-?-

I am so exhausted… I've been running for hours… Are they even still chasing me? I don't see them. But they could just be using invisibility magic. I decide to take a quick break from running, to catch my breath.

Maybe I should introduce myself.

Hi, my name is Vance Wandsworth. Fancy name, huh? Well it makes sense since I'm a noble. I also have magical abilities.

Should I explain this too?

Well, each country has specific magical abilities. Reidanal, the country I live in, specifies in dark magic, like shadow manipulation and such. We would be the strongest country if we weren't so small. And if people with actual shadow magic were more common. Right now there are only three, including me. Usually it's only one or two.

Maybe I should tell you what I look like so you can actually visualize me. Well, I have jet black hair with silver eyes. Well I guess I should say eye. I wear a black eye patch over my right eye.

And don't imagine some amazing unique eye patch. It's just a plain, black eye patch.

You may be wondering why I need the eye patch. But that's for me to know and you to find out.

Oh! I also have freckles.

Back to the situation.

This is why I don't take job requests. Actually, this is why I avoid people in general. They're annoying, rude, and selfish. They'll only be nice to you if they are getting something in return.

I know this, and yet I still took this job. It hadn't sounded hard, find and catch some cat that had somehow stolen an expensive necklace.

How was I supposed to know that the cat would run into a rival country magic user camp, and actually be one of their pets.

Seriously, I hate whatever deity controls fate. Not that I could do much now.

The worst part is that these magic users are from the country Leodan, one of the four element countries, the Water Country, the strongest of the countries, with the most magic users. They're abilities are to turn invisible and control water.

And I just made some of their magic users angry. Just great.

I hear a stick snap behind me, and decide to keep running.

-??-

I had no idea who these people are, or why they’re chasing me. I just knew my intuition said to avoid them. So when they came to my door, I ran. I guess I should explain who I am. My name is Serinade. I been described as...frightening. I don't know why.

But that didn’t matter. All that mattered at the moment was one word. Run.

-Vance-

I thought I had gotten away when I ran into a tree root and fell, rolling all the way to the bottom of the hill I had been on.

When I stopped, I tried to get up, but I felt immense pain in my leg, and I sat back down.

I then nearly puked when I realized there was a stick in my leg.

-Serinade-

I ran into something.

“Ow!” It said.

I looked at it. There was a branch in it’s leg. On instinct, I pulled it out. The hole in it’s leg closed up. Why didn't it take the branch out in the first place?

I heard shouting.

-Vance-

I was frozen in shock, but only for a moment. When a heard the mages shout, I knew I'd have to get up and start running.

"Thank you!" I tell the… Person? And I run.

-Serinade-

I got up and ran after It. It can help me!

-Vance-

I find a tall tree, with tons and tons of branches.

Perfect! I think to myself as I climb it. Luckily, I'm good at these sorts of things.

-Serinade-

I followed It. Safe with It.

-Vance-

So that weird creature from before followed me.

Great.

Hopefully it won't find me up here.

-Serinade-

I climbed up the tree. And then fell down again. I frantically tried to climb up again.

They’re almost here! Please help me, It!

-Vance-

Obviously, I wouldn't be losing it anytime soon. Also obvious, it needed help getting up here.

And it was also giving my hiding place away! I guess have no choice but to let it up here with me.

I reach down and grab one of its frantic hands, and start to pull it up.

-Serinade-

Soon I was up in the tree with It. I watched as the creatures below ran off, not seeing us.

-Vance-

I sigh in relief. I was safe! I made it!

I jump down from the tree after waiting a few minutes.

-Serinade-

I jumped down next to It.

Where do we go now?

-Vance-

I had a feeling it was trying to talk to me.

"Do you know how to speak?"

-Serinade-

I looked at It, confused.

Huh?

-Vance-

"I'll just take that as a no." I say. I look around, realizing that I've never been in this part of the forest before.

I reach back to take my backpack off… When I remembered that I had taken it off to be able to run faster.

"..." My map had been in there.

"WE'RE LOST!!!" I shout in panic.

-Serinade-

I fell back at It’s sudden loudness.

Oh hey, I know where we are.

-Vance-

I pull out a piece of paper from my pocket. I remember putting it in there because it had the address of where that stupid cat had last been seen.

It was completely useless. I throw it on the ground and continue looking through my clothes for anything helpful.

-Serinade-

I was nearly done with the map.

-Vance-

What to do, what to do…

The weird person wasn't at all helping, they were just drawing on the ground.

-Serinade-

I finished and tugged on It’s hand.

-Vance-

"What?" I ask it. Then I noticed what it had drawn. I face palm.

"I'm an idiot." I look up at It. "So you know the way? Can you guide me out of here?" I say this with hand motions.

-Serinade-

I nodded and pulled It towards the abandoned village.