The Journey (EvaRose & Rage)

"An inhuman human, huh?" Haine repeated, looking at the deer leg in thought. "Yeah... I guess that's basically what I am. And my strength is only amazing when it's used for the right thing." Haine's eyes shifted upward, gazing at the same stars that had caught Jyade's own eyes. "I thought when I joined the knights I'd be some sort of protector of the weak and all that cheesy stuff. But all I've done so far is kill people in the name of the king. It's sickening..." Haine took a small bite from the venison, chomping it lightly with his teeth. "But at least this time we're on a mission to save someone. Even if it is the princess, I'm happy that the objective is to rescue someone instead of clearing out a bandit camp or hunting down criminals.

Haine looked over at her with a light smile. "To tell you the truth, I was surprised that you didn't slit my throat in my sleep the first night we met. I was prepared to fight you, but I'm glad that it turned out differently. Haine managed to finish the rest of the venison within a few moments of silence, eating the meat all the way down to the bone. He tossed away the deer leg and prodded the fire with a thin stick, pushing away the hot coals.

"Anyways, I don't think it matters. If the mercenaries come looking for us in the next city, all they need to know is that there are two people traveling with a gryphon. We're going to have to keep our eyes peeled and our ears open the whole time."
 
Jyade looked up at the sky as she laid back in the grass, starting to eat the piece of deer meat that she cut off the deer leg earlier. She listened to him and nodded slowly before eating the rest of the meat. She was soon done eating the piece of meat and rolled over onto her side, watching the moving fairies as they fixed up the deer hide for her. She was starting to fall asleep though, thinking about nothing and feeling safe there. "Well," she said softly, almost whispering, "we might as well relax while we're in the forest. Good night." Her arm went under her head and she used it as a pillow as she started to fall asleep in the grass.
 
"Right..." Haine replied, staying in a sitting up position for a while. Here he was, still covered covered in small splotches of blood with a pack of wolves sleeping nearby. He was paranoid, and he felt like he had every right to be. Jyade accepted him, but the wolves were still wary. He could wake up with a wolf tearing out his throat and smashing up his armor. He didn't think it would happen, but it still made him uneasy. It wasn't like he was terrified of them, but he had a mission to do. He wouldn't do the king, the princess, or Jyade any good if he was dead. Haine cast a sideways glance over to Jyade, watching her sleep for a moment. They were going to have to move on again soon, and who knew what dangers they would face tomorrow. Would it be more beasts? More gryphons?

Elves?

Haine shook his head and laid back down onto the grass. He would think about all that stuff later. Right now he needed to rest. He would take care of cleaning himself up and preparing his gear in the morning. After all, his sword needed to be oiled and he needed to check through his rations. With his hands folded behind his head, Haine closed his eyes and fell right asleep.




Hours later, a shuffling noise immediately woke him up. Haine bolted, sitting up on the grass. The forest was covered in a thin layer of morning dew, the early sun poking it's rays through the leaves above. After a few moments of glancing about, Haine released his instinctive grip on his sword. He glanced down onto his body to see if anything was amiss, and he found himself suddenly cleansed off all blood and marks. He blinked, glancing around to see what had happened. He caught the sight of a fairy fleeing back into the forest clutching what looked like a wet rag in its hands.
 
Jyade shot up when she heard a sudden movement, looking around the clearing quickly before looking over at Haine. "Wha-Why-" She couldn't finish what she was trying to say, unable to really say what was on her mind. And what a way to wake up. She was actually having a nice dream, filled with happiness and joy, and now she woke up thinking that they were being attacked. The elf tried her best to get up, but when she applied pressed to her ankle she fell back to the ground. She reached down with one hand to run her fingers over her ankle only for it to throb. After some time she just sat back looked over at Haine.

Her eyes were narrowed a bit as she looked at the knight. "Can you tell me why I'm awake right now?" She looked at him for a moment then fell back into the grass with a sigh. Her mind went back to the dream she had earlier but she couldn't remember anything about it. No matter how much she tried to remember something, she just couldn't.

The ground was starting to shake a bit, and when she turned a bit, the elf could see that the white wolf was coming over. Running around it was Hunin, the stupid gryphon chick even moving under the raised paws each time the large wolf raised it. To say the least, the way the wolf was walking was a bit awkward and it had to move to the side every now and again just so it wouldn't step on the little gryphon. The white wolf was agitated by the time it stepped into the clearing, lifting its gaze to look at the two of them before stepping over to the elf. A soft growl came from it, and no words were needed.

"Hunin, here!" With a click of her tongue, the gryphon ran away from the wolf and over to her, getting in her lap. While she was scratching the back of the gryphon's head and scolding it, the wolf was looking at Hunin with the same look in its eyes as it had the night before. She could feel the strange air that was coming off the beast and turned around quickly, swinging her arm out at the same time and hitting it in the nose. "He's not a a threat!" The wolf growled softly, glancing at her before looking at the man again. For once, she didn't know what to do.
 
Haine frowned, sitting back on his hands and watching the wolf. He could only come to the conclusion that the wolf had been the rustling noise, and it didn't make him much happier. It had only been one day, but Haine was already sick of this entire situation... sure, the wolf was a father figure to Jyade, but he was tired of being treated like some sort of outcast to the pack. Yes, he was a human, and yes he was a stranger. He understood that the wolves were very distrustful of him. But it was still pissing him off. Angrily, the knight climbed to his feet, latching his sword onto his back. His crimson cloak slung over his body, flashing the glimmering sunlight onto his armor with its swaying. Haine glared at the wolf, his icy blue eyes nearly bursting with his irritation.

"Look," Haine started, "You don't like me, and I sure as hell don't like you. But if I had any intention of attacking you or your pack, I wouldn't be trying to leave and I wouldn't have come this far with your..." Haine glanced over at Jyade for a brief moment. "...daughter. And if I wanted to kill her, I would have taken advantage of the fact that she's injured at the moment. But I didn't, and I certainly didn't try to attack any of you during the night. If you can't find it in yourself to like me, than at least respect me as an honorable warrior."

Haine stared hard at the wolf, his hands clenching in and out of fists. "What have I done wrong since coming here other than be a physical annoyance?"
 
Jyade watched Haine as he spoke, blinking slowly in surprise. For a human to stand up to a wolf the size of this one wasn't heard of, ever. The wolf just listened to Haine as he spoke, no emotions in his eyes and his ears turned around toward the man. When Haine asked the wolf snorted softly. "A male must take care of a female. Remember that," he growled lightly before turning around. The wolf kept his back to the man as he laid down on the ground, laying his head down onto his paws as if he were trying to relax. The wolf still wasn't relaxed of course, but he wasn't glaring at Haine anymore at least.

Jyade glanced at the white wolf then flicked her gaze over to Haine. The elf stroked the back of the gryphons head slowly as she tried to think, but nothing came to mind. After a moment of silence though, she felt the need to say something. "Well, stand up to a wolf was... bold. For you it was bold, it isn't for me of course." She was smiling a bit though, glad that nothing went wrong at least.

The wolf looked over at her when she spoke the turned around, his body curling up around hers, keeping her rather warm. The wolf closed his eyes for once and Jyade leaned back against it, relaxing into its warm coat. She was proud of him for standing up to the wolf like that. The way he looked when he stood up like that, he looked strangely...handsome. Strong was definitely a word that came to mind, but he was always a strong guy. The fairy that was usually on the white wolf's head moved off now and went to her ankle. He landed on it and started to rub it, his small fingers helping sooth it.
 
Haine didn't look it, but he felt extremely relieved when the wolf turned away, finally breaking away their locked gaze. The knight had been afraid that the wolf would jump him and rip off of his head and tear his armor to ribbons. Thankfully they managed to avoid a confrontation, and maybe gain a little respect for one another. Just a little. Haine took a seat near the trunk of a tree, resting his back against its wood like he often did when he sat against the trees. He kept a wary gaze on the wolf before finally deciding that he wasn't going to make a move. As delicate and rough as it was, they managed to reach a bit of an understanding. Haine didn't disagree with what the alpha had said.

Haine would have answered Jyade, but the quiet gaze of the white wolf stopped him. They were now at a decent stalemate, and he didn't want to say anything to break it. "How's the ankle?" Haine asked, looking over at it with concern. "Will we be able to move out soon? Or will you need more rest? If you'd like, I don't mind trying to scout ahead." He didn't want to push her back onto her feet, but he wanted to resume the quest soon. The princess could very well be in danger, and he didn't want to keep her there more than he had to. But he was truly concerned for Jyade all the while, knowing that she did more than play her part in the last battle. She deserved a warrior's rest.

Haine grabbed his small pouch of jerky and took a look at his contents. Only two pieces left. Without thinking, he grabbed them and tossed one over to Hunin, chomping away at the last one in his mouth. "While I was back in the city, I was hearing rumors of dangerous magic appearing around these parts." Haine stated, swallowing the jerky. He looked over at the wolf and the fairies. "Do any of you guys know anything about that? Are the rumors true? Or are they just rumors?"
 
"I might have to rest a bit," she said softly, looking down at the fairy as it continued to rub at her ankle. The touch of a fairy seemed to numb her ankle at least, make her stop thinking about the pain for a moment or two. It continued to rub at it while they spoke, humming so softly that only a well-trained ear would be able to hear it. "You shouldn't scout ahead though," she said softly. She had listened to what he said and was rather alarmed, since she never heard anything like that before. The wolf jerked slightly around her, letting her know that what he said was trued before the beast or fairy could speak.

The white fairy nodded in agreement with her, while the wolf opened its eyes to look at the two of them. "She is right sir. All of the forest creatures are on edge right now. These... rumors are true. Because of it, everything else is going as far as to attack the humans that walk the path unless a fairy or wolf intervenes. Even the magical creatures have shown themselves to humans, and those are the ones that hide themselves from even us fairies. It is like a...well it's like a warzone almost."

Jyade didn't like hearing this, didn't want to even think about any of this really. This was the place she used to call home, and now that she was back they were under threat and she could do nothing about it. If it wasn't for the princess having been kidnapped then she would've stayed and tried to help, though she barely knew any magic. She looked at Hunin as the gryphon ate the last of the jerky, chirping softly at Haine before turning to her and climbing into her lap. "Thank you for feeding him. We can start going now if you want." The fairy on her ankle got the hint and flew back to the wolf, sitting down in the fur atop its head once again. The elf turned to the white beast beside her, rubbing his head softly then picked up the gryphon chick. She laid Hunin on the wolf's back then moved on herself, using her left foot carefully so that her right ankle didn't have to move. Even if he wasn't ready to go, the wolf felt so nice and warm that that elf could stay there all day long.

"Can you get the hide for me?" The hide was less hide now and more of a blanket. The skin was just a thin layer that would separate a person from the fur if need be. And the once bristly fur was soft to the touch. The fairies had worked hard on that piece of hide, even softened the furs up a bit using oil made from sunflower seeds. It wouldn't stay so soft for long, hopefully until they reached the next city.
 
Haine climbed up to his feet, checking his pouches and other items he had on his belt. The pouch filled with rations he carried on the back of his belt was running low, but his weapons and everything else was in good condition. He would find time to clean his sword later, and he didn't seen any signs of deterioration or rust along its fine blade. He walked over to where he lit the fire from last night and stamped out the rest of the coals, killing it for good. With his silver hair gleaming in the sunlight, Haine took some time to take in the view of the forest. While it may not have been the most charming or beautiful sight he had seen, it was nice to be in a place rid of industry and other humans. Forests were just getting cleared out more and more, and it would only be a matter of time until they would try to get to this one. Hopefully, the wolves would take care of that when the need would arise.

Haine lightly took the hide from the fairies and walked over and handed the soft piece to Jyade. He gave the wolf an uneasy glance before stepping away, giving the beast some space. He knew that it was best for her to ride on it for now, but he hoped that the alpha wouldn't be with them for too long. They weren't going to suddenly get along like Jyade did with himself, and the wolf would only bring more trouble if they ran into upcoming cities or small villages.

"Okay, let's go." Haine nodded, showing that he was ready to move on. "I don't know where to go next, but all I know is that we're going deeper into more dangerous territory. With all these rumors spreading around, I'm a bit concerned about the next town."
 
"I don't blame you," Jyade said softly. She threw the hide over her shoulders, the fur touching her skin and clothing while the skin on the other side would keep the warmth in. It was nice and soft. She pulled Hunin back against her so that he was in between her legs and wouldn't fall off. The wolf slowly rose to his paws, and would've towered over the trees if the trees weren't so old and tall. The other wolves were gone by then, probably having left because of something the alpha said before going over to the two of them. "You'll be leading us through, right alpha?"

The wolf's body shook as he grunted. The white wolf looked at Haine before turning and starting to walk through the forest. Hunin was staying still for once, though his eyes were wide from surprise. The gryphon was never on the back of a horse before and the ride was strange for it, but the little thing stayed still as the wolf's body shook beneath them.

Jyade clung to the fur on the wolf's back, glad that she didn't have to put any pressure on her ankle, instead letting her foot hang limply. She turned around and looked at the rest of her things, having almost forgotten about her daggers while her sword was still attached to her side. Her lips moved quickly as she spoke silently, whispering an incantation softly under her breath. It wasn't long before the ground around the daggers seemed to spread and a vine grew out, wrapping around the daggers before growing more and going to her. She reached out to take hold of the daggers, putting each where they belonged in her skirt while the vine retracted back into the ground. It was one of the few spells that she learned from the fairies, since they mostly did things involving the forest. She didn't want her bow and quiver anymore because it got in the way all the time, and it wasn't like she used it as much as she did her daggers and sword. The wolf was walking slowly so that Haine could keep up at least, and not trying to leave him behind.
 
Haine followed closely behind, his eyes constantly flashing left it right. It wasn't like he was nervous of a sudden ambush, but it was more out of habit. They were far enough into the forest for humans, and the wolves were probably keeping the other predators out of the area. So for now, it was a comfortable walk if one could consider walking with a giant wolf that could eat a horse in a single gulp. Haine kept his arms at his sides, his crimson cloak shaking lightly with ever step. His longsword was strapped onto his back, but he'd be able to get it out in a hurry. Not that there'd be a need to fight for a while.

"Where is the next city, anyway?" He asked, breaking the silence that had formed over the small party. "I've never gone this far in this direction from the castle before, so I can only go on the words and rumors of the people in the Imperial City." He was a little bit embarrassed by his lack of information, but he wasn't afraid to be honest with them.
 
"On the other side of the forest," Jyade said softly. "A person can get through on foot within two days, I've done it a few times before." She looked down at the wolf below her, wondering if he would say anything. After a minute without a word though, her green eyes looked at Haine once again. "I'm not sure how far the city might be from the forest edge though. The last time I was there, they were attacked by a dragon so it may of been moved. It only took me a night to run to the forest from the city though, and I wasn't that fast of a runner back then."

Glancing up as a bird flew overhead, Jyade's mind went back to the dragons she saw before leaving the city. She thought about the large red dragon, wondering what happened with it and its young one. Maybe they were still around there, maybe they didn't like humans and they had something to do with the magic Haine spoke of earlier. She heard of dragons using magic earlier and didn't really believe it, but she could use magic and she was nothing but an elf. Who knew what dragons could really do? The elf looked down at the wolf once again, her grip on his fur having grown tighter while she did nothing but. She only noticed then, and didn't think of loosening her grip, as the beast didn't complain one bit. She could see the white fairy from where she sat, could see that it was curled up on the wolf's head and asleep. If one was willing to listen, they would be able to hear the sound of a running river. The wolf was following it to the other side of the forest, knowing that it ran all he way through and in the direction that the two were heading.

"Haine," Jyade started softly, "I don't know how to get to my homeland." She didn't want to admit that, but there were things she still had yet to tell him about her family and what they went through just so that she could escape. She took a short way out of her land, a way that was once guarded by elves and that was destroyed by two. "Do you think that someone in the next city might know which way to go?" Her voice was soft, showing how embarrassed she was about this. She was supposed to know the way, as an elf it was a bit of a big deal. Of course, she heard of ways to get there by both land and sea, though she would rather take the land route.
 
Haine looked over at her, appreciating her regretful honesty. He saw how flustered she was by the truth, and ultimately he didn't blame her. She must have been very, very young when she left anyway, so if she forgot the way he wouldn't hold it against her. Perhaps earlier, if it wasn't for that moment in the cave, he would have ignited with anger. After all, the king did pay her a small fortune to be the guide, and if she didn't know then what was the point? But Haine didn't care about all that anymore. Jyade was Jyade, and she was his elf-girl companion. There were other ways to find the way back to her home, and they would find them one way or another.

"I understand," he nodded, stepping over a few exposed roots from the trees. "It might take some time to find somebody who had actually traveled to the elven lands. It would be better if we spoke to an actual elf, but the only times I've seen them is when they're trying to kill me as quickly or as horribly as they could." He had a few scuffles with elves in the past, and none of them were good experiences. They couldn't be reasoned with, and they refused to speak to the humans. They were also the fiercest warriors that he had ever seen, and it was a struggle to fight against them.

Haine stayed quiet for the rest of the journey through the forest, keeping to himself. Every once in a while he would glance over at Jyade to see how she was holding up, or peer at the wolf. Here he was, traveling with an elf-girl, a giant wolf, and a sleeping fairy. This would certainly be quite a story to have in a fairy tale. "How much closer are we?" He asked after a good while, "I feel like something's wrong..." His gut was telling him to be careful... and it was never wrong.
 
The wolf grunted softly at what Haine said, lifting his head a bit when he saw birds fly past, going deeper into the forest. They were almost through the forest too, since they were moving faster than most humans that went through could, as they didn't have to worry about bwing attacked by bandits or animals. "We're almost through," the white fairy said. The sun was starting to go down by then, Hunin and Jyade were both sleeping atop the wolf. She never felt the need to sleep so much before, but her dreams weren't anything scary or something she actually wanted to wake up from. She was remembering things right now, remembering about the land she once came from. She left so long ago though, and she was so young when it happened, that she only remembered the things a child would find amazing.

The fairy flew from the dragon's head and over to Jyade, starting to rub her ankle again. "I think it'd be best to stop for now. We're around the forest edge, and you don't necessarily need to leave right now."

The elf woke up once she felt the fairy's touch, blinking her green eyes open and peering out at the forest. She didn't want to comment on it, on how the trees there seemed shorter than the ones that were near the last city, or about how she couldn't hear a single chirping bird. It made her uneasy really, but she still didn't want to say anything. The wolf stopped walking, peering through the trees for a moment, the fur along his neck rising slowly as if her were about to growl at something. "I stop here," was all he said. The white wolf laid down on the ground, his head lifted up high though. It was obvious that the wolf didn't like being there, and it wasn't because of Haine this time.
 
Haine halted, feeling a shiver coarse down his spine. The air felt dead, an uneasy breeze shifting through the leaves of the strange trees. Besides the creepy wind, it was dead silent. Haine instinctively reached for the sword on his back, slowly pulling it out with his right hand. He wasn't sure if he needed it, but he wasn't about to let his guard down in such a situation. He didn't have the keen senses of a wolf, or the natural detection ability that elves or fairies may have. He could only rely on his feelings and gut, his icy blue eyes constantly shifting from left to right. Something was definitely off, and he knew that all of them were on edge in one way or another.

"I don't like this," Haine stated, "It's too quiet." He couldn't help but make his way forward, stepping slowly through the forest. He lifted his hand, motioning for the others to stay put for a while. He wanted to at least get a look ahead to see if anything was different. His left hand clenched and un-clenched periodically, his breaths quiet and deep. He took a step forward.

The bottom of his boot touched something soft.

Haine pulled it back and took a few steps away, glancing down at the sight. "Shit." He growled, "I knew something was wrong..." What remained of a human body was lying still on the forest floor, hardly recognizable. The body looked like it had been ripped by massive claws or teeth, its limbs mangled and torn to shreds. A part of it was blackened by burns, its clothes basically obliterated from its body. Haine knelt down, ignoring the stench that was drifting off of its body. "...I can't even tell if it was a man or a woman...." He stated, looking over the mess. He reached forward, yanking what was left of a necklace off of the body. He stood up, taking a closer look at the item.

He turned, walking back over to the others holding a heart-shaped locket in his hand. "That body must have been here for a while," Haine stated, looking back over at it. "Normally, forest animals would have eaten the rest of it by now... but it's been practically untouched." He opened up the locket and sighed, quickly closing it.
 
Jyade was silent as she watched Haine move forward, feeling the muscles of the wolf tense a bit under her. She couldn't tell what was going on really, but there was a scent in the air that made her skin crawl. The wolf stayed still as he peered through the trees at Haine, having already sensed death once they got close to the human's corpse. The gryphon chick was slowly becoming aroused, blinking its eyes open sleepily as he looked around the area. Hunin was soon aware that something was wrong as well and, for once, stayed silent even though he was hungry.

"It's the scent," the wolf growled in response to what the knight said. He took a step back now, his ears perked up and turning every now and again as if the great, white beast was waiting for something to attack them at any minute. He laid down on the ground without warning, silently refusing to move another step forward.

The elf didn't notice until then that the fairy stopped rubbing her ankle, looking away from the hand Haine had the locket in and glancing down at the fairy. The white fairy looked paler than before somehow, ghostly almost, as he looked at the corpse. She wasn't so affected by the sight. Being a mercenary, she killed many a person who didn't deserve to be killed until she built up a reputation. Once her reputation had been built though, she only killed those she deemed worthy of death. And this person? This was probably somebody who did nothing wrong during their life time and who was randomly attacked randomly by... something.

Her gaze flicked to the corpse and Jyade just looked at it, taking in the burnt appearance and the torn appendages of the deceased. She never saw anything like it before. It was unique really, to see that a creature both burnt the person then tore them to shreds. Creatures that could ignite things were already rare, but this one seemed vicious like no other. Even she didn't want to run into what killed this person. Tilting her head back, the elf peered past the leaves to look up at the sky, able to easily tell that the sun was already going down. "How about we go closer to the river and set up camp for now? Hopefully, we won't see anymore corpses." She was sure there would be more though, if the beast that did this wasn't killed anyway. Once a animal struck once, they seemed tostrike again in the same general area.
 
Haine looked at the locket once more before looking back at the body. "I don't know. I don't like sitting around waiting for whatever killed this person, but I also don't want to sit around not knowing what could be ahead. I'd like to scout ahead to see what we could be facing tomorrow, but I don't want to have a chance of meeting whatever did this. What makes me nervous is that whatever attacked this person wasn't doing it for a meal... it was doing it to kill." Haine gripped the locket tightly in his gloves, his icy blue eyes going cold and angry. "There's probably more bodies like this one scattered around the forest." He turned, making it back to his companions.

"Let's just go to the river. We wouldn't be any safer there than here, though." Haine stated, looking over at the body once again. "Whatever killed them... might already know that we're here." Haine kept his sword in his hand, twirling it around anxiously. What had killed that person? If it was a gryphon, there'd be nothing left... hell, if it were any normal predator there'd be nothing left. So why was there still so much left of the body? Probably because the creature was in a rush killing the others. Haine shook his head. He probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

On the way to the river, supplies and other items were scattered around the forest floors. They passed bags that had been torn or burned, clothes that were in scraps, and stuffed animal toys that were left sadly lying on the ground. Haine had no doubt that these belonged to the people in the city, and that only made him angrier and more alert.
 
She watched them from a safe distance away, looking around trees and at the man who seemed to be leading the strange group. She was in awe when she saw him, a man who was anything but human but looked so much so that he could fool them easily. She couldn't imagine what he looked like without all that armor on, probably had rippled muscles and whatnot. She shivered a bit at the thought, smiling to herself before retreating from the forest and into her castle once again. "There is a man in the forest," she said softly, "he looks like he'll make a wonderful king." It didn't seem like she was talking to anybody for a moment, but a low growl could soon be heard somewhere in the dark room. The floor shook with each step the creature made before it seemed to disappear altogether.

Jyade looked up once she heard the river, looking at the water as the wolf laid down beside it. She slipped off the wolf's back and onto the ground, once the fairy was away from her foot, carefully putting weight on her ankle. She waited until she was sure it was okay and relaxed there, before falling back onto the ground with a sigh. "At least my ankle is feeling better. Another night of not bwing on it, and it should be healed." She was still thinking about all the things they saw though, knowing it was too much to of belonged to one person. An entire town had to of been attacked, and most likely by the same thing that killed the first corpse they saw.

Once the wolf was laying down on the ground, Hunin climbed off it and ran over to her. He got in her lap and chirped softly a few times, hungry after only having a piece of jerky earlier. With the whisper of a single spell, a vine grew out of the ground going through a fish before it went to the gryphon, still sticking through that fish. The gryphon quickly got the fish and started to eat, nothing but a child and unable to think about things the way that the large wolf and the fairy could. She was thinking more about the corpses though, wondering how long they were there for and what happened. She wanted to know what killed those people and why. There couldn't be a good reason to kill all those people.
 
Haine took a seat by the riverbed, hesitating to fill his canteen. There could be bodies upriver polluting the stream, and he didn't dare risk of getting himself sick off of that. Luckily, there weren't any bodies in sight. Just torn up scraps and forgotten items. There was an angry air about him, his hand still clenching his sword tightly. He could NEVER forgive whatever did this to those people... to kill to eat is one thing, but to kill just to kill people that were obviously trying to run away was sickening. Even bandits weren't as bad as whatever killed those villagers back there. Haine wondered how many people were actually killed... by the looks of it it was dozens. Or maybe even hundreds.

He took out the locket, holding it out before his eyes. He wish that he could have gone back to bury all those people, but he didn't want to risk getting attacked by that creature in surprise. Could he fight such a monster? He's fought many beasts and fowl things, but whatever did that was certainly a monster. That, or there could have been more than one. Haine glanced over at the wolf for a brief moment before tearing his eyes. If it wasn't for the strange burns, Haine would have guessed that wolves would have done something like that.

"I don't like this." He stated outloud, "I don't like this at all." He stood up from the river bank, slipping the locket back into his pouch. He looked over at the others with a frown. "I'll keep watch tonight. We're going to have to be on our toes." He walked over and sat down at the base of a try, setting his sword on the ground where it was easily in reach.
 
Jyade nodded, petting Hunin softly as she tried to calm the gryphon. The chick was eating he fish happily, preferring to swallow it hole instead of biting pieces off the way a human had to. Once he was done eating the gryphon went over to Jyade and climbed into her lap, moving against her hand the way a cat would before curling up in her lap. The elf looked down at the gryphon and continued to pet it as she began to relax and lean against the wolf. Leaning back against the white wolf and feeling his soft coat, it was too much for her. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

It was a few hours since Jyade feel asleep by the time the sound was heard. The white wolf lifted his head, ears perking up and turning when he heard the sound of beating wings getting louder and louder. He had a reason to be alarmed too. The approaching dragon was bigger than the white wolf, and with claws and teeth that were bigger than its own. The wolf would've ran if he were alone, but with the sleeping elf and the knight still there he couldn't. Once the dragon got close though, the wolf jumped to his paws then leaped at the scaled beast, catching one of its beating wings and pulling it down to the ground quickly.

The elf was awake instantly, eyes wide was she stared up at the dragon. It was almost twice the size of the wolf. The air that came off it was horrible. She never felt such darkness before, so much hatred and rage in one living creature. It was like nothing she ever saw or felt before. Its red eyes, black scales, the huge claws that were on this dragon was like nothing she ever saw before.
 
Haine, who was still up and awake, was on his feet with his sword clutched firmly in his hand. He felt a drop of sweat drip from his temple, hairs raising on the back of his neck. It all made sense now. The half burnt bodies, the torn heaps of human... it was from a dragon, one of the most dangerous beasts in the entire world. Forget fighting gryphons or giant wolves.... dragons were in a class completely of their own. People who were classified as dragonslayers had a low life expectancy, but that was to be expected. Facing one of these awesome creatures was pure suicide. Their hide was thicker than any armor, their claws sharper than any sword. It's breath was said to be as hot as the sun, its jaws powerful enough to bite through a castle wall.

"Shit..." Haine stated, spinning the sword fluently in his hand. His body was still, looking calm and ready. But in reality he was terrified... he had never been close to a dragon before, and he never met anybody who had fought with one. The only ones who were capable of even fighting back were him and the wolf. As far as he knew, Jyade's ankle was still injured. The wolf would most likely carry her away, so that just left him.

"Okay..." Haine stated slowly, his breaths coming out deep and slow. "Elf-girl, get to safety... I'll try to stall this thing if it attacks us..." He spun the sword again his his hand, pacing to the side. The dragon was tremendous, its size staggering. It could probably eat an entire stable of horses in a single bite... Haine gulped, tightening his free hand into a fist. He couldn't help but feel that there was a special reason why this dragon popped out just now, but he couldn't figure it out.
 
The wolf leaped back from the dragon before it could attack, growling softly as he hovered over Jyade. The elf didn't want to run away, she wanted to stay and fight this beast, or maybe it was because she didn't think Haine would be able to stall this thing if it did attack them. She wasn't sure why, but the wolf was determined to get her to safety right now. It ducked its head down and snatched her up by her top, only giving her time to pick up Hunin before he turned and started to run. "Wait! We can't ju-" She was cut short as the wolf fell to the ground, flying out of his mouth. She heard soft whispers in her ear before a vine came up and caught her, just before she could hit the hard base of a tree.

The dragon laughed darkly as it wrapped the tip of its tail around the wolf's ankle then started to draw the smaller creature toward him. He would get the knight for his mistress, but after he had a bit of fun. All the dragon ever killed were cattle and humans, petty little things that weren't even as big as this wolf. "You shall pay for harming me." That was the only thing it said before opening his maw, smoke flowing out of its nostrils as the flames started in his body. A soft, rumbling growl started in its chest as it lowered its head, paying the knight no attention as it opened its mouth and flames shot out.

She heard the piercing howl even though she didn't want to. The flames kept coming. They made its fur go up in flames, they burned the wolf quickly and easily. She could feel the fairy bury its head against her neck as the vines lowered her to the ground, but she couldn't move. The howl slowly died down as the wolf stopping fighting, just falling to the ground with empty eyes and a half burnt body. The dragon retracted its unharmed tail, snorting softly as he turned to look at the armored man. "Are you going to join me without arguing or shall I do the same to the elf?"
 
Haine couldn't keep it held back anymore. He tried, as hard as he could, to never bring it out ever again. That last time it came out was years ago in the war, and it took much effort to never do anything like it again. But the walls that he kept around it had broken at the sight of the attack, the wolf's pained howls crumbling down his security. He didn't get along with the wolf... but the alpha was a comrade. And he was supposed to protect his comrades with his life. And when the dragon mentioned attacking Jyade... the rage finally consumed him.

The beast finally broke out.

When the dragon had turned to Haine, the knight had made his move. His single fist collided into the head of the massive dragon, his overpowering strength actually knocking the dragon back into the ground in pure surprise. The dragon roared in pain, its massive claws digging back into the earth to keep it from falling onto its side. But Haine was already there, raising his long sword into the air with his right hand. Normally, Haine would know better. He knew that no blade could pierce into the armored flesh of a dragon.

But this wasn't Haine. This was the beast.

Haine brought the sword down onto the dragon's head like a club, smashing its face into the dirt. The dragon's tail quickly swept behind, attempting to bat Haine off of its head. Haine saw it coming, but there was no way he could stop it. He braced himself, taking the blow directly into the arm. The impact sent him flying through the air, his armored body crashing into a tree and smashing it into splinters and kicking up a cloud of dirt.

"The mistress was right," The dragon growled, turning to face the knight. "You aren't just some human..." Haine said nothing, standing up to face the dragon. His armor was visibly scratched, his left arm bent at a strange angle from dislocation. Without taking his eyes off of his enemy, Haine grabbed his arm and pulled, popping it back in its place with a sickening crack.

The beast didn't care for pain.

An odd, faint voice carried over to them, drifting calmly along the breeze. The dragon's eyes glowed crimson for a brief second before straightening, its wings spreading from its back. "You're lucky," the dragon growled, "The mistress called, so I'll have to postpone taking you back. But I'm going to see you again very, very soon." With a swing of its powerful wings, the dragon leaped into the air, creating a powerful gust of wind that almost threatened to blow all the trees over. In a second it was gone, soaring off into the dark sky.

And with that, the beast finally went back into its cage. Haine blinked, coming back to his senses before sprinting over to the side of the wolf, quickly sheathing his sword into the scabbard onto his back.
 
"Please wake up papa." She heard the sounds of battle, she heard the dragon as it roared in pain, heard the sound of metal hitting tough scales. It was all so far away though. A loud squeak of pain came from Hunin as she dropped the gryphon, rushing over to the burned body of the wolf. She wanted desperately for all of this to be a bad dream, for her to wake up and still be lying against the wolf by the river. She wasn't waking up though, and she felt the pain. It felt like somebody was squeezing her heart, slowly and steadily stealing each breath from her as warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

She collapsed to the ground beside the wolf and wrapped her arms around his muzzle, not caring about the smell. Her heart... it felt like her heart was stuck in her throat and trying to suffocate her. She couldn't whimper, could barely sob. This had to be her fault. In some way, the death of the wolf had to be pinned on her. No matter how she thought about things though, her thoughts always went back to the black dragon who killed the wolf and all those people for no reason whatsoever.

"You weren't supposed to die," she said softly.

A soft bite to the arm was what it took for her to come back to reality, blinking her teary eyes slowly as she looked at Hunin. The chick was looking at her with a sad look in its eyes, understanding her misery in some way. She could hear everything again. She heard the dragon's words before it leaped into the air then heard Haine as he started to walk over. The one thing she couldn't hear though were breaths coming from the wolf. That was what she wanted to hear right now, but what she couldn't no matter what she did. The only thing she could do now was exact revenge. With a dragon having killed the wolf though, she was sure she couldn't even do that. Her head seemed to throb as she stood up, wiping the tears from her cheeks as her hair fell down to cover her back once again. There was no pain in her ankle any more. She couldn't feel that pain even if she wanted to.

~

The woman was pacing around the large room, mumbling softly under her breath as she tried to figure out what happened. How could this happen? How could one of the dragons slip out of her castle when her pet had only been gone for less than an hour? And her soon-to-be-husband was not yet captured! Instead he was still with that sad excuse for an elf and that stupid little gryphon! To say the least, the blue eyed woman was pissed off. She clutched a strange stone that hung from the sting around her neck, hearing her dragon's beating wings before she actually saw him. the dragon came into the castle through a wide set of windows, landing carefully on the floor. "You've called mistress?"

"Of course I did!" She snapped. "You spent all that time playing with that dumb wolf when you could've been snatching up my husband." She turned away, sighing softly as her her moved from the stone and began to finger to silky material of her blue dress. "You can always redeem yourself. I need you to go out and look for the little red dragon," she said softly. "If you happen to catch a glimpse of that man while you're out though, make sure that you capture him for me. Either that or you can kiss your precious tail goodbye!" She heard a loud whimper come from the dragon before it turned and leaped out of the castle, beating its wings quickly and taking off into the sky.
 
Haine wasn't sure what to say. He was never good at dealing with such great losses, even when it came to just himself. Was he angry? Yes, he was absolutely furious. His hands clenched tightly into fists as he stood beside Jyade, looking at the wolf with nothing but respect. Haine held the highest respect for those who gave their lives for others, and the alpha did just that. He gave Jyade a sideways glance, watching the tears roll down her cheeks. He hesitated, but placed his heavy hand onto her shoulder. His icy blue eyes shifted back to the wolf, his silver hair flowing in the sad wind. It looked as if it was about to rain soon.

"He's not going to get away with this." Haine stated codly, removing his hand from her shoulder. "There's no way we're going to let him get off easy, either." Haine bent down, looking at the alpha. He listened for a breath, looking for a heartbeat... but he got none. Sighing, he stood back up and glanced around. The dragon was completely gone, and they seemed to be safe for now. They were going to have to move soon if they didn't want to get caught so easily, but there was no way that he was going to leave the alpha like that.

"Do you want to bury him?" Haine asked Jyade softly.
 
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