Fantasy ~ FableWood ~

[DawnAntalios]

Her daggers dropped to the ground as the guardian caught her by the throat. As much as she struggled she could not do anything: the combined force of the vines and the ice made sure work that.


She closed her eyes and ceased her struggles and chuckled.


" Very well, I accept defeat. " she said calmly, awaiting judgement " At least... I die with honor. "


Then from the darkened sky a terrible voice roared in fury as a dark lightning struck the demon.


" YOU WILL OBEY, MINION. " the voice thundered as the assassin screamed in pain being consumed by the dark powers of the unknown assailant. In the next moments her body started to shift: it became darker and claws started to erupt from everywhere of her back. She now looked more of an abomination than an elegant demon.


" Finish... me... end it... " she howled while she was compelled to fight once more, almost begging for death.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leos one good eye stared into the soul of the assassin. Continuing to apply pressure to her kneck he spoke, but his normal gruff deep voice was different. Another voice was layers into his search making him sound even deeper. "Agent of shadow, I the spirit of the forest drive your evil from this world. May the spirits have mercy on your soul." With a quick reflex, Leos hand clenched. The sucking sound of bone and flesh being crushed under the might of his hand was disturbing. Without any facial exsoression he released the corpse of his prisoner and let the limp body hit the ground.

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena stopped seconds before landing the hit, confused as to why the demon was accepting death now. Then a terrible voice rang out from the sky and tripled Elena's worries. She watched the demon turn wretched and pitiful, and Leo make the final move.


Her sword disappeared and her expression turned grim.


"I feel.. Sorry for it."


She said slowly. She looked to Leo and nodded to him slowly, as if to say he did a kindness in a way. Then she turned around and started walking out of the area, through the hedge labyrinth and back to the city. She took out her book doing so and started drawing out homes, with lists of materials. Then gates and cobblestone roads followed. She was going to help rebuild as soon as possible.

 

[SilverFlight]

Ward nodded at Elena's instruction and rushed to put himself in between Princess Briar and the demon. He watched in awe as Leo caught the demon and with one swift movement ended the fight. There was a silence for just a moment and Ward could hear Fior's words again in his mind:


Sometimes we must be monsters... He was right. The relief that Ward felt as the threat disappeared was nearly overwhelming. He turned to Briar, who was unharmed. Leia grinned next to her. For the most part they had managed to stay intact.


((I really have to go to sleep, you all can bring Leia and Ward back to the head of operations in the castle grounds if you like. Night!))

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo stood, silent and motionless, starring down at the crumpled body. Almost in an inanimate motion he lifted his head and turned to Briar and the prince. With only a few great strides, he stood before them. His voice still covered by the deeper voice he spoke to them bowing to them as ye addressed them "My lord, my lady. This body is not to poison this sacred garden with its body. Please have some one see it burnt." He turned away, the same robotic stiffness over his body. He left the others behind, following the paths deep into the garden. Once he was satisfied with the distance had placed between them, he returned to his meditative position. Suddenly a large gasp escaped his throat. He leaned over almost as if in pain. A subtle and soft cry came from him, followed by t a few tears. He reached for his shoulders and ripped the mantle from him, throwing it a few feet away. He pulled his legs to his chest, almost resembling a child. He sat there, not moving, and not talking.

 

[Flutterby]

The kelpie woke several times, but each time she saw only demons and the elves put her back to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, the others were fighting for the lives of the prince and princess while she fought for her mind. As word came that the last assailant had been killed, she began to wake again. This waking was slow and painful; she was pulling bits of herself back together and trying to build a whole person again. Her face was contorted in distress and pain, but the elves did not touch her, as it was her fight to win.


(Little dramatic, but whats a fairytale without drama?)

 

[Lioness075]

Luness watched in what seemed like a childish awe, as Leo singlehandedly killed the assassin and ended the fight before it got worst.


Slowly standing up on her hind legs, Luness neevously glanced at her bandaged hands to see some blood on them, already knowing it was hers. Sighing, Luness clenched her fists and then dropped them to her sides to hide the blood. It was a bit painful, but there were bigger concerns right now.


Watching Leo's stiffness, Luness instantly recognized the shell shock from having taken the demon's life. She'd seen it plenty of times in past fights and had experienced it firsthand herself.


Quietly, Luness pulled her hood over her head and then stuck to the shadows as she stalked after Leo. Once he stopped, she came to an abrupt halt as well and nearly held her breath, watching as he got into his usual meditation position. Yet, the gasp was heard plainly by Luness and she insantly felt a bit awkward as Leo seemingly broke down into tears.


While Luness had no idea how to offer encouraging or comforting words, she at least knew that just listening sometimes was more comforting than anything. Or just being there for someone.


Taking a deep breath, Luness then stepped our from the shadows and pulled her hood down before silently sitting beside Leo. Quickly balling up her fists and hiding them in her lap, Luness said nothing while she waited for Leo to finish crying.


@zCrookedz

 

[SilverFlight]

Ward watched the warrior go. He was puzzled, but then, even stoic and seemingly impenetrable forces like Leo may also be overcome by the events in war.


He made sure the prince and princess were unharmed and just then the castle soldiers arrived. Halberd was among them. The giant dog snarled at the corps.


"Your highnesses! How could you leave without your guard?!" He had been half sick with worry navigating that blasted maze. He was much relieved when he came up Leo's track and rushed in without a moment's hesitation.


Briar ordered the body to be burned in the elven pure fire. and as they prepared to go back to the castle Ward followed them on foot silently.


"I noticed." Briar said and Ward gave her a troubled look.


"I know...I cannot change."


"Cannot?"


"Some sort of after effect of the poison I was struck with." he explained. "I cannot transform at all, not a hair."


"We will have the healers look at you." She said, trying to hide her worry.


Leia watched Leo go, and, giving a worried look to Banba began to follow him too.


The main grounds were a buzz with activity. The elf soldiers that had run the demon army off for the day were now in the city. Their forces had brought food, medicine and fresh weapons. They helped evacuate the citizens through the caves Briar had mentioned.


"If the worst comes to the worst at least my people will be able to escape." She had said during the tactical meeting that had begun nearly the moment she got back. Fior stood by her side, silent and serious.


"The city cannot afford a single skirmish within its walls this time. We must take the fight out to them." Said an adviser.


Briar had to agree.


"There is more good news princess." Halberd said.


"We could certainly use some of that." She said flatly. After a demon had been able to infiltrate their very head camp the knot of worry in her stomach had only grown.


"I have received word from the Sand Seas and the Whisper Islands. They will send troops. And that is not all..." He gestured with his jowly head as a new force marched into the camp. Animals of every description, centaurs, unicorns, sprites and dragons.


"The residents of the forest have come to support us. They will join us on the battlefield now."


"This is very good news indeed." Briar smiled.


Grenwin nodded. "I can cook up a few new surprises for our dear dark friends as well."


A plan was beginning to emerge in Briar's mind. "very well then, let us lay out what our forces must do..."


Before sunset she would move the bulk of the force onto the plains outside the castle city. For now however, they would rest and prepare.

 

[DawnAntalios]

A portal of light blue shimmered as Nyr stepped out from it. She was smiling but was tired, her trip back to the northern region was proven longer and more difficult than she expected. But it was worth it: the frost revenant, the guardian of the flower they have retrieved before had pledged his loyalty to her and recruited the spirits of the wind and the frost.


And the cold wraits ere marching in Branbern, extinguishing fires and easing the suffering from the blistering heat. But she knew thae fight was not over. Not yet.


In the distance a storm of pure darkness raged, purple-black thunders arcing from it, ravaging the land below. The final assault was upon them.

 

[zCrookedz]

It seemed like a life time he sat and stared into the bed of flowers in front of him. Though it had only been an hour or so. He had been aware of Luness the moment she began following him, but did not push her away. A gentle breeze flowed through trees, rustling the leaves. Leo raised his head and returned to his meditative stance. He sighed heavily, continuing to watch the patch of flowers as he spoke, "It wasn't me.....who killed the assassin." He let the words hang on the breeze for a short time. "Do not misunderstand me, I wanted her dead for hurting everyone. But I couldn't kill her. When the time came to choose life or death, I couldn't choose." Unsure if Luness would understand his meaning.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr after being informed of what had happened in her absence went to the gardens and found Leo and Luness first. She walked up to them but said nothing, just watched them with a stoic expression. She has heard the great burden which weighed the guardian's soul and it pained her deeply. She put her hand on his shoulder and still sat there without saying a word. If he wanted to say something he would.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo turned as Nyr entered the clearing. He was glad to see his friends there, he had spent to much time alone in the forest and having so many around made him much happier. He continued to talk as he watched the flowers "The assassin, how could she have possibly known about the others...." his eye darted around the small patch of flowers as he let his mind loose "I left everything behined when i returned to the forest. There shouldnt have been any way she could have known." his mind snapped back to the here and now as he glanced away from the flowers and back at the others. No doubt a bit of confusion on their faces Leo's face grew stern, "This is not the first time I have left behind the forest and ventured into other lands to help human on their quests. And the last time...........it ended in disaster."

 

[Lioness075]

Luness, not knowing what to say in between the pauses in Leo's speaking, cocked her head at him and perked her ears towards him.


Hearing that it wasn't Leo who hadn't killed the assassin, Luness was a bit confused. Yet, she'd seen the green glow encompassing his body and how his eye would change colors. He also seemed to meditate and pray to spirits often. Being a guardian, he must have some spirit(s) that he worked closely with.


Luness knew very little about guardians, but this wasn't the first time she'd met one.


Blinking as Leo continued speaking again, Luness furrowed her brows slightly to hear that this wasn't the first time Leo had aided humans...and that last time had ended disastrously. Deciding against pushing Leo further unless he felt comfortable to continue speaking on his own, Luness remained silent and carefully watched Leo while she waited for him to continue.


Out of the corner of her eye, Luness noticed Nyr joining her and Leo, but Luness didn't acknowledge her. Not out of disrespect or anything, it was just that the focus was on Leo in the moment.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr looked down on him with sadness before she hugged the bulky guardiaan to ease his sorrow before she sat down before him.


" When I was with Mother Moon she taught me a lesson. " she said " Demons are usually spirits that have been twisted and corrupted against their will. If that is the case then maybe... "


She fell silent. What she was supposed to suggest was too preposterous, too painful to say. She looked at Luness but their feline companion said nothing. Then a bright idea jumped in her mind smiling at her then looked back to the stalwart guardian.


" You haven't killed her, Leo. " she said, putting her hand on his " You released her from her pain. You are a hero, a protector - never forget that. "

 

[Bea Delaine]

Elena made her way into the ruins of the city. Sitting on a previously collapsed wall, she opens her book at drawings of how she saw Branbern before the attack. Lifting her hands and focusing her energy, she began to conduct the movement of the rubble, reattaching stone and wood and finding a place it was needed. The old cobblestone roads repaired in that area, as well as a few small buildings and gates.


She looked to other areas with discouragement but did not stop. She moved onto more areas until the motion of her hands gained rhythm, falling into a steady motion of repair. She searched for anything left on greenery and made it grow and take shape into something nice. Then she looked to the wall of the iner part of the castle. She started piecing it together as well, slowly and carefully. Though she could not fix it all, or bring back it's color, she could do little bits.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo turned and smiled to Nyr. "Thank you Nyr. Your words sound so much like what my master would tell me as well. You are correct, I am a guardian and i knew that there would always be days when i would need to release a soul that had been taken by darkness. However i can not take credit for killing that assassin. That was Lily, the forest spirit who came with me from the forest of reflection. And she did the right thing. If she hadn't taken over when i could not kill that assassin, the princess and prince would be dead and i would be to blame. Lucky for everyone i could not be do what needed to be done, and this time it turned out for the better." He stopped, brow furrowing and his eyes returning to that confused almost terrified way "But how did she know about my past? How did she know about the others?

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr looked away, unsure about if she should say what she knew. She hesitated for a few moments then sighed heavily before she spoke again.


" When that archdemon tried to corrupt me, to infuse me with magic I have seen... memories, whose I am not certain. I have seen him venturing into lush green lands only to emerge from a dark desolate place with servants at his side. "


She silenced once more before she looked at him.


" Leo... I think it is possible that she was the spirit of one of your former allies. "

 

[Lioness075]

Luness' head swiveled between Nyr and Leo as they spoke together, her mind wrapping around this new set of information. It was interesting, the idea that allies had come from the darkness to help Leo in his times of need. Or was Nyr saying that someone died, became a spirit, and then joined Leo's side? Either way, it was a great idea and Luness really liked the idea of it.


Hearing though that Leo had not been able to kill the assassin himself, Luness' first thought was that he was weak, but she instantly pushed that thought aside. She wasn't living in a survival of the fittest kind of world anymore. She couldn't think that way now. Leo had a kindness in his heart that was admirable to Luness.


After all, if it had been Luness in that situation, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second in killing the assassin and she wouldn't have felt any remorse afterwards.

 

[zCrookedz]

Leo's eye grew wide. His thoughts racing. So many unanswered questions floated in and out of his mind. He didnt truely understand how the dark forces attacking worked, but he had a feeling that the darkness spreading through the world that the had tried to battle so fiercly for so long might have been able to give the enemy they face now the information they needed against them. They could know a great deal about any of the group who had encountered the darkness before. He stood to his feet, his gaze fixed on the mantle he had discarded. Moving to retrieve it and mount it back on his shoulder he spoke to the two of them, "I don't think the assassins that attacked us is anyone i know, manly because they are not truely dead. However i think the darkness that we have been battling for so long now, and the darkness i faced many years ago are connected and thats how they got the information. Any of us who have faced the darkness before will be susceptible to what it might know about us." He turned to the two, and motioned to leave garden. "Come my friends, we should be resting for the battle tonight. And i need to speak to the princess immediatly." He made his way out of the garden, almost at a trot, and began searching the castle for the princess so that he may converse with her. It did not take him long before he found the prince and Princess on the half moon balcony over looking the city. He placed his right hand behined his back and his left hand over his heart and bowed, as he had been taught by his mentor. "My lord, my lady. Might i have a word in private with you?" The Princess smiled at him "Of course my dear guardian. After your heroics in the hedge maze, you may have as many words as you like." She waved her guards to wait outside of the balcony. Leo turned his one good eye towards the doors as they slowly shut them.


((BUM BUM BUM!!!!! lol Leo will be ready for the time skip whenever everyone else is. Thanks @SilverFlight for letting me borrow Briar for a post.))

 

[Lioness075]

Luness nodded at Leo's last words and stood up, wincing again when she used her hands to do so.


Watching Leo go, Luness then turned to go as well, but paused since Nyr was still near her.


Looking over at Nyr, Luness paused uncertainly and then said, "Nyr, how're you holding up?"





@DawnAntalios

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr was not smiling any more. She tried to, but all the dark thoughts and the terrible burden now weighed heavily on her shoulders.


" My father will aswser for his crimes. " she said silently " Even if I have to drive my own scythe through his body, I will bring him to justice. "


She turned away from Luness as a drop of tear fell to the ground in her sorrow. " I will do what must be done. "

 

[Lioness075]

Luness took a tentative step towards Nyr and while she didn't offer one of her hands in comfort, she said, "Nyr, I know what you're going through. I had to end my father's life to protect those around me."


Pausing uncertainly, Luness then added softly, "We sometimes have to make the tough decisions that nobody could ever prepare us for."


Shifting on her feet, Luness then added hesitantly, "I'm not one for physical comfort, but I'm here for you if you need me."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Nyr chuckled a little then turned to Luness with a sardonic smile.


" Ironic, isn't it? " she asked as she looked at the werecat " Previously it was I who tried to comfort you with promises of friendship, with my love and care... and I succeeded in nothing. Yet now it is you how comforts me with a wise advice. "


She looked up to the darkened sky.


" How things change, how life takes an unexpected turn... fate is whimsical. "

 

[Hel]

Anya had done what little she could during the battle, and now that it seemed to be over, she went around trying to find where she could be usefull and helpful. She had no healing magic- so with a healer was no good, and she wasn't very strong- however she did go and try to help move rubble and stuff before deciding that was a currently pointless endeavor. She had little comfort to offer those who had been truely usefull, so she didn't bother trying to help them. Eventually she found her way back to Ward, too nervous to approach the prince and Princess- or King and Queen? The rules of royalty in fairy tales were always a bit sketchy to her.


"Is there anything I can do to be useful?" She asked him.


(If Ward is busy and this doesn't make sense I'll change it- I don't remember where he is!)


Alexander, meanwhile went to find Quincy, to check on her. He couldn't stop worrying about her.

 

[Lioness075]

Luness shrugged and then said pointedly, and a bit sarcastically, "Well, you did try to smother me in a hug at first and I was a bit injured at the time."


Following Nyr's gaze to the sky for a moment, Luness then looked down at her hands that had bled trough their wrappings and said, "I've never been one for fate. I feel as if we choose our own direction and just go with it. If fate exists, then it's interchangeable because we all constantly make decisions that change how situations end."


After saying this, Luness' mind went to her recently perished packmember and she wondered if there was anything she could've done differently to save his life.