Deathsong Chronicles - Prelude 3

Several months later, after the four teenagers had trained under Ruby, the five trundled through a dark, creepy forest, known as the Forest of Shadows. The mood was dismal, and the sounds of life could not cover the uneasiness in the area.

Suddenly, Xepher sensed a movement in a bush nearby. He cautiously approached the bush, and saw blood trickling from behind it. He shoved the bush away, and saw-

-A beautiful girl, energy pouring through her through a seemingly lifeless man on the ground. Jennifer and Emily screamed. She glanced up, and sped away with wings of an angel. Ruby yelled:" Girls, Shadowz, tend to the guy! Xepher, after her!" So said, he sped off after the girl. Xepher hastened to catch up.

They came to a vast temple, forgotten with age and disrepair. Ivy crawled up it's sides, and an aura of some powerful being resonated from within. They carefully stepped into the temple, and heard a hissing voice, echoing around the temple.

"Leave now, or suffer my wrath. You are not welcome here, oh no, not at all." It was the girl. Xepher vaguely recognised the girl, and then it hit him. "Kaffleen?!" he blurted. The girl hissed. "Speak not of my sister. Speak not of the black scourge!" She added something under her breath that sounded very like "you asshole"." I am Kaithlyn, and you will die now!"

A deep rumbling followed, as a massive serpent slithered into the chamber. Ruby gasped. "It's a venomous anaconda! This is not good."

The serpent rushed to them, and only quick reflexes kept them from being swallowed whole. It slammed into a column, cracking it. Xepher hit on an idea. "Over here, you overgrown lizard!" he taunted as the snake veered around. It took the bait and charged over.

At the last moment, he leapt aside, and the column crumbled as the snake barged into it. A part of the ceiling fell, crushing the hapless snake. Kaithlyn hissed. She held up a hand, and closed it tight. Both Ruby and Xepher were lifted into the air, feeling as if a giant hand was squeezing them. "A psychic?!"

Kaithlyn did a motion as to throw something, and they went crashing through a wall. She gave a last hiss, and flew away. "..." Xepher groaned. Just this moment, the others arrived. 'The guy's dead. Wha-" Shadowz stopped short as he saw the metal pole sticking through Ruby's side. Together, Shadowz and Xepher removed the pole.

Ruby gasped in pain as he cast a healing spell on himself.The wound resealed itself. "Sister of the black scourge, huh. This is getting weirder by the second." commented Ruby.

"You ok?" Asked Emily timidly. A 'yeah' was the reply she got.

A few minutes later, they were on their way through to forest, going more than halfway in already. They were in the heart of the forest, and things get scary here.

Suddenly, Emily shrieked as she fell into a pitfall.