Chapter 17: Underground Dominion

"Ugh, hell! What—" Theon opened his eyes and rubbed his back. It was painful as ever. He didn't know what to feel anymore. He let out a hiss as he seated himself. What could have happened to him? His body was not throbbing anymore, the pain has subsided in his back and bottom. However, his nape and as well as his head were aching madness. "Talk about luck," He whimpered. "Ugh, what? w-where am I?" He asked with his voice hoarse and rusty. He cleared his throat and gulped as it was very dark. There was no beam of light and all he can rely on was his instinct. He used his hands to grasp his surroundings. Tap by tap. All he felt were vines, dirt, and roots. He almost cussed, he can not accustom his eyes to this darkness. Arduous. "My head. It's getting worst. Oh—" Since he grabbed a strong and mighty vine, he hold onto it and guided himself to stand up. He grunted and sighed when he was able to get up. Theon accidentally hit his head when he already stood up, he lowered his head and scratched it. "Ouch..." As he patted the place where he was upwards, it was yet but another dust or dirt. "I'm under the ground?" He shockingly said. Shivers run down his spine. The obscurity of the place was suppressing his facials but Theon looked horrified that he was under the ground. His brows furrowed and his eyes were filled with terror. "This can't be, Ambroz..." He recalled him. "Ambroz might be in great danger." After a few seconds of reminiscing and worrying. He now remembers, someone pulled him in and he fainted right after. It was similar to thus Ambroz's voice. He only followed his hearing and it made him stumble upon this land of the underground. But what if he was mistaken? The man's anxiety sufficed his entirety. He gulped hard while thinking of a way how to escape this horrendous place. "I need to get out of here or I—" He halted when he heard something from afar. "Hello? Is anybody there? Ambroz!" He shouted but his voice only echoed. As Theon's echoed vocals went astray, it was just an insignificant light but he was able to see it. This means that there is more to seek through when he initiates a way forth. As he waddled his way, the light tardily began to liven up. He got desperate and so he run as fast as he could, the vines and roots caressed his skin but he did not mind it. What was more important to him is to break out from this unenlightened place. He could not be appalled with this place and spend a wasteful time in. He needs to find Ambroz as soon as possible. He even almost fell when he stumbled upon a rock but managed to balance himself. "There it is! Light!" He exclaimed and grasp for air. However, as soon as he encountered the light, he ended up in a dead-end almost like a cliff, a palisade. "Woah!" He grabbed onto a vine. His heart almost jumped out of his chest as he held and tapped it a few times. He can not believe that he got reckless. "A small ditch and I could have died." He panted. He breathe for air greedily and decided to face the front. In front of him mesmerized his eyes. At the other side of the land, his stepping was a ground full of crystals, diamonds, gemstones, and colourful pebbles and rocks. Like whispers of the stars, it lightened up the opaque space. Violet tinge surfaced it as the blisters did not facade. The wind shrieked through the hollows and gaps of the space like banshees haunting a graveyard On the ground was an inch filled with water. As if it had glitters within its stream it glowed further in. "What is this place? I keep seeing unusual things ever since..." He mumbled. He roamed his eyes with the tantalizing view. Even after the sight, he could not forget what was his intention. "That's right, I need to escape." He wandered his eyes and saw a long vine attached beside where he set foot. He grabbed it and pulled it twice to assure that it was strong enough to carry his weight. When he got a cue that it was. He made a stance and back off a little. Measure the distance so he could swing smoothly without anything going on the wrong way. He took a deep breath. "It's now or never." Theon run and aimed well. "Ahhhhh!" He shouted as he swing through the air. His eyes were wide open and witness it all. When he felt that he can already jump to the ground, he gave it his all and let go of the vine to jump on the other side. He arrived with his body rolling on the glittering water. He only wavered when he was stopped by a huge mass of rock. "Ugh!" He grunted as his back slammed on it. It was not much of a pain. Inside, he rejoices with his arrival safely on the other side. But frustration climbed up, the water wet him and now he is sluggish once more. This keeps happening to him, is this forest fond of wetting people? Even Ambroz loved wetting him— "Good lord, what am I thinking?" He murmured and got up. He shook his head continuously and even thump on. Speaking of Ambroz, he really does need to rush or something might have really happened. He stands on his feet and searches around the place. "If I walk further in would I be able to get out of here?" He asked himself, looking at the place. "Well, I can't guarantee that. But, it's better than staying in one place still." He shrugged his shoulders and resumed walking and tracing in. He can not help but get awestruck with the place. "It's rare to see gemstones and crystals in this mountain. Even at Ambroz's cave, there was no such thing." He lad his hands on one pebble of crystal and he heard a voice. The angelic and soothing voice of a woman. High pitched and airy tone. It was luring him in. Slowly and steadily he was manifested to reach that place. He was itching to know who was letting out such a voice. So sped up a little. And what appeared in front of him widened his eyes as it has never been before. A woman, with tremendous height for a woman; green-skinned, radiant and gleaming complexion, and the roots were as if her body and cloth. Covering and capturing the outer part of her body, and curling on her brown hair. Her eyes were sealed. And Theon was wordless at what he saw. ‘It's a w-woman... or is it?" It's the only thing he could have thought. Just as he was about to step back, the woman spoke with vigour in her voice. "I see, a mortal has entered my domain." Her eyes were still shut but her voice echoed inside. ‘She spoke! She spoke!" Theon panicked inside his subconscious while looking at the green-skinned woman. Suddenly, there were little creatures who appeared and flew past him. They had human-like bodies, on their back's was wings attached, fragile and yet flattering with glitters as they flapped it. They were in various colours; pink, blue, and green pigments. Theon followed them with his gaze. Now his pupils were radiated from it. ‘What are those little creatures? It's like the old tales, fairies.' He thought at the back of his head. They flew towards the woman and surrounded her. He heard thin whispers but can never discern what they were uttering. They were just too small. Theon even attempted to lea forward but he was too afraid of the woman. "So it is," Suddenly the woman spoke. "Yes, I did." And spoke again. ‘To whom is she talking? The fairies?' After a while of silence. Theon got impatient as he was already worried about what may have happened above the surface. "W-what are you? And what is this place?" He asked. He succeeded in calling her attention and noticed that it moved its head. "You are inside my domain. And I have summoned you to my grasp." She fiercely said with an airy but dominant voice. "Domain? What domain?" Theon accidentally said it in a mad tone. The woman scoffed. "You speak in such vulgar tone, do you want me to shred your tongue?" "N-no, my deepest apologies, it's just, I haven't seen such beaming being in my entire life and I also need to get out of here as fast as—" "Oh-huh, stop with you blabber and let me bestow to you why you are here." ‘Why I'm here? Someone just pulled me inside, or was I fated to come here? Did I really hear it right? Did she summon me? Just who is this intimidating odd woman?"— he thought. "You are a man of that village, am I right?" "Village? You know my village?" Theon inquired from her. He saw the woman slowly lift the edge of its lips. "You were told to escape with your people and yet you are here still lingering inside my forest." "Your forest?" "And to my surprise, you were even eager to stay after all that was outdone to your embodiment. You like being used, fellow?" "I was trying to be considerate but this is making me confused. What are you trying to say?" He straightforwardly asked. But instead of an answer, the woman immediately blink her eyes open and he was startled by it. Her eyes were in different hues. Her left eye was in an ocean blue colour, drowning you into the abyss of the ocean sea like luring you to the depths and the other one was bottle green colour, it was natural yet like nature, it was fresh beam and very appealing. Just by staring at it, like a mere window opens up and enters your soul and flourishes its every bit. Again, the truth that it is in different colours makes it extraordinary and odd. ‘What is this woman?" Now he truly is terrified. He is stunned and terrified at the same time. He can not help it. Seeing such a being, what could he possibly do? He is no match if ever she would charge towards him. "My word. Listen well, boy. You are with someone far from a man. It's a creature, who brings nothing but disaster, flames, and deaths. Turning poor nature to ashes. I have shed tears for such a worthless being. I am doing you a favour to your fate. You will come across him and you need to know the truth behind those eyes." Theon shuddered upon hearing the woman utter such words. It was vague and unclear. His mind was full of uncertainties. But he could only think of one ma that the woman was inferring to. It was no other but Ambroz. "As we speak, it seems you are truly clueless." The woman guessed. "A creature... What creature is it?" Theon asked in a trembling voice. He doesn't want to expect that it was him, the man he places a liking to and wants to help escape the forest. Yes, Ambroz. "It's a cursed creature. Winged and breathes flames. Eyes that shout anger and madness. Vengeance and despair. Those eyes that I once encountered. He shifts every time the witch wishes to." As she said that she began to stand up and the roots snapped one by one. "A dragon!" The fairies shuddered and became dramatic. They squealed upon hearing even a word. Witch, shifts, and curses. All of it was new to him. But one word caught his attention. 'Dragon'. Theon was now horrified. He does not know what to believe and what to do. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He turned his hands into a fist and contained himself. His heart was aching. ‘The roars, growls, heats, and those scales appearing on his face. Why didn't I notice it? Even so, if this woman really is telling the truth. What should I do?" "I pity you, poor fellow. That man has even confused your sanity and has turned you into something you should not have turned out." The woman took a few steps. Theon was just bowing his head. He did not know what to say or retort. For one thing, he didn't know anything about Ambroz and who he was. They were just made to do sinful things. He even laughed at himself for not regretting it. He was desperate. But that was because Ambroz showed him kindness. Took him in and cared for him. Even after knowing that Ambroz might be that unbelievable creature. His heart wants to not believe any of it, it still wants Ambroz to tell him these things himself. He doesn't want to trust and believe words from another being. Other mouths. He raised his head. "You are fighting with your head. What is it that makes you hesitate?" The woman asked. Seems like the woman knows what's going on inside his head. He won't be playing runs and chases anymore. "I want to ask you something. You seem to know a lot of these things. Why are the conquerors attacking our village, killed our kind, and wants to colonize us?" He asked without stopping. If he has to know of something, this is first in line. The woman stared at him. "They are here all because of that creature. After all, he was their creation. They want this creature to be theirs and manipulate him to conquer all the other lands." The woman told him. "And it's also because of him that the people of your village has brought upon their forever slumber. The good witches even strive to cure him but, oh poor of them." Theon was all ears. His knees weakened and he had the urge to cry. Eliaz, Zynthia, and Ganord were dead because of the dragon? Why? Why does fate keep getting under their skin? And it'll be even worst if he confirmed that Ambroz was truly that creature. The creature he saw that night. "You said it's your forest. Why are you not laying a finger on the conquerors and wiping them off?" Theon asked trying to stop the tears. "This is not my war. They are still not inside my land. Your village is at the edge of this place. If they ever set foot inside, I will not hold back. I have finally awakened." The woman spread her arms. "To escape, but why is it the forest kept tricking me?" Theon retorted again. "The forest does not trick you, I don't track you. You are tricking yourself into believing that you are being tricked. When in truth, you just want to stay and save that man. Even from the start, you fell off that cliff because you were lured in with that roaring voice." She revealed. "You should know better of what you are thinking." ‘I was tricking myself?" He thought in surprise. Now, this woman really is not human. Everything about her seems not human to Theon. It was taller than him and had huge limbs. Her skin and everything else about this gleaming place are just too strange. He is still really clueless as to who she was. "How do I know you are telling me the truth?" Theon asked her with his eyes filled with seriousness. He couldn't afford it anymore. The woman scoffed. "I don't hold your mind. I have no control over what you think or believe. But my words, fellow. It all makes sense to you." Indeed, it did make sense. However, he was the type of man to trust in one's own words. His body was already aching to know. That's right, Ambroz! He needs to find Ambroz! "Now, I have told you all of these things. You do understand it, right?" "I- I do." He stuttered. "Now, I want you to go as far as you can, don't stop and escape this place. Go to your people and live a life from afar, you have no more place here." The woman walked closer to him as it started to cover his eyes. But before that Theon asked a follow-up question. "Wait! Who are you?" He questioned. "I am Aranyani, the Goddess of this forest. And I manipulate the depths of this land." She uttered. "Now go, don't be like your mother and father." ‘My mother and father, she knows about them?" "Wait! No!" But he was too late. Aranyani touched his eyes and forehead and he felt a thump in his chest. He opened his eyes to see that he was back to where he was. Indeed, the place where he fell and was pulled in. He turned his gaze at the tree only to see it all covered. He tried digging it but it was already mustered up with the massive land. He was desperate. That woman was Aranyani, that's the name that Ambroz spout at that time. Now, things seem to come at hand. But he was caught off guard when she told him about his kin, his mother and his father. It seems like Aranyani knew about them. There were a lot of things he didn't know. About the past and what happened to his family. Ever since he was young he never got to meet them even in their graves. All he knew was they were long gone. They were dead after he was born. But all the details were kept hidden. And every time he would ask about this to mother Zynthia and Ganord, they would divert it real fast. Now he was on his knees. He covered his face and there he started letting out another pain. His chest was tightening. He was all alone thinking things through and staring at the tree when he heard someone call him from behind. "Theon?" He turned his gaze and it was just the man he wanted to see so badly and talk to him at the same time. Right. Ambroz. Ambroz looked shocked and his eyes were widened. But Theon was relieved to see the man all safe. It seems that the voice he was hearing was not all that harmless. Who knows? Whatever may come for his fate. He will let it go and accept it or escape it. Theon inhaled a huge amount of air and closed his eyes. After that, he opened his eyes to meet Ambroz's. - What could Theon possibly unlock in the next chapter? Do you think he will be able to handle it? Is it something worth risking? ———————
ABYSSCESS