The astonished Verdian couldn't utter a single word. The words of the mysterious stranger and the power with which she had dispatched the monsters in an instant struck the young man to the very core. The image still echoed through his mind.
'She said she'd take me? Could it be that she came to save me?'
He wanted to ask her several questions, but before he could open his mouth, the troll standing nearby swung its enormous arm.
- Watch out!" Verd shouted.
But the girl, seemingly, wasn't worried in the least.
- Damn, I'm sick of this, she said indifferently.
She extended her arm backward. In Verd's opinion, it was a foolish decision. How could an outstretched arm stop a five-meter giant who had already drawn back his fist for a blow? But when everything happened, Verd lay on the ground with his eyes wide open.
The tips of her fingers glowed with a faint yellow light, and in that same instant, the upper half of the monster, along with the trees behind it, seemingly evaporated.
'Wow...'
The previous scene, when the same girl had cut a monster in two, had been impressive, but what Verd saw now defied any explanation.
'I didn't even understand what happened...' - Verd cast an appraising glance at her. - 'Who is she? I doubt I've ever seen her before. I would definitely have remembered someone this strong.'
Convinced that there were no more monsters nearby, the girl walked over to the lying young man.
- How long are you going to lie there? It's dirty here, and cold to boot she said, carefully crouching down beside Verd.
Her voice sounded relaxed and calm. Hearing it, Verd felt as if a gentle lullaby had washed through his ears.
- I'm tired," he said, returning to reality. "Right now, another question matters more. Who are you?
Hearing this, she slightly widened her eyes. Apparently, she was surprised, not expecting such a turn. Though in reality, everything should have been different: both their meeting and their conversation.
- Didn't Kaell tell you anything?
- Kaell? If only. No matter how much I tried, he never told me about the outside world. You could say I ended up here purely by accident.
- I see.
She looked absolutely serious, but in reality, while she was absorbing Verd's words, she was simultaneously poking his cheek with a twig.
- You're so skinny.
- Enough already, Verd said with irritation, tired of these touches.
The girl instantly stood up and turned around.
- My name is Arktia. I'll tell you the rest on the way. Get up.
Ignoring Verd, she took a couple of steps, but stopped when she realized he wasn't following.
- Why aren't you coming? Arktia tilted her head slightly.
- I can't. My whole body aches.
For a moment, the girl thought, and then an idea came to her mind.
- Well, then there's nothing to be done.
After these words, Verd found himself on her shoulder in an instant. She lifted him with such ease, as if he weighed no more than a bird's feather.
'I already know she's strong... but this much?' — Verd thought, feeling ashamed that a girl was carrying him. — 'Of course, it's awkward, but at least this way I can rest without fearing that monsters will kill me.'
***
By evening, Verd and Arktia had made it out of the forest and were sitting by a fire in a small clearing.
The decision to let such a strong person carry him turned out to be the right one. Thanks to her speed, Arktia led them out of the forest in just one day — something that would have taken Verd no less than a month.
Along the way, Verd decided not to ask questions, but to wait for a more opportune moment. And that moment had arrived: they were sitting together under the open sky, roasting meat.
- Um... are you going to tell me what's going on? Verd began, nervous. "I'd also like to know what this place is and how you managed to kill that monster without even touching it."
Arktia raised her head, taking a break from roasting.
- So Kaell really didn't tell you anything? Looks like he decided to dump everything on me, the girl sighed heavily. Fine. I think we should start with what this place is.
This was exactly what Verd wanted to know more than anything.
Of course, he had vague ideas about the outside world from Kaell's meaningless words, but his very first steps convinced him that Kaell had clearly left a lot unsaid.
Separating truth from lies for him, that would be wonderful. Especially since he might get another chance to hear everything from someone so strong. Verd sat more comfortably and focused.
- Okay. Everything you see is, like, the world of monsters.-
Verd stared at Arktia, not understanding what she meant. The world of monsters? It sounded as if everything around was itself a giant monster.
- Can you explain? he asked.
Arktia handed him a piece of roasted meat and broke off some for herself.
- Fine, simplified. Do you know that people live under a dome? Under a protective barrier that saves them from the most terrible creatures outside?
Even though she said she'd explain it simply, her words only raised more questions for Verd.
Verd silently stared at Arktia. Her words sounded like complete nonsense. Dome? Barrier? He'd never heard of such a thing.
- I don't understand anything, he admitted honestly. What dome? I'm not from under any dome. I just lived in a mine.
- Oh, you bastard Kaell! she exclaimed. Fine, listen! Right now we're in the world of monsters it's usually called the outside world. People live in a completely different place. And that's where you and I were supposed to meet!
- What the hell are you doing here so early? You're lucky I reacted quickly. If not for me, you'd already be digesting in those trolls' stomachs.
Verd really wanted to thank her for saving him, but he was more interested in how she'd found his location.
- How did you even know where to find me?
Arktia put the meat aside, took out a pocket compass, and touched it to Verd's forehead.
- It's a mark, she said, handing it to him after the touch. "It's directly connected to this compass. For a week, I can find you wherever you are. Kaell came up with it himself."
'A mark, huh.'
Deciding to test how it worked, he tilted in different directions. The arrow indeed moved after him.
- So Kaell did this so you could find me? But why?
Arktia thought for a moment and looked away.
- I don't know.
- You don't know?
- Exactly, she nodded, not looking at Verd. "He appeared suddenly and asked me to become your teacher."
- Teacher?
Verd couldn't believe his ears. Just a couple of days ago, he was running from monsters, and now a strange girl was saying she'd come to be his mentor. Still, he was rather glad, because he had already seen Arktia's power.
'This is great, of course, but I just can't understand Kaell's motives. If he asked her to become my teacher, then why didn't he tell me anything? Besides, she mentioned that our meeting was supposed to happen in a different place. Did something go wrong?'
Memories flashed before Verd's eyes: golden armor and lightning. He wanted to ask if Arktia knew anything about it, but she beat him to it.
- Did something happen in the cave?
From her question, Verd understood that she didn't know anything either.
'I was hoping she knew what happened and what that creature was. Although maybe it was a person?'
After thinking it over carefully, Verd slowly recounted everything he remembered: how a monster attacked him, how an unknown warrior appeared, and how he was transported to this world.
Arktia listened attentively, and when the conversation turned to Kaell, her face darkened. She clenched her fists, unnoticed by Verd.
- Listen. That warrior he definitely had a yellow spear, not a purple one?
Verd thought, trying to reconstruct the image.
- I'm absolutely sure it was yellow. Why did you ask about the color of the spear?
- Forget it.
When Verd finished his meal, it was already pitch dark, and growling could be heard from all sides.
'This atmosphere... why is everything so terrifying here...'
When his gaze stopped on the girl's face, her left side seemed strange to him. As if it wasn't natural.
- Um, your...
Before he could finish, she cut him off:
- Go to sleep - Arktia said, touching the ring on her finger.
- Sleep? Right...
Again, not letting him finish, a pillow and a small white mattress flew out of the ring, hitting him straight in the face.
- What was that?! Verd exclaimed in surprise, with a hint of irritation.
- A magical ring. With its help, you can carry a large number of items.
'Magical ring? I remember Kaell had something on his hand too. Was that it?'
Soon Verd was already lying on the soft mattress with a pillow. As soon as he lay down, he felt bliss from their softness.
'I'm ready to sink into this.'
The fire had already gone out, so he could barely make out Arktia's face sitting nearby.
- Aren't you going to sleep? - Verd looked in the direction where the girl should have been.
At that moment, a small twig pressed against his head to keep him from turning.
- It's alright. Just sleep.
'She treats me like a child... Just like Kaell.'
Verd didn't particularly like it, but he didn't even notice how he drifted off to sleep, thanks to the soft mattress and gentle touches.
Arktia sat silently and cast a glance at Verd's hand. Or rather, at the place where it once was.
'At least you'll sleep peacefully for now.'