SnowyMonday & Demi Clayton: I'm attempting to write another chapter following the last, I have a few ideas but not sure how to piece them together.
Chapter 26: Intruder
The damp, abandoned streets of the sleepy town rested in utter silence as the endless black curtain wept over it. The warm glow of the streetlights lit up the cobbled stone, shadows reining in the dark corners. The inhabitants of the houses slept soundly, dreamless but peaceful, ever ignorant to the foreboding pattering of rain quietly slamming into their windows.
There was not a cloud to be seen in the sky as the water fell down to earth, drip drip dripping in an agonisingly slow motion. The Moon seemed especially dull tonight.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, its magnificent counterpart lighting up the night skies, shaped like evil twisted veins and corrupting the darkness. The booming thunder echoed wildly, shattering the cocoon of silence as the heavens reined hellfire from above. The wind whipped harshly, the forests growling with anger as the winds thrashed through its trees, destroying the precious springtime blossoms, blasting the new life to the ground. The thunder cracked like a whip, the wind howling and whistling as an evil darkness seemed to envelop the city.
All at once, every single light in the city erupted in an explosion of fireworks, glass shattering and pouring down onto the streets as the bulbs fizzled and dimmed to a halt. Absolute, complete darkness. And then, out of nowhere, light.
The skies seemed to part, showering ethereal radiance down from the heavens through a small opening. Spears of golden light poured through the absent village in a vast display of elegance. Wispy white clouds slowly drifted apart - the sky a beautiful canvas of delicate incandescence. Through the light arose a figure.
At first, it seemed they were floating in the air, a godly presence looking down on the inferior earth. But, upon looking closer, you could see they weren't floating at all, but falling. Down, at breakneck speed, as the heavens closed once again, leaving the world bathed once more in everlasting darkness.
All at once, time started again, the wind howling once more, the moon dull, but still showing itself in the otherwise-empty sky. The street lamps lit up once more, no remnants of the debris from only seconds ago. Life resumed yet, the rain still pitter-pattering on the closed windows, the trees still overflowing with leaves, triumphant in their powerful stances.
And not far away, a loud bang only a few could hear as the mysterious presence crashed to the ground, dirt and water spraying upwards upon their impact into the lake.
With one final deafening crack of thunder, a pair of enchanting eyes shot open, gleaming madly in the darkness.
"Why did I have to come with you?"
Jack grumbled as Bunny shot through the shrubs, darting here and there in an effort not to be seen, ignoring the boy's whines. The winter spirit walked past the Guardian of Hope, paying no attention to his stealthy moves. He sighed, whacking a twig out of the way as Bunny commando rolled through the hedges, leaves and sticks protruding from his fur.
"Bunny, what the hell are you doing?"
"I don't want to be seen." Whispered the Pooka in reply, wildly looking around as if they were being followed before crouching down and hiding behind a thick tree trunk. He signalled to Jack with two fingers, signalling the coast was clear, before leaping behind the next shrub.
"There's something seriously wrong with you." Jack deadpanned. He was very, very bored; they had been doing this for over an hour and so far they had only covered about two miles. Why were they even here? He didn't know, to be honest – he'd fallen asleep while North was talking. Something about 'a light in the sky'. Sometimes, he swore the old cossack was off his rockers.
Probably all the whiskey he thought, chuckling to himself.
Suddenly, a bush shook to their left, a loud snap resounding from its depths as a twig crunched underfoot. Bunny's head immediately snapped to the side. Plunging like an Olympic champion, he dove headfirst to where the noise came from, fully expecting an enemy, rearing to attack.
Jack groaned once more as Bunny pulled out a quivering mouse, eyes as wide as saucers with fear.
"Good job rabbit, you just protected us from a rodent." He glared, eyes boring into the pooka before steeping over him and continuing on through the trees. "You keep doing whatever it is that you're doing, I'm going to look ahead." He called from through the trees, not wanting to waste any more time.
"Jack," Bunny whisper-shouted "get back here right now!"
"What was that? I can't hear you!" His voice faded in the distance, already flying through the trees on the wind. He laughed and whooped as he swerved through the branches, nimbly avoiding the twigs sticking out from their large trunks. Bunny growled: the boy could never just do as he was told. With one last look around the clearing, he took off running, trying to catch up. This kid will be the death of me he thought with a sigh, rearing up onto his hind legs attempting to catch sight of the kid.
With Jack's laugh diminishing farther into the remoteness, the rabbit feared he had lost him in the enormous woods. If he wasn't so stubborn, he might even say he was lost. But he wouldn't admit that, tunnelling further through the trees, going so fast he didn't notice the skid marks on the ground.
Jack gasped as he was forcefully slammed to the ground, his staff thrown from his grasp. With a loud thud, his back smacked the trunk of the tree, stars seizing his vision. Arms flailing, he attempted to stand but immediately fell down again as a crushing weight pressed down on his chest. The air around him became thick with hot must, suffocating the spirit with both the newfound heat and the foot forcefully pressing down on him. His chest constricted as the heat from the limb began to flow through his jumper, burning the skin on his stomach even with the protection from his clothes. Jack's breath came out in gasps as the unbearable load crushed his insides. Large icicles protruded from the ground as he weakly flicked his wrist, summoning forth as much power as he could without his staff to throw his attacker off him.
A sound of whistling filled the air as the attacker was thrown backwards, surprised at the power from the seemingly helpless boy. He growled, wiping his jaw as blood dripped from his mouth, closely missing Jack as he swung his fist at him. Bright eyes narrowed as he glared at the agile young boy, his tattered staff now back in his grasp, ice patterns once again bringing it to life.
"Who the hell are you?" Jack demanded as he stared at his opponent. It was though he had no body, just flowing black robes, just two small crystal white hands hiding beneath his cloak and dangerous eyes glowing malevolently from beneath the hood. Though he could see no face, Jack could feel the smirk from the man (if that's what it was).
Without warning, the presence charged, a sharp black blade forming in his hands. The air seemed to scream as he brought it crashing down on Jack, who blocked it with his staff, sending pulses of power throughout the clearing. He cringed with effort as he was forced down to his knees, his attacker thrusting his blade downwards still.
With a laugh of pity, he slammed his foot into the chest of the winter spirit, a crack resounding as his rib broke, skidding backwards once more into the meaty trunk of a tree. He gasped in pain, subconsciously freezing the ground around him. The man's eyes widened as he slipped and fell, giving Jack just enough time to jump upwards, excruciating pain flowing through his head and chest.
The man floated upwards, standing once more. He growled in anger, rushing at the spirit in front of him, the temperature increasing tenfold around them. Water sloshed from the lake as the ice melted quickly as though it had never been there in the first place.
The boy was stronger than he thought he would be.
Whistling sliced through the air as the man lunged forward; the sound of the blade piercing the air the only thing alerting Jack to the man's attack, his vision too clouded to see him coming. Quickly jumping out of the way, he delivered a blow to the man's face, glad to find a point of impact. The man barrelled backwards and disappeared into the shadows, falling into the darkness around him.
Caught off guard by his sudden disappearance, Jack didn't notice the blade charging towards him, silently darting through the trees. He shouted out in pain, cerulean eyes widening in shock as the cool metal imbedded itself into his leg. He cried out, falling to his knees and gritting his teeth as the man reappeared before him, boastful.
Unearthly hands extended towards the Guardian of Fun, violently gripping his hair and snapping his head back. Smells of burnt hair drifted throughout the clearing as the man's unhumanly (unspiritly, even) hand held him like a vice. The man reared his hand back and Jack cringed inwardly, expecting a powerful blow. The presence did not, however, instead pulling back his hood to reveal his face. Jack gasped, eyes wide with shock as the man smirked, laughing maliciously at the look of fear.
Releasing his hold of the boy, he reared back, an evil inky katana forming in his hands. Jack didn't have time to look up before the hilt was smashed into his temple and he crumpled heavily to the floor in agony. Searing pain ricocheted throughout his chest as the man forced the hot metal of the weapon through his skin, wickedly twisting it before pulling it out, his glowing eyes evilly gleeful.
"Finally," The words echoed throughout the clearing, though the man's mouth remained closed. It was horrifying, like the voices of a thousand tortured souls all screaming at once, begging to be let free. "I shall be free at last. You should have known, old friend," the man looked up to the Moon, just beginning to rise from the east "there was only so long you could hold me."
He laughed, the thousand voices fading as he stared at the winter spirit on the ground, who could do nothing but absently stare, paralysed with pain. He looked up weakly, watching as the man conversed with the Moon. Darkness began to creep into his vision as he lay, helpless of the hard earth. Pale fingertips reached out towards him yet he could do nothing.
Should've stayed with Bunny Jack thought weakly, as the world around him faded to black.
In the middle of the forest, Bunny groaned. His feet hurt from chasing Jack for so long and yet he still hadn't found him, nor the thing they were originally looking for. Though he wasn't exactly sure what that was anyway. The night was beginning to fall around him and he had the right mind to leave him in the forest and go back to the Pole. He had just stomped on the ground, summoning a portal when the winter spirit burst through the trees, a wide smirk on his face.
"Bloody hell, what've ya been doing?" Bunny asked impatiently, glaring at him.
"Not much." He replied looking back into the forest, his devilish gleam hidden by shadows. The pooka sighed, typical.
"You alright?" He noticed the way Jack was staring into the distance behind them as if something was about to burst out of the shadows.
"Never better. You ready?" Jack signalled to the hole in the ground smirking at Bunny, who just shrugged, waiting for a moment before jumping in. The boy jumped in after him, but not before one last glance into the distance: a hint of green shining in his manic blue eyes.
...Jack's eyes aren't green...