Chapter 2

Laxy POV

I stared at the book before picking it up. The cover was hard and brown, a picture of the Elhorn carved into it. The Elhorn looked like a horse with four horns, two on its forehead curving upwards and two sticking out on the sides of its head, a patch of fur covering its chest like a warm coat. Even without colors, the Elhorn looked majestic. I took a deep breath and opened the book.

The first page lay a picture of the Elhorn with colors; the horns were the same colors I had seen in the shop. However, the Elhorn color was dark copper, and the tips of its horns were dark red. Even though it wasn't real, I could sense its eyes staring at me as if it were challenging me to read further. Its fur, stained red with blood, could it have been in a fight? I turned the page to begin my reading:

"Centuries ago, the Elhorns were nothing more than creatures that walked the land. They weren't peaceful creatures. However, they killed anyone in their path. An Elhorn's poison is enough to kill anything, resulting in even vampires and werewolves fearing it. A tale has been told where Ehorns could escape from the forest. They were fast as lightning and would travel in groups. The forest held secrets that only Elhorns knew, and their horns were the key. Centaurs lived among the Elhorns, protecting them from harm. A long time ago, a human met with a centaur deep in the woods and learned that the only way to get close to an Elhorns is through a Centaur's trust. It was told an Elhorn horn holds a secret that has yet to be unlocked, just like how an Elephant never forgets; a horn of Elhorns doesn't forget. It was like the horn was alive."

I reread the words of the horn, yet I couldn't process the meaning behind it. Was the horn alive? Did that man know about it? I looked out the window, frowning upon confusion. What was needed for the horn? It couldn't possibly be to craft something. The horn seemed to be more than just a material to prepare as I turned the page, a keyhole laid in the middle of the page. There was no writing around it but rather a blank page. I ran my fingers over the keyhole, and it was deep enough for something to fit in it. The edges were rough; as I looked at the page next to it, it looked empty but dust-covered something. I moved my hand across the paper to reveal words hidden behind the dust. It was written in a language I didn't understand. So, I gently blew away the dust and read:

To mystiko tou dasous vri-

Before I was able to reach the last word, thunder roared, almost shaking the house and making me jump in shock, causing me to drop the book onto the floor. Tiger woke up, getting to his feet. I got up, walked over to the window, and saw rain pouring outside, the wind blowing angrily, shaking the trees. My thoughts were a mess staring at the shower. How could it rain? Why is it raining? It hasn't rained in centuries. Arsia has been known to only snow. Rain and thunder wouldn't dare to come over us. Is it another spell? I grabbed my hooded coat and ran outside as I was putting it on. I noticed the snow being washed away by the rain as I ran towards the center of town. Lightning lit up the sky as I realized I had nothing suitable to wear for the weather.

I was shaking in fear as the village came into sight. There, people crowded around the center; vampires and werewolves were standing at the top. As panic filled the air, I walked to the crowd—children crying in fear and the higher-ups talking in whispers. I looked around the area, the wind was knocking down tree branches, and the rain was pouring so heavily in some flooded regions, but what caught my gaze was the forest. The forest had dark clouds hovering over it, even angrier than the storm attacking our town. It was like the forest was mad at us. So the question is: why is it angry, and who is the forest crazy at? Finally, I heard one of the vampires speak, so I turned my attention towards them.

"Everyone has to calm down!" he yelled, catching everyone's attention, "For now, we don't know the cause of the unusual storm. The magic users will be responsible for controlling the storm while everyone else will take cover and-" he was caught off guard by a bolt of lightning hitting a nearby tree, lighting it on fire.

Everyone started screaming and panicking; the vampire was yelling at everyone to go home and barricade themselves. As the magic users went to tame the fire, my feet felt like they were stuck to the ground as my eyes lingered at the fire. People would bump into me, trying to get home. Finally, a loud bang broke me out of my frozen state. Without another thought, my feet began to run back home. The harsh wind knocked over trees, the animals running and hiding as lightning continued to strike. All I could hear was my heart pounding as I felt my coat getting drenched. Finally, I reached my home and quickly headed inside, slamming the door behind me.

I looked around, trying to find things I could use to barricade the door with. My eyes landed on the couch, so I began to push it against the door. Before I could even get the couch halfway, the windows swung open, and rain began to enter, driven in by the wind. I ran over to the windows, shutting them and locking them to ensure they wouldn't open again. I returned to the couch to finally get it against the door. I took a few steps back and realized how shaky I was. My body was trembling, but not just from the cold, but from fear. I had never experienced thunder before, and this was the first time. My whole body felt weak, so I took off my coat and had my feet drag me to my room.

I saw Tiger hiding under my bed. Another loud bang caused the house to shake as I let out a small scream. I ran to my bed and hid under the blankets. I felt my cheeks getting wet, realizing I was crying. My eyes started feeling heavy; the warmth of the blankets and the safety of my home brought peace to me as I drifted off to sleep.

Light tapping on the window woke me up from my slumber; the sun shining brightly lit up the room. I slowly opened my eyes, sat up, and looked out the window. I saw raindrops lightly hitting my window. I got up and walked out of my room to take a better look at the damage. When I entered the living room, my eyes landed on the Elhorn book. I walked over to it, picked it up, and placed it on the table. I then moved over to the couch and began to push it out of the way. Once the door was completely free, I opened it to see the storm's damage. I looked around and saw fallen trees and their branches everywhere.

The snow that once filled the ground was now covered with water, flooding even. The trees that once stood tall with their leaves displayed were now scattered on the floor, branches hanging for life. Some houses took damage from trees that were knocked over. I turned my gaze towards the burnt trees that were now crispy black. They weren't the only things that were burnt; a few houses were also struck by lightning.

I made my way to the town square, only to hear that haunting melody from the forest. I still wonder if the forest was mad at us, but what had we done to the woods to give it a reason to strike us. I looked at the forest briefly before making my way to Aiden's house, giving my mind time to wander.