"Hey!" Damian yelled. "Wait up!" He ran a few more steps, his chest heaving. "I said wait up!"
"Why?" Daravin replied. "You really ought to catch up." His long legs carried him easily through the trees at a fast pace. The poor human couldn't keep up.
The sun was setting, the four beings making their way through the woods, lead by the elf. As he strode between the trees, the little neko clung to his back. He was followed by Damian. Garnet bound from tree branch to tree branch over their heads. They were all a little drained from their run and each threw the occasional glance over their shoulder to see if they were followed. Their quick glances revealed nothing.
"At least tell me where we're going!" Damian demanded.
Daravin didn't answer, continuing on his path. He followed a mental map, leading them to a place they knew not of. He lead them on, walking untill the forest became dark around them. That's when he suddenly stopped, looking around. "Hmmm....." He was looking to his right, at a large oak with an ash standing beside it. He turned that way, walking between the two trees. He had disappeared from the sight of Damian and Garnet.
Garnet scowled, sensing trickery. She took out another sheet of the paper, folding it again. This time, however, it was folded differently. She set it down upon the branch before dropping from it. While Damian studied the trees before walking between them, she folded another before following. It was a little disturbing when you put your foot forward and watch it dissapear, the veil of invisibility traveling up your leg as you walk forward. The other side, hidden from the world, was an elven village.
Daravin was waiting impatiently for those two to step through and when she did, he turned and began to walk along the path that wound over water and between houses and trees. Damian was astonished. He knew that the elvens could hide their villages, but he didn't know that they could completely change the land within them. This particular village was built over a lake that they had constructed. It shimmered with the moonlight that was slowly brightning with the passing of the night.
Garnet dropped this folded paper before following the others. Daravin led them on a long, winding path through the village, finally stopping in front of what could only be his house. He crossed the little bridge, pushing the door so that it opened for them. Inside, he left the two followers in the front and main room, walking quickly and quietly up the spiral stair in the back. It wound tightly up, to his second floor. There, he lay the sleeping Kat on his bed, She curled up there, pulling the fluffy brown tail close about her. He left her there turning to go back down when he jumped.
"Please don't do that," he whispered angrily.
Garnet smiled innocently. "Do what?" she asked in mock ignorance. She was looking down at the little girl. "Since we're both ladies," she said, "would you mind if I slept in that bed with her?"
"If you want," he whispered, striding towards the stair. "Don't be surprised if you wake up with a few chunks of yourself missing."
Garnet shrugged off his warning as she sat on the bed. She lay down, half incircling the little child. In case she woke up afraid, Garnet took on the characteristics of a fellow neko to maybe make her more at home. She settled into a relaxed rest, waiting.
Daravin had, in the that time, descended to the first floor of his house. He left the man in that front room, entering his room before coming back out. He threw the blanket he brought at the man, pointing out the bench-like seat in the corner. It was fairly wide and had several, thick cushions that covered the wood. It was quite comfortable. He then left again, entering his room and laying down to sleep.
Damian looked after the elf before looking at his blanket then the couch. He shrugged. "Pushy," he muttered, sitting on the bench. He wrapped up in the light blanket, laying down and staring at the wall as he tried to sleep. He eventually drifted off.
Now, while they were sleeping, other things were happening. Members of the Legion who were connected with Garnet's papers were, at the moment, looking for them. There were two this time, those that served under them moving restlessly through the trees around them. One actually leaned against the oak of the gate, looking at the other. This one was circleing the tree, trying to find the folded paper.
"It helps if you sense for it, you know," the thin voice of the being against the tree said as it watched the other.
"That's what you think," came the reply of Legion Member number two. It continued to walk around the tree, it's temper rising quickly at that which it couldn't find.
To keep some of their followers from losing their body parts, Legion Member number one stepped forward, quickly sensing for the paper. It nodded, smiling before it lept into the air. It landed by the little box that had been folded for them. By sensing, it could see that this box was an anchor. Following the line of magic to the other anchor, it laughed wickidly to its self. "I do believe I know where our little spy has gone," it said, dropping to the ground.
A quick motion to its followers and they began to prepare for the attack.
Screams.... they drifted in and out of, fading then creshendoing to an unbearable volume before fading out again..... Red light.... it danced and wove a pattern of flames and shadows across the black.... Clanging, the sound of metal to metal then metal on wood..... then came the sickening squelch of the metal entering flesh....... a splinter as it broke through the bone.......
Daravin sat up, gasping. What a nightmare... he though to himself, rubbing his eyes. Then he yawned and from between the crack of his eyelids, a red light flared up then died. The yawn almost choked him. He lept from his bed, dashing to the window and ripping the curtains from his way.
Outside, it was as the foggy dream had been. A great battle waged upon the weaving paths of their village. The fires reflected in the water, its clear color already mistey red. The silver moon was red, the stars hidden by smoke. It was as if the heavens themselves could not bare the sight.
He turned from the window, slipping on his boots and lacing them quickly. He paid not much attention to the silk pack, but he grabbed it automatically. He walked quickly from the room and to the one outside of it. His booted foot connected squarely with the end of the bench. Damian jumped, falling off. "Whurf?" he mummbled sitting up. The silk pack that he had been sleeping with slipped from the bench, landing upon a cushion of blankets.
"Get up, and do it now," was all Daravin said. He turned, practically flying up the stairs. He grabbed little Kat from the warm bed, holding her to his front with a protective arm. Garnet lept up quickly, claws extending in preparation for a fight. When she saw who it was, she calmed.
"What's wrong?" she yawned and stretched.
"The village is under attack," he whispered. "We have to leave."
"So you're going to run and leave your bretheren behind?" she asked absently.
"No," he answered in a clipped tone. "You and that fool downstairs will. I'm going to lead you to the edge of the village and show you a secret way out. Since I don't trust that man with her, I'm going to give Kat to you and you are going to take her to safety."
Garnet nodded. Maybe he will be slain. Then the other two will be easier to destroy. The eggs will be ours!
She followed him down the stairs. On the first floor they found Damian standing by the door looking as if he was still asleep. Outside they went, moving quickly. As they reached the edge of the village, mad battle cries rose behind them. Daravin, still cradeling the little girl, whirled, his sword out. It seemed to glow red in the light. It met a battle axe, small sparks flying off in all directions.
Another sword joined Daravin's and together, he and Damian drove the man away. Three more were coming at them. As the two men's swords rose, something lept up between them. Made of the night, black and formless, it came from between the planks in a torrent. Daravin and Damian lept back, shocked. The enemies attempted to run through the odd substance and were absorbed. Moments later they were thrown from it, their flesh shredded. The formless substance began to take on a solid form, the form of a huge and terrible beast.
It turned to the two men, the souless red eyes glaring down at them. A great maw opened, the jagged onyx teeth dripping a poisonous-smellikng liquid. It reached down for them, reeking death. All three were suddenly gripped by something they could not explain and the three fled into the night.
Zenta turned from them, satisfied by their relative safety. As they left the town, the entrance was sealed by it to dissuade them from returning. The black form faded, leaving the elves to battle for their lives against the demonic horde.
The trees flew by in a rushed blur. This time Damian did not complain during their flight. He simply ran. After a few moments of running, Garnet had lept up to bound from branch to branch over their heads. Daravin simply ran, devoid of thought or emotion as his legs pumped and his arms clutched the neko child close to his chest. Kat was blissfully asleep as her only home burned far behind and the three around her ran for their lives.
Just before they had almost reached their limits, a river suddenly roared up in front of them. Garnet landed on the bank, looking into the water with doubt. Damian paused. Daravin simply plowed right in. The water sprayed up on either side of him, his long, lean frame cutting through the current and water like an over-sized knife. He angled across the river, going more upstream than across. Damian and Garnet followed him quickly before they were left behind.
On the other side they walked in the shallows even farther upstream until Daraivn caught sight of the thing he was looking for. A small grove of thick foilage and low branches, briars ringing every side. He stepped from the river and right into the midst of these briars, pushing through them carefully. Once again Damian and Garnet simply followed. Only when they were in the middle of the thicket and grove did he stop. Under a reletavily low roof of briars and limbs did he lay the little neko child down. He thought a moment before picking her up and laying her on the top half of his cloak where it was still dry. He then lay beside her, wrapping his arms and his warmth around her. She yawned and snuggled closer. The last thought and only emotion was the gratefullness that she was still asleep.
Garnet yawned, really too tired for anything now. Her muscles were strained and she was still sleepy from earlier. Damian stood by her, yawning. He didn't feel any better. The height of his boots ment that his feet and legs were still dry, but the bottom part of his cloak was not and a fine mist from fordging the river was still making him shiver. Partly ignoring the girl, he half-crawled over to Daravin, laying down with his back to the man. The warmed him slightly. As he went to pull the cloak about him to salvage what warmth it could give him, something warm and slightly damp crawled close to him, snuggling to him. He felt nothing but fatigue and merely wrapped his arms and cloak around the already sleeping Garnet.
Around them the night continued on, a faint curl of smoke tainting the sky. The moon was now tinted blue, and rain clouds began to drift across its face as if it would hide the sorrow it now felt deep inside.
View User's Journal
....o.o?
Juuuust for what I feel like putting in here.
Poet of Broken Hearts
Community Member |