Chapter 34: Crystal.

Steven went to the forest everyday for a month to meet Crystal again, but he never met her. As he cascaded down the forest absent-mindedly, he unknowingly stepped on something. The hissing sound of something, brought him out of his thoughts and a giant King Cobra rose up against him. "Uh-oh," he swallowed.

He began running down the forest with fear consuming him, every second leading him closer to his death. He was afraid of wild animals, but particularly snakes.

Soon he saw he was running towards a dead end, then he paused. "If I'm gonna die, then I shouldn't die like a coward," he faced the snake with determination in his eyes, thinking of a way out in his head.

Soon he began facing the snake bravely, but then he stepped into a trap. The trap clasping his leg tightly, causing him pain and making him unable to move.

Out of nowhere, an arrow flew out, shooting deep into the snake's head. While he was still processing the situation, he head Crystal's voice ring in the forest. "Go to its tail or you'll be dead before you know it."

"What?!" He burst out. "That's an even worse death sentence!

"Now!" She urged him and he ran to the snake's tail.

But as soon as he reached the tail, the snake's head was only an inch away from him. Without any further thoughts, he quickly jumped off the snake's tail, and the snake bit itself, poisoning itself with its own venom.

The snake twisted and twisted as it fought to survive its own venom, and within seconds it fell dead.

Steven breathed in relief seeing that he was safe and alive.

Crystal jumped out a small bush. "Seriously, you've got some issues with animals. Why do you keep annoying them?" She said.

"I'm not annoying them, we don't just understand each other." Steven replied.

"You're a skilled warrior, but you keep being defeated by the animals because you're not a hunter," she said.

"I have to be a hunter before I can defeat the animals?" Steven asked and she laughed, "that's not it."

"What I'm saying is you need to the understand that in the forest, everyone is a hunter, both humans and animals. You can only approach a hunter with hunting instincts. So in summary, you need hunting skills," she explained.

"You're only saying this because you're not the one confronting the animals directly," he said.

"Why don't you test me?" She smirked.

"No, let's not deliberately invite trouble," he replied and she chuckled.

She bent down to his trapped foot and took out her small knife from her boot and began helping him out.

"You said you come here everyday, but I came here everyday after that day and couldn't find you, even after parading the whole forest." Steven said.

Crystal chuckled, "I did come everyday. This trap you stepped in is evident that I was here yesterday. We probably missed each other the past days.

"So, we finally meet each other. Do you think it's destiny, Crystal?" He said and Crystal smiled, "you finally know my name."

After taking out his feet from the trap, she helped him sit down and took out a small bottle from her pocket. She poured out a green liquid from the bottle on Steven's wounded foot and his foot became healed up immediately.

"What's that?" He asked.

"It's a healing potion," she replied. "My older sister is a powerful shaman, living after my father."

"And you?" He asked.

"Nah, I don't care about those things. Although I have a knowledge of it," she replied.

She approached the snake with her rope and began tying it up and Steven watched her.

"What's your story, Crystal?" He asked.

"You should have known that already, seeing you already know my name," she replied.

"I do, but I want to hear from the horse's mouth," he said.

Crystal smiled, "and you think this horse will tell you anything."

"Yes, she will." Steven replied with certainty.

Crystal's smile faltered for a moment, and Steven sensed a flicker of uncertainty behind her eyes. Then, her expression softened, and she nodded, as if coming to a decision. "I'll tell you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "After all, it's not a new or hidden story."

"It happened nine years ago when the prince wanted me as his wife, but I turned him down many times. Then one day, he ordered his guards to capture me and he raped me. I reported to the King but the prince denied it, saying I was trying to set him up. So I was exiled from the village. And that's how I got the title, 'The Village's Shame.'

My sister tried to fight back, but I stopped her, it was useless though. But my sister couldn't leave him without doing anything, so she rendered him impotent and left the village with me. And now we leave at the end of the forest close to the neighboring village.

Few months later, I discovered I was pregnant and in due time I delivered my daughter, Dalia. She's currently eight years old now. Since then I've been a hunter, catching animals and selling at the neighboring markets to earn a living." Crystal narrated.

As Crystal recounted her story, Steven's eyes welled up with tears, his face etched with empathy. He clenched his fists, as if trying to contain the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. The casual tone of Crystal's voice belied the depth of her pain, and Steven's heart ached in response.

As Steven gazed into Crystal's eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of connection, as if the universe had conspired to bring them together. He recalled the way she had smiled at him, the way her eyes sparkled with mischief, and the way her voice had trembled despite its casualness as she recounted her story. In that moment, Steven knew that he wanted to be the one to make her smile, to bring light into her life, and to help her heal from the wounds of her past."

"Marry me, Crystal," he said and she laughed.

"How can you marry someone you've met just twice?" She couldn't stop laughing.

"It's enough time to know that it's you I want," he gazed deep into her eyes.

"No, it's not," she replied.

"Crystal, give me a chance, please," he urged her.

"I don't trust men any longer," she said.

"You will again, I'll make sure you do," he said with determination.