Kingdom of Knuffel

✁ Kafele stumbled as he ran uphill, his breath fast and shallow. The oppressive night air was unyielding, refusing to be drawn into him. Droplets of sweat clung to his forehead, his clothes clung to his body, and he clung to the only thing he knew: that if he fell asleep, he'd probably never wake up again. His muscles pulled painfully, his lungs complained, the cramp in his side knotted and stabbed, but he didn't dare slow down to catch his breath for even a moment. If he stopped, it could mean the end. He'd become a shell, wasting away in oblivion in his own body.

Perhaps by trying to run away, he was only running towards his ruin. Perhaps he was only tiring himself out to the point where he'd fall unconscious, cocooned in the coma. But he had nothing to guide him except his desperation.

His legs gave way before his mind could register that he'd caved in, before he could command them otherwise. He collapsed on the side of the path. Perhaps he allowed the relief of rest to comfort him one second too long, for when he made to get back up again, he couldn't hoist himself up off the ground. His nails scrabbled the grass, palms pushing, and then his elbows and soles of his feet, trying to propel, but he folded like a fallen puppet, crumpling every time. Blackness rushed at him like a monstrous unknown.

His numbness ebbed away slowly, drawn out by a heavy, incubating warmth. Such heat would normally only induce and encourage sleep. But this was no ordinary slumber, interlaced with malice and the clammy cold of death; heat could counter this spell in its small way, even if it couldn't fight any of it off. His skin was more than accustomed to sun, and soaked it in gladly. Then there came water, ever the life-giver, cool against his eyelids, giving them the will to flutter open.

For a few moments he was in a haze, blinking as the blur around him came into focus, then he saw a woman's face. He flinched back with an alarmed cry, which came out a croak after scraping up the dryness of his throat. He was aware immediately of sharp pain over his limbs, and made a strangled sound. The culprits were roses twining his arms, pricking his skin lightly, not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to jolt him into a state as conscious as, in his condition, it was possible for him to get. He tensed at their grip, but the smallest tug to pull free and they jabbed their thorns into him again, making him gasp.

"W-what? Who are you, where-" He rasped, more hoarse because of his alarm.✃

Eurydice had been walking around the paths by her home when she saw someone fallen over in the brushes. She moved closer finally realizing who it was, well rather what he was. An elf around these parts? I've never seen one in person. she thought to herself as she continued to think of what should be done. He looked like he was asleep. He had sweat droplets across his forehead and he looked dirty so she guessed he must of been out here for a while.

A few minutes later, Eurydice had tried to pick him up enough to get him back to her place before anyone saw them. He was much bigger than her so she had taken off her cloak and found a way to get it underneath him and slowly but surely was able to drag him back home. When she got home she foudn a spot in her greenhouse so no one would notice he was there and she didnt need to elf to know where she lived.

Eurydice weaved a spell to keep the elf tangled in her roses. It covered him from his hair to his toes. The roses were red, pink, orange, and all sorts of colors. She didnt have many magical powers but she did have a way with plants and flowers. She sat there waiting for him to awake. She tried to take as much of him in, how tired he looked, but how strong he seemed to be. She didnt know how long it would be until he had woken up.

It had been a few hours ans she had grabbed a container of water for herself. It was a little muggy in the greenhouse. When she started to notice his eyes were opening and he had started to make some noise. She jolted up, not knowing what she was going to do. She was glad she had the roses around him because she didnt know what he was capable of.

"You're safe, for now. I found you and brought you..someone safe. No one will find us." She didnt know how much she should tell him. How much he should know. She was standing now, her long hair being held up in a pony tail and she had begun to shuffle her feet and findle her fingers out of nervousness.

She had planned to somehow take his hair, since that was the source of his 'powers' but she couldnt believe how childish she looked. She didnt seem tough or mean. Not how she wanted to present herself.