Rise of the rogue queen-Chapter 17 - - A stranger

Zephyrine's POV

Night had fallen, just as we planned, Roland and I were going to go after the creature tonight.

Dara revealed that her father had transformed into something monstrous. She had explained that it happened after he took a strange pill.

Luckily, her mother had secretly hidden the rest away.

Roland and I wasted no time. We had gone to retrieve the remaining pill from Dara's mom and to our surprise, it looked very similar to the one Killian had taken.

Roland and I hid in the darkness, waiting for the creature to appear.

"This is where it attacked the woman," Roland murmured beside me. "It's almost midnight. I believe it will come out soon."

"You kept the peas right?" I asked and he nodded.

Minutes later....

A low, guttural growl shattered the silence.

Roland tensed beside me, "It's here," he whispered.

Emerging from the darkness, the creature lumbered forward. It was huge, its form twisted and unnatural, with jagged patches of fur clinging to its elongated body. Its eyes burned an unnatural crimson as they scanned its surroundings.

We watched as it hunched over the pile of peas scattered on the ground. It sniffed once, then devoured them greedily. The moment it finished eating, it stiffened then let out an ear-splitting howl before running into the depths of the forest.

Roland and I left our hide-out.

"After it!" I shouted.

The creature was unnaturally fast. No matter how hard we pushed ourselves, it widened the distance between us, slipping through the trees like a phantom.

Roland cursed under his breath, struggling to keep pace. "Why do you think it's running? Do you think it spotted us?"

I shook my head, pushing forward. "We have to catch it before we lose it completely!"

But it was futile. Within moments, the creature disappeared into the depths of the forest, leaving us panting and lost.

I came to a halt, scanning the dark woods for any sign of movement. "Damn it," I exhaled. "It's too fast. What kind of creature is this?"

Then we heard a loud piercing cry.

Roland and I snapped our heads toward the sound and without hesitation, we sprinted toward the source. As we burst into a clearing, the sight before us stopped us in our tracks.

Dara knelt on the damp earth, shielding the trembling creature behind her. Tears streaked her face as she widened her arms in a desperate attempt to protect it.

"Please don't hurt him," she begged.

"Dara?" I called, stepping forward cautiously.

She turned wild, tear-filled eyes toward me. "Stay back! You want to kill my father!"

I halted, raising my hands in a placating gesture. "I won't, Dara. Trust me."

She shook her head furiously, tightening her stance. "I saw that man! He was trying to kill him!"

My gaze flickered to the stranger standing a few feet away. He was tall, his face obscured by the hood of his tattered cloak. But what caught my attention was his hand—he was casually popping peas into his mouth, chewing as if he had all the time in the world.

Something about him made my skin crawl.

"Dara."

The voice came from behind us.

Dara flinched and turned. "Mum?" she whispered.

At that moment the stranger moved leaping into the air as he flipped and landed soundlessly behind Dara.

Before I could react, he pulled out a small vial and poured its contents onto the creature.

A shrill, inhuman scream erupted from the beast as its body convulsed violently. Smoke curled from where the liquid touched its skin, sizzling against the flesh like acid.

Dara's screamed. "What have you done?!"

I lunged forward, but the stranger was already moving.

I barely had time to process what happened next. The moment the last drop of liquid spilled from the vial, the creature shuddered—its grotesque form flickering between its monstrous and human state. Its eyes locked onto Dara's, filled with terror.

Then, with a final pained cry, it collapsed.

Dara scrambled to its side, gripping its arm. "Dad? No! Stay with me!"

The transformation was rapid. The creature's limbs shrank, its skin knitting back together, its monstrous features smoothing until, at last, a man lay before us. Pale. Shaking. Human.

Dara sobbed, cradling her father's face. "Dad, please..."

A long silence settled between us.

Then the stranger spoke, his voice calm, almost amused. "Interesting."

Roland turned on him, fury in his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

The stranger tilted his head, regarding us with a smirk. "A traveler," he said simply.

I clenched my fists. "What did you just do to him?"

He held up the empty vial, the moonlight reflecting off its glass surface. "Neutralized him. Temporarily." His eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "You should be thanking me."

Dara shot to her feet, her hands clenched. "You hurt him! He was fine! He wasn't attacking anyone."

The stranger arched an eyebrow. "Was he?"

I took a step closer to the stranger, my eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if weighing his answer carefully. Then, with a casual shrug, he replied, "An explorer. I lost my way in the woods."

He had just poured some unknown substance on Dara's father, forcing him to shift back. That wasn't something an ordinary explorer could do.

I wasn't the only one who didn't believe him. Dara gave him a suspicious glare, wiping the tears from her face. "You lost your way, but you just happened to be here at the exact moment my father was running?"

The stranger smiled faintly. "Call it luck."

I clenched my fists, ready to push further, but Dara suddenly exhaled, exhaustion clear in her expression. "Whatever," she muttered. "Look... thank you for helping my father, even if I don't trust you."

The stranger's smirk didn't waver. "You're welcome."

I hesitated, glancing between the stranger and Roland. He was dangerous, that much was clear, but he had helped. And if he was lying about why he was here, the best way to find out the truth was to keep him close.

I sighed. "You should come with us."

Roland shot me a sharp look, but I ignored him.

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The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Inviting a lost traveler into your pack? That's awfully generous."

"Consider it a thank-you for helping Dara's father," I said, watching his reaction closely.

Then, with a small chuckle, he nodded. "I'd be honored."