Amara- Chapter 3- Whispering Forest

Chapter 3

Whispering Forest

1

 

Alora silently stepped from the castle stairs, her fingers playing with the tightening straps of her arm band. She wouldn’t want the dagger inside to slip out accidently. The world was silent around her aside from her still cool leather armor creaking against itself. Habitually her eyes drifted to the rose courtyard and her body stiffened for a moment before she quickened her pace into the burned trees of the once beautiful forest. She inhaled deeply and as she slowly released the air sparks of lightning ran through her skin, guiding itself along her spine and throughout her veins it seemed to highlight her armor. She watched ahead of herself and then thrust her fist against the ground.

The brilliant white light ran through her arm and struck the ground as her fist did, sending the bolts through the ground in each direction towards all wondering Wraiths. It was only a matter of seconds before each of them, except for Davan, would be given a rather rude strike of lightning next to them. She counted on their reactions, knew which ones would come out of fear and which would come out of anger. The muscles of her face dared to pull a wicked smile to her lips at the thought but her mind was racing with the thought of finally finding her traitor.

 

She pulled herself back to stand and glared into the shadows of the nearby ashen trees. “Don’t let me catch you.” She spoke harshly, meaning for Davan to hear her wherever he was. The traitor. The one who abandoned them all, abandoned her. Alora watched through the trees as the sun began to sink in the now darkening sky. The shadows would be full and soon he would be able to hear her, see her everywhere she dared to breathe loud enough. She took a knee and pressed a hand to the ground as she focused her energy from her core and pressed it through her veins. Sparks of electricity ran down her spine, her leather armor glowing with the light. Her white hair lifted from her messy bun on the back of her head, each strand lifting up on its own, and the tips crackling with the sounds of the sparks trying to escape her body. Her arm seemed to compress against the ground, sending a shock of energy and parts of her soul through the earth, heading in every direction. If Davan was hiding in any particular place, she would find him.

 

2

Calista walked ahead of Davan into the darkness from the lanterns of the cabin. If the moons were up the trees hid their presence, and so the darkness was thick and the sounds of the nocturnal chirped up louder by the second. She turned and watched as Davan breathed in deeply, closing his eyes, as if he were breathing in the shadows themselves and they were the best breath of air he’d ever taken. Davan opened his eyes to Calista staring at him, her head slightly tilted and her eyes full of questions.

 

He perked a brow at her, “Yes?” He watched her blink several times as if being woken from a vision or day dream. “Sorry, it’s just.. it’s like you are more alive when the sun leaves the sky.” He smiled just slightly, “I am born of the Shadows. Did you expect otherwise?” Calista looked out to the trees, “No, I suppose not.” It was quiet for a few heartbeats, “I guess I just forget that you are a,” She stopped. It was as if it was a difficult thing for her to say. “A Wraith?” he finished for her and she said nothing. Davan stepped behind her and rested a hand gently on her shoulder. “Never forget. It will save your life someday.” She went to look at him but he was walking past her.

 

The sounds of the forest grew quiet and all was still. “Davan…” Calista whispered suddenly. “Something is wro…” her breathy words were quickly cut off by a rumbling sounding from behind her. The trees were moving and quickly. A branch scooped Calista up and flung her into the air. She landed on a thicker portion of the branch closer to the tree itself, the air nearly being knocked out of her lungs in the process. Davan quickly moved through the darkness below her preparing to catch her when she rolled off the branch but she managed to hold on before plummeting from the tree. Calista scrambled onto the branch gasping out words as quickly as she could breathe. “Davan… Run… They…’re… coming…”

 

Davan realized at the moment that the trees weren’t attacking their Nephilim they were protecting her. Before he could manage to act on his knowledge a horrific scream rattled through the trees in front of him. The scream died out and replaced itself with the sounds of rushing fluid and cracking bones. All was quiet for moments as Davan listened from the shadows and Calista wrapped herself in branches and leafs.

 

Hideous laugher seeped through the darkness that sent chills through Calista’s skin. “Oh my, did I interrupt your glorious conversation with yourself Davan?” Davan stepped from the darkness, “Why are you here Sirus?” A thin man with short white hair stepped from the tree line, his clothes tattered and his pale skin shined with blood. His arms were away from his sides to show he was unarmed. “Is that any way to greet such a dear friend, Davan?” His voice was exaggeratingly cold and soft at the same time. “I guess I don’t get the warm welcoming I was expecting.” He looked down at himself, “Oh don’t worry, the blood is my own.” He smiled and through the darkness Davan could see his brilliantly white fanged teeth. Davan ripped his blade from his back as he watched Sirus circle around him. “Now now, You have grown so rude to your friends, General Davan.” Davan laughed suddenly sending heat through Sirus’s pale face. “Shut it Sirus!”

 

Sirus smiled, “As you wish.” The man crumpled to the ground his body piled on top of itself as the skin molded together. Calista clenched her jaw and held her breath to prevent herself from screaming as she watched what she could only guess as some kind of unseen power stretching the flesh of what she thought was a man into something else as if he were clay.

 

A sharp hissing voice pushed through the being that was now growing and slithering towards Davan until it stood well above his head. Davan stepped back as he flipped his sword in his hands. The giant cobra now coiling it’s scaled body around itself.

 

A swinging branch caught the snake off guard as Calista landed on the ground in front of Davan and rushed the creature. Davan didn’t have time to do anything but run after her. Calista landed on the tail end of the snake and started moving as quickly as her limbs would allow, wrapping the roots from the earth around the beast.

 

Lightning struck from the ground to the sky next to them, the blast itself throwing Calista from Sirus and knocking Davan through the forest and slamming him into a tree. The forest around them rushed to Calista and Davan watched as the branches picked up her limp body and rush it through the trees into the darkness. Davan closed his eyes, the screaming sound of Sirus yelling at the sky incoherently in rage far from him. Davan watched through the darkness as the trees moved Calista, her blonde hair bobbing with her head. She wasn’t waking up. He focused on Sirus and watched as the, now man, ran through the forest away from them in the direction of Gallus Castle. “Daddy beckons…” he breathed and let his body go limp against the grass.

 

Alora was standing at the edge of the forest near Gallus Castle. A smile crept on her lips as she felt the presence she was searching for through the energy she casted out. Her body was still sparking with light all around her. She took a step forward but in a moment was struck by a bolt of lightning, landing distantly in the woods. She didn’t plan on being gone long, and would more than likely be back before the others. She leaned on the hard bark of a tree near her, her sky blue eyes glaring in the shadows in front of her. “I see you…” she whispered. She knew even if she were to only think it, Davan would hear her within the shadows.