ON HOLD (most likely for a long time) Lost trails: book 1, Fallen Kingdom

Chapter Three: The Brink

(Hope pov)I ran as fast as I could. 'How could you let this happen Hope! Dangnabit you should've been more careful!' I think at my self as I leap out the window onto a balcony. "Iris! Where are you going!?" I turn to look at Leaf, I had gotten aways down, he looked at me, confused. "You can't stop me!" I yell at him, leaping onto the ground, knowing he'd be to scared of getting hurt himself to follow. "Iris!" I hear Rain shout as I leap to the ground, the shock froze me for a second, but soon enough I was on my feet running again. No one and I mean. No. One. Was going to stop me. I had a plan. And I was sticking to it. Eventually I got to the Pinelands, East of the Frostbourne. "No going back now!" I shout sprinting faster until I was about halfway to the nearest village. "I should stop for the night..." I mumbled, looking behind me, then all around. "Soon the world will know that we don't always have to fear things with weapons." I say pridefully. I start to hear horses behind me, I turn to see Leaf, Stella, Rain, and a girl I hadn't met before. She had light orange hair, with brighter streaks here and there, with reddish brown eyes. "Iris! Thank Notch!" Leaf said, him and Stella both having the same relieved expressions on their faces. As if they thought I was a child. "What in the Nether are you doing here!?" I snapped in reply, I felt bad, but I didn't care. 'They're going to try to stop me! They don't understand! I'll never get a chance like this for so long!' I scream in my head, I didn't have to look to know my hair was bright red, anyone could see that I was angry from a mile away. "Iris, is something wrong?" Stella asked. I hissed quietly, my canines now showing. "Yes." I replied simply. "Well.... are we allowed to know what?" Stella asked. "You all followed me here." I say, looking like it wasn't the worst possible thing that could happen and just trying to look as though it was simply annoying. "Umm... can we know why you suddenly ran off perhaps?" Rain asked. "That's none of your business." I snap. "Iris, please just explain, then we'll leave. Promise." Leaf said. 'He'd better not be lying.' I thought, rather dissed off. "Fine. But you leave me alone about it until I get back." I say, thinking right after. 'If I get back...' Leaf looked happy now but I knew that it wouldn't last long. "I'm going to The Brink." Sure enough, his expression immediately switched, he now looked worried again. "What the Nether are you thinking?" He nearly shouted. "Keep your voice down!" I hissed. "Sheesh okay, jeez." He said looking at me with a hurt expression. "I don't care what you say or what you do, I don't care if you try to kill me! None of you are changing my mind. I'm doing this no matter what." I say looking hard and sizing up each of them. 'I could take Leaf and Stella easily, Rain I may struggle with, the mystery girl looks to be an archer with that bow, if I get in close with my swords though, I could surely beat all of them.' I think as I see my hair turn a dark purple- a sign of wariness. "No way. We're not letting you get yourself killed." Leaf said, Stella nodded and they moved their horses into position behind me. "I hope it doesn't come to us physically hurting each other, but we will tie you up, if necessary." Stella said glaring at me, I hissed, gripping the swords strapped to my sides, preparing to draw at the slightest movement, just as I was taught. "Please- it's safer back at the Dreadfort where we can plan it out before we attack." The orange haired girl said. "I already told you it's non-negotiable! I'm going- alone!" I hiss at her, I thought of Stella as my sister and Leaf as my friend but now, they weren't my enemies nor my allies, they were simply in the way. I turned to look at the two. "I won't say this twice. Move." I say, Leaf and Stella looked at each other, then shook their heads at me, my blood was boiling, I looked at them, bright red and orange the most visible things in the late night. "I said. Get. Out. Of. My. Way." I growled. "No." Leaf said staring hard at me. That's when I knew, I couldn't talk my way out of this. 'Alright then idiots. You've decided. But I made my choice long ago.' I thought bitterly. "Fine then. The hard way it is." I snarled jumping at Stella first. "Iris! What in the- What are you thinking!!" She shouted, moving her horse to doge me, then, summoning four arcane blades. 'Easy to dodge. Like giant arrows.' I think as I run past each of them, Stella tried to summon a shield, but to no avail, I knock her off her horse and pin her down with one of my blades, then draw the other and run for Leaf next. 'I need to get the easy targets out of the way.' I think without noticing the arrow about to puncture my shoulder, I stop as it makes contact, gripping the arrow, I try to rip it out, but all I get is more pain. 'Ugh! Forget it! Just keep moving! You lost your momentum!' I start running again this time more aware of the archer to my left. I cut the reigns of Leaf's horse then elbow it hard in the side, the horse began to sprint and I watched Leaf desperately try to stay on. I see him fall to the ground, he got up and drew his sword. 'As if that could even make contact with me.' I think, then I hear Stella speaking Galactic, suddenly my own sworn handle strikes me in the back of my head, I whip around as Stella tries to hit me again. Blocking the floating sword first, I deflect it and throw the one in my hand at Stella, her white eyes flicker back and she dives out of the way. I then use my bow and pin her with arrows, allowing me to use both swords. Leaf charges at me, weapon at the ready. I look at him, standing at ease, I sheathe my swords and dodge nimbly, grabbing his arm and kicking him in the stomach. "I can teach you when I get back." I say as I pin him to the ground, I didn't meet his eyes, just spoke. "How will I know it's when you get back and not if you get back?" He asked laying on the ground, I look at him, his eyes looked as fearful and uncertain as mine. Royal Blue and Pale Cyan. "You won't." I say. "I call it 'faith'." With that I jump into the nearest tree and jump away towards my revenge, not bothering to deal with Rain and the mystery girl~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Leaf's pov)I watched Iris leave from where I laid me and Stella looked at each other, then Abigail went to pull out the arrows by Stella while Rain came to help me. "Her eyes... they were a different color than any I've seen them be... what does it mean?" I asked Stella, thinking she'd seen them. "I don't know. I couldn't watch, I couldn't keep my head up. What color were they?" She responded looking at me. "They were Cyan... but it looked desaturated." I answered trying to explain. "I'd say she was worried if they were Cyan... but if they were more Gray, that indicates worry and sorrow, but if they were pale, that would mean she's scared. White means fear." Stella explained as we got back on our horses and I tied the reigns in a knot so they'd stay connected. "General Patrick is not going to be happy." Rain said furrowing his brow. "It'll be fine." Abigail replied putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going back with bad news." I said wondering what to do about Iris. I remembered I actually managed to see her eyes clearly for the first time, they were... beautiful to say the least, colors swimming everywhere but- they never mixed together. It was almost like art... "Iris hardly talks to anyone if she can avoid it- from what I've observed, she never makes eye contact unless it's from afar, and she always has her hood up and a scarf on... It's like she always has a secret.." I say suddenly, startling the rest of the group. "W-well I'm sure s-she must have her reasons r-right?" Stella said struggling to understand. "Yeah but... still." I say looking back. 'I should've tried harder to convince her to come back...' I thought sadly.When we got back to the Frostbourne I put my horse back in the stable and went into my room without a word to anyone. "AaaaaARRrrrrrRRRGHGHhhhgh" Faceplanting onto my bed I screech into my pillows. 'I'm such an idiot.' I thought as I remember the expression on her face. Fear. Plain as day. I'd never seen it so obvious, she had looked nervous, but, not terrified like that. I turned around and got off my bed, I grabbed my sword then hesitated. I put my sword down and picked up some supplies, a netherite ingot I stole a long time ago, and a few diamonds and some sticks. Then, I went to find a blacksmith. 'I hope she's alright...' I thought sitting outside. "You there! It's done!" I hear the blacksmith shout, a diamond axe, with a netherite finish on the blade. "Just like I wanted it! Thank you!" I say taking and examining the weapon. "I trust it won't need to be repaired for a bit... but just in case, you know where to find me!" The blacksmith replied with a smile, he turned around then walked back into his shop. "Alright then." I say quietly. 'Now just to figure out how to get there."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(??? pov)Dear whoever the heck finds this,I have been wandering for a little while now, I think I miss the war ridden home I used to have... but that's impossible. This place is way more interesting then home! I mean- the humans and animals are.. so.... weird! No offence reader! But really! And Felinas' are like a weird bridge... They don't act like humans, most of the time. They act really animal-like. I wonder... What are you? I'd like to meet you sometime! But just in case you're from the Nether, or are a Zombie, or are for hecks sake a Pillager... I'm afraid untill I see you face-to-face (if that happens) I cannot tell you my name. I'm very sorry!-A Traveler