Running against the wind through a pine forest, the young girl, wearing a silk gown stained with earth and dirt, let her brown hair fly in the breeze. The pine trees surrounding her were of dark wood, straight and imposing, forming a sort of natural cathedral. The almost divine sunlight pierced through the twigs and the foliage of the sea of pines, resting upon the earth, the low trees, or the boulders resting on the ground. This divine solar light was accompanied by the fresh air imbued with the scent of resin, caressing the young girl's face and coloring her cheeks a pretty pink; the scent blended harmoniously with that of the pine.
If she was running like this, it was not for nothing, nor without a goal. She was heading toward the source of what was making the ground tremble. The ground shook and the girl was intrigued, so she ran toward the origin of these steady vibrations that resonated through the earth like a distant drum, feeling their pulsation climb up her legs, traveling through her bones until it touched her heart, filled with an excitement she struggled to contain.
With the agility of a squirrel, she dodged the branches fallen on the ground and the thorny brambles, leaping over the roots and dead tree trunks resting on the earth that dared to stand in her way. The dead leaves crunched delicately beneath her old boots, nearly torn from being constantly used while working or walking in the forest.
Throughout her run, the beautiful melody of birdsong accompanied her. Despite being exhausted from running and her thoughts wandering to whether she would make it, this sweet melody soothed her internally. Though breathless, the young girl was driven by an overflowing curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and discovery that overcame any fatigue. She was eager to discover the cause of these seismic vibrations shaking the earth without threatening her. She knew, thanks to the tales and whispers of her father, what it might be, and the thought of seeing it with her own eyes made her feverish.
Finally, after a sprint through this sea of pines, the run came to an end; the girl had reached the edge of the forest. The light became increasingly present, almost shockingly so, revealing a totally different landscape. Before her stretched a vast expanse. The girl noticed she was situated up high, and that this vast landscape—showing snow-capped mountains, plains of flowers, and forests—lay far below her. She had reached the limits of the world she knew, although her adoptive father had told her she was born in the other world, the one down below. For fourteen years, the girl had only ever known this plateau.
Stopping dead at the precipice, her heart pounded with both excitement and fear. But she was completely mesmerized by the sight. The air here was colder, and the gentle whispers of the forest had left her. She let out a whisper, her voice barely audible against the breath of the wind.
"I finally see one."
Before her stood the neck of an incredibly massive creature, belonging to an almost mythical beast known as the "Goathorse." The young girl looked down to see its body; it was that of a sturdy draft horse covered in long white hair. Then she raised her head; it was the head of a goat, crowned with horns pointing toward the sky, adorned with a thick beard battered by the wind. But the most astonishing thing about this immense creature was its thin legs. Its hooves were ten times larger than its legs, which were thinner than tree branches, yet despite this, these legs managed to support the entire weight of the creature.
The tremors came from these heavy hooves kicking up clouds of dust with every step. The creature was in the midst of its migration toward the Warm Lands.
Spotting the frail silhouette of the young girl at the edge of the forest, the Goathorse came to a halt. Its high-held head, casting a gigantic shadow across the plateau, lowered to get a better look at the girl. The creature watched her, and the girl approached slowly, reaching out her hand. She wanted to pet it. And the creature stopped moving, continuing to watch the girl approach to touch it. The creature knew the girl had no malice within her; the instinct of the Goathorses is the sharpest in the animal kingdom.
The young girl drew closer, growing more fearful yet eager to stroke the Goathorse's head. Then, she finally rested her hand upon it. The fur was so soft she felt as though she were touching a cloud; it was warm and silky, contrasting with the imposing stature of the animal.
Suddenly, the creature let out the strangest noise: a cat's meow. Despite its gigantic, mythical, almost divine size, the sound of a Goathorse was that of a cat. "Meow, meow," and these sounds were accompanied by purring, also similar to a cat's. Hearing the creature meow, the girl began to smile, her heart light.
Then, the giant creature straightened up, acknowledged the young girl with a slight nod, and resumed its migration.
The girl waved goodbye to it.
"So there you are, Eüreuse."
A deep, familiar voice, tinged with a slight admonition, rang out behind her, pulling the young girl from her contemplation. Eüreuse turned to see a handsome man taking the same path she had traveled. His brilliant green hair fell to the nape of his neck, reminiscent of young spring shoots, almost supernatural, much like his piercing, slightly slanted eyes. He wore a noble tunic of dark hues and great finesse, with a red cloak draped over his shoulders. But above all, his most striking feature were the two elegant, smooth, curved horns growing from his forehead.
This man was not human; he was a demon.
"Father Nigin, I'm sorry, I just wanted so much to see one up close. I knew they passed through here around this time, along the old migration routes." She pursed her lips, looking contrite, while her fingers nervously played with a fold of her dress.
Eüreuse was a girl driven by an insatiable curiosity, an engine that always pushed her to explore the world and its wonders. It was the first time she had seen a Goathorse, and the experience, from the rumbling footsteps to the unexpected meow, exceeded all her wildest expectations.
The demon sighed, a sound heavy with an invisible weight, but his face reflected more worry than anger. "Do not wander too far from our home. You know the danger. The armies of the Demon King, Invernus, are always hunting, always on high alert. Their decree has not changed."
"Yes, I know, but you are here to protect me, Father. You are the strongest of demons." She threw herself into his arms, nestling confidently against the familiar protection.
Nigin held her for a moment, inhaling the scent of pine, earth, and that delicate essence of "stardust" she always brought back from her escapades in nature. He pushed her back gently to look deeply into her eyes. "Yes, I am strong, Eüreuse, but I can lose sight of you, just like when you left without a word over an hour ago. What would have happened if they had ever found you, if a simple patroller had recognized you?" His voice grew darker, its grave tone echoing the muffled thud of the Goathorse's footsteps.
Eüreuse pulled away, her large brown eyes suddenly turning serious, the laughter and wonder vanishing. She knew the answer, a frequently repeated mantra. "The last Human would be killed."
"Yes, the last Human. And the price for the one who saved you from the purge, who hid you all these years, is a death far worse than yours."