Chapter 2

| Chapter 2: "The Garden, The Guardian, and the Talking Pup"

...⚔️...

"Who goes here in a manner of youth? What brings you into this garden and dares to come close to the Great Tree of Askyeruz?!"

Was the question that Alleia received and she needed to process the thought of it for a few more seconds before he wielded the flaming sword once again before her face.

The blade stopped—right at her nose. Her breath caught. He didn’t move

Alleia was more tensed and terrified than ever that she even stuttered to answer as echoes of cry for help desperately resounded at the back of her mind.

"What is he talking about and who is he? Where exactly am I and what is all this about Askyeruz that I am hearing over and over again? I've heard that this morning too. It was a dream, right? Then what is happening?" Alleia's thoughts pondered consciously with confusion and fear.

"Why is a young girl like you here in this garden? Who brought you here and how did you enter the gates guarded by the Avyezar? Speak! Or receive your punishment for trespassing in this sacred garden! Or I might as well put you to eternal silence."

The Great Tree of Askyeruz that now stood behind the stranger shimmered faintly with veins of silver light that pulsed with every whisper of wind.

"We- wait! Please don't punish me! I don't know how I got here! I really have no idea! I just woke up and I'm here and-"

Alleia didn't really know what else to say because she was still confused and trying to figure out what had just happened that it turned out like this all of a sudden.

Is this, by any chance, some weird nightmare or something? Is this a show somehow or did I just lose consciousness and ended up dreaming anyways? If it is, I want to wake up now rather than get executed by this stranger's blade! This is the worst nightmare I could ever have right now.

My sisters are waiting for me back home! And I promised Marina~

My friends will definitely search for me if I don't get back to the park quickly. I have to wake up!

Alleia was surely trembling deep inside and it was as if her heartbeat was next to her ear.

She tried to close her eyes and opened them hoping that she would find herself back at Nature's Park if she opened them.

But, no!

When she opened her eyes for the third time, her sight focused at the tip of the blade and not until she had the courage to actually glance once at the man's head did the stranger withdraw his sword and returned it in its sheath.

The man stepped back once before he spoke yet again.

"Your eyes- they glow with the lights of this Garden. You're no ordinary child, are you?" The man asked that Alleia gulped not knowing how to answer and getting more confused with the statement.

She crawled backwards in her fear but the man did not move from where he was.

This time, the stranger in the white robe touched the handle of his sword and spoke yet again.

"If you value your life, depart quickly from this place and save yourself from the flames of this blade that you may keep your life and your purpose."

Alleia was not fully convinced of what she heard nor did she actually understand why the man said that but she quickly stood up and ran away from the stranger threading by the side of this river that flowed from that tree guarded by that stranger in white robe.

Alleia made a turn and ran through the thick bushes that she slipped down a slope ending up in a forest in the middle of the night.

Every movement she made after that fall was painful and she uttered such an aching cry. She managed to sit on her buttocks and examined the scratches and some cuts she obtained.

Alleia looked back upward from where she fell from but it was a mystery for her when she only saw foliage of trees and outgrown bushes that it was as if the place where she was before was not even there at all. There was no trace of that strange garden nor was the presence of the stranger in the white robe detectable for Alleia anymore.

It was as if she completely teleported to another place and Alleia did not have much of a thought about how it all happened.

What happened? Who was that guy that sent chills down my spine when he wielded that flaming sword right before my face? What am I even doing in this place and more like how did I? How did I end up in that garden just because I walked through that rose-arched pathway?

That voice... it felt just like my dream this morning. No—this can’t be real. Am I hallucinating?

But why all of a sudden and very strangely this way?

Alleia tried to clean her wounds breathing heavily at the thought of her circumstance. Then she stood up and looked around her being conscious of the dangers that may lurk behind the shadows of the moonlight sipping through the leaves and branches of the trees.

It happened that there was a nearby track that Alleia managed to notice despite the darkness and with only the little light of the moon. She warily threaded that path walking along the tracks with full awareness of her surroundings.

She searched for her phone but it was not with her making her remember that she left it at home.

She was getting scared already with these trees and the creepy sounds around her but it did not hinder her from going onwards because she thought of getting as far away as possible and finding some town or houses or someone that may help her to be able to enlighten her of what is happening.

What do I do to get back to where I came from? I wonder if this is just a dream or what? What if this is real? Am I in trouble now???

At that moment, Alleia heard noises and saw torches of light from a distance that she hid herself crouching on her own to not get caught for she heard raging shouts of men and painful cries of animals. She was supposed to be happy to sight some light with the possibility of asking someone for help but the sound of danger that it brought with it made Alleia tremble from where she was hiding from.

She covered her ears with the cries of death and clashing of metals to which she had no idea whether it was some kind of fighting or something else.

After some time, she got the courage to actually peek to see what was going on and saw that the noises came from troops with swords, horses and torches. They were chasing down some strange looking animals and Alleia made sure to hide quietly in fear upon witnessing it happen and not be caught just in case.

Some more time passed and the noises subsided that Alleia chose to keep hiding all throughout the night.

She dozed off in a peaceful slumber and was awakened by the cheerful songs of birds in the morning with the greetings of the breeze and it's morning kiss.

Alleia carefully examined the area around her rising up to see whether any trace of the soldiers and the strange animals she saw last night was still around but she found nothing at all. Presuming that the area was clear of danger, Alleia came out from hiding and carefully explored the place in search of food and water.

She was about to get discouraged after walking for a couple of hours but not until she heard this hushing of a running river that provided a safe haven for her troubled soul.

She ran to the direction where she heard the river from and went to drink it after judging that it was safe.

Alleia looked around her still being cautious of everything around her before she gazed at her reflection from the river water.

"What just happened to me? And what is this place? Ugh~ If this is a dream, I am not enjoying it." Alleia clenched her fists and stood up after her drink.

When she turned around to continue wandering near the river, she accidentally slipped at a muddy part by the river and ended up getting soiled up with the dirt.

"Wah~! Ahts! Ah~ No way. And this even need to happen right now~ Tsk~ Now I need to clean up..." Alleia muttered in visible annoyance before getting up and narrowing her eyes seeing all the mud that got on her clothes.

She took off her jacket and shoes and only decided to dive in the water to wash herself off the mud.

She washed off all the dirt that she got while glancing back and forth in total awareness not being off guard at all.

As Alleia bathed in the river, she was still lost in the thought of what she recalled of the events from last night. She couldn't help but think of what really happened and why it happened. The recollection of the events from that night left her being uncomfortable that she only submerged herself in the water to wash away the thought of it.

"This is really strange..." Alleia muttered to herself, bubbles forming from her mouth and rising to the surface.

Knowing that she actually spent the night in this unfamiliar place made her worried with the thought that something isn't right and her whereabouts might be hard to determine now. She doesn't even have the slightest idea as to what to do and how to go back home.

Alleia also remembered the promise she told her sister Emery to be back home by sunset and to Marina. Now she's here in this unfamiliar place having thoughts for the possibilities of danger after all she has witnessed so far.

"Aahhh! What is happening? This is really weird~ How did I end up in this place?!" Alleia asked submerging herself for another time before bringing her head out of the water again still in pondering thoughts.

And right at that moment she was getting restless already, she spotted this unclear thing floating in the river from far away and it was being carried by the current that she figured it out as a puppy grabbing on a piece of wood and holding on for its dear life.

Alleia noticed how the pup was struggling to keep itself afloat and when it finally lost strength to hold on, Alleia instinctively swam to save the pup from drowning and brought it to dry ground.

"Oh, poor little guy. What happened to you?"

It looked like a pup and Alleia tried to wake it up after putting it down on dry ground.

The little creature managed to have its consciousness back quickly breathing heavily before it calmed down.

It dared to get up on its four limbs despite appearing to be weakened and it shook its body to get rid of the water that soaked it over. The pup then focused its eyes onto Alleia when it managed to stand on its four paws.

"Thank goodness you're alright." Was what Alleia uttered out tracing a reassured smile along with it.

It took a few seconds as the pup stayed still keeping its eyes on Alleia.

The pup blinked at her. Then— "Thank you for saving me," it said.

Alleia froze. The world around her went silent except for the river’s hum.

"…You… talked?" she whispered.

That was all Alleia could utter out and she quickly stood up and moved a single step back in her surprise to the words of the pup.

"Did you just talk?" Alleia asked recomposing herself at this point but keeping her safe distance from the pup.

The pup seemed to have sensed Alleia's strange reaction that it sat down before speaking yet again.

"Of course. I am thanking you after all. But why do you look surprised?" The pup said tilting its head sideways in curiosity.

"Wow. No way you're talking to me? Are you for real?" Alleia asked and this time she lowered herself by bending her knees and sitting on her legs facing the pup with a sense of wonder but she still kept her safe distance.

"What is that question supposed to mean? I am real."

"No way. What I mean is that the way you are able to speak is just... You know..." Alleia was somehow hesitant to speak further but she still did so.

"Extraordinary... Am I really dreaming? I guess I really am. Or did I got transmigrated somewhere else not  earth anymore? Wait~ Does that mean, I died? I can't believe this. But meeting a talking pup~ How even in the world can you talk and I am even talking to you? I'm still sane, am I?"

...⚔️...

...~•AerixielDaiminse•~...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***