Haaha I’m in Danger

Phonian tipped its head the other direction.

"I don't believe you."

Freya shivered, emotions overwhelming her as she recalled how fast Phonian could move. She would never outrun it. And however it had killed the rabbit... had not been quick, nor would it be painless. "I don't..." Freya repeated, voice failing her. "I'm sorry... I was in the road and got hit... but... I don't know."

"The road?" Phonian drifted closer.

Freezing up, Freya closed her eyes, hunching her shoulders in fear.

"You're dressed oddly. I've never seen a human wear clothes like these before."

She felt something pick at her pant leg.

Looking down, Freya found Phonian near her feet, mouth wide open.

Phonian snapped its jaw shut and withdrew, floating back to face level. "I believe in you," the berrykin said. "You should train. You've surely got some talents hiding in that skinny body of yours."

Freya wanted to shake her head, but fear gripped her. She wasn't sure how Phonian would take her refusal. "I... haven't ever... I'm really useless."

"But you clearly teleported from wherever you were to here." It gestured with its hands like placing an object from one spot to another.

Freya bit her lips together, suddenly realizing that arguing with this creature might not be a good idea. “I’ll try,” she whispered.

“What?” Phonian asked.

“I’ll try… to train…” She didn’t want to tell Phonian that she was from another world and that this place was a video game.

The berrykin floated closer to her face, and now that she was paying attention, she realized it never moved its mouth when it spoke. Its mouth hung open just slightly in a slack-jawed, blank expression, arms hung limply by its sides, and legs dangled. The smell of death curled around her, invading her sinuses.

“You’ll try? Oh, good! I’d hoped you would see things my way.”

“I… I need a weapon,” she whispered, beginning to tremble again. “And it’s going to rain…”

“A weapon. Yes. I suppose you would need one of those. All the heroes have them.”

For a second, Freya was sure Phonian would dart off again to kill something else. Instead, it said, “This way. …oso.”

This isn’t a berrykin. I don’t know what it is, but I’m screwed if I anger it. Freya swallowed as Phonian turned its back on her again. What she’d thought was a puckered seam was… well, it looked like fingers laced together with the dragonfly wings poking out between them. But there was a fold down the spine, and something was holding it closed from inside. The skin writhed in an unnatural fashion.

I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know. She told herself again and again and stiffly began to walk after Phonian. The creature paid no heed to the rough terrain and floated in a straight line.

Much as she wanted to wrap her arms around herself, Freya had to keep her hands free for balance as she stumbled on every hidden rock and branch. Thunder rumbled overhead. The clouds had begun to crowd out the setting sun.

“Phonian… I can’t see,” Freya had to admit. “I’m sorry.” She hated herself for apologizing to this thing, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Oso.” Phonian stopped and turned to face her. “I guess it is dark.”

The rain started, washing through the forest in a hissing rush as the solid sheet swept through the trees. Freya flinched as she was engulfed and immediately soaked.

“You really are pathetic,” Phonian said. “A real hero would have been much faster. You know how slow you are?”

Lowering her head, Freya nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“I thought you were going to try.”

“I…” She could see Phonian’s yellow form looming near her. She didn’t dare look. She didn’t want to know.

“You need to try harder. You know I’m helping you because you have potential. You shouldn’t keep letting me down.”

Freya nodded, “Yes, sir,” slipped out.

Phonian drifted back with a barked laugh that quickly escalated into a full cackle. “Are you scared of me? I’m your friend. You shouldn’t be scared of me. Wait here. I’ll go get you something.”

Before Freya could blink, the creature shot off through the woods, the sound of it displacing the rain echoing like a sonic boom.

Trembling in terror, Freya squatted, wrapping her arms around herself. Thunder rumbled above. The rain was cold, and the wind colder. What was Phonian going to bring her this time? She… suspected it would be blood-covered, whatever it was.

I can’t keep letting things happen to me… I have to escape somehow.

But she had no idea how to do that, and there was no way of knowing how long it would take for Phonian to come back. Lightning crawled across the sky, illuminating her surroundings in black and white. Freya had never been afraid of storms before, but she was quickly deciding that at thirty, she was going to have a new phobia. Even though it was probably a bad idea, she moved closer to a tree and curled up beside it. Finally, her tears, which had been shockingly absent for hours, came.

What in the hell was her life? She sobbed against the tree in terror as the lightning grew more frequent.

She needed, desperately, to clear her head and figure out how to save herself, but thoughts refused to come. Years of being beaten down by everyone in her life had made her think she wasn’t worth saving, that needing anything like help was asking too much. She was too much.

Now she’d traded an emotionally and financially abusive jerk for something that might be a literal demon. She knew the Danger Around Mt. Pallin games had demons. They were frequently the big bad evil guy behind the plots players solved in the games, but they weren’t ever shown on screen.

Delziel Alvon had been the closest they’d ever shown. He, of course, had been beautiful and oppressed, and as a fifteen-year-old, she’d sympathized with him to the point of obsession.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she took a shaky breath.

I have to find out which game I’m in.

She nodded to herself. That was a good first step. If she knew which game, she could find out how far in the plot they were. She’d know who the final boss was and would be able to anticipate where not to be. She had no expectations that her transmigration had given her any special powers, so participating in the plot seemed like a poor choice. Freya knew she was weak and talentless.

Calmed some, she wiped the rain from her face with her filthy hands and leaned against the tree for support.

Two goals then: Find out what world she was in and get away from Phonian.

For now, she would play along with its plan.

Another flash of lightning exploded across the sky, illuminating the area.

The yellow berrykin hung in the air only a few feet away, something bulky dangling from its grip.