Might and Magic
By Sammie Spitz
Chapter 5: ...And Through the Woods
"Oh my God." Vela whispered. The area they'd washed up next to reminded them of Tawfret, except not as water logged. The ground was barren, due to lack of sunlight. The trees, which were about as tall as skyscrapers, were equally dark and barren. The area was extremly cloudy and foggy. What caught their attention the most was how sinister the area looked.
Everyone awakened and gazed at the frightening sight. As Rainer watched on, he looked the scenery over and mused, "Hmmm...grey demons...clouds on the ground...I think this is where Rickeena wanted us to go."
"Are you really sure she was talking about this?" Juno asked, unsure about going into the forest. He was answered by an arrow suddenly hitting a tree. Babylon pulled out the arrow and untied the note tied to it.
"Greetings. Welcome to the Forest of Mirage." It read, "This is a place that many a traveler dreads nearing. It is because here, nothing is as it appears. Anyone could easily be tricked, hurt, or killed by a loved one. In order to discover one's true intentions, you must gaze into their soul through their glare."
"Yep, she wants us here." Babylon answered. They started setting off into the forest. Juno slid Vela onto his back before going. The forest proved to be even more terrifying than Juno imagined. It was dark and sinister. It actually seemed to get worse as they delved farther into it. He started hearing the branches above creak, as though they had some kind of weight. He turned in the noise's direction in fright. However, there wasn't anything there make that noise.
"Juno, relax." Vela told him.
"But you heard what Rickeena said!"
"Juno, there isn't anyone else here. You're letting your imagination go crazy."
"I don't know. I keep getting the idea we're being watched."
"We're not being watched. Trust me."
Little did she know that they really were being watched. A shadowy animal, pearched on a tree, watched them intently. It looked like the shadow of a cheetah with red eyes. It crouched on the limb and narrowed it's eyes at them. It's long tail swung back and forth. It just sat silently, eyeing them. Then, it swiftly jumped from the limb.
"What was that?!" Juno started.
"Just a tree branch." Vela told him.
Now, Juno was at his wits end. This was all getting too creepy for him. Suddenly, he heard a footfall. He turned around quickly to face whatever it was, nearly throwing Vela.
"Juno, what the hell?!"
"Sorry." He was surprised to find a baby unicorn standing near some bushes. The creature cocked it's head innocently at him, wagging it's lion-like tail. The others came over to investigate.
"See? You were freaking out over this." Vela commented, sliding of his back. She slowly crawled over to it.
"Hi, baby." She said sweetly, "What's a sweet little thing like you doing so far away from your mother?"
"Be careful, sis." Juno warned her.
She stroked it and said, "It's just a baby. What harm can it possibley do?"
Lupus approached carefully. As he got close, he started getting a whiff of something. Something bad. He came close to the baby unicorn. It faced him. He suddenly remembered Rickeena's warning. What unicorn would have blood red eyes?! He started barking at it. It cocked it's head at him. He growled and barked some more.
"Lupus, don't do that. You'll scare it away." Vela told him. Lupus ignored this. He had to get this thing away from Vela. He kept barking at it. It finally turned and faced him. It pawed the ground and snorted a little. However, Lupus was unphased. Then, it let out a sudden, angry hiss. This effectivly shocked everyone.
"Sure never heard it make that kind of noise." Juno gasped.
"Me neither." Babylon agreed, "And they live right next to the house!" The unicorn suddenly started glowing. Everyone backed away, Lupus allowing Vela to grab onto him as he dragged her away. As it glowed, it turned black. Then, it shifted into it's cheetah form.
"Oh...shit." Vela muttered. The cat growled at her. It stalked closer to her, red eyes glaring at her. Lupus stood between it and Vela, fangs bared. They stood off like that for what seemed like hours. Lupus fanned his wings out in an attempt to look bigger. The cat lunged at him. He was soon surprised, however, when he lunged over him and pounced on Vela. Lupus quickly turned around and bit the creature in the back of the neck. It threw him off, but he managed to land on his feet.
Suddenly, Lupus noticed something sticking in a rock next to him. He grabbed it and pulled it out, realising it was a spear. He rushed back at the animal, spear in mouth. He rushed by and threw his head to the side . He managed to jam it in the creature's chest. It was weakened, but it didn't fall. It pulled out the spear and spat it out off to the side. It then started shifting shape again. Lupus braced himself.
It changed itself into a large snake and suddenly lunged at Lupus. It wrapped around him. He, in turn, grabbed a hold of it's tail. Little did the creature know where the spear landed. It happened to land right next to Vela. She grabbed the spear.
"Hey, dipshit!" She shouted. The creature looked up, "Think fast!" She threw the spear. With both luck and skill, it nailed the creature in the head. It then simply disappeared. Around Lupus's neck, it left a medallion similar to the one Alpha left behind. This time, it had a purple ribbon and a star engraved on it.
Juno took the medallion and said, "This has to mean something. They keep appearing every time we beat someone."
"Maybe we'll find out when we reach Crozen." Rainer suggested. Suddenly, he started catching a whiff of something. He sniffed a little more.
"What is it?" Babylon asked.
"Salt water." He said, "That can only mean one thing. Hey, here's a path!" Rainer rushed down a path with green grass on either side. As they followed him, the trees started getting leaves. A sure sign they were reaching the end of the Forest of Mirage.
To Be Continued...
By Sammie Spitz
Chapter 5: ...And Through the Woods
"Oh my God." Vela whispered. The area they'd washed up next to reminded them of Tawfret, except not as water logged. The ground was barren, due to lack of sunlight. The trees, which were about as tall as skyscrapers, were equally dark and barren. The area was extremly cloudy and foggy. What caught their attention the most was how sinister the area looked.
Everyone awakened and gazed at the frightening sight. As Rainer watched on, he looked the scenery over and mused, "Hmmm...grey demons...clouds on the ground...I think this is where Rickeena wanted us to go."
"Are you really sure she was talking about this?" Juno asked, unsure about going into the forest. He was answered by an arrow suddenly hitting a tree. Babylon pulled out the arrow and untied the note tied to it.
"Greetings. Welcome to the Forest of Mirage." It read, "This is a place that many a traveler dreads nearing. It is because here, nothing is as it appears. Anyone could easily be tricked, hurt, or killed by a loved one. In order to discover one's true intentions, you must gaze into their soul through their glare."
"Yep, she wants us here." Babylon answered. They started setting off into the forest. Juno slid Vela onto his back before going. The forest proved to be even more terrifying than Juno imagined. It was dark and sinister. It actually seemed to get worse as they delved farther into it. He started hearing the branches above creak, as though they had some kind of weight. He turned in the noise's direction in fright. However, there wasn't anything there make that noise.
"Juno, relax." Vela told him.
"But you heard what Rickeena said!"
"Juno, there isn't anyone else here. You're letting your imagination go crazy."
"I don't know. I keep getting the idea we're being watched."
"We're not being watched. Trust me."
Little did she know that they really were being watched. A shadowy animal, pearched on a tree, watched them intently. It looked like the shadow of a cheetah with red eyes. It crouched on the limb and narrowed it's eyes at them. It's long tail swung back and forth. It just sat silently, eyeing them. Then, it swiftly jumped from the limb.
"What was that?!" Juno started.
"Just a tree branch." Vela told him.
Now, Juno was at his wits end. This was all getting too creepy for him. Suddenly, he heard a footfall. He turned around quickly to face whatever it was, nearly throwing Vela.
"Juno, what the hell?!"
"Sorry." He was surprised to find a baby unicorn standing near some bushes. The creature cocked it's head innocently at him, wagging it's lion-like tail. The others came over to investigate.
"See? You were freaking out over this." Vela commented, sliding of his back. She slowly crawled over to it.
"Hi, baby." She said sweetly, "What's a sweet little thing like you doing so far away from your mother?"
"Be careful, sis." Juno warned her.
She stroked it and said, "It's just a baby. What harm can it possibley do?"
Lupus approached carefully. As he got close, he started getting a whiff of something. Something bad. He came close to the baby unicorn. It faced him. He suddenly remembered Rickeena's warning. What unicorn would have blood red eyes?! He started barking at it. It cocked it's head at him. He growled and barked some more.
"Lupus, don't do that. You'll scare it away." Vela told him. Lupus ignored this. He had to get this thing away from Vela. He kept barking at it. It finally turned and faced him. It pawed the ground and snorted a little. However, Lupus was unphased. Then, it let out a sudden, angry hiss. This effectivly shocked everyone.
"Sure never heard it make that kind of noise." Juno gasped.
"Me neither." Babylon agreed, "And they live right next to the house!" The unicorn suddenly started glowing. Everyone backed away, Lupus allowing Vela to grab onto him as he dragged her away. As it glowed, it turned black. Then, it shifted into it's cheetah form.
"Oh...shit." Vela muttered. The cat growled at her. It stalked closer to her, red eyes glaring at her. Lupus stood between it and Vela, fangs bared. They stood off like that for what seemed like hours. Lupus fanned his wings out in an attempt to look bigger. The cat lunged at him. He was soon surprised, however, when he lunged over him and pounced on Vela. Lupus quickly turned around and bit the creature in the back of the neck. It threw him off, but he managed to land on his feet.
Suddenly, Lupus noticed something sticking in a rock next to him. He grabbed it and pulled it out, realising it was a spear. He rushed back at the animal, spear in mouth. He rushed by and threw his head to the side . He managed to jam it in the creature's chest. It was weakened, but it didn't fall. It pulled out the spear and spat it out off to the side. It then started shifting shape again. Lupus braced himself.
It changed itself into a large snake and suddenly lunged at Lupus. It wrapped around him. He, in turn, grabbed a hold of it's tail. Little did the creature know where the spear landed. It happened to land right next to Vela. She grabbed the spear.
"Hey, dipshit!" She shouted. The creature looked up, "Think fast!" She threw the spear. With both luck and skill, it nailed the creature in the head. It then simply disappeared. Around Lupus's neck, it left a medallion similar to the one Alpha left behind. This time, it had a purple ribbon and a star engraved on it.
Juno took the medallion and said, "This has to mean something. They keep appearing every time we beat someone."
"Maybe we'll find out when we reach Crozen." Rainer suggested. Suddenly, he started catching a whiff of something. He sniffed a little more.
"What is it?" Babylon asked.
"Salt water." He said, "That can only mean one thing. Hey, here's a path!" Rainer rushed down a path with green grass on either side. As they followed him, the trees started getting leaves. A sure sign they were reaching the end of the Forest of Mirage.
To Be Continued...
