LOOP "does the death end?"

BEGINNING

THEO'S POV

With Catherine gone and me stuck with leaves all day, I wasn't sure I'd want to ever go camping. I kept searching for hours, and I eventually got lost

"Great, the day gets worse" I sighed

I heard a noise from one part of the forest and I had to find out what it was. I thought it could be Catherine. The forest began to get dark and, I don't do well with darkness. I kept walking towards the sound and I saw a scale like structure. It looked like a giant reptile shed its skin. The sound stopped as I saw the scale and I decided to go check it out.

I had no idea what it was but the closer I walked towards it, the more I felt it calling me. It wasn't like a voice but a will. I was compelled to touch it. The moment I touched it I had another vision. Just like the first time, my eyes went milky white and images appeared, I saw blood, lots of blood, people screaming and I heard a voice saying to me from the clouds "you and death shall be one unless you become death for your most loved". Suddenly I saw the forest again and I was trying to wrap my head around what just happened, and what the hell does it mean to become death for your most loved?

I looked down and I noticed the scale was gone and a shield was in it's place. I was taught to not pick up strange objects from the ground, especially not ones that can transform into a shield. The shield was royal blue in color with gold and silver design round it, it had a cross at the center, but aside the great artwork, it looked like nothing special. I decided to ignore the shield and find a way out of this damn forest.

Soon it got really dark and I had to find away to sleep and a way to eat something. I have been bleeding for a long time and I haven't gotten treatment nor food. I used to go camping with my dad when he stuck around so I knew a thing or two about camping. I picked up some fallen leaves and I decided to use it as a bed. I planned to cut down some branches {at least the ones i felt I could rip apart with my hands}, I needed them to make a tent, or at least something of the sort. I grabbed a small branch that had a really large leaf.

"You really shouldn't be doing that" A voice said from behind

"Who is there?" I said, slightly terrified

"Easy I won't harm you" the voice responded

"Show your face and you'd sound more believable" I said

A young boy walked out of the shadows, he looked about my age but not as tall as I am, he had dark curly hair with a bow attached to his back. He had hunter written all over him. I felt a strange aura as he approached me.

"Hi, I am Dillion, and you shouldn't be in Ara this late" he said

"Uhm what's Ara ?" I asked

"The forest. Don't you know where you are ?" he asked

"I kinda just got here and I have no idea where I am" I said

"First of Ara is alive, and it wouldn't appreciate its body being dismembered" he said

"You mean this forest has a consciousness?" I asked

"Exactly, I couldn't have said it any better" he said

"Sorry, but I don't believe you" I said

All of a sudden the ground began to shake, and the trees began to waiver. It was like a mini earthquake

"I told you it had a consciousness" he said

"What in the lord's name is going on here" I said

"What faction are you from?" he said

"What is that supposed to be?" I asked

"You don't know what that is? Are you from Vildom?" he asked

"Judging from how strange that word is, I am guessing I'm not from Vildom" I replied

"Uhm so you fell from the sky?" he laughed

"Something of the sort" I said

"You must really have hit your head too hard" he said as he pointed at my bruised head

I really didn't know how to explain to him how my day has been, because I didn't know what the hell was going on

"Come on, we should go to where I set up camp, it's safe there. Well relatively speaking" he said

"'Relatively' doesn't sound so good" I said

"Well it's the best option you'd get at the moment" he said

I honestly didn't like the idea of going with some strange kid, but it's the best option. I didn't really have a choice

"You coming or what?" Dillion said

"Right behind you" I said

We decided to converse on our way to his camp site. It was pretty far

"So what are you doing here" I asked

"You are a sorcerer, don't every sorcerer come to Ara for the same reason?" he asked

"And the reason is?" I asked

"To hunt for magical beasts, herbs, and treasures" he said

"Sounds like a fairytale" I laughed

"How can you be a sorcerer and know so little, you really did hit your head way too hard" he said

"Honestly, I don't know what you mean by a sorcerer. You make me feel like some sort of wizard or something" I said

"That's because you are" he said

"You sure you aren't the one who hit his head?" I asked

"In Vildom, non-sorcerers can't speak due to a curse" he replied

"Well I'm probably a special non-sorcerer, or probably I'm not from this Vildom you speak of" I said

"When I approached you, did you feel any tingling sensation within you?" he asked

"Yeah but it was probably a thing called fear, I don't know if you've heard about it " I said

"Okay genius, whatever you say. So tell me how you actually got to Ara" he said

I explained everything to him but he didn't believe me as expected, so I dropped it

"I am looking for my cousin, she is missing" I said {I stuck to cousin, aunt would be weird}

"The one you claimed to have spawned with?" he asked

"Yes that one" I replied

"Well if she got missing in Ara, there's a small chance she's fine, as long as she has magic flowing in her" He said

"Why is that a criteria?" I asked

"Ara is a natural magical phenomenon in Baldia. I am guessing you don't know what Baldia is, considering the fact that you had no idea you were in Vildom. This world is called Vildom, and it is divided into four continents, Nobayria, Garland, Trysium and Albegar. This is Trysium, and it is divided into Serges, Yele, Baldia and Eke. These are the countries in Trysium. We are in Baldia and this forest is the Avala of Baldia" he said

"Uhm that didn't answer my question, it made me have more questions" I said

"Each continent has four countries and each country has four faction. The factions are divided into North, South, East and West in all countries. In the middle of these factions lay the Avala's. A place filled with so much pure magic, magical beasts and strange phenomena. It differs for each country. The Avala of Baldia is called Ara, a forest so big it could contain all four factions. Concerning your question, Avala's are unsafe for non sorcerers because the body of non sorcerers repel magic, so being in the most magical place in a country is absolutely unsafe" he said

"WHAT!! Catherine's Life is in danger" I said

"Not necessarily, Ara is peaceful, It's the beings in it that are the danger. I'm sure Ara probably transported her somewhere else, besides this is where the souls of dead sorcerers rest, so she'd be moved out" He said

"Uhm dead?" I said

"Yup, dead. But pay no attention to that, they pose no threat, They are unbothered about the things of the living" he said

"How calming" I said

"We are almost at my camp site" he said

"One more thing, where do you think my au- cousin would be transported to?" I asked

"Well probably to one of the factions, or at worse a plain land with little magical energy. The problem with that is the presence of magical beasts roaming" he said

"At this point, I really think I should ask you any question again, because your answers are far from calming. They are rather disturbing" I said

"I am glad I could help. What's your name by the way" he asked

"Theo." I replied

"Well I am sure my siblings would scream your name all night, once we get back to the camp, I'd introduce you to them" he said

"Siblings? sounds like stress, but sure I don't mind" I responded

Dillion stopped moving and speaking. I looked forward to see what he was staring at and I saw the gruesome sight of dismembered children littered all over the ground, blood so much its enough for ducklings to swim. Dillion fell on his knees

"My....my siblings" he said.