Ganord, Eliaz's father and also the chief of the village was standing right in front of him. Impressive height, brown-haired and slightly grown beard. However, his eyes were coloured green, like the forest leaves with a dark tinge. Eliaz has taken on his eye colour as well, however it has lighter complexion like the fresh leaves from a spring season.

He ran towards Ganord and Ganord on the other hand bent his knees to phase on Theon's view.

"Where have you been, young man?" Ganord asked.

Theon could not answer him. He was lost in his thoughts. Confused as to why everything looked so surreal. He attempted to touch Ganord, it felt bare and real.

Ganord was flummoxed at Theon's demeanour.

"You look as if you're lost in a maze. What's gotten into you? Did something happen?" Implored by Ganord.

"You're alive, chief." That was the only thing he could utter.

"That's father to you. How could I not be alive?" Ganord laughed in playful manner.

‘I can't tell you otherwise I will be acting like a fool.’ Theon thought.

He was still in a haze when he observed Eliaz was nowhere to be found. He knows only Eliaz could disentangle every crisis he's been withstanding as of the moment.

His eyebrows furrowed. "By any chance, do you know where Eliaz is?"

The elephant in the room has finally been outspoken.

Eliaz hummed. Theon thought they both were together in the first place.

"I've sent him to the forest to train." He exclaimed.

Theon widened his eyes in concussion. How come the chief send his son inside the forest when he knew how dangerous it could be. Wandering around the forest compromises as you are a rabbit waiting for someone to attack you. Even though they live here, no one knows what is beyong the deepest part of these woods.

And for that moment he already knew something was absolutely wrong with all that he's been seeing. Hesitant, he faced Ganord and hugged him once more. A huge contingency will occur that Theon might never see them ever again so he made sure he felt their warmth before finally disappearing from each other sight.

Gigantic trees appeared before his eyes. Running inside the woods, he glanced left to right and there was no inkling of Eliaz presence. After roaming around the forest in jiffies he gazed at a familiar sight. Nervous, he walked into it and he was right, it was the specific cliff he fell. He stood at the edge of it and he heard slight noises from below. Even though he was frightened he filled up his courage and went down. He slowly walks in the same direction where he found the cave but before that he almost jumped when Eliaz appeared.

"Eliaz!" He called.

Eliaz faced him. It was a younger feature of Eliaz and he ought to ask him knowing he might not know of it.

"Eliaz, how are you still alive and why are we back to our younger selves?"

"What are you babbling about? I was looking for you everywhere. Did you get scared again?"

And he was right, things are not the way it's supposed to be. His heart began to palpitate at a ridiculous speed and panted harder.

"Eliaz, I can't stay here any longer." He said to him while continuously shaking his head.

Eliaz furrowed his brows and misunderstood what Theon was trying to say.

"We can not go back yet. I have a friend that I want you to know of," Eliaz revealed.

"Friend? What do you mean?"

"Stop asking questions and follow me!"

Before he could oppose Eliaz, it had already run away from him and he could tell by the direction that it was headed to the cave. He had no choice but to follow Eliaz. He was already worn out, not being able to follow Eliaz pace his body collapsed and before he could black out he heard something.

"Roar!"

"No-," He screamed.

Sitting on a rough surface. Rocks and droplets of water he felt. It was opaque inside and yet the sun shone before his black pitched eyes. He held his chest tight.

'It was all just a dream,' he thought.

He slumped right back to the ground dismayed by the reality that revealed contrast to his reverie.

"Of course, it was a dream. Who am I ridiculing?" His voice almost cracked.

Even though he was pessimistic by it. He grabbed his chest and the necklace was there. Now he remembers that all of the things he just dreamt of was a memory from the past. The village, Zynthia and the necklace she gave, Ganord the chief who he treated as his father and Eliaz.

He stopped for a moment. "That roar." His brows met as he gasped his current situation.

He gazed at his surroundings. As soon as he knew he was inside the cave he stood up in an instant.

"It's not the first time I knew about this cave. Eliaz brought me here, But who was his friend?"

While thinking he heard steps from his back. Eyes widened he slowly faced it and what appeared in front of him was not what he expected.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

The both of them exclaimed.

It was a man with long silky black hair, clothes were loose and wide, nails were pointy and long, huge length and what shocked him was its vermillion furry eyes that brightened even after the darkness of the cave.

"I asked you first. You shall answer me." Theon demanded.

The man walked towards him. Every step was heavy he could feel it. It was lessening their distance, he had no choice but to walk backwards and eventually halted as he hits the walls of the cave.

He was pinned on by its wide broad shoulders.

The man looked at him intensely and snuffed him. "You are a man from that village."

"Y... You know about my village?"

It didn't answer him instead it went out to face the sunlight.

Theon was astonished by its visuals. He has never seen such a furiously looking man, jaws were perplexed, hair were blew by the wind and its cloth was waving, it was his first seeing a man like this.

"I could hear all your noises from here, how could I not know your village." He kick up a fuss.

Theon eventually headed out as well to talk to him.

"How could you not help us? We were attacked by the conquerors." Theon said while holding in his frustration.

The man glared at him. "Don't make me laugh. One being could not overstep such evildoers."

"You coul have called for help."

"Help? From whom? Do you know how vast this forest? And perhaps, you would know the amount of silver weapon thise people attained. No matter how strong you are trained for, strength alone won't help."

Theon was silenced by it. He knew he was right and no matter what he says it does not matter to this man. It was a stranger and won't ever help them with their matters.

‘He might be thinking, I crazy to even start a conversation with him.’ Theon said in his subconscious mind.

He was about to leave when he remembered something. So he went back to the man's position.

"What's your name?" He asked.

It looked at him and immediately avoided its gaze.

Theon got pissed so he walked towards it and held its shoulders.

"You look like you live in this cave. You must have seen that creature. It was huge and it had wings, it was as if a dragon." His brows met.

"What dragon?"

"Uh," Theon halted for a second and thought for a better description to say. "You know, those old stories they say. About a winged creature."

The man just gotten more confused by him. Its brows were lineup and pursed lips.

"Don't tell me you have not heard of those stories? Your grandmother should have told you." Theon was trying to convince him.

"I don't have such relatives." He said and went back to ignoring Theon.

Theom heaved a sigh.

‘He even lies about not having a relatives. How could anyone have no one?’ He thought.

This man's back was facing him and Theon just stared at it for a few seconds, until he decided to go near him.

"Are you certain that you haven't seen any creature before?"

The wind passed before them and the trees waved on the horizon. Silence engulfed them and the rustling of the leaves in the trees were the ones that can only be heard.

The man turned and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"I am Ambroz and I know nothing about a creature."

To be continued.

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ABYSSCESS