Rain kept pouring down day after day. That wasn't a good sign, it never was. Raining day after day, week after week means that another archangel was killed or saddened. Dominic sat at the table, eating a mix of fruits and tea. The chews were soft and slow. Barnabas looked at Dominic with a worried glance. "Are you alright, son? You seem...down." Dominic nodded and his eyes wandered to the window and his eyes narrowed. Something was...glowing? A faint orange glow was coming from the line of trees. It was very faint, but you were able to see it. "Barnabas, when the rain clears up can I go out to the tree line to gather some herbs?" Dominic asked, an intrigued look on his face. Barnabas raised an eyebrow. "Um, sure if you're careful." The boy nodded and smiled, then looked out the window. "Hey...the rain cleared up that quick?"
"Strange. Oh well, you can head out now."
"Thank you, Barnabas." Dominic smiled and rushed out with a basket. Barnabas nodded and watched him run off into the distance.
Dominic gulped as he walked into the line of trees. He had never been to these trees when Barnabas was taking care of him. A gentle sigh escaped his mouth as he slowly walked further in. It didn't seem so bad at first, the forest actually seemed beautiful. Dominic followed that faint glow, it seemed to get brighter and brighter with each step he took. Dominic blinked as he laid his eyes on a peculiar gem. "Mmh?" It glew with a faint aura surrounding it. Dominic could feel as though it was...beckoning him to come closer. His hand reached out slowly. The gem started to pulsate and throb with some sort of evil power.
A hand grabbed his wrist tightly. Dominic hitched his breath before slowly turning his head to look at the person who had a tight grip on him. A male, blonde hair slicked back, piercing golden eyes and very tall. "What are you doing here, boy?" The man asked, his face never changing from the plain look. "I um...I was just...gathering some herbs."
"Well you better leave. It's not a good idea to stay here." The man let go of Dominic's hand and crossed his arms lightly. He seemed different than what Dominic would think. He looked to be about in his 20s, toned, neatly shaven except for a gotee. The boy gulped and rubbed his wrist. "Y-yes sir. I'll leave." Dominic turned and grabbed his basket, running towards the entrance of the clearing.
"So, you saw a weird man in the woods who told you to leave?"
"Yes, I'm serious about this, Barnabas." Dominic told Barnabas the whole story, but leaving out the gem part. "Hmm...he might have thought the woods were too dangerous, I would do the same thing if I were in that situation. It's a good thing you didn't fight though." Dominic nodded and put a hand under his chin, resting it. He could not stop thinking about the gem though, and he couldn't stop thinking about that man in the woods. Who was he? Why was he there? Why would he bother to stop Dominic? Many questions ran through Dominic's head. A sigh escaped his mouth and his teeth were grinding together slightly. Dominic was going to get that gem anyway he could, just to sustain his curiosity and he was planning to do it at night.
"Dominic, I'm heading to bed. Are you going to stay up or head to bed now?" Barnabas asked as he stretched. "I think I'll stay up a bit."
"Alright, good night, Dominic." The man walked through the door and closed it behind him. Dominic bit his lip and looked out the window. He saw the faint glow again and he took a deep breath. The boy quietly stood up and walked over, slipping his boots on slowly. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door, he looked back and closed the door behind him. Dominic started to run towards the woods, panting softly. He slowed down a bit as he entered into the line of trees. He looked around incase that man appeared again. Dominic held his breath as he got closer to the gem. Something seemed quite off with it though, unlike yesterday. Dominic's hand reached out to the gem. He hesitated and moved his hand back a bit. What would happen if he touched this thing? Was it cursed? Dominic wondered these things for a moment and his fingers slowly enclosed around the gem.
Nothing happened. Dominic raised an eyebrow and picked it up slowly. He shook it and put his ear up to it. It didn't seem like anything happened. Dominic put it back to where it was and he was about to loosen his grip when he felt a pressure, then a sharp pain on his palm. "Ah!" He jerked his hand away and looked at it. Crimson liquid seeped from the wound. It was small, but it stung with an eerie pain. Dominic heard a faint rattle and looked to see that the jewel was wobbling. He picked it up again to poke and prod at it. Weird. A symbol slowly appeared on the front of the gem. A cross and a dragon? Okay, something was definitely wrong. Dominic dropped the gem and he turned to run back.
Something suddenly gripped onto his ankle tightly and he fell onto the cold, wet ground. He turned his body to see that a stick-like hand was grabbing onto his leg and further up. Dominic struggled and twisted, deep grunts escaping his mouth. The hand suddenly grabbed his head and forced it down to the ground. More hands came out and kept Dominic down, firmly pinned. A burning pain suddenly warmed up in his chest and the gem seemed to...slowly sink into his chest? Dominic kept struggling and it was no use. The pain became more and more unbearable as the corners of his eyes started to water. It became harder to breath as the gem completely submerged into his chest. The glowing became an intense light, and it burned with an evil aura. Dominic widened his eyes as the color became this deep black, orange, and white. The light suddenly stopped and Dominic's eyes slowly closed. His pulse slowing, and slowing until the last pulse only happened when a figure stopped right next to his body.