Chapter 3
The search party left the Luna Moth, traveling inland to look for anything out of the ordinary. It was a small group. Emily, Vigo, Trellis, Luger, and their furry guest, so being spotted wasn't a problem. Trellis took the lead, sword drawn and his brother by his side. Emily and Vigo were right behind them with the redhead watching the wolf explore the forest.
"Remind me. Why did we bring him exactly?" Vigo asked, referring to the wolf who was currently marking his dominance on a log.
"It wasn't my idea to begin with but my stone told me to bring him along." Emily answered, whistling for the lupine to come and gripping the chain collar when he was close enough.
"I thought you hated him." Trellis said from up ahead.
'Damn his ears!' She hissed in her head. She had forgotten how sharp his hearing was. She thought carefully before she replied: "You know I don't trust him Trellis, but he made me curious." To be honest, the voice had surprised her. She would've asked what he meant by that, but the amulet had grown still by then.
The company continued their hike in silence. They passed through towering trees decked in delicate gold. Occasionally a gust of wind would come and pluck a few leaves off their branches, tossing them into the open air and bringing the scent of rain.
Emily took a deep breath. 'It would be nice to live here.' She concluded as she watched the leaves dance, bright yellow against the overcast sky. They wove between the tree trunks; willow, birch, and gingko taking in the golden wood around them. For a minute, just one glorious minute, she forgot about the rest of the world.
Then the foliage opened up to a large clearing on the shores of a massive pond that took up most of the space. The water was pale gray with mist curling up from its surface. The next thing that they noticed was the house on the shore. It would've been beautiful once, but years of neglect had taken a toll on its appearance. The wood paneling was rotting, a stairway leading up to the house had collapsed, the roof was missing shingles, and the state of the windows ranged from filthy to broken to just gone. It felt cool and lonely, but that wasn't all.
The clearing seemed to radiate raw power, from the earth and from the water. The very air was saturated with it. As they stood at the tree line it felt as if a cold wind went through them, as if the chill was searching for something in their souls.
Vigo swore under his breath. Trellis hissed and took step back. Luger wrapped his cloak tighter around himself.
Emily shuddered. The wolf snarled, pressing against her leg. She stroked him, the feel of his coarse fur beneath her fingers grounding her to reality and giving her comfort. Trellis tried to speak but came up short. Truth be told words weren't necessary. They had known from the instant they left the safety of the forest. This was the place.
AN. Finally, chapter 3! I'm so excited! A special, special thanks to Michelle, for bombarding me with ideas. Seriously girl, you would write amazing stories, I just know it. Just be sure to PM me when you finally register. ;)
Happy Holidays everyone!
Soul * Asuna * Jellal