The Dead Roses

Chapter 1-4

The Dead Roses

By Arlea Dawn

The tavern was thick with the smell of roast beef over the blazing fire and the sound of aimless chatter. In the back corner of the bustling room sat a group of three mysterious figures which were the talk of most patrons in the room. The table allowed visibility for all angles, allowing the figures to keep a close eye on the exploit of the people. They were not to be trusted, but then neither were they.

One girl sat cloaked, with kong red hair cacasding down over her shoulders and just missing the black rune tattooed on her forearm. Under the hood, brown eyes focused on the table, seemingly the product of an unthinking brain but in reality, her ears were pricked and from across the room she could hear the soft pizzing of the roast. Next to her was her brass friend. She sat with her head glaring around the room, arms crossed and with an occasion wink to the cute bartender, she cast out an aura of badarseness. The third girl sat with an open book scribbling notes taking almost no notice of the world together except when it was totally inconvenient.

"Toren! Could you stop that? It's unfair on the poor guy." She said not looking up.

Toren, the girl with the bad attitude snorted. "Oh right Arlea! Im not allowed to wink at cute guys but your allowed to walk around half naked? How does that work?"

Arlea looked up from her book and down at her clothes, an off the shoulder lace top and leather pants. "My dress is harmless but that boy over there. Look. Look at the way he's looking at you. Lovestruck! Like all the other. He's too weak to resist you but we don't have enough money to afford another puppy."

"We would have more money if you didn't insist on buying all the expensive weapon brands." Rikai flicked her hood off and playfully punched Arlea.

Arlea rolled her eyes. She was about to remark with snappy remark when the door slammed open to the tavern and along with a blue wind, in came a frazzled and out of breath messenger.

'Are the dead roses here?" He yelled as the room feel into utter silence.

Arlea looked at her two friends, sighed, slipped her book into her bag and then stood up. "We're here!"

The messenger stood up straight. "In a village a days' ride from here, a coven of the demon banshee's have started to kidnap small children. The villagers call for your help in fear that the children are either being murdered or transformed."

Uttering a single curse, Arlea told the messenger to travel back to the villagers and tell them they were on their way. Demon transformation, one of the most painful things in the world. They'd have to be quick to save the children from a fate worse than death. Banshee's, hag like leathery skeletons of pure black coal. Not a force to be reckoned with.

The messenger hurried off and the three girls left the tavern ten minutes later after collecting their travel bags and weapons. Out intthe bitter cold of the Ferlain distrcit, the girls shivered, all quickly pulling on their coats. As Arlea stepped outside, the last in group, a form shimmered beside her and the demon wolf she had tamed, Mercym with it's pitch blue eyes and grey fur, appeared beside her. Their horses, fully saddled were brought around and the girls all mounted their mares. Each horse suited their owner, a gift from a poor horse trainer who had ridden his farm of pesky moon bugs. The modt note worthy of the lot was Rekai's horse, Kyler, a dark black stallion with grey runes looking almost carved out of it's skin.

"Lets Go Kick Some Ass!" Toren screamed as she wheels her horse around and the group thundered down the dusty track.

CHAPTER THE BANDIT AND THE CREEP 
The night was silent with the absent of the whispering wind. Arlea, Rekai and Toren rode side by side with the exception of Rekai who rode about two strides of the others.