The Dragon's Eye

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Koza looked behind him once more, making sure the guard kept a good distance away. With a slight twitch of his nose, the blue rodent crawled down from Karliah's shoulder and onto the pathway. He stood on his hind legs and stared up at the witch.


"I think I sense a cave not too far from here. I'm sure the guard will give up eventually." Koza went down on all fours and scampered into the grass patches next to him. Karliah glanced to the side and stole one last glimpse at the guard before following after the small rodent. Ruko padded next to her, his golden ringlet earrings bobbing up and down with each footstep forward. The sun's rays seeped through the tree branches in gentle golden streams, lighting up only a few spots among the forest floor. The birds singing grew louder as the witch and her two companions passed under a Pine Thrush's nest high in the treetops. A sound of running water was nearby, indicating a stream flowed just a few feet away. Eventually, the stream became bigger and wider, until it was a river filled with harsh rapids and salmon.


"It should be over here." Koza called up to Karliah while continuing to weave through the plants and bushes. Karliah's eyes glanced around the beautiful forest. The area Koza was leading her to was concealed by bramble thickets and barbed shrubbery, as if to hide or protect something. Avoiding the thorns and prickly bushes, the blue rat managed to scamper to the other side unharmed. For Ruko and Karliah, not so much.


"Damn it! Koza, where are you taking-" The witch immediately shut herself up at the sight of the grove in front of her. A waterfall flowed freely off of one of the mossy cliffs, creating a fresh pool of water at the very bottom. A cave sit engraved in the rock behind the waterfall, dark and seemingly uninhabited. Karliah smiled and arched an eyebrow at the rodent.


"Wow. When you meant cave, I imagined something entirely different."


"Thank me later." Koza smirked and climbed up to her shoulder. The witch began making her way down to the pool of fresh water. Leaning low to the rocky shore, Karliah scooped up some water into her cupped hands and splashed it against her pale face. Ruko lapped at the icy cold water, finally managing to tame his dehydration. Even Koza had leaped down and was licking up the droplets of water. The witch stood up straight and stared at the cave ahead curiously.

Spoiler

 

[Beaurmont]

The chase turned into a simple follow the leader game, Darwin, too tired to actually run after her. The road was long, and he had no idea of the witch's intentions, or destination. Just why was he following her? He kept asking himself the same questions, over and over, keeping a lazy watch of the woman ahead. Every now and then she would look back, but only for an instant before glancing forward again. She knew he was there, yet she made no effort to lose him. What is she playing at? He began to ask, replacing the old questions with a new ones. There was so little he understood about the situation, it was like walking blindly into an abyss. He felt lost.


The witch looked back once more, before stopping, grabbing Darwin from his moment of self-reflection. He too stopped, tilting his head to the side a bit. Is she going to face me now? He pondered, not even reaching for his dagger. The woman quickly turned and began to walk into the outlying brush. In a few seconds she was out of sight once again. "Oh god damnit-" He stated, face palming. With a groan, he began to stride faster trying to catch up. The forest was denser than he thought, and he found himself having a lot of trouble travelling through. He was built as a border guard, not forest warrior. Darwin trampled through the grass, hoping he was heading in the right direction. A few moments later, he completely lost track of the woman. "...Good riddance I guess. A waste of my time..." he muttered, frustrated. He slowly walked up to a nearby moss covered tree, leaning against a rather large boulder. He placed his hand on it, a feeling of coolness tingled his senses. The forest was colder than the exposed road, it felt nice for the sweaty guard.


Darwin's tense muscles finally relaxed and he could feel calm again. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. I should come around here more often...I wonder why the villagers don't ever visit the forest? He opened his eyes again, a low hum sound was heard nearby. A constant echo that sound familiar. Intrigued, Darwin moves from the moss covered tree in search of the sound. A few moment of walking through bushes and tall grass, he sees an opening in the tree-line. A loud crashing sound continues, muting everything else. As he walks closer and out of the forest-line he spots a huge moss covered cave with a powerful waterfall atop of it. A feeling a awe spread through the young guard, this was the first time even seeing a waterfall. He was so taken back, he immediately slid down the grassy slope to the bottom of the large pond. The water was a clear blue, cleaner than he had ever seen. As he walked over to the waterside, he noticed a person splashing there face. His once eased muscles tensed up once again, his relaxed mind agitated and angry. "Y-YOU!" He spurted out, pointing at the woman.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

"Y-YOU!"


A man's voice yelled out angrily from behind the witch. Karliah swiveled to the side, her harsh purple gaze meeting the guard's. Koza looked up as well, and in response, he stood up onto his hind legs to get a better look at Darwin. The caramel colored fox sat himself on a mossy rock and stared curiously at the man.


"What? Have you come here to kill me?" Karliah snarled in a mocking voice. Her eyes drifted to the single dagger on his belt. It seemed to be the only weapon he had. Koza clawed up onto the witch's shoulder and wrapped his tail around himself. He arched an eyebrow and motioned towards the weapon on his belt.


"You know, taking on a witch and her two magical companions with one-" The blue rodent cut himself off and chuckled. His entire paw became a glowing turquoise blue. He pointed his small finger at the dagger. It began to shake violently and turned a glowing turquoise as well. Before the guard had time to react, Koza flicked his finger, sending the dagger flying backwards and into the icy water with a soft splosh.


"...with nothing but your fists, isn't a very smart move... Darwin." He flashed the guard a mysterious smirk. The witch stared intensely at the guard, a threatening aura wavering off from her.


"You should have stayed in your little town, guard."





Ruko nodded in agreement and blinked his large brown eyes at the guard. He let out a yawn, as if bored of the current situation going on around him.





@Beaurmont

 

[Beaurmont]

Darwin watched as his dagger was removed from his belt and flung away in an single instant. He cursed under his breath,That was his favorite dagger. The anger that welled up within him began to subside slowly as he glared at the witch, her purple eyes glowing bright. Defeat he shrugged and held the bridge of his nose, trying to discern his situation. Just...what did I think would happen? His dark hair fell over his face, hiding his eyes from sight. "Honestly, I don't even want to be here. If it wasn't for that old fool...."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

"Then leave."


Karliah snarled loudly. Her voice scared a few nearby birds sitting upon an oak tree. Even her words had managed to surpass the noise of the crashing waterfall behind her. The witch's pale face was twisted into a frown with her fists clenched. She glared at him, her purple eyes filled with irritation. Closing her eyes and letting out a breath, she managed to relax herself slightly. Karliah slipped off her black cloak, revealing the dark mark once again on her back. The pretty blue dress she had on was now dirty and torn around the edges.


Without another glance at the guard, the witch hung the cloak and the leather satchel onto a dainty tree branch, and dove straight into the icy water. Her figure was distorted and blurry under the surface of the water, but she soon began to drift back upwards. Her head poked out above the water, droplets covering her face. She began swimming towards the waterfall and the mysterious cave behind it.


Koza, now sitting next to Ruko on a small rock, watched Karliah swim underneath the waterfall and disappear on the other side. He sighed and turned back to Darwin with a slight smile.


"You're welcome to stay with us. Even though Karliah won't say the same." The blue rodent pounced up on top of Ruko's neck fur and held on tight. With an excited shake of his tail, the fox jumped into the water and began doggy paddling towards the cave.

 

[Beaurmont]

The waterfall crashed loudly against the wall below, still grasping the location in a constant white noise. Darwin watched as the talking rodent simply jumped on his friend, following the witch into the water. The guard stood silently, easing his muscles again. Well...she didn't murder me. He thought, sighing in exasperation. A low breeze swept through the little enclosure, causing the tall grass to sway. Darwin shot a glance as the trio finally disappeared behind the large waterfall, entering the dark abyss. "...Am I really about to do this?" He asked himself, standing idly as if someone were to give a response. The absence of other life was so pleasant, he felt so at peace to be alone and...away from the constant eyes of villagers. Yet...he wanted to follow her. To see just what the hell this witch was up to.


"Damn it all-" He exclaimed, throwing his headband onto the trampled tall grass. He began to undo the heavy leather clasps for his belt, removing anything metallic. After a few moments of cursing and stripping, he finally was ready to take a dip. He wore a cotton shirt, dyed brown and worn. His leggings were simple and crude, leather vambraces protecting his thighs. After rooming the last article of clothing, his boots, he dived headfirst into the clear water. Darwin felt a chill for a moment, but quickly became accustomed to the temperature. He swam quickly under the waterfall, trying to catch up to the trio already at the mouth of the cave. The water crashed above him, and it sunk him deep underwater, but he emerged atop once again.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Karliah waited patiently for the rodent and the fox to rejoin her in the quest. Climbing out of the icy water and onto the mossy rocks, Ruko shook his wet fur. It sent a spray of water droplets everywhere. Koza did the same, and shivered slightly afterwards from the chill running down his spine. With his pink paws propelling him forward, the blue rat leaped across the sharp rocks and up onto Karliah's shoulder. Her dress was soaked and dripping. In a few places, the fabric was pressed against her body in wet patches. The witch glanced back behind her as she heard a sudden gasp of air echo throughout the cave. The guard, Darwin, had followed them in. With a slight frown, Karliah swiveled her attention back to the cave in front of her. She proceeded inside, stepping over rocks carefully and disappearing into the darkness with Ruko following.


A stream of water flowed through the middle of the cave; calm and glowing a light green. Ruko walked alongside the water, growing extremely curious as strange fish swam along beside him. Their scales were color changing from blue to green depending on the angle. He stopped for a moment and launched his snout into the water, trying to catch one. Surprisingly, he had succeeded. The shining fish wiggled in his mouth violently. With his head held high proudly, Ruko burst into a run and caught back up with the two. The cave strangely began to become lighter and lighter. Koza glanced around, trying to find the source of the odd light. When he had found it, he chuckled quietly.


"Ah, flitterbloom. Good thing they're beginning to flower, or else this cave would have been pitch black." He said while quickly scampering over to Karliah's other shoulder. He reached out and picked the glowing yellow flower from the cave walls, admiring it. The witch simply nodded to his words.


The witch came to a steady halt as a clearing appeared in front of her. The stream continued to flow, creating a shallow pool of water in the middle. There was even a few small waterfalls falling down from hole in the cavern's ceiling. Karliah took note that the stream was seeping in from an outside entrance just ahead. She planned on using it in case of emergencies. Karliah skipped across a trail of rocks leading to a grassy patch near the small river of water. It was big enough for the three of them to camp in for a few days. Flitterbloom flowers were growing everywhere on the walls of the cave, lighting the cave up completely.


"Not bad..." The witch murmured to herself with two hand on her hips. Ruko was leaping across the water, chasing pods of medium-sized fish around. He had seemingly ate the last one he had caught. Koza rose himself onto his hind legs, sniffing the air.


"There doesn't seem to be anything living here, except for a few bugs and those fish."


"Great. We're staying here for the next few days then." Karliah proclaimed to him, letting the blue rodent jump back onto the grassy ground.

 

[Beaurmont]

The witch moved forward through the cave, not bothering to say a word as he appeared. He slowly swam up till he reached the mossy cave interior. With a grunt he pulled himself out of the water, walking about somewhat dry land once again. Agitated he rung out his shirt a bit, trying to dry himself faster. The air in the cave was cooler than outside, almost giving a chilled feeling. "...It's cold..." He grumbled, pacing after the group ahead. A stream went through the middle of the cave, glowing an eerie green color. Several fish could be seen swimming through it, the strange fox, actually managing to catch one. It flapped wildly in his maw, shinning the same color as the stream, a brilliant green. To be honest, he was slight amazed, the fish were large and looked strong too.


He kept to himself at first, ensuring he was a well enough distance away from the rest. Instead he took note of his surrounding, admiring the mossy waterfall cave. It was strange however, how could he see inside this cave? They were reaching the inner depths, sunlight should be unable to shine. "Ah, flitterbloom. Good thing they're beginning to flower,or else this cave would have been pitchblack." The rodent stated, plucking one for himself. Well that explains it I suppose... Darwin walked up to one of the plants, it's light illuminating the inner cave. He bent over and plucked a plant for himself. I wonder...how they taste...? Without a second thought he opened his mouth a took a bite of the petals, munching inquisitively. His gag reflex activated immediately. "PTHHBBB-" He spat furiously, expelling the plant from his mouth.


Now annoyed, hungry, and behind, Darwin began to head in the witches direction, holding his stomach. Never...trying random plants again. He thought, a look of disgust on his face. "Great. Were staying here the next few days then." The witch proclaimed suddenly as he entered the strange opening, the water leaking from the ceiling creating a light background noise. "W-what!? Here? I-I left my armor...I mean...." He began to stutter, confused, cold, and really regretting not murdering that old man.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Karliah arched an eyebrow and glared at the guard. Her anger began to refill her darkened heart, spilling out of the witch's mouth.


"YOU are the one who followed us in here. Deal with it." She spat, turning her back to him and beginning to gather supplies for the group. Koza was sitting in the middle of the grassy patch, drawing a circle with his claws. He began to add strange runic symbols inside, along with several flitterbloom flowers surrounding the circle. Sitting just outside of his creation, the blue rodent closed his eyes and began chanting something into his paws. After a few minutes, Koza opened his eyes and pointed at the middle of the circle, saying:


"Ave verum Corpus natem."


A large blue flame emitting waves of heat hovered above the grass. The circle surrounding the flame began to glow a bright blue, and stayed that way. With a satisfied hmph, Koza scampered over to the witch collecting herbs.


"Woah. Kingsfoil leaves." He stood onto his hind legs and sniffed the abundant plant in front of him.


"Yeah, I know. It'll taste great with the fish, eh?" Karliah flashed the blue rodent a proud smile. He was munching one of the leaves in his mouth, letting out a sigh afterwards and rubbing his furry tummy.


"Good, because I am starving. I'll catch some fish before Ruko eats them all." Koza glanced over to the fox bounding across the glowing green water playfully. The fish created disturbances in the water as they tried to swim away from Ruko. With a small chuckle, Koza pounced over next to him and settled himself onto a well-rounded rock sticking out of the water beds. Glancing behind her, Karliah looked over to Darwin irritably.


"Hey, you gonna help or what?" The witch growled, setting the leaves she had picked onto a damp rock. Her eyes glanced around the clearing, searching for something. When she couldn't find what she was looking for, Karliah let out an annoyed huff and rolled her eyes.


"Do me a favor, grab my leather satchel from outside. Along with your armor, or whatever you want." Karliah ordered to the guard, not seeming to be giving him a choice. She raised an eyebrow at him expectantly.

 

[Beaurmont]

Darwin starred at the witch narrow-eyed and miffed, who was she to order him around. I...do need my armor though. He thought, trying to find a reason to go out of the cave willingly. His stubbornness was getting the best of him, but he tried to shake it off. She could kill him though...The ex-guard folded his arms and sighed, giving in to the women's whims. "...Fine...fine..I'll get the satchel. Could you at least tell me your name? It's annoying to constantly call you 'the witch' in my head." He asked, turning to the other two as well. "I also don't know either of yours. All I got is fox and small talking rat."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The witch stayed silent for a moment, contemplating on whether or not she should actually tell him her name. She let out a deep sigh and glanced over to the guard.


"Karliah." She responded in a somewhat calm voice. Shortly after telling him her name, the blonde haired elf returned to gathering more Kingsfoil leaves. Her hands worked quickly, picking one leaf at a time from the small bushes. She placed them in the palm of her hand. The blue rodent looked up at the guard's words. He flashed him a small smirk in response.


"I'm Koza, and that's Ruko." He flicked his long pink tail in the direction of the fox. Ruko looked up at the mention of his name, water droplets dripping from the fur around his muzzle. A fish's tail splashed out in front of him, causing the caramel colored fox to nose dive into the eerie green water. Koza chuckled a bit before managing to grasp his tiny paws around one of the slippery fish. Clamping his sharp teeth around its scaly body, Koza dragged the flailing fish towards the blue fire he had made. Ruko followed him, a fish also in his mouth. The fox tore the heads off of both fishes and flung them into a deep crack inside the cave wall. They proceeded to pick out the major bones and organs.


Levitating the fish, Koza placed the two dead creatures into the flame, where they floated inside and began cooking. The two returned to the stream to catch more fish.

 

[Beaurmont]

Darwin watched as the three continued to work, not taking another moment to speak to him. He felt as if he was being ignored purposely. With another sigh he began walking in the direction of the entrance to the cave. As he left the alcove camp, a cold wind blew through. He was just beginning to dry off, and he was being made to go back into the water again. Why do I even try? He wondered, gazing at the flitterbloom illuminated brightly. It really was quite pretty. He reached the water's edge once again, a heavy waterfall crashing at the mouth of the cave. Carefully, he took a couple steps back and dived into the clear waters, delving deep. A few breaststrokes and he was on the other side of the powerful waterfall, reaching the top to breath air.


He swam to the edge of the pond, in search of the items requested. He spotted the satchel and, without leaving the water, wrapped its restraint around his arm. For the princess...He thought sarcastically. A few moments later he had his other possessions in the other arm, ready to get a move on. His boots tied around his belt, his army held in his arm, and his teeth holding a small bag, he began swimming toward the camp once again. Instead of swimming under the waterfall he had to go around, the thought of her bitching at him on the satchel made his head hurt.


Shortly after he camp back to the little alcove with three waterfalls, all items in hand. He dumped his materials onto the mossy ground and walked over to a still busy Karliah. Without a word he bent over and handed her to bag gently, indifference on his face. They're efficient, I'll give em that.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The soft crunches of rocks indicated Darwin had returned from his short trip. The witch glanced behind her as he leaned down and handed the satchel to her. Her purple eyes studied it gently, and then flicked back to his. She suddenly put up a cold wall, and snatched the bag from him with a frown. Karliah didn't say a word to him, not even a "thank you". She turned her back to Darwin and began rummaging through the satchel in search of something. Five or six fish levitated within the blue flame now, cooking from the burning heat. Koza and Ruko were covered in droplets of water. They shook their pelts, spraying water everywhere as they approached the two.


"Mind if I do it? You're powers are-" Before the blue rat could finish his sentence, Karliah swiveled around and hissed at him to be quiet. Koza's eyes widened at his mistake. He quickly closed his mouth. Silently and in an irritated manner, Karliah dropped the leather satchel in front of him and motioned towards it. Nodding slowly, Koza crawled inside and pulled out a strange herb. With a wave of his paw, he gently brought one fish onto a large boulder nearby. He leaped up beside the delicious smelling fish. Koza settled into a meditating position in front of it, and placed the herb onto its scaly flesh. He began chanting something and making strange hand motions in the direction of the dead fish. Slowly, it began to mold and wither away. A few seconds later, it disintegrated into a puff of glowing green smoke and spun into a cyclone formation. It disappeared completely before touching the cavern's ceiling.





"For Ikora." The blue rat explained while turning to the now confused Darwin behind him. Karliah nodded and wore a serious expression across her face.


"Any animal we kill, there always must be an extra as an offering to Ikora. To watch over us." Karliah added while beginning to take one of the fish for herself. She began eating it slowly, while also sitting down onto the grassy ground. Ruko was too full to eat anything, and simply plopped down in front of the warm fire. Koza dragged a fish onto the ground and began picking it apart with his paws.


"Have you heard of the Glenmoril witches, Darwin?" Koza asked the guard calmly. Karliah flashed the rodent a look, but he simply smirked in response.

 

[Beaurmont]

Darwin felt a cold chill run down his spine, the mention of Ikora was unnerving. Some sort of dark, evil god right? He thought, turning toward rat named Ruko. "Glenmoril withces?" He responded, sitting down next to the rest of his clothes. Absentmindedly, he began ringing out his wet clothes again, grunting every now and then. "I've heard a thing or two about them. Not much, I tend to disregard rumors and the like." He started, bringing one of his large boots to his eye. He squinted and looked into the right boot, looking for any hidden stones or debris. "But even a common border guard has heard some...rumors on what witches tend to do." He tipped the boot over, expelling the last bit of water out.


He then sighed as a tiny fish escaped the boot, plopping onto the mossy cave floor. "...But I'm not quite sure on what to think of witches. Having actually only met one and not end up dead...I feel as if some of the rumors could be false." He poked at the small fish a few times, before cupping it in his palm. Slowly, he placed it in the large pond next to him, releasing it. "I suppose we'll see if I end up dead or not...then the rumors could be proven right..or wrong."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The blue rodent watched the guard curiously as he spoke. He bit into small chunks of fish meat, chewing slowly. Koza wrapped his tail around himself and stared into the fire, setting down his meal.


"I wouldn't question what a witch can or can't do so soon. They're quite unpredictable foes... especially the witches of the Glenmoril family." The rodent met Karliah's burning gaze with a teasing look on his face. The witch simply scoffed and leaned her back against a rock behind her. She bit into a fresh piece of newly sliced meat and stared off to the side at the flitterbloom flowers. The blue rodent shrugged and let out a sigh.


"But who am I to judge my fellow sisters? After all, Darwin, you have only met one witch out of hundreds." Koza murmured calmly, an eerie tone to his voice. As if giving off some sort of clue.


"Karliah could be anyone."


He glanced to the side at the guard, and flashed him a small smirk. Now beginning to grow irritated, Karliah closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth.


"Alright, enough talk of my kind. We wouldn't want someone to get hurt now, would we?" She muttered, crossing her arms. The blue rodent chuckled quietly at her response, and arched an eyebrow. Opening both eyes, Karliah's gaze bore into Koza's. His mocking of her was unmistakably obvious. Suddenly letting out a sigh and dropping the mischievous act, Koza glanced over to Ruko who was now sleeping comfortably on his side.


"Tell me, Darwin. Why did you choose to follow us?"

 

[Beaurmont]

Once he's finished wringing out his wet clothes, he plops himself down on a soft section of the mossy cave floor. He lays back, starring up at the jagged spikes above. "Honestly...I'm not quite sure myself. I know for a fact that geezer had something to do with it." He murmured, yawning slightly. "Whatever the case, I don't know what I'm doing here or why. Maybe I was just bored...interested in something...new." He crossed one leg over the other, getting comfortable. "Long as you decide not to attack Geomun I don't care what you do. I guess I'm just here for the ride."


He turned toward Ruko, arching an eyebrow. "What is it you guys are doing out here? I heard some rumors about witches being very aggressive and violent lately."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Koza froze in his place at Darwin's question. He exchanged glances with Karliah, who shook her head slightly and have him a look saying 'don't you dare say a word'. The blue rodent forced a small smirk and resumed eating the rest of his fish.


"It's a long story, and something you aren't ready to hear." Koza answered simply. The blonde haired elf nodded in agreement, staring down at her feet. Her meal had vanished as she took the last bite. Ruko was still sound asleep, snoring softly. Karliah walked over to the small stream and crouched low beside it. A pod of iridescent fish scattered as she dipped her hands into the glowing water and washed them off. Koza watched her for a moment before turning back to Darwin.


"And those rumors you speak of... What exactly have you heard?" The rat asked curiously. His pink ears flicked back and forth, causing the golden earrings to sway wildly.


"He means, have you heard anything about the Blood Alliance?" Karliah spoke up while rising to her feet and glancing behind her. Koza's fur ruffled slightly at the mention of the guild's name.