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It was her last resort to turn to a goblin for a deal. Her younger brother was far too deep into his sickness for any medicine to cure him. That was when Danya made use of her powers and found a goblin in the forest. A sinister grin on his face led her out of the caves as she promised her powers as a payback when her brother comes back to his senses.
When she came back, her mom met her with eyes shiny of tears and a warm embrace. Leo’s fever had finally come down. That dinner was the first in a while they had all together but Danya could not swallow a piece.
Since that night, Leo had been gradually getting better and Danya could not imagine herself happier. She saw him come to bloom again as a young man should. He could finally return to his trainings as a soldier. Danya’s mom was thanking the divine powers for healing her son and even took Danya to the village shrine to thank the gods. The girl only smiled bitterly as her mom fell to her knees at the altar and cried in gratefulness.It was the next night that Danya knew the time had come to return the pay.
She woke up in the middle of the night after a bad dream she could not remember. Her heart was pounding in her chest. No matter how hard she tried, Danya could not go back to sleep. She got up to splash water onto her face. As she put her hands in the bucket, she gasped in pain: it felt like thousands of needles poking through her skin. The water was cold as ice on this warm summer night. Danya quickly wiped her hands on the towel and headed back to her room. When passing by the mirror, she caught something within her peripheral vision and came back to look at it again. Instead of a face full of shock, she saw her face with a widening grin and a mouth full of canines. Her eyes, instead of being dark brown, looked almost white, as if she went blind. Danya stood there in horror, unable to tear her eyes off her distorted self.
As if led by an invisible hand, she went outside, a cool gust of wind sending shivers down her spine. Everything seemed eerie, almost hostile. As if in haze, Danya was walking towards the forest, her path lit by full moon. The silent dawn was her only witness as she entered the dense wood.
Danya came to her senses in a cave, her back resting on a huge cold rock. She blinked a few times to fully get rid of the invisible veil before her eyes. She could recognise this cave instantly – this was the goblin’s residence. A foul screech ringed through the cave walls and Danya searched for the source. On the opposite side of the alcove stood a short creature with a knotty figure and grey skin.
“Welcome back, dear witch,” his high-pitched voice felt like scraping of nails against a clay plate. Danya eyed him as he giggled evilly. “I am very glad you came here without resistance, I wouldn’t wanna drag you all the way.”
All Danya could do is sit there silently and think of how her powers were going to be taken from her. She had already imagined herself, dry skin and barely any hair left on her head, her voice hoarse. That was the effect of one’s powers taken from them. No matter how she tried to ready herself for this moment, a wash of fear came over her. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, urging her to run, but she only sat there, ready to fill her part of the deal.
“I see you’re not of the talkative kind,” goblin said approaching Danya. “I’ll make this fast then, human. Remind me of our deal, would you?”Danya cleared her throat.“You cure my brother and take my witch powers as payment,” she said quietly, surprised of how steady her voice was.“Precisely,” he grinned. He was now in front of Danya, letting his dry grey hand cup her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “The time has come for you to pay, little girl,” he said.Danya nodded as she whispered, “Take it, goblin,” ever so bravely.
“Close your eyes,” the creature said and Danya did so, unable to resist his command. She heard him scurry around and pull out something out of his bag. She was preparing herself to feel the worst pain of her life. Danya heard a quick swing of an arm and in the last moment she opened her eyes. In front of her stood the goblin with a knife in his hand that was dangerously flying closer to her chest with every passing millisecond. By an unexpected fortune, Danya managed to roll over and the knife blade slid across the stone with a loud clang. She picked herself up and backed away on shaky legs.
“What are you doing?” She asked with a weak stuttering voice, holding onto herself.“Completing the deal, obviously,” goblin hissed, clearly enraged. “Are you trying to run now? I will find you anywhere, stupid girl,” he spat, approaching Danya and clenching his fish over the knife handle.
“You were trying… to kill me,” she squeezed out, taking a few more steps towards the opening of the cave, stone floor cold under her feet. Goblin was near as his face got warped in an ugly grin, revealing his sharp teeth.
“It was really hard to cure your brother, I would need something more than just a power essence, don’t you think?” He asked right before jumping forward and aiming for Danya’s chest once again.
She turned to the exit and ran for her life, her bare feet getting caught in sharp grass and little rocks. She ran without looking back but hearing the goblin right on her heels. The sun was rising, a sign of a new day. All Danya could think of is how to survive and not let this day be her last.
She ran in an unknown direction, breaking through small branches with her hands that were already covered in tiny wounds. She had no idea for how long she had been running when she suddenly felt something soft in her way. She gasped and immediately opened her eyes she did not realise she had shut. A face was right before her, one of shock and amusement. Beautiful eyes of a colour she could not just name stared right at her. A smile tugged at the person’s lips as Danya pulled away and found her steady stance on the ground.
She looked around and found herself at a sunny meadow, a tall feminine figure in front of her. Danya heard goblin stop sharply behind her, not lunging at her. She turned to see him and was surprised to find him bowing to the woman she had bumped into.
“Little goblin, what is it in your hand?” Her soft voice seeped through Danya’s skin like warm sunny rays. The goblin shifted on his feet and sheepishly hid the hand with the knife behind his back. “Answer my question,” she said more strictly, as if giving an order.
“Nothing, Your Highness,” goblin answered lowering his gaze to the ground.
“Were you trying to kill this human?” The woman asked, her voice turning to steel. The silence was enough of an answer, Danya reckoned, as the woman’s face shaped into anger, strong gusts of wind suddenly blowing into her dress and her hair, making it rise. The goblin backed away in fear and tried to say something but was interrupted by ground nearly boiling under his feet, making him run away. As he was leaving, the woman shouted, “If this happens again, I will make sure you will never leave your cave!”In a few moments, the goblin disappeared into the woods and the woman came back to how Danya found her first. Her long hair fell onto her shoulders, dark brown and green strands across her dress that was so thin Danya could make out all the curves and softness underneath it. She was sure she could figure out the dark nubs of her breasts.
“Who are you?” Danya asked quietly, finding her eyes.
“I am the dew on your dress. I am the dirt on your feet. I am the flowers in your hair,” the woman replied, stepping up to Danya and gently brushing a strand of light hair away from her face. Breath hitched in Danya’s throat as she was unable to tear her eyes away from the ones in front of her.
“You’re a nymph,” she sighed in realisation.
“You’re right, human,” the nymph replied cupping Danya’s cheek with her soft palm, brushing her thumb over the pink of her blushing skin. Danya was enchanted by the changing colour of the nymph’s eyes, it was like ocean waves rippling inside her irises.
After what felt like everlasting silence, Danya finally said, “Thank you. For saving me.”The nymph only smiled warmly and placed both of her hands on Danya’s shoulders.
“My friend here will help you find the way back to your home,” she said as she lowered her gaze to the side. Danya looked there and saw a little squirrel looking at her smartly. “Get back safely,” they locked eyes again. Danya briefly glanced over the nymph’s face and darted to her lips and back to her beautiful eyes. The nymph let out a small chuckle and bent forward a little. She pressed her soft lips to Danya’s in a gentle kiss, her hand finding purchase on her cheek. Her other hand travelled to Danya’s waist, brushing over her barely clothed breast on its way, making her whimper and hold onto her shoulders. Danya closed her eyes and leaned in closer, diligently returning the kiss and letting out soft sighs.
The nymph pulled away, her lips shiny with Danya’s zeal on them. She chuckled under her breath at the sight of totally disoriented Danya and urged her to go.
“Come back whenever you would like to hang out!” the nymph shouted after Danya as she was already following the squirrel.
Danya looked at her and decided to come back as soon as she gets the opportunity.