Regal |Fantasy Ryden AU| DISCONTINUED

-14-

Of course, the four accepted.

*  *  *  *  *

The nights in Neverwood brought winds stronger than the deadliest typhoons, and temperatures more frigid than the ice caps on the highest mountains.  The dark sky was completely starless, and only a sliver of the pale moon shone through the scattered clouds.  The creatures of the nearby marshes fell eerily silent; only the sound of the wind whistling through the tree branches echoed in the quiet town.  It was almost as if the weather itself could sense the apprehension circulating through the minds of the people who would soon infiltrate a fully active vampire nest.

The darkness was suffocating.  Not even the flickering torch that Mikey carried could ease the discomfort in the atmosphere.  He led them down an unmarked path that was hidden behind the tavern, one that squished and groaned beneath their feet.  No one uttered a single word.  Only the howling wind and the gentle clinks of the swords in their sheaths rang through the air, and that only made matters so much worse.

Gerard had taught them plenty of useful techniques.  Mikey had taught them several more.  Despite the short day's practice, the quartet had learned an abundance of skills that could aid in their survival.

But no amount of sword training could've prepared them for the mental anguish that came with marching headfirst into certain doom.

The frigid wind chilled Ryan to the bone as he trudged along the outskirts of the silent group, watching as the flames from the torch illuminated the deep scar on Mikey's face.  He couldn't help but wonder about the origins of a scar that immeasurable, but he could only imagine it was the result of a terrible fight with some murderous beast.  The thought of one of those vampires doing the same to them made his stomach twist and churn inside his abdomen.

He traveled in the center of the silent group, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach in a feeble attempt to warm himself.  His feet shuffled miserably along the spongy path, occasionally tripping over loose rocks or puddles of murky water, but his sopping shoes were the least of his concerns.  An ominous cave loomed on the dark horizon in front of them, and judging by the grave expression that passed over Mikey's dimly lit face, they were closing in on their destination.

The prince slowly fell in step with Ryan as the cave grew taller, more cavernous and sinister.  His own arms were snaked around his abdomen, and his shoulders trembled as an icy wind swept across the land.  Even in the disquieting darkness, his exhausted eyes and pale skin were visible by the faint flickering of the dwindling torch flames.  He looked far worse than he had earlier in the day.

He didn't say a single word as he exchanged a stoically strained glance with Ryan, not even as the monstrous cave fully came into view.

They had arrived.

Gerard elbowed his way to the front of the group and joined Mikey at his side.  The two of them looked ghostly in the light of the torch, shadows eerily dancing across their grim faces.  They drew their swords from their sheaths without hesitation, and the sound of the steel scraping against the hard material of the sheath was chilling in the silence of the night.

"Stay behind us, and do not run ahead unless you absolutely have to,"  Gerard cautioned.  "We taught you the basics of defense and offense, but it won't nearly be enough to save your own skins from vampires.  Let us handle the worst of it.  Understand?"

Only Spencer was able to muster up the courage to nod his head.

Mikey took little notice of the remaining three's lack of response.  "You are here to provide backup and backup alone.  I don't want blood on our hands if one of you decides to play the hero and get yourself killed.  Stay behind us at all times, and never start a fight on your own.  Not even Gerard and I fight by ourselves."

The dark clouds drifted across the inky black sky, covering up the faint sliver of the moon and drowning out any and all light from above.  The bitter wind picked up its speed, threatening to extinguish the weak flames of Mikey's torch.  An eerie and eldritch lament howled from the depths of the shadowy cave before them, and they sincerely hoped it was due to the wind and not some other foul creature that was lurking in the hollows, just waiting for an unsuspecting traveler to wander in and meet their demise.

The fire's light twinkled in Mikey's formidable eyes, cast spectral shadows on his harsh scar.  He nodded his head in the direction of the cave's entrance as it seemed to howl and groan like a ravenous beast, and without showing fear, he turned to face it.

"Let's go."

He and his brother soon disappeared into the menacing darkness of the cave.  Not even the diminishing light from Mikey's torch was visible.  It was like they had vanished into thin air, swallowed whole by the shadows within the deep cavern; the moment they dematerialized into the obscurity was when the sheer terror really settled in for the remaining four.

"Maybe this was a bad idea,"  Jon said under his breath as the wind whipped through the dead tree branches, making them creak like ancient wooden doors.

"A bad idea?"  Brendon repeated in outraged disbelief, his exhausted eyes alight with indignation.  So his spark wasn't entirely gone.  "This idea surpasses bad!  If I had to rank every single thought that has ever rolled through your sodding head, this would be the worst one!  We're going to get ourselves killed in there because you are incapable of engaging in an intelligent negotiation!"

"Your Highness, please,"  Spencer intervened, brows knitted in concern.  "I understand this is not the turn of events we had hoped for, but if we want their help escaping Dracden, then we must follow through with their request.  We have to assist them in destroying this nest of vampires."

The prince glared daggers at the royal mage, heating the cold air around them with the fire of rage.  For the longest while, the two of them stood locked in a vehement stare, one that was unbreakable and threatened to slow time around them.  The fierce atmosphere was asphyxiating, and it seemed to drag on forever.

Finally, Brendon clenched his fists and tightened his jaw, his fiery gaze hot enough to melt a frozen lake.  "Fine,"  he snapped, "but send him in first.  If someone is going to get killed tonight, it should be the fool who roped us into this catastrophe."

His eyes ever so slightly narrowed, Jon merely nodded his head, lifting his hands in mock surrender as he ambled his way to the entrance of the dark cave.  "That's fine by me.  I'll take the lead and soften the blows for you three.  We wouldn't want the soon-to-be-king to have his blood drained by monstrous beings now, would we?"

And with that, he disappeared into the depths of the cavern, leaving the others to hesitantly follow in his footsteps.

Spencer went in next.  Ryan trailed after him, and Brendon brought up the rear; his incessant grumbling started to echo as the glacial rocks closed in around them.

"What on earth have you gotten us into, Walker?"

The terrifying darkness enveloped them in an instant.

~~~~~

Okay there's like a 50/50 chance of there being an update next Sunday.  I have most of the chapter done but writing is so harddddd, so bear with me if next week is a blank week.  You know the drill by now

I'm Big Sad today for some reason too and I don't know why :( and when I don't know why how the hecc am I supposed to fix it

Love y'all!  Remember to vote/comment/share with your pals! <3