Tales Of Darkness And Light
Chapter 4's

"Lara, wake!" call Fedrick

Lara opened her black eyes staring at Fedrick. "Can you let me sleep a little longer, Fedrick. My sleep is not as good as yours, I have to divide this narrow bed with others until midnight."

"Rue doesn't exist!" reply Fedrick panic. The bed that Lara and Rue were supposed to be in was now Lara, and Fedrick did not find the golden-haired girl inside or outside the cave.

"I knew. It seems like he had a nightmare at midnight. He kept calling out the blind man's name. When he woke up, he ran out. I think he went looking for her." Obviously Lara while pulling the blanket over her face.

"You didn't stop him?" fedrick asked in surprise upon hearing Lara's explanation.

"What am I doing to kick him? I am thankful for the nightmares. I can finally use this bed. After all, he would live in this forest. I don't think there's gonna be any trouble." Lara replied that she didn't care.

Fedrick silently remained silent not knowing what to say when he heard Lara's reply. The black-haired girl in front of him was indeed notoriously selfish, but to let Rue search for someone inside the forest at midnight? That's not the right thing, is it?

Desperate for Lara's continued sleep, Ferdick decides to find Rue alone. Walking through the forbidden forest, his sky blue eyes looked around with great caution. This forest is filled with large trees that have been hundreds of years old, pouring high with sturdy branches. Cold air, minimal morning sunlight and some small birds chirping, make this forest look very calm. Only, the blond-haired young man still felt that this forest was dangerous.

Relying on his memory, Fedrick walked north. He felt that it was possible, Rue and Apple were at the lake where they had first met. However, a few minutes into his walk, he found an odd sight.

There was a patch of dry land that made Fedrick wrinkle his forehead. It is a circle with a diameter of about ten meters. The ground color was dark brown to near black, and not a single blade of grass grew on top. Very contrast compared to the green side grass.

There is a bad feeling Fedrick feels. Not knowing why, the feeling grew stronger as he looked more clearly at the dry land. Mixed feelings, restless, reluctant and also; afraid.

Nibbling on his lower lip, Fedrick then turned around and walked away. He had gone wrong, the lake he was looking for was not here. They didn't go through this weird dry land last night.

Taking another direction, Fedrick walked away. He tried to forget what he saw just now and calm his feelings. This forest was a strange forest, he did not dare to recklessly act which might result in harming himself.

While walking, painstakingly trying to dig into his memory, Fedrick finally managed to find the lake he was looking for. His eyes were looking for the figure of Rue and Apple. Then, his uncle caught the figure of two people he was looking for under a big tree beside the lake. Smiling relieved, the blonde-haired young man walked over.

The closer Fedrick got to the two figures he was looking for, he was immediately stunned. There was a strange feeling in his heart. A foreign feeling that he himself did not know what it was.

In front of him, Apple sat resuscitating its body on the trunk of a large oak tree. While Rue was lying on the grass with his head on the young man's lap. The girl fell asleep peacefully and peacefully. A smile adorned her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" ask Apple suddenly.

Fedrick was surprised to hear Apple's question. He had not expected the black-haired young man to notice his presence. The eyes that were covered in cloth and not moving Apple, made him think that the young man was sleeping.

"It's okay" Fedrick replied quickly. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Apple didn't answer Fedrick's question. The silence created immediately made the blonde-haired young man feel bad. It seemed, he had interrupted the time togetherness of the two people in front of him.

Fedrick tried hard to rack his brain to find the topic of conversation. He did not want to be stuck in the awkward silence again when he was with the young man in front of him.

Suddenly, Apple raised the head of Rue which was on his lap. Slowly and carefully, he placed it on the grass. The golden-haired girl did not feel the actions of the Apples at all, she still closed her eyes and fell asleep quietly.

Standing tall, Apple walked closer to Fedrick. The blonde-haired young man was getting awkward looking at her. However, Apple just walked past Fedrick without doing anything.

Reversing the body, Fedrick's eyes followed the figure of Apple who stopped walking a few meters in front of him, "A-apple there is a—"

Fedrick's question was not resolved because a quiet voice without Apple's intonation cut through it. "Come out, all of you. I know you guys are hiding around here."

The laughter of a man suddenly sounded in response to Apple's words. "I didn't expect you to notice our presence."

From behind the tree in front of the Apple, appeared eight men dressed in black. Two of them were the men that Apple defeated yesterday.

The red-haired man who stood at the front, as well as the man who had laughed back Apel smiled smirked. His green eyes stared fixedly at Fedrick. "It's good to see you again, Your Highness Prince Fedrick."

"Aaron!!" fedrick's blue eyes stared intently at the red-haired man.

"It looks like you found another new friend, Prince," Aaron laughed at Apple. "But I don't think your friend is going to help much."

The apple just kept silent hearing Aaron's words. Obviously the red-haired man underestimated her, but inwardly, he did not care at all.

"Be careful of that blind boy, Commander," one of the men Apple once defeated commemorates Aaron. There was still a hint of fear in his eyes as he looked at the black-haired young man. "He's very strong."

"Right, Commander," replied the other man quickly. "He can use magic at incredible speed."

Aaron looked at Apple with an interested look. The young man did look different, but, it was not a problem for him who was a high-level mage.

Apple didn't care about Aaron's views. "Leave this forest."

Aaron laughed heartily at the warning of Apple. "Looks like you should be taught a lesson, boy."

Aaron raised his right hand. The four men standing behind him quickly moved forward attacking Apple. However, even though the numbers were out of balance, the black-haired young man was able to fight against the four men, so to speak; surpassing them.

The three men who were behind Aaron then raised their hands making a magic circle and cast a magic spell. But before their magic was successful, from the side they appeared an attacking ice needle.

Aaron managed to escape. However, not with his three subordinates. Looking at the direction where the ice needle came from, her green eyes found Lara standing with a greenish-blue magic circle in front of her hand.

"Aren't you ashamed to gang up on someone like that." Lara smiled grinning. His tone was clearly mocking Aaron.

"Princess Lara." Aaron's face was filled with anger when he heard Lara's words. His eyes stared intently at the black-haired girl in front.

"Ugh.." the agonizing moaning sound was captured by Aaron's ear. Turning his face at the source of the voice, his eyes widened as he found his four subordinates who were fighting Apple curled up underground. The black-haired youth remained standing straight without being injured in the slightest.

"As usual you're still a coward Aaron." Lara gave a small laugh looking at Aaron's facial expression. The mocking smile on his face grew wider, and it successfully irritated the red-haired man.

Not wasting any time, Apple moved to attack Aaron. Aaron swiftly avoided the attack. Jumping backwards while making a green magic circle, he recited a magic spell. From within the magic circle dozens of flying wind swords attacked Apple. However, nimble as well, the black-haired youth dodged.

The wind sword magic that Aaron created successfully hit the tree that was behind the Apple and split it in half. Urged, the red-haired man whipped out the sword tied around his waist attacking.

The sound of a tree falling due to Aaron's wind sword magic managed to wake up the sleeping Rue. His green eyes widened when he saw Aaron who attacked Apple with a lustful kill.

"Apple!!" shouted Rue in fear.

Rue's sudden scream made everyone turn their heads to look at the girl, not least Apple.

The opportunity was immediately used by Aaron to slash at the black-haired young man. Aaron's attack this time almost hurt Apple. Only, the black-haired young man again managed to avoid by jumping backwards. However, the slash managed to cut the cloth that closed the eyes of Apple. The cloth split in two fell to the ground and showed the eyes of the young man in red.

Fedrick and Lara were shocked to see the eyes of Apple. They had never seen such colored eyes all this time.

Red as the color of blood.

Aaron stared in disbelief as he looked at the color of the Apple eyes that were in front of him, "Your blood red eyes, you can't be.." he said intermittently. However, a moment later, as if aware of something, the red-haired man burst out laughing with great joy.

Fedrick and Lara did not understand why Aaron suddenly laughed happily like that.

"I thought it would just be a painstaking task to catch the escaped captives" Aaron laughed louder. "I didn't think! I didn't think I'd find it here. I didn't think I'd find the darkness here."

The face of the Apple remained calm without emotion. However, deep down, he was extremely shocked. The Darkness? How could the man in front of him know of the Dark One?

Slowly, Aaron sheathed the sword in hand and walked towards his subordinates who were painstakingly standing upright, "We retreat." His order.

Fedrick and Lara were unable to hide their feelings of shock upon hearing Aaron's orders. Aaron had indeed lost, yet, they also knew, that man was not one who would retreat that easily.

According to Aaron's orders, the seven subordinates immediately walked away leaving Apple and the others. Aaron as leader was the last to leave the place. However, before he disappeared behind the tree, he turned his head for a moment staring at Apple. "I'll tell him about our meeting. I think he'll be very happy to hear that. He has been looking for you for years," a smile flashed across his face. "Black cat."

The red eyes of the Apples widened upon hearing Aaron's words that had disappeared. Black cat? The man in front of him really knew who he really was. He must stop them; he must kill them.

However, before the Apples moved, he felt someone hugging him tightly; rue. Fear and worry were clearly painted on Rue's pretty face. The body of the golden haired girl trembled violently.

Apple sighed and returned Rue's embrace tightly. He could not leave Rue in this state. However, if Aaron could really escape and get out of this forest alive, then; they could no longer stay in this forbidden forest

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