Quest for the Gates

[LogicfromLogic]

Night crept on the forest as a dark cloaked figure, astride a dapple unicorn stopped. Looking up, the fine smooth skin of a white Esper gazed at the stars. He was from Rimmell, where there wasn't much sunlight so his race evolved differently. His glittering light brown eyes seemed to be troubled as the starlight reflected back into the black circles of his eyes. "Aria, I wish you could have come with me. But with how little she is, there is no way I'd risk your lives. I know you were helping me before the birth, but I can't risk it," Darious's strong sturdy deep voice said quietly. He said it almost as if Aria was there with him now; how he wished that she were.

Giving Everett a slight kick, the unicorn on. It'd only been a week since he'd rode off alone on route to meet up with Archibald Grimhart. He was sure that they'd find the other royal lines, but he wondered how many would dare to venture on this quest. It would be incredibly dangerous; he doubted that this journey wouldn't claim every life. But if they didn't try, Esper would perish. The last family torn apart, the forests burnt down, the Gates destroyed. Blood would stain the green grass, the streams, rivers, would run crimson.

This was their last chance to save their world before any of that happened. Darious, a determined, brave young man, was willing to lay down his life to save it. Not just for the sake of the world, but his family. His heart hurt to realize that even he had a great chance of never returning. Never seeing his daughter grow and blossom into a beautiful strong warrior, never see grandchildren if he should have any, not grow old with Aria. But what hurt most was the thought of his mission not succeeding; his daughter would really not have a chance to grow up then.

A thick fog began to creep under toe of Everett; a few whimpers from him told Darious that something wasn't right. Patting Everett's neck, he cooed at him. "Shh boy..it's alright," he whispered. Looking up as movement caught his eyes, he squinted through the trees. Everything was quiet for a second before he realized the serious danger he was in. In the woods, lurking just in the third row of trees ahead, gazed a Carrion Hound. They were this diseased kind of creature that once bitten, you turned into one of them. Their head was skull like, with large fangs quite visible. Their skin was rotted and looked clung to the body, loose hair drifted hung from the entire body. It's feet were talon like, it's tail slunk in back of it dragging in the dust. It's ears looked like a horse's, long and the only thing on it's body with full fur. The eyes stuck out of it's head as if it were squeezed, the veins around it pulsing. The stench the creatures let off was foul, almost as if the forest was decaying. Saliva dripped from it's mouth, some hanging off in clumps.

Turning, he kicked Everett hard the other way, tearing away from the beast. Once bitten, there was no way of coming back. The infection only took over night, and when morning rose, what made you 'you' was gone, and you were a monster.

He could hear the banshee like cry behind him, closing in. Eventually, since he'd been caught off guard, he'd have to turn in fight. Stopping Everett, he hopped off and smacked his rear. Everett took the hint and ran, Darious pulling out his long sword. The Carrion Hound stopped short in front of him, panting and growling, it threw it's head back and cried out. Darious almost covered his ears, the sound painful and terrifying. But holding his ground, Darious made the first attack. But as he did, the beast lunged. As the hound landed in front of him, he struck down his sword, landing the blade between the shoulders and ripping. Falling limp, it was over quicker than the battle started. Panting, he pulled his sword out and whistled.

Mounting, he rode off as if nothing had happened.

 

[CrystalTears]

Lorin was holding Angelica's hand tightly in his own as they were now fleeing from the forest they had once lived in. There was nothing left to do as they had to flee, this was their life now. It was being constantly on the run observing Lorin's back and his dark brown hair when they were running far away from the dangers of the Reapers, not daring to take one peek over her shoulder. Angelica didn't object to being dragged around the forest as she was almost tempted to close her eyes while they were running through. The light of the sun was fighting its way through the leaves as it barely managed to hit her fair skin as the red marks in her face was lighting up, she was more than just scared she was terrified at this point. She had no clue what they were running from, but obviously enough they were running from something.

"Your Majesty! Are you okay back there?!" Lorin shouted to her scouting at her small fragile body being dragged behind him as they finally stopped once they had exited the forest they once lived in, as its green leaves had been painted in blood red color. Angelica was shaking as they finally stopped, it was due to her being completely out of breath and all the bloodshed she had witnessed. There were far too much blood spilled in the forest, and there was a lot of dead creatures behind them, as Angelica has made sure to pray for each one of them. Be it evil or not, they all deserved to rest in peace and hopefully they would be granted a better life in their next one. "I- I am fine Lorin. Do not concern yourself w- with me. I- I am simply tired..." Angelica said as Lorin sighed and then squatted down for Angelica to climb onto his back.

"We cannot linger your Majesty. We need to find other royal's like yourself to be able to survive. You wish to bring peace to this world once more yes? Then we need to fight," Lorin said as Angelica nodded and walked beside him instead of climbing onto his back, though she was still shaking. Lorin looked over to Angelica holding herself in a tight embrace, as he grabbed her hand and made her tense body a bit more relaxed. "Do not press yourself Your Majesty. You will faint once more," Lorin said as Angelica once more nodded to Lorin's concern as she gave yet another one of her brave smiles that she had been given him so many times now she had lost count. "Yes I know. I feel fine, I am simply shaken up by all the sights I have seen," Angelica said as she saw his arm bleeding from one of the forest wolves they had fought before.

"You are bleeding Lorin! Let me tend to your wound!" Angelica said as she grabbed his arm and held her own small hand over it, closing her eyes as the red markings in her face was no longer lighting up and a small green light began to dance along her hand as the wound and bleeding stopped. She felt the wound recreate itself onto her own arm as she slightly winced once she finished and held her hand over the now bleeding area on her arm. Lorin only let out a sigh as he took off his own scarf tied around his neck and tightly tied it around Angelica's bleeding arm. "Let us go then your Majesty," Lorin said without any object to what she has done as he already knew his own Princess' stubbornness far too well. They began walking towards yet another path as Lorin could only hope they would find someone to make their own defenses and aggressiveness far stronger than they were.

 

[LogicfromLogic]

Darious knew that Archibald would be waiting for him on the other side of the forest. Looking around, he knew this forest well. It used to be full of life. The ash coloured trees were a beautiful shade of plant green, the sweet grass below his feet was thick, the best to sleep on. Willow burrs floated in the air, and the lights of the wood fairies would be welcoming to anyone. Their songs, merry gatherings, this place used to be so beautiful. Now it was a dead wood, no animals that of this world's folk ventured here any longer. The trees died as the spirit of the land perished. The grass recoiled at the poison of the beings that now lurked within the trees. The fairies either died with their beloved forest, of were captured. To see a wood fairy now would be very rare.

It was hard to believe that just a year ago, this forest was the last remaining enchantment in Kurtland. Darious sighed; he could feel the sorrow drape off the trees as he passed. It was almost as if they wept for the creatures, the beings, of this world. What they lived through now, their loss, their destruction. It would be a miracle if Archie survived the journey. They split up so that Darious may hide his family. He wondered where Archibald had been all those months that he'd been gone; had he found any of the other lines? Or had he too, fallen victim?

Hope seemed to be a hard quality to hold these days. Pressing on, he knew what day would bring; Firebirds. They were a rather nasty creature that spat balls of flame at their prey. Their favourite meal was unicorn; and since the herds fled, the birds would be rather hungry about this time. His goal was to get out of the forest within two moons high. They were to meet on the southern border of the Kurtland lesser forest. But he had a problem; where was it?[BCOLOR=#000000] [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=#000000]'Come on, where is it? I passed through here not four moons high!'[/BCOLOR] he thought, stopping Everett. Everett stomped his foot; he was hungry. neither of them had eaten in three days. On the run, they couldn't afford to stop. If they ran into a reaper here, in these woods, they might stand a great chance of never coming out again. Looking around, he could hardly see a thing. [BCOLOR=#000000]"Everett, luaxia,"[/BCOLOR] he mumbled, loud enough for the dapple stallion to hear. Closing his eyes, Everett's horn lit up blue, providing a light in the thick darkness. Looking around, he spotted a trail. Hopping off of Everett, he walked over and knelt down. Struggling to see, he spotted a green mushroom with brindle green splotches on it. Smiling, he pulled out a stick with silver engravings and tapped the mushroom in a smooth rhythm. The mushrooms seemed to be the only thing in this forest to have survived. The mushrooms flashed a bright greem light before fading out in a line; the way out. Turning around, he hopped back onto Everett. [BCOLOR=#000000]"Follow the mushrooms Everett, we'll be out of the forest sooner than you'll know,"[/BCOLOR] Darious promised.

It'd been a couple of hours since Darious had made the discovery of the mushrooms. he was pleased to see them; it meant that the spirit was just hanging on, but not dead just yet. Perhaps there was hope for the new world. The forest made no change as morning drew in; it was still dark in the thick of the trees. He knew that Everett was growing tired by how many times he jerked. Pulling back on the reins, he pulled himself off. [BCOLOR=#000000]"Bear my weight no longer today my friend, you've earned your rest,"[/BCOLOR] Darious said to Everett, patting his neck. They were nearing a clearing; it'd have to do for the day. Firebirds only stayed in the cover of the trees, they didn't venture out into clearings in fear of Carrion Hounds.

Walking on by foot, it wasn't long before they arrived in the clearing. Pulling off the saddle and reins, he watched the exhausted stallion lay down and fall asleep almost instantly. Setting the saddle down, Darious pulled his gear off. Slipping off his shirt, the bandage covering his chest was a little damp with new blood. He'd gotten in a fight with a treacherous Esper. To him, they were worse than the Reapers themselves. But the wound was healing, and he couldn't complain. He'd survived the fight. Sitting down, he laid back onto the saddle and let sleep take him.

[BCOLOR=#000000]"So you promise you'll be back? I-I don't think I could bare the thought of you dying out there,"[/BCOLOR] Aria asked, concern heavy in her voice. Pulling her close, Darious kissed her gently. [BCOLOR=#000000]"I promise, I will try to return to you. But I have got to do this, so you, and Ellieanna will have a future still, and our world may be as it was. I want her too see the good in the world, not just the bad. This world isn't meant to sustain such hatred,"[/BCOLOR] Darious replied as he pulled away, a tear escaping. Aria pressed into him. [BCOLOR=#000000]"I know, I-just hurry back. I love you,"[/BCOLOR] she said and pulled away from him. Looking back, he pulled himself onto Everett, he rode away from home, possibly for the last time.

 

[CrystalTears]

They had been walking for a good while now, Lorin had been holding onto Angelica the entire time. She wasn't afraid, but she didn't like the fact that they were on the run. Despite Lorin's previous comment about being on the path, they were now back in the forest, though this one seemed a lot more safer than from the one they had previously run away from. It still pained her to know that all of those poor living creatures had been killed back there, as she felt a sort of arrow strike through her at every thought of the creatures she had watched died. Those damned Reapers, she might be from the White Doves, the Messengers of Peace as they were called, but Angelica had a strong hatred directed towards those murders, and she would avenge the lives lost, by overthrowing the Reapers.

Angelica and Lorin entered the forest, as the pain in her arm was growing more and more. Her thirst for revenge was not one to drive her crazy or mad, she still wished for peace to return to this world, but she wished for the Reapers to all disappear, but if it was possible she would have loved to present a peace treaty to them, trying to use words and not weapons. Lorin stopped once a saw some mushrooms, he smelled the air and saw a couple of tracks of a horse as a secret smile spread across his face. "Your Majesty! There has been someone here. We may find some allies now," Lorin said as he looked over to Angelica's arm and frowned, but did not comment upon it, as it had bled through her clothing now.

"Tracks? Are you certain this is of an ally? It may very well be of a Reaper," Angelica asked a bit scared as she didn't wish to find out to be honest, but they had a better way of surviving if they stayed together, and she knew that far too well to start doubting Lorin's decision now. "Yes. Reapers does not travel by horse, but we do. Let us follow the tracks and see where they lead us to," Lorin said as Angelica only agreed silently, following after him slowly as they ventured further into the forest.

After a certain amount of time they arrived at a clearing seeing as an elvish looking man and a horse had taken their rest there, and a smile spread across Lorin's face, but he was careful to approach the man slowly, wishing not to oppose him as a threat. "Do not fear. We are Espers like you. My name is Lorin d' Arc and this is Angelica Shire from Irragin. We are on the run like you," Lorin said to the man, as Angelica was hiding behind him, clenching her small hands into his dark brown trousers as she was afraid the man would attack them.

 

[LogicfromLogic]

He was in mid-dream when he heard Everett let out a worried whinny. Opening one of his eyes, he noticed movement from far off. Espers had a gift in far sight. Sitting up, he winced at the wound and slunk back down. Pulling himself back up, he lept just as they came into speaking rage and switched into his wolf form. He took a risk turning; every bit of magick could be picked up by a reaper. But he had no idea, even after they introduced as peaceful, if that were the true case.

[BCOLOR=#333333]"Let me see your hands. Don't turn,"[/BCOLOR] he instructed as he turned back into his human form. It was instinct for him to turn into his wolf form around people he thought were threats. He knew better than to reveal his true identity, for all he knew the Esper in front of him could be an informant. [BCOLOR=#333333]"My name is Riven Stark of Junell. I am travelling to Rimmell to trade some goods,"[/BCOLOR] he lied, but it sounded convincing. He could not afford his mission to be aborted so soon; this world depended on the royal lines finding each other and making it to The Gates of the Guardians. He took notice of the woman hiding behind him, but made no eye contact with her.

[BCOLOR=#333333]"I wish not to know your business, only that you let me hold mine in peace,"[/BCOLOR] he added. He was getting anxious, and he couldn't afford a fight really. That last one had already injured him more than he'd anticipated.