In the darkest of night, there is a ray of light

[Selphia Dek]

(I had a good post and I was logged out when I posted it and lost it all. Here is a quasi post in its place. )

Having raced to the horse and left Veryan behind her Selphia could not help but feel a wave of guilt rush over her. She had been ordered on many occasions by her brother to flee, and she felt beside herself with guilt then. These men were after her, and now a stranger was to stand in her place to deal with them. She bore her horse down the path leading away from Veryan. She glanced back but could no longer see Veryan, as the forest seemed to engulf him.

The forest seemed to darken once she turned and headed into a much denser section of the woods. Her heels kicking up into the horse’s flank several times, thinking that it might get the animal going faster. Beads of sweat formed upon the neck and hind legs of the horse. She felt sorry for having to work the poor animal. Hoping that she held up and was able to escape unharmed. Her petite form was arched over the neck of the horse as they down one trail after another. She was sure that they had gained enough distance that they could slow and perhaps even find a place to hide and wait for Veryan to show. Question was could Veryan find them. He could use his elemental abilities to find her, or she could open up her thoughts to find him. But that would mean hearing everything all at once again. At the moment it was not safe to do so.

The path ahead came to a head, splitting into two. One path veered off to the left, down a bray and into a clearing, perhaps to another part of the forest. She would run the risk of someone seeing her and coming after her. She drew back on the reins so hard that the horse skidded to a halt, her back legs almost giving out from under her as Selphia was about to turn her in the other direction. When she did so, she saw that the path twisted and turned into a much denser part of the forest. So dense that barely any light seeped through the canopy overhead. She swallowed hard and looked behind her. Veryan said for her to find the gypsies, this might be the way that she need to go to find the druids.

She started down the right trail. Her pale gaze lifted to the trees. Strange eerie breezes derive from behind her causing her to turn and looked behind her. Nothing revealed itself upon the trail, which only caused Selphia’s anxiety to increase. She clicked her tongue against her teeth and stuck her heels into the flanks of the horse a few times in order to get the animal to move a little quicker. As they traveled down the twisted trail, she gave notice to unnaturally tall plants that grew here. Tall green ferns decorated the forest floor. Becoming denser as they continued along. The horse’s ears twitched, and turned in either direction. This caused Selphia to quickly turn and look in every direction to see if their very much being followed.

The sound of hooves came fast. Rising out of her saddle in order to twist her form about to look behind her. It was then that she saw two riders thundering down the trail toward her. They were still a fair distance away, but they were gaining. She snapped back into her saddle. She pulled firmly on the reins and thrust her heels into the horse’s side. The horse bolted through the forest with such speed, that Selphia had to hold tightly with her thighs so that she didn’t fall off. Her petite form curled forward. It was in that moment that she heard something travel quickly pass the right side of her head, gasping when she saw an arrow embed itself in a tree to her right. She pulled sharply back on her reins that the horse almost went off the path.
The further into the wood that they traveled the bigger the trees became. Tall thick oaks littered the forest floor. She if she could get behind them she might be save from further arrows attacks. She jeered her horse onward. Not bothering to turn around to see who was firing at her. They turned around a bend, disappearing behind an large oak tree. She figured that she was save for the moment, when the horse took the trail wide. Selphia felt a sharp pain in her mid thigh. She lunged forward, pain shooting through her leg as she fought to stay on, but did not manage it. She fell to the ground with a hard thud. Rolling into the think and tall undergrowth of the wood. Her horse long gone, leaving her to laid upon the ground with an arrow in her thigh.

She quickly rolled herself onto her left side and crawled further under the ferns. Curling herself as close to the trees as she could.
She would listen closely to hear then ride pass her. Holding her thigh, as she assessed the damage. hoping the veryan was something close by if he was still alive.

[Veryan Lithônion]

Two horses were right behind Selphia but only one of them wished to reach her before any harm could come to her. Though he knew he was too late, that spiteful bandit had gotten on a horse far sooner than him and though his skills with the sword are not that great Veryan managed to stand against them though he also discovered new skills, new magical skills. He then suddenly stopped on his tracks a she lost the man and he cursed under his breath.

He groaned in exasperation and looked around him and tried to sense that man, could it be he was too far away already? How could that man ride away so fast? Well another problem was Veryan didn’t control his abilities yet. He frowned and then got off his horse for a moment, his side wound burning with each moment, with each breath. He had hoped he would be able to catch that man but now what could he do? Surely Selphia was in deep danger by now.

Kneeling in pain he closed his eyes for a moment, the pain on his side burned but he had to concentrate, surely there was a way for him to get to Selphia before that man. How could he let that man escape in the first place!

As he placed a hand on his wound and closed his eyes, his head rested upon the tree he leaned his body against and though for a moment he felt dizzy, as he opened his eyes he felt terror, danger, persecution, angst, and pain. It was the spirits of the woods spreading Selphia’s feelings and those of the trees nearby, the moment he looked to his right he recognized those feelings, for that man had cut some tree branches on his way to Selphia. Veryan slowly stood up leaning against the tree, and with a piece of cloth he improvised a tourniquet for his wound not to bleed for the moment though he had to hurry, his wound could not be blocked for more than an hour.

He reached out for his red blade sword, Harbinger, and looking at it as it shone with the light a strong breeze blew upon him as he turned to look at the road that bandit had followed and his eyes flickered with anger, he knew now which path to follow.

As an arrow hit Selphia the bandit grinned and rode forward, watching her fall him her horse. He halted his horse and taking out his sword he said, “Mi Lady, I will not harm you, I promise, the danger is over.” He was obviously lying, he wanted to get his hands on Selphia at whatever cost. He grinned when he saw her sitting down, she was vulnerable now.

He pointed his sword at her and said coldly, “Stand up! Or I’ll cut your throat right here, right now…”

The man pulled the reins of his horse, his plan was to tie Selphia to the horse and then take her to his hideout and steal her beautiful emerald gem and then finally become rich. He chuckled at the thought and added as he pressed his blade against Selphia’s back, “I haven’t got all time! Move!”

“How dare you talk to a Lady that way.”

The man groaned in anger yet he did not move, Veryan had Harbinger pointing at the man’s neck. The young blacksmith then said with a clear and demanding voice, “Drop your sword at once!”

The man chuckled and said as he turned to look at Veryan, with the sword still touching his neck, “What can a young boy like you do against a warrior like me? Besides you are severely wounded, I am sure you have no energy left.”

Veryan frowned but then quickly ducked when the man turned to stab him with his sword. Harbinger shone with the sunlight as Veryan rolled behind the man and then cut him on the back and then stood between him and Selphia, “You won’t take her with you. I promise you that.” The man grunted and then raised his sword to stab Veryan on his wound but the young blacksmith skillfully parried his attacks several times.

Though the man attacked more fiercely each time Veryan was growing weaker by each second and had to use the nature around him to give him strength in order to defend Selphia as he had promised before.

The moment Veryan stabbed the man on the leg to make him lose concentration that man hit Veryan with his elbow on the head and scratched Veryan’s wound though the young blacksmith skipped the rest of the blow. The thief grinned and turned to look at Veryan hoping to see him in pain and agony but Veryan stood strong and with anger he ht the man on the head with his sword’s hilt and though he was ready to stab that man something happened no one had foreseen.

The man stood facing Veryan and said turning to look at Selphia with hatred, “We will meet again. And then you won’t be so lucky…” He picked a small flask from one of his pockets and then quickly smashed it against the floor creating a great smoke that allowed him to ride away from them without being seen.

It was then when Veryan turned to look around and realizing he had indeed succeeded in protecting Sephia he then turned to look at her and the arrow on her leg. But then suddenly a great pain overcame him, his sword’s blade rested on the ground as he stood there, but the moment the pain came to him he fell on one knee and used his sword in order to stand up again.

He failed for he lacked the strength and his wound was bleeding once again. The last thing he saw was Selphia’s blurry image before he fell backward and closed his eyes.

[Selphia Dek]

(fixed my post0


The sheer panic of the events as they unfolded caused Selphia’s thoughts to go astray. The pain of the arrow in her thigh had her in its tight grasp. She had curled herself against a nearby tree, hoping to go unnoticed. The sickly sweet tones of the bandit came forth. She cringed as she felt his thoughts betray his words. She pressed her back into the tree, attempting to push herself to her feet when the man came around the edge of the tree and found her. She held no weapon and no skill to aid herself.

Her pale gaze narrowed upon the point of the bandit’s sword that was angled under her chin. She had thought that the bandit would just kill her there. But he apparently wished to make the deed a little more personal. Faked emotions leaving his voice as he order her to her feet. She managed to get to her feet, but just, using the tree behind her to aid her. She made certain not to move forward, as the blade danced mere inches to her throat. The look in the man’s eyes told her that he wished to end her life and take from her what he would, in this case the jewel embedded in her chest.

His free hand moved to grip her by the shoulder and pulling her closer to his form, so that his blade was angled along her neck, the hilt resting against her shoulder. Should he be surprised by anyone, she would pay the price. At least that was the thought that flickered within his mind. She felt it. He meant to end her life for the gem. It frightened her to her core as she was pushed into the clearing, away from the trees. She hobbled due to the arrow that perturbed from the thigh of her thigh. Stumbling when he pushed her, not at all pleased with the pace she was moving at. She took two more steps and fell to the ground. The man loomed over her, a wicked grin upon his face. His sword angled down at his side. Feeling she was no threat due to her current state. Upon that notion his hand reached down to the shaft of the arrow. He gave it a small turn, his look never changing, just one of curiosity as to what she would do, if anything. He continued applying pressure to the wound until the achieved results were made, her screams of pain.

Only then did Veryan’s voice call out from somewhere. Blinding pain seemed to blur Selphia from seeing just were Veryan was. She curled in a ball upon the forest floor, trying to get to her feet. Her head reeling about as the pain riddled her entire body. Pale eyes snapped at attention when the man’s blade came to rest with the point digging in the ground, the blades edges resting on an angle toward her throat. Pinning her head between the blade and the ground. She could not look up when Veryan showed himself. “Veryan,” she whispered as her strength was fading due to her injury.

~How dare you talk to a Lady that way. ~

The man must have moved from her to close the gap between Veryan and himself. For the blade moved away from her neck. Perhaps the man did not perceive either Selphia as a threat, or Veryan as any type of rival. He merely laughed at Veryan’s command. Did this boy serious think he could best him? A man a good many seasons aged in years and skill. It was not but seconds later when the man rushed at Veryan. Selphia had managed to lift her head as the pain in her leg ran through her. She would try several times to get to her feet, only to falter to the ground.

The pair struggled against one another. Parrying thrust and lunges, anything that would let one or the other gain or lose ground. It was in these parries that a loud cry was heard. Selphia’s gaze darted between the men looking to see who was injured. Blood ebbed from the man’s leg as he staggered back, while Veryan seemed to waver in his own steps.

The man must have figured Veryan too strong for him, for he uttered his threat and bolted from the clearing. Leaving Veryan reeling in pain from his strike and Selphia from her wounded leg. Her pale gaze looked to Veryan with such urgency when he crumpled to his knees. ~Veryan~ She whispered again, she would try to get to her feet, but failed. She then watched as he fell to the ground with a thud. Her gaze darted about looking for aid, but found no one.

“Veryan!!”

She would managed only to get about ten feet closer to where he fell when she passed out due to the loss of blood.