The Consequence of Saving

[Iliana]

The Mystic Land of Gestolan...A land Divided but Torn.




The two parts of the Land, Hydrena and Zarlom, are both at their very edge. Each land believes that the other is conspiring against them. there is an unrest and and impatience for power. However, a war is not plausible if both lands are connected.

In order to keep that connection, the youngest girl of the ancient Miheth clan is to be sacrificed at the Alter of Olm. However, to ensure she is not killed by an outside source, the girl...needs a guide.​

Ferah looked out over the forest with her mystic red eyes, scanning for any unsuspecting danger. The forest was deadly quiet, something peaceful even. She could hear the birds chirping somewhere high in the air. The sound pulled her eyes upward to the sky, listening to the wind and birds mingle together. The sounds of Gestolan were soothing, from the rush of leaves or the trickle of a stream. The wind pushed the strands of Ferah's silver-white hair behind her and she inhaled along with the blow.

"Child?" The voice came from an elderly one behind Ferah. The woman's cane crunched down on the leaves and she wobbled slowly to the girl's side. Ferah turned around fully and took steps towards the woman to help her.

"Beltha, are you okay?"she asked with a concerned look. The woman's sunken eyes traveled up to Ferah's fuscia ones. The girl placed a hand on the woman's back and looked down at her. "Beltha?"

"Child...you will be late for your meeting with the Guide." the woman responded. Ferah nodded once in understanding. She really did have to leave that place. Looking back out over the forest, Ferah took the last deep breath of the seasoned air before turning to Beltha, eyes now serious.

"Yes mam."she said, leading the woman back to the cottage to prepare for her leave.​

 

[Cerulean]

Cassadel was having quite the extraordinary day.
He received a new sword and shield form the armory.
He won 15 gold from a chicken race.
Life was looking pretty good.
The man's stride was strong as he come up to Ferah.

"Good day, my lady?" cheerfully asking.



​

 

[Iliana]

Ferah put a hand in front of her mouth to muffle her yelp of surprise. She didn't expect the guard to actually be at her cottage! Looking over to Bethal, Ferah made a note of the knowing look behind the lady's eyes.

"Yes, I knew he would be here. That is why I fetched you. Now come, we must prepare for your leave."Bethal said while shuffling inside the cottage. Ferah's red eyes slid over to the guide in front of her and managed to bow.

"A-Afternoon, sir. My name is Ferah. I-I'll be the one you're escorting."she stammered. The man's armor was grotesque and stuck out in the beautiful forest like a white coy fish in black water. The wind played with her silver hair when she bent back up.

"Please give me a moment to gather my things before we depart."she said, bowing again. Ferah wanted to be as polite as possible to the man, though she still saw no point in him being paid to protect her if he was just going to lead her to her death anyway. Biting her lower lip, she threw the thought from her mind and entered the cottage, making her way to the kitchen to only grab a bag of food. That is all she would need for the journey.​

​

 

[Cerulean]

Sir Cassadel stood guard, as she gathered her things.
In all honesty, he wasn't not even told what he was protecting this nice woman for.
His blue eyes scanned all around.
Today was going to be a good day, he was sure of it.
In the meantime, he began washing out some of the dirt from the armor.
The horse he arrived with, started to eat some of the grass.

"Spirit, no, stop that." He whispered.

He peered into the window, turning not to make such a racket.

 

[Iliana]

Shoving the last roll into her bag, Ferah tied a know across the bag and pulled on it to make sure that it was indeed secured. As she did so, Bethal wobbled over to her. Ferah couldn't possibly bring herself to look up at the woman, so instead, she pretended that she was working on the bag.

"Child...he waits."she said. Tears stung in Ferah's eyes, though her face was still an expression of calm. She was about to travel onto her death and all the woman had to say to her was that the guide was waiting!? Ferah stopped fondling with the bag and took a chance to look at Bethal. Once her eyes rolled over to the old woman's own, a sharp pain zipped through her heart when she witnessed the old woman crying silent tears.

"Bethal..."Ferah said sadly, but Bethal only turned away from her, using her cane to guide her to the living room.

"Don't keep him waiting!"she called out, her voice cracking. The tears in Ferah's eyes fell down to her cheek as she watched the old woman disappear into the back room, watching her for the last time.

"I'll miss you too..."she whispered. After gathering the bag, Ferah walked out of the cottage and up tot the man and his horse, looking at the ground with her tear stained eyes.

"I'm ready."she said softly, trying to mask the sadness in her voice.​

​

 

[Cerulean]

The knight was certainly caught off guard.
Emotion had seeped from her eyes, into his heart.
He stepped almost slowly to her.
Blue in the sky almost seemed to turn gray.

"Mm-My lady, what ever is the matter? Is there anything I can do? Would you like to ride the steed? Please, I insist. I pray to the gods that my being here isn't an inconvenience."

Spirit scoffed and walked over to them.
The horse made no motion that anything was wrong.

"Stupid horse." He whispered.

 

[Iliana]

Ferah shook her head and looked up at the guide with a smile.

"No, good sir. I will enjoy this brisk walk. Besides, the mare looks as though it would rather walk solo."she said with a chuckle when the horse scoff and prodded the ground in impatience. Ferah admired the beauty of the animal and reached a hand out to touch the bridge of it's large nose, stroking it softly.

"Does it and you have a name? I certainly don't want to call you two by 'Horse' and 'Guide' the entire trip."she said with a simple smile, looking over to the man and awaiting for him to lead the way. Besides, she was anxious to get away from the cottage. The pain was already starting to seep in slowly.​

​

 

[Cerulean]

"Her name is Spirit."

The horse raised her head proudly.
It almost looked like a smile formed.
The knight rolled his eyes.

"My name, my lady, is Sir Cassadel of The White Guardian Order."

He bowed respectfully.

"Without further adieu, I say we go to our destination, shall we?"

Cassadel was a rather informal people person.
It was something he found good in, besides Knighthood.
He lead on, with the reigns, next to Ferah.

 

[Iliana]

Ferah bowed to the man again, silver hair falling over the side of her shoulder.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you."she said and followed him in silence. The farther they got away from the cottage, the easier it was for Ferah to breathe. All of the thoughts of Bethal was beginning to taint her mind, causing her to become reluctant. I could run. Yes, I could run away. Ferah chewed on the bottom of her lip, walking along the horse in silence. But if I do...Gestolan...would fall.

A bird chirped somewhere to the left and Ferah's eyes slid over to the sound, following the robin in the sky. The silence was starting to get to her so she cleared her throat.

"Have you ever been to the Temple of Olm?"she asked in a sweet voice?​

​

 

[Cerulean]

Cassadel watched her intently.
He did not know what was going on, and he did not like it.
The question took a second for it to register.

"I have seen it, from afar. Never set foot inside of it. Plans just don't fall together, I suppose. What is your business there, if you don't mind me being forward?"


​

 

[Iliana]

The impact of the question was equal to a slap in the face. Ferah lost all of the color in her face when he asked the question. Her large fuscia eyes looked around at anything but the man himself. Her head started to spin slightly and she had trouble walking forward. It got so bad that she had to hang onto Spirit's mane for support.

I can't tell him I'm going there to die! He'll refuse to take me and then I'll be vulnerable until then! No, Ferah. You have to lie...make something up! Qucikly! Ferah licked her lips and coughed once, her eyes sliding up to the Cassadel's.

"Bethal always told me stories of its ancient insignias inside it. I am a sucker for ruins, so I wanted to go see them myself. I've never been there and it will mean a lot to me to see my dream up close, you know?"she said, her words becoming more casual by the second. I hope he didn't see right through that.​

​

 

[Cerulean]

Her distraught attitude was a dead giveaway.
The Knight could not even begin to believe that he would even buy that at a 1 copper piece store.
There was a moment of silence.
All that was between them were horse hooves and Sir Cassadel's breathing.
He didn't know whether to be blunt and just believe her.
His finger raised a little.
The words were barely a whisper.

"Don't lie to me again."

Sir Cassadel lead on, without a word.
Whatever was transpiring, he was going to protect that woman.

 

[Iliana]

"Don't lie to me again."

Ferah gulped and looked down at the ground, trodding over the leaves that littered the ground under her. She was quite shocked to find that her story meant nothing to him. He had just met her and was able to see right through her in 2 seconds flat! Ferah became oddly uncomfortable knowing that she was shifting through all of those emotions before going to complete the task at hand. Bethal had always told her that she needed to keep her mind as clear as possible and Cassadel was not helping whatsoever.

Ferah, rubbing her arm feeling a slight breeze blowing through the forest, released her hold on Spirit's mane. The cold air was starting to blow her silver hair around her face, shrouding her vision for seconds before she went to move the strands from her eyes.

"I...I can't discuss it."she said quietly, making sure to keep her eyes off of him. She wasn't lying at all. Ferah was not allowed to discuss the situation with anyone other than the other Miheth members and the last thing Cassadel was was a monk. Ferah kept quiet, feeling something stir within her stomach. Why is he going through all of this trouble in finding out? Ferah pressed forward, looking ahead of her.​

 

[Cerulean]

Her words were no matter to him.
At this point, she could have told him anything, and he would not have believed her.
Nothing was as hurtful, as being lied to the face.
Cassadel refused to stop or turn around.
His mind was clouded with hate for deceit.

"If you were telling the truth now...you could have just said that. I would have dropped it, my lady."

He still had a job to do.
Feeling were hurt by the fact he wasn't trusted, right off the sword.
Unreasonable request, perhaps, but it was something worth striving for.
The mind came to understand that.
It is also understood the meaning of secrets.

"I only want to help..." he whispered to himself

 

[Iliana]

"Know your place!"she snapped, eyes shutting to a close as she stopped walking alongside Spirit and Cassadel. As soon as the words flew from her mouth, she slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes opened in surprise. Her emotions tumbled around her body and mind, clouding her vision and judgement. Ferah was on edge, knowing that this was going to be her last hours in this life and all the man did was toy with her. Her eyes shook and slid up to his. When the two shared eye contact, Ferah's eyes dropped to a light blue. A got fire seared through her mind and she removed her hands, glaring at him.

"Know your place!"she repeated, standing in place with her hands clenched. "You are a Guide! You have no right to get personal with me! What my purpose is in that temple is none of your business nor is something that is stopping you from doing your job! We paid you to guard me, not interrogate me!"she snapped. Ferah was normally not easy to anger, but all of the emotions were piling on one another and it was weighing down on her. Her legs trembled and she slumped against a tree, placing a hand over her mouth again, light blue eyes welling up with tears. Her eyes only changed colors when her emotions got out of control, one of the gifts of the Miheth Clan.

"I...I wish to rest."she said, siting down on soft grass beneath her. Luckily for her, they had reached a meadow and the daytime atmosphere seeped into the area. The scenery was beginning to soother her nerves, though a tear still trickled down her face. Pulling out her bag with one hand and wiping the tear away with the other, Ferah extracted a brush and a book. She released her hair from its tie and then wind began bowing it around on contact. Ferah grabbed at a few strands, tying the ribbon behind her head and looking at the book in her hands intently.



"Y-you should rest, also."she said softly, light blue eyes looking up to him.​

 

[Cerulean]

Sir Cassadel was completely speechless.
She was right.
He had no right to say any of that.
It was niether the time or place.
The truth was, he wasn't doing his duty as well as he should.
Protect her, nothing more or less.
Thankfully, his helmet hid his bit of inner dispair.
He almost wanted to aologise, but he could not speak.
Cassadel tied Spirit to a tree, then they both sat down.
All he could do was comply, there was nothing else.

 

[Iliana]

She flipped another page. Ferah was not paying any attention to the words or pictures in the book at all. She only pretended to be engrossed in its pages so she wouldn't have to hold a conversation with Cassadel. After all she said she felt lower than dirt. Although her words rang true, she had just met the man...she should show some respect. Ferah sighed and looked over to Cassadel who was standing quietly next to Spirit.

"Cassadel, I'm--"

Mmmrrrrr....

Ferah's eyes shot open wide when the growl traveled to her ears. Something was near them and it sounded either angry or hungry...and none of those were good things. Spirit began stomping on the ground only confirming Ferah's fear: they were being attacked! She dropped the book from her hand and scrambled off of the grass, eyes darting around the thick trees ahead of her.

Rrrraauurrrr...

The noise was closer this time and Ferah detected it somewhere...behind her! She spun around but before she could make any movement, her body was trampled on by a large beast with glowing red eyes.



"AAAHHHH!!!!"she screamed, flailing on the ground with the beast on top of her. One of its claws dug into her neck and she let out another loud screech of pain, feeling a white fire in her neck as the wound opened.​

 

[Cerulean]

By that time, Sir Cassadel had his new sword and shield ready.
He was excited.
The beast gave him something to release anger upon.
Normally, he would have some sort of words to say.
However, his duty compelled to do nothing but charge into the beast.
The force was at least enough to free his sudden prisoner.

"Run....RUN, Ferah!" He bellowed.

The knight kept up his guard trying to keep the beast, at bay.
Slashes and swipes were exchanged between them.

"I will send you back from wence you came, foul thing!"

The blue eyes of him were almost fury themselves.

 

[Iliana]

The monster felt animosity towards Cassadel for the guard did not show any sighs of fear. As a result, it dragged its massive weight off of Ferah's body and crouched down, letting more gurgling growls escape through its mouth. It's fangs were bared back and it snapped, taunting Cassadel. Ferah hissed in pain, clamping a hand over her shoulder. She instantly felt a hot sticky liquid in return and she didn't want to look down at the blood. The pain was intense; she could barely stand straight for the pain just brought her back down onto her knees.

"Run....RUN, Ferah!" Cassadel called out as the beast howled and pounced onto the man. Ferah tried to look at the battle before her through her tears but a hot sting in her shoulder made her eyes shut again. She couldn't run! She couldn't even stand!

"C-Cass..."she choked out, trying to hoist herself from the ground.​

​

 

[Cerulean]

Spirit unties the knot and lays next to Ferah.
The horse lays hoping she can maybe get on.
Cassadel tries his best to stay between the woman and the beast.
His foot steps retreat a little to get a better handle on distance.
Her call rang on his ears.
Something in her voice, set him off.
Light started emit from his rusty armor.
The knight didn't know what was going on.
Armor started to fall off from a size increase.
Beautiful angel-like wings sprouted out from his back.
Skin turned to a snow white.
Sir Cassadel had turned into something else entirely.
His voice became almost an echo.

"I will give you one more chance, demon."