In the Dark.

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Dahrinn (Groucho)

The Wizard
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
Fantasy, Sci fi, anything in which the world itelf is extremely interesting.
"In the Dark"

A young man found himself stumbling along a path. He walked slowly, extremely slowly. He managed to find his way along by listening to the wind whistling through the trees, so that he could avoid them. But for now, there was a ringing in his ears... a vile ringing that threatened at every moment to drown out all other noise, severing his only current way of knowing where he was going. He listened as well as he could to the whispering wind, dashing through the trees, it blew his longish black hair in front of his eyes... but he didn't bother to push it out of the way. He stopped for a moment, and clutched a wound right below his rib cage, on the right side of his body. It had stopped bleeding for now... and he was somewhat numb to pain, but it still stung like hell. He wouldn't know this for sure, but he's been told his blood was black. As well as his eyes. Also, his hair used to be dark brown.

Not to mention the red markings on his cheeks, and his faint fangs and claws, hidden by white gloves and a closed mouth.

He looked a little like this.

Lyall.png


...He... was now jumping at every rustling noise that wasn't the trees, and some that were just the trees.
Either way, he pressed forward, not sure what he would encounter.

"I've really gotten into a mess now...

Something... was hunting him, he knew it... something always was... he just wished he knew when it would finally pounce.
 
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Laurena, the ice princess, had been watching a traveler very intently. She wondered why he was so jumpy. Without thinking, she walked up to him, ice trailing from her feet. "Excuse me, sir," she said. "You look lost, if not frightened. May I help you?"
 
The young man was alerted by the crunch of rapidly frozen leaves. He lowered his body for a moment, prepared to make a quick dodge just in case, but lowered his guard when a friendly voice greeted him. He didn't quite look at her, rather his head moved about as he listened for any other movement... For now, it was just the wind.

"Oh, hello, I just tend to get nervous when moving through wooded areas like this, I've... already taken a nasty cut when a beast tried to grab at me. I've been trying to find a town. There's a monster probably chasing me, and I want to be as far away from it as possible."

Now that he was fairly certain nothing was skulking around, he turned towards Laurena, he didn't have much of an expression on his face, but he didn't look paranoid anymore, his blackened eyes reflected the sunlight as he moved.

"Who is it that I'm speaking with?"
 
The faint echo of a song drifted lazily throughout the forest. It's voice was cold and raspy. Hollow and sinister. Whomever sung it must have still been a ways away but was approaching fast. There was no sound of footsteps, no leaves being crunched underfoot, just the haunting voice with its song.

"... In the desolate depths of a perilous place
the Bogeyman lurks, with a snarl on his face.
Never dare, never dare to approach his dark lair
for he's waiting ... just waiting ... to get you ..."
 
Laurena looked at the man and couldn't help but laugh. "You don't know me? You don't know me?! I am the eldest daughter of the ice queen herself. I am the ex-guardian of this forest," she said. "Laurena d'Snow." When she said "ex", her face darkened. "Ex-guardian," she repeated to herself, sounding quite sad. "Ex-guardian." She sat down, a gloomy aura surrounding her, the ground slowly turning to ice.
 
He nodded as she talked, and took notice of her mood change.
"What made you not be the... guardian... any...more?"

His head swiveled about, and he crouched. A voice was making it's way along, seemingly unfriendly. He dropped silently to the ground, and put his ear to the dirt, to listen for footsteps. He heard nothing.

The steady pace at which the tune was gaining volume was concerning, and he weighed his options. If it was indeed from a hostile source, as the lyrics would imply, he would be forced to combat the source using his powers, but said powers were still untamed, and could be extremely detrimental to his health.

As he was pondering his next move... he was hit by a cold wind, and there was little doubt that the Ex-Guardian of this forest was the cause of it, and surely by now, she could hear what is almost upon them.

"You'd have to be pretty tough, to be the Guardian of a whole forest for any period of time... I don't think that voice comes from a friendly source, and it is either a master of silent stepping, or it can float... maybe even fly by how fast it will be upon us... I have some powers myself, but I can't afford to use them. Help me, and I may be able to help you."

He slowly unscrewed the top of his cane from the bottom, like a cap of some sort, but he did not open it quite yet.
 
The dark song continued.

"...He skulks in the shadows, relentless and wild
in his search for a tender, delectable child.
With his steely sharp claws and his slavering jaws
oh he's waiting ... just waiting ... to get you..."


Soon the Singer in question was visible through the darkness...
image.jpg
It's unflinching grin would be the first to be seen, as it appeared to be made out of shiny metal blades. When its body went from bone to black it appeared liquid. Able to move and form as it so desired. The holes in place of its eyes looked at them, it's wicked smile widened. A boney arm appeared out of its black body, hooked talons the same metal as its teeth.

It gestured to them. "And you are?" It looked at the young man. "Lost?"
 
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Reyna sat on a bench in Soul's Den, a small village just along the path Laurena and the man are on. It was quiet as most of the villagers were going to there houses for the night. Reyna was in fact not going to sleep, she planned on heading out to the forest to visit on the cities south. But to leave the settlement means to go through the vast forest the surrounded the village. She would be save though, Reyna did have a dagger and some degree of magic skill after all.

After a moment she stood up from the wooden bench and started down the path. She couldn't wait to get to the city; it was along the coast. Rayna could at last get to the ocean water which she had come from. She had almost forgotten what it felt like.
 
"Well…" Laurena said, her face reddening. "I'm not THAT tough…and as for the answer to your question…well…I dunno." She noticed the frozen ground. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I do that when I'm upset!"

Laurena looked up at the creature that was towering over them. "I am not lost," she said coldly. "I. Live. Here. I used to be the guardian of this forest, so…uh…" She wiggled her fingers, though she knew that wouldn't do anything. "Begone!"
 
Reyna was walking down the path for about ten minutes. The path was a dirt one and was vary narrow. Soon she heard some noise from up ahead. It was getting dark so Reyna deiced to use her magic to make a light. With a flick of her wrist a light started to float around her head. "Hello? who's there?" Reyna said.
 
The cool breeze of the night passes by a woman. Her ten digits danced and twirled and swayed, feeling the wind in between her fingers as she walked a small path that seemed vast in the void of the night. She wasn't afraid of the dark, in fact, she admired it. The way the millions of stars glistened and made people feel so small compared to the expanding universe. The way its lack of light caused a spell, a sleeping spell, casting it upon many life forms, sleeping until the light shines through the horizons. It was pure bliss. The woman stopped in her tracks when a light was seen from up ahead. She twirled gracefully, raising her arms up into the air and putting it into a ballerina's fifth position, giggling like a child until she hid in the trees. Her existence completely gone from the path, she walked among the trees, following the little light orb until voices could be heard from up ahead. Quite interesting.
 
The monster looked at the Ice Princess and tilted its head. It's smile didn't leave its face but it seemed unimpressed. "I was talking about your friend. But what interests me more is your words. Used to be? Oooh I wonder why? Why was the fair princess banished from her honorable position?"

The creature didn't give her time to answer, it looked up at a approaching orb of light. It sped over to Reyna without making a sound and stopped in front of her. It curved its body so that she would have to turn around to face him directly. "And where would you be going?"
 
The monster looked at the Ice Princess and tilted its head. It's smile didn't leave its face but it seemed unimpressed. "I was talking about your friend. But what interests me more is your words. Used to be? Oooh I wonder why? Why was the fair princess banished from her honorable position?"

The creature didn't give her time to answer, it looked up at a approaching orb of light. It sped over to Reyna without making a sound and stopped in front of her. It curved its body so that she would have to turn around to face him directly. "And where would you be going?"
"I.. I'm hmm," Reyna said a bit scared, she never saw anything like what was in front of her. Reyna tried to talk but no word came up. Reyna wanted to run but she didn't. "I'm heading to Vacrith.." Reyna said finally.
 
The young man stayed where he was, as still as if he were dead. He didn't know the nature of the creature before him. He didn't know the full extent of it's sensory abilities, so he didn't attempt a quick escape, he decided the best course of action would be to wait.

He caught a scent on the air, something that would be normally hard to detect, but was all too familiar to him. It was close. Very close. This was not a good situation, if the creature before him decided to attack while the beast hunting him caught up, his chances of survival were very low. The beast was somewhere to the left of the path, making it's way through the woods. It was normally limited to the shade, but as night fell, it could move much faster.

He spoke up. "In about a minute, something's going to be upon us."

He wondered if he could set the two creatures up against each other, but doubted it. It was hunting him, and him alone.

If one's hearing abilities where phenomenal, they would be able to hear the rustling of leaves and snapping of branches in the distance.
 
And then, her existence was put back on the path. The sight was absolutely incredible. Thanks to the light orb that floated around a creature's head, the woman's appearance was shown in full view. She looked absolutely normal. But everything's normal nowadays, no?
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So many creatures, it was marvelous, but what caught her attention was nature's dying sound. The cracking of branches. She blinked, but her interest in these sounds slowly died out as her head turned towards the light orb bearer and the one whose appearance looked almost like a monster. No judgment. Inspection wise she started walking around them in circles, her back bent in an abnormal way, almost arched like a cat. Then, just up ahead, more people! This was quite the party. With a straight alignment of her back, she rushed towards the only one that looked much similar to her. A man. And in his accompaniment, a woman, who covered the ground in ice. She somehow gave off a royal feel to her, so, the blonde woman turned around and curtseyed politely.

Then, to both the man and the Ice Woman, she spoke. Her voice was harsh but gentle, cold but oddly pleasant.
"Well, hello."
 
images


A cloaked figure walked through the woods, the hood of the cloak hiding her facila features and the cloak itself hiding her body. The figure walked someone strangely, as though it was in pain. But hen again, it was. Upon descending from the sky after being sent by the lord himself, it was attacked by a monster. However, she had powers and easily destroyed the beast with one swing of her sword. However, it had managed to claw her on her left side of the body. Thankfully, it was underneath the cloak being as it was the only thing shielding her from the rain and cold.

As this slightly limping cloaked figure walked on, she could hear voices up ahead. She wasn't curious seeing as she didn't care about others, but wasn't going to change direction because people were ahead. Sighing softly as she had wished to avoid contact with others until her wound had healed, the girl continued on. Soon enough, she found herself standing before three females, and two males. One with black eyes and claws, the other a mere shadow looking creature with a face. As for the girls, one has skin as pale as snow with long hair, one with long blonde hair and brown eyes, and the other had a blue body with blue eyes to match. A rather strange group. However, she didn't care to stop and listen though she needed to. The blood from her hidden wound had started leaving a trail behind her. However, she didn't realize. Continuing forth, the cloaked figure stood tall depsite the pain and didn't meet anyone's eyes.
 
Laurena looked at the newcomers, said hello, then looked back at the monster. "I said that I do not know who or what overthrew me. I woke up and got kicked out of the castle that I lived in by his…her…its lackeys. I have no idea who actually rules these parts. Do you know?" she asked the monster.

Yeah. Right. It started to snow as Laurena's mood turned to that of skepticism. Nobody that she asked knew.
 
The creature seemed interested not by Reyna's words but her voice. It placed one of its skeletal hands on her shoulder, hooked claws brushing against her side. "And how old are you to be trekking all that way on your own?"

Upon the arrival of two more the monster had to think about its future actions. There were simply too many. It wasn't concerned about the fellow dark being hunting the young man it sensed. So long as it did not kill the others they would not conflict. It was about to consider the wounded cloak when the fair princess spoke up.

The monster turned its head to her and chuckled.
"I have a particular sense for the dark things that reside here. They have grown stronger with the change in power. But..." It's empty eyes seemed to narrow. "I don't think you will like the answer."
 
The Creature was upon the group. It was not revealed by sight... no... for it had no visible form. It's presence was given off by it's own folly. While making a quiet sprint in order to catch the young man with his back turned, it did not examine the ground, it did not realize what the blood on the ground was truly from.

It stepped in a puddle of blood, and shrieked. For a brief moment, an outline could be made of the creature.
Creature.jpg
In an instant, the smoke was gone, but it's footprints remained, leaving large claw-marks in the ground.

It backed up, but did not retreat, it was in an invisible state.

The young man fully removed the cap from his cane, revealing it to double as the sheath of a blade. With his back now to the tall, visible monster, he made a quick decision. The glove to his left hand fell off, and a scar opened on it, spilling a few drops of black blood on the ground, followed by a thick black haze that spread out over the ground. This ability allowed him to sense all ground movement in close proximity, and wasn't too dangerous to use.

It seemed he could see the beast, from the way he was pointing his blade towards a shrub just beyond the treeline.

From a position behind bush, the creature snarled, locking eyes with the young man, but not moving, not until it saw what all of these other creatures were capable of. It was particularly wary of the cloaked woman.

It wouldn't be the first time such a creature kept it from it's prey.

"Come on... I'm. Right. Here."

The creature responded with a hiss.

His eyes, the wound on his hand, and the wound on his chest, glowed a faint red for about a second. It normally wouldn't have been noticeable, but the forest had grown quite dark at the moment.


Neither entity made a move quite yet... The beast had an entire group to watch out for, and the young man had a monster to his back.
 
Umbra giggled mischieviously as she watched all the people below her chatter on unbeknownst to her very presence, but soon enough the wicked creature had finally caught up to the young man that she had originally been watching before the icy princess appeared. So in a quick instant she launched herself from her perch with a screeching snarl before landing in a crouch in front of the young man with her back towards him. A first glance she appeared no older than fifteen years old, but the resemblance to normality ceased there. In the moonlight her face shone deathly pale along with whatever skin was exposed from under the tattered black clothes that hung on her frame like a rag. Snowy waves framed her face in a almost matted disarray which made the faint blue of her lips shine like a beacon. But the most fiendish of her features were the black orbs with glowing white pupils that glared at the wicked creature that dared threaten what she considered hers, the two small horns curling into her hair from her forehead, and the two-inch metallic nails that protruded from her fingers and bare toes. Her barbed tail flicked angrily behind her as she stared down the creature of shadows before she decidedly yelled at it, "He belongs to Umbra! Nobody hurts what belongs to Umbra!"
 
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