A Fools Wish

Chapter 6 - A Strange World

Elios tapped his foot impatiently, staring at the many people passing by. The hunter was late.

“Where is she?” Kal asked angrily. Dragon shifters were always on the verge of anger, even for little things but this time Elios had to agree with his fiery friend.

“I’ll give her five more minutes.” So they waited.

Elios watched the Mortals wander around. Most were looking at the goods merchants sold, buying and choosing. Kids ran around playing whatever game came to mind. A smile graced his lips.

“Ready to go?” There in front of them was Ezra. Finally.

“Took you long enough.” Kal said. Ezra glanced at him, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Her dark hair a strict contrast to her pale skin. She would have been beautiful if it weren’t for her harsh aura.

“Then let's go.” Ezra said, heading to the giant iron doors. All five of them shared a look.

They all followed after her. Ezra marched up to one of the guards and whispered something, not a moment later the doors wrenched open revealing a forest of tragedy. All the trees soured upward in what looked to be pain. The bark bleak as death itself. The forest floor was dry as a desert. Everything about the forest reaked eerie decay.

“Damn.” Daera declared, staring at the forest. Elios examined the rest of his group. Everyone's face seemed to be portraying the same thing; They were walking straight into their demise.

Ezra continued to walk like she was the ruler of this hell. She barely glanced at the dying trees or the shadows that loomed. Elios followed examining his surroundings. It had changed so much.

He remembered walking through this same forest years and years ago. He remembered the once lush trees, the forest full of life. Squirrels and rabbits hopping around, deers grazing. A lifeless place once flourished, now deserted.

“Has it always been this way?” Atlas questioned, glancing around the forest in caution.

“No.” Elios responded. A long pause stuck the group.

“I can hear the trees crying.” A shiver raked down Elios spine at Althea’s words. It was more eerie than the forest.

“They weep for what once was.” Daera joined in.

“That's not scary at all.” Kal said, staring at the moving shadows. Even though it was midday, it looked to be almost night. A strange side effect of being in the Sufferian Forest.

That was the end of their conversation. Talking seemed to be a heavy endeavor with the watching secrets in the dark.

Suddenly Elios ran into something hard. A frozen Ezra blocking his path. He looked over her shoulder but nothing struck him as odd. The space was empty.

“Why did-” He attempted to speak but his mouth was covered by a clammy hand. Kal peaked out beside him, examined the empty path before them. Slowly the rest did the same.

“Shhh.” Anxiety was leaking from Ezra’s voice.

At first he heard nothing, silent as the wind. Then he heard the crunching of branches and the snorts of a giant invisible beast. It was directly in front of them.

“Stay still.” Ezra mouthed to them, searching for something that wasn’t there.

Then he saw it. The outline of something dark, it seemed to materialize from thin air. It barely reached Elios hip but it was longer than him in height. Deep blue scales lined its skin, a strange comparison to its sharp teeth clicking. Sharp talons glistened in the vague sunlight. Its claws buried into the dry soil, moving forward.

Its eyes… its eyes were burned out. Steaming scales covered the sockets.

Corpius.

These blind creatures hunted through sound and scent, with a venomous bite that could kill any mighty creature that dared try it. It also traveled in packs and its companions were nowhere in sight.

Elios thought of grabbing his sword and decapitating the ugly lizard but he hesitated. Its pack would hunt them down. They were fiercely loyal to each other. If one died the pack would look for its assailant till it was dead. Other words - them. So he stayed still, frozen like time.

He tracked the beast as it moved towards them. It sniffed the air curiously, searching. Searching for the scent of flesh.

It could still smell them.

Like a lightning strike he grabbed the hilt of his sword and swung. A loud thud sounded throughout the clearing, its head toppling. It was dead, no longer able to hear nor smell. But its companions were another story.

Elios ears perked up, trying and failing to hear any more heavy footsteps. They were safe. For now.

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The tree bark rubbed irritatingly as he leaned against the skeletal tree, a weird comfort. He examined the shadows. It was much darker than when they entered. Elios watched as bright yellow eyes peeped from the dark, trying to get in their camp. Fortunately, they had Althea.

“Are you sure this will hold?” Daera questioned Althea. Althea had set a protection spell around their camp ensuring no beasts would enter.

“Positive.” Althea nodded her head.

He glanced around their makeshift camp. Kal and Atlas sat near their sad fire cooking the rabbits they had caught. Althea double checked her protection spell, while Daera watched. Ezra was nowhere to be seen.

A seed of anxiety bloomed in his chest. He didn’t care for the hunter per se but he didn’t want her to die either.

“The area is clear.” Ezra said, walking into the protection spell as if summoned. She stood oblivious to his nervousness.

“Did you go out there?” Kal asked, looking up at her like she was crazy.

“Yes. I was scouting for any more Corpius.” Kal gave her a sound of understanding and focused back on the roasting rabbit.

Elios legs ached to stand. Following their command he stood, stretching his wings. He walked over to the fire observing the rabbit.

“I think they’re done.” He said.

“Not just yet.” Kal responded. “It is not perfect.” How could he tell?

“Well, I don't want burnt food.” Elios attempted to grab the stick hanging over the fire but his hand was violently slapped away.

“Not yet.”

“Come on Kal we’re hungry.” Daera said, marching up to the fire, Althea in toe. Both sat down in front of the flames.

A twig snapped.

Everyone turned their heads searching for the culprit, turning to Ezra who was the farthest from the fire.

“That wasn’t me.” She said drawing her sword from her scarab. Her eyes wandered the spell line.

Another snap.

Elios pulled his sword out, slightly flaring his wings. He tracked the clearing. Nothing but darkness glared back.

A peak of white poked out behind a bare tree, a wing. The wing slowly attached to a body. A boy with fluffy chestnut hair appeared. A familiar boy.

Cirdan.