Emergency

With a light blanket of sunlight still enveloping the morning fog, a shadow tore through the veil of gray in a mad descent from the skies.

The blaring whistle of the wind sent the bottom half of the food chain into a panic across the floor of the forest for miles around while hidden predators looked up from their naps to search for the potential threat.

Fragile branches were snapped and torn from their trunks just by the mere wind pressure that followed the shadows path that weaved through the canopy at scary speeds.

…

On a familar tree, a boy covered in a giant leaf was rustling as the morning dew fell from the trees above and interrupted his sleep.

He pulled the leaf up and over his face to shelter him from waking.

Poke. Poke.

"A little bit longerrr…" A muffled voice came through the leaf.

Rava could only watch in horror as his treasured leaf he found just yesterday was gripped by a giant rough hand and torn from his sweet embrace.

"Marna why!?"

"EEK—!"

After a few seconds of staring at the solemn monkey, the boy shot to his feet.

"Oh right! We have to—"

FWIIII!

Just then, a stinging whistle entered Rava's ears as his eyes shot to the treetops.

Rava snappily crouched, and his bare feet pressed into the thick bark under him.

With a light thud he shot up the trunk and started scaling the tree.

His steps were quick and left a firm impact on the trunk every time he hopped.

Like this, Rava shot up the tree while using branches to jump off of when he began to get dragged by gravity.

With a speed unfitting of a mortal boy, he reached the peak of the towering trees in quick bounds.

What met his eyes was a verdant sea that stretched out as far as he could see in the light, misty fog.

By now the whistle had grown to a high pitch ringing as Rava could see a flux of air blast the leaves to the side.

An valiant brown bird of prey met his gaze as it began to lose speed after hitting to many branches and vines.

"Tala!"

Rava's figure fell from above the canopy as he landed on a branch.

"Marna, sword! You stay here and watch your babies!"

"Oo!"

Rava reached out as he heard the sound of an approaching object.

His sword met his open palm with a clap and he shot off, swiftly moving from one branch to another.

…

After around five minutes of travel, Rava came to a halt on a sturdy branch covered in thick vines which resembled prehistoric serpents than the plants they were.

His chest heaved as he caught his breath.

With sweat still dripping from his hair, he raised his head and began repeatedly sniffing at the humid air of the forest.

His travel slowed to a cautious crawl as he scanned the area for his companion, employing a rather beastly method of tracking.

"Twee…" A weak call broke through the leaves and met Rava.

His head snapped to the left as he lunged into the foliage. He tirelessly swung his sheathed sword through the thick layers of plants which seemed endless, leafy debris clinging to his weapon at every chance.

Minutes anxiously escaped Rava like loose sand as he grew more worried by the second.

Just when his exhaustion began to creep in…

Rava raised his hand to take another swing but soon completely ceased his actions. He stuck his ear out and advanced with slow movements.

"Twee!" A louder call spooked Rava.

"Here!" He reached into a deep well of vines and prayed them apart with his hands, repeatedly being pricked by thorns.

Rava retracted his bloody arms with a mighty hawk in his embrace. He carefully removed the vines tethering the mighty creature's wings and wiped the blood from its feathers.

Tala's head weakly rose as a pair of striking golden eyes bore deep into Rava's soul.

At that moment he felt something deep inside him stir as he felt a surreal connection with the mind of the bird.

His pupils dilated as scenes flashed through his head along with waves of disorientation.

Rava fell to his knees, Tala feebly wobbling in his grasp.

"Sorry," Rava uttered between deep breaths. "I understand."

He weakly stood up and perched Tala onto his shoulder.

"Hang on tight! I won't let them lay a hand on Gaona!"

The duo shot off in the direction Tala flew from.

…

In an open clearing within the forest where fog was sparse, a blue wolf the size of a horse and a caravan of armored men stood off.

Behind the men, there was a luxurious carriage adorned by shining ornaments. Resplendent jewels and metal trinkets hung from braided silk. Gold and silver clanged together as it hurriedly retreated from the wolf.

"Hold the line for the general and his family!" A man who seemed to be the leader shouted with his sword held high.

He drew a deep breath as sparkling mist was drawn deep into his lungs from the surroundings.

The captain was surrounded by a subtle glow as his sword was enveloped by a current of water.

It manifested from thin air and clung to the blade in a violent vortex.

"Hah!" The man struggled to raise it to its full height before he swung it.

It was more of a drop then a swing but nonetheless, the sword cleaved with a newfound heft as a ginormous clap announced the contact between sword and ground.

The blue wolf's azure eyes widened as it opened its mouth and…

Spoke.

"You bastard! How dare you steal my hunt then slink away under the cover of these rodents!" A deep grumbling voice viciously rebuked the ever-shrinking image of the carriage.

"Your opponent is me, you demonic fiend!" The armored man cried out as a violent blade of water bisected a path between him and the wolf.

"Such bullshit" The wolf scoffed. His form seemed to partially meld with the fog, his form seeming incorporeal to the soldiers.

Crash!

The blade of water slashed straight through the wolf's figure.