SPIRIT- The House of Hope

Eight

Ani

So we've been walking for an awfully long time.
I have the strangest suspicion that there is someone following us.

"Serena? Might I ask...um..."
"Ask what?" Serena said
"Um...you've traversed the kingdoms before correct?"
"Yeah"
"does it always feel like someone is following you?" She blinked then grew serious.
"I thought it was just me...Darrien?" she asked as he turned
"What?" he replied
"Do you..." she finished by glancing side to side.
"Yeah I do." He moved closer to us so he could whisper something "humans. Five or six of them...prepping an ambush if we keep walking" Cairo pulled at his brother's shirt.
"Could we pretend we're humans too?" Cameryn looked at him gripping her spear tighter.
"Maybe...but I seriously wouldn't count on it" she said Darrien growled slightly.
"Besides, I don't want to pretend to be scum like that"

Serena sighed.
"Well? What do we do?" Serena asked
"Our best bet? Keep walking"

Yes, Nike started if Rollo and I separate from you momentarily then we have a better chance of getting through this forest without conflict. With that he vanished into the shadows. Rollo who was flying ahead, sped up and flew higher so as to appear inconspicuous.

We had hoped this would deter the humans from us but it appeared as if luck was not on our side today. Five humans jumped out and surrounded us Darrien turned.

"Ani" he whispered "get Cairo away, leave the fighting to us" I nodded and took Cairo's hand dragging him into the trees.
"Ani! I want to fight with my big brother"
"Trust me, fighting is something a young one shouldn't have to do"
"Young one? Ani you're 11! You're only one year older than I am!"
"But I am not fighting either am I?"

"Okay, good point" Nike appeared beside us

Rollo is going to help Darrien, Cameryn and Mistress Serena. I will stay here with Lord Cairo.

"Might I ask...why do you called Cairo lord and Serena Mistress?"

Cairo has a special power with creatures rendering him the status Lord. Serena is a Spirit element and is able to share energy with me. All creatures who are classified under Spirit would most likely refer to her as Mistress or something of the like.

"I see" I had never quite met anything like Nike, after all a creature who can travel through shadows and speak telepathically is not really common.
I had a quick look to the others, they were surrounded and Serena was not really doing well.
"Serena doesn't really like fighting and even though her mum trains her she doesn't catch on quickly"

"Oh?" I asked certainly surprised that Cairo knew Serena well "why exactly does her mother train her?"
"Well Yanrie has a rule. When you turn 18 you have to fight against Zaross, Serena wishes that the fighting would be over before all that but she's not really optimistic about that"
"What about you and Darrien?"
"Darrien and I were born in Miral even though we stay with Serena the rule won't affect us"

"And I gather Cameryn is the same?"
"Well, she still lives in Taro so yes"
I smiled. I was pleased that Cairo would not experience such horrors as war but Serena I was worried about. She did not appear to be someone who could hold out for very long on her own.
It was her wellbeing I was worried about...

Cameryn

"Oh for Spirit's sake!!" I shouted I think I've finally grown annoyed of all this.
"You've sure been saying that a lot!" Serena laughed
"Well what you rather me say?"
"I guess that's a good point"
I saw one human charged at Serena so I pushed her behind me.
"Serak!" I yelled though the human dodged the spell he wasn't any closer to us "jeez Serena, you suck at fighting don't you?"
"A little yeah" she replied sadly Darrien decided to jump in
"I kind of wish that just once we could get through a forest without running into Humans"
"We'd probably run into something heaps worse"