Chapter Two

                                    

                                          
Water dripped onto his head in a steady rhythm, awakening him from a shallow slumber.
Sith opened his obsidian eyes, irritation flaring as cold droplets splashed onto his face. His muscles ached from being confined in the cramped cage, and the rough, intertwined tree roots pressed painfully against his skin. He shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, however given that there was little to no room to move, he was forced to stay crouched in the small inclosement.
The forest around him was silent, the only sound being the steady drip of water from the melting snow caught on the branch above him. Spring was on the rise, and the once frozen landscape was beginning to thaw. Patches of green were starting to appear amidst the remaining snow, and the air held a hint of warmth, a promise of the coming change. But for Sith, there was no comfort to be found in the change of seasons.
His captors had left him here, forgotten and exposed to the elements. The cage was sturdy, the roots thick and unyielding. He had tested them countless times, but they held firm, denying him any chance of escape. His stomach growled, a painful reminder of how long it had been since he had last eaten. Hunger gnawed at him, and his mouth was dry from lack of water.
He clenched his fists, frustration boiling within him. As the day wore on, Sith's irritation only grew. The cold water continued to drip onto him, and the cage seemed to grow smaller with each passing moment. His muscles aching from the confinement, leaving his mind raced with questions and frustrations. How had he ended up here? Who had done this to him? And why had they left him alone, abandoned in the middle of a forest?
The silence of the woods was broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves or the distant call of a bird. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Sith's thoughts turned dark as he considered the possibilities. Had Raven abandoned him? Was this some sort of twisted punishment for failing her? 
He had become lost—again–resulting in the absence of Dezenym's promised demise and thus rendering him void of his throne and agreed power. Yet as he brooded, a flicker of movement caught his eye. 
He turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the forest for any sign of life. For a moment, there was nothing, just the stillness of the trees and the soft whisper of the wind. But then, out of the shadows, she emerged.
A woman stepped into the clearing, obtaining his obsidian sword in her grasp. Her presence striking and otherworldly. Her auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, glinting like fire in the dappled sunlight. Her eyes were an intense shade of green, so vibrant they seemed to glow with an inner light. She moved with a grace that was almost ethereal, her steps silent as she approached the cage.
Sith watched her warily, his mind racing with questions. Who was she? What did she want? 
There was something about her, something unsettling yet mesmerizing, that set his senses on edge.
As she drew closer, he noticed the ivory antlers that adorned her head, curving elegantly from her temples like the branches of an ancient tree. They only seemed to add to her otherworldly appearance. 
She stopped a few feet from the cage, her glowing green eyes locking onto Sith's with a potency that made his breath catch in his throat. There was a silence between them, heavy and charged with unspoken tension. She didn't speak, didn't make any move to free him or harm him. She simply stood there, watching him with an inscrutable expression, as if weighing his very soul.