop.
Finally, it happened. There was a loud crash as something descended upon him from above. He saw a large scaled figure close the distance and the only thing he could think of was, ‘No! I shouldn’t have to die like this. Anyone, help!! Help me!
I don’t want to die!”
As he slowly lost consciousness, he saw light descend from the sky, enveloping his frame, and scaring the attackers away. Even the large scaled figure that was undoubtedly a large serpent slithered away faster than it came.
As Damien stared at the light, something seemed to resonate within him. He’d felt like this once before. A few weeks back. When he’d gone through the Awakening ritual.