The Hunter (Ms_Muffintops & HeartOfTheDarkness)

Johnathan ran through the forest with a pack of lycans casing him. He had been hired to hunt the monsters of the forest in order to protect the neighboring towns and villages, but he never expected things to go this bad.

The forest use to be a nicer place to visit. Sure, there were still dangerous creatures in the forest, but they were a little more gentle and less likely to attack for no reason. Legend has it though that a sorcerer built a home in the village and fed off the life forces of the wildlife in the forest. Once they all died out, darker creatures began to rise in their place. Now the forest has become a dangerous place to travel. Merchants fear leaving their homes, children aren't allowed to play outside anymore. Everyone lived in fear of the forest of beasts.

Johnathan remembered back when the forest was still peaceful. He played in the area as a young boy, and hunted creatures for sport as a young man. Now he hunts for his life, and that seems to be failing. Whenever a lycan got too close to him, he'd throw a knife and kill the nearest one. It slowed them down a bit, but he'll eventually run out. And if not, he'll get tired and they'll catch up to him. He knew his end was approaching, but it was too soon for him. There was so much he wanted to do, and it was now about to be cut short when a root caught his foot and he tripped.

In the distance, a familiar sound could be heard--- lycans. Their cries and snarls could be heard for miles. But judging by the clarity of the cries and snaps, they were closing in. It sounded like they were chasing something. It didn't surprise her. Nowadays, anything one encountered in the forest was hostile and aimed to kill. Lycans were one of many kinds that had been popping up recently.

Lily stood next to the window of her home--- a house cleverly fashioned out of the hollowed truck of an ancient oak. Her eyes narrowed as she could see the pack in the distance heading towards her home. They were running after a man!

"Not again," she sighed to herself as her eyes widened with shock. Quickly, the young woman got up from her spot and grabbed her staff. She wasn't going to let this happen again. She had seen far too many deaths as of late and she wasn't about to let a human die. It'd only justify the hunters even more. By time she got outside, the man had fallen and the pack had surrounded him. Together, they circled him as they judged their piece of meat. Of course it was always courtesy to let the alpha male to have first dibs, so no other even dared make a move.

"Get back!" the petite woman hollered as she ran towards the group, swinging her staff at each one. The young woman stood over the man, holding the solid wooden out, threatening to swing if any came near. The alpha male of the pack howled and roared, but she wouldn't back down. The others shook the heads and backed away slowly, seemingly confused and for good reason. Lily, though she appeared human, did not smell like one to the beasts. It was the only thing that had kept the girl alive this whole time. The lycans never seemed to bother her, and sometimes even seemed confused and nervous in her presence.

"I told you, get back! Not today you mangy beasts!" Lily yelled. The lycans obeyed... for now. Together in sync, the pack darted off, snarling and huffing along the way as they fought to get the girl's peculiar scent out of their nostrils.

Johnathan watched as the mysterious woman appeared out of seemingly nowhere to save his life. He moved back as she told him to, and he saw her swing her staff around. When the lycans retreated, that was when he was shocked. Why would a pack of lycans retreat at the sight of this woman? They could easily overpower her, she was clearly outnumbered. All of these thoughts made him wonder about who this woman was. Should he fear her? Should he thank her? Just what power was this woman hiding.

The staff led him to believe that she was some sort of mage. Could it be that she was the sorcerer in the legend? But the sorcerer was said to be ancient, and a male. She looked about his age, and she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. So beautiful, it was almost hypnotizing.

He stopped staring at his savior and reached for the crossbow on his back. Taking aim at the woman, he couldn't take any chances. Everything was dangerous in these woods, what made her different from the other monsters? "Who are you? And why did you save me?" He paused, hesitant to pull the trigger. "Are you the sorcerer that has turned this forest into a monster infested hellhole?" For all he knew, those lycans fled because she was much more dangerous than them.

The young woman, dressed in nothing more than a white flowing sundress turned her attention to the man, who was now pointing his crossbow at her. She cocked a brow at his accusations. Did she look like a sorcerer? The sorcerer who had been terrorizing the land for months now. The very man who changed her life forever and turned her into the rather dull and powerless human-being she was today. Something told her that this man would not have been anymore friendly had he met her months ago.

Dragonkin her species was called. They guarded the lands for centuries. One by one, they were killed and died out. As far as Lily was concerned, she was the last one. Or well, she was. Months ago, she had been caught off guard by a tall man dressed in a black cloak. All she could remember was seeing a bright purple light. Next thing she knew, she had the body of your ordinary human being. She had lost most of her powers. She was useless. But, she refused to back down, and remained in the forest, doing what little she could to maintain peace with nature. To many humans her species were considered monsters and nearly killed on sight. But were they monsters? Hardly.

Lily could only chuckle softly at the accusation.

"Me? A sorcerer?" she spoke with a crooked smile. She then held up her staff, "If I was a sorcerer, I wouldn't be swinging this thing around like a maniac. I'd have zapped those beasts long ago. And I doubt you'd be alive right now. Those things you killed were brought here by him. If I were a sorcerer, I'd have sat back and watched as they tore you apart, limb by limb."

She took a good look at the man. He was practically armed with an arsenal of weapons. What was he doing out there? If he was bold enough to think he could take on this mysterious sorcerer, he was terribly mistaken. He certainly didn't look too friendly... to be pointing his weapon at the woman who just saved him.

Lily placed her hands on her hips and stared him down, "So how you thank me instead? You could've died. But thanks to me, you're alive." And with a huff, the petite woman stuck her nose in the air.

He lowered his weapon when she made a point. If she was the sorcerer, she would've sat back and watched as those lycans devoured him. "I'm sorry, it's just that everything went to hell when the sorcerer appeared. Now, almost anything in this forest can kill you. I was a little too quick to think. Thank you for saving my life." He decided to ignore her smug remark, and was happy to be alive.

"I came to the forest to help the villages and towns. I want to make them feel safer in any way I can. A lot of good people have lost their lives to this forest. Men, women, and children, the creatures of this forest showed no mercy. Plus, I want to see the forest as it originally was. The way it was when I played here as a kid." He reminisced on those memories. The warm sun, the flowers, the interesting creatures. Most of them would allow him to observe them without trying to bite his head off. Now this place was a death trap. He even knew some of the victims. Some were good friends of his.

"So, if you aren't the sorcerer, then why did you save me?" That was a good question on his mind. Why should she have wasted her time to come out and save someone who was in over his head when he took this job? She clearly didn't act like he meant anything to her, but something must've brought her to save him. It was now starting to make him suspicious again.

Lily crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. He sure was the paranoid type. Humans always seemed to live in fear and suspicion of the world outside their own bubble. What they did not understand was often seen as scary, risky, or dangerous. Then again, this guy did not know of her history and of the person she used to be. As far as this man was concerned, Lily was just a simple human girl who happened to be in the forest as well. As he said, the forest used to be a peaceful place. Sure, they had the occasional temperamental beast, but hardly a creature attacked unless provoked until recently. One by one, creatures and humans were being killed by new and mysterious entities. New darker beasts were replacing those who had died--- those who helped protect the land.

"Did I need a reason?", the petite woman asked simply, "I live in this forest and I have witnessed many deaths. I grew up around here and I suppose you could say I played around here a lot as a child too. I didn't want to see another another death and taint the land with haunting memories. I trust you'd do the same if you could help it. And from what I can tell, you sure are trying." Lily then let out a soft giggle, "But I think you bit off a bit more than you can chew."

Lily then walked past the man in the direction of her home. "Now come, let's check go and make sure you didn't get any serious cuts or anything of the sort," she spoke as she held her hand out and gestured for him to follow. In the distance was a mighty oak tree, her home. It would be the first time Lily had ever invited a human into her home. The petite woman stepped inside through the round door without waiting for her new friend to follow, though she left it open if he so chose to follow.

The entirety of the trunk was hollowed out with stairs swirling their way up to varying floors. At the bottom though was a quaint living area--- where Lily spent most of her time. Living in a tree wasn't too odd for a human... was it? Under the sink was a tin that served as her make-shift first aid kit. It contained cloth bandages, a few ointments, and remedies for whatever may rise. Lily pulled it out and brought it over to the table.

Johnathan shrugged, she was right. If he were in her position, he would've most likely tried to save someone in trouble as well. He blushed a little when she giggled at the fact that he was in way over his head with trying to help the villages. She was right again, but he couldn't simply just hide indoors like everyone else has been. What's stopping the the taint in the forest from spreading? For all he knew, monsters could be rampaging the village in a matter of days, it needed to end.

When the woman motioned for him to follow, Johnathan nodded and accompanied the woman to her home. It was amazing that she was able to live out in the forest, but he still had know idea who she was. She wasn't the sorcerer, nor was she a monster of the woods. So why does she live out in the forest, and what made the lycans retreat when she threatened them? When he threatens them, they all attack so she must know something that he doesn't.

It was amazing to see that she lived inside an old oak tree. First off, it was massive. He knew the trees in the area were huge, but he never expected this big. Second, how was she able to hollow out the tree with the wildlife outside roaming? He quickly remembered the answer to that when he remembered that the creatures don't seem to bother her, plus she could've done it before the forest became this way. Closing the door behind him, he remained in awe of her massive tree home. "So, who are you anyways? I'm Johnathan, a hunter from the village." He reached out his hand, waiting for her to shake it. The least she could do was tell him her name.

Lily stood there hesitantly. Why was he holding his hand out to her? Her brow cocked as she looked at his hand with a puzzled look on her face. Did he want the aid kit? It then clicked. "Oh! Handshake!" she thought to herself. Had she really been out of contact with other beings for that long? With a kind smile, Lily reached out and shook Johnathon's hand. "And mine would be Lily. I live here, in this tree... as you can see. nice to meet you Johnathon!" she spoke. It really had been awhile since she had someone to talk to. Though it was a shame that the man turned out to be a hunter. She wondered if maybe he had hunted in these forests even before the rise of this mysterious sorcerer. The human thought the native creatures to this land were horrific. Well, what did they think now with creatures such as those lycans popping up.

"Now, let's get a look at you," she squeaked as she took a step forward. She took both of his hands into hers, inspecting them for any injuries. There were a few scrapes, likely from his fall, but nothing too bad. Ignoring his personal space, the young woman then reached up and pushed his hair out of his face, inspecting his features for more injuries. All seemed to be well. "Oh hey, you have a face!" the young woman joked, "It's been hidden hidden behind this mess of hair of yours." It was a shame too, the guy was a rather handsome one--- strong masculine structure and striking eyes that nearly gave her chills when they locked even for a brief second.

Lily then let out a sigh of relief and took a few steps back. She grabbed the roll of cloth bandages and toyed with them as she spoke, "Well, you look like you managed to get away unscathed. That's pretty lucky considering you had a pack of beasts after you. Is anything hurting?"

Johnathan couldn't help thinking of how cute she was acting, although it did seem strange that it took her a little while to shake his hand. It was as if she didn't know what it meant. Just how long has she been living in the forest? And how often did she leave her home? She began to look more like a hermit to him, a very cute, young hermit. When Lily began to approach him with the aid kit, he smiled. "Thanks again for helping me out back there, and for cleaning me up right now."

When she brushed his hair away from his face, his eyes locked with her's for a moment. His face went red, but he remained quiet. Sure he had met attractive girls in the past, some flirted with him, but none of them even compared to Lily. He thought that she was extremely beautiful, but something about her still seemed a little off. Maybe it was just the fact that she was seemed a little awkward casual things such as handshakes and personal space.

When she finished, Johnathan simply checked himself, making sure nothing else was injured. "Nope, I think I'm ok. I was really lucky to have you find me. Even if I did find a way to fight them, I would've run out of silver daggers before killing them all."

Lily couldn't help but smirk and giggle softly. A tough looking man such as Johnathon was blushing. What for? Over her? Silly. The petite woman gave him a nod and packed up her makeshift first aid kit. She walked back over to her small kitchen area and put it back under the sink. With a sigh, she turned back to face Johnathon and placed her hands on her hips. Slowly, she walked towards him. "Well. That's good. But I suggest you be more careful from now on if you're going to be bold enough to brave these forests," she spoke with a kind smile. She wasn't one to talk though. Lily hardly owned any weapons. She hadn't had to use one until nearly six months ago. Even then, many of these beasts were thrown off by her scent and often did not pester her.

"You should probably get going. It's going to be getting dark out soon, and that's when these woods are at their worst. Even I don't venture out at night. I'd hate to wake up in the morning and see your handsome face lying lifeless face down in the dirt," Lily teased. She reached up and jokingly patted him on the cheek.

Lily had to admit, it was nice having some company, even if it was just a brief stop to get checked up on for injuries. All of the dragonkin had long been killed, or had fled for distant lands. Even before the sorcerer got to her, she had lived alone guarding her forest; Someone had to. Her job there was done though, and she alone did not have the ability or the power to help the forest flourish. Every species played their own role, and she was just a small part of something much bigger than she was. It was a lonely life indeed. It'd be nice if she ran into gorgeous strangers more often.

Johnathan nodded. "I'll make sure I come even more prepared." He smiled as he headed towards her door. He didn't really want to leave, but she was right, it was getting dark and he needed to get back to town before the more dangerous monsters started appearing. If he was able to make a run for it, he should be able to get out just in time. It was just hard having to leave such a pretty woman behind.

"Well, I'll go now. Maybe we'll meet again, but on more casual terms." He said, blushing again when she called him handsome. Now he was tempted to offer her to come back with him, but she seemed perfectly comfortable here. And with how awkward she was with him earlier, she might have trouble going through the busy streets of the towns in the daytime. He gave her one final wave and took off running.

As he ran through the woods, he couldn't get Lily off his mind. He had a mix of thoughts about her. He wondered who she really was. How much of a strange woman she was. How she was able to survive in the forest for so long. But the biggest thing he thought about was how attractive she was. She had a wonderful body, and her strange personality just made her seem so cute. He was lucky to not run into any trouble as he sped through the forest, just the occasional stray ghoul. Nothing to really worry about.

Once Johnathan got back to town, he went to the local in to rent a room and went to relax. Lily remained in his thoughts, and he wanted to meet her again soon.

"Well, that was short lived," Lily thought to herself as she looked out the window and watched Johnathon walk away. It was nice having someone's company for once, even if it was only for a brief moment. She wondered if they really would run into each other again. It wasn't often that Lily saw people in this part of the forest, especially lately. It was a bit off the road, and travelers hardly wandered away from the path. She felt a little guilty admitting to herself that she found the man to be rather attractive. He was a hunter, and had her people found out she had an interest in a hunter, she'd be shunned. But, she wasn't about to get ahead of herself. What were the chances they'd actually meet again?

Alone in her home she sat, the only sounds to be heard were that of the clock ticking away, and the rustling of the leaves outside as the evening began to roll in. The screams, roars, and howls of varying beasts could be heard echoing throughout the land all throughout the night. The curtains of her home remained closed, and the house remained silent except for a fire in the fireplace that dimly lit her quaint home.

Aside from the impending nervousness that one of those beasts outside would somehow find it's way inside her tree, Lily's mind couldn't help but trail back to Johnathon. She hoped he had made it home safely just in time. She began to wonder about the place he lived. Did he have a family waiting for him? Wife and kids? He looked like he'd be a bit young, but she doubted guys with looks as his stayed on the market for long.

The next morning, Johnathan went by the blacksmith to order more supplies for the forest. More weapons, a lighter armor, everything that would prove useful. He needed to get back into the forest, to continue hunting the monsters that roamed the woods, and to try to see Lily again. Once he gathered the supplies he needed, he ventured out into the woods once more.

He was more cautious this time, watching where he stepped and remained aware of his surroundings. Most of what he was able to kill were stray ghouls and imps. No lycans were to be found, which only made him even more cautious. He made his way towards the area where he first met Lily, and tied to find her home. It was easier said than done. He quickly got lost within the forest and started running into more difficult monsters.

Eventually he was ambushed by a large lycan people came to know as a warg. It had a pack of normal sized lycans following, and they began to chase Johnathan. He hoped that Lily would come to help him again, but the warg was quickly catching up to him. He finally managed to climb a tree and try to retaliate. He took his crossbow and began firing. No matter where the shot hit, whether it killed a lycan or injured the large warg, it just made the beast angrier. It would only be a matter of time until it managed to knock down the tree, and Lily was nowhere to be found this time.

It was just an average fall day for Lily. Soon the trees from the leaves would be falling, and covering the forest in a blanket of warm hues of red, orange, and yellow. Fall was when the forest grew weak as the winter months came closing in... along with a bitter cold and harsh blizzards. This was the time of year Lily made her way through the woods, picking wild herbs and flowers to dry for the winter. It had been a particularly quite day in the forest. All that could be heard was the rustling of the tree tops as a cool breeze blew through the forest. She could even hear some birds chirping in the distance. The little creatures often didn't stick around for long.

Though this day was lovely, it was nothing compared to the times before the sorcerer and his minions moved into the forest. Without the creatures essential to balancing out the nature and environment, or to protect it, the forest was quickly becoming a grim place. Lily wasn't sure if there was anything she could do to stop it at this point. What would become of her and her home?

Despite their hostility towards the world outside their own, she also felt bad for the humans in the near by city and villages. It was only a matter of time before the sorcerer and his influence on the forest reached the towns. She supposed that was why people like Johnathon braved the forest... in an attempt to protect his people. Her people were brave... having the best attributes for any species. When she was born, many of them had already been killed off. Lily had grown up in these woods with her parents and a small community of dragonkin, but years ago, both her mother had been killed by a group of hunters, and her mother soon killed herself. She couldn't bare to live without the love of her life. As soon as the sorcerer first struck, the others fled the forest, seeking refuge in another land.

Johnathon had been the first person she had spoken to in about two years.

Speaking of Johnathon...

Lily had been picking up some onion sprouts when an oh so familiar sound could be heard--- lycans. Instinctively, Lily dropped her basket of herbs, plants, and flowers and followed the direction of the sound. Whatever, or whoever it was, was putting up a bit of a fight. The howls and cries of pain of a male lycan could be heard; It was probably a group of hunters.

As Lily approached the location of the howls, she slowed down and crept cautiously. Behind a bush, she hid. She could see Warg scratching and clawing at the tree desperately while arrows fired down on him. His lackies stood back howling and barking. The young woman made sure to kneel down to keep herself concealed. But, there was a snap as she placed her knee town on a twig. One of the lackies quickly came over to investigate, but was quickly startled by her scent and quickly backed up, snarling and huffing to get her scent out of his nose.

One of the lycans began to investigate something, but soon stopped and began snarling and growling. Soon the rest began to join in, and finally the big boss warg turned its attention away from Johnathan and towards whatever the rest of them were growling at. Johnathan took this moment of opportunity to attack. He unsheathed a large knife and jumped down from the tree. He let out a loud cry and jumped onto the warg, driving his knife into the back of its head. The beast howled in pain and tried to shake the man off. Johnathan held on for dear life and continued stabbing the monster until it finally fell over and died. The last of the lycans were quickly picked off by a few shots and he brushed himself off, proud of what he did.

He went to see what it was that got the attention of the lycans and gave him his opening to attack. He assumed it was a small animal breaking a twig, but when he saw Lily in the bushes, he was a bit surprised. "Oh, hi Lily. It's great to see you again." He was happy to see her again, and a grateful that she showed up. He was still a little embarrassed that he needed her help again or else those beasts would've most likely killed him.

He held his hand out, waiting for her to grab a hold of it. "Need any help getting up?" He said with a big grin on his face.

Lily took Johnathon's hand and pulled herself up. The young woman dusted herself off and brushed the dirt from her legs before taking a glance over at the scattered lycan corpses. So he could put up quite the fight and actually managed to kill them all. It was a bit sloppy, but he did get the job done and he did better than most hunters she had seen. Usually killing a pack took a dozen men to accomplish. Lily then turned her gaze over to Johnathon who was sporting a new arsenal of weapons and armor. Her bright blue eyes scanned the man from head to toe. The lighter armor helped frame his build rather nicely. She couldn't deny she was enjoying the sight. And that grin of his... it only helped enhance how handsome he was.

Lily flashed him a smile and placed her hands on her hips, "So it looks like you had better luck this time! I'm impressed...," she spoke, "Didn't think I'd see you again, but I guess since you've taken on this endeavor to annihilate the creatures reeking havoc in the forest, I may be seeing more of you, huh?" She couldn't complain. She hadn't had company in a long while and Johnathon most certainly was ideal. Perhaps they could work together in clearing the woods of these creatures; he had the skills, she had the knowledge, and maybe she'd make a new friend.

Lily gestured for Johnathon to follow and proceeded to slowly walk away; she wanted to get away from the corpses. Other beasts may show up to scavenge. "It'll be nice having a familiar face roaming around these forests for once," she spoke with a sigh, "I love this place and all, but it does get lonely at times. I haven't had company in some time." Lily then giggled and shrugged. "I guess I got lucky. Not only have I gotten company. But the company is quite the handsome one!" she teased.

Johnathan blushed a little when she called him handsome. Of course he liked her too, but he didn't think that she would be interested in him. Then again, she could just be messing with him. He followed her through the forest, thinking she was just heading to her home. "Well, it's something I have to do. If nobody will do it, then who knows what will happen to the villages. Whatever is plaguing the forest may spread to them."

It was was hard for him not to stare at Lily, she was just so pretty and she seemed so innocent. Most girls that looked that good were either taken or used their looks to make money. "Hell, it also helps to come to the forest when I know that someone as gorgeous as you lives here." He tried to return the favor and tease her back.

"Why don't you just move to the village. If you're lonely, there's lots of people there. And I don't know what you do to make the monsters ignore you, but I don't know if it'll work forever. I want to return the forest to what it was, but I can't guarantee that it will go back to how it was. What if they wise up to whatever trick you pull on them, you'll be in danger." He wanted her to come back to the village with him, it bothered him to know that he could one day find her home ravaged by monsters and her body in the middle of the wreckage.

After following her through the forest, he began to wonder if they were even going to her home. "Where are you taking me?" He asked curiously.

Lily stopped in her tracked when Johnathon mentioned moving into the village. The hairs on the back of her head stood and her body grew cold with nervousness. How on Earth could she explain that? The young woman let out a nervous laugh. A version of the truth wouldn't hurt, would it? Lily swung her hands bashfully and looked to the ground. "Um, if I were to be honest. I um, I've never been in any of the near by towns or villages. I've lived out here all of my life. My parents died a few years ago and by then I was pretty self sufficient," she explained. Lily then waved her hand and shook her head, "By the way, I don't even know where I'd live once in town. I don't know anyone who I could live with until I was making enough money to have my own home."

Lily then turned her back to Johnathon and continued walking. "I'm not really taking you anywhere I suppose. I just didn't want to be near those lycans for too long. Who knows what would come up and scavenge on them," she spoke, hoping she'd change the subject of her home. "I tend to not have a plan or reason for the things I do these days. I get up, gather wild vegetation and fruit to stock up, maybe fish a little, and then I typically just wander... like this. Sorry, it's not very exciting."

She then turned back around faced Johnathon once again, "But maybe you can help make my days a bit more exciting," she spoke with a smile, "You did call me gorgeous after all, so that must mean I am making good company for you, Mr. Johnathon." The fact that Johnathon had actually called her gorgeous made her heart beat faster and a grin stretch across her face. So far, she was definitely growing to like Johnathon. He was rather charming, and intimidatingly good looking. But the question was, was he claimed for? "Though I wouldn't want you to leave and missus waiting at home for you, if there is one," she added, tossing out the bait.

He was surprised to hear that she spent her whole life in the forest, but it was so sad to lose her parents, most likely to the monsters. "I'm sorry for your loss, but you shouldn't have to live by yourself, there are plenty of places to stay that don't cost a lot of money. I could even loan you some until you started earning your own." He walked a little closer to her. It was fine that she liked to go out on a stroll, but it made him a little uncomfortable to be wondering in an area where everything could likely kill him. The animals, and even some of the plants were deadly. It would be a dream come true to bring this forest back to it's former glory, and to see the previous wildlife return.

When she said that she wanted him to make her life more exciting, he blushed again. "Oh, I'm still single. I just never found the right one yet." Although he already thinks he found her, and she was right beside him. "And it's true, I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you. I'm sure many other people in the village will think the same." Now that he thought about it, he might not want to have her come to the village. All of the guys trying to swarm her, he won't be able to be alone like this with her. "So, what did you have in mind for me to make your days exciting?"

Lily grinned mischievously and gazed up at Johnathon, "Oh, I could think of a few things you could do...," she spoke suggestively. While that would most certainly be lovely, that was not her intent. The petite woman let out a soft giggle and shook her head, "The two of us have a common goal. We want to free the forest of these creatures. I want to help you. I know these woods rather well, I have my way with the creatures, you have amazing abilities. We'd make a great team, don't you think?" She then held her fist up with determination and grinned, "You could teach me to fight!" Lily had never been the violent type. But none of the creatures were friends of hers, and their intents were nothing but pure evil. Somewhere in this land, there was a man hiding, summoning creatures from the darker realms and allowing them to reek havoc on the land. Both Lily loved this place and could not stand to watch it fall, and the evil spread. Lily wanted to see Johnathon more. Now that she knew he wasn't claimed for, she didn't have much to hold her back. How on Earth had he made it this far without getting snatched up? What were the chances that he'd ever look at her in a romance or sexual light? The guy probably thought she was some awkward woodland hermit. But for Lily, she knew she was quickly developing an infatuation with the guy. What little she knew of Johnathon was that he was strong, brave, charming, and utterly handsome.

Aimlessly, the two walked through the woods. Though Lily made sure to walk towards the direction of her home and the main road; She didn't want the two getting caught in the forest when night came. Lily had lived in the forest for some time, and she knew how to watch out for herself. As long as Johnathon was with her, the monsters wouldn't be drawn to them--- her scent was just too strong. "And... maybe you could take me into town and show me around. I wouldn't want to wander around on my own. I think I'd feel much more comfortable being accompanied by a man like you," she spoke, looking back up at Johnathon with a kind smile. She had always been curious what the human towns were like, but as a dragonkin, she could never go. And ever since she turned human, she was simply too scared to make the step. From what she had heard, they were bustling with people. It was like an ocean of buildings and streets and there were people of all sorts to be found.

Johnathan continued to grow redder when she spoke to him in that suggestive tone. He wouldn't mind seeing her like that, she was clearly very beautiful, and they were both kind of lonely in life. Quickly trying to remove dirty thoughts from his mind, he continued to listen to her. It would be great to have her help him in trying to fix the forest. She cared about the place too, and now he'll have more time to spend with her. "Ok, let's do it. I can take you back to the village where we can have you practice learning how to use a weapon. What were you thinking about using anyways?" He could picture her with a bow, maybe wielding knives for close combat. She moved pretty quick, she could use some light armor so that she isn't slowed down too much.

When he started recognize where they were now, he grabbed her hand and began to lead her. "I'll take you to the village right now. We can try to get your weapons and you'll finally get to see the streets of society." He was still a little surprised to know that she's never been in a village. He didn't like the idea of thinking that other men would try to come take her from him, but he hoped that she would choose to remain with him. "It'll be much nicer to walk through town, accompanied with a woman like you." He smiled as the village started to become visible to them.

His hand was much bigger than hers, and his grip was firm yet gentle. The prospect of entering a village scared her. Sure, she said she wanted to, and she did... eventually. But, she didn't expect it to happen so soon! At least she had Johnathon with her to guide her, protect her, and keep her company; So there was a sense of comfort as she followed him through the forest. Eventually, they found themselves on a trail... Lily had walked across many of these, and sometimes out of curiosity she'd follow them for a little bit, seeing where they'd lead, but never did she see follow the trail to the very end. When she was a dragonkin, it was dangerous. If Johnathon knew what she used to be, he'd have probably never spoken to her--- he may have even tried to kill her. For the first time ever, she was thankful for what had happened to her... it brought Johnathon to her.

In the distance, over the tree tops, stacked upon itself along the side of a hill was that quaint village. Lily could sometimes spot it far in the distance as she perched herself up in the canopies in the trees. She envied the humans for their sense of community. Never had she ever seen such a thing established by the dragonkin... at least to this scale.

Lily's jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened with wonder as the two finally stepped onto the cobble stoned roads that lead into the village. The young woman nearly lost her step and stumbled as she felt the hard stones under her feet. She was so used to the dirt and grass. She looked up at Johnathon and gave him a nervous smile, and continued on their way. The entire place was a bustle. The narrow cobble stoned roads were aligned with buildings with varying services and purposes, and stands set up by farmers who had stopped in town for the day to sell their produce. There were so many people on the streets! She couldn't even keep count.

"Wow, this place is huge!" she said as she gawked at all of the sights. She could see why Johnathon would want to protect such a thing. Humans worked like ants... little single units forming something much bigger than themselves.

So she finally got to see civilization. She looked like such a child, amazed by everything she saw. It was actually pretty adorable when he saw it. Johnathan held on to her hand as they walked through town. He made sure to hold her hand tight when they went through crowds of people, thinking that it might be a little overwhelming for her.

All of the shop stands were filled with different kinds of things for people to buy. Food, jewelry, clothes, weapons, anything they could think of. Occasionally, a guy at the stands would try to call them over, but Johnathan didn't approach any of them. He did want to get her something though, but he wondered what she would want. If he got her jewelry, he wouldn't know what she would wear, or if it would attract monsters if any light shined off of it in the forest. He wasn't sure about clothes, he didn't know her size. He finally got an idea and lead her to a little sweets stand.

"Here, what would you like? You've got to try one of these for your first visit." He looked over to her and smiled, reaching into his coin pouch to pay for whatever she wanted to get.

The town was a sensory overload for the girl. The sights, the sounds, the smells, it was all so overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. Human life looked like a wonderful thing. Lily was beginning to wonder why she had been so scared of it. Sure, she didn't know where to begin, where to go, or what to do, but surely it couldn't be so bad, right? And she had Johnathon who would guide her... hopefully. She hoped he'd stick around and keep her company. Who knows, maybe something more would come of them? He was kind enough to take her to town, and he even told her she was pretty. Maybe he was growing to like her too.

As they walked through town, Lily couldn't help but notice the other woman in town--- many were rather beautiful themselves. Lily's eyes peered down at herself. She was so scraggly looking. She had no shoes... her feet were rather dirty. Her hair was messed up and frizzed from sweat, and her dress was rather plain looking compared to the rest. How on Earth could this man find her pretty? Unless that was something he said to all of the ladies.

Then the two happened upon a stand selling various sweets--- many things she hadn't seen or tasted before, but she had heard of them and read about them. There was so many to choose from... and Johnathon told her she could choose any one she wanted. There were cookies, tarts, pastries, and cakes. Lily gazed up at Johnathon with an unsure look upon her face, her eyes widened with uncertainty. "Are you sure? Because I can't pay you back, I haven't got any---" she began to spoke before being interrupted by the baker, an older gray-haired woman. "Oh honey, let him be a gentleman and buy you something", the baker spoke with a chuckle, "It's just sweets."

Never had anyone bought anything for her... Lily couldn't even recall the last time she received a gift. The whole concept felt foreign to her. She didn't like knowing that she owed someone when she had little to pay in return. If Johnathon wanted to be a gentleman and do nice things for her, he most certainly could manage in other ways. "I suppose...," the petite woman mumbled, "I guess I will get that one." Lily pointed at a slice of cake--- carrot cake."

The baker than grabbed the slice, and placed it in a box and tied it shut. "Here you go. That'll be 5 copper pieces please."

It was just a simple slice of cake, but it meant so much more to Lily. It was the first gift she had received in a very long time, as a human, from a human, and in a human town. Hopefully there were many first's to come. But she could tell this was going to take some getting used to.

It wasn't because he felt like he had to, he wanted to buy her something. Sort of like a welcoming gift since it was her first time in the village. It was pretty cute to see her look so nervous when he offered it to her. She thought she'd have to pay it back. Of course not. When the old lady gave them the cake, he handed her the copper coins. "There you go ma'am. And thank you for the cake." The old lady smiled. "Thank you dear. Be sure to come back with your wife soon." Hearing that made him blush a bit. "Um, sure." Johnathan mumbled. Thinking about Lily being his wife made him blush a little bit. Of course he liked her a lot, but aside from the couple of interactions they've had, he doesn't know too much about her. Actually, she's said more about herself than he has about himself, so it was really the other way around.

They walked by another group of women, all beautiful, but not like Lily was. All of these women had to dress up to be beautiful. All of the make-up and dresses, and some of them were only decent. Lily had a natural beauty to her. She didn't wear make-up, her clothes were so plain, and she didn't care how her hair looked, but she was still beautiful.

After leading her around a little more, he found a bench for them to sit down at and relax. "There we go, go ahead and enjoy your cake." He smiled as he looked into the crowd. Most of the people here were honest and good people, a lot of them in fear of the impending doom. That was why he wanted to protect these people, none of them deserved to die because some sorcerer decided to move in. He looked back down at Lily. "So, how's your first visit to town?"