 |
| VisionAri swooped in from the sky, "What's the matter?" "I don't know. Jade won't budge," said Heather. VA thought a moment, "Kali said her horse almost threw her and wouldn't go any farther. There must be something ahead neither of them likes." "Oh well, guess we have to go back now, right?" said Ging hopefully. "No, we walk," said Heather swinging down from Jade's back. Ging moaned as she slid off Jade. Heather turned to Jade, "You stay here until we get back." Heather and Ging headed towards the ruins on foot as VisionAri took to the sky again. As they disappeared into the forest, Jade whimpered. ***** "Oh my stars!" gasped Heather. Ging whimpered looking at the devastation. The forest was indeed dead. Every tree, every bush, every blade of grass had turned black. "What could have done this?" whispered Ging. "I.. I don't know," said Heather stopping to look at a young sapling, it's bark gray, it's leaves black. Heather touched one leaf, it crumbled and fall to the ground. VisionAri swooped in landing a few feet away. "I wouldn't believe if I hadn't see it. The dead forest makes a perfect circle," gasped VA. "What?" said Heather and Ging. "Yes, a perfect circle with the ruins smack dab in the center," said VA. Heather stood up slowly. "I think we should get out of here. We need to tell the others," said Heather, looking around suddenly feeling uneasy. "I think your right," said Ging. She and Heather turned back the way they came. A muffled scream stopped them in their tracks. They spun around to see VisionAri, a large thorny vine wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her sides and covering her mouth. Ging screamed, but before Heather could turn towards her a vine shot up from underground, wrapping around her, covering her mouth before she herself could scream. The three of them stood there, helpless. The vines made movement impossible. Heather heard someone approaching, but couldn't turn her head to see. Something smashed against the back of her head, and all was darkness. ***** EveningStar stood on the battlements, looking out over the forest. She turned to PhantomsPaw. "They've been gone to long. Get a search party ready and send a runner out. ORAL must know of what's happened," said ES solemnly. PhantomsPaw nodded and walked away. ES turned back to the forest. "Please be alright." she said softly. ***** The search party found Jade, still where Heather and Ging had left her. "Kali, FrogSplash, take Jade back to the fortress," said PhantomsPaw. Kali and FS took hold of Jade's collar but she refused to move. Tressia reached up and pated Jade's shoulder, "It, OK Jade, go home, we'll find them." Jade lowered her head and followed Kali and FS. "Jade's been waiting here all this time?" asked Rustam, disbelieving. "Jade's very loyal, she wouldn't leave unless forced to," said Cerri. "This is not good," said Tressia. A few minutes later they came upon the dead forest and shortly after that, VisionAri and Ging. They lay on the ground, unconscious. There was no sign of what happened or of Heather. "Rust, Tressia, grab Ging. Cerri, help me with VA. We need to get them out of here," said PhantomsPaw. "But what about Heather?" asked Tressia. "There's nothing we can do for her right now. I don't like leaving her behind but we need to get VA and Ging out of here and come back with more help," said PP. They lifted VA and Ging between them and headed back to the fortress. ***** Heather woke up slowly. The first thing she noticed was the pain in her head then the pain in her shoulders. She was hanging a few inches off the ground. She opened her eyes slowly. She was in a room, the walls covered by the same thorny vines that had attacked her, VA and Ging. Heather looked around but they were no where to be seen. She looked up, her wrists were held by more of those vines. She could feel more holding her ankles. Heather tried to move her vines. Waves of pain shot threw them and into her back. She couldn't move them. She didn't need to look, she knew they were bound up in more of those thorny vines. A harsh chuckle brought Heather's attention to the figure standing in the door way. It was clearly a woman, but she could see more then that. The woman stepped into the room, moving towards Heather. "So we meet at last, Fields of Heather," she said softly, her voice cold and harsh "Who are you? Where is VA and Ging?" growled Heather. |
|
 |