Darkness and Light

Forbidden Departure

Three young men sat upon three black stallions at the edge of the Inkbane Forest. The three young men were Crowned Prince Venn Xenophanes Drake and his two servants, Lock Kalmin Trueheart and Gawain Quillon Denzell. The trio looked out into the sunlight, hidden by their black cloaks in the pure darkness of Inkbane shade. All three wore solid black, broken only by Lock's blood red and Gawain's glittering violet eyes. Three silver rapiers hung from three black belts. Three pairs of eyes were locked on a guard patrol.

The wisp Lock had given his voice to was speaking urgently with a guard patrol. All wore shining yellow armor except for one in blue. It gestured grandly. The melodic tones of Lock's voice drifted back to them on the wind.

Venn let out a long breath. "You didn't need to do that for me, Lock. I'm going to miss that voice."

Lock smiled and made a dismissive gesture.

"He says it's alright. He would do anything for you, which I think is a mistake but-" Gawain's teasing was cut off by a rock Venn threw at his face with a smirk. He managed to dodge without falling from the saddle. "Alright, alright, your Highness."

Venn rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the wisp. It had raises its newly acquired voice and the words were audible now.

"I swear! They are there! Can you not see them?!"

A pause as the guards responded.

"Well go see for yourselves! Unless you're too afraid of some forest!"

That was their cue.

Venn closed his eyes and pulled up his hood. He didn't know how he would react to sunlight, assuming he could leave at all.

Lock pulled his hood up over his hair the color of newly spilled blood. Gawain's hood was already up. The two enhanced turned their heads to look at the one who had drawn them to life.

Venn straightened in the saddle, pulled the simple silver circlet further down on his forehead and nudged his horse into motion.

At the border of the trees, Venn felt like he had ridden into a soft, slightly slimy barrier. He jerked back, almost falling out of the saddle. He pushed out with one hand. The barrier seemed to stretch as he pushed on it. It broke a second later, sliding over his skin as he passed through, as if he were walking through the surface of a lake. He shuddered at the odd feeling.

The moment Venn was out on the open plain, he gasped. He yanked off his cloak under the blazing heat of the sun and gazed around like a wide eyed child. Everything was so different.

He looked back as his companions exited the forest. Gawain's black hair shone in the sunlight. Lock's red hair looked like deep red fire. All three of them looked like shadows broken from the darkness of Inkbane Forest.

The guards shouted something, but Venn didn't hear. He was too absorbed in this new world around him.

Through the shadows, the plain hadn't seemed so grand, but now that he was among the grasses... There was so much color. The grass was a vibrant, blinding green. The sky a bright, irridescent blue with puffy silver clouds. Strange bugs, a bit like moths but larger and more colorful, fluttered among the grasses to flowers that were more shades of color than the deep reds and various shades of grey back in Arciirst.

Lock and Gawain pulled their horses to a stop next to Venn. They had been outside the forest before, and watched Venn with quiet amusement and understanding.

The guard in blue armor shouted again, and this time Venn focused. "State your business here!"

Venn frowned and looked at his companions. "Do they not know who we are?" he asked quietly.

Gawain shook his head. Venn smiled slowly. For once nobody would bow to him and call him Highness.

Venn straightened in his saddle, empowered by his anonymity. "We are travelers!" he called. "I want to see Aersh. I've heard tales of its beauty."

The guard relaxed and nodded. "My apologies then. Not many come from the forest. Be on your way."

Venn smirked at how careless the man was. He said nothing, only tapped his heels against his horse's sides. Moments later, the darkling and his servants were speeding across the countryside.