The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

[blu phoenix]

The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Unfortunately, I have started another fan fiction...well maybe not unfortunately. It's odd how I do things like this, but I sometimes do it with books: I start to read one book and begin another, reading both at the same time...challenging. Anyways, I've taken a mini-break from my other fan fic, to try and think the story over and to focus more, but I couldn't stop writing and I needed to get this off my back. The other half of the chapter will be in my second post(says it's a little too long.) Still I hope at least some of you enjoy.

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The Darkwood Chronicles

Chapter One-Fresh Blood

Tristan stood at the edge of the building, gazing down at the streets where it had been crowded with lively people earlier that day. It was so peaceful and soothing to have heard the people conversing and kids running through the market. It was foreign to him, considering where he had grown up and what he had grown accustomed to over the years. Now he had reached the city, Kaine. Kaine was a newly built and developing city, where his primary mission would take place. It was an honor to receive such a mission at such an early age and at a lower level, but his mentors had always seen the determination, strength, and skill that flowed through Tristan. None of the guards had noticed him...yet. He had already graduated in the stealth area, along with some magic and physical skills. He would need to continue to use his mind and strategize how to sneak down pass the group of guards that were barricading the Demon Door, which he needed to get through in order to accomplish his first task. He found that he could use his surroundings and the night to his advantage, but he would still need to be extremely vigilant.

He looked around to make sure that he was alone, and that noone would try to destroy his plans. Tristan crouched down behind the stone gargoyle statue for cover. As he reached around and grabbed the front of the statue his foot slipped off the wall, making tiny stone pebbles fall to the ground near the guards. Tristan went stiff and hung onto the statue, sweat pouring from his scalp. He could hear the guards shift in position and look up towards Tristan’s direction. Fortunately he had the shadows of the night for protection so he could easily hide from the guards. The guards grunted and mumbled a few words that Tristan could hardly make out, and then continued shielding the door behind them. Using most of his upper body strength, Tristan, managed to pull himself up again on a small ledge, clinging to the statue. He then made his way across the building, but tip-toeing along the thin and cracked ledge. Reaching the end, Tristan grabbed onto a flagpole, which hung the Kiane symbol for peace and prosperity. Leaping into the air, Tristan took hold of the building adjacent to him and climbed down to the ground quietly. Being a trained Assassin, he was always taught to get close to the victims without noise, to make the kill easier and more accurate. Tristan pressed his body to the floor, feeling the cold stone tile against his chest. He focused his attention on the guards movements and waited for the opportune moment to make his move. He noticed at one particular point, half of the ten guards, would turn the other way, leaving them very vulnerable. After watching their pattern, Tristan slowly crept along the ground, trying not to make any noise or sudden movements. If the guards would just turn away, then he would attack. Five minutes passed, and then another five before they finally shifted their positions. Without hesitation, Tristan jumped up and leaped forward, unsheathing his sword and dagger. Completely unaware of what was about to happen Tristan attacked and slid his sword through one of the guards’s stomach, leaving a huge gash where blood began to pour out. The other guards, their attention captured by Tristan, moved forward releasing their weapons. One by one Tristan swiftly killed each guard by sticking them with his dagger or running them through by his smooth blade. The stone floor soon became stained with blood, as the bodies fell limply to the ground. All that was going through Tristan’s mind was attachment. Emotion. During training it had been drilled into his mind that no matter who he killed or what he did, he should not feel any sympathy or be saddened by their deaths. It was part of their strict Code which he would always follow faithfully.

I shall feel no emotion in death.
I shall show no mercy to my enemy.
In the end, nothing shall stand in my way.

Tristan did not look twice at the bodies covering the ground floor, but instead moved on towards the Demon Door. As he came face to face with it, the door spoke to him.

“What you seek may lie beyond this door, but only the those who have felt the deepest love may enter.”

Riddles! I hate riddles and I don’t have the time for this either, thought Tristan. He knew only one way to get past a Demon Door, and it was his only choice now. Carniasic Acid! This would melt away anything that stood I your path, within seconds, even something as hard as stone. Tristan opened up his pouch and obtained the phial. The Demon Door wouldn’t exactly like this, but it was the only way he could get behind this door, without wasting anymore time. Before uncorking the bottle, he shook up the acid to make it foam and fizz, then he opened it and splashed it all over the Demon Door.

“Hey what the-”, began the Demon Door, but before it could utter another word it’s mouth, along with the rest of the face was melting away, leaving stony pebbles on the ground. Within and minute the Door was gone and he could see the dark pathway before him. Hopefully he would find what he sought, so he could get the first part of his mission done quickly. No fooling around this time. Failure was not an option in this case, and if he did it might very well cost him his life.

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Continuation..

....
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Kristina Darkwood stood alone in the streets, blood staining her nightgown. It was around midnight or later, when she had arisen from her bed and walked out into the humid, foggy night. She did not recall anything that happened after she reached the moonlit river and she didn’t understand why she was standing here cold and stiff, like a marble statue. Kristina felt along her nightgown, without looking down, and squeezed it, letting the fresh blood cover her hands. She was in complete shock and began to hyperventilate, inhaling nothing but the hot air, which made her throat burn.

Focus, she thought to herself. It didn’t happen, nothing did, she told herself repeatedly. Her insides started to clench up, like they were being constricted into a small ball or knot. She bent over and fell to the ground, trying to hold herself up and hoping that the horrible smell of the blood would go away. Her stomach began to churn and she began to gag. Finally she gave up and regurgitated all over the ground. Feeling incredibly weak, she let the rest of her body fall to the ground, where she lay on her side. Holding her stomach and her nose, so she wouldn’t be forced to puke again, she silently began to cry and her body started to spasm.

Home, I need to get home, she found herself saying. Kristina was utterly confused by her bloodstained gown and why she had gone out at this time of night, moreover why couldn’t she remember any of it. Continuing to sob she forced herself to get up off the ground and managed to keep herself balanced standing up so she wouldn’t fall again, or faint. She wasn’t too far from, less than a mile she gathered, but she needed to get home quickly before dawn arrived, which she felt would be rather soon. Hopefully no one had noticed her absence and she could sneak back into her house easily.

She could picture a warm fire and a warm bed awaiting her back home. Knothole Glade hardly ever got any winters, except once ever 10 years, but it was surprising to them all to receive such an unexpected winter.
Finally she reached her destination and it appeared that the village guards were unaware of her disappearance through the night, and didn’t seem to notice her waltzing back into town. Of course, they were always pre-occupied with their duties, which mainly consisted of watching the closed shops and guarding the entrance to town from those horrible balverines.
Ugghh...just the thought of such creatures gave Kristina the shivers. Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about that now, as most of them seemed to have migrated to the east, for the winter.
Trudging back up the steps and quietly entering her humble abode, Kristina went upstairs and found a fresh pair of new clothes which she could throw on, and then stumble back off to bed.
She listened to her brothers snoring and ,of course, her father which was tens times louder. She could never understand how her mother could stand the sound of that, but she guessed that over the years she had just got accustomed to it, although sometimes it kept Kristina up most of the night.
Walking over towards her bed, she pulled down the comforter and crawled in, burrowing down under the covers for warmth. It didn’t take very long for her to go back to sleep, but she was still highly disturbed by the blood and why she had wandered off in the middle of the night. For now she just wanted to get some rest and she would worry about her midnight adventure in the morning.

* * * * *
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“Kristina? Kristina? Honey wake up”, she found her father saying, shaking her. She immediately sat up from the surprise of her father and looked around the room, still feeling a bit groggy.
“Kristina, are you alright? You’re soaking wet, look at you?”, her father breathed as he pointed at the sheets, which were soiled from sweat and also from her urinating uncontrollably.
“Gee, could you do anything worse”, she heard her brother say, seeing him stand just behind her father. She remembered last night and her bloody nightgown. Luckily when she had come back home she had hidden the gown so that none of them would find it.
Kristina looked down at herself and examined what she had done. She felt fatigued and lacked the energy to get herself out of bed.
“Oh I’m...sorry, I didn’t realize...I must have had a nightmare or something”, she found herself saying slowly still dumbfounded by what had just occurred. A moment ago she was asleep and the next minute she was being shaken and scared half to death by her own father because of her little incident.
“Well something must’ve triggered this, although I can’t imagine what. Do you remember anything?”, her father asked, gazing deep into her eyes, like he was trying to read her mind.
“No. All I remember was just sleeping...and, well, being woken up just now”, she replied, not mentioning her last night.
“Well, there’s nothing more we can do at the moment. You’re mother has gone out to talk with some incoming travelers and I’ve got some paperwork I need to finish, so why don’t you get dressed and we’ll help you clean up this mess. Then I think you should eat something. You look physically drained”, her father looked at her and kissed her on her forehead, then walking over towards a dresser where there were some clean bed sheets. Grabbing onto the railing next to her bed, she rose out of bed and walked towards a small night stand, diagonal from her bed. She wreaked and she wanted to take a nice warm shower, but it would have to wait. She needed to change and get something into her stomach before she did anything else that might cause her to feel weaker. Her brother had made his way downstairs, apparently unconcerned about what had happened, but then again Kristina always found that her brother was like that about everything, especially if it involved her sister. After changing, again, and having the help of her father cleaning up the mess she had made, Kristina made her way downstairs to find some toasted Gands Bread on the table and her brother nowhere to be seen.
She figured that he had gone to hang out with his ‘gang’, or so they called themselves. It was just a group of young annoying boys, who always planned on causing trouble throughout the village, and were never completely successful.
Kristina sat down and started to cram food down her throat. It all seemed to go down so slowly and her throat felt like it had been poked by a thousand pins and needles. As she ate, she poured herself a small glass of Marno Juice and choked that down as well. Soon her father came downstairs with a pile of papers in his right hand, and a dagger in the other, which he always carried around town, for safety measures.

“We’ll I’ll be off then. Are you sure you’ll be alright here? I can ask Carl-”, asked her father, before he was cut off by Kristina.
“No, I’ll be fine, thanks though. I’ll find something productive to do, maybe go to the tavern for a few hours or something. Please don’t worry.”
“You know I always will, sweetheart, especially after what happened”, he said and he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then walked towards the door to exit. “Be safe”, he muttered before leaving.
Typical, Kristina thought. Her father had always cherished her the most out of the family. After all she was the oldest, as she was going to be eighteen here in about six months, and he had always treated her as an adult and knew she was always responsible. Honestly, she didn’t always want her father watching out for her every single minute of the day, but as long as she remained in Knothole Glade, that would never cease to change. She also knew he disliked her going to the tavern, since he thought it wasn’t exactly safe, but she found enjoyment there and it excited her to meet knew people and maybe listen to a few stories from incoming travelers and merchants.
Finishing up breakfast, she washed her dishes and then headed out towards the back of the house, where the shower was. It was still cold outside, and worse, it was raining. Still she needed to get cleaned up, regardless of the weather.
Kristina found the water pump that was connected to the showerhead and turned the faucet to the left to get the hot water going. As soon as she found it was burning hot, she took her clothes off and stepped in, scrubbing herself. Warm showers were always soothing for her and a way to relax if she felt tensed. Half and hour later, she got out of the shower and dried herself off, pulling on her clothes again. She stepped back inside the house and walked over towards the crackling fire. The warmth of the fire felt good against her cracked and dry skin. As a little girl ,she could remember coming and sitting near the fireplace and having her father tell her old stories and ancient folklore tales. This, of course, was all before her annoying little brat of a brother was born, she thought giggling to herself. Kristina stood before the spitting fire for another few moments until removing herself and returning to the kitchen to put on her boots, and then leaving the house, stepping out into the rain.
On her way to the tavern, she was greeted by almost everyone who knew her. People in Knothole Glade had always been fond of her and enjoyed her company. After all, she was the Mayor’s daughter.
Arriving at the tavern, the bartender and a barmaid, Gordon and Sophia, greeted her and offered her a cup of hot chocolate, which she turned down.
“Well, then, can I get you anything else, Kris”, asked Sophia, calling her by a nickname given by the Gordon himself.
“No, thank you. I think I’ll go over and talk to Andy. See if he’s gotten any money from all the gambling he does”, Kristina replied, returning a small laugh.
“Alright, if you need anything, just call”, and Sophia went back to the bar to fetch some ale for other customers.
Sophia and Kristina had always shared a close connection, ever since they first met. They were around the same age, Sophia in her twenties now, and they had gotten along easily from the start. To Kristina, Sophia was probably the best person she knew and trusted, and thought of her more like a sister than anything else. She had even wished a couple of times that somehow Sophia could replace her brother, so she wouldn’t have to deal with all his crap all day.
Kristina made her way to the other side of the tavern, where Andy sat alone, drinking a large mug of what she thought was most likely mead, Andy’s favorite alcoholic beverage.

“Hello Andy”, she said, taking a sit just across from him. “Any luck?”
“Oh hello, Kristina. No. None yet. It seems people seem quite stubborn and don’t want to take a risk anymore. Bah!, fools”, Andy said, seeming a little too absorbed in his drink.
“Well, things can only get better...I hope”, Kristina replied, hiding a grin.
“Let’s hope so. I could definitely use the money, especially if I plan on sticking around, although it seems Gordon doesn’t mind too much”, he said taking another swig of mead from his mug. “So, anything new with you?”

She felt so tempted to open her mouth and explain everything that had happened the night before, and considering Andy was on the verge of getting drunk, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. Still, she found it better that she kept her mouth shut, at least for now.
“No, nothing new. Just the same old: watching my brother wreak havoc all over town, cleaning...yeah pretty much it, I suppose”, Kristina said looking up at Andy trying to read his expression.
“Really?”, Andy said, sounding a bit unconvinced. “What’s been eating you lately, Kris. You looked drained, a little pale in the face. Everything alright?”
Heh, she thought, you’re one to talk. She couldn’t tell him the truth, but even if Andy was drunk, she knew he was still smart enough to see through her. It was like...his gift, she had always thought. He was extremely good at ready peoples expressions. It was how he ha earned all the money in card games.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just haven’t been sleeping well lately. Been waking up at night and things like that. I don’t understand why, but I’m sure I’ll get over it. I suppose it’s my brothers and fathers snoring that’s been bugging me”, she laughed, looking up at Andy, seeing the concern in his eyes.
“Hmm...well that’s uncontrollable, their snoring. I’m sure if it continues to keep up like this that Sophia might have enough room at her place. I mean she does work most of the day and night, so I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it.” Andy took another sip out of his mug and then gazed into Kristina’s eyes. “Is that all?”, he finished, and pulled out his smoking pipe, lighting it, the faint smell of ash filling the air.
“Yes, Andy, everything is fine”, she reassured him. “And besides, I think it’s time I give my brother a poudin’.
Andy mumbled something under his breath, before sticking his pipe into his mouth. Another one of his favorite hobbies, and it was rather traditional with a lot of older men in Knothole Glade.
Having nothing further to say and seeing that Andy was not paying any attention to her anymore, Kristina left the table and walked towards the huge open entrance of the tavern. She leaned against one of the wooden posts, staring out into the streets, watching people talk and carry things from one location to another. She felt a rush of sadness and pain come over her, almost like the way she had been feeling the night before. Listening to the rain. Kristina tried to focus and the events that had occurred within the last few hours and what they had meant and why they had happened. Most of all, she wanted to discover why she was gone, outside Knothole Glade that night and what, or who’s blood had been on her gown. Standing alone, she was haunted by visions of what could have happened, but she turned and stared at the ground, forcing the thoughts to go towards the back of her head. She didn’t want to think about it now, but it was troubling her every single minute of the day and she didn’t know what to do. Inside she could still smell the fresh blood that had covered her, and to her astonishment, it was calling to her...and she hated to admit it, but she wanted more.

End of Chapter One

 

[LionHeadTex]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

I like how you're showing more than one side of the story, so when the readers like, "Damn, I wanna meet someone else" the story pans to another person. I mean, not with the main characters..but, you know what I mean :lol:

Also very descriptive. The words you use are very vibrant, yet they mesh with the storyline so the reader can get a good understanding of it.

What I also thought was tight, was how you put gangs in the story. I always like that in fantasy books because it puts alot of realism to the fiction

So keep it up,*puts some +rep on the table*

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Chapter Two-Awake

Tristan came out the other side of the dark tunnel to find himself in an open, sandy shore, where he could see a small wrecked ship, lay flat to the north, sinking into the ground. Where was he, he wondered, awed by the beauty that was before him. Looking into the distance, he could see a faint outline of a shape, that appeared to be that of a child. It was approaching him...and walking on the water. Tristan moved forward towards the water to get a better look, squinting he made out that it was a very young boy, who was awfully thin and pale. His bones looked as though they were peeking out of his skin, which despite the whitish color, glowed in the sun.
It was sunny too, which was a surprise as well, since he had just come from a place where night had taken over.

The boy stopped about twenty feet away from Tristan, and stared at him, concentrating on not blinking. After a few slow seconds, the boy began to speak, taking his eyes off of Tristan.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for this, to see you standing here, for a very, very long time”, the young boy said in a soft, but wavy voice, that seemed to float through the air. Tristan also took noticed of the boy’s feet. They appeared blackened, like he had stuck them into a fire and they had burnt to a crisp, leaving only ash left. It was definitely odd for Tristan to be approached by one so young, but yet so intimidating at the same time.

“Who...are...you?”, Tristan asked squinting from the bright glowing light, coming from the boy.
The young boy gave Tristan a look like ‘what-kind-of-question-is-that?, or a ‘are-you-stupid?’, then he gave a small throaty chuckle and continued.

“Oh...but I am you. I am guessing the Demon Door was playing with your mind, as usual, but I am a little surprised. Still I understand”, the boy said and laughed again.
Great. More riddles, he thought, staring in the direction of the boy. Exactly what he needed and as far as he was concerned, this boy was wasting his time.
“What exactly do you mean ‘I am you?’. Look I haven’t the time for this, so if you could speed things up a little and stop confusing me, that might help.”

The boy’s smile vanished and was replaced and an angry frown and his eyes narrowed, giving Tristan a threatening look. This shook Tristan a little and he took a few steps back, making the distance between the two even greater.

“I see. I suppose they haven’t taught you the importance of patience. Shall I give you a demonstration of my own. It might prove useful, because as of now, you are wasting my time, disturbing my peace. So let me help you”, the boy spat in a low deep rusty voice. His ears, Tristan could see, were flushing to a bright red. Tristan moved backwards, feeling a terrifying pain within him. He had upset the boy, and now he would pay the price...whatever it was. Tristan needed to think fast to undo the wrong and correct it.

“No....wait! Please, I didn’t mean to-”, Tristan began, but before he could speak another word, the ground under him began to shake and crack. The earth was moving! He glanced up at the boy, who was starting to fade away into the thin air. The sky above grew dark and a heavy rain showered down onto Tristan, soaking his clothes immediately. The ground shook again, and it began to splinter in half, the cracks growing in size by the minute. He needed to get out before things got worse, and fast. But when he looked behind him he saw that his only exit out was blocked by enormous boulders. Now how was he to get out. The rain hit the ground making the ground muddy and slippery. Tristan was completely soaked by the rain and it was weighing him down. Think! Thinks! His weapons were completely useless in a place like this and before he knew it, his boots were sinking into the ground and through the cracks. Tristan pulled on his leg and gave a harsh tug, but his leg wouldn’t budge. He was stuck and continuing to sink deeper into the muddy ground. Nothing left to do, Tristan screamed for help, which was always a last resort for him. The crackling of the ground shifting made him lose concentration and he could only think about his life before him. So this was it he thought. Death. He has always been taught not to fear death, as it led into the next life, but honestly, now that death was gripping at his very soul, Tristan was terrified. He closed his eyes and began to chant a prayer, one that had been created many generations before him, and left himself fall through the ground into the solid, thick darkness that awaited him.


Yet again, the other half will be in the second post, because it is too long.:lol:

 

[blue crow]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Very good + rep. Maybe you should do this for a liveing.

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

^Thanks
Chapter Two Continued...

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The following evening, Kristina woke up sweating yet again, but this time no blood and she had not made a terrible, noticeable mess. She had taken a long nap to clear her mind, but her hope for peaceful dreams were replaced by visions of blood and a man who looked scarred and injured in the shoulder. The visions were very vague and it made it harder to decipher them. Kristina pulled herself out of bed, brushing the thoughts aside and walked downstairs for supper.

This was probably the only time of day where the whole family get sit down and relax, leaving their troubles from the day behind them. Kristina cherished this time of day and wished she could actually spend more time with her family as a whole, then apart. It always made it difficult on her, and her family, bringing pressure to them all.

Kristina took her place at the table, while her mother gathered the prepared food and set them onto the table, placing eating utensils beside the dishes. To Kristina, everything looked and smelled delicious. Roasted lamb, garlic seasoned potatoes, and haso beans; definitely one of her favorite meals.

Everyone dived into the food immediately and began sharing their stories of the day, which Kristina sometimes considered boring. She would normally keep her mouth shut because she didn’t exactly like talking about her daily life and what she did, but she was somehow she was always forced to. Kristina finished her dinner and asked to be excused, to go to the tavern for a while. Her father raised his brow and gave her a look that read: NO. Her mother on the other hand, who was currently busy with cleaning up the dishes, gave her permission and used her charm to convince her father to let her have a bit of fun.
Kristina’s mother had always been like this. Always had given her the freedom to do what she wanted and viewed her more as an adult than as a child, like her father did sometimes.
As usual, her persuasion worked most effectively, and her father reluctantly gave her permission, but was told to be back before midnight. Always a catch, she thought. She was seventeen, basically at the age of adulthood and she had curfews. Oh well, she said to herself, at least she was able to go out.

Kristina grabbed her cloak, off the rack near the door, said her good-byes briefly, and headed out the door, towards the direction of the tavern. It was her second visit of the day, but maybe it would cheer her up more, and plus, there were always more people arriving at the tavern at night, which made it increasingly popular. Perhaps she could chat with Sophia for a few, or maybe bug Andy some more, although she was a little spooked by his behavior earlier that day. It startled her a little the way Andy had acted. Sure he wasn’t sober, but he didn’t normally seemed so concerned about her like he was. He was always enthralled in his game, and of course, his other die-hard hobby, alcohol.
Again, Kristina brushed away the thought and continued down towards the tavern, hoping to find some comfort from Sophia and the other villagers.

“Kristina! Come back have you? What a pleasant surprise?”, she heard Gordon say with an enormous smile on his father. Following close behind came Sophia, her arms already outstretched for a hug.
“Yes, well, I thought I could hang here for a little and converse with the others, see what’s new in the world”, Kristina replied jokingly, beginning to hug Sophia.
“Well you’re always welcome, as usual. Perhaps someday you’ll come and work for me”, said Gordon, laughing. By now Sophia had let go and patted Kristina on the shoulder, a signal that let her know that she still had to work, but they would talk in a minute. Of course, Gordon had always wanted to have Kristina work at the tavern. She knew she was great with people and enjoyed the liveliness, but she could never quite fully picture herself as a tavern girl. Plus, the job also required you to work most of the day or night, and she still needed her sleep, although she probably knew that Gordon could arrange a nice comfortable schedule to her liking. Still, it wasn’t exactly what she wanted right now, although she knew she needed to get a job soon, since she was currently unemployed.
“Maybe someday”, Kristina said, and Gordon nodded and winked, then retreated back behind the bar to serve some of the incoming customers.
Kristina gave a deep sigh and then found an empty table, putting her feet up on a chair and listening to the massive chatter that filled the tavern. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, until she was startled by Sophia.
“Well, can I get you anything”, she said, sitting down across from her, making Kristina open her eyes widely.
“Geez, you always were good at sneaking up on people”, Kristina replied giggling.
“Sorry if I disturbed anything, but I thought we could talk for a few before I get back to work. Zell is taking over my shift for a few. So anything new you’d like to tell me about?”, Sophia said lifting her eyebrows and licking her lips.
Kristina always wondered why Sophia had never gotten involved with any of the village boys, since everyone knew she was strikingly attractive, and almost every guy in town was after her. She knew that she was busy with the tavern, but maybe she didn’t like to date, or found the guys a bit too immature for her. Maybe she craved the attention. Keeping her options open was never a bad thing, Kristina thought, smiling, before she answered Sophia.
“Well, I’ve just been a little lost lately. I haven’t been sleeping well and there are other things too”, she finished trying to avoid Sophia’s gaze.
“Oh, come on”, she began, “I know you’re hiding something so just spill. Let’s hear it. I know you came here to talk and not just about your normal social life. What’s going on, I can see the confusion in your eyes.”

Whoa, she thought. Just like Andy earlier. What was it with everyone being so concerned with her and trying to get involved. She didn’t mind them worrying every once in a blue moon, in fact she was pleased to hear it, but why was everyone acting so odd lately. Kristina looked in the direction of Andy’s table, where she could see that he was absorbed in a game. She smiled briefly and then turned her gaze back towards Sophia. She knew that Sophia, like Andy, was good at reading expressions and emotions, but the way she was acting was very strange and different, to Kristina. Finally, she spoke again, careful not to spill out everything.

“Well, it’s a little confusing, but I think I’ve been hallucinating or having nightmares or something, and it’s freaking me out. I really don’t want to go into any details right now, but it’s bringing a load of stress back into my life.”
Sophia opened her mouth, and then closed it, like she was trying to think about the rights words to say. Before she could speak again, Gordon called her and pointed towards a table where it had been occupied by customers. Back to work, Kristina said inside her mind. Sophia quickly stood up and turned to go towards the bar, but paused and turned back in the direction toward Kristina.

“I’m sorry, honey, but...you know”, she said pointing at Gordon and showing a slight grin.
“That’s alright, I understand. We can talk more tomorrow, I think I’ll head back home, before my father has a stroke”, replied Kristina quickly and standing up. Sophia smiled, nodded, and then walked to the bar, retrieving a few mugs full of ale. Kristina, on the other hand, turned and walked slowly out into the cold, but refreshing night air. It was calming to her, since the tavern felt hot and muggy inside, although she knew well that the temperature was dropping fast.
She headed back up the hill, to see her brother and his gang huddled in the corner, whispering to each other, probably about raiding someone’s house or something. Kristina would have interfered, but she felt too tired and wanted to get some more sleep, so instead she continued towards her house. When she reached the narrow stairs, she looked up into the night sky, to find billions of tiny stars shimmering and reflecting in the small pool of water, near their neighbors house. Before she could put a foot on the first step, Kristina froze, a noise catching her attention. It was a howl, and it was growing louder, like it was coming closer. She didn’t think it could be balverines, since they had ceased to bother them, ever since a Hero came and killed the legendary White Balverine, who had been terrorizing and killing villagers for months. The howling continued, making her body shake and her heart beat faster. It sounded so much like a balverine, but how, she asked herself. And why? She glanced behind her, and found that the guards were strutting about the grounds, and not distracted by the overwhelming howling. Did they even hear it, Kristina asked herself. It was loud enough for anyone to hear, but they didn’t seemed disturbed by it. Maybe she was just hearing things, or hallucinating yet again.

For a few moments the howling ceased, and it was dead quite in the village, but then slowly it began, quiet at first, but then growing louder. This time, however, the howling turned into a deep growl, ad it was coming closer. Kristina continued to stay frozen, fear making her shake. She began to whimper and she clutched her ears to try and make the noise stop. Her ears began to go numb from the cold, along with the rest of her body, as the growling got deeper and louder. It seemed right behind her. Again, she glanced quickly behind her, but saw nothing. What the hell was going on! Terrified, but curious, she slowly shifted her body in the direction from the where growling was coming from. Nothing. Nothing was there...or rather visible. Kristina closed her eyes and then opened them again, to find a huge enormous shadowy figure tower over her. She wanted to scream, but nothing came out. The shadow took the shape of a balverine and howled, shocking Kristina and knocking her on her back. The balverine backed away and came down on all-fours, gazing intently at Kristina. Gasping for air, she focused her full attention on the balverine and watched his every move. The balverine moved forward, towards Kristina, but then, almost as if it feared her, it back away and gave a loud howl, jumping over Kristina and up into the sky, disappearing into the woods behind her. Terrified, but yet amazed, Kristina sat there in shock, shaking nervously and staring at the place where the shadowy balverine had been. Whatever that thing was, whatever it wanted, it had awoken something inside her, and she could feel it. Her senses had kicked in full gear and it seemed, they had grown stronger and more powerful. She could smell, the fire that was still burning down at the blacksmith’s shop. The ash. She could hear everything! Voices were like loud bells ringing in her ears and her eyesight had improved immensely, like they had been sharpened. Kristina just sat there, taking it all in, but it was soon followed by a silent sob, and a haunting scream that echoed through the village.

End of Chapter Two

If there are any mistakes then I'll fix them later, it's late and I don't want to mess with it.

 

[Angel]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Very good story - more! Check your user cp for sneaky admin rep, coz 10 points doesn't do it justice :ninja:

 

[soul_rever38]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

i like it, i think + Rep is in order mate

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Thank you all. Very much appreciated and hope you stick around.

Oh and a heads up...this story takes place about 100 years after the first Fable, which is why Hero is mentioned because he, of course, becomes a legend, especially to the people of Knothole Glade. Plus the Mayor of Knothole is different.

Semi-shorter chapter so far, but it's got several parts to it, which will be really long. Anyways, if there are any mistakes I will fix them later.

Chapter Three-A Slave to All

Part I: The Pirate Ship: Elis

Tristan opened his eyes to find himself tied down to a bed, his arms and legs bruised and burned from the rope. His eyes were swelled and he was having difficulty keeping them open. Tristan, confused and scarred, struggled to break free out of the ropes, but were too tight to be loosened. An overwhelming and searing feeling of pain came over him as he lay there strapped down on a bed, that belonged to a complete stranger.

He knew he wasn’t dead. The afterlife wasn’t this horrible or painful as far as he had been concerned. He was just unfamiliar with his surroundings and dizzy still from his encounter with the boy earlier on.

The boy! Tristan knew immediately that this had to do with the boy, the filth. He had almost tried to kill him, or so Tristan thought, and only because he made the boy angry from his remarks and attitude. Why the hell did the boy have to put him through this misery and, where exactly was he? Questions filled his head, but the agonizing pain he was in, made them disappear instantly.

Tristan tried to focus on shielding all emotions away, which was probably making his injuries hurt more. He was sad and absolutely furious, and he knew that he needed to stay calm and let his emotions float away.
Gasping for air, Tristan tried yet again to break loose the ropes that tied him down, but they wouldn’t budge. He hit his head against the backboard of the bed, and then let everything slowly sink in. He wanted out of this. This hell, this misery. He wondered why the stupid little brat hadn’t killed him to put him out of his misery, if he had angered him so badly. Instead he had left him in pain, to teach him a lesson on patience or respect, Tristan guessed. Tristan lay there still, letting the pain take over. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he couldn’t wipe them away. He felt so ashamed by what he had done and what he had come to.

He called for death, welcomed it even. There was nothing left for him now. His arms, legs, and probably the rest of his body was burned, scared, or cut open, leaving flesh hang open. Life felt unimportant to him now. He had failed and if he could survive this, they would kill him anyways for his stupidity. Tristan opened his eyes as best he could and screamed out of pain and sadness, hoping someone nearby could hear him. The room which he was in, was dark and it wreaked of filth. It was like being in a cave or a prison cell. To Tristan it was just another form of hell, torture.

Again, he gasped for air, but found he was inhaling the wretched smells of his surroundings. Letting it go, letting it all go, Tristan closed his eyes shut and continued to sob. This was probably the end, and hopefully he could receive a swift and sudden death, easing the horrid pain.

* * * * *
​

Later that day, to Tristan’s astonishment, he awoke to find himself on a hard wooden floor, in a blinding bright light, with seven figures standing around him in a circle. Covering his eyes, Tristan, staying still and making sure not to make any sudden movements, looked up at who he imagined were his captors. Each of the figures were that of large, bulky, men dressed in torn pieces of fabric that were sown together to make some sort of clothing, and carrying a crossbow or long sword in their hand. All of the men were staring down at him, like they were studying him, or debating what to do with him.
Tristan was never easily intimidated, but ever since his encounter with the boy and ending up he, he was terrified. Another large figure, but less bulky, came towards them. We he reached the men, he squirmed his way through to get a look at Tristan. He wore an evil grin upon his face, that gave Tristan goose bumps.

“Well now, feeling any better, or did we not make you suffer enough?”, said the tall man sneaking in a small chuckle at the end.
Tristan didn’t move, nor speak, since he didn’t exactly know what to do and he didn’t want to go back to where he was before. He wanted to fight, desperately. He was trained to kill, yet he was afraid to fight these bandits.
Tristan quickly glanced around to find that he was on a ship, and a very large one as well. Oh no, he thought to himself. He was on a pirate ship! He knew instantly by the way the ship looked and how the rest of the men were dressed, dirty and grungy everywhere. After he looked about the surface of the ship, he returned his attention back towards the tall man, which Tristan now assumed was the captain of the ship. Once again the man grinned, showing off yellowish teeth with silver caps in every other tooth.

“So, this is the slime that sire has sent us. I think we’ll have some fun with you”, and the man leaned down and grabbed Tristan effortlessly off of the floor, holding him by the neck. Tristan, for a brief moment tried to shove the mans hand away, but he didn’t have the strength in him to fight, or did he want to mess with a man, twice his size. Eyes wide open, Tristan breathed heavily, staring straight into the pirates eyes. The man coughed and then spat in his face, leaving a trail of saliva falling down Tristan’s face. Then, without any given warning, the man pulled back his arm and swung it towards Tristan’s face. The mans fist clashed together against Tristan’s face and blood spewed out of his mouth, making him fall to the floor again, knocking him out cold.

“Clean up the mess”, the head man commanded and the others scattered across the deck. The man just stared down at the unconscious Tristan for a few seconds, then walked away, leaving him alone, blood trickling out and covering the floor.

End of Part I of Chapter Three

 

[blue crow]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Very good + rep.

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond


Part II of Chapter 3

It was cold, the air thin that night in Knothole Glade. She sat alone, horrified, yet amazed and somehow transformed, by her encounter moments ago. People came out of their houses confused and scared by the noise that had filled the village. Kristina's scream had lasted no more than a couple of seconds, but to her it echoed forever, ringing in her ears.

The doors behind her, which belonged to her house flew open, revealing her father and mother stumbling down the stairs towards her. Her father came round to face her and try to get her attention, but she was lost, staring off into the distance, completely ignoring the people and her surroundings.

Finally the guards had come to see what was going on and where the scream came from, along with her brother. They pushed back the approaching people who were worried and anxious to see what was happening. It took several long minutes before Kristina came to, her father lightly tapping the side of her cheek and softly calling her name.

Kristina's breathing was still shallow, but it was slowly starting to get deeper. She looked at her father still scared and she went into a hysterical weep, falling into her father's arms. Her mother had placed her hand on her shoulder to help comfort her, but her brother on the other hand stood there starring at Kristina amused. Of course, he would have taken it lightly and thought that it was just a mere joke. Holding back a smile her brother asked if she was ok.

"Kristina?", she heard her father whisper to hear gently in her ear. Cradling her and moving her hair away from her face, her father tried again to see if she would respond.

"Kristina, darling are you alright? What in the blazes happened that made you scream?" This time her father lifted her head up, her faced pale and wet from the tears that were falling down her face. Her father still asked softly, but his voice sounding more demanding this time. Kristina briefly checked out who was watching. She found it mostly to be her neighbors, but saw few people who had come from the tavern. No Sophia or Gordon, though. Not even Andy who had seemed so worried and paranoid earlier had come to see what the noise was. Looking back at her father, she answered him her voice shaky,

"There was a...just a person standing here a moment ago. Only it wasn't a person, it was like a large dark shadow, hovering in front of me. Then..", she paused looking at her mother and father for reassurance.

"It's alright darling, pleas go on", her mother said, rubbing her shoulders.

"Then, it was like it changed. It changed its shape and formed into...into a horrible and disgusting balverine. It scared me so bad that I screamed and then I fell to the ground. It must have been scared too because it left right afterwards. I didn't know what else to do and I was so terrified, I couldn't scream for help at first, but then it just happened and I lost myself. I can't explain...it's just...horrible."

Her father nestled her back towards his chest, holding her tight and then looking up at the guards who had overheard everything. She began to cry again, but she knew she needed to pull herself together, so she wiped every tear away. She felt so embarrassed by what just occurred, and she was sure that her brother wasn't exactly liking this. She thought he would much rather enjoy spending a little time with his pals and the gang than stand here and watch all this. She knew, however, that he was still enjoying her torture of what she'd gone through, and she loathed him for that.

"Well, it looks like that thing is gone, or whatever it was", her fathered told the guards.
"It was evil, a balverine", Kristina corrected him.
He nodded and then continued speaking with the guards, helping Kristina slowly stand up, but let her lean against him.

"There's nothing much that can be done right now, except maybe double the guards, for duty to secure the villages safety. I'm not sure if that thing will come back, but it's very strange that a balverine would come here during this season. Plus, as you all know we haven't had an attack or encounter for almost a century", he father said, the last sentence directed more towards the audience of people surrounding them.

The guard who was standing closest to them nodded with a grunt and waited for instructions.

"I suggest for now we all get to sleep and guards: put extra men at every post and we'll discuss the rest of it tomorrow", her father finished and the guard nodded once more, walking towards the crowd and telling them to move back and go back home. The crowd of people didn't seem to happy since they wanted to know more, but for tonight that was all they were going to get as far as information.

Why couldn't her father do more than just send them all to bed and double the watch shift. She had just nearly been attacked by a balverine or whatever that evil thing was. She was convinced it was evil, just by the look of it and it's behavior towards her, yet it didn't exactly seem to intend to harm her in any way. It was scared, or something to that affect, as she recalled, so hopefully it wouldn't come back.

The village started to quiet back down and her parents guided her back into their house, sitting her by the warm crackling fire.

"Tea?", her mother offered as she made her way into the kitchen.
Kristina declined, although she her throat felt really dry from the cold air. Besides, she said to herself, why on earth was her mother offering her tea, after what happened. Realistically she would have gone out and tried to track down that creature, and not just sit here having her mother make her tea, knowing that there could be the chance that the balverine waltz back into town. That wicked creature she spat inside her head. She wanted to go out and find the thing, it had intrigued her as well as terrified her, but right now maybe her parents were right. She didn't have the strength and she needed to rest, for now.

Her father was wandering around the house and had sent her little brother up to bed early. She hadn't noticed before, but it appeared that her brother came with the guards when everyone was checking out the source of the noise. Did he get into some kind of trouble, she asked herself smiling. And did her father find out, the reason for sending him to bed. She pushed the thought away replaying what had happened to her for the millionth time, while sitting there in front of the father.

Soon her father and mother came and sat down next to her and stared at her. They had worried looks on their faces and they kept sharing glances between one another. Soon, Kristina got irritated she opened her mouth and asked what they were thinking, and they only replied with "We're just glad you're alright."
Tired, frustrated, but still scared, Kristina made her way upstairs and crawled into bed immediately, taking only her boots off.

She lay there, eyes open searching for answers. She knew it was growing late, but felt she couldn't get herself to sleep until she knew what the shadow was and why it was after her.
The candle on her night stand soon burned out, leaving her in darkness. Her eyes began to grow heavy so she relaxed and finally found herself in a deep comforting sleep.


Light shined through her window, waking Kristina wake up. She was happy to know that she hadn't made a mess or anything, and that she got a good nights sleep. Although something made her giggle as she got up and changed into some new clothes. She had a dream about her and some boy, running through the woods. Only they weren't running through the woods, they were naked running through the woods. To her it felt like a distant memory, but she didn't recognize the boy. He wasn't much older than her, say a year or so, and he was incredibly beautiful. Angular features, chiseled face, bluish-greenish eyes, and...

"Kristina!", she heard someone downstairs yell. The thought quickly went away and she rushed downstairs to find her father standing at the door, with two men on the other side. One of the men was older, looked to be in his fifties or so, short and stout, with a large beard covering his face, and small round glasses. He wore a suit with vibrant colors. Reds, purples, and blues mainly. This guy looked absolutely outrageous, Kristina thought. Definitely not from around here.

The other man looked vaguely familiar, to Kristina's surprise. He was tall, slender, but built, and incredibly handsome. She was still examining him, when the older man spoke.

"Good morning miss. I am sorry to intrude like this, but it is rather urgent", the man said, looking a bit grim. Her father turned towards Kristina and explained more thoroughly about why these men were here.

"Kristina, these men are here because of last night. Apparently last night caused some sort of disturbance and these men are here to talk about it."
Disturbance. No doubt about that, she thought. She couldn't help but notice that the young man kept glancing at her, like he too thought she was familiar. The older man faced Kristina again.

"This may not be the best time, but we'd like to ask some questions about your encounter. We believe that the creature you saw last night belongs to an ancient clan of summoners. We don't know much about these beings, but we do know that they are extremely powerful, and exceptionally dangerous."
"Look", Kristina began "Why don't we discuss this somewhere else. Perhaps at the tavern?", she asked glancing at her father for approval. His eyes widened then narrowed and he gave a sigh.
"Very well, just as long as you are careful. All of you", her father said looking at each of them.
"Right, well we better get going then", she found that finally the young man had spoke. His voice sounded soft and gentle, almost angelic she thought smiling at him. To her surprise he returned a warm smile back, which almost made her blush.

When they left and were on their way, the short man stopped Kristina and began to speak.
"Before we do anything, I'd like to introduce ourselves to you, so we do not seem like complete strangers."
Kristina nodded, understanding.
"Well", the man began, coughing a little. "I am Cornelius and this is my assistant, Derek" Derek gave another smile when his name was said.
"Well, I guess you may already know my name, but I'm Kristina, just for the record"
"Yes, your father gave us a hint when he called for you", Cornelius said smiling.

After the short introductions they carried on walking down to the tavern. Arriving at the tavern, Kristina sort of felt a little distant from the others. None of them, not even Sophia, Gordon, or Andy, had come to see why she had screamed yesterday. She felt a little sad and angered, but figured they didn't hear it or ignored it because they were busy. Tavern life, she said to herself, rolling her eyes. She found Sophia busy with customers and Gordon giving out ale to people. She hoped they would see her and greet her, but she doubted it.

They found a table in a corner and got comfortable as best as possible. As soon as they got fully settled, Cornelius began to talk, not wasting anytime.

"Well, I know last night must have been a bit of a shock for you and all, but understand we are trying to help."

Great. More people who want to help, but probably won't give me the answers I want, Kristina thought to herself feeling frustrated.

"Has anything unusual happened recently?", asked Derek. "Anything out of the ordinary that struck you as odd and where you didn't feel quite like yourself?"

At first Kristina couldn't think of anything unusual that had happened, besides last night, but then she recalled the night she suddenly found herself outside, with her gown drenched in blood, unaware of what happened. Could she tell them about this. Could she trust them.

"Who are you guys", Kristina asked straightforward. "If I'm going to tell you things then I need to know who you are and why I should trust you."

Cornelius seemed surprised at her comment, but Derek just seemed to smile and star at her. Cornelius glanced at Derek, and then back at Kristina.

"Alright", he began. "To be honest, we are from an ancient society, which I will not reveal the name at this current time, considering the place we are in...all ears are listening", he added winking, then continued. "You may have heard of an older Hero by the name of Scythe and the old Guildmaster, who has resigned and changed his name back to Weaver, his former name. We are here to tell you about yourself, your past, and your future."

When he finished Kristina looked at the two of them. She still wasn't that convinced, but they had mentioned the legendary Hero Scythe, who, to her surprise was still alive, and Weaver, the incredible former Guildmaster of The Guild of Heroes. Did she really need any more convincing? When she looked again at Derek, he seemed more familiar to her. He was gazing into her eyes, trying to read through her like a book, but he wasn't getting far as he quickly glanced away, trying to hide a smile yet again. Wait, she thought! Derek! His eyes, his body, everything! He was the boy in her dream, and now he was sitting right in front of her, about to tell her about her past and everything!

End of Part II of Chapter 3

Yep there is more to Chapter3 so stay tune.

 

[LionHeadTex]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Rad, keeps me reading

Reppage

 

[blu phoenix]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Part III of Chapter 3 (boy three is the lucky number eh)


A breeze past through Knothole Glade as Kristina stared into space thinking about Derek. She quickly snapped out of it however, when Cornelius waved his hand right in front of her face, calling her name at the same time.

"Kristina are you alright?", he asked concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sometimes I just do that", she answered quickly, focusing her attention towards Cornelius instead of Derek. He was a distraction and right now, as much as she wanted to learn more about him, a distraction was not what she needed, especially when she needed answers.

"Well then, shall we continue", Cornelius said and folding his arms across his chest.

This was going to be a long day, Kristina thought. She was absolutely positive about it too.

* * * * *

Focus, Derek, focus! Young Derek Thornwell gazed at Kristina, in absolute horror. He knew this was the girl who had shared his dream, the one who could possibly help him and his brother, the lost one. He also knew he had a job to do, and his was on a specific assignment with his mentor, Cornelius. This girl was dangerous, he thought, but strikingly beautiful. She had no idea who she was, or rather what she was, and Derek was aware that getting involved with her was a problem, and he didn't want to mess with that.

She was looking at him, as he did her. They shared brief glances with each other as Cornelius talked. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He almost needed to know. No!, he shouted in his mind. She is your assignment so don't let her distract you. Derek quickly brushed a long strand away from his face and looked directly at Cornelius, trying to avoid Kristina's gaze for the rest of the conversation.

"My past?", Kristina asked arching her eyebrows. "What exactly do you have to tell about my past. Look I was born, I grew up here in Knothole Glade, and here I am sitting with you."

Derek noticed that behind her voice was anger and frustration, but he couldn't understand why. They were going to tell her the truth, or somewhat right now, until they could take her to a safer place, where no one was listening in on them.

"Look, Kristina", Cornelius paused and fiddled with his thumbs for a minute. Derek took this as an opportunity to continue.

"We're only here to help, so please let us. We also know this is a lot to take in right now, but we'll help you understand", Derek quickly looked up at Kristina, who seemed to relax, her shoulders slouching. "I promise", he added at the end.

Cornelius on the other hand looked at Derek with surprise and wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut, knowing that they had more pressing matters. He turned his attention back towards Kristina and said, "Look, for now we should find a more private place. We can't tell you much right now, because there will always be those few listening to us and we must take caution. This is not a safe place to be right now, Kristina, so we need you to come with us, and then we can finish our conversation." Cornelius gave her a smile, which she did not return, but instead narrowed her eyebrows and her face began to glow bright red. Derek knew that they had made a mistake, or rather his mentor had. Always trying to talk to his assignments like children, he thought. Derek began to speak, but Kristina opened her mouth before he could utter a word.

* * * * *
​

"What the hell is wrong with you people. Look, until you can give me some sort of information, I'm not leaving with you. This is a perfectly safe place, and I would know. You have no idea how many times I have been here and talked with all sorts of people, and they never opened their mouths and told anyone else."
Kristina slammed her hands onto the table, shaking it and catching a few peoples attention.

"How can you be so sure", Derek found himself saying, nodding his head towards the others who were now listening. "You see, I think we know what we are talking about and if you are really that thirsty for information, it would be best if you came with me...I mean us."

Kristina stood up, and gave Cornelius and Derek an angry look, then she stammered off out of the tavern, Derek following close behind her.

"Kristina! Wait, where are you going?!", Derek yelled after her.
"Home!", she replied back, then she turned her body in Derek's direction and spoke again, more furious. "What is with you?! You just don't get it, do you? You think by coming here and trying to tell me about how you know who I am and that you know about my past, and what, my future as well, and then expect me to go away with you? You are clearly delusional!" She finished and then she stomped off towards her house.

"No! Kristina, I know a lot about you!", she found Derek right behind her and then he gently took her hand into his. She quickly pulled it away from his grasp, but stood waiting for him to continue. "Look, I know about a few nights ago. The blood, you wandering through town. I know you don't understand why, but we can help you remember the rest of it, if you just let us!" Derek's voice was softer, and luckily they hadn't been loud enough before hand, to wake any of the villagers. She looked into his eyes. Their eyes locked for a moment then they both looked away, but Derek continued talking.
"I also know, know about the dream. The dream we shared. I know you had it because I knew you recognized me, and I you. Perhaps with our help, we can both learn to understand it better."

Kristina looked down at the wet ground. I t had just stopped raining a couple of hours ago, at dusk, but the ground remained moist. She didn't know what to do or who to trust. She still didn't trust either Cornelius or Derek, but now Derek had her attention, mentioning her living nightmare and few days ago...and the dream she just had, that apparently he also had. It scared her, but intrigued her at the same time.

Derek tried again to grabbed her hand, but Kristina moved back, hearing Derek sigh. She didn't know what to do, and still confused by why these two men had arrived. Was it just all about her, and was everything that had happened her fault. Should she go with them, or choose to stay? Kristina remained still, keeping a good distance between her and Derek.

End of Part III of Chapter 3. More to come in Chapter Four.


(I know this was a short continuation of this Part, but I'm taking time to think about the following chapter so ta!)

 

[LionHeadTex]

Re: The Darkwood Chronicles-Chapter One and Beyond

Yea, I usually have rough chapters. But hey, can't always length it :lol: As long as it's good.

By the way, it was good. Awesome job :ninja: