Through the Portal: Strange Land

Camping on the outskirts of the Dark Forest may not have been the best choice but it certainly was the safest, and considering Caden's condition traveling now will be a bad idea. She didn't want to be selfish and just make her redemption her only priority, the wellbeing of her knight was also very important to her, she wouldn't want him to get hurt, and she also needed to rest since they have been traveling at a fast pace for days.

The campfire still burned and Caden had already told her campfire always drew strangers and bandits who traveled at night, though she doubted any bandit will dare hunt near the territory of the Dark Forest, not that you won't be able to enter but the atmosphere alone is creepy enough. With Caden sleeping, she decided to take a bath, earlier they had spotted a stream nearby and she had wanted a bath then but Caden needed treatment so she decided to do so later, it's been days since she washed her body, with her knight asleep now she should take advantage, making sure he was safe and sound and not in an uncomfortable situation she went to the stream which was just a few walked from where they had camped.

Standing under the night light the moon provided, she enjoyed the peace once more, the sounds of animal cries at night, the birds cooing and the crickets doing what they loved doing, she sat at the water bank and carefully removed her scarf, she wanted to see what her face was now, over the past days, numerous times and she suffered attacks from the scald on her face but she ignored it, the burns she was able to withstand. Marvel informed her that the pain will be very excruciating as her thirty-day journey draws closer and the relapses will be very consistent but she should just focus on her journey and hold all of it in.

Looking into the water, she was surprised to see her reflection, in the night light. She almost screamed at her reflection, the scald was turning more into something else, the scaled flesh was now turned red and veins were very visible in the blood-red flesh and though it didn't hurt it didn't also make her pleasant to look at, her skin looked very much alive and it this made it impossible to tell if this was the same fair skin she has been praised for having.

Ignoring her current appearance she stripped and went into the dark waters as slowly as she could, it was cold but none she couldn't handle. She wasted no time in taking her bath, she needed to get back to the camp and watch over Caden in case he woke up and he needed something.

Finished dressing she got to the camp and she frowned, nothing seemed out of place and yet something was wrong. The campfire still burned with the same intensity as she had left it, and Caden still slept in the same position and peacefulness as she had left him yet something was out of place. The atmosphere was too quiet, too quiet to believe, something must have happened while she was away, something or someone must have caused a scare somewhere, the sounds of animals that graced the night were nowhere to be heard again, she became vigilant and quickly grabbed her sword, she called Caden to awake...

"Don't bother, he is in deep sleep"...a voice echoed in the surroundings and she quickly turned, what was that? she thought.

There was no one in sight but she was sure she heard someone talk...

"Who is that?"...she asked.

"The Cursed Bride...I see"...the female voice held a note of mockery as she spoke, she didn't sound satisfied seeing the so-called princess, titled the 'cursed bride'.

"Just get rid of her"...another voice spoke in the still night and right she prayed Caden would awake to the event unfolding in his presence. This voice rather sounded hostile and full of hatred.

"No no, just delay remember, that was the word, 'delay'..." the softer voice spoke and then suddenly strong wond begun to blow at the camp site and Batya as weak as she was didn't know what to do, someone help her, her knight was still drugged in sleep and wasn't even shook awake by the strong wind that was scattering things here and there, she held onto a tree for dear life, but the wind grew stronger as seconds passed, leaves and branches of trees swayed in rhythm to the strange music in the sound of the wind, then she saw something phenomenon, the wind was gathering at one focal point, right before her she saw something like an opening, a black opening was formed by the wind that blew, a portal? she was confused, portals in normal sense will look mirror like in nature but this one was darker in nature and very mysterious...the wind continued to blow but this time there was a pulling that accompanied it, she felt herself being pulled into the portal, and no not only her but even the sleeping Caden, what was this? Where are they being sent now? getting lost in a strange land was the last thing they needed. Even her pleadings and screams of disapproval did nothing to stop whoever was powerful enough to pull such a trick like this on them, unable to stop herself and the energy that pulled she only allowed herself to be pulled and it wasn't until she and Caden were totally in the portal did she remember what that voice had thought her.

'Use the power of the curse', but it was too late now, she wouldn't know where to begin and where to end.

***

Awakened by the sound of flowing water, she opened her eyes and scanned her environment, this land was indeed strange, where were they? Certainly not at the outskirt of the Dark Forest and definitely not any where close to 'Everlasting Joy', it will be too impossible to believed. So this is where those people behind the voices at the camp had sent her to, but why? she doesn't recall meeting people of such caliber and one had insisted, they kill her but the other only spoke of delay. Lilith? Till when will this witch stop messing with her, now she understands, that witch will not stop her from journeying but rather she wanted to delay her till those thirty days was over.

Caden, where was her night?

"You are awake"... she looked beside her to see a young lady changing the bandage on Caden. She reacted but an old lady stopped her...she was coming from a hut with a bowl in her hand.

"He is fine....just in a deep sleep, nothing to worry about"... Batya looked about her and the land she found herself in.

"Thank you for your hospitality but if I may ask where is this place?"

Her question earned a strange look from the women at present, the young lady's expression turned gloomy and she lowered her head, it looked like she wasn't willing to tell her. That could mean two things, either she was too afraid to speak or she didn't know where they were, there wasn't any other huts around she figured this mother and daughter lived by themselves.

"Thule..." the older woman replied...then she sighed and said.

"Whiles you are here make sure your cursed mark is not spotted or else he will have your heard, with your mark, you will be deemed unworthy to be allowed to live..."

"How did you know of the curse?"...she asked curiously and the older woman sighed deeply, she sat on a log right beside the unconscious Caden...

"You reek of Lilith's scent, you used her power...."

"That was because..."

"He told you to..."

"How do you know? Do you know who he is...?"

"He will show himself in due time but for now, you are not safe here, when he (Caden) is strong enough, I will guide you out of here..."

Batya only remained silent and couldn't help but complain, there was so much she wanted to know but so little was revealed. Where is Thule? And why was it dangerous living here, the young woman didn't seem pleased when she asked. Were they also sent her like she and Caden were? So much she wanted to know and yet so little was available to satisfy her insatiable hunger.