And that was when a flash of gold whistled past her ear, barely grazing her skin.
Dihya stood frozen, could barely even register the spear that had almost pierced her throat, could barely hear past the roaring of her pulse—
—and somewhere, the dainty clinking of a crown, tumbling golden down the steps to land in a growing pool of blood—
“Trespasser,” said the trees, “this is your first warning.”
On pure instinct, Dihya looked up.
Crouched in the branches was a woman, her raiment cut from evening cloth, trimmed in gold. Curling around her head was more gold, in the form of a crescent headpiece.
The vision of the bloody palace steps faded fully away.
“I’m sorry?” Dihya managed.
“You do not belong in the labyrinth,” the goddess uttered, low and dangerous. “Leave at once, and you may yet escape unharmed.”
Dihya frowned. “What labyrinth?”
The goddess made a disapproving sound. “The dream of the forest maze,” she said slowly, as if talking to an idiot. “This realm that you have haphazardly tripped into.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. “Oh.”
“Well?”
“I...” Dihya hesitated. It should be easy, simple—she, of all people, had a healthy fear for the divine. There was no need to anger the goddess.
But they were still after her. Fleeing the desert had surely helped impede their hunt, but simply crossing the Wall of Samiel did not guarantee her safety. And if she had truly stumbled into a dream, well—
“I can’t.” Where else was safer than a dream?
“Ha... I am disappointed each time.” The goddess rose up to her full height. “Ready your blade, then. I will have myself a fair hunt.”
excerpt from a wip—an au based off of viridiscent and faramarz from the lore of deepwood memories, wandering evenstar, hunter's path, and light of foliar incision
dihya, bodyguard of the homayani princess dunyarzad, is forced to flee the desert after the homayani family’s enemies massacre them and seize the throne for themselves.
kandake is the protector of the dream of the forest labyrinth, a realm existing parallel with apam woods.
kandake’s duty is to drive the trespassing dihya out—or failing that, kill her. but night after night, she cannot bring herself to deal the killing blow.