Seated on a throne of velvet,
Magic flowing unrestrained,
Ibara paced slowly through the woods, her eyes nearly closing. One step after the other, her ears drooping to the sides.
I've got to get going. No rest is possible.
The full moon shone on the trail, slightly illuminating the road ahead.
This part of the woods was not frequented by the elf race. As chaotic as the elf race was, it did instill some law and its own version of order upon the forest. Order that was not respected here. It was more often called "The dark woods", due to its wild and lawless nature. Thieves and bandits frequented it, as well as monsters of all kinds. The occasional trade wagon passing through, had better be armed. Ibara waved at such a passing trading wagon ahead of her.
"Hey there, are you sure it's okay for you to go through here alone?" The teamster asked, his two guards nodding.
Ibara stifled a yawn as she raised her shield, letting the four-leaf clover mark be noticeable, staying wordless all along.
A slight smile spread on the teamster's face.
"Thank you, gallant knight. May god help your mission today."
A few kilometers further down the road, located in the middle of a round clearing, she found a trade wagon whose luck apparently didn't fare as well. None of its goods were touched though, an observation that did not escape her.
This is no ordinary act of pillaging and theft.
She slowly let out one of her vines, its flower opening up, allowing her to listen intently to the sounds of the environment. The grunts and heavy breathing of the creatures circling her now became apparent.
There must be over a dozen boar-like nightmarians.
Ibara quickly looked up at the nearby tree top, then looked around her. A pair of red eyes appeared, then another, then more, as their ambush target was now finally in their midst.
Two of them spearheaded the attack, charging forwards, only to meet nothing but a wake of air.
Forced to never ever slumber
A rose among the thorns remains.
One of the nightmarians looked above, only to see Ibara hanging down from a vine grappling her leg, upside down. as if by command, the vine flung her accurately. Her outline highlighted by the light of the full moon as she descended upon them, a spear-like vine in one of her hands and a now-spiked shield in the other. It barely managed a gasp before her spear impaled him and her spiked shield smacked his comrade in the face. Both bled glitter out of them for mere seconds before dissipating, whisked away by the air.
Don't seek me, don't try to trap me,
I prick and pierce, I wrap and sting,
Over a dozen of the nightmarians now charged at her, rapidly filling the clearing at high speed, tusks aimed forwards.
"Garden of Eden" Ibara mumbled. The ground started to shake underneath the nightmarians as dozens of thick vines sprung forth upwards. Some were cut and impaled by the vines, others managed to dodge, only for the vines to wrap around them and toss them away. Several more nightmarians lunged directly at her as they made their way across the vines, while their comrades tried to circle her.
"Hermit's sow" she called her other attack. A volley of sharp needles emerged, embedding into the boar-like nightmarians. Most howled in pain as more and more of the needles pierced every part of their bodies.
The group trying to circle her was now further in place. The vines receded back into the ground amongst the cloud of glitter left by vanquished nightmarians.
"Leaf of mirage" she called as she spun in place. A storm of red petals blew in all directions, thousands of leaves blinding the nightmarians, clouding their sense of smell as well. As they were soon to learn, it was more than just disorientation, as the sharp petals started to tear away at their flesh, slowly chipping it away to become nothing more than glitter.
Still, the remaining nightmarian managed to push through, soaring above Ibara and giving her a nasty swipe, knocking her to the ground. It pounced, only to be smacked hard by her shield. It yelped as her vine snared him and tossed him away, allowing her to recover. He rose again, noticing he was now alone. Ibara looked at him with an expressionless face as her vine shot forward, only to stop mere centimeters from it, puffing a shot of pollen in his face. It started a severe bout of dry, hacking coughing which it could not control. In a moment, it gasped and dropped into the floor, holding at its own throat.
Thorny vines, born of power,
Who knows the destiny they bring?
Ibara kept walking solemnly down the road, one step after the other, ears drooped sideways and eyes nearly closing.
Can't keep the others waiting.
Her mind drifted to her red and white friends.
Akazukin… Shirayuki… Hamelin too. How few of us remain, the order of the four leaf clover.
She looked at her shield again, reminding her of the three-leaf clover she left in the garden.
How things have changed since. The land is in danger. King ferdinand depends on us.
The first rays of dawn finally shone on the forest, concluding another sleepless night for Ibara.
-OJAFMOJAFMOJAFM-
Sekko watched as Ibara left the forest unscathed. The portal opened up as if by request and Sekko jumped through. Lord Jed looked at him but he ignored his presence, heading directly towards Hansel and Gretel.
"Sekko? Has my brother's ambush plans been successful?" Gretel asked, her eyes pleading.
Sekko shook his head in negation.
"I'm afraid not, Hansel." He disregarded her, turning directly to Hansel.
"Please leave the room, everyone. I shall discuss this one with Cendrillion myself."
Everyone aside from Jed and Gretel quickly scurried away in fear.
"Brother… are you sure?"
He glared at her and Gretel trembled.
"Gretel. Go. I would have sent you to the ambush, had you been able to prove yourself."
She lowered her head as she walked away slowly. "Yes, brother. I am sorry."
"My lycans would have made short work of her, Hansel. Until you realize that, you will continue failing lady Cendrillion."
Hansel did not even reply, as he approached the mirror and tapped it gently three times. Jed decided it was finally time for him to leave, too.