Fields of blue

Chapter 5-Meeting Leshy

The battle lasted for hours, almost never ending, Adaline is so exhausted she almost collapsed when the last cultist fell.  But she couldn't afford to pass out now, she sees the tied up hedgehog, their face stained with tears but is relaxed by her saving them from the cultists. Adaline took no more time by coming closer and cut the ropes with the blade of her sword, they stand up and smile at her "thank you miss!" they expressed gratitude, Adaline smiles in return "you are welcome. If you want... You could come with me, i will take u somewhere much safer" she offered, the hedgehog nods in agreement. Willing to trust Adaline after saving them "my name is Panona" they introduced themselves "you can call me Adaline" Adaline introduced herself in return. Adaline than lead Panona back to the very beginning to the door, back to the fields of blue bells "there is a rat there, he will help you set up for your stay, please be kind to him" "i will, thank you again!"  Panona gratefully spoke before they went on their way to the other side of the door to join Ratau.

Adaline felt better, she had helped someone who needed it, it...almost felt worth it.

She decided to stay in darkwood for a little bit longer however, perhaps there is more people in need of her help like Panona. So she walked back to where she was before, the alter where she saved Panona. She then proceeded to place camellia flowers on the corpses with a quick prayer, and then move forward.

 With many more battles and apology filled prayers she came across a more opened area with hardly anything but grass and dirt, no enemies or even flowers. Until a dark portal on the ground opened, Adaline couldn't react as all of a sudden her vision reddened and she couldn't breathe as her body levitated off the ground with nothing holding her, like a ghost was holding her by the throat in mid air. From the portal in the ground rises the youngest of the bishops, Leshy, a bagworm like creature covered in leaves and twigs, the bandage over where his eyes once was is being soaked in fresh blood. "How can this be...?" Leshy speaks tilting his head to the side only slightly before turning it upright again, somehow knowing of Adaline's presence "you were put to the blade, lamb, as all your kind were. And yet here you stand before me, unrepentant" he continued, Adaline tried to struggle, to speak, to BREATHE, but nothing worked. She was not sure what he meant by 'unrepentant' maybe it is because of her presence making him assume of such a thing... "The crown....His power...Could it be?" Leshy then speaks in a sudden realization, like the crown somehow, someway, was covered in so much power that even Leshy, the blind bishop, can sense it.

"But i am stronger still. Turn tail and run, little lamb" Leshy spoke one last time before he sinks back down into the portal, a tone that was unrecognizable coming from a bishop. Adaline than returns to the ground as Leshy disappeared and she gasped for air after not breathing for several moments, her heart pounding in her ears. She was in shock, how did Leshy not kill her then and there? Was it because of the crown? Whatever it was, she thanked her lucky stars that she was spared. 

'Turn tail and run'....That would be something Adaline would try and do, but now she can't afford to do that. She wants to venture a little more, like something is missing, something waiting for her. She will have to be much more careful now that Leshy knows she is alive...and in his woods.

After catching her breath, she stood up and continued forward, determined to see this crusade through. She wants to save at least one more person this day...It almost felt like hours of the same thing, battles and more walking. Her eye hurts and is swollen shut by a black eye, a bleeding gash in her leg making her limp, and she was sure a rib or 2 have broken if not severely bruised. Will this just be her life now? maybe... 

She then sees a path made of stone, just like the alter where she was sacrificed, but not the same area. It was surrounded by stone pillars and moss, Adaline worried there might be another person was being sacrificed at the end of this path, chills going up her spine as she hears a clack of her hoof stepping onto the stone. Something is wrong, but she also can't afford to leave it alone either. So she walks down the stone path, hearing her own click, clacking, of her hooves as she walks. The unsettling feeling never going away as she ventures forth.

When she reached the end, it was no alter, it was like a opened arena, walls of stone and red stained glass windows and a statue of Leshy against one wall with banners on each side of the statue. a single cloaked figure sits in a pentagram in the center of the arena, their hands together in a prayer, once Adaline approached the hooded figure, the same portal on the ground opens again behind the hooded figure. Leshy rises from the portal and stands tall, the confidence in him shinning through in his words "you have come far enough little lamb. My followers are willing to do anything for me. can you say the same of yours?" "I give myself to the cause, oh mighty leader!" the hooded follower speaks in undying loyalty "by the blood of the great ones, destroy the RED CROWN!" Leshy commands, a moment of a red ball of light leaving Leshys crown and going to the follower. 

It enters the followers body like a ghostly possession and every several moments of the follower trembling and struggling their body morphs and twists into a large worm like creature with sharp bull like horns, gross growths poking through the bush like fur on top of their head, does one of them have teeth!? Leshy then sinks back down in the portal as the creature roars at her. Adaline did not have time to prepare herself before she got hit with a blue ball of acid that it spat at her, the blue ish slime burned her upper arm and melted a small bit of her wool on her shoulder. This would be a harder fight then she thought...

She begins to fight back, avoiding the acid spit and occasional charging towards Adaline like a raging bull. It took longer then any fight she faced in the darkwood, more deadly then anything she could fight. She gave the beast one final hit with her sword and the best went flying a good distance before returning into their original form, yet their hood is long gone. They sit with their legs against their chest and is tearing up in fear, their body trembling when they see Adaline approach "p-please spare me!" they plead in desperation and fear, they raise a trembling hand to hope they can stop her from swinging the sword at them "have mercy!" they sob, Adaline stares at them. She can't do it, she doesn't have the heart to, they are no longer a threat... Maybe they was to scared of Leshy to disobey? maybe they want to turn over a new leaf? or even find that she might be a better leader then leshy is?

"C-convert me to your cult! I will follow your teachings faithfully i swear!!" they sob, not even looking at her, their hand still raised at her to block a swords blade from hitting their head, Adaline looks at her sword... and it becomes the crown again before she sits it back on her head. 

Everyone deserves a second chance...

So she holds out her hand to them when they look back up at her, after not feeling any pain of a blade piercing their body "I'll help you up...come on, ill lead you there" she speaks softly and full of kindness, not a hint of anger or malicious intent in her words....