The Betrayal of the Guardians

~ (15) Allies ~

The first thing her gaze met was a heart-shaped pinkish face, looking back at her with wondrous eyes.

With a sudden fright, Arisa attempted to pull herself away from the stranger.

"Calm down," said the stranger, her brows arching.

As she didn't understand the language, Arisa tried to stand up in an attempt to run away. As confused as she was, she knew that she had to run. It was not every day she woke up with a stranger watching her.

When she stood up, weakness slammed her legs. She quickly fell on the wet grassy ground.

"You've been asleep for more than twenty-four hours," said a kind voice behind the stranger, now using the common universal language. "It wouldn't be a good idea to run with a body that hasn't been fed for more than a day, who knows even more."

As Arisa calmed down, she noticed that she was trembling.

"Wha-what do you mean that I slept for longer than I needed?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"You were caught in a dream," said the kind voice, approaching her.

Arisa saw a young man in a black fighting suit with dark blue details. A suit that covered his whole body, leaving his dark head.

"The Dream Weaver tried to make you sleep for as long as possible," he continued, bending over to look at her.

Arisa's gaze met the bright green eyes of the young man.

"Usually that creature would consume you until you fall into an eternal slumber," he continued. "But since we're all candidates, it was testing our will to face reality."

Arisa touched her head as dizziness attacked her.

"I see, so you're my fellow candidates," said Arisa. 

"You should eat something," suggested the kind young man. "Since you haven't eaten for a day or maybe more, your body has entered a state that is consuming itself."

"A day or more?" asked Arisa, touching her chest in search of her shoulder strap.

"We found you sleeping in the middle of the forest yesterday," replied the young man. "We woke up two days ago and started to look for potential allies."

Arisa would have shown an expression of shock if she wasn't feeling so weak. As her fingers found the thick silky strap, she glanced down and was relieved to see her silver bag still by her side.

Arisa remembered the store cards her grandmother had given her. She remembered how she had complained to her grandmother, saying that she was exaggerating in giving her so many store cards she probably wouldn't use.

As she grabbed her bag, she asked herself if she would be able to use her magic to release what was stored in the cards. In the weak state that she was in, she wasn't sure if her energy would be enough to reveal the meals stored in them.

Before her trembling hands could open her bag, a silver cup appeared in front of her.

Her gaze followed the dark hand that offered the cup. An oval face with dark brown eyes was smiling at her. It was the girl with braids she saw back in the Forbidden Lands.

"Drink this; you'll feel better fast," said the girl, smiling. Mechanical sounds could be heard from the machine attached to her shoulder.

Arisa glanced at her drink timidly.

"Don't worry." The girl laughed. "There's no poison in it."

"Yeah, the plan here is to make as many allies as possible," added the stranger with the tied red hair.