The distant sounds of birds rustling in the leaves and branches woke Corrine from her restless sleep. She groaned as she lifted her stiff body from the rock hard ground. It was still early, the fog had thickened from the day before and the air was chillier than she remembered. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bai had fallen asleep against the tree since no one had relieved him from his post. She shivered and hid herself under her covers, pulling them close to her while she snuggled deep into what was supposed to be a bed. Her glance shifted past the faces of the group members to be sure everyone was accounted for, until she locked eyes with a pair of bright blue ones.
"Can't sleep?" Eros whispered.
Corrine shook her head.
"Me too," he sighed. "Is it just me or did it get really freakin' cold?"
"Sun can't really reach these parts of the woods and the dampness doesn't help." Corrine rolled onto her back, gazing up into the dark, twisted branches. "What are we going to do, Eros?"
"What do you mean?"
Corrine gave him a look as if the answer should be obvious. "Do we even know what the hell we are doing?"
Eros propped himself up onto his elbows. "You were so confident yesterday. Sounds like you knew exactly what the hell you were doing last night."
Corrine anxiously ran her fingers through her hair. "How am I supposed to feel like I know what I'm doing when no one trusts me."
"Is this about Axel?"
"Nah, he was just frustrated. I would be too if someone started barking orders at me if I don't even know them...but he's right."
"I trust you." Eros's brows furrowed together in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Corrine, you're a natural leader. Someone would have to be stupid to not see you that way."
Corrine's lips pursed to form a smile. "Thank you."
He returned the smile. "Of course."
Corrine sat up with Eros. "Ya think we should start waking everyone up?"
"Hm probably, we still have a good distance until we reach the Realm of Beasts. The sooner we can get on the road the better."
Corrine pushed herself up to her feet. "Alright!" Corrine exclaimed. "Everybody up!"
Several groans and yawns followed Corrine's statement as everyone gradually woke up.
Eros started to pack up his stuff and saddle his horse up. "We have to file out of here pretty quick if we want to make good timing. We don't want to get arrive in the dark. We need time to set up camp."
Everyone except Axel started to unravel themselves from their warm bundle of covers. He remained is his cocoon, shivering. Kai had noticed this and started to make his way over to Axel.
"Are you okay?" Kai asked as he knelt next to Axel. "It was probably stupid of me to drench you for such a cold night."
"N-No, I'm f-f-fine," Axel's teeth chattered.
Kai smirked and raised his hands to the dark trees. His fingertips danced as a powerful gust of wind parted the trees, letting a warm ray of sunshine beam down on Axel's cool skin. Axel's smile grew into a giant grin as the chill dissipated from his body.
He looked at Kai with eyes of amazement. "You're really something aren't you fish-boy?"
Kai gave Axel a wink. "Only someone as cute as you can call me fish-boy."
Kai lifted Axel to his feet and the two started to pack up their own belongings. Bai hugged his legs to his chest and curled up close to the tree.
"Which one of you jackasses didn't take over last night," Bai shivered.
"I don't think we decided on a rotation," Andrea pointed out. "I'll take first watch tonight, then Kai, then Aura, then Nizhoni. The next night will be Corrine, Eros, Axel, Bai."
Bai smiled sarcastically. "Sounds good to me."
Aurelia grabbed her blanket and threw it over Bai's shoulders. "You can use it as long as you need," she smiled.
"Thanks, Aura."
"We really should eat something," Nizhoni remarked. "We have to keep up our strength."
She swung her bag off her shoulder and took out a loaf of bread, sliced eight pieces, and dished them out to the others.
"I have fruit too!" Aurelia said excitedly while she too rustled through her bag. Aurelia pulled out a bag of apples, oranges, and cherries. "I grew them in my garden."
"Perfect, we can eat on the road," Eros stated as he lifted himself onto his horse.
Once everyone received their share of food, each teen saddled back onto their horse and started to follow Corrine and Eros along the path.
•>~~~~~~~~~~~~~<•
It had been five hours since the group had left their camp, but the royals were already beginning to grow restless. The sight of the never ending woods was almost enough to make one go mad. The path seemed to stretch on forever. Luckily, the atmosphere of the forest brighten as they made their way out of the wickedness that lurked within those woods. Everyone eventually felt the sun and cool breeze again, which surely lightened their moods.
Aurelia's attention span was decreasing more and more with every ticking minute. She needed a distraction. Aurelia picked up her eyes to locate the closest person to her, Andrea. Aura gave her horse a little kick in the side to that she was now riding next to Andrea.
"Sooo," Aurelia lingered her words, trying to get Andrea's attention. "I thought your mother had sworn off men." Aurelia immediately regretted her words as soon as they escaped her mouth. 'Real nice conversation starter Aura. Suuurreee! Just bring up the one question you know could make her uncomfortable.'
Andrea could tell that Aurelia wished she wouldn't have asked that question and settled her regret with a smile. "She did. My mother was traveling through a neighboring village one day to handle some kingdom stuff, and when she was leaving, she heard the cries of a baby. She followed it and found me bundled up in cloth in a basket that was in a pile of mud. She didn't see a mother or father so she took me back home with her and raised me as her own."
"Wow, your mom seems pretty great," Aurelia said.
Andrea's eyes fell to the ground. "Yeah...she is."
"Are you alright?" Aura inquired, noticing the change in Andrea's expression.
"I mean she's great and all and is the strongest person I know, it's just...I could never let her down."
Aurelia rested her hand on Andrea's shoulder, staring at her with concerned eyes. "Andrea, your mother's expectations for you don't define her love for you. No matter what happens on this quest, she will always love you."
Just as Andrea was about to thank Aurelia, she felt the ground start to shake beneath the hooves of her horse.
"Everyone stop!" Andrea shouted. Andrea's amulet glowed a dark maroon shade while hundreds of sounds filled her sensitive ears.
The air went silent for a moment until a big boom sounded through the air and rattled the trees, a sound loud enough for the whole group to hear this time. Andrea slowly scanned the terrain, looking for any sign of the potential threat. A low groan bellowed through the air. The group lifted their eyes to the sky, fearful of what they might find. There, towering above the trees, were two giants. Andrea gripped her bow and carefully dismounted from her horse. The rest did the same.
The beast's steps pounded into the ground as its swinging arms decapitated the tops of the trees. Its skin was a grey-blue tone and the figure was large and stumpy with a hideous face atop its wide shoulders.
"I thought we weren't supposed to reach the Realm of Beasts until tomorrow?" Corrine whispered to Eros, anxiety rattling in her voice.
"We weren't," he gulped. "They must be moving outside of their borders."
"That's not possible!" Bai spat.
"It is if Morana has anything to do with it," Corrine muttered.
"Don't think that I can't smell you, you filthy humans," the giant boomed. "And I know why you're here!"
Before anyone had any time to react. The giant smashed down the tree closest to him, sending it crashing down on top of the royals. Everyone dove out the tree's way and rolled across the ground. A shriek filled the air as the tree hit the ground. Axel looked up to see that Kai hadn't moved in time and trunk had now landed on his ankle.
"Nizhoni!" Axel cried.
Nizhoni raised her hand to the tree and lifted it off of Kai's ankle so Axel could pull him away. With a simple wave of her hand, the tree collided with the chest of one giant.
"Corrine! Eros! Bai! Take the second one!" Nizhoni commanded.
The three nodded and charged at the second giant while Andrea fired arrows at the giant Nizhoni had distracted. With the giant now occupied with Andrea, Axel drove his blade into the foot of the giant. A cry of pain erupted from its throat as he kicked at Axel, but its foot didn't get far because Aurelia had already rooted the beast to the ground.
Kai tried to stand from where Axel had dragged him to, but his ankle immediately gave out. He had to help...somehow. Kai propped himself against the tree and formed another gust of wind so powerful that the giant was blown to the ground. The monster came crashing down on Axel, but he was too quick and made it out before the giant's head could crush him. Now that the giant was helpless, Axel quickly sunk his sword into the skull of the monster to end it all.
Unfortunately, the battle wasn't finished, Corrine, Eros, and Bai were still struggling with their giant. Eros and Corrine had restored to their swords and fended off the beast with steel so that Bai could shapeshift. Bai's body fell to the ground and began to shrink and thin out into the shape of a snake. While Bai was busy slithering up the body of the giant, Eros did his best to distract the giant but he backup up too far and tripped over a root in the ground.
With Eros caught off guard, the beast swiped his sword away and gripped Eros tightly in his deadly grasp. Corrine desperately slashed at the legs of the monster while Eros struggled and clawed for air. Corrine finally stepped away and centered her mind on Eros in the hand of the giant.
'Let him go.'
So the giant did, letting Eros plummet to the ground. Corrine's heart fell to her chest as soon as she realized what she had done. She did her best to make her way to Eros, but a heavy hand had smacked her away. Just as Corrine stood, ready for another hit, she watched Bai reach his destination and wrap himself around the neck of the giant. The air was slowly ripped away from the giant lungs, making its eyes wide with desperation until it finally fell to the ground dead.
Corrine immediately raced over to Eros's side. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I-I'm so sorry," she muttered under her breath, cupping her hands around Eros's pale face. "Please, please, please wake up."
Corrine felt a hand squeeze hers as Eros's blue eyes fluttered open. Corrine exhaled a sigh of relief and hugged herself tightly to Eros's chest, hoping that those giants were the worst thing they'd come across. But deep down, she couldn't even enchant herself into believing that was even close to true.