Another World. Another Time (Akira.S & Gracielle Grace)

[Akira.S]

Was she going to take his remark seriously? Clearly she was? Isley may have complimented her on her own abilities to learn to be a warrior, but was that enough to teach Glaren? Sure, Thea had...some skill, but his adopted sister had always been gifted. Allowing Bren to teach him couldn't be any worse. Plus she would do it on her own time, away from the other warriors who were training, where he could potentially get in their way. "I suppose it won't hurt for you to take over, just...be thorough with him. I don't know how much more time we have before the Elder sends us off." Isley still wasn't convinced their band of merry misfits were the four champions the land had been waiting years for. A villager's son, an adopted daughter, a mysterious human, and even more mysterious lady.

"Better get started with him. If he's to have any chance of surviving you better start teaching." Isley was sure Glaren knew the basics. But to actually put that to good use...well that was a different story. They all needed to be able to protect each other when they left the village and the magical protection that was around it. They couldn't stop to worry about a human who could barely defend or take care of himself.

It was unfortunate that Glaren could not recall who he was, or any memories from the days prior to when he first arrived in their forest. If the Elder couldn't restore his memories there was no magic in the world that could help him. But Glaren was here for a reason, that much Thea believed.

The two ate their lunches quietly, in a little bit of an awkward state. Thea looking out to watch the warriors train and fight one another with their swords and weapons, while at the same time, looking over to see Isley and Bren finish their lunch and get back to work. It would be best if Glaren got back to training too once he was done eating, no point in having her distract him. "You'd better go before my brother catches you avoiding your training..." the snow-white haired girl beside him spoke softly.

Thea had to say something, to make him feel better...but what. "Glaren," she said turning to him with her deep purple eyes, looking kindly into his, "I'm sorry, for what's happened to you but have faith that your memory will come back to you. I was never so fortunate..." she muttered the last part while lifting her hand, rubbing the diamond-flower shaped mark on her forehead hidden under her bangs. Of course Glaren didn't know she too suffered from memory-loss, but in time got over it and took on her new name, made a life for herself...but she was still a child, she was young, for Glaren to start over...could he?  

[Gracielle Grace]

Glaren looked curiously at Thea as she rubbed her forehead and muttered something under her breath. He wasn't sure if he had said something wrong and upset her. She had seemed quite happy a moment before and had been trying to comfort him as best as she could. But now, for some reason, she looked sad. "Maybe she has a headache or something, "Glaren thought. However, it didn't seem likely to him that she could get sick all of a sudden like that. Wondering why Thea was acting strangely, Glaren asked her concernedly, "Are you alright?"

"Oh thank you, Isley!" cried Bren. She was very excited! Isley had told her that she was to be Glaren's teacher for the time being. Until they had to go off on their quest, she and Glaren would practice fighting with each other and prepare for their adventure. Finally, she could prove she was just as strong as any of the men. This was the most exciting thing that she had ever done! "I promise I won't disappoint you! Just wait and see!"

((sorry that this is so short, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.))  

[Akira.S]

“Hm?” Thea hadn’t realized she’d spaced out a second. Thinking about her own past and losing her own memories, only imaging what Glaren was going through. She had sympathy for him, probably more than most elves in town. There was no use thinking back on things that she couldn’t change, how her life might have been different if she remembered who she was, what her real name was. Her concern was Glaren, finding his memories and finding his purpose of why he was here, other than to be a champion. “I was just thinking about something, sorry.” She said absentmindedly, dropping her hand from her forehead and allowing the diamond shaped mark on her forehead to be, once again covered by her snow-white bangs.

“You should worry more about yourself than of me. I’m a big tough girl, lace my own boots up and everything.” The last thing she wanted was for Glaren to be distracted and worry about her more than he should be worrying about himself. “Go on then.” With a smile she continued to sit and would watch his training from where she was. It’s not like she had anything better to do other than to maybe play and educate the young, pick flowers or herbs, or sew. Sure there were a lot of things that she could have been doing, but she would have rathered watch her friends train for what was to come.

Bren seemed more excited than he expected, but perhaps that was a good thing. It was good that she was enthusiastic about her new job. She’d probably be a more patient teacher than the rest of the men. After all, Glaren had a lot to learn in just a few weeks… Archery, Swordsmanship, a bit of hand-to-hand, how to set up camp, fish and pick wild berries that weren’t poisonous, and just general combat training that he would need to learn in order to survive. Oh, did I mention he needed to learn how to ride a horse properly? But perhaps that would come in time.

Looking over to where Glaren and Thea were, the two seemed distracted in their conversation to realize lunch for them was over. They needed to get back in the fray. So Isley huffed a bit and strode over, bringing over a long wooden staff with and slinging it over his well-toned shoulders. As he walked over to the two, he tapped Glaren with the end and eyed him before looking at his sister, “Am I interrupting anything?” he didn’t think so, just friendly conversation. “I suggest you get back to it then. I’ve decided to put Bren in charge of your training. You might work better at her pace, I hope you don’t mind.” No he didn’t think Glaren did or would. “You’ve got a lot to learn, I suggest you get to it.” And just as Isley turned to rejoin the other elves in training, he stopped and turned his head slightly to the side, “Don’t help him Thea, he won’t learn that way.” Maybe Isley was being a bit harsh but in the end they couldn’t fulfill the prophecy with just the three of them if Glaren died in battle. They needed him alive and ready for battle, they needed him to know how to take care of himself. Isley hoped that in the next few weeks, he’d learn to do that.  

[Gracielle Grace]

Glaren was surprised at how kind Thea was to him. All the rest of the villagers seemed to think of him as a stranger, which, in fact, he basically was, but Thea treated him as if he was one of them. She didn't seem to get impatient with his slow progression in training. Even when she might have had more important things to think of than his problems, she tried to comfort him in any way she could. Glaren hoped that perhaps one day he could repay her kindness.

Soon however, Glaren had other things to think about. Isley purposefully walked up to him and tapped him with the end of a heavy wooden staff. With the elf's usual sternness, he informed Glaren that Bren would be his teacher for the time being. Then, with a quick warning to Thea not to help the human with his training, Isley turned and walked off. It took a moment for Glaren to take all these things in.

He wasn't quite sure what to think about his new situation. Sure, Bren was a nice girl, but was she capable of teaching him? She was just a girl and younger than he was. Would she be easier on him than Isley had been? Perhaps she would give him more time to sleep in the mornings and not work him so long as his previous teacher had done. In some ways, Glaren was excited and hopeful about Bren training him, but he was also worried that she would not be any better than Isley. With mixed feelings inside him, Glaren waited for his new teacher.

The next hour found Bren and Glaren in the stables. It was here that Glaren was going to have his first lessons on riding horses. Calmly walking towards the stalls, Bren told him, "The most important lesson to learn, whether you are going to be a champion or a poor servant, is riding a horse. You are going to need to know how to ride one if you're coming with us on our journey." With a giggle, she added teasingly, "And I know how amazingly outstanding a horse rider you are from our last ride!" Glaren realized with a sinking feeling that this would be a long day for him.  

[Akira.S]

Elf horses were a lot bigger than human horses for some reason. Glaren probably not noticing since he was so freaked out from when he got here. He had to be taught, nice and slow like a child how to command a horse, how to prep a horse, and how to clean a horse and take care of it. Needless to say it wasn’t easy. But he would get the hang of it soon enough. Riding a horse was the least of his worries, and probably something he’d be able to pick up easily. It wouldn’t take long for him to learn, especially with Bren’s patient training.

While Glaren was getting the hang of riding a horse around the village with Bren on her own horse, they passed by the training grounds just to see what was going on now. Thea had changed from her usually beautiful dresses, to hunting gear, similar to a man’s outfit, only a tighter fit for her. She wore tight brown pants and long dark brown hunting boots that pulled up to her knees. She wore a cotton beige shirt similar to Isley’s although it wasn’t tucked in, a white fur cape also similar to his, with giant eagle feathers around the neckline and on the hem, and several belts to hold her weapons and small pouches. Her snow white hair was also tied up in a high pony tail to show off her beautifully sculpted neck and to bring out the deep purple in her alien like eyes.

Thea had a wooden staff in her hand, a sword at her waist and several daggers hidden on her person. There were several elves surrounding her, a four on one it seemed. But Thea easily danced around them with the wooden staff, blocking and disarming them as if it was second nature, until Isley stepped into the ring. He actually proved quite a challenge, choosing to fight her with a sword instead of a staff. Both were very skilled and put much effort into the mock battle, but in the end, Thea’s wooden staff went flying and she found herself on the ground, forced to yield.

“Do you concede?” Isley asked as he pointed his sword at her throat.
Gently pushing the blade away from her face Thea smirked, “I do. I know when I’m defeated.” She said as Isley sheathed his sword and helped her up off the ground. It seemed like Glaren wasn’t the only one training for the journey ahead. Even Thea still had to practice defending herself, because she wouldn’t rely on her friends to do it for her.

Spotting Glaren and Bren nearby, the snow-white haired girl looked over and waved kindly at them, before Isley put his arm around her shoulder and motioned her off with them to get changed for supper. It would get dark soon and they all needed to wash up before dinner. Was it me, or did Isley just not want Thea and Glaren to be alone together?

((Weee jealousy private time))  

[Gracielle Grace]

Glaren's first riding lessons weren't as easy as one might have hoped, even though it should have been obvious from his very first ride with Bren. The horse that he had been supposed to ride was usually a fairly gentle animal, and he had felt a bit more confident about riding it. Unfortunately, Bren had forgotten to tell him how to get on a horse, and he tried to get on the horse from behind. A kick in the stomach by the one of its hooves was the reward he had gotten, and that had been all the lessons he could handle on that day. While he lay in his bed, recovering from the injury, Glaren had doubted that he could ever learn how to ride a horse.

After a couple weeks, though, things seemed to be improving. Not only did Glaren's stomach heal during that time, but he also never forgot which way to approach a horse, especially how to get onto one. The one that had kicked him seemed to have forgiven him for his mistake, since the horse patiently let him ride on itself. Through Bren's training, he learned how to ride a horse quite well, and she taught him how to stay on a horse, even when it was bucking and kicking wildly! She thoroughly instructed him on how to groom and care for a horse as well. Although at first everyone had doubted that he would ever be able ride a horse, riding soon became like second nature to Glaren.

One day, while Glaren and Bren were riding their horses around Harpenshire, they stopped by the training grounds. They noticed that Thea was there, training. Her usual attire was replaced by stiff, rough, tight clothes that were used for fighting and hunting. She fought several elves with her wooden staff and defeated them so easily that it all looked like a blur. Obviously, she was a very skilled fighter, and not many could match her skill. Glaren and Bren stared at Thea in amazement, barely moving from their positions.

"Wow!" remarked Glaren to his teacher. "She is a really fierce fighter! I never would have guessed that. Usually, she is so calm and peaceful, but all the other fighters didn't even stand a chance against her swift attacks! When did she ever learn how to fight like that?"

Bren smiled with pride at Thea's fighting and replied, "I'm not sure. For as long as I can remember, Thea has always been a great fighter. She might have always had the knowledge, or somebody could have taught her. One thing I do know, though, is that she is a warrior worthy of honor, no matter how, where, when, or why she learned it. Isley may know more about Thea's fighting history than I do."

Suddenly, Glaren stared down into the fighting ring. No sooner had Bren said his name than Isley came into view. In his hand, he carried his sword. It was both obvious that he was going to fight with his sister and that it would be a tough match for both fighters. Soon, Isley's sword was flashing quickly and Thea's staff was whirling like a whirlwind. All eyes watched to see what the outcome would be.

Glaren was surprised when Isley turned out to be the winner. He had thought that Thea would win, even though Isley was a man and considered the stronger of the two. Her staff had seemed unstoppable before and her skills had seemed matchless. For such a long time in the fight, she had had the upper hand, but somehow she had lost her weapon and had to give up. "How had Isley managed to win, then?" Glaren wondered to himself.

His feelings toward Isley grew even more darker when the elf hurried her away, looking back at Glaren sternly. What was Isley up to? Why did he always break up conversation between Glaren and Thea? Glaren wasn't trying to kidnap her or anything of that sort. Surely Isley knew that. Then, was Isley going crazy? Was he jealous for some reason? Or was it something else.......  

[Akira.S]

“So how’s Glaren’s training going?” Isley asked one day at dinner as they all sat together on one of the long benches put out in the grand hallway. Of course that question was meant for Bren and not for Glaren himself, even though the human was sitting across the table from Thea. The snow-white haired male would have preferred it if Glaren sat across from him instead of beside his sister, but he didn’t mind being able to sit across from Bren. It was usually the three of them, or Isley would be sitting with the other hunters and warriors, Thea with some of the other young ladies of the village, and Bren with her friends. But the point was, the three usually made it a point to sit with each other, and now there were four of them.

It didn’t really matter overall how his training was going, as long as the human could defend himself a decent amount or could at least ride and hide himself to safety. “I only asked because I doubt we’ll be here very long.” Turning towards the high table where his parents, Bren’s father and the Elder sat, he noticed them conversing and whispering, but about what.

“So I hear you’re a much better rider now than you were when you first came here. Bren must be a free good teacher.” Thea complimented as she sipped from her goblet and cut into her meat serving gently as she looked at him, then Bren then back to Glaren. Was he embarrassed that the best training he’d gotten was from a girl?

The conversation continued on lightly, a bit of bantering between siblings disagreeing with things, but they were siblings, it was expected. Thea stood up for what Bren was saying, which sometimes Isley disagreed on, then she argued that he was being too critical with Glaren, despite the fact he was trying and he was only human. He didn’t have his entire life to train like they did. Then the conversation turned to some lighter, light-hearted topics, like Thea’s fighting style. It seemed Glaren was interested after watching her performance.

“I don’t fight to kill like my brother. I fight to protect myself and others. If I can help it, I’d prefer to maim or knock out someone, but I don’t know if I could ever kill another living being, even if it was trying to kill me.” Hence why she used a long wooden staff. She had other weapons for self defense like knives, but she would never kill with it. “My sister...doesn’t believe there are times you have to kill because you have no other choice.” Isley looked over at Bren, after sipping his goblet, “What do you think? And you human? What is your opinion on killing another in self defense or in cold blood?”

After dinner, Gewlain, Isley and Thea’s father had an announcement to make. Or rather, the Elder child did, but he was the messenger. “Friends. Brothers. Sisters. The Elder has made another Prophecy. The time of darkness shall soon be at an end.” His voice boomed throughout the hall, just before his eyes settled upon the four sitting at their table.

“You four...tomorrow you leave the village to start your journey to the top of Mout. Tathvaul wherein lies the answer to defeating the Great Darkness. Your journey will be hard, and you will face many challenges upon the land that once was...but together, I know you will restore our world to its proper glory.” Just like any good old send-away-prophetic speech, it was straight and to the point. But the look on Gewlain’s face looked like he was hiding something. “You must rest tonight, and pack your things. You leave at first light in the fog just as the sun rises.” And that would be that.  

[Gracielle Grace]

Glaren disliked eating dinner in the Great hall. Elves would stare at him wide eyed when he entered the room like he was a creature from another planet, even though it had been awhile since he had first arrived in the village. He always felt a sense of wariness in the room, which made him feel very uncomfortable. During the meal, he tried to act normal and show good table manners, but it wasn't very easy to keep clean when one had to eat with his hands most of the time. The hall would sometimes be so noisy that people had to shout to be heard, and that made him feel a bit awkward. Eating dinner in the Great hall was very hard for the human.

One night while Glaren was eating supper with Thea, Isley, and Bren, he realized how little he knew how to do. Biting into some meat, Isley brought up the topic of Glaren's training. He commented on how Glaren's riding skills had improved, but did so in a way that he gave the glory to Bren's teaching skills, not Glaren's learning abilities. Glaren still hadn't learned how to use a sword correctly, nor did he think he could even pick one up. Although he could use bow and arrows fairly well, he couldn't aim properly yet from the ground, let alone on a horse! He thought to himself, "Isley is right. I'll never learn how to do anything! Maybe I should just give up."

Through most of the meal, he didn't pay much attention to what the other three were saying. He was very discouraged about his inability to fight properly and felt as if he was a burden to them all. The male elf had a right to look down on everything the strange human did. Glaren wondered how in the world he could ever become so strong and agile as the others were or how he would ever be accepted into the village. He saw the leader's gaze fall on him as if Glaren was a disobedient child, so he quickly turned back to his food and tried to pretend that he was engrossed in the others' conversation.

Then, after he had cleared his throat, Gewlain announced that the four would be leaving the village the next day. They were to leave in the morning and head for the Mountain Tathvaul, a mountain which was very far from the little village of Harpenshire. Their journey would be long, hard, and very dangerous, although he didn't mention the reason for the danger or what it might be. Going to this mountain would somehow show them the way to end the Great Darkness plaguing the land. He told the four to go home to get a good night sleep and bid them all goodnight, turning to leave the Hall.

The news came as a shock to Glaren. He wasn't ready to leave! He hadn't expected to have to go on a journey so soon, and to such a far away place. His fighting skills weren't good enough to fight an enemy that might come to attack them, and he had no idea what kind of ferocious monsters might live on the mountain. Isley, Thea, and Bren would probably manage, for they were skilled fighters, but he probably would end up slowing them down or get himself killed along the way. "The Elder must have made a mistake," thought Glaren. "I'm not the right person. Surely nobody thinks that I'm a hero who can solve all their problems, right?"

Bren's attitude was quite the opposite of her "pupil's." She was very excited that she was actually finally going on an adventure! This would be her first time to leave her home for more than just an afternoon ride through the forest of Harpenshire. Finally, her lifelong dream of traveling and having an adventure would come true; and it would be tomorrow! No matter the reason for going, just so that she could go without disobeying somebody's orders (although she probably would have gone anyway, even if they hadn't allowed her to go). She doubted that she would be able to sleep a wink that night!

The four soon-to-be-adventurers went their separate ways, going to their homes and into their beds. All of them needed to get a good sleep for the coming journey. As Glaren lay in his bed, he worried about the next morning and what would happen, but he surprisingly soon fell asleep. Bren, contrary to her supposition, didn't take too long to fall asleep either. She was only able to fondly pull her blanket over her, realizing that this would be the last time she would be sleeping in her own bed for awhile, before her eyelids drooped and pulled her into dreamland. Bren's adopted father stood beside her bed for awhile, watching over the girl he had loved like his own, but he eventually went to bed as well. Soon, the village was silent, save for somebody's loud snoring.  

[Akira.S]

Thea was disheartened when she heard Glaren proclaim that he wanted to give up. He'd been here several weeks. He couldn't expect to learn all of this in a short time. Isley just had unreasonable expectations because of his Elven blood. "If you give up now you might never be able to go home, never find out who you really are? Are you really willing to give up that chance?" she asked with serious eyes. Was he really prepared to live this life forever and forget who he was before? And living in this place wasn't really much of a life. It wouldn't be long before Harpenshire was taken over by the Great Darkness too.

The snow-white haired woman participated in the conversation when she could, really just focusing on eating and staying neutral. Contrary to what you might have thought Thea had a healthy appetite, though her figure did not suggest so. She didn't eat like a bird but she ate with enthusaiasm and manners. It wasn't a wonder she was a role-model amongst the young elves in the village.

Then, her father cleared his throat at the head of the Great hall and announced they would all be leaving the following morning to begin their quest, starting with heading for Mount Tathvaul, a mount which was at least a nine day horse ride, and that was without stopping. Mount Tathvaul was also where the Temple of Eyes was. The place all Elders and Seers went to train their ability to see into the future. That was probably where they needed to go, even if it was far out into the Dark Lands.

Looking at her brother the two snowy-haired siblings seemed unaltered by the news. Isley still had his emotionless gaze, and Thea still had that look of emptiness in her. Glaren on the other hand was dreading going, especially so soon. She could see the look written all over his face. Bren however was excited as a bird in spring, ready to leave the village at a moment's notice. Still often being considered a child, she was more than excited to finally be leaving the village and seeing the outside world, which...right now wasn't as miraculous as it once had been. It would be a serious wake-up call for when she did realize it.

"Get some sleep Glaren. You'll need for the trip. And Bren, try to contain your excitement." Thea said to the two before she parted ways with her brother. To ease his sleep, Thea approached him and gave him a very light and respectful kiss on the cheek before turning and leaving with her brother.

Isley was anxious to leave the moment they got home, already beginning to pack. Thea was doing the same as well, nothing but several fire lizards lighting the room for them. Weapons, clothes, supplies, food and water containers, a blanket, cloak, and a pouch of coins just in case there were towns that had survived... As their backs were to each other, Isley sharpening his sword and Thea stringing her bow, making more arrows for herself she spoke.

"Everything is going to change now isn't it?"
"Nothing ever stays the same you know it. Change is nature." Isley responded cooly and calmly.
"You're not scared are you?"
"Scared for you and Bren. Worried that Glaren is going to get himself killed the minute we step out away from the town's border." They weren't sure why but something was protecting the village from the Great Darkness and the elves had figured out the limits of that border in their forests and set up markers, teaching their young to stay inside at all times.
"Have faith in him brother. How can he expect to have it in himself if others don't believe in him too. He'll come around. There's a reason he's one of the Champions." At least that's what Thea believed.

~~~

The four were woken before dawn in order to change and prepare. Thea changed into her darker hunting garb of dark brown leather like pants top, with black arm guards and black leather boots. Isley's attire had not changed other than that he wore his cloak with a gold symbol of the elf tribe in the middle so people would recognize who they were. Thea's cloak was also made of white fur and giant white eagle feathers, matching her hair and skin, her eyes still their dark piercing purple that they were.

They gathered in the centre of town with their families and horses, the fog beginning to lift as the sun peaked over the horizon. "It's time." the Elder child said as she regarded each of the Champions with a nod.

"You four are our world's only hope...be safe, take care of each other, have faith...but most importantly, open your eyes and your heart to all the possibilities that lie ahead."  

[Gracielle Grace]

The night was peaceful. Nobody stirred in their sleep, sat up in their beds for various reasons, or made a sound. Dogs, cats, horses, cows, and many other animals were sleeping soundly as well; not even the usual sound of the crickets chirping could be heard. None of the leaves on the trees or the grass in the fields moved at all. The village was so still and quiet that it seemed to be frozen.

Suddenly, Bren gasped! She saw a knife coming toward her out of the darkness of her room. The light was too poor for her to tell who the person was that was carrying such a deadly item. The blade was as sharp as a shark's tooth, and, though it was just a dagger, it could cut through fairly hard materials easily. Cutting a young girl's throat would be a cinch for the weapon, and it would probably be done quickly and quietly so as not to draw anyone's attention. Bren opened her mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out. She began to panic! Her hand clenched into a fist and she aimed a punch at her foe.

"OW!" Bren opened her eyes. She was in her bed, her hands still in a fist. Her father was in her room, too, but he was rubbing a bump on his forehead. After a moment of him rubbing his bump and her just sitting on her bed, the two looked at each other. "I have to admit, Briennathaire, that you are quite a fine warrior. Your punch is better than I remembered it to be, and your aiming was perfect,” her father commented with a little laugh. “You must remember, however, that it would be wise to use your fighting skills on enemies, not on your allies.”

“Yes, father. I know,” answered Bren a little guiltily. “I'm sorry for my behavior this morning. Hitting you wasn't my intention. I had a nightmare last night; that was all. My fists were aimed for some stranger, not for you. The dream must have been so lifelike and scary that I must have sensed you in the room and thought that you were an enemy. I tried to scream in my sleep; did I actually make a sound?”

Her father replied, “Yes, I heard you scream, so I came here as fast as I could.” He looked at his daughter more seriously then and asked concernedly, “Are you alright? Your face is very pale. Do you feel ill? If you're unwell, perhaps I should ask the elder to allow you to stay here instead of going on the journey.” He didn't want Bren to leave in the first place, and he didn't want her to be sick all the way.

“No!” cried Bren quickly. She badly wanted to go on this journey, and she didn't want to lose her only opportunity; her father might not ever allow her to see the world if she wasn't able to go this day. Though she felt a little shaky, she was sure that it was only because of her dream. Her dream was nothing to worry about, and she didn't want to tell her father about it in case he thought it was a bad omen. If he prevented her from going, what would the others do, and how could she let the other three have all the fun and excitement? She couldn't let her father leave her behind. In as cheerful a voice as she could manage, she said, “I'm quite fine, father. Don't worry about me. I just need to pack my things and I'll be ready to go.”

With a doubtful look at her, her father consented and left the room, leaving Bren to finish her packing. She laid out an extra set of clothing on her bed, along with a dark green cloak and an extra pair of boots for colder weather. Quickly, she found her pack and added these items into it. All of her money went into a little pouch to separate it from the rest of her supplies. Slyly, she added to the pack a jar containing a spider. Lastly, she strapped on her sword that she had named Shevi. With that, she went out through the door, ready for an adventure.

Glaren, sadly to say, wasn't as thrilled as Bren was to begin the journey. He began checking his pack for the fifth time that morning: Winter clothes, some assortment of things to trade (Thea had suggested it), food for the trip (he was the one to be in charge of carrying the food), money, and a bow and quiver of arrows (his weapons). Even though everything that he needed seemed to be there, he felt worried that he might have forgotten something. Thinking about the journey ahead of him, he knew that if he forgot to bring even one small little thing, it could be disastrous. He could just see how Isley would glare at him, and he knew that the Elf would furiously scold him for forgetting something. Glaren sighed, feeling miserable, and decided to check his pack another time.

“Why does it have to be me?” he wondered to himself. “Why couldn't the elder have chosen someone else for this job? I'm not a hero! I can't do anything, I'm terrible at fighting, and I'm not ready for this. The elder acts as if I have no other choice than to go on the journey and go along with this saving-the- world stuff. Come on! Who do I look like, a hero? I'm a nobody! Surely today the elder will see that I'm not the right person and choose somebody else to go instead.”

Deep down inside, however, he knew there wasn't much of a choice. The elder had picked him out to be part of this adventure, and she wasn't the one to change her mind. Somehow, she seemed to have great wisdom, and her decisions were always the best. Everyone believed her words, and she had never led them astray before. Glaren, though he didn't quite realize it, trusted this strange character as well. He had no home really, and Isley, Thea, and Bren were as close to friends as he had. Really, his only choice was to travel with them on this dangerous journey.

Suddenly, the Elder child appeared through the fog and announced, “It is time.”  

[Akira.S]

Thea was all ready and packed, standing by her stallion aside her brother who was by his. The elder wished them well on their long journey as the four of them said goodbye to their families. Who knew when or...if they'd return home.

"Goodbye my darlings, and good luck. Come home safely." Isley's mother hugged her older son and adopted daughter, kissing their cheeks as she embraced them.
"Take care of each other and watch out for your sister Isley." His father said harshly while patting his son on the shoulder and embracing his daughter in a fierce hug. You could tell by the sounds of their voices they were sad to see their children go, but it had to be done, only the four of them stood any chance at defeating the Great Darkness.

Thea hugged her parents tightly before she hopped onto her horse, Isley mounting his with one smooth leap. "Goodbye mother, father, and thank you for everything." The adults looked at her strangely as Isley did the same. Why did it sound like she was saying goodbye?

The siblings waited for Bren and Glaren to mount their horses before setting off out of the village, not looking back since it would probably be too painful. Isley led first down the forest trail, then Thea, then Glaren, then Bren. They trotted in silence, nothing but their horse hooves sounding off through the greenery as they headed forward. They road through the morning fog and through the foggy forest until its edge where Isley pulled the reigns and reared his horse.

"The plains... The minute we step out of the forest we won't be protected by whatever barrier has been keeping us safe from the Great Darkness." Sure there Great Darkness hadn't invaded their forest and their home, but it had brought a manner of dark creatures into to poison and kill off all life that lived there.

The world looked peaceful by day, but at night when the skies grew dark it was never safe to be out in the open. They had a long journey out to Mount Tathvaul where the Elder's were raised. The horses seemed still as they looked out into the world, too afraid to put one hoof in front of the other. It was Thea who clicked her tongue and got her white horse moving forward onto the grass and headed forward, "Our future isn't behind us, it's in front of us. If we ever want to go back, we have to leave. Everyone's counting on us." the snow white haired girl spoke softly and motioned her horse forward, waiting for the others to follow.

Mount Tathvaul was at least a fifteen day trip on horseback. There were many forests to pass through, villages that might or might not be deserted, and many dangerous creatures they may encounter. For now they were relatively safe. Sometimes it rained, sometimes it was cloudy, and sometimes the sun shined. But the world seemed quiet, down, and almost constantly grey. Some kind of adventure. Thea was sure Bren was disappointed about what the world outside their village looked like. For some reason though, the snow white hair girl wasn't...surprised.

"We should camp here for the night." Isley stopped and hopped off his horse looking around the new forest they were in. It wasn't as green or as big as theirs, far more open actually, but it would do. They just needed a place to rest before they ventured off again. The sun was still relatively high but it would take a while for them to make a decent shelter. After travelling for almost a week and not seeing another living being, he started to wonder whether anyone was alive at all. "There should be another village a few more days from here. Let's hope there are people there. If not the next village is just at the base of Mount Tathvaul. It should be protected but who's to say."  

[Gracielle Grace]

Bren was disappointed as she and her companions started on their journey. It wasn't like what she had imagined an adventure would be like. She had expected that it would be full of exciting battles with monsters and villains, but they had not encountered anyone yet. No one was chasing after them like in some of the stories she had heard about heroes; not a single living thing was in sight. Each day seemed like the previous one, and she began to get quite bored with the monotonous repetition of it all. As days turned into a week and still nothing eventful happened, Bren thought that this was the most boring adventure there had ever been in the history of the world.

Sorrow filled Glaren's heart as he looked around him while they traveled. Everything had a dead feeling. The sky, instead of having a beautiful shade of blue, was almost always grey and sickly looking. It was cloudy most of the time, and it rained quite a bit. When the horses would eat the pale, dry-looking grass growing around everywhere, Glaren would feel sorry that he couldn't feed them anything else healthier. He hadn't seen any people, and he wondered if there were any living creature for miles around. Before, he had only heard a little about the Great Darkness; now, he saw what it could do. He began to doubt if there was any hope in this quest or if the world would just fade away.  

[Akira.S]

Isley and Bren had gone fishing, or at least to see if there was anything in the forest worth salvaging. If there wasn’t anyone in the next town they’d have to ration their food even less. Thea and Glaren stayed behind to make a fire to keep them warm for the night, and to check the maps to make sure they were on the right road.

They all ate as little as possible to conserve what food they had and decided to sleep.
“I’ll take first watch.” Thea offered as she picked up her wooden bow staff and looked at the others, “Get some sleep.” Then she walked off and disappeared up a tree. She needed a good vantage point to see if anything was coming their way, or if the Great Darkness would come towards them.

The skies were much darker than normal, like all the stars were eaten up, and there was nothing left but the moon. It was much colder at night than in their forest, but thank goodness for their travelling cloaks.

Hunger and weariness were settling in. But this was only the first leg of their journey, and things were going to get so much harder for the travelling heroes.

It was third shift, and it was now Isley’s turn to watch. Thea, Bren and Glaren all asleep on their thin mats and using their cloaks as blankets. The fire was flickering in the pit so it was rather cold out, but in a few hours the sun would be up. Isley sat up like an eagle in the tree, listening for the slightest sound...

Then he heard a twig snap in the distance and cocked his head.
Something was out there and it was closing in on them.
He jumped down from the tree and put his ear to the ground and listened. Several heavy and large footsteps could be heard running towards them... closing in on their position.

Getting up he ran back to the camp site and immediately kicked dirt over the fire and cut the logs with his sword.

Thea was startled awake, as he hastily pulled her to her feet and moved to grab Bren awake then Glaren. “We need to move now. Something big is moving towards us, and I don’t want to be here when it finds us. Pack up quickly.” There wasn’t much to pack, just their sleeping bags, and to get the horses, making sure they cleared any sign of them sleeping in the forest patch. But the thing Isley heard was getting closer and closer...it was howling, roaring out as if signaling the others. Whatever it was, it was big, heavy, and decently fast. But really, Isley didn’t want to stick around for whatever it was to catch up with them.

“MOVE!” he hopped on his horse quickly and kicked it off, hoping his sister, Bren and Glaren would follow.

There were lots of things moving in the forest towards them, even on horses it seemed like they were catching up. They growled and roared, chasing after the four as they weaved through the trees as best they could. Some of them shot arrows that missed – luckily, but that didn’t mean they were going to give up.

Whatever was chasing them was catching up and was roaring, swinging their sword or club, or ax around as they ran after the horses. “ABBADON!” Thea looked back and caught sight of the beast as she wiped her reigns to try to make the horse go faster.

Abbadons were human in shape, but savage looking. All black skinned, with not very much intelligence, tribal jewels, beads, and feathers dawned on their body, white eyes, and were at least SEVEN FEET TALL with MASSIVE BODIES that could crush you with a single swing. They also had nothing but pieces of cloth to cover their large man parts, and didn’t wear any other pieces of clothing except their tribal jewellery. They weren’t very intelligent, but moved like wolves in a pack... Always together, always doing one thing... Hunting for food.

Even Isley wasn’t foolish enough to try to attack a small pack of Abbadon in the dark, in a forest that wasn’t familiar to them, with his younger sister, Bren and the human boy who could barely fight. If he had his other warriors perhaps they would stand a chance, but not in odds like these. “We need to leave the forest! It’s our only chance!” he yelled over the roaring as they continued to run after them, chase them, and shoot their tribal arrows in the hopes of hitting them or the horses.

((I hope I left you something to work with))  

[Gracielle Grace]

Bren's eyes shot open as soon as Isely's hand came in contact with her. He yanked her to her feet without any explanation except a brief, warning look at her to hurry and follow him. She heard strange, loud, thumping sounds coming towards her. Glancing behind her as she ran to her horse, she was startled to see their pursuers. Only once before had she encountered one of these creatures, but she knew enough about them to know that the four companions were in danger. Even though she had been asleep only a moment ago, Bren was quickly wide awake, up, and running away from their enemies.

When Glaren awoke, he was very confused. He had been dreaming about Thea, but he had been rudely awakened by Isley who had grabbed him, pulled him to his feet , and yelled at him to come along with him as quickly as he could. Glaren was dazed and looked around him, very puzzled to see everyone running away in terror. He wondered what it was they were so afraid of, but he soon heard warlike cries of the creatures chasing them and hurried to catch up with Isley and the others. The sounds of pounding feet greatly resembled Glaren's beating heart as he realized that the enemy was getting closer. “What are they?!”he cried out as he caught up with the others getting on their horses.

It was awhile before he got an answer from anyone, since all were so focused on escaping. Isley was urging his horse to ride as fast as it could, leading the others. With wide eyes, Bren kept looking behind her to see how near their chasers were. As Thea rode, she kept her eyes ahead of her, focused on getting away from danger. Finally, Bren replied in answer to his question, “Abbadon! They must have smelled us from miles away. If we cannot run away from them, they will make a meal out of us. Try to ride as fast as you can!”

As he rode, Glaren couldn't help turning his head around to stare at the ones chasing him and his companions. He had never seen such fierce-looking creatures, and the way they resembled humans gave him goosebumps. The Abbadon's deathly chilling cries filled the air, and each time it sounded like they were surrounding their prey. Incredibly fast, the Abbadon had a great advantage over the four, and it didn't seem likely that they would be able to outrun the Abbadon. “Don't look behind yourself,”

Glaren told himself. “Just keep going and looking ahead.”
Galloping as fast as they could, the four attempted to make their way out of the forest. Isley led the group ,weaving this way and that through the trees, hoping that he might throw the Abbadon off their trail. All Glaren could see around him were the threatening-looking trees of the forest pressing in on him, so he just had to trust in Isley's navigation skills. Sometimes, it seemed like they were nearing an opening in the forest, but it kept turning out to be a dead end. After what seemed like hours of racing through the forest to Glaren, he finally called out, “Are we almost out of this freaky forest, yet?”  

[Akira.S]

Thea wasn't sure how far they could go or how long they could outrun the Abbadon. Such savage beasts, almost as fast as horses they were. And who knows how many of them were out there chasing them. Sounded like a small hoard.

Their horses wouldn't last too long at full speed, especially since they hadn't eaten or slept well in days. They couldn't keep this pace up. But they had to if they wanted to live. Isley led the group through the trees, jumped ravines and over fallen trunks, his swift white cloak the only thing leading the four through the dark forest. Thea had no idea of knowing if her brother had the slightest idea where they were going, but she hoped this was the right direction.

There were trees, and more trees, and the never-ending dark that was the forest. At some point, Glaren yelled up front, wondering if they were anywhere close to the edge of the forest yet. They really had no idea how big the forest was, but it had to end SOON!

"Keep riding!" yelled Isley as he continued to weave them through the trees.
He could tell his horse and the others were starting to slow down, probably getting tired. No. No! They needed to outrun these foul beasts. They couldn't fight them. Not the four of them..or rather three of them since Glaren was almost useless in combat.

Thea could see the strain on her brother's face and feel her white horse slowing down as well. Looking back she saw the Abbadon maintaining a close distance on them, grunting and roaring as they continued to chase them down. They would need a miracle to get out of the forest alive...

Gripping her reigns tight she looked back and stared at the Abbadon, not really paying attention to the direction her horse was racing. The others might not have been able to see, but the strange flower like mark on her forehead glowed a slight tinge of blue and purple as the wind around them picked up.

As they rode on, they could hear another pack of creatures running nearby, but too far away to be seen in the dark. The Abbadon suddenly caught scent of the prey close by and decided to chase them instead, the other creatures leading them away from the four as they continued to put some distance between themselves and the Abbadon.
When Isley looked back and saw that they were no longer being chased he slowed his horses down slowly...and then stopped them completely, waiting for the others to do the same.

"What happened? Where'd they go?" he asked as the others came to a stop.

When Thea's horse came to a halt, the girl looked positively unwell. Her hands were shaking, her violet eyes unfocused. She swayed slightly...until she abruptly fell from her horse and was out cold.

After all that running, their horses couldn't go on anytime soon, but Isley wasn't comfortable staying here to wait to die... "We'll have to make camp here, give the horses a proper rest before we go on in the morning." it wasn't the safest idea, but with his sister passed out and the horses exhausted what choice did they have?