Nessia made a run for the cave. She shoved Ash inside and followed suit. 

Ash watched slack-jawed as the nymph dragged a two-meter-high rock with all of her might, and blocked the mouth of the cave with it. 

Outside, the dire wolves were barking and scratching the ground angrily. 

“What the heck are those things?” Ash asked after she caught her breath.  

“These are the beasts of Melancholia. They were corrupted by the destructive forces of this part of the land. And they hate nymphs and humans alike.” 

Nessia looked about. The light that peered above the top of the boulder reflected on what looked like big stalactites. Water was dripping from the ceiling and had formed pools of water here and there. 

“Let’s wait here until the wolves leave and I recover my powers.”

They sat in tense silence as the beasts continued to snarl and howl right outside. When the growling stopped, they knew the animals had finally left. They both sighed in relief. 

As the adrenaline was wearing off, Ash snapped. “Take me back home. Now. I never signed up for this!” 

Nessia scoffed as she washed her hands into the nearby pool of rainwater. She tucked a lock of light blue hair behind her ear, revealing a flower tattooed on her left hand. “You should seriously consider your options. You can either continue to scratch your buttocks, bask in self-pity, and do nothing with your insignificant life. Or you can try to make yourself useful.” 

She has a point, Ash grudgingly conceded. This might be the sign I’ve been unconsciously waiting for ever since everything went down the drain. 

She stared down pensively at the stony ground and spoke after a long pause. “All right. I’ll help you. But only because Teshbi’s hot.”

“How dare you speak so casually about a deity?!” the nymph barked. 

Ash simply shrugged.

Regardless, Nessia was glad to have accomplished the first part of her mission. She had successfully brought the Chosen One into their world. 

All that was left was to take her to meet Teshbi in Joyia. Then, she would be done with this mission. She would be able to go back to her nymph life in Kishar, away from those wretched humans. 

A storm was raging outside. Droplets of water were dripping all around them in the cave.

After a while, Nessia realized that she was regenerating her mana at a snail’s pace. They needed to get out of here. But it was too risky to go back from where they had come from. The dire wolves could still be lurking outside. They decided to explore the cave and look for another exit. 

The nymph’s body could emit a glow that irradiated about an arm’s length around her. This made it easier to navigate inside the pitch-dark cave. 

Ash could see frightening small creatures here and there, challenging her self-control. She was trying hard to contain her fear. However, she couldn't help but whimper when she would see the strange insects skittering away as the pair progressed through the darkness. 

She clutched onto Nessia who shook her off unceremoniously. 

Out of nowhere, Ash felt something cold and quite heavy crawling on her shoulder. She looked down and her eyes widened. She shrieked in horror at the sight of a long brown millipede that was as long as her forearm. 

Nessia’s ear rang. She brushed off the large insect with the back of her hand. The millipede splattered on the nearby wall and disintegrated in a wet crunch. 

She grabbed the earthling by the collar. “I swear to the gods, I will send you to Gansis if you continue wrinkling my clothes and splitting my ears.” But Ash wasn’t paying attention. She was uncontrollably rubbing her face. Nessia knitted her brows. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“They’ve been itching me since that chase through the forest,” Ash replied, wincing. 

She tensed up as her companion drew closer and examined her face with her penetrating blue eyes. She noticed the almost imperceptible freckles on her subtly pointy nose. The nymph looked even more ridiculously gorgeous from up close. 

“You must’ve been poisoned by one of those plants.” Before Ash could get even more agitated, Nessia added, “I’ll heal your injuries as soon as I can use my powers again.” 

Ash couldn’t remember for how long they had been walking inside the damp cave. 

At last, they saw a ray of light reflecting on the stony walls. They had found the exit.

Ash scrambled outside and covered her eyes as her vision adjusted. She was standing on an elevated rock formation overlooking a wide plain. The storm had passed and the sun was high. 

She was drenched and covered in mud with twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair. Her pajamas were in shambles and she had scratches all over. Yet, she had never felt so happy to see the sky. She knelt, kissed the ground, and thanked whoever was up there.

The nymph cocked her head and watched her perform her odd ritual with a perplexed look. 

An hour passed before Nessia fully replenished her mana pool. 

Ash watched in puzzlement as the nymph placed her palms above her chest. A bright green glow emanated from her hands. In mere seconds, the mud dissolved, her wounds disappeared, her eyes no longer itched, and her former clothes were gone. Instead, she was now wearing attire that resembled the ones she had seen in her dream. 

“Thank you...!” Ash’s teary eyes were glistening with gratitude. 

For a split second, Nessia’s cheeks turned rosy. She looked away. “I only did this because I don’t want to dirty myself by carrying a muddy human in rags.” She turned to Ash again. “You need to look presentable when you meet Teshbi.” 

Ash took in her new clothes which comprised an ivory tunic, a pair of brown trousers, high leather boots, and a long navy blue cloak. 

I really look the part now, she thought.

Without a warning, Nessia transformed into a majestic giant hawk, as Ash watched in a stupor. Before the yellow mist could dissipate, the bird had already grabbed her with its large talons and flew off. 

“Why did you have to grab me with your feet?” Ash asked, grossed out. 

The nymph-turned-bird squawked. “I’d never allow you to ride on my back.”

“A flea-ridden donkey would’ve been a better option.”

Nessia unclenched her talons and let her fall. Ash screamed in terror, her voice trailing off downward. The hawk cackled before diving and catching her back a few seconds later. 

After she managed to collect herself, Ash looked around. She was disconcerted by the stricken forests, the bleak plains, and the sinister snowy mountain chain she could see on their right. 

“We’re flying over Melancholia. Far behind us sits its capital, Xantax, home of Tardar.” Loathe leaked from the nymph’s voice when she pronounced this name. 

They were approaching a peninsula. The land looked luxurious, green, and sunnier, with pristine waters and white sandy shores. 

Nessia went on, “This corner of the land is Joyia. It’s protected by both the Western Mountains you can see ahead and Tila’s Forest right behind it. Before the foundation of Melancholia, this whole land was simply called Kengir. There was no distinction between those two territories.” 

Ash pointed at a large town further ahead. “What’s this place?”

“That’s Atinama, the capital of Joyia, and our destination,” she replied as she started descending toward it. 

Ash noted how small the peninsula looked compared to Melancholia. 

“Beyond its idyllic looks, this place is in grave danger. Tardar’s threatening to come and invade Joyia anytime now,” the nymph added with a somber expression.