2 Junt Forest and Her Many Meadows

I looked up again at the moons. The smaller one caught my eye as it was turning an auburn color. A lunar eclipse was soon to happen. What omen would that bring to our land? Good news or bad news? The lunar eclipses were always a mixed sign instead of the straight forward solar eclipses. A bit of time passed and up ahead was a bend in the creek with an opening. When I came upon it, there was what seemed to be a small meadow with a few jutting rocks. Small flowers dotted the fields, their petals closed for the night. Some taller stalks with white, bell like flowers jutted out from the blades of grass. Aicia flowers, I smiled at the site of them. The rare forest flower that was only in bloom at night was right ahead of me in the field. Their sweet smell began to waft over to me with each little breeze. Lumen bugs danced around magically giving off a soft white glow. It was as almost the myriads had come to the field to dance around in the moonlight.

"This would be a good place to catch another breather." I said to myself as I moved into the field and found a decent sized rock to sit on. I sat my staff down to my side and took off the hood of my cloak. I breathed in deeply and watched as my breath escaped out in the somewhat chilly night air. I adjusted the baby out of the carrier onto my lap. I uncovered its face. It was awake and smiling. I couldn't help but to smile back at it. This only lasted for a brief moment as the baby began to whimper. I felt a small wetness coming from the cloth. It had started to pee. I quickly began to uncover the child so that the wet cloth wouldn't agitate the child and I was meet by a steam of pee. I moved my hand away very quickly. The child was a boy, and to top it off, he could pee at a distance. I started to rip dry pieces of cloth from the rest that was wrapping him and whipped him clean. I clutched my staff and he began to glow a soft blue.

"There, you are all clean now." I said to him as the light faded from him. I looked down at him, his smiling face visible in the moonlight. "Hey watch this!"

I took the soiled rags and held it in one hand. It light up with fire and was gone in the next few seconds. The little one giggled at the display I had put on for him. In the light of the fire I was able to catch a better glimpse of his face and eyes. They were a deep crimson color with silver like flakes in it. I picked up piece I had torn off and it began to glow a soft yellow. After a few seconds, the small piece had turned back into the cloth that was originally covering him. I let go of my staff and rested it beside me again. I picked up the boy off of my lap and wrapped him up in the cloth. His cute face poked out.

What was a happy moment had to end. I couldn't stay in the meadow long and run the risk of both of us being caught. I held him in my arms and began to softly sing a lullaby to easy the child asleep. After a few minutes his breathing became uniform and he was fast asleep. I adjusted him in the carrier. I breathed in deeply taking in the calm cool air and stood up. The sound of a snapping twig came from close by as I picked up my staff. I clenched it tightly as the crystal in the head of the staff began to spark lightly.

"Hold, there is only one's voice that I know can sing that softly and still please the birds." A deep, low, and thundering voice came from the shadows of the woods. The tall figure with broad shoulders held a large object in his right hand that rested on his shoulder. The handle was long, as it was meant to bear something heavy at the end. The dark tinted metal reflected the moonlight off of both of the curved edges. The man was wielding a fairly large axe. I could barely make out the appearance of a foreign imperial crest.

"Ubel, you have a way of sneaking up on people up until the last minute. Need I remind you that can get you killed one day?" I said with a small stab to him. "You'd make for a better thief then a warrior."

"You are one to talk Mildgyth." He said with a slight sneer. "It was because the guild leader thought I was too handsome, and she didn't want a big strong man like me to go to waste with a peddler's class." Ubel pumped his arm in mockery flashing his muscles.

I rolled my eyes. He walked over from the edge of the woods and hugged me. I could feel his warmth from the embrace and what seemed like a carrier. He backed off and helped me adjust the carrier to my back along with the boy's that was nestled by my chest. With backpacking two children, I knew we both succeeded in fulfilling our duties. He rolled his shoulders towards me trying to adjust what was still on his back, which was meet with the sound of rattling. Yes, I sighed in relief at the notion of another backpack. We still had the rest of our stuff. I motioned for him to turn around as he went to pick up his axe. I reached into the bag and began to dig around. After a few moments, I pulled out a bound book. I smiled at the thought of a little more security. I set the tome by my staff and then closed the bag.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. I'm surprised you even got out of that den of evil and managed to bring a child along with you." I said looking up as I finished collecting my belongings. He adjusted the backpack and then the axe onto his shoulder.

"Well I'll tell you when we get a move on down the creek. That little one wound up stopping me for a good bit of time. She became ornery there about half way here." We began walking out of the clearing. I looked up and then down the creek. The water trickled past us down the slope. A breeze came through the valley, the leaves protested with sound as they rustled through the wind. We didn't hesitate to start moving again, time and an entire cult was against us. As we began to move, Ubel was the first to talk. He didn't hesitate on the explanation nor did he skip out on the details.

"I think I lost you after the lower alter battle." Ubel began to explain, "I know the group scattered to make it harder for them to catch us. I actually wound up having to fight off another group of cultist as I made it further down into the tunnels. That wasn't a fun clash due to the damn halls were so narrow. I ended up smashing a hole in it." He led our small group down the bank. The axe bobbed with his body as he walked over the small boulders.

"How did you find her then?" I asked. The air started to go still, and the forest grew eerily silent. Only the stream beside us made noise.

"I think it was after the summoning. That battle in the lower halls kept me from getting there before they had their first feast." There was a sound of disgust in his voice. "Of all the battles I have been in, I have never seen anything as terrible as that summoning. Eating humans makes you lower then dirt, but children?" He went quiet. "I was about to turn out of the room to make it back to the meeting place, but then a heard a whimper. I found her under a body with a different crest on their armor."

He finished explaining with how someone was battling on the cliff and that's how he made his escape by their diversion. I thought on what he said about the 'different crest' for a moment. Our little group was made up of a band of mercenaries from two different nations. How could a third kingdom have known about the summoning? Did someone leak out information, or was there a spy in our ranks? I was still deep in thought as I bumped into Ubel. He had his left hand extended out motioning for me to stay behind him. I clutched both the tome and staff. There was an opening up ahead leading into another meadow. The creek meandered in the middle of the field and then exited back into the forest on the other side. This field wasn't dotted with boulders or graced with different flower scents. The grass stood still in the moonlight. The eerie feeling grew stronger as the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention.

"Why did we stop?" I asked him. I whispered just in case he had spotted anyone moving up ahead. I didn't want to blow our cover this close to being out of the forest. Then I thought to myself. "What is the point in whispering, if we are out in the middle of an open meadow and anyone could spot us with a full moon? Let alone two full moons."

"I think it would be in our favor if we take a slow approach through the field and then rush it when we get into the last section of the woods." He said starting to creep forward. "I have a feeling that if we do anything drastic it would really not go well for us. I'm sure you felt a shift in your mana when the wind stopped moving."

We began to move slowly. I happened to disregard the changing wind patterns as a signal from the forest of what is to come. As we moved I tapped my staff twice on the ground. A faint green glow with a tent of black came from the crystal. No enemies, although the feeling of creeping dark mana was not a good sign. Did the cult do another summoning, or did the finally decided to mobilize and head out of their cave? The tall meadow grasses were still as we trampled it under our feet. Its softness acted as a small cushion as we walked. We pressed forward with the hairs standing up on the back of our neck. The eerie quiet made the trek all that more ominous. A snap of a twig from my feet and I froze in place. Ubel looked back to check on me, I sighed and began to walk again. I am making a big deal out of nothing.

"Run!" Ubel said as he kicked off. Fog pushed in from our backs followed by the smell of rotting flesh and blood. I picked up speed to match him. The sound of faint whispers filled the area as we left the meadow and into tree cover.

"Damn it, did they spawn the Martyrs or did they come on their own accord!?" I said under rasped breathing. I was trying to control it while I picked up pace to not tire myself out. This was going to be a long run.

"I have no clue Mildgyth, but let's not stick around long enough to find out!" Ubel said right before his axe flew up off his shoulders. In the split second of air time it came down with a sharp force. Splinters of wood began to fly out as it was meet with a low thud. A small tree fell down as quickly as he put his axe back up on his shoulders. Its cut was clean and completely through the trunk. I jumped over it and caught back up again with him.

"I swear if you fling that thing around freely you are liable to chop someone's head off!" I said as I hopped over a boulder trying to keep the same speed as him. The fog had now overtaken us and the remainder of the forest up ahead.

"Then stay back a little bit so you don't get in my way of cutting something down!" He turned towards me and winked. His facial expression quickly dropped. "We are about to have company!"

I didn't want to look back but the low riding whispers began to grow more profound. The smell of death was crisp as ever. I gaged at the taste of rotten flesh. Another snapping sound and branches began to fall around us. We both dogged in opposite directions. A tall tree fell in between us. Its branches snapping and sending wood flying about. I hopped over a small hole and then ran back to his side.

"How much further do we have to endure this Hell!?" I asked. I finally caught up with him. The axe bobbed up and down with every stride. He lifted it off his shoulder and it swung at his waist. It swayed with every stride he took building up a momentum. It was like the axe itself became a part of him, just an extension to his already muscular build. The fog grew thicker as if it was spawning right behind us. The clouds overtook the area making it harder to see. A tall figure came out in front of us and the split second we passed it I realized it was a tree. My head grew dizzy, and I couldn't make out the trees and as they smeared into dark figures as my vision blurred. My running pace had slowed down from Ubel. I clutched my staff and it sparked at the crystal. My body contested every movement. I took the bottom of the staff and slammed it on the ground. The sound of a bell rang out and a circle of wind blew out from around us lifting the fog. Ubel stopped with me. His hand clutching hard on the axe's handle.

"This will buy us a little time as we move. The fog has a hallucinogen." I said regaining my senses as I rubbed my temple. The whispers stopped for the moment. I finally took in our surroundings. We had stopped on top of an outcrop of rocks in the middle of a small clearing. The slope of the forest had begun to level out and was almost completely flat. The tree canopy began to thin out. We were close to the edge of the forest and into the Gladdeon Plains.

"The fog had hallucinogen?" Ubel asked puzzled. "It didn't seem to have an effect on me. Maybe it was an attack on mages." He spun the axe around in his hand. A low whirling noise radiated out from it. He slammed his axe into a nearby boulder splitting it in two.

"Whatever we are about to fight, let's make this a quick one!" He said as he picked back up his axe out of the rock. He readied himself into a battle stance. Legs even spaced for anchorage. He pivoted back and forth setting momentum.

"Agreed," I replied as a clutched onto my staff. The crystal began to glow a yellowish color as it began to spark. My mana began to flow through me as I pulled more from the forest around me. I stood ready.

Whispers began to fill the surrounding atmosphere. Their chanting like haunts drifted around us on all sides. A chill went down my spine as the air began to grow crisply cold. A tree snapped in half and feel at the corner of the meadow. A very tall figure in a tattered cloak came floating out into the open. Its breath was visible and smelled like rotting corpses. Another ten of these figures began to drift out of behind the trees and into the meadow. Mana coursed through me to my staff instantly as I slammed the butt of the staff on the ground. A burst of white light came out as it shielded us on all sides. A boney hand pierced through the shield, breaking it like glass. I took a step back to take aim at one of the figures and looked to my side. Ubel had already disappeared.

"Damn Martyrs! It has to be these bastards to stop us!" Ubel shouted as he charged at the one that broke through my shield and was closing in on us. He jumped and swung his axe. The Martyr turned and the axe fell to the ground missing it. The Martyr floated away from Ubel as if it was swimming in the air. His axe landed with a thud as it broke the ground underneath him.

I pointed my staff and aimed for the Martyr. The crystal in the middle glowed a bright yellow as my mana moved to it. A lightning bolt shot out and hit it on its shoulder. It began to float backwards as Ubel turned and swung his axe upwards, its black blade sliced through its dilapidated flesh. The sound of a bone breaking rang out as the Martyrs arm fell to the ground. My mind raced with the thoughts of how these begins were summoned here. Did the cult summon them to find us? My mind refocused on the battle as I fired ice at a Martyr that had sneaked up from behind. I looked over and another Martyr took the retreating ones place. I aimed and fire left my staff and hit it dead in its chest. I moved trying to cover more ground so that this team of the floating dead wouldn't overtake us. I jumped up on top of a boulder and slammed the butt of the staff into it. I could feel a small rumble under my feet. Roots began to shoot up from the ground ensnaring the Martyrs in front of me in place. A sharp glint of light caught my eyes as metal flew past me, as it reflected the night sky. A loud repeating snapping sound came from the Martyrs as the axe cut through them. They fell in halves to the ground as the axe returned to a running Ubel. He stopped down below from me.

"If this keeps up, we will run out of stamina!" He said under a raspy breath. I could tell he is starting to run thin. Staying up for the past two days with no sleep had started to take a toll on his muscles and his fortitude. When was the last we ate? I couldn't think of eating in that din of cannibals. I looked back at the forest. Martyrs seem to spawn in between each tree. There was no end to them as they continued to push into the meadow.

A sharp pain pierced through my brain. My temples throbbed fiercely as I began to clench my staff for support. I heard a shout coming from beside me, but I couldn't make out what was being said. My breathing grew sharper as fell to my knees. I seemed to have closed my eyes as darkness flooded everything. I tried to open my eyes, but something seemed to not let me. There was a sudden burst of light and I was looking out into a field. It was quiet, a cold wind blew over the field. My breath rose away from me. Snow was falling moderately. It seemed like no one was around to disturb the fresh snow, and it laid down in deep drifts. I began to drift forwards. I couldn't stop myself. An unknown force kept dragging me. I moved up over a hill.

When I reached the summit of the hill, what met my eyes was a nightmare. The pure, calm, and picturesque white of the snow was stained a deep crimson. There were tattered flags that flew in the distance. I could not recognize any of them. I continued to progress down the hill and into what seemed like a battlefield. Thousands of dead bodies laid out on the field. Some had swords pierced through their armors. I passed over a collapsed bridge. Dead bodies lie frozen in the river. Some of the bodies' intestines had escaped into the river dying it a crimson as well. Hacrows flew down and began to feast on the bodies. Their deep black feathers contrasted to the white and crimson snow.

My attention snapped to what was loaming over the horizon ahead of me. As a continued to move forward a large, dark, and ominous cloud covered the sky. Two glowing red orbs seemed to overlook the battlefields. I could feel its gaze pierce my soul. I wanted to step back, but I couldn't. Whatever propelled me forward kept pushing me. I looked down from the sky and there in front of me stood two people. They both looked young in stature. One had broad shoulders and a built body. Their armor was stained crimson and a lance was held in their right hand. The other person was also of a more slender and shorter build, their long hair flowed in the wind. In their hands was a bow and an arrow read to take aim. They stood their locked in an endless gaze at each other.

"Mildgyth, Mildgyth!" A large hand was on my back. I looked up and Ubel was crouched beside me. A mumble "huh" came out as I took in a deep breath a loosened my grip on my staff. My knuckles where white. The throbbing pain was leaving my temples as I began to look out into the meadow.

Orbs of light danced around the field that pulsated as they bobbed around. Where they came from who knows, but they continued to come into the meadow. The Martyrs began to push back into the woods. Out the corner of my eye I caught a figure clothed in black and white. The minute I snapped my attention to them they disappeared back into the forest. Small whispers filled the area. It was calming to the mind.

"Children of Twilight… Transparent Heirs… Ode to the one that bear the fates…" softly came from a few of the orbs that danced around the carrier. In the midst of all the chaos I had neglected to check on the children. A deep pain of regret flew over me as I opened the carrier. They both were soundly asleep. The orbs stopped in their tracks. They all seemed to scatter out of the forest. As soon as that happened a fairly large orb of light formed in front of us.

"Head a Myriad's warning and leave quickly before the fallen arise again. Go now!" It said as it levitated. Ubel grabbed my shoulder and beckoned me to get up. We both turned and began to run out of the meadow. I stole a look back to the Myriad. It slowly vanished as we keep pressing forward.

My mind raced with thoughts as we ran. Cults, Martyrs, and then the Myriads. The fact that the Myriads even appeared bewildered me. They existence has been passed down through the generations and was only of legends. To top it off everything seemed to have occurred in such a short span of time. Was there any connection between them? I keep rolling the questions and thoughts over and over again in my mind to form some type of connection. I shook it off and broke my train of thought to look over to Ubel. He was quiet. No doubt was he lost in thought as well. The trees began to thin out and open up as we keep our running speed. After a good few minutes the forest opened up into a vast plain that blurred into the horizon.