The Ties That Bind

Three

There was no delay, and the final contest began almost immediately, as all the winners ventured deep into the Darkwood - they were not alone. A rustling in the undergrowth announced the arrival of Orion, a figure as notorious as he was charming. With tousled hair and a confident swagger, he sauntered into view, flanked by his loyal followers. His reputation as a playboy and a bully preceded him, and he thrived on the power his influential family afforded him.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ronan and his little entourage," Orion grinned, his eyes glancing dismissively over Lilith and Jane. "What brings you to this dreary forest? Looking for a pretty flower to play with?"

Ronan ignored him.

"Oh, someone's afraid to talk," Orion sneered, stepping closer. "After all, who would dare be against me?" Orion blinked at the innocent-looking Lilith, taking in her beauty as he winked at her with a grin. "You're just a guy with no background and an innocent girl with no strength, why bother..."

Before Orion could finish, another figure emerged from the shadows. Gray, the famous and proud member of the Infernox sect, appeared, his posture exuding confidence. His reputation as a skilled fighter and favorite of his master had no equal. "What's all this?" he asked, eyeing Orion with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

"Just a friendly chat," Orion replied, a grin spreading across his face. "Would you like to join us?"

Gray chuckled and crossed his arms. "I have no interest in playing babysitter with you. Don't think I can't do anything to you because of your background." "Such a buzzkill!" Orion muttered under his breath. Gray turned to Ronan, his expression condescending. "You guys okay?" Lilith replied with a nod. "Let's go together." He turned to leave, but Orion stopped him with his hand. "You support strangers from other sects and ignore your own, I'll show you face this one time and let them go." Orion said as a warning, but Gray, unbothered by his words, released his arm in contempt. Without a word, Gray signaled for the others to follow when he noticed other participants getting in their way. "Let's stick together to find the Blood Lotus faster." He concluded as they left Orion and joined the other group.

*****

"If we had just flown over the river..." Kael said as he finished attaching the last branch to the small boat he was building, while Sorrel sat and watched him from the riverbank. "We would have arrived by now." He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Humans really have a hard time getting things done." He finished, dusting his hands. "What do you know?" Sorrel barked back calmly. "Being human is great sometimes, even though their lives are very short." She said with a small smile. "But I haven't experienced that yet. I still have a long way to go."

"I'll take your word for it when I see it for myself." He walked to her and helped her to her feet. He walked her to the boat, which she climbed into before pushing it into the river with little effort, then joined her with a stick in his hand for a paddle.

Sorrel breathed in the fresh scent of the river with a smile, free of all worries, as she noticed how beautiful the places looked from the middle of the river. "You say, crossing the river wasn't as bad as I expected, despite my fear of water." Sorrel commented. "Of course, you have me by your side, how could I ever let anything go wrong with you?" He assured her as they looked into each other's eyes. "Just keep praising yourself." Sorrel looked away, avoiding to look down every now and then until a harsh wind blew into her face. Her hair swayed wildly as her body shivered, trying to adapt to how cold it was getting. "What's happening?" She asked Kael. "I almost forgot, even though this is the shortest way, people often avoid it because of the strange tornadoes around here that no one has ever survived." "Are you serious?" Sorrel looked at Kael wearily, slowly losing her balance and rubbing her arms to feel some warmth. "I usually fly over, so obviously I don't care about these little things." Karl backed up. "Well, why don't you find a solution to 'these little things' quickly?"

Sorrel was running out of breath as she watched the storm ahead, noticing how dark and cloudy places were getting, and the huge waves that were coming at them, accompanied by loud thunderstorms.

The small boat, battered by the torrential rain, creaked and groaned as it entered the raging river. Dark clouds unleashed thunderclaps and tornadoes churned the water into chaotic whirlpools. Sorrel, already afraid to be on the water, tried to keep her balance, her eyes wide with fear. Beside her, Kael struggled to keep their boat afloat. Suddenly, a massive wave crashed over them, sending the boat into a spin. Karl wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Sorrel, who couldn't even breathe in his embrace, shielding her from the water with his waterproof cloak. "It's okay, hold me." He whispered in her ear. "Don't let go, no matter what." That was the last Sorrel heard before the swirling eddies pulled them under, swallowing them into the turbulent depths.