Cain’s boots crunched heavily on the turf. Most people didn’t understand why he had taken to hunting at night. The solitude and peace of mind it gave him was unmatched.
“Isn’t it hard to see?” one man had asked.
“I’ve always had good night vision,” he replied.
That was true. He’d been adopted as a baby, and his parents had some strange stories to tell about him. He could navigate the dark like a predator, and had never broken a bone in his life, despite an inclination for dangerous situations. He seemed to spring back like it was nothing.
Cain leaned his gun over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for any movement. He had decided to try a new area this year, but so far he had been shit out of luck. There must have been other people working the vicinity.
He stumbled into a clearing and inhaled deeply. Something smelled great; almost like somebody was cooking off in the distance. He tried to place the type of meat that he felt sure was simmering, but there were too many spices to be able to pinpoint it. They were spices he didn’t recognize, but they instantly made his mouth water.
Cain dropped to the ground and rooted through the bag on his hip for his small pack of rations. He didn’t know how long he had been out there, but it certainly warranted a snack. Cain munched absently on trail mix and jerky, his eyes wandering the forest for any movement.
“Whoa, what the hell?” he breathed quietly.
Above him, the sky was shimmering in colors he had never seen before. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, sure that he was imagining things. Before he was able to fully recover from the lights in the sky above him, a woman who looked like she had just walked right out of a dream approached him from the distance.
“You,” she said softly, staring at him.
Cain stared back, raising his blue-green eyes in disbelief. The woman was stunning. It wasn’t necessarily the specific way she looked that struck him so powerfully, but rather the ethereal way she moved and kept her gentle, amber-colored eyes fixed upon him. Her hair was silver-blonde, almost the exact shade of the moon shimmering above their heads, and she wore a gown that reflected the same impossible colors in the sky.
“Who are you?” he asked, trying to summon all of his courage. He had been renowned for his boldness and his bravery all his life, and women had always been oddly attracted to his brazen nature. They considered him an anomaly. A rugged outdoorsman raised in the city, stubborn and a man of his own narrow vision, they surrounded him like flies. But they hadn’t interested him much. What he truly loved was solitude; chances to find himself surrounded by the natural world. No women had held his interest longer than three seconds. Until now.
“My name is Kyna,” she said, her eyes intent upon him. She came toward him, her body more gliding than walking. Was she some kind of spirit? There was something otherworldly about her.
“What are you doing out here all alone at night, Kyna?” he asked, his voice strong, as if he encountered this kind of thing regularly. In truth he was terrified. And enraptured. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”
“It’s all right if you’re afraid,” she said with a soft laugh. She stopped walking then and peered at him, her eyes squinted in contemplation. “I sense your fear, but you should know it is unfounded. I won’t do anything strange.”
I don’t think –“
They stared at each other. He trailed off, feeling as if it was impossible to lie to her. That was all right, he usually spoke his mind just as he saw fit. The only thing he was never completely honest about was his fear. But if he was honest about that he would have no way to fight back and face the fears head on.
“Are you hungry?” she asked suddenly.
Immediately, thoughts of the delicious smelling meat flooded his mind and he nodded, almost involuntarily. Was he under some kind of a spell? The mysterious woman smiled, a gesture that lit up her entire face and brought him from his comfortable perch on the forest floor to standing on his feet. He walked toward her, holding his hand out. If he could touch her, maybe he would be able to believe that she was real.
“Who are you again?” he whispered, lowering his hand as he approached her. He felt suddenly silly, but she didn’t laugh at him.
“Kyna. What’s your name?”
“Cain.”
“Follow me, Cain. Dinner is ready to be served.”
He looked around, raising his eyebrow at her as if she were stupid.
“There’s nothing here,” he said, staying steadfastly in his spot. In truth, he was afraid to follow this strange woman into any unknown place. But she had captivated him so fully that he wasn’t sure he wanted her to leave without him either.
“Do you really believe that?” she asked, her face creasing in a knowing smile. He was surprised to realize that he didn’t, and looked up again at the incredible colors in the sky above his head.
“What is that place?” he breathed.
“Come,” she said. And without another word, she began walking into the darkness.