The Forbidden Forest

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The Forbidden Forest
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The path through the Forbidden Forest was a hard one, and one with many loses. Nicolas now has an idea what he is up against physically and emotionally, but questions still fill his mind. What are these powers he possesses? Who or what is after him and why? Why does recieve visions? Was it fate that killed Derek but saved Rainette, Ssmalass, and himself? What does it all mean?

Now the group is out of the forbidden forest and must continue on, seeking out answers to these questions. Dangers far greater than they have witnessed lie ahead.

 

Ssmallass was getting used to moving on two legs instead of long slinky body and tried a few jumps and thrusts with the long sword. He was'nt quite ready for that and stumbled. He caught himself but was turned towards the dunes. "Nicolass! Hey, Nicolass, you are alive!" With that he managed to run towards Nicolas but then slowed to wait for him to catch up.

 

Baella fluttered effortlessly into Ssmallass's hair and eyed the newcomer with interest. He was cute.

 

Nicolas looked up and saw someone new running towards him. Nicolas wondered who it was? Well, it didn't matter who it was, he was with friends. Nicolas ran towards the figure. As he got closer he noticed the person was wearing Rainette's armor and that there was something flying around him. When he finally caught up he saw that it was a little pixie. He had never saw one before but he had heard many a story about pixies and faries. The person however didn't look like anything he had seen or heard of. He resembled a human but was more awkward. When Nicolas looked into his eyes he recognized something. He knew this person.

"Ssmalass?" Nicolas shouted.

 

"Yess, oh it is great you are alive. So much hass happened. Darek iss gone, the earth took him. When I ssaw the others leaving I changed into thiss form. Rather hard to get used to moving. Everything iss so strange."

Ssmalass stared at Nicolas as if he had all the answers just waiting to be spewed forth.

 

It took Nicolas some time to get used to Ssmalass' transformation. Nicolas looked Ssmalass over, top to bottom.

"It really is you!" Nicolas said while giving him a big hug. Nicolas paused a moment to take it all in and then got serious.

"I know we've been separated, and I know it got scary back there, but we must move on. I am pretty sure that someone sent that spider after us and I am just as sure that they will try again. I don't know why he burned the forest, but that is in the past now. Right now we must venture on. I must find out some answers before we can stop this evil. On the way I got another vision. We must travel across the plains to the town of Hoerstad. I've heard many a tale of Hoerstad. First of all it is mostly known for it's ale, mead, and wine. Second, it is surrounded by a forest nearly as ancient as the forbidden forest. This forest is called Blackwood. Blackwood is a forest of evil. Anyone who ventures into the forest without a scout is never seen again. Unfortunately the forest is where my vision told me to go. When we get to Hoerstad we must ask around for a scout. They are hard to find these days because lately even the scouts, that know the wood like the back of their hands, are going missing. There was a scout I saw in my vision. He is the greatest you can find, hailing from the most dangerous wood in these parts, Moonwood. He is a Moonelf. They are especially skilled in finding there way. Some say they can be tied up and blindfolded and put in the middle of an unknown wood and still find there way back. The Forbidden Forest is gone, that is a fact we all have to except. My visions had told me to find an answer within those woods but that never came to fruition. Then my visions told me to leave the wood. And now it burns down. All I know now is that we must go north-east to Blackwood."

 

Baella piped up, "I..I'll come with you!"

 

Ssmalass happily hugged Nicolas and they started walking towards the others with Baella fluttering around his head.

"Oh, this is Baella. She turned up when the earth took Darek friend. Sshe is very nice and handy to have around. I'll gladly go with you but I think we need better things to wear. How do humans get things? Oh, Ssmalass isss ssso sssstupid."

He hits himself on the head narrowly missing Baella.

 

Rainette was happy to see Nicolas alive. "It is good to see you again, Nicolas. I thought for sure you'd been burned up. Looks like your clothes got burned off you though. Ssmallass is right, we should get him, and you, some better clothes."

 

"We must get some supplies. Hoerstad will have some."

 

The Old man looked upon this new person who had joined them. "Well, hello thurr!! I guess I'll come along too, nothing better to do."

 

The party started to head out to Hoerstad and conversation started amongst the group.

 

Ssmalass was beginning to get use to having legs and started asking questions about being human.

What was this for, how did humans do that, what did humans eat?? the questions came so fast no one had time to answer them. Finally he stopped talking and just listened.

 

The party walked for hours and soon night fell. Nicolas walked ahead of the group and felt the warm wind blowing against him.
"Don't you just love nights like this? When it's windy and warm. You feel like nothing bad could hap..." As Nicolas was finishing a great, loud noise was heard by all.
"What was that?" Nicolas said nervously. The group did not respond and just stared blankly ahead. Nicolas did not want to turn around but knew he had to. He flipped forward then quickly turned around. Behind him was a great entity. It resembled an "Allip" or a "Dread Wraith". It's blackness writhed as if blowing in the wind as well. The difference between this thing and a wraith or allip was that this thing seemed to have a definite shape. It had slightly blurred legs and was wearing a shifting, writhing robe. But perhaps most peculiar of all was that it was wearing black armor, like it had physical form. It carried a large, gleaming sword which was as big as it was, and judging by comparison to the rest of the group, this thing must’ve been at least seven feet tall, if not eight. Nicolas backed away slowly. The others were quite a distance away from him and he wanted them right by his side. They were to scared to come any closer. It was the fiend that paralyzed them to the spot with it’s terror. Why did he run ahead? Even a little ways ahead could mean danger, as he was starting to figure out now.
Then the beast started to speak, “Are you the one called Nicolas?” Nicolas didn’t answer this, he didn’t know what to say. The monster obviously had no patience and, as if blown by a great gust of wind, Nicolas went flying backward. Then, with some ethereal power, the fiend stood Nicolas up and started to choke him. The dark, wraith-like entity walked closer to Nicolas, each step it took sapped the life out of the ground it trod on.
“Are you the one called Nicolas?” The black form said with a deep seeded malice.
“Y-yes,” Said Nicolas, trembling like the dickens ^^.
“I have traveled far to warn you not to follow your visions any longer. For if you do, your death will only come sooner. Live a happy life until we come to take you.” With that, the demon was gone. Nicolas sat down on the cold grass, speechless. What was he to do? He knew now, that if he followed his visions any longer, there would be trouble on top of trouble along the way. But he also knew, if he stopped following his visions, after living a life living in fear, he would be taken away somewhere and probably never come back. His visions, although somewhat confusing, had always led him to answers. These answers would help his figure out who he was and who these fiends that want him are. These answers also could help him destroy the evil plaguing the land. If he stopped following his visions he would not get those answers. If he waited until the day they took him away and ignored his visions he would go crazy. He had made up his mind, he would continue following his visions, no matter what the danger ahead.

 

Baella zoomed towards Nicolas, worrying of his safety. She flutttered over him, sprinkling fairy dust to heal him.

 

Garron hummed a slient lullaby as he paddled down the small river. It was warm night, thankfully for all he wore were some breeches, sandals and a leather vest. He rubbed his shaved smoothe head, he didn't quite know where he was but he follow the river because most towns reside by rivers. He paddled at night because he was slightly scared since the forest. He suddenly felt imense terror and was paralyzed. He couldn't see where it came from but then as suddenly as it came it past. Garron quickly steered the boat towards the bank. He found a hollow close by and picked up his light boat and found some sticks to prop the boat up to make his shelter. He then completely cover it with brush. He then crawled under his boat, not even dogs could sniff him through the pine boughs. He slept easily through the rest of the night.

 

After Nicolas was up, Baella flew ahead, looking for somwhere to sleep. She found a huge willow tree for them to sleep under, and called them to it. They rolled out their sleeping mats and she fluttered into the tree.

 

The team slept, or rather rested, they were too scared to properly sleep. Nicolas, however, was too scared to stay conscious and drempt of the nightmare over and over again throughout the night.

 

Early in the morning Ssmalass woke from a restless sleep. There was not only yesterday's scare but the fact that he couldn't get comfortable. The ground was too hard and bumby. He missed his nice naga body. He still didn't know how he had changed but was sure it had something to do with that wizard his mother had swallowed. Oh well, he liked these new friends and wanted to stay with them.

 

Garron woke refreshed and rearing to go, when he heard voices. He knocked away the stand and his camouflaged boat fell down over him in a "thump". He couldn't hear anything so he rested uneasily.