Into the Woods (Book 1 of the Nu Arkvine Guild)

Chapter 9: The Hero's Staff

It was raining.

The clouds before them turned dark and rain poured down like bullets. The pitter-patter filled the air and the creaking cage pushed through the mud.

From time to time, Elizabeta eyed at the trees nearby. One would rustle and, if listened carefully, footsteps could be heard.

Luckily, none of the guards heard them.

She looked at the sky above. She knew that it wasn't normal rain but the winged-folks hiding in the clouds. They were crying because another Ezraliemian has fallen prey into darkness's hands.

They think that if this continues that Ezraliemians will go extinct. That can't be possible. As long as the Mother Bird is still alive and well Ezraliemians will forever continue to live.

Winged-folks are such wimps.

She turned to Lyra and the other nymph, those nymphs. They're clearly underground nymphs. Despite working for him, they don't trust him nor is loyal to him. So what are they doing here? Are they only working for him only to steal the Hero's Staff for herself? If so, they're not powerful enough to activate it, even if both their spiritual energy are combined. What is are playing at?

Her thoughts quickly shifted to the Quetzalcoatl, that Quetzalcoatl, Sassassul, I think, came straight from the Nepith. Quetzalcoatl is usually neutral and tries to avoid any contact with the upper world people so the only reason for her to side with Moqur is if a deal was used.

She looked at the Cyclops who talked about the animals, that Cyclops is no more than 600 years old, has the strength of a Gollum yet has the mind of a 5 years old. He doesn't understand what's going on yet. I pity him.

Those Wyst Drinnonans are no surprise. They are one of the most recruited Ezraliemians. They will easily work for whoever hires them as long as they are paid at the end. Most of the times it doesn't end well and usually ends up with the person hiring them in a brutal death with all of their valuables stolen.

Elizabeta sighed. Right now, she was beginning to feel like what slaves felt when carried off into unknown land. When she was younger, she saw many slaves being taken to the Island of Whispers. She made fun of them because they looked so pathetic and her father gave her a long lecture about her actions saying that someday she might fall into a similar situation.

And after several hundred years, she was now in place of the slaves. What goes around, comes around, huh, Elizabeta smiled at the old saying. One of the earliest recorded sayings was from an old ash tree and now many people know all about it.

However, that's not the important thing.

"Psst!" Clara whispered, "Elizabeta! Come over here!"

Slowly edging herself to the cage she whispered, "What is it?"

"We got a plan," she whispered, "What we're going to do is that one of us is going to pretend that they really need to go to the bathroom. Then, when the cage stops a second person will slip away, past the guards and get the keys. Then, they'll come back and free us all. Once we stop and the doors open, we'll make a beeline to the forest and hopefully outrun the enemy,

"We want to know your opinion about it."

"Your plan is a well-coordinated one," Elizabeta whispered, "However, it will not work."

"Why not?"

"It's because there is no key. This steel cage can only be unlocked by a verse and I highly doubt you know it unless you've been to Ezraliem."