Thorn Woods - Ch.1
The messenger. That is simply what he was known as. His actual name is Ara. Though unappreciated, he was happy with his job, delivering messages, it was easy. He got to see all the different villages and people. As a Septist this was easy. It was easy evading the animals and soldiers, though sometimes you could hardly tell the difference between the two. Today though was a bad day. He had a message for a wizard, Noite Herba. He lived deep in the Duri, the land of the Duri Tanduk, unlike most Septists they seemed a bit unwelcoming to outsiders, especially non Septist ones. Good for him, maybe. He had several miles to walk, maybe days to get there. This was the first time he had to go this deep into the Duri, he was just hoping to get out of here alive. These woods were odd, unlike most places everything here had thorns on it, even the trees. Despite this fact the Duri could easily traverse the area unscathed by the thick brush that covered the area. Every time he passed through this land he knew why they called it the "Thorn woods". This place was feared by everyone, not just because of the orbit of rumors that surrounded it just like everything else, but because of the disappearances of countless people and things. They said you could hear their whispers in your sleep, but ara wasn't sure how true that was. He was going to find out soon though, this would be his first time sleeping here in this place, but maybe not. He wasn't sure he would be able to get to sleep tonight anyways.
He awoke next to his fire soaked from water, the sizzling sound indicating it had been recent. Great, he thought, robbers. He pulled at his dagger, now no longer there in his reach. His heart skipped as he heard rustling from every direction, up, down, and sideways. He reached for a rock as the figure crashed down from above, their face dark and undetectable. Ara heard a roar from across is camp and saw a bear running at them, the figure launched a volley of arrows at the beast, but without a bow in hand they kept flying until the east was a pin cushion of arrows. The mysterious archer dropped Ara's dagger simply saying "thanks guy." And walked off into the darkness. Just as she disappeared, her arrows began glowing, removing themselves from the bears body and floating back in the archers direction, their light fading just as she did.
There was no chance of falling asleep, he had been attacked by a bear, and saved by the most dangerous thing of all, a wizard. Wizards were feared for their power, strength, and violence. If a single wizard could kill a bear with just some arrows, then what could they do to him? Dawn began to tear down the night sky, a symbol of a new day. Hopefully a better one than last night, thought ara. Today he had to go find a wizard and give a letter. Maybe I'll live, ara thought, or die before I get within a mile of that place. Too bad there was only one way to find out.
It took him another three days to see another septist, and that wasn't a pleasant meeting either. They had shot at him saying he scared their deer away and chased him for half a mile before, and ironically, got run over by a buck. I wonder what their villages are like, he wondered, hopefully civil. The farthest he ever had to go was giving a message to another courier, but this time they refused to deliver this message. He really must he dangerous, he thought, I'm going to die here. As he went along he noticed that the forest was growing a bit thicker with odd plants he'd never seen before. Also thornier, if that was a word. He noticed another septist, dressed in a moss cloak, with short sleeves, and a long sleeved shirt underneath, they wore white bandages across his arms, and had an odd staff on their back with a green orb clutched by the roots that formed the object. He didn't feel like asking him for directions, but it was his only hope. "Um, hello? Could you point me in the direction of Noite Herba's residence if you don't mind?" They turned, fury in his eye, and his hand stuck out in front of him. "Why do you wish to find someone like that?" He asked as if it were an order. "I'm, uh, a messenger? I have this letter for him. Please don't kill me." The man lowered his hand and looked him up and down, as if he could see the danger inside of someone. "You found him, now give me the letter and get off my land before I have to do it by force." Ara felt like the entire forest was staring him down, ready to lunge at him like a snake in the grass. He reached for his bag, barely opening the top when an arrow plunged itself through the top, and pierced it to the ground. Noite reached for his sceptar, just as she revealed herself. It was the archer. Dressed in the purple tunic and green hood, her face just barely visible in the daylight. She landed with her heels barely making a sound and walked over to them, as if firing an arrow at someone was a normal greeting. "Get out of here ya donk, this is wiz biz!" She said with an odd tone. "Did you have to nail my bag to the ground?! Was that really necessary?" Ara yelled. She looked at him, clearly unhappy with his attitude. "Could'a been you, how ya feel about that?" She asked. Scared now that I just screamed at a wizard, he realized. "Quiet! Your bickering is useless. Now get off my land before I make you." Noite broke in. They both just looked at him, as if he had just ended a war with words. The forest felt violent and uneasy, just like Noite's icy glare. "Wait just a second! Tell me waht the letter says and I'll be off just like that chill of your's." The woman said. They could almost feel the cold of his glare, colder than anywhere that any Septist has ever gone. "Fine." Noite finally said. "After that, I want both of you gone, and I mean immediately." They both stared, but it took the girl wizard next to him to say what they were both thinking. "Why are you letting this normal hear this wiz biz? Are ya mad?" Noite grabbed the letter from the bag, and before he had finished opening the letter he looked back at her and said, "because unlike you, I have respect for those who do not practice the art. Now if you don't mind," he opened it and appeared to be reading the contents of the letter. A faint smile appeared across his face for a brief second before he spoke again. Both of you, come inside and introduce yourselves. I have good news. The other wizard stopped and looked at ara again, both of them wondering why he was now somehow involved in all of this new nonsense.