With her vision blurred, Erika stumbled as light once more surrounded her after a long darkness.

The sounds she heard, groggy, as sickening nausea took grasp of her mind.

The very feeling of her body, disoriented, unable to tell her left foot from her right Erika stumbled further till she hit the muddy earth with a splash.

“Ah! Just as master foretold! The child is here!” A high-pitched voice said followed by a wicked row of chuckles as Erika rolled over, three figures moved to appear above her.

Short they seemed to her, too short to be any creature she knew of, seemingly different shades of red made them up too.

“Pick ‘er up!” Spat another, as an even larger figure appeared above them all, feeling something large grab hold of her then.

“L-Let go of me!” She screamed, but the creature gripped her even tighter, filling her with pain and somewhat clearing away the grogginess.

“Shut yer trap! Shut her trap!” One of the small creatures ordered, and as Erika watched the large hulking dark red beast of a fiend demon shoved cloth into her mouth before wrapping more around and then a rope all over her, finishing with a tidy knot at her back.

Seemingly content with its handy-work, the Fiend gave its companions a wide horrid smile, following its gaze Erika also recognized the other three.

Imps!

She thought in further horror, and they did not seem like simple wild imps either from the armor and weaponry they geared themselves with. Nothing like the ones in her mother’s stories.

Feeling herself being lifted once again, she found herself being thrown over the fiend’s shoulder like a sack of vegetables.

“Let’s go! Let’s go! Master must not be kept waiting!” One of the Imps said, hurrying the Fiend as Erika now struggled silently over his shoulder.

The Fiend huffed, “Master, no time, yes.” It dumbly spoke, suddenly charging forward as the Imps leaped aboard. Dropping to running on threes, Erika watched as the Imps climbed onto the fiend’s back.

Whilst one kept wide, agitated eyes on the trees around them, the other two almost immediately began to mess around with her.

Dancing about, giving her the tongue and slapping her face about, were only a few of the many annoyances she endured as the damp air rushed past her.

From what she picked out of the view around her, they were most definitely traveling through a thick swamp unlike any she knew of.

But what confused her the most, was that the light of the moon shining down from in between the branches and leaves was the only light reaching her eyes.

It was night time, and the last she remembered it should have still been day.

Where am I? There are no swamps in the snow continent! Why is it so hot! It can’t be…Am I…Am I not on Faetera anymore!?

Frantic thoughts filled her mind as panic began to build up within her.

Wyvern shit! Calm down! This isn’t the time…

Until she pushed it all aside, taking in a deep breath from her nose, Erika assessed her situation.

Three Imps and what seemed like a common Fiend, they were taking her to meet their master, someone she knew she didn’t want to meet.

If I must make my escape, it must be now!

A plan began to form in her mind as the Imps grew bored of her unresponsiveness to their jests.

I’ll use the knife in my pocket to cut my hands loose, first kick off the smarter Imp then cut open that thicker looking one with the axe-

Her plotting though was cut short, as a bellowing howl filled all their ears right then.

Wolves?

Erika thought, recognising the sound yet…it seemed deeper than any wolf she had heard before.

“Hound balls! Go! Go! Oh fuck a bitch, here they come!” The more agitated Imp became even more agitated at this sound.

“Maybe it just pups!” The Fiend offered, causing the Imp’s eyes to widen fully as it grabbed hold of the its ear.

“I’ll cut off your balls and eat them right in front of you.If.You.Don’t.Run.FASTER!” The Imp practically screamed, causing the Fiend to stumble and knock over a tree, yet it kept on running as it was nothing.

“Hold her then!” The Fiend said, letting go of Erika, the other two Imps immediately grabbed onto her bindings as the Fiend changed to all fours.

Doubling its speed, the swamp was a blur to her eyes again now as they moved.

But even as the trees and branches turned to a blur, through it she saw the flashing of light.

Something was rushing after them above, bursting through the rays of moonlight, and it wasn’t alone.

As the sounds of the Fiend’s huffing and the Imps’ unending complaints were suddenly erased by the sound of deep, guttural howling.

A sudden growl blast forth from ahead and the Fiend stopped in its tracks, splashing mud all about as it turned and spun in place.

Eyes, stunningly blue they shone out of the brush and branches around them, watching them.

Erika had no clue as to what was occurring, but she knew that whatever brought this much fear into a Fiend Demon, she didn’t want to die to.

As movement burst out of the tree ahead, a figure fell into the muddy ground from the dark leaves.

A Human.

A human?

Not quite a human though, as indeed he was a man with light tribal clothing and a short spear in his hands, his bright dark blue eyes, short fangs and clawed hands gave away to something else. Something Erika did not recognize.

The Fiend whimpered at this man’s sight, crawling back several steps as it glances all around itself.

“You trespass.” The man said.

“Oh, oh yes, great big apologies!” The agitated Imp exclaimed, “W-W-We’ll just be on our way and out of yours! Never to be here again!” It quickly assured, tapping the Fiend on the snout who slowly turned away.

When a spear suddenly impaled itself into the Fiend’s path, splashing through the mud and with enough force to dig into the earth beneath.

“These are clan grounds, your master should stay wary of our ways.” The man said, lowering his spear’s butt into the mud. “Dark magic in our home? You have overstayed your welcome, Demons.”

The Imp chuckled anxiously, “M-M-Magic!? No no nononono! We did no such thing!”

His gaze then landing upon Erika, “And that one? Not clan but…” He sniffed the air, “Not bat either. And she is for sure not Demon.” His fierce blue eyes fixed themselves upon the trembling Imp, “Explain.”

“Oh oh, she is a fugitive from master! W-We had little time to inform you beforehand! The chase was so-” The Imp had no more time to finish his excuses and lies, as the man’s arm flashed with movement, green blood splashed onto Erika’s face as before her now collapsed a headless Imp.

Her gaze returning to the man whose spear was no longer in sight, she now knew why they had been so agitated.

He’s strong.

And Erika knew strength, she’d witnessed her father’s miracles and devastation, whilst this man was nowhere on Erikathyr’s level she knew he was not someone to be fucked with.

The man growled and the Fiend whimpered, “Drop her.” He said with a voice infused with malice, and the Fiend unconsciously obeyed. Rising to its hind legs, it dropped both Erika and the other two Imps into the mud.

Splashing down into the shallow mud, immediately the Imps turned to make a run for it, Erika on the other hand had to do her best to keep her face above it.

Watching as two spears rained down from above, impaling the Imps dead where they ran.

“You,” The man regarded the Fiend once more, “Tell your master, we’ll no longer condone his presence here.”

The Fiend nodded through its fear, eyes wide and feet shaking, it could have pissed itself then and there.

“Leave.” The man growled, and without need for another word, the Fiend dashed out of sight. Stumbling and bumping into everything within its path, it ran for its dear life.

Leaving Erika cold and alone within the Imp-blood stained mud, as a foot rested before her. Following it up the leg and chest, her eyes met the man’s.

Feeling hands behind her, her bindings were suddenly undone. Quickly she then rose up, removing her gag and spitting out the cloth, Erika took in her surroundings as five more figures now surrounded her with sharp bone-carved spears.

Each had the same dark blue eyes, very different from her father’s light blue ones.

“Who are you.” The man commanded to know more so than asked.

Turning about, she found herself face to face with him, now seeing the age in his wrinkles and greying in his hair. “I…My name is Erika, Daughter of Erikathyr and Theaviss!” She exclaimed, but the man’s eyes narrowed.

“That tells me nothing.” He growled.

“I…I’m from the continent of Druvia! You know Draconia?” She attempted further.

Causing him only to huff, “Very well, keep your secrets for now.” He mused, gesturing something to someone behind her.

Erika had no time to turn as a hard-hitting feeling collided with the back of her head, rolling her eyes forth and knocking thoughts aside.

“We shall know sooner or later anyhow, we are very patient.” Were the last words she could make out as consciousness left her mind.

Apparently…very rough too!

She thought, opening her eyes only to find herself feeling very dizzy once again.

And once again the time of day is different from her last, realizing this just as the realization of great pain from her head assaulted her.

Erika groaned as she attempted to rise, finding her hands and feet once again bound.

“Ugh, at least I’m not gagged…” She mused to herself, turning to take a look at her surroundings.

A cage was her second level of binding this time around, large enough to hold something many times her size, albeit this the wooden bars were not far enough from one another for her to sneak out. Peeking through the bars beside her, she glimpsed the outside.

Many other cages surrounded hers and all around that lay a somewhat large village, built into the trees and hills, it seemed quite ramshackle for the power her second captors had shown.

People walked the nearest path, not enough for it to be a bustling city but enough to have a constant flow of them. What truly caught her attention though was their appearance, each had the same blue eyes, fangs and clawed hands her captors had.

She was caged up within an entire village of, whatever they are, she realized.

“I’ve got to get out of here…” She told herself, when a knock came from the opposite side of her cage.

“So soon? But you’ve only just arrived.” A man’s voice reached her suddenly, making her jump from surprise, Erika turned to find one of them standing outside the cage and sneering at her. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Not like any beast I’ve ever heard of.” Short brown hair, thin features and the same dark blue eyes that seemed to shine and flicker.

Erika huffed, “A beast I might not be, but I will bite off your head if you don’t unbind me this instant!” She exclaimed.

“Well, more the reason not to!” The man then said with a fangy chuckle.

When he was suddenly shoved out of the way, “This one’s out of your workplace, Finnik.” Seemingly a handful of warriors from their hard demeanor and equipment. The lead warrior grasped one of the wooden bars, “And she’s to be seen today.” She said, as a pulse of white energy rushed through the wood before slowly the cage began to open up.

The bars broke in half on their side and began to dissipate into the top and bottom of it, fully revealing the warriors as two of them rose into the cage with her, grabbing Erika by both of her arms they raised her onto her toes with great ease.

Feeling like a feather, Erika knew their strength was most definitely inhumane.

“Where are you taking me?” She asked as they carried her out.

“The Hunt captain wishes to question you,” The warrior at their lead responded, “No more talking less I decide to defy his wish now.” She then snapped, glaring at Erika fiercely before turning about and leading the way.

The man from earlier did not follow, instead he leaned into another cage and watched them leave, “Good luck biting girl!” He exclaimed with a smirk, when suddenly something bashed into the side of the cage he was leaning onto, trashing and growling at him from within such as he quickly backed away from it.

As the warriors lead Erika off she saw many things that stood out from what she was used to, not only were people here somewhat larger than the common human and with more defined muscles than dark elves, their way of life seemed tribal.

She saw no sign of metal work, little stoneworking about the buildings and most definitely no sewage system beneath the dirt path they walked. These people were much more primal than the world she had come from.

But what truly made her realize…

When she glanced up, the sun was still rising yet, three moons loomed above.

Two small and dim, whilst one lay taking one-third of the morning sky. Shining a strange green as the other two that lay on either side of it shone a blue for the closest one to the sunset and a purple to the one furthest.

Three moons, this answered her guess that without question, Erika was no longer on Faetera.

A realization that hit hard, making her understand that nobody would know who she was here. Her name, title and standing. Her very existence did not matter in the least.

To these people she was an intruder, at best possibly a kidnapped intruder. She was an unknown, and as royalty, she knew how dangerous unknowns can be.

Thankfully though, Erika was royalty.

And as she was sprawled out before a desk carved out of a tree’s stump, with the same man that had scared off those demons before, Erika’s confused demeanor changed.

Her bindings being undone, she stood up and faced the man with a warm smile accompanied by cold calculative eyes.

“I do not take lightly to being treated like live-stock Hunt captain, I am fully willing to explain why I am here, but please do understand that I also do not know why those Demons were here and why they captured me.” She immediately explained with a toneless voice, meeting the man’s fierce eyes.

Knowing his strength, still no fear filled her, her voice or expression, giving the Hunt captain a tinge of surprise…

If only for a moment, as he then rose up from his seat to fully face her.

“Then, you would be willing to explain exactly what you are? Since, you are very obviously not Lycan and much less obvious but apparent, not a Vampire or Demon. Similarly though, the sensation I garner from you, you aren’t a Human either.” His eyes narrowed and he met her steady gaze.

Erika smiled sweetly, “You know my name, that was no deception, as for what I am? Mostly Human, but you might also sense my father’s blood beating out of my heart.”

“And what exactly is your father?” The Hunt captain perused for more, his right brow rising.

“My father is Erikathyr, Dragon of Storm, Son of Light and Fire, Emperor of the great people of Draconia within my home world of Faetera.” She said with great calmness.

The Hunt captain’s other brow rose now.

…

Erika found herself within the same cage minutes later.

“Whenever you feel like speaking the truth, call for me.” The female warrior said, locking her inside before striding off.

Leaving Erika laying in her cage, eyes wide alongside a dumbfounded expression.

Was the truth too far-fetched?...