Dusk was slowly falling. Two hooded figures moved like ghosts through the dark, gloomy rustling forest. The second one turned her head every now and then and looked in the direction they were coming from.
"Calm down, they're not following us," the first figure spoke and stopped.
"How do you know?" the second one asked.
"Tell me: do you sense any magic?
" "No... Unless you mean ours..." She hesitated a bit, as if unsure.
"Exactly... They need shamans to pass through here. This is your territory. Sacred Territory. The Sacred Aura protects this area. And those shamans would have to be powerful, what would you sense? I doubt they'd send such shamans after you. Don't forget, they still think you're running away on your own. Besides, if any filth tried to enter, the Guardians would stop them." And if these Guardians failed in their task, all the Waystones would begin to glow blue.
"And how do you know so much about us and our magic?" she asked, standing before him. Silence answered her. The first figure pulled back his hood and smiled. He was a tall, young man with long, black hair and a deathly pale complexion. His eyes seemed to have no pupils, only the whites. His gaze was full of death, sadness, and hatred, and his face was accustomed to a deathly grim countenance. But this time he was serene and smiling.
"Because that's just how I am," he replied in a disarming tone, and smiled again. "
Okay, time to rest," he said to the second figure, then walked a little deeper into the forest, where he settled in a clearing surrounded by very thick and sturdy bushes. The second figure did the same. The young man pointed his hand at the grass in the middle of the clearing and began muttering. Suddenly, a circle of grass, about two meters in diameter, rose into the air and flew a few meters to the side. Then, in that spot, perfectly arranged stones with smooth surfaces appeared, and in the center of the circle a very low wall of boulders rose.
"That's so you don't destroy your grass," he explained, smiled, and began mumbling again. In the middle of it all, a pile of wood appeared. The man tucked his outstretched hand into his cloak, then held out a small ball of fire that shimmered with colors. He threw it at the wood, which, after a moment, began to burn.
"But..."
"Don't worry, this fire is only seen by those who are positive towards us. You don't think I haven't recognized that specially cultivated wall of bushes, whose hardness pierces most fortress walls?" he asked, but rather rhetorically, then winked at the other figure and began unpacking. He removed his cloak, revealing black and gold armor, with occasional emanations of energy flashing across it. Slung on his back was a large two-handed sword, slightly shorter than his owner, a long recurve bow, and a quiver. Two bastard swords, a dwarven axe, and a knife were strapped to his belt. All the weapons looked magical and even heavier. The young man stripped off his entire gear and placed it on the ground. From the weight of this equipment and the build of this individual, one could easily guess he could spar with mountain trolls.
"Don't just stand there, sit down," he said gently to the other figure. It sounded rather strange, as his voice was very low and somewhat demonic.
"Okay," she replied. She took off her cloak. She was a tall, blond, and exceptionally beautiful elf. She looked at everything with a slight disbelief, but smiled back. Unlike her companion, she wore no armor, nor was she so heavily laden with iron. She wore a leather jerkin, an elven bow and quiver strapped to her back, and a one-and-a-half sword strapped to her belt.
"Almost night," she stated, then, setting her equipment next to her companion's, she sat down by the fire opposite the young man. He grabbed some biscuits and meat from somewhere and threw them over the fire. They ate in silence. As dusk fell, it became very cold, which she immediately commented on. He smiled and stood up, then removed his jacket and bent down. Her eyes were met with snow-white, one might say angel wings, which he slowly unfurled and stood up. Stunned, she stared at them for a long moment. She came to and, fear in her eyes, began to back away.
"Who the hell are you?" she stammered. "
My friends think I'm an angel, my enemies a demon. And the truth is, I am myself." He replied in a conciliatory yet disarming tone. He put on his sweatshirt and sat by the fire. She nodded, signifying her understanding. She sat down and snuggled up against him, then stared blankly into the fire. He covered her with his wing. She began to think about recent events.
Just two months ago, she was bored as the daughter of the rulers of the Western Forest, the richest elven land. Of course, out of boredom, she took lessons in fencing, shooting, and horseback riding. She had begun learning all of these skills over four months ago, and within a few weeks, she had already surpassed her masters. But a month ago, her parents had sent her east of her Forest to gather information about the abomination that had begun to spread. She set out with a handful of armed men, no one knowing what would happen. Beyond the first river, they were ambushed by a large band of goblins. They defeated many, but were defeated. Only she survived. They took her, they didn't know why. Perhaps because of her beauty, or her lineage. After a few days, the band reunited with another, and they began heading towards the Bloody Mountains. She knew she had no chance. But in the wilderness, they came across a man traveling alone in the same direction. The goblins immediately attacked him. And that was their biggest, but also their last, mistake in their sordid lives. He dealt with them without using his hands or weapons. She recognized it immediately as Ersh' Ver'kt, described in the songs of her people as Mad Ersh. Legends circulated of his power, might, and strength. The song that came to mind was the one in which he grabbed an orc by the ankle and used it as a warhammer, defeating a five-thousand-strong force of orcs and several Dark Beasts. When Ersh rescued her, events unfolded rapidly. They fled to the Central Forest, firstly, because an elite orc force had been sent against them, and secondly, because, Ersh claimed, they needed to convey the information they had gathered to the Queen. The elf didn't realize when she had fallen asleep
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