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Fantasy Unleash the Beasts(closed until further notice)

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Katie would see the shifter come out of the cage, carrying a beaten and bloodie wolf with him. She’d never seen such a gorey sight, even as a huntress. She’d turn to the restrained man and did her best to get an idea of the situation. “I see, so this bastard hurt that wolf there and is trying to stop you from rescuing her, is that right?” She’d say as she draw her blade. The wild ferocity of Hunter didn’t give her any good vibes.
 
The Master

His trudge through the woods was silent, except for the noises of the natural world around him. The night was dark, though morning was soon to come. He would move the girl before then, he decided. A fallen tree crosses his path, and as he steps over it a limb snaps and echoes through the woods. It was of little consequence, but still, he looked about to be certain that nobody heard him. "Who's there? Johnathan? This isn't funny help me out here!" A feminine voice called. He stepped into the clearing, and saw a girl who looked much like his own white wolf. She was sharper, though. And boisterous. He smiles amiably, though the friendliness doesn't reach his cold eyes. "You only have two hands buddy how the hell do you use all those knives?!" she says, loudly. He wishes she would shut her mouth. "Each knife has a use." He says, strained. It's the truth. He uses each of his weapons for a very specific task, and knows each of them intimately. "I am hunting. Be quiet, you're going to scare off my prey." He growled, passing her. If the girl followed him he would have to take care of her. He didn't want to leave any messes, though. Leaving any trace that he was here must be avoided if he were to disappear with his wolf.


Lucy

Lucy listened to Ben and Lila, plagued by guilt. She refused to meet Ben's eyes, but could feel his glare hot against her skin. A warbling cry, inhuman and warped, cuts through the quiet. She turns to look, holding her dagger in front of her, and stares straight into the face of the beast that she is sure will kill her. Its fangs were twice the length of her hand, poised to bite as it pulled its arm back to wound her with its own rusted weapon. Opening her mouth to scream, her voice is caught in her throat, and it's all she can do to close her eyes and hope that her dagger would find the beasts neck. When no painful death is delivered, she cracks her eyes open, and watches as a falcon gores the creature with its talons. Once killed, the creature lays limp on the ground, still twitching. The falcon perches atop its fallen victim, looking at them with a dark eye. "Are you alright?" Lila asks, shaken. Slowly, she lowers her weapon, stiff in every limb. "I'm fine." She answers, disturbed. If not for the falcon, she may not be standing. Even with Hunter's lessons, she wasn't able to react quick enough to protect herself. Her eyes don't leave the bird, which cocked its head to the side at them.
 
Hunter instantly started struggling against roots when he felt them, he broke parts of them several times only to have them grow bake before he could get out, that was until he saw Johnathan picking up Marie. "Protect...Marie." whatever was left of his real self ordered and with a growl he reached down and ripped his constraints apart once more, this time in their entirety. With his legs freed he dived towards Johnathan, using the momentum to swing his lower body around in a sweep, knocking Johnathan's legs out from under him. As the raven fell Hunter stood up, catching Marie in the process. With his ward in arm he bolted making sure to strafe so not to be recaptured leaving the trio to watch as the two disappeared into the forest
 
Gwen stares at the man as he walks more into the clearing, she listens to his monotone speech about his work and knives and she notes the obviously fake smile on his face. "My, my aren't you just bursting with personality." She chuckles, walking off to one side passing behind the man. "A mysterious man, off on his own in the woods, with about as much to say as a brick wall." I should probably lay off since he might be able to show me a way out but his silence makes this just too easy, Gwen can't help but grin and follow slowly a few paces back as she continues. "Hunting huh? What could you be hunting, and please don't say women. I know it was hard for you after your mother told you she couldn't bear to look at your face anymore, god knows she put up with it as long as humanly possibly, but bless your heart you're still looking for love. What a trooper." The suspicion was starting to grow that he was involved with this whole mess somehow, a man off on his own in the woods and so close to the town. And now Marie's disappearance in the same direction, sorta, that this guy is hanging out in. Plus the weird blade collection, I wonder if he has a cream cheese spreader, he did say a blade for every purpose or was it every blade has its purpose? I honestly wasn't paying attention as he could only be described as.. riveting.., Gwen tries to keep her distance but is too caught up in taunting him. What did she have to fear, one misstep on his part and she could just fly away... oh no...

Ben felt stuck inside himself again, he had given up why should Lila listen to him, 'No... no.... you have to keep trying.' Why bother, see? She said she doesn't want to listen to any of it, we drove her away and she will never want to talk to us again. You pushed too hard, she was upset and you read her wrong and now you've ruined it, great job...dumbass. 'She just needs time it will all work out...' The voice of optimism sound distant, like through a wall of a house, still audible but not worth straining to hear. Ben felt like a being trapped in a shell to big, he felt so small and insignificant inside that curling up and shutting out the world felt nice and safe. He had done it before and doing it again was just saying hello to an old friend, or a familiar blanket, just one laden with sadness and regret. He just had one thing left to do, apologize to Lila, as her forgiveness for making everything worse and then staying quiet so you don't mess anything else up. While he prepares himself for the words of, 'I'm sorry I made you feel worse than you already are, I was only trying to help.', a streak of movement followed by a crash of fighting tears his attention. Staring at the fighting pair he realizes that he hadn't even the time to pick up his hammer, let alone ready it to fight. He didn't make that mistake twice, he picks up his hammer and steps in front of the girls facing the feasting bird. He knew he couldn't match the speed, that much was clear, but it would only take one good swing to bring such a small creature down. "Friend or foe, I know you saved us but we have already lost one friend today, I won't let there be a second." He tried to sound as brave as possible, but his mind was working on plans already. 'If I put all my strength into one hit I might win outright, but I'll definitely tear my stitches and if I miss the next swings will be a lot harder.' He gripped the leather handle tightly.
 
Again Johnathan found himself on the ground. He swore loudly, clearly aggravated. "Fuck it! Protect her, he says. Keep them safe, and do as your told. Fuck off with that noise!" He stood up, dusting himself off. He glanced at the two, the words of the other one were lost on him due to yet another attack by someone who was supposed to be an ally. "Do whatever you want," he waved a hand at them. "I have to go find the other person he's forsaken to roam this damn forest." With that, he quickly transformed and flew off in search of Gwen. This clearly wasn't going to be an easy feet, considering she was condemned to her human form, so he had no gauge as to how far she would've gotten on foot.
After circling the forest for a number of minutes he spotted the ashen haired girl. He dived down quickly, shifting at the last moment to land beside her. The landing wasn't as smooth as he wanted, his leg faltering beneath him leading him to stumble a little. He swore under his breath as he tried to stand normally. Finally he looked around, taking note of the older man, covered from head to toe in weapons. He ignored this fact though, clearly not in the mood. "Sorry, she's not for sale right now. I still haven't gotten my moneys worth." He commented dryly before turning back to Gwen. "Let's get out of here." He took a hold of her hand somewhat forcefully. He tried to pull her with him, but it wouldn't take much force to break his grasp in the current state he was in. He was bruised, caked in dirt, and tired.
 
Katie would watch the man suddenly turn and fly off in a random direction, confused and unsatisfied with the situation he had left the two girls. "The hell? Doesn't he want to save that wolf from that beast?" She'd ask out loud. "Well, doesn't matter what that mans problem was..." she'd say as she started to stretch out her body, being careful not to disturb her bloodied arm. "Can't let a wild beast like that cause havoc all over the forest and cities." She'd add, referring to the beast who took off with the other wolf. "You coming?" She'd ask to Kay.
 
She would nod, breathing heavily as she released her spell. Channeling a spell of that power made her feel the familiar exhaustion that comes from channeling the powers of the land. She thought about the events that had happened.

“What kind of monstrosity was that? Very few have the raw strength to completely rip through those thick roots, they were even growing at an alarming rate. Yet it proved futile. I hope the shifter I saw was okay, someone with that raw strength certainly hits hard. Now what do I do?”

The druidess took a look around her, closing her eyes for a brief moment to recenter herself on the task at hand. She turned to her rather strong female companion.

“Yes, we need to warn others of this threat. I’m afraid that not even my magic could keep it at bay. Let me help you before we continue onwards.”
 
“Why bother warning other people when we can just ring em in ourselves?” Katie would ask. “Even with a busted arm, a skilled huntress can bring that guy down!” She’d boast to the Druid.
 
Kay would look at her companion, walking closer as she began by asking, “May I see your wound?” She’d hold her hands up in a gentle manner, looking at Katie’s arm laceration with her eyes as she spoke. “If we were to fall in battle against that thing, it would only be a detriment to the people. Even though I dislike what society does to nature, I don’t want to see anyone else getting hurt. I think we should go back to the nearest town and warn them. Perhaps they can assist us in some way.”
 
Katie seemed the mull the decision over in her head for a minute. She didn’t want to back down from the aggressive wolf, but she would be stranded if it got the best of her, and her blade was already pretty cracked.

“Alright fine. We’ll go run away.” She’d say in a defeatist tone. They really did have no choice.

“Don’t get lost now.” She’d joke as she started walking forward, heading in the direction of Evergreen.
 
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The Master

He drowned out the rambling of the thick-headed girl. Too persistent. She followed him, setting him on edge. Imperceptibly, he veered off his path from the camp as she insisted on following a few steps behind him. He wanted to lead her away somewhere he could dispose of her if she continued to follow. Nothing would delay his punishment of the wolf. Not even a worthless girl in the woods. As he turned over each option in his mind, the telling noise of disturbed leaves announced the arrival of a new shifter. A bird or tree-dwelling mammal, he could tell, since no footsteps preceded its arrival. He groaned, slipping a knife from its sheath around his belt. It would be a shame to use his favorite blade on such lowly vermin, but he wasn't as fast as he used to be, and he needed to be swift in order to take out two much younger shifters.

"Sorry, she's not for sale right now. I still haven't gotten my moneys worth. Let's get out of here." the boy said, grabbing hold of the girl. "I don't want your trash." He grumbled in reply, looking over the boy. Tall, dark-haired, and tired. Very tired. Sensing an advantage, he calculated his next move. Which of them to take down first? The boy was tired, of course, but adrenaline has a way of making the heart pump. He examined the girl once more. She was much more lively, but the cuffs around her wrists left her in poor shape to fight back. Didn't stop her from running, though. Making his decision, he chose to go for the girl first. Though he might still run, the boy would tire quicker, and be easier to catch. There would be no witnesses to carry word of him back to any city.

The knife felt off-balance. He shifted the handle between his calloused fingers so that it settled into familiar grooves in his hand. Over decades, the oils and friction of his skin had worn down the handle so that it melded seamlessly against him, becoming a sharp and deadly extension of his arm. The blade itself showed many years of use, sharpened and buffed so many times that the once pristine edge was now wavy and jagged. Still, it had never failed him. He drew a full breath into his lungs as he lifted his hand to attack. In less time than it took to blink, he slashed outwards, stomping his foot into a new hold so that his body was stable and unmovable. His aim looked to be true, directed towards the throat of the girl.

 
Gwen had stopped, panic setting in as she had just realized how absolutely screwed she is without her ability to shift. All her talk with this weird knife enthusiast was going to be trouble and her backup plan of escape will be sorely disappointing if she tried to execute it now. "Wolf- boy... you're going to get me killed..." She grumbles softly, hoping to slip away as he is still walking ahead causing him to slowly pulling away from her. Gwen turns to double back and sees Johnathan half shift, half trip into view, she hopes the noise doesn't make the older man turn back on them and her assessment of Johnathan only makes her fear worsen. He looks like crap, exhausted and beaten up, she wagers he didn't fare much better than her and will prove more than willing to get her the hell out of there. She shoots him a glare as he speaks to old mc stabby, as if she hadn't been doing the same thing for the past few minutes but shut up, he didn't know that. Gwen rolls her eyes at his statement but the time to smack him for that was later, now he needed to get her out of here and his performance in said task would determine the severity of aforementioned smack. She tries to follow him as he yanks her arm but stumbles off balance as she is pulled along with him, inciting another grumble from her throat. Gwen feels a sense of unease creep up her neck, something convinced her that the third wheel wouldn't leave them alone. Quickly turning her head as she caught up with Johnathan's pulling, her heart leapt into her throat, there was a blade flying towards her face. She barely had enough time to register that she should defend herself and acting on instinct pull her hand free of Johnathan's grasp and barely gets it out in front of her face. She doesn't even have time to hope she guess where it was aiming correctly, as it could easily have been sent at her heart. But with an explosion of pain and a large burst of force her hand is nocked to the side with a long blade piercing through her hand. She stumbles back, clutching her wrist with a cry of pain slowly rising up her throat.
 
A flash of anger consumed him as he turned back, ready to tear this guy a new one, despite his injuries. Sure he didn't know Gwen, but he didn't stand for crap responses like that, no matter who they were. He wasn't able to respond though. His eyes grew wide as he watched the man step forward, a blade aimed at Gwen. With his grip on her hand, he pulled, trying to move her to safety, but he was too late. The blade was lodged into her hand, causing her to let out a guttural cry. Johnathan looked back to the man. All he wanted to do was kill him; he wanted to feel his eyes pop within their sockets as he forced his thumbs into them, watch the brains splatter out from his ears as he stomped his skull in. He couldn't though, he had to protect Gwen. A deep hatred formed, but not just for this man, but for Hunter as well. If he hadn't been such a loose cannon this wouldn't have happened. It's all that dumb fucks fault! He's dead to me. I want him dead. Johnathan quickly grabbed Gwen again and pulled her to his chest. "Wrap your arms around my neck. Now." He commanded, voice low. Once she had, he put the last of his strength into shifting his arms into wings. He let out a grunt as he strained his body. The bones cracked and feathers pierced his skin. It only took a few seconds though, and with his large white wings he flapped them towards the stranger, sending large gusts of wind to keep him back. The raven then did his best to get air born and fly away with Gwen. He just had to get far enough away from this psycho. Just enough to make sure Gwen was safe.
 
The Master

He scowled as his knife missed its mark, cutting through the girl's hand rather than her throat. Wishing his wolf was still loyal enough to so work of this sort for him, he withdrew his knife and lunged to hit the girl again, hoping the hit would connect. He had forgotten about the boy, and he pulled the girl away, interrupting the attack. Luckily, the boy burdened himself by taking the girl onto his back, with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He smiled, peeling his lips back to reveal yellowed teeth. Where is the sense of self-preservation in todays youth? He took no time at all to begin looking for a new vital organ to target.

Just as quickly as he could decide where to stab, the boy shifted his arms into wings, covered in stiff white feathers. The air pushed at him by those wings made it difficult to stand his ground enough to put power into his blow, but not impossible. However, too much of his focus went into keeping upright, and his victims began to take to the air. It seemed impossible to carry so much weight anywhere meaningful on those wings, but the boy seemed determined to try his best. That won't do at all. Locking his eyes on the boys wings, he lunged forward, hoping to break one or both of them to halt their escape.
 
Gwen barely noticed Johnathan pulling her back as her hand continued to bleed and throb, all she could do was stare in disbelief at the wound at it dripped bright sanguine liquid onto the green of the forest floor. Her mind felt in a daze, mixtures of panic, fear, adrenaline, and morbid curiosity whirled around her mind as she couldn't help but stare at her hand as it slowly kept throbbing painfully. Johnathan's words only brought her back for a moment with just his tone making the difference, gone was his jovial and light-hearted manner now replaced by a colder and more curt tone. Gwen nodded and threw her arms around his neck and shoulders but was soon lost again, watching her blood trickle down her wrist and over the clenched fingers of her other hand. It was as if her wounded hand was now separated from her body somehow, with a barrier put up at her wrist as her body tried to mitigate the pain in the extremity. She found it odd and how it seemed to serve little purpose, she could still feel the sharp pain of her slashed flesh but it felt... distant somehow, like it wasn't her own or something just outside her reach. Even as Johnathan's strained breathing echoed in her ear and wind started to tug at her clothing as she was lifted into the air, she kept staring at the twitching limb as the blood covered most of her hand now and dripped off in many places. She slowly started to be aware that she should be angry or distraught at the person who did this to her, but for some reason that thought came later than all the others. Sure she had been wounded in the past, and her vengeance against those who had done so was swift and merciless but... this time was different. Maybe it was that she was caught off guard or that she wasn't able to defend herself, or maybe it was the fact that she had been so close to dying that she couldn't register it. An idea that had once seemed like a triviality or a them not me mentality was now staring her in the face and she didn't want to accept it. She turned back to look at the man who had brought this on her and saw him struggling to stand with the wind created by Johnathan but he was slowly rising. Gwen once again was faced with the notion that she should have been angry, furious most likely, but her thoughts were still clouded with disbelief. She turned back to look at her hand, the cut was still there, the pain had not faded. She slowly lifted her thumb and pressed it into the cut, causing her to cry out in pain again as the fog seemed to lift from her thoughts. This was real, this was happening right now and she was still in danger, with her thoughts back in some working order she turns back to look at the assailant just in time to see him lunging at Johnathan's wings. She couldn't let go but she had to defend him somehow, so Gwen tucks up her leg and send the heel of her boot straight at the man's chin. "Piss off..." Her voice comes out small as her foot connects and the slowly rise out of reach.
 
The peregrine falcon watched as the lighter-haired female comforted the other one, but it flinched once the male brandished his hammer. It fluttered its wings and hopped backwards off the snake’s lifeless body, landing on the dirt path further away from the trio of humans. Well out of reach of the hammer, the bird nonetheless tensed up, confused as to why the male was taking up an aggressive stance. It straightened its head as well, fixing him with a focused glare.

The falcon had to take a risk and make a decision. It had to assume that the male wasn’t a true enemy. The screams it had heard earlier couldn’t have been caused by the snake-like creature alone. It had allies who were assaulting the town, burning it and slaughtering its denizens. Though the falcon had remained distant from those denizens, it had developed an attachment to the town and its people. Over time, it had reduced its thievery, relying on its own hunting for nourishment. In the forest, hunters who found themselves struggling to fend off a feral at dawn or dusk would often receive sudden aid in the form of the bird-turned-missile that would either stun or outright kill the savage shifter.

Evergreen’s avian protector had always helped those in need, but the threat appeared to be far greater than it had ever faced. A stray feral was nothing compared to whatever was capable of breaching Evergreen’s walls, setting its buildings alight, and provoking screams of terror that resonated throughout the forest. If the falcon was to save the town it had grown to love, it would need assistance.

And so, despite the aggressive reaction of the male, or perhaps because of it, he looked powerful. A worthy ally to anyone, but first, the tension would have to be eased. The falcon’s current form wasn’t suited for such a task. No, it needed to convince the large human of its intentions quickly and without further misunderstanding. If saving the male’s companion wasn’t enough, then maybe human-to-human interaction was necessary.

The bird hesitated. It had been years since it had last done such a thing, and it certainly wasn’t with a stranger. But the faint cries in the distance reminded it of its self-imposed duty to defend the people of Evergreen. The falcon closed its black eyes and focused. Moments later, it spread its wings, which began to expand in size as the feathers melded together and became even more smooth. Its legs grew quickly, both thickening and becoming longer. Its tail retracted into its body, which was growing like everything else. The beak decorating its face retracted, giving way to a nose and mouth. In a few seconds, the transformation was complete.

The human left standing there looked nearly as wild as the falcon. His body was lean yet toned, the results of his intense training having carried over from bird to human. He wore black leather boots and brown trousers made of wool. Wrapped around his hips was a dyed animal hide that draped below his knees. The light green skin was covered in soft white fur on the inside and around the fringe. Covering his upper body was a dark green, cotton shirt that hugged his chest and midsection and cut off partly way down his upper arm, with small tassels hanging from the ends of the sleeves. A horizontal pattern of red and yellow crossed his upper chest, and the shirt collar was high.

His jawline was somewhere between angular and rounded, his nose was small, and his ears were almost completely hidden beneath his dark blonde hair. That hair was long and unkempt, easily reaching down to his collar in the back and nearly covering his hazel eyes in the front. Those eyes cautiously studied the trio before him, his expression somber. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The words he once spoke were near yet distant. He knew what he wanted to convey, but not how. It was as though he was trying to recall a distant dream. But he eventually gathered his scattered thoughts, combining letters into words so that he might communicate as a human should.

“Not me.” He murmured staring directly at Ben. He turned and pointed in the direction of the town, speaking solemnly.

“Evergreen is burning.”
 
Ben stumbles over himself slightly, his body off balance as he was prepared to fight, the reaction from the falcon didn't add up in his head and caused his imbalance. Seeing the falcon take down such a large foe with such speed and ferocity but then to shy away from a clearly winded foe, whose hammer was already drooping much lower than it had started. Maybe this creature works best from surprise attacks, so maybe he doesn't want to pick a fight? Ben lets the mallet of his hammer drop softly to the ground as a sign of good will towards a truce, and his arms thank him for it. He could still swing it in an uppercut manner to deal some damage if necessary, but not nearly as much as an over-hand swing. He feels the bird watching him, trying to judge something or take a calculated risk but Ben wasn't sure what it could be. His mind immediately jumps to the thought of the falcon preparing to attack but he tries to remain unagitated, if he wanted us then he wouldn't have stopped with the snake and lunged this way in the ensuing chaos. He shoots a quick glance back at the girls, hoping they are picking up something he isn't and would warn him but they seem just as on edge as he feels. But maybe that's the day they were having. As he turns back he catches the bird in mid-shift and soon standing a few paces away is a guy decked out in furs and leathers, a wicked looking crossbow on his belt, topped with a mess of blonde hair. He speaks and the words seem forced and difficult, like he's trying to annunciate himself or doesn't remember how to speak. "Yeah we noticed, we just came out of the town. We were lucky to make it out of the fires with all the snakes around. Are you looking for the people who stared the fire? Because if so we have noting more than you do; fire, explosion, mutated snake people." Ben gestures towards the corpse, "We just left and didn't look back because we haven't the means nor the strength to help."
 
Lucy

Ben stepped between them and the bird, brandishing his hammer. Lucy had forgotten how intimidating he could look with such a heavy weapon, after getting to know him he hardly seemed like he would hurt a fly. The bird, however, had a wild intelligence that she could feel as it locked its eyes on the three of them. It's beak came to a sharp point, perfect for slicing through prey or foes. The same eyes that had looked over her and her companions closed, and the bird began shifting, putting her somewhat at ease. That struck the possibility of it being feral, at least. It grew in size and height until it reached the end of it's shift, revealing itself to be a man with the same untamed look to him as his falcon counterpart. Fitting of someone who lived just outside of Evergreen, everything about him seemed suited for survival.

"Evergreen is burning." He said, and she nodded, memories of watching innocent people slaughtered and eaten breaking through her train of thought. Ben explained that they had just left, the city being rendered inhospitable in less than an hour. She returned her dagger to its sheath as Ben spoke, trusting that the bird held no ill will towards them. "The city is overrun." She explained, looking back at the thin columns of smoke that rose in the distance, carried away by the breeze. "I don't think you can count on many survivors. If Evergreen was your home, I would start looking for elsewhere to live if I were you." She said, entirely blunt. Lila and Ben may not be surprised by her lack of filter, but they had yet to see how the falcon would react to the news.

 
Hunter glided through the trees of Evergreen's with a grace born of instinct and years of training, his eyes glancing down to the white wolf in his arms more than the path in front. Deep within his subconscious a stray thought flickered. A glimmer of the real Hunter... or maybe this was the real Hunter in control. He couldn't tell anymore. "I won't let you be broken... not like I am." His gaze shot upward as a deer appeared in front of him, running away from the direction on Evergreen. It was too close to avoid."Protect Marie... Protect at all costs." his body followed the command with haste. He jumped turning his back to meet the deer with a dull thud as both parties hit the ground tumbling, Hunter keeping the flailing hooves away from Marie as best he could. His eyes darted to the side, to see a limb come crashing into the side of his head. Everything went black for a moment only for light to flood his vision again, grass tickling his nose, but his first thoughts weren't of this. "Lucy." it was a split moment of clarity, just enough to add a new name too the list of people he needed to protect. A new order for a dog to follow. It was enough for now. Hopefully she could help him, or atleast point him at the roght target. His thoughts slowly became fuzzy. Losing their own meaning before silencing all together. "Find Lucy... protect Marie..." he muttered as he picked himself and his ward. As the blond started to run again.
 
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Johnathan's face lacked all color as his chest heaved strenuously. He had undergone too much and no amount of adrenaline was going to keep him going. His vision blurred; the dark velvet sky swirled with the fire and plumes of smoke in the distance. He couldn't keep going. Gwen had just kicked their attacker in the face, but he didn't know how much good it would do. He gave one last look to the ashen haired girl, a solemn, apologetic one, before the feathers started to drop from his elongated arms. It was like they were wilting or decaying away, turning a sickly grey before withering up and falling from his skin. The flapping of his dying wings became less frequent as well until they were falling. The tattered, weak wings of Johnathan folded around Gwen as they plummeted towards the ground. At least they had made it a good ten or fifteen feet away from the stranger. The raven's dark eyes rolled back as his eyes fluttered shut. Finally, some rest. The wind whizzed past them, only to be replaced by branches and twigs as they fell into one of the trees. The smaller branches snapped under their force until they were halted by a thick stock, branching off from the trunk.
Everything felt like it was moving too fast. She couldn't keep a hold of the time that seemed to be flying past her. Merely moments ago she had been depressed about her failures, then Lucy almost fell victim to one of the creatures, and now a new person was trying to communicate with them. Maybe she wasn't as quick to adapt as she thought she was. This was far too much in such a short period of time. All Lila wanted to do at this point was go home, ask her grandfather for help and comfort. She supposed that's what everyone wanted at this moment. Unfortunately these people just had their homes burned down. The blonde took a deep breath, trying to be the bigger person and possibly help these people, just as she would want if in a similar situation. "Are you looking for someone?" She began softly. "Do you have a family in there?"
 
As the druidess began to follow her companion back to the nearest town, she couldn’t help but feel off. The ground trembled beneath her as she continued walking. This brought her back to her youth as she fell into a trance of sorts, reliving the memories of her youth as she subconsciously followed Katie.

She could remember the first time the earth called to her in this way. It called to her when she was a young child in her home village. Her hair was longer then, down to her waist. Her tribe’s hunters returning with a successful quarry. It was peaceful, it was harmonious. That is, until later into the night.

She awoke in a daze, feeling the ground tremble beneath her as she’d hear the high pitched twang of metal clashing against metal and the smell of ash and fire brushing up against her young nostrils. Frightened and confused, the young Kaleylle stood up and cautiously peeled out of her tent flap.

The world around her as she had once known it, was ablaze. The screams of her clansmen joined together with these putrid shrieks of the forest around her became a cacophony of terror as life was unjustly ruined all around her.

She fell onto the ground in front of her. Her body seizing up from the negative energies assaulting her. One image was left engraved into her mind as she drifted off into unconsciousness. It was a man, with smooth black shoulder length black hair and a wide, sinister grin, and a scar engraved into his chest. The scar was of a torch with a single eye in its flame, and tendrils emerging from its base. He had just pulled his blade out of one of Kaleylle’s kinsmen, and turned his attention towards the young druidess.

She would be stirred out of this by the smell of burning wood, and the screams of innocents nearby her as she focused on a tall beam of smoke rising in the distance as she and Katie approached the gates of Evergreen.

Livrax Livrax
 
Katie would notice Kaleylle's dazed state. She debated on whether she should try and snap her out of it, but before she could try anything the smell of smoke filled the air. Her attention would jerk towards the direction of the smell, spotting a giant cloud of smoke rising in the distance.
"That direction... thats Evergreen!" She'd realize. Katie would immediately break in to a dash, heading towards the plume of smoke. "There's no way," She thought. "I've only been gone for a few days. There's no way the towns on fire!"
Her thoughts were filled with denial and excuses, before making her way to the top of a hill, giving her a full view of the ruined town.
 
Kaleylle would look in horror as she entered the gates. There were innocent people slaughtered, and the fire began to spread from building to building. She knew she had to do something to help. Kay began looking around for survivors of the attack, hoping to find others and form a plan to save and repel the assault on Evergreen.
 
Elyot listened intently and in silence as Ben explained the situation, frowning when the giant mentioned the trio’s inability to help. Lucy’s addition did little to comfort him. He was Evergreen’s self-appointed protector. He was supposed to shield its people from harm. But in his absence, a savage enemy had breached the walls and was razing the city. Elyot had failed the people he swore to defend. Despair overcame him in that moment. Not again, he told himself in vain as he stared down in shock at the dirt path he stood on. Unlike last time, he didn’t even know where to go next.

“Are you looking for someone? Do you have a family in there?” came the kind response from Lila, pulling him from his dismal daze.

“I stopped looking long ago,” Elyot replied mournfully, shaking his head immediately after. That was not what she was asking about. He cleared his mind and gave a proper answer, “No family, but a home. I must save what remains, or else...” He trailed off, not wanting to finish. There was nowhere for him but Evergreen. The Eagle Mountains were no home, nor was the farm he grew up on. The man with the hammer said they couldn’t help, but Elyot wouldn’t accept that. Fixing the trio with a pleading gaze, he could only utter one word, taught to him in the simple homestead of his childhood by the two people he missed so dearly,

“Please.”
 
It was the next morning, and the smoldering remains of Evergreen stoood, survivors mourning and rebuilding as the group stood in a clearing some distance away. Hunter had returned, with Marie, trying to take Lucy as well. He had only stopped due too her order. He seemingly had gone... something. It wasn't feral as he was still human, but acting more like a guard dog. Glaring and even growling at those who he felt got too close for comfort.
 
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