A week had gone by and Leo had just finished packing his things. As he tied buckled the last strap on his pack, Lucille appeared through a small portal. He had a feeling she would show up. He stood up and dusted off his shins and turns to her.
"Somehow I felt you before you came through," He said as he stooped down to shoulder his pack.
Lucille touched a finger to her lip.
"Well that's kinda to be expected," She replied.
"You're my master so before I summon the portal from my realm, you are able to feel my presence before I go through.
Honestly it makes me really happy to know that you can feel me!" She swayed left and right as her face began to blush.
Leo patted her head as he walked by. She froze and whined quietly.
"Y'know you should do that more often," She said, setting her hands on her hips.
"Yeah well I gotta keep moving."
Lucille pouted and crossed her arms while walking along behind him. He made his way down the path, Twilight joining him on foot.
"Well?," Twilight addressed him as they made their way down the old trail.
"What do you plan to do now?"
Leo rolled his shoulders to get more comfortable under the weight of his pack.
"I should go back to town and say farewell to everyone. I can't just leave them behind. I should be coming back to visit in the future."
Twilight picked his head up high and sniffed the air. He stopped for a moment.
"I fear that my nose has picked up the scent of something evil."
Leo slowed his walk and turned to look at him.
"What do you mean?," he insisted.
Twilight, without a response, spread his wings and flew up into the air. After several minutes had past, He vanished in the direction of Juniper.
"Saphire," Twilight's voice called in his mind, "Come. Quickly."
Leo tossed the backpack to the side, grabbing his sword and his bow. He started dashing down the trail toward the town.
Lucille spread her black wings and flew over, following suit. They came to the edge of the forest looking down the slope at the town.
Leo kneeled down watching for a time.
A large number of the Townsfolk had gathered into large squads on the outskirts of Juniper, holding spears, pikes, and an assortment of other weapons. It was like they were waiting for an attack.
Leo stared for a moment longer before looking for signs of an enemy.
Off in the distance there stood and army of humanoids in dark cloaks with red symbols he didn't recognize.
Their faces were shadowed by their hoods, and nasty blades were held in their hands....
And there were too many of them.
Leo knew that attacking would be foolish.
He leaped from the edge, skidding down the rock face toward Juniper.
The dust clouds that flew up into the air caught the attention of the strange cloaked figures which encouraged the townspeople to attack. Leo reached the bottom and dashed toward the edge of the town where all the people were gathered. He drew the sword and joined into the ranks of the people, pushing and shoving to get to the front of the line.
"He is the one."
The voice came from one of the cloaked beings in a hissing voice. It pointed at him.
"Take him alive."
Leo narrowed his eyes and settled into a fighting stance.
The cloaked figures jumped into the air at inhuman heights and dispersed into different directions. The speed at which they moved was incredible for even Leo.
Throughout the town huge booms sounded. When he turned to look, he fell into a shock.
explosives had been set all over, and now they were tearing Juniper apart.
Leo's eyes flashed and he turned back around.
One of the cloaked figures had suddenly appeared in front of him.
It's eyes gleamed with a deep red.
It's breath smelled like decaying meat.
And it's strength was supernatural.
So Leo found out as it gripped his blade single handedly.
Without a thought, Leo brought his other hand to his dagger and sent it through where the creature's temple would be. The figure went limp, and dark blood spewed from the cut he had inflicted. He wiped the blade off on the figure's cloak and turned to face more. They leaped at him with uncanny speed, forcing him to slash and perry. He caught himself moving backward as one drew a wickedly barbed sword. It rushed him head on to go for his torso with the tip of the blade. Leo dove out of the way sending a flurry back at it. This one was persistent. But not for long before Leo closed the distance again, using his leg to trip it and stab the sword into its spine, rendering it crippled.
As it twitched and groaned, he flourished the blade and slammed it into its Sheath. He grabbed the hood and pulled it back.
The burns and strange runes that tattooed its face and overall head indicated something like that of a cult.
"What in the Hell are you?," Leo demanded.
The male laughed and struggled to speak.
"We are...his disciples." Leo stared down at the creature as it laughed hysterically. His expression turned dark. He grabbed at the disciple's face and twisted his neck quickly, snapping it.
The body thumped to the ground limp.
Leo turned around, facing the battle that raged around him.