It's been over a cycle since I was almost caught by the Hunters, since I was torn apart from my family and was thrown halfway across the dimension, to the Realm of Magic. They say Magic comes from who you are as a person, from your inner strength an...
I awoke to a throbbing pain in my head. It took some coughing, but after a while the fog seemed to clear out of my head. Had I passed out from those spores?
If possible, it was even darker around me than before. I couldn't make out a thing in front of me, the only vague bit of light came from above.
Above... the hedge! It was right there! I must've fallen off of a ledge of some kind - good thing, it saved me from the spores - and it hadn't bruised me that much...? But now what? There was no way of climbing up again, and with that tree still there, going up was not an idea I cared to entertain.
I had already begun to give up hope, when I heard a scream coming from the darkness in front of me. Could it be...?
'Hazel?!' I blurted out, quickly putting my hand in front of my mouth. I took a look around, but it seemed like I remained unheard by any creatures in my current position.
When a second scream sounded, I knew for certain. It was her.
I took a great leap of faith and made my way through the unknown assemblage of bushes, branches and leaves in front of me, until it led me to an open spot somewhere in the middle of the forest. There, I saw it.
It was a big, wolf-like creature made entirely out of shadows. The darkness creeping around it like fire around a torch. And its eyes... they were eyes filled with furious anger.
Whatever it was, it looked at Hazel as though it wanted to rip her apart, piece by piece. And if I didn't stop it in time, it would most likely do so, too.
'Let her go!' I shouted, not even realizing I did so 'till it was too late.
The creature turned and looked at me with its flaming eyes.
'Or I will...' By then, I realized what I had said. 'I might... I... uhh...'
I scared off and took a step back when the creature examined me. It wasn't focusing on Hazel anymore, it had found a new target. Me!
'Hazel, run!' was the only thing I could bring out before the creature burst into a spurt and came my way rapidly.
Without registering it, I'd already put my hand in front of me, knowing it wasn't going to make a difference.
But to my big surprise, it did make a difference.
I started glowing a sort of green or yellow light - Looking back, I'm not really sure which colour it was, the glow only lasted about a second - Anyway, I felt a strong wind going through my hair, almost blowing me back, but I managed to keep myself from falling over.
At last, a Magic Circle appeared beneath my feet and a pulse of energy blew back the creature.
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'Was that- Was that me?' I asked, inspecting my hands as the energy started to fade. As soon as it came, it was all gone. All the Magic that had been there seconds before, just gone, leaving me behind in amazement.
The creature tried to crawl back up, but I was too stunned to even notice it.
'Wooh! Way to go, Ehrynn!'
I was snapped out of my little amazement. Hazel stood on the other side of the grass field, waving at me.
'Hazel, I told you to get out of here!'
I wanted to go to the other side, to meet up with her before the creature could crawl back up... but I was too late. It made its way to her before I did, brought its big claw-like arm in the air - and smashed her right into a tree - in front of my eyes!
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run and get to her, I wanted to... but I couldn't do any of those things. I was rooted to the spot.
Instead, the creature grabbed my arms and lifted me into the air. It was almost breaking my wrists with its giant claws. The thing jerked my body against a tree, sending a vibrating pain through my very bones. I had to suppress a feeling of nausea. The second hit made me feel lightheaded too. I didn't think I'd last another blow, but the creature stopped midair. My eyes met with its own. A feeling of pain, of sorrow and despair, of overwhelming sadness - it took a hold of me.
I began glowing again.
At first only faintly, barely enough to notice, but that same glow increased 'till a huge light came from my body, flooding the open space in the forest. The creature was forced to release its hold and merge into the shadows where it came from. The impact when I hit the ground sent yet another shock through my already aching body.
With the creature gone, the forest went back to a state of relative peace, leaving nothing but the destruction it had caused to the forest and an echoing whisper: "Nevadora is rising".
