Chapter 95: The Target
Deep in the southern edge of Runewood, where the light barely touched the forest floor, Princess Austaire moved like a blur between the trees.
Tap~tap~tap~
Leaves scattered behind her like startled birds, her trail marked by faint smears of blood, wounds that closed almost as soon as they were made.
"Just a little more... You can do this, Princess!"
The voice echoed in her mind, laced with worry and panic.
Austaire’s breath came in short, shallow bursts, her lungs burning from the constant sprint, but she didn’t slow down. She couldn’t afford to.
"I heard the elves are expert hunters in these woods," she muttered in her thoughts, while her eyes scanning the dense forest ahead. "You think I’ll run into them, Ovan?"
She was speaking to the awakened Phoenix spirit inside her- a companion of fire and soul she had named Ovan.
Unlike Auren’s Bigbird, Ovan’s detection ability wasn’t impressive- only about fifty meters at best. But in this forest where danger was everywhere, that range felt like a precious gift.
"I haven’t sensed them yet," Ovan replied, his tone tight with unease. "But... I can feel something off. Mana fluctuations are in every branches. Subtle, but they’re nearby. It’s like we’re being watched. The trees themselves feel... alert."
Austaire’s chest tightened.
"Of course they do," she whispered. "This is Runewood. The Sacred Forest of Whala. Home turf of the elves... and a turture chamber for human invaders."