"Heh, not really. Just… it's surprising," Ellis said, letting out a calming breath. Once he got past the initial shock, the amount of time he'd spent in the Deep Woods didn't really bother him. He'd definitely lost his job and his home, but he could always get another one of those. "I, uh…" Ellis glanced over at Antonio, wondering if he should tell him just how long he'd been trapped there. He should probably tell him, just to let him know what he'd gotten into. "I was in there for about four years." Ellis kept his tone as light as he could, not wanting to make the man worry or freak out at all.
“four years?” Antonio breathed in disbelief. He had never really heard of anyone going into the Deep Woods and coming out alive, it was a true miracle if Ellis had managed to survive in that place for four years.
“You must be extremely lucky to have survived that long.” He mused. “May I ask how you got into such a place to begin with? Not many people go in there voluntarily, much less stay for so long. Not unless of course they have a death wish.”
Yep, the man was freaking out a bit. He understood it, but it was making it very difficult not to freak out about it himself. "Um, yeah. Unfortunately." Ellis started playing with his hair, his lips pressed together. "Really lucky… probably." He had no idea how he had survived in the Deep Woods– well, he'd been stuck at the bottom of a pool for the whole time, so maybe that was it– but either way, he was lucky. "I, uh, I got too close to it. And something noticed me. And it lured me in." Ellis spoke haltingly, not really wanting to talk about it but feeling like he maybe owed the man a few answers as well.
Antonio slowed to a stop, his focus more on Ellis than getting home. He frowned slightly, brows creased in worry as he saw that Eli’s was growing uncomfortable. “Forgive me, I shouldn’t have had pried.” He started walking again, though now he kept his eyes averted from Ellis. “I’m sure many in your position would have done the same.” He took a deep breath, hell, he was almost certain that he would have done the same if even if he was in Antonio’s place, with or without some sort of lure. “We’re almost there, how are you feeling so far?” He asked after a bit, wanting to stay talking but trying to stay away from the reason why Ellis had been in the Woods in the first place
Ellis stopped as well, idly wondering why the healer had stopped walking. "It's okay." He started walking again, feeling like he made Antonio uncomfortable. It would be shocking to hear what he had just said, so he could understand it. But that didn't mean he had to like it. "Mmm." Ellis twirled the end of his braid around his fingers, glancing around as they walked. "I'm fine, I think. You helped a lot. I'm just a little hungry." He looked over at Antonio, a slight smile wavering on his lips. The strange gold tattoos on his wrists caught his eye, making him flinch slightly. He would never get used to them… especially if they really meant what he thought they did.
He nodded a ghost of a smile on his lips in response to Ellis’. “I promise you food and water are coming soon.” He glanced down at the golden bands on Ellis’ arms but made no comment. It was no place for him question the reasoning or meaning behind them. All he could do was help the man recover and make sure he was safe for as long as he stayed in the village.”
They eventually came to Antonio’s home but he didn’t lead Ellis through the front, fearing they’d run into his parents. He honestly didn’t need to explain the situation to them now. Instead, he lead them around the back to where the kitchen was, the back entrance usually left open for fresh air on warm days. He took a deep breath once inside, breathing in the scent of flour and dried herbs. “Sit anywhere, make yourself comfortable.” He said, gather a few plates and pitchers and bustling around to pull fresh bread from the oven and water from the well outside
"Ah, good." Ellis dipped his head slightly, spirits lifting slightly at the mention of food and drink. Antonio's healing had helped him a lot, yes, but the only thing that would allow for him to feel better, permanently, would be eating something. He didn't understand why they didn't go in the front door of the house at first, but soon decided it was probably because the healer didn't want the people in the house to know that he was helping the stranger from the woods. Given the attitudes of the rest of the people he'd seen, there was no reason to believe that the people in that house would be any different. He followed Antonio into the kitchen, breathing in the scent with a slight smile. He chose a corner of the kitchen to sit down, not wanting to get into Antonio's way.
He eventually managed to find some dried fruits and cheese to add to the dish and passed it to Ellis. “Let me know if you want anything else, we have plenty extra.” He leaned against the counter across Ellis and glanced around the area, watching as his cat friend hopped up on the counter and nudged his arm gently. He glanced back towards Ellis “do you have any questions for me? Or about the village?” He asked, hopping up on the counter and pulling the cat into his lap.
Ellis accepted the plate, his mouth watering. It might have been a simple meal, but he was so hungry that it really didn't matter. He tried to eat slowly, but still practically inhaled everything on the plate in a very short amount of time. Ellis also gulped down the water quite fast, finding it the best-tasting water he'd ever had. "Mmm?" He looked up at Antonio, then frowned slightly as he tried to think of a question. He did have them, but it took a little while to remember them. "Oh, right. What village is this?" Ellis was a little curious about how far he'd traveled.
“You’re in Bellaluna. Small village to the south of the kingdom.” He replied, a small smile spreading on his features as he watched Ellis devour the food and water. “You came from the north side of the village.” He added on, looking away as the cat settled into his lap. “Do you remember where you come from? Before the Deep woods, I mean.” He asked, focusing back on Ellis and tilting his head.
"Bellaluna?" Ellis frowned, trying to remember the name. He was pretty sure he'd read it on a map or in a book at some point. "Ah, okay." Ellis tugged on the end of his braid. "I was walking towards Merilla from the capital when I got… attacked or whatever by that thing. I had been living in the capital before that." He glanced up at Antonio. "I guess I've been a long way." Ellis laughed softly, glad once again that he didn't have anything to return to. It would've been a really annoying journey to get all the way back to the capital from there.
“Merilla? That’s off the coast no?” Antonio inquiried, trying to think back to maps he had seen in his books. Surrounded by water on one side and then the Deep Woods on the other. The only way people can get in or out is the trading trail on the edges the Woods.” He said, trying to recall the geography of The land.
“Do you plan on going back to the Capital? I’m sure your family would be glad to have you back after so long.”
"Mmm, yeah, that's the one." Ellis nodded, glancing over at Antonio. "Yeah, it was a dangerous job, but it paid well because of it." He sighed. At that time, he had really needed that extra money. And because of it, he now had no money. It really was a wonderful turn of events. "I guess I will. There are more jobs there, after all." Ellis shrugged, not really knowing what his plan was. "Heh. My family didn't miss me. That much I know." He scoffed, a slightly bitter look on his face. His 'family' probably thought he was dead. And that's the way he liked it.
Antonio looked away at the mention of Ellis’s family seemingly not caring about their child’s well being. Honestly, this was the first thing Antonio felt he had a true understanding and connection of with Ellis. “Well, if not your family, then maybe friends or loved ones?” He refused to believe that no one wouldn’t miss the person in front of him. Surely there was someone’s out there that cared for Ellis and would be glad to finally have them back in their lives
Ellis looked up at Antonio, his lips pressed together. "Loved ones and friends? I had friends, but they were mostly the people I talked to when I was bored. I doubt they cared when I disappeared." He suddenly realized that he was sounding very depressing, and quickly tried to reassure Antonio. "But it's fine! I'm used to it." Oh, wow, that was even worse. "It's fine." Ellis tried for a smile, but it was rather awkward.
Antonio slowly nodded trying not to show just how concerned he was for Ellis. “Well, I fall it’s worth anything, I’m glad you’re alive and well. Eating me out of house And home but your alright.” He teased, laughing lightly at his attempt at a joke. “Honestly I think I can relate. I doubt anyone would miss me either if I suddenly disappeared. Well, other than this one, though I think she’d just miss the food more than me.”
"Ah." Ellis nodded, focusing on the floor instead of Antonio, who was saying nice things. And then he was teasing him, but Ellis didn't really mind. "Ha, well, I haven't eaten in years, so I think I get a pass." He gave Antonio a small smirk. "Oh. That's not very fun." Ellis's mouth pulled down. It was fine when he was the one who didn't get cared about, but he didn't really like thinking about it happening to other people. "Nah, I think she would miss you more than the food," He tried, shrugging slightly. Ellis started to look around again when he felt a slight twinge in his neck and wrists. They had never felt like this, so he immediately brought them up to stare at them. It didn't look like anything had changed, but the feeling was getting stronger. Almost like someone was tugging on his wrists. "What…"
Antonio shrugged “Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t really mind.” He smiled sadly and gently nudged the felines head. He glanced at at Ellis, expecting them to say more but finding them staring at their hands. Antonio slowly stood and walked over “Are you alright?” He asked with a tilt of his head, looking at Ellis then followings their line of sight to their hands. “Ellis what’s wrong?”
(Apologies for the late reply, life has been crazy lately.)
"Um, I don't really know." Ellis frowned, the tugging getting stronger. "I knew there was something weird with these tattoos." He muttered quietly. "You can't just walk out of the woods with gold tattoos and not have them do something really sketchy." The feeling grew stronger until he could barely resist the pull, then suddenly disappeared. Ellis, who had been using a lot of his strength to pull the opposite way, toppled backward as the feeling stopped.
(Ah it’s ok! Sorry for keeping you waiting!)
Antonio flinched when Ellis fell backwards, trying his best to stifle a laugh. He knelt down and offered him his hand to help him up. “Can you describe the feeling? It seemed to me you were pulling away from something. Maybe your tattoos were leading you to somewhere?” He suggested, putting the chair back upright. “Does it hurt? Or is it just uncomfortable?”
Ellis took Antonio's hand and stood, shaking his head a little in annoyance. "Yeah, it was like someone was pulling me somewhere. Maybe they were leading me someplace. But I really don't think it would be somewhere good." Ellis sighed and rubbed his neck. "It pinched a little at first, but then it was just uncomfortable." He frowned. "I have no idea what happened, but I'm going to hope that it never happens again." Being pulled somewhere like that gave him a feeling of doom that he didn't want to experience again.
He shrugged as he helped him up. "You never know, maybe it's leading you to an adventure. Maybe if you follow wherever these…" He glanced down at the tattoos and waved at them, "tattoos are trying to take you, maybe they'll be less uncomfortable?" He sighed softly and walked around the kitchen. "Well then maybe not actually, it could lead you back to where you came from…"
"I guess it could be…" Ellis shrugged, not sounding fully convinced. "Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. And I'd rather go anywhere else than that strange, jail-like lagoon." He shuddered slightly, remembering the place where he… well, that was where he'd died, wasn't it? Ellis shook his head, getting rid of that unpleasant thought. "Well, um… thank you for the food. I wish I could repay you, but–" He started, thinking that now was probably a good time to leave. He never got the chance to finish his sentence. Out of nowhere, a strange person with dark hair and bright blue eyes appeared in the middle of the kitchen.
"Ellis. Newest primordial spirit. Answer the call," She said, sounding slightly impatient. Ellis stared at her, wondering what she'd just said. He opened his mouth to ask her what that meant, but before he could, she disappeared again.
"Uh…" Ellis looked at Antonio. "Did you see her too?"
Antonio was going to offer a place to stay if a tour of the town, anything to keep Ellis here for bit longer. But the offers never even came to fruition. He whipped his head towards the entrance, afraid that his parents had found him. Much to his surprise it was a stranger, with stunning blue eyes. The rest of the individual was shrouded in black cloth. He watched her leave after her little message then turned to Ellis, nodding slightly. "I did. What did she mean? Primordial spirit? Is that you? And what call?"
"Uh… good thing you did, because otherwise, I would be worried. But… Primordial spirit… I don't know why she would say that. I'm not one. At least… I don't think I am." Ellis frowned, trying to figure out what she had meant. "And that call… it must have been the weird pulling sensation from earlier." He rubbed his neck, eyebrows creasing further. He was about to say something else when the tugging sensation returned. This time, it was too strong for him to resist. Ellis was pulled out of the kitchen, practically running towards his destination: the Deep Woods. He was too surprised to even yell for help. A feeling of dread started building in his chest. He couldn't go back in there. He absolutely couldn't go back in there! And yet, he was absolutely powerless to stop himself. At least, until he reached the edge of the woods. The second he passed into the Deep Woods, Ellis suddenly found the strength to stop himself. He stood right inside the woods, shaking slightly from the effort it took to continue standing there.
"huh, that makes less sense than before. Maybe it's-" Antonio glanced up Ellis stood and tilted his head curiously "what is-" he count say more before the other bolted out the door. Antonio just stood there for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened before grabbing his cloak from a nearby hook and running out the door after Ellis. He had lost him in the town but the crowd of stunned and recovering people, it was easy to figure out where Ellis had gone. But the looks of it, back to the Deep Woods. "Oh no…" Antonio breathed, picking up the pace as he headed back towards the dreaded Woods.
He stopped near the endge, having never gotten this close to the border, not even when he had helped Ellis before.
"Ellis?!" He called, tiptoeing closer, somewhat seeing a dark figure as he got closer but he knew it could be a trick from the woods themselves
Ellis heard Antonio behind him and turned his head slightly. "Um… I'm sorry. I couldn't stop it." He was jerked forward another step but managed to stop himself again.
"Stop struggling." A strange, disembodied voice came from the dark woods in front of him. It sounded very annoyed. Ellis narrowed his eyes at the woods and very, very slowly took a step back. It was hard, but he managed it. If he had stopped struggling, he would have been dead a long time ago. He would keep fighting until he was dead. Ellis heard an annoyed scoff and felt something woosh past his ear, towards where Antonio was standing. "Fine. If you won't comply on your own, we can add a little incentive. Either stop or this mortal will die."
Antonio relaxed a bit, relief washing over him as he saw a glimpse of Ellis' familiar face. "Don't apologies, it's nothing you can control." He took a few more steps forwards, officially in the Deep Woods now. He glanced around, eyes catching on the green and deep purple leaves. They looked like jewels in the sunlight peeking through the canopy. Beautifully horrific.
He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a breeze, but something was different about this breeze. It wasn't…natural. he wasn't sure if it was his new surroundings or something else but it Antinio could hear a low ringing, like a blade being sharpened on a stone, and for some reason, he felt something against his neck as if a blade were lightly pressed there. He inhaled sharply and tried his best to relax. "I'll follow if you want." He said softly, not daring to speak any louder in case he disturbed whatever was close to him
"What– no, don't follow me!" Ellis yelped, managing to turn around to fully face Antonio. He really didn't want to go wherever the voice wanted him to go, but he would also rather that Antonio stayed alive. He'd been nice to him, nicer than anyone else he'd encountered. All Ellis wanted was to get Antonio and get out of there. But he couldn't move or Antonio would die.
A soft popping sound cut through his thoughts. Ellis frowned, then frowned deeper at the appearance of what looked like a very normal wooden trapdoor under Antonio's feet.
"What is this?" The voice asked, seeming just as confused as him. "What are you–" Before it could finish its sentence, the trapdoor under Antonio's feet opened. Ellis must have had one under his feet too because he fell at the exact same time as the man. His stomach twisted, his vision going black for a second before he found himself falling onto soft dirt. A glance around proved that he was in the middle of a forest– a normal forest, thankfully. Antonio was there as well, though how that had happened was a question he had no answers to.
Antonio tilted his head slightly when Ellis told him to not follow. "But what if it's-" he flicked his gaze around as a popping sound came from around him. He felt the pressure lighten from his throat, allowing him to slowly look down at his feet where Ellis was staring. His brows creased in confusion, why would there be a door in the woods. But before Antonio could put the thought into words, the floor opened up beneath him, the last thing he saw was Ellis drop down as well, then just darkness. He was being carried alive, dropped into a hole never to see the sun again. A few more seconds the rest of the air from his lungs was knocked out of him when he hit the ground with a thud. Ateast the landing was relatively soft. He slowly brought his gaze up to look around as he slowly regained his breath. He pulled himself up and ran over to Ellis, "we really can't have a full conversation without you falling can we?" He teased, helping him up
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