Prologue
Luna stared back at Grey's emotionless face. She's looking for at least one sign that this man loves her too. Just one to make her decide to leave everything behind just to be with him.
"I dream... "
The words she wanted to say. The feelings she's always showing to him yet she can't say until today.
"I dream of marrying you... I dream of starting a family with you. Having children and taking care of them together... "
She saw hesitations in Grey's eyes. The emotion that he was trying to conceal. What is it?
"Grey... my heart belongs to you. I... love you." She uttered the words she longed to say in front of him. Full of sincerity and emotion.
His lips parted but he didn't speak. He avoided her eyes.
"I don't dream the same. I don't feel the same." He responded.
The pain was visible on her face.
Grey closed his eyes and refused to see the tears that started to fall from Luna's eyes. He knows he will hold her, he will embrace her and wipe those tears. But he can't falter.
If only he knew that it would be the last time...
In front of him is her lifeless body full of blood. Her face lost its rosy color and her lips are pale. Her eyes are shut.
The terror and anguish on his face to see the only woman he ever loved losing her life.
With tears falling from his eyes he hold her in his arms and embraced her. The fear he felt that she might disappear is evident.
"I haven't told you yet... I love you... Your dreams, I dreamed it too. I also want to marry you... So please stay. "
*********
Luna woke up by a screeching sound outside her dwelling. She turned her head and gazed at the opening of the cave. Porcha, her bird pet plays with a wooden stick, and Coco, her mystical beast jumps around chasing an insect.
Luna stood up and started her day. She went out of her cave dwelling to gather food for breakfast. Usually, she steals eggs from wild chickens, if not she picks fruits or edible plants to eat. Sometimes, she goes to the stream and catches fish.
On her way out of the cave, she passed by her calendar rock where she marks the days she's been in this forest. 3 years and 5 months.
More than 3 years ago when she woke up in the middle of the woods with a bleeding head and wounds all over her body. She was wearing a torn white dress. She saw her reflection in the water. She completely looked different. From a 30-year-old woman, she turned into a 14 or 15-year-old girl. It was like possessing the body of a different person. It's the biggest mystery of how that happened but it did not end there. After she woke up, she was chased by a creature with a giant human head and with a lion's body. Thankfully she was able to jump into the waterfalls before its long tongue could grab her and probably eat her. She also saw a giant snake with two heads and a giant carnivorous spider. Thankfully, she can hear animals' thoughts and was able to communicate with them. They taught her how to avoid man-eating monsters and lethal mystical beasts. Porcha saved her on her first day in this place. She led her to the waterfall where she was able to escape from her first ordeal.
Luna also found a mystical beast. It is like a regular animal with magical power and could transform into its mystical form. She named the mystical beast Coco. It looks like a puppy with a white purr. It's small and super cute. She can also hear its thoughts, however, since it is still young it's incoherent. She saves it after a monster kills its mother.
The day before she arrived in this world, she was reading an old fantasy book she found in her late father's library. It's very interesting because it was like a history book of an unknown world where monsters, mystical beasts, and magical abilities in humans exist. There was also a portion of the book about a forest named Murdoklan which is very similar to the forest she's in. She read the vivid description of the forest. The tall thick trees, the poisonous plants, the medical herbs, and the high-level monsters and mystical beasts live in the Murdoklan. She was able to survive because of this useful information. Apart from that, since she knows a lot of survival skills in her life as a 30-year-old single woman who loves to explore, she was able to do a lot of things. She was able to create a bow and arrow and daggers from stones. She's very good at avoiding monsters with the help of Porcha yet there were a few instances where she encounters life-and-death situations wherein she has to protect herself. It's good that she knows mix-martial arts and uses weapons when she was trained by her father.
Hungry!
She looked at little Coco. He's always the first to get hungry. Maybe because he's growing. A few days ago, Coco was able to transform into his mystical form. He looked like a giant white tiger with black stripes. She was training him to transform every day but he needs to eat a lot since it takes a lot of energy.
After gathering plants and herbs and stealing eggs, She return to the cave and cooked their breakfast. Coco and Porcha stayed outside to play.
A few minutes later, Coco entered the cave alone.
"Where is Porcha? We will eat soon." She asked.
Fly! Coco answered while jumping with his small paws. He looked so adorable when he does this.
"Ok. Let's wait for her."
It's been a while but Porcha has not back yet. Coco is whimpering and screaming hungry in his thoughts so she let him eat first.
She went outside the Cave and then whistled. It's loud enough for Porcha to hear if she's nearby. A little later she saw her flying toward her. She can hear her thoughts when the bird got near her.
People! Here!
"What!"
Luna's heart jumps at Porcha's news. She had never seen a single soul since she woke up in this forest. For three years she tried to get out of this forest, even risking her life but she can't find the exit. If she follows them, she might get to leave this place!
Armor! Horses!
"How many?" She asked.
A lot!
If Porcha saw armor and horses then they are knights or soldiers. But why are they here? I read in the book that knights enter the forest to capture mystical beasts. However, this is a difficult task. Only a few people with a high level of ability could capture a mystical beast. I was just lucky when I got Coco while he was a baby. I was able to tame it. If the book is right they can't know about Coco.
"Porcha led the way. I want to see them. But we must not let them know our presence. We are still not sure if they are good or bad."
Yes, Luna!
*******
The soldiers started to set up tents and unload the baggage from the carriage.
Grey Cornelius still on his horse decided to look around. His knight Sebastian Randolf rode with him entering the woods. They stopped by the tip of a cliff.
The forest looks dark and thick in front of the two men. And it is eerily quiet to the senses.
"We only have ten days before the gate closes again. We need to catch at least one mystical beast." Grey said while looking at the dark woods.
"However mystical beasts are difficult to find and impossible to tame," Sebastian said.
"Yes, but it's our only chance to defeat the barbarians with their mystical beast. The last war caused a lot of damage to us." Grey said in a serious tone.
The previous war between the empire and northern barbarians 3 years ago resulted in a great loss to them when the barbarians used tamed mystical beasts. They have 2 twin hunter-wolves that killed most of the empire's soldiers. Sebastian and Grey were able to fight back the mystical beasts with their abilities but they had to sustain a lot of damage and almost lost their lives. Grey got a visible scar on his face. A tip of the claws of the beast made a mark on his right face. After risking his life in the war, he was welcomed by disgusted looks from the people because of the unwanted scar. Beauty is more important to the people of Cornell.
"Mystical beasts are almost extinct now due to hunters hundred years ago. Murdoklan is a vast forest. I hope we can at least capture one before the end of ten days," Sebastian said.
Grey sensed something in the woods. A pair of eyes.
"Something is watching us."
