Sight Unseen

Chapter Three; Asta Part Two

The soldiers stood close to her as they led her out of the village. They were closer than they normally stood to their own warriors, to make sure that she was able to stay sure-footed. They were very protective of Asta, even if they weren't allowed to be. Shivers crossed all of the men as they edged closer to the cave where they left their sacrifices. They could feel eyes upon them, but didn't dare look up where they knew the eyes were coming from.

The soldiers kept moving until they got to the entrance of the cave. As the soldiers got closer to the cave, the more nervous they became, much to Asta's displeasure. She didn't understand why the men were so scared. She knew there was a monster living in the caves, as they all did, but she wasn't sure just how bad the monster was.

She knew that all of the men who went to fight the monster never came back, but she was still hoping that she could appeal to the monster, if she was able to. Her own nerves were starting to get the better of her, and she wasn't used to that. She prided herself on not being scared of anything, because she didn't want to be afraid of anything since she's blind.

Arriving at the mouth of the cave, the men separate and gently lead Asta into the cave. They didn't dare go any further. They didn't even bother to take the potato sack off of her head. Sighing as they left her, she reached her hands out and started to walk slowly, shuffling her feet so she didn't trip, trying to feel her way around the cave.

She continued her shuffling and flailing her arms around her as she moved further into the cave. She stiffened and was on high alert when a throat was cleared not that far in front of her. Reaching her hands out further, she continued to reach for anything she could touch. She heard soft footsteps, though she figured the monster was trying to keep itself hidden.

"I can hear you! S-stop hiding!" She cursed herself for stuttering. She couldn't allow her fear to show through! She let out a yelp of surprise as the sack was pulled off of her head, and she glared in the direction that the sack was yanked into.

"I know you are there!" She said, her voice raising to a shout, unsure if the monster was still near her. She continued to reach her hands out and shuffle her feet. She turned to a low noise catching her attention. She didn't know what it was, but she figured it was better to head towards the noise than to continue to stumble around.

"Hello?!" She shouted, now unsure as to where the monster was, if it was even a monster here with her. She let out a soft noise of surprise when she touched a stone. She ran her slender hands across it, finding broad shoulders, a wide chest... She ran her hands back up the stone, making her hands dance towards where the face would be, only to find rugged pieces where the neck had once attached to the body.

"Oh..." she breathed out, almost surprised at how the statue had gotten like it had. She ran her fingers across the bulked up arms, finding the hand that held a sword in aggression, whereas the other one held a shield up trying to protect itself. "What could have happened to you, Drovis..." She murmured, noting the family crest that the male had on his shield.

Another noise caught her attention further into the cave, and she turned towards it. "Hello? Who is there?" She shouted, following the arm of Drovis, and further, reaching another soldier a little bit away from where she was standing.