The Writer's Games 2014: Mission #1 Entries

Peace Keepers of the Starlight Forest (Revised)

By: parisluv

Diana raced through the forest, her dress fluttering behind her like orchids dancing in the wind. Her tan skin beaded with sweat, her eyes shone like liquid moonlight. Her caramel colored hair was tied in a tight fish tail braid. As she reached a stone wall, she slowed to a walk. She looked cautiously around her before inserting a small emerald, which she pulled from a bag tied at her waist, into a small hole in the stone; cleverly hidden by a patch of moss. A part of the endless stone wall slid away, Diana quickly stepped through, and it slid back shut with silence. She had entered a round valley, hidden by the stone wall, filled with trees, a waterfall, and a lake.
"Diana!" a soft brown doe with lilac eyes said worriedly. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Fauna," Diana lied; the stitch in her side burning with pain. "Where's Flora?"
"I'm right here," a unicorn said as she trotted up to the pair; she had a forest green horn with forest green streaks in her mane and tail. "Did you find it?"
"Yeah, I found it," Diana said. "It only took sneaking through five traps and solving a riddle to figure out which one was real."
"Diana, are you sure you're okay?" Fauna asked, the little does eyes were full of concern.
"I'm fine," Diana lied again. "Besides, we need to go."
Diana dashed into a giant, hollow willow tree trunk; it served as a sort of house for her and her companions. While she was grabbing her bow and arrows, Fauna and Flora had a whispered conversation.
"She's not fine!" Fauna whispered furiously.
"I know that," Flora whispered back.
"So why aren't you stopping her?!"
"Because we have until nightfall and she'll be riding me on our journey."
"Oh."
"You two ready?" Diana asked, breathlessly, as she brushed aside the curtain of leaves.
"Ready," Flora said, before Fauna could cut in with a comment.
"Great," Diana replied as she pulled herself onto Flora's back. "South doorway."
They cantered over to the south side of the valley, where Flora silently performed a spell that opened a doorway in the wall. They galloped out and through the trees of the woods. Flora's hooves thundered on the ground, with Fauna's gently rumbling beside her. They approached a fork in the road, Flora slowed a little and said:
"Which way?"
"Hold on," Diana said as she pulled out the map. "Right.'
Flora and Fauna turned right just in time. As they raced through the woods, they passed several signs that said "TURN BACK!" or "KEEP OUT!" or the oh so pleasant "DANGER!"; yet, they still raced on.
"Stop!" Diana yelled and they slid to a halt.
"What's wrong?" Fauna asked.
"Look there," Diana told them, pointing to a thin string running between two trees. "Watch it while we go over it."
Fauna did a graceful leap over the string, while Flora just rolled her eyes and gently stepped over. After a few more minutes of running along a bare and silent path, not an animal in sight or sound, they made another sudden stop. They had reached a thin, nature made, stone bridge stretching across a deep chasm; wide enough for one at a time and about 3 miles long.
"Fauna," Diana said, "you go first."
"Why me?" Fauna asked, taken aback.
"Because you're the lightest," Flora pointed out.
"Oh, right," Fauna said as she dashed across the bridge; she was on the other side in just a couple of minutes.
"We need to do this fast," Diana told Flora, "I don't trust this bridge."
"That makes two of us," Flora replied.
They raced across, silently praying that they wouldn't fall the whole time. It took them twice as long as it took Fauna, but they made it without falling to their doom. They now looked at their next step, a hedge maze. Diana pulled out her map and said:
"I can guide us through."
"Let's go then," Flora said.
After carefully and very cautiously finding their way through the maze, the fear of a trick or trap at every turn, they found themselves at the entrance to a castle. Diana slid off of Flora's back and gently pushed open the door. They found themselves in a large and ornate room. Around the high ceiling hung banners golden dragons, the walls were lined with ornate windows, and an elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling. On a solid gold podium sat a glowing, round stone; the colors of flames danced around it. As Diana took a step forward towards her goal, a deep voice rumbled:
"Who goes there?"
She looked to Flora and Fauna and a silent conversation passed between the three of them.
"I am Diana," Diana spoke confidently to the voice, "Keeper of The Starlight Forests."
"What are you doing here, Keeper?" it rumbled back.
"I am here to retrieve the Sun Stone; I wish to return it to the Solar Pack before they fight with the Lunar Pack."
"Why should I let you do that?" it asked.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe to keep the peace," she said in a 'seriously' voice.
"Do not take that tone with me, human!" the voice hissed, slightly shaking the castle.
"You know that a Keeper is far beyond human!" Diana snapped back. "Now are you going to let me have the Sun Stone?"
"No, I don't think so. Them fighting makes life much better for me in ways you will never understand."
"If you won't let me have it, I'll be forced to take it."
"Very funny, little Keeper," he said with a hearty chuckle.
"Come out here," Diana said as she held her bow tightly. "Stop hiding like a coward if you're so strong."
"If you insist," he rumbled back. He stepped through a doorway on the far side of the room. He was a great Serpent. His gilded scales glowed in the light, his eyes were liquid gold, and his great fangs were wet with poison. All of him filled one side of the room. "What do you think?"
"I've seen bigger," Diana replied with a shrug.
"Bigger?!" the dragon bellowed. "Bigger?!"
"Yes, bigger," Diana replied back, very calmly. "Larger, greater, need I continue?"
"You think I am smaller than others?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Do you know what-"
"Sorry," Diana interrupted. "You'll have to tell someone else I'm afraid. Flora, now!"
Flora shot him with a stunning spell, which lasted for just the right amount of time for Diana to grab the Sun Stone and put it in her bag. Flora ran by and Diana leaped onto her back. Once the great gold dragon regained his wits, he raced into action, chasing Diana and Flora.
"Fauna!" Diana shouted as she tossed her the map.
"Got it," Fauna replied as a few humming birds took the map and flitted in front of her. Fauna was the new guide through the maze.
Diana flipped herself around so she was facing the dragon. They had a head start, but he didn't have to follow the maze. He merely crushed the large hedges under his vast claws. Diana began shooting arrows at him, hoping one arrow would find a weak spot in his scales. As they stopped turning every direction, Diana knew they must have made it out. She also knew they had to cross the bridge again. The gilded serpent was now just a few yards away from them. The fragile bridge crumbled under the pressure of the heavy serpent. Rocks began slipping away into an endless fall. As he began crossing the bridge, Diana shot an arrow that caught an area of exposed skin, causing him to roar with pain. Diana flipped back around and laid against Flora's mane while the stone slowly chipped away. They reached the far side as the bridge shudder and shattered into the deep chasm, while the gilded serpent roared with outrage.
The trio quickly headed further south, towards the Lunar and Solar Packs. When they finally reached, the sun had just dipped below the horizon and the fighting was about to begin. The Solar Pack leader, Solaris-a great fiery red wolf with glowing golden eyes, he looked unbreakable-, was circling with the Lunar Pack leader, Celeste-a clever pure white wolf with dark blue eyes, she was small but radiated power. Diana quickly jumped from Flora's back and in between the two packs.
"No fighting!" Diana shouted. Her voice had so much power, many wolves retreated to stand behind their Alpha.
"What is the meaning of this?" Solaris demanded.
"Did you find it, Diana?" Celeste asked her.
"I have found the Sun Stone," Diana announced as she removed the stone from her bag and placed it in front of Solaris. "Before you say anything, the Lunar Pack did not take it; it was the Gilded Serpent."
"Why?" Celeste gasped.
"He refused to tell me," Diana explained. "No matter though, I have it back; and let's just say he's stuck at home for a little while."
"Thank you Diana," Solaris spoke up, in a much gentler voice than previously. "I am sorry, Celeste, I just..."
"I would have thought the same," Celeste replied. "Perhaps we can move towards peace?"
"I think we can try."
So, on that happy note, the three groups parted ways. Solaris and the Solar Wolves went to the eastern caves, while Celeste and the Lunar Wolves went to the western caves. Diana, Flora, and Fauna returned home to their little valley. They had kept the peace, for now anyway.
~The End~
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