Journey (Azrael)

A

AngelFish

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Naomi walked silently between the trees, trailing her fingers gently across the rough bark. The atmosphere, usually light and airy, had taken on a dark and opressing feel. It was almost sinister, as if someone were watching her with violent intent.

It was very rare to see a nymph away from her water, but Naomi had no choice. She had no water to return to. Her beloved lake had died. Despite her best efforts the plants wilted; the fish starved. With no home left, she resolved to herself that she would find out what was wrong.

She slowed to a stop and rested her palm gently against the trunk of an ancient tee. "What's wrong, old one?" She whispered. "Tell me."

She didn't expect an answer. The trees had stopped talking, and even when they did talk it was usually only to elves. But she did not receive the simple silence she expected.

Violently the tree lashed out at her, striking her with a branch and sending her to the ground. Dazed, she watched with blurry eyes as the tree seemed to take on a more sinister shape, with an evil, twisted face. A terrifying face.

Naomi couldn't help herself. She screamed.
 
Azrael smiled as he walked through the forest. It was always full of happiness and song from the nearby dryad. He listened for a spell when suddenly all went quiet. He looked around, "something isn't right here" he said to himself. He walked to the edge of the path and put his ear to te trees trunk. "Silent" then he heard a scream. He dashed in the direction of the scream quickly hoping he wouldn't be too late. "Hold on!" He called before accidently running into a water nymph.
 
Naomi, who had barely managed to drag herself to her feet and start running, found herself knocked to the ground again as someone ran into her. Her hood fell back, releasing the wild black curls, and she stared up at him with frightened green eyes.

The blow from the tree had left a livid red mark on her cheek, but other than that she seemed, for the most part, unharmed. The nymph stood slowly and quickly stepped away and put a little space between them. Nymphs were not social creatures, and regarded other people with a weary mistrust. She couldn't afford to be mistrusting though.

"Who are you?" She asked hesitantly.
 
"A friend who heard your scream" he said getting up. Before extending a hand to her to help her stand. "My name is azrael.... Please do you know what's going on here? The dryad have stopped singing all of a sudden and the trees have gone silent"
 
She eyed his hand for a moment before hesitantly accepting it. "I am...Naomi." She shook her head at his question. "I do not know. The trees did this to me when I tried to speak to them." She gestured to her bruising cheek. "I was... Traveling to the monestary. The monks... They're very wise. Surely....they'd know what is happening. Right?"
 
"I would hope so... Forgive me for running into you Naomi. Would you mind if I accompany you?" He asked the male had hair of red and black on his back a sword and a jacket made of black leather, his pants a deep blue and a pair of boots on his feet. But the noticeable feature was his demonic red eyes and his masculine build under the open jacket
 
Naomi's first instinct was to refuse, but looking at him, she could see that he was very capable looking. He could defend himself, and others. She had only a mediocre control of water on her side. She would fare better with someone else there.

"Yes." She said. "You may accompany me." She glanced over her hack at the now still tree. "Let's get out of the forest."
 
Azrael smiled as he guided her back to the path her was on before before pulling a map from his pocket. He opened it up and spoke. "Show us the way to the monastery" the map slowly showed where they were and where they needed to go. "Looks like a long walk to it. We just need to this path and across the nearby chasm.
 
She nodded, sticking close to his side as they started walking. He was a large person, dwarfing her slim, five foot frame. She eyed the trees warily as they walked past.

"How long would you say this walk will take?" She asked him as they walked.
 
"No more than a days trip by foot" he said. "Or...an hour by flight.... If you trust me" he said noticing how she looked as the trees "don't worry as long as you stay close to me I promise they won't hurt you again"
 
She shook her head quickly at the suggestion of flight. Heights weren't here favorite. "I'd rather walk." She said. She smiled a bit at his reassurance that the trees would not harm her. "Thank you."
 
He smiled as they continued to walk. "So you mind telling my why your so far from water? It's unlike nymphs to wander the forests alone" he asked
 
Her head lowered a bit. "My lake died." She said quietly. "The plants wilted away as if the sun was sealed from them. The fish refused all food and starved. The water won't support life anymore." She brushed away the unwanted tears and forced a smile onto her face. "But the monks will fix it. They'll know what to do."
 
Azrael looked to her with a frown. "Maybe the monks won't know the answer, maybe the answer lays deeper that what their knowledge knows. Don't put all your hope into one solution."
 
She shook her head. "There is no one wiser than the monks, is there? Where else is there to go?" She looked ahead of them and saw the chasm he had spoken of ahead of them.
 
"I know of one person who may be able to help.... The nature dragon, Gragnir. But he's farther than the monks are and no doubt the journey is much harder"
 
She bit her lip as the chasm grew closer, the bridge that stretched across it swayed a bit in the wind. "I'd rather not go to a dragon...what if he eats us?" She'd never actually seen or spoken to a dragon, but she'd heard many a tale of adventurers who were burned to a crisp or eaten in one move. The stories were enough for her, she didn't want to experience it herself. As they got closer to the bridge she slowed a bit, very reluctant to put her trust in the rickety looking thing.

"Is there no way to go around the chasm?" She asked him as she glanced over the side into the dark below. She couldn't see the bottom, but she could faintly hear running water. There must have been a river down there, though who knew how long it ran below ground before it surfaced again; who knew if it surfaced at all.
 
Azrael looked to her. "Naomi. I need you to take my hand and look directly into my eyes." He said extending his hand. She did say she didn't like heights
 
She frowned at his extended hand for a moment. "Why?" She asked him as she hesitantly put her hand in his. She held his hand and waited see what he would do next.
 
"Your the one who said she didn't like heights." He said slowly pulling her onto the bridge. "Just look into my eyes and not anywhere else"
 
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