The Fade

Chapter 4 - the Shapeshifter

In the middle of the Bracillian Woods there was a cave at the foot of a mountain filled with strange gadgets, jars of dragon and wyvern scales and much more. A woman and a wyvern walks into the cave. The wyvern  then glides over to his sleeping area "you really tired Delta?" The woman questions.

The wyvern looks at the woman and gives a slight nod saying that he was indeed tired for the day.
"I agree the day was trying. Running around the village trying to calm all those wild wyverns. The people really need to accept your kind" Delta then gives her an agreeable nod then starts to drift off to sleep.

The woman then walks over to a little hole where four strange looking eggs are huddled together. "Hmm I wonder when they'll hatch?" The woman thought so as to not wake her best friend. She then proceeded to then put away her Lance and take off her home made, yet sturdy, armour and her mask.

Ten minutes later while she was preparing dinner she heard footsteps coming into the cave, Delta suddenly bolts up and glides over to his master incase of danger ,so he can protect her, the woman stops what's she's doing and grabs her Lance and  quickly as she can puts on her armour, and mask, and goes to investigate but soon realises that it's just one of the village folk who she trusts with the location of the cave. "*sigh* I almost tried to kill you Merrill" ,Merrill is one of the only people to know where Larrith lived as they have known eachother for a good few years, "I know Larrith and I'm sorry but I was just wondering if you could help me? I was taking a walk in the wood and I  came across and injured wyvern and it looked like it got trapped in a hunters trap" Merrill said

"WHAT?!" Larrith almost shrieked. She didn't like it that hunters kept on trying to kill wyverns even when their numbers where depleting "where is it? Take me to it! I won't let a wyvern die!" Larrith explains as she, Delta and Merrill dash out of the cave and Merrill leads them towards the injured wyvern.

When they get there Merrill points to the wyvern which was trapped in a hunters trap and had its leg bleeding profusely. "Oh my Maker! These hunters are going to far!" Larrith said anger clear in her voice but as she approached the wyvern it growled and tried to lung at her but she managed to dodge it with ease "hey, hey, hey easy I'm just going to help you" she said trying her best to comfort the creature. The creature turned to Delta and Delta gave a look that said "its ok, you can trust her" but the wyvern didn't look convinced and it still tried to attach Larrith.

So Larrith pulled out her magucal medallion and whispered into it in a language that Merrill or anyone dont know.

"Hoc mihi leniret innocentes viventem" the meddallian suddenly glowed a light green and the wyvern then started to relax a bit. Larrith then went to the wyverns injured leg and immediately detached the horribly trap off the creature. The wyvern then tried to stand but it had lost too much blood. "Woah take it easy I still need to heal it!" Larrith said the wyvern then laid down again as Larrith whispered to the meddallian again "creatura placet, hoc est nocere sana eam" then the meddallian glowed a faint red and the wound started to close up.

Once the wound was fully closed the wyvern stood up slowly and turned away to look at a bunch of shrubbery. That's when Larrith noticed five baby wyverns peering out. Larrith smiled and watched as the mother went back to her babies and then watched as they left the area. Larrith then turned back to Merrill. "Thank you Merrill for coming to get me, I swear these hunters are going way too far" "of course and I totally agree, no creature should have to go through that kind of pain. I don't know how you do it but your an expert with wyverns. Even when their in their powerful dragon forms you are amazing with them" Merrill complimented "well they don't call me the Master if Dragons for nothing" she said with a smirk. Merrill then smiled and then said goodbye and continued to walk back home.

When they reached the cave Delta glides over towards the eggs with a concerned look on his face. Larrith rushed over to see what was happening and then she noticed that one of the eggs was twitching ever so slightly. "It must be nearing the hatching process soon" Larrith said with a smile on her face.

She then returned to the dinner she was previously preparing. "Maker! The rodents already got to the food!" She said annoyed. So she threw the food to Delta "you can eat anything and it's annoying as hell" Larrith said Delta looked at her with a slight smirk on his face as he tucked into the half eaten meat. Larrith rolled her eyes then turned back to make her own dinner.

After she finished cooking and eating her food, Larrith tried to go to sleep but then she heard the sounds of stones falling off the mountain. She cautiously stepped towards the entrance of the cave to see little pebbles fall from the celling.

She then stepped out and looked up at the mountain to see what looks like humanoid figures emerging from caves further up "that's not right their shouldn't be anyone living on the mountain" she thought.

Then she noticed one of the "humans" emerge and it looked extremely tall, terrifying and had huge horns on its head "oh Maker! I know what that is! That's an ogre" she thought.

She then dashed back into the cave and Delta was frantically gliding every where while Larrith gathered her armour and lace and other accessories like food, her magic cards etc but before she ran out Delta made a growl to get Larrith's attention.

Larrith turned around and saw him staring at the eggs then at her then back "I can't believe I almost forgot!" She said as she dropped everything and grabbed her satchel and carefully placed the eggs in it.

Once they where secure Delta glides onto her shoulder and Larrith picked up her stuff and ran out of the cave just as the ogre decided to smash the ground above the cave and everything collapsed "oh you son of a " but Delta stopped her as they both knew neither of them where properly equipped and experienced with fighting Darkspawn let alone an ogre.

So she turned and ran as fast as she could but she wasn't getting far as the ogre was a lot faster and just as the ogre was about to reach them. Someone jumped out of the trees, sword in hand and started to fight the ogre. The person startled the ogre so much that it tripped over its own big, fat feet.

Neither Larrith nor Delta could make out any features of their saviour but they didn't have time to talk with one another as the ogre was getting back up "Hi um can you do me a favour? Turn around and get the hell outta here before you get hurt" the person asked. Larrith could clearly tell it was a woman. Just then the ogre got up and tried to attack the stranger. The stranger dodge with great efficiency and managed to slice the ogres leg with her sword.

Above the painful roar of the ogre Larrith could make out the stranger shouting "RUN!". So Larrith turned sharply on her heels and ran away.

As the sounds of the ogre roaring and metal grew further in the distances Larrith slowed to a walking space "I wonder who that woman was that saved us and I hope she's ok?" Larrith wondered out loud concerned for her saviour. She knew Delta was wondering the same as he had a look of aggrement on his face, when suddenly Delta growled rather quietly towards a bunch of trees as if warning her that their is danger around. So Larrith drew her Lance and started to walk around slowly when she suddenly spotted a woman with lilac hair, in a short bob with a fringe, purple eyes, lots of scars and loads of tattoos and she had a crow sitting on her shoulder.

The woman noticed Larrith and drew a wand from her hip. They both staired at each other waiting for the other to make a move.

"So are you going to attack me or what?" Larrith asked the strange looking woman.