In a world divided into three races since ancient times, there have been three kingdoms. The first kingdom is the kingdom of the gods and sits in the heavens ruling above the other two. The second is called Amaryllis and filled with the prosperous...
The Balance Goddess only wanted those pure of heart to live. Only those who were able to survive. She wanted the world, She wanted her world, to be pure once more
And is it?
Depends on who you ask, my child.
~Holy Texts of Amaryllis
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"There was nothing to be seen."
No matter in what direction Aldwin looked, he couldn't see a thing, only shadow staining the whole world as black as pitch. Gwen clung to his arm as if it was a shield, the only thing protecting her from whatever lay before them in the dark shadows of the Wild Woods.
They had been traveling for hours, and night must have fallen, because, if it was even possible, the Wild Woods had grown even darker than it had been in the daylight hours. And somewhere in the back of Aldwin's mind, he had linked the darkness and the danger together.
"You don't think they're watching us, right now, I mean?" Gwen asked, not needing to say who she was referring to. It was obvious to both of them.
The Mutare.
Aldwin felt his body stiffen as if all his joints had frozen together, his breath catching in his throat, at even the mere suggestion of them being watched since he had been feeling the same way ever since they had entered the Wild Woods. Now, with just Gwen's nervous words, he found himself double checking the brush behind him, and scanning the limbs of the trees before him, double checking for any signs of danger. Yet, he saw nothing.
"No, of course not," he answered, although his lie did little to comfort Gwen, who was beginning to regret leaving the safety of Astrakane and yearn the warmth of her own bed. In truth, she had never meant for it to go this far when she had seen Aldwin pass by her house painted a bright teal this morning on his way to the Wild Woods.
No, she had just been looking for something to fill her otherwise boring day, but she had nothing like this in mind. Now all she wanted to do was return home. Yet she couldn't think of a place further than it as the Wild Woods.
As the winds picked up and the frozen night air came creeping in, Gwen began to start to shiver, and found herself even closer to Aldwin, trying to keep warm. "Are we going to stop anytime soon?" she asked, between chattering teeth.
"If you want," Aldwin said. "I think we've put enough distance between us and Astrakane for them not to come looking for us," he said, then with a smile added, "then again, we could have been walking in circles for an entire day, and just end up right where we started in the morning."
