The woman seemed to be assessing their danger level, which at the moment seemed to hover around zero. They let her look. It wouldn't matter. She took a deep breath and drew back, seemed ready to launch herself at Phantom. Right before she took off, the man showed himself and spoke.
"The guardian of the forest?" The woman scoffed, glancing over her shoulder at the man. "This thing isn't a guardian, it's a murderer." She turned back to Phantom. "I can't go back. They would never forgive me." She was looking at them, but her words were aimed at the man behind her.
"It's not a choice of who gets to walk out of here. No one gets to walk out of here." Phantom looked at the man, their words calm and cool. The woman seemed to decide that it was the perfect time to attack and leaped forward, her sword aiming for Phantom. They turned their attention back to her in an instant, hand reaching back and unsheathing their sword. Even as fast as they were, Phantom opted for simply stepping out of the way of her sword. There was no need to rush anything.
He sighed as he gazed at the woman. She really had to be stupid. She had to be… He rolled his eyes and gave a soft huff of disappointment. He hummed as he watched her. "Yes the guardian of the forest. They were here first." He murmured slowly, "You must understand that. Or can you not see that through your blind rage." He watched her for a moment before turning his attention back to the other. "I'm well aware guardian." He sighed and looked at the woman, "I know." He knew that she wasn't going to back down. She was angered. Nothing could be won with anger though. Spite, maybe. But anger made you stupid. Made you hunger, made everything blur. So he settled himself back and watched the two of them fight. He offered a chance to the woman and she ignored it. So he just watched.
"It might have been here first, but that doesn't mean it had to kill everyone who came through!" The woman exclaimed, glaring ferociously at Phantom. "My rage is not blind. I see a monster in front of me, too hideous to even show its face. It wears a veil to mascarade as human, but take that away and nothing but nightmares will be revealed." Phantom had to give it to her, this woman was able to think of speeches on the fly very well. She lunged again, and they dodged again, the sword seeming to only be there as a last resort. It was a sort of dance, really. The woman got angrier the more Phantom managed to slip out of her way, finally stepping away with an angry scream.
"Did you think it would be so easy to kill the monster?" Phanom asked, their voice soft and warm. "Alright, fine. I've let you suffer long enough." The woman frowned, holding her sword at the ready. Phantom sighed, a soft smile on their face, and disappeared into the mist. A second later, they reappeared behind the woman. She didn't even have time to turn around before they stabbed her straight through the heart. "Welcome to the woods." They whispered, almost too soft for anyone but the woman to hear. She gasped, then went limp.
He raised a brow and sighed quietly as he relaxed, watching with curiosity as they fought. He had tried to warn her, but of course, she was set on revenge. Revenge is all good and well, but she clearly didn't think this through. Just add another to the list of the dead here. He sighed as she lunged, leaning against his staff watching her get angrier and angrier. He looked away as the woman died, he had never been one to enjoy watching death. He sighed and stood once the woman was dead, not glancing at her as he raised his hand. She was enveloped in the gentle grasps of nature now, left to rot and become food for the forest. He said a silent prayer for the woman, hoping her on to the next life. He gave a wistful sigh. "I suppose you'll be killing me now." He glanced around the forest. He did wish that he could explore it more, but the creature was here, so why should the creature hesitate. He was a mortal that had entered this realm of mist and solitude. "Shame. I would have loved to explore more." He turned his gaze to the other and placed his staff on the ground.
"Killing you?" Phantom looked up from the woman, eyes locking onto the man. "No, not yet." They shook their head. "You are one of the few who appreciate the forest, so I think I'll allow you to see it." Phantom truly hadn't met someone like this man for a while, and it would be nice to talk to someone who could answer them. "What is your name?" They asked, quickly cleaning the blade of their sword on a patch of moss. Phantom sheathed their sword and turned towards the man. Hopefully, it wouldn't end up badly for them, like last time. Though they were much stronger than last time. This man was interesting and seemed like he wouldn't hurt them, but they wouldn't hesitate to cut him down if he tried something. It would be a shame, though. "Will you come with me?"
He tilts his head ever so slightly, curious as to why the other wasn't going to kill him. He paused slowly, a glimmer of light passing over his eyes, his body language becoming excited and happy. "Thank you." He bows a little, the smile never leaving his lips. The forest was so vast and he had the ability to search and understand the forest around him. "Ah, my name?" He pauses for a moment before quietly saying, "Nova." He rarely gave his name out, but he felt like he could. "Those who know me call me Nova." He places his staff onto his back and smiled warmly. "I will come with you. I'd love to explore and understand this place… May I ask. What do I call you, Guardian?" He asks curiously, slowly moving to the others side.
Phantom inclined their head slightly at the man, their lips pulling up slightly at his smile and enthusiasm. "Nova?" Their smile grew larger– it was truly a beautiful name. "Wonderful." They turned and started walking into the forest. The path was nice and all, but the forest was much nicer in the deep, wild parts of it. "Ah, my name?" Phantom glanced over their shoulder, long hair swaying down their back. "Phantom." It was a name they had chosen themself, but it did seem to suit them and the stories about them. The spirit in the woods, the murderous phantom. It worked. Phantom stepped over a fallen log, bare feet sinking into a patch of soft moss on the other side. The mist was getting thicker, but it didn't occur to them that it might affect their visitor. They didn't have visitors often, and they'd forgotten that not everyone could see through the mist as they could. The mist density varied depending on how they felt when they weren't directly controlling it. Phantom was a bit nervous about having Nova in their forest, even if he hadn't acted aggressively towards them, and the mist reflected that.
He was excited to explore, wanting to understand more, to see more. He hummed as he walked over to the guardian's side, making sure to keep close since the path was misty. "Phantom." He murmured the name to himself, before smiling. "I think it's rather fitting." He explains kindly. His eyes were bright and hopeful as he flicks to life another ball of light, holding it in front of him. He was able to keep up with he other. He took in what he could see with reverence and respect, humming happily to himself. For someone who had just witnessed death and was under the threat of death if he placed one foot out of line seemed… incredibly happy despite the dreary situations. He was quiet as he took in the forest, making sure not to step on anything unless there was no avoiding it. He stepped very lightly for a human, not to mention he was quick on his feet, but he seemed content as he followed Phantom.
Phantom led the man further into the forest. Here, the trees were old and large, dark with moisture. The leaves were extremely green, dripping water onto the heads of the two every once in a while. The ground was either rich, damp soil or moss, with patches of large ferns and boulders sprinkled in as well. It was silent, for the most part, broken only by the sounds of the two travelers and the occasional cry of a raven. The babbling of a small creek soon reached their ears, alerting them that they were about half an hour away from the apple orchard. Phantom plunged into a sea of ferns, wondering if they should go to the apple orchard or keep away.
"How are you liking the forest?" They asked, glancing over their shoulder again. "Is it what you thought it would be?" The ground under their feet turned to gravel– they were almost to the creek, then.
The deeper they went into the forest, the more in awe he seemed to appear. Through using magic he was able to take so much in, to understand everything. This was peace to him. This was comfort. He would often raise his hand to gently touch the trunks of trees, or to feel the moss below him. He seemed at peace as he listened to the sounds of life within the forest. This was his peace. He perked when he heard the sound of a small creek, his eyes widening excitedly. "this-" He whispered, gazing around reverently. "This place is heaven." He murmured softly. It was heaven to him, filling him with comfort, with life. "Oh to understand this place, to discover it's secrets." He murmured quietly. "To think that humans would come here seeking to kill you… rather than witness the life of this forest truly baffles me." He murmured quietly. He touched the pebbles at his feet. "I can feel it moving… breathing…" He murmured, spreading his fingers into the rocks beneath him.
"Heaven." Phantom murmured, glancing up at the sky for a second. "I suppose." They glanced down again and continued into the creek. The water was icy, flowing up to their shins at the deepest part. The bottom was mostly smooth stones, which felt very nice on the bottom of their feet. "Most humans don't appreciate the fact that their friends and family were killed by me. The forest isn't as interesting as avenging their loved ones." Phantom emerged from the water, intending to wait until their visitor came over as well. A sudden pain on their neck caused them to freeze. A second later, something warm started running down their neck. Oh no. Not this. Not now! Phantom brought their fingers to their neck, and they came away crimson. They stared at those red-painted fingers, heart frozen. This was the worst possible time for the curse to reemerge! The pain on their neck started to work its way up towards their face and down towards their chest. They could never get used to the pain, either– something about the curse prevented it, probably. It seemed that Nova's time in the forest had come to an end.
Nova nods at the others words, smiling a little bit. He paused once they came to the river, humming in thought as he placed his fingers into the water. It was freezing cold. There were multiple ways he could handle this. He was a very erm… sensitive to the cold. He glances up at Phantom, using his magic to create "ice" steps over the river. "Yes, well. I didn't have loved ones or family, so it's not like I came here to gain my honor again, or avenge family." He sighed and glanced at Phantom when he saw how much pain the other was in. "Phantom, is everything alright?" He asks gently, walking closer to Phantom. "You seem to be in pain…" He says gently, reaching out to the other. He wasn't afraid of the other. He was more worried about how Phantom was in pain. There was genuine concern for the them in Nova's expression, his hand reaching out in comfort.
Phantom silently cursed and spun around, only to see Nova reaching for them. Their first reaction was that he had noticed their pain and was going to take advantage of it. Then they noticed his expression, which he'd nothing but concern. Concern for them? Well, they wouldn't put it past this strange visitor. Phantom backed away a couple steps, less graceful than the had been only minutes before. They knew they only had a couple minutes before going 'completely useless mortal', and getting back to their place would probably take up most of that time. If Nova fought back at all, which he probably would, then there was no way they would be able to make it back to their home. And so Phantom made a choice. Their perfect record might disappear, having let someone go, but it was better than dying. They turned away from the man, calling the mists to bring them home. It was much slower than normal, and if they were being honest, at least five other people could have come along with them if they tried hard enough. All Phantom could do was hope Nova didn't follow them and learn the secret they had now hidden for hundreds of years.
Nova gazed at them, filled with nothing but concern. He knew that the other was in pain. He could see the small bit of blood on Phantom's fingers and he looked up, now confused and concerned. When Phantom stepped away from Nova, he debated on moving forward to make sure that Phantom was okay. They obviously wanted Nova to stay away, but he wanted to help somehow. But before he could make up his mind the mist became thicker and he quickly lost his ability to see. Nova of course, moved blindly through the mist, using his magic to try and clear the mist. He wanted to know if the other was going to be okay. He quickly got lost however, his eyes scanning through the dark.
Phantom stumbled out of the mist, heart dropping. Nova had followed them– it was an amateur mistake, one they would have made centuries ago. A small part of them whispered that they couldn't have done anything to stop it from happening. The curse did weird things to their magic, loosening their hold on it until it was totally gone. Their entire face was screaming at this point, blood running down their face and dripping onto their clothes and the ground. Phantom took a few slow steps forward. The earth dropped down in front of them, creating a pit lined in rock. In the center of the pit was their garden. Phantom knew somewhere in the back of their mind that they were leading a human straight into the heart of their home, but it was the only place where they were truly safe. Nova might not try and kill them in their weakened state since he seemed more interested in the forest than in killing the 'monster'. They took a shallow breath and started down the steps carved into the rock wall. If they beat Nova to their safe room, then they might be able to lock him out. He was a magic-user, though, so that might not work too well. Still, they had to try. Phantom had made it halfway down the steps, leaving behind ruby drops on the grey stone.
Nova wanted to help somehow, wanted to make sure that the other was okay. He wanted to make sure that Phantom was okay… what a strange sentence. He wanted to make sure that the Phantom, a creature of the forest that killed people that came into their forest, was okay. He had to be going mad. He sighed deeply before using his magic to clear the mist. He followed after the red staining the ground. He moved faster, gently calling out to the Phantom. He could help. Nova was a healer. Or he could at least offer assistance in some shape or form. Nova quickly got lost in the woods, losing the trail of blood. He cursed quietly, following the river. He wanted to make sure that Phantom was alright- that they were okay. It may be a foolish thing, but Nova rarely left someone in need.
The blade on Phantom's back was getting much heavier, even though it was enchanted to be extremely light. They unslung it and started using it as a support. Upon reaching the bottom, Phantom nearly fell over. The sound their sword made against the stone as they righted themself seemed impossibly loud. Phantom groaned– if Nova was anywhere close to where they were, he would probably hear it. Every step took forever, and they absolutely hated it. The weakness, paired with the scorching pain now making its way down their chest, made them want to scream. But they couldn't, not if they didn't want Nova to find them. Their veil was starting to stick to their face, so they reached up and pulled it off. The white material fluttered to the ground and disappeared, and Phantom kept going. They finally reached their quarters, tossing their sword onto their bed before turning around and contemplating the doorway. They could still use blood– of which they had plenty– to create a small barrier. Phantom carefully dabbed their fingers onto their cheek, wincing a bit as their fingers connected with fresh cuts. It only took a minute or so until a soft green light filled the doorway with a small pulse of magic. They wouldn't worry about that if it was any other human, but Nova the magic-user would probably notice it. Another thing to draw him towards them. At this point, though, Phantom couldn't make themself care.
Nova followed whatever noise he could hear. He needed to make sure the other was okay. Phantom had been bleeding heavily from what Nova could tell, so he moved as quickly as he could through the forest. He heard a loud noise and jumped, clinging to his chest. But it sounded close so he pushed forward. He had to push forward. He wanted to help, maybe there was something he could do with his magic. Maybe he could tend to the other and make sure that they would be alright. So he pushed forward, almost falling when the ground beneath him almost seemed to disappear. He caught his balance before looking down. There was a lot of blood leading down. He only felt more determined to help, carefully going down the steps, a small fire flickering dimly in his hands.
Phantom slowly made their way towards the place where they kept bandages. The bleeding probably wouldn't stop for a little while longer, but they could stop it from getting everywhere. They grabbed the container they put the bandages in and stumbled over to the small pool of water that they kept just for this occasion. Next to it was a mat of moss, which Phantom basically collapsed onto. Everything was screaming at them. Phantom reached over and trailed their fingers in the water. The sensation helped for a fraction of a second, but nothing could keep the pain away for long. They just had to sit through the first day, and then the second day would be better. It was just the first day… Phantom let their eyes close, abandoning the idea to slow down the bleeding. They could do that later when everything stopped hurting so much.
Nova was sure that the other was down here somewhere. He just needed to be careful. The stairs were slick with blood, making him almost fall at one point. He finally made it to the bottom and made the light a little brighter. Phantom's weapon and their veil from when they dropped it pointed Nova in the right direction. He made it to the door, using a little magic to open it. "Phantom." He murmured gently. "I'm here to help. I know you're in pain. I won't do anything to harm you, I promise. I only wish to help. Will you let me do that?" He calls softly.
Their first warning that something was wrong was their barrier opening. That could only mean one thing: Nova had found them. Almost as a habit, they tried to call some mist to confuse him and lead him out of there, but nothing happened. He sounded worried, and he promised that he wouldn't hurt them… but they couldn't trust him, not completely. Phantom moved their hand slowly towards the fan tucked into their belt, wishing they hadn't thrown their veil away. Their face probably looked like something out of a nightmare, fresh cuts and blood all over it. They pushed themself to a sitting position and quickly splashed some water on their face to wake themself up a bit. Phantom then turned towards where Nova's voice came from, their pale green eyes scanning the area. The fan was clenched in their hand, ready in case Nova tried anything.
Nova enters the room slowly and inhaled quietly. His hands were in the air, a small smile on his lips. "Hey. No tricks, you can see my hands. I'm here to help. I'm not going to hurt you." They looked horrible, and Nova only looked more concerned. He walks slowly over to their side, being wary of the blood soaked ground. He used his magic to slowly move the blood out of the way, cleaning the space a bit. He then used his magic to clean and decontaminate the water. He takes a deep breath before turning to Phantom. "Do I have your permission to help you?" He asks quietly.
The moment Nova appeared, Phantom flicked the fan open. They wouldn't be able to use it very well, being a temporary mortal, but it was still a magic weapon. But Nova came in with his hands up and gentle words, and they couldn't help but lower the fan slightly. They were fine with being alone, fine with being the only one there… except during these times. Everything was harder during these days, and they always wished that the ravens could help them. Now, they did have someone to help them. He hadn't done anything hostile towards them in all the time he'd been there. Now, he might just be biding his time, but something told them that wasn't the case. Phantom stared at him, the last of the mist disappearing from their eyes, leaving them a bright, venerable green. "Alright," they said softly, flicking their wrist and closing the fan with a soft snap.
Nova noticed the fan and took a quiet breath. He knew that Phantom was more than capable of taking him out. He made sure to keep his movements slow and able to read. He didn't want to upset them, they were already in enough pain. Nova usually wasn't a hostile person unless he had to be. He nods once they gave him permission. He grabbed the bandages before waving his hand and calling some water to his hands. He gently pressed the water over their bloodied body. At times, the water would halt over one of the open wounds, making sure it didn't bleed anymore, the rest of the water gently cleaning the blood off of Phantom's skin. Nova had his eyes closed, a serene look on his face has his hands moved slowly through the air.
Phantom was tense as Nova washed away the blood and cleaned their wounds. It hurt, but they made sure not to flinch or move at all. Nova might see it as a threatening move, and… wow, they were paranoid. Phantom kept their eyes on the man, watching what he did closely. It really was effective, much more than what they would have done. Which was probably just jumping into the pool after the bleeding had ceased and cleaning themself off as best they could. Ah, how funny of the forest to grant them an almost immortal existence, but give them a yearly reminder of the day that drove them to make the deal with it in the first place. And how funny that a mortal, who had been responsible for that terrible day, to be the one helping them now. If only the ones they'd ran across all those years ago had been as kind and curious as he was.
Nova was quiet as he worked, the water glowing a faint blue as he healed. His hands were gentle as they move over Phantom's body. Nova was aware that Phantom was watching his every move, but he didn't seem to mind it. His eyes remained shut, his posture straight. Life was made up of water, which could be used as healing. So that's what he did. Nova looked so content as he healed, humming as he worked. However, once Phantom was healed and cleaned off, a look of exhaustion wiped over Nova's expression. He slumped to the side, shaking and breathing heavily, clutching at his chest. A layer of sweat had settled over his skin and he looked pale. Magic was a wonderful and beautiful thing, but using to much of it came at a cost.
Phantom was not regretting their choice to let Nova help them. He was healing them much faster than they could ever have done on their own. The cuts refused to disappear completely, of course, leaving behind pale scars. They still ached– the curse really was dedicated to making them uncomfortable. Phantom opened their mouth to thank Nova, then noticed that he didn't look very good. "Are you alright?" They asked instead, setting their fan in their lap and brushing stray locks of hair behind their ears. Nova had probably stretched himself using his magic, though Phantom had no idea what they could to help him. Because they had to help him. He had done the same for them– it was the least they could do. On top of letting him walk out of this place alive, too.
Nova seemed very practiced in the art of healing, he didn't even have to look. His hands simply guided him. Of course he knew that most of the injuries would scar, he couldn't heal wounds to the point that they were invisible. Nova hunched over, slightly falling once the healing process was over with. He seemed so tired, so weak. If Phantom wanted to, Nova could be dead within a second. Nova considered that a possibility. After all, he had been alive so far. But if Phantom wanted to kill him off, perhaps death would be accepted. Nova… hadn't really found a reason to live. So either way, he accepted his fate. "Mmm… Yeah… I'm okay." He mumbled, but it was hoarse and tired. "Just… just lost a lot of energy… s' fine. I'll be back to normal in no time." Usually after healing moments like that he would sleep up to 48 hours.
"Ah, I see." Phantom nodded slowly. "Is there anything I can do for you?" They wouldn't be able to do much in the way of magic, having lost it for the duration of the curse, but they could give him a place to rest at least. "I'm… I'm not going to kill you," They added softly, trying to ignore the side of them that screamed that it was a terrible idea. But this man had pushed himself in order to help them, so he was probably not going to turn around and kill them. They had to trust, although that was difficult for them. Phantom shifted to a kneeling position in front of Nova and quickly tied their hair back in a simple braid. "And thank you," They said softly, remembering that they still hadn't done that.
Nova hummed quietly as he turned his attention to the other. "Hm… I don't think so… Just a place to rest…" He whispers quietly and takes a deep breath as he lets his body ease slowly. He blink ed a little when the other said that Nova wasn't going to meet death's hand just yet. He eased a little bit. Nova didn't really have anything to lose, so death or not it was fine. He hummed and smiled a little bit. "I was just doing my part." He murmured quietly. "You were in pain, I did what I could to help." He murmured quietly. He leaned into Phantom's hands as his hair was braided before his body glowed for a moment and he passed out.
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