"....THUR,.... ARTHUR"
A scream tore, straight to Arthur's ears. At first it sang, back and forth echoing through the forest without a proper way or source, until it slowed. Then start to get close, pulled his ears, who by now seems to be sharper then spear.
It forced his head to turn, focus locked on to the band of trees. Sight tried to reach whatever being spewed that voice, might as well a monster if it was possible in this testing ground. His body tensed, stiffer the clearer it molded inside his eardrum. Until it appeared, right in the tail of his vision a tint of white danced through the canopy, dodging branch, crunching trunks with wood splintered at every trail.
Just like magic
A magic both for Firland and Arthur
In Firland's ears, the sound was a savior, a poem like melody sent by heaven to pull him out from the tiger grasp
And for Arthur, a different scenario altogether
It was both a blessing and a curse, it split him, face became two sides of the same coin. His hand fidgeted, gripping his spear as if want to throw it any second, yet his tongue drowned by liquid of salt mixed with metallic seasoning.
If his heart had feet, he sure it will jump at any given moment
He needed to prepare, to take a deep breath and expect nothing from this little light of hope
He can't afford to get disappointed
So he settled his pick, neither tail nor head
Instead, a poker face, flat, unblemished, and very hard to read.
The tint of white earlier at first - it was a dot, no bigger then leaves stuck around the carving of his armor. Then, it started to mold. Becomes a comet the bigger the voice gets until it changed. Protruding like arms and feet, wiggling and grabbing any branch it can reach while jumping and dodging - agile as a lizard's limb.
It was a good sign, means a message
But why white ?
Something doesn't click
Then the thing halted, just a few feet from him. White hair cascading, flowing like water with every shake of head. White pale skin and long pointed ears, with a golden ring tucked in his left ear leaf. Dark pupils enhanced by white long eyebrows until it almost reach his hair, a gorgeous look if not for his disheveled bearing and how heavy his breath seems.
That was what concerned Arthur
Elves were beings of beauty, just like their home -nature - despite the randomness of it.
But this one
It lacks the quality
It makes his jaw stiff, even more then before. But i guess it's fine, as long as no one noticed.
"ꦄꦢ ꦥꦺꦂꦒꦺꦫꦏꦤ꧀"
"What ?"
The elven man paused, mouth shaking
"Sorry, Arthur this is urgent. There was a movement. Both..."
He huffed
"...both gates are open"
"Both gates ? did you see how many get out ?"
"A few..."
He huffed again
"....hard to know the exact number"
"Did you see Terra ?"
If Arthur calculation were correct, that guy would hundred percent come out, facing him directly.
"No, i only watch one gate"
"What about a girl with pink hair ?"
"Yes"
'Violet....'
"Yes what"
"Yes i see them, now.....we need your help"
We ? who's we ?. Who dare to make a move before him.
"You..."
Firland hitched, trying his best to lower his presence amidst the entire thing, a fool's errand - and he knew it. Especially, after a spear like finger pointing right at him, like a command to the guillotine.
"Call Tiernan, and Joan..."
Arthur glanced at a man with silver armor and two black glaives half his height
...Follow me"
The towering trees claimed them, only Firland left, in his lonesome.
Forgotten, just like the others.
Why is it so hard to be a noble. All his life he had only been following the others, day by day.
And now he stooped to only a messenger, even a knight house like Joan fare much better than him. Well, it's no use thinking about it.
'I better get going'
With that he walked, welcoming himself into the crowd of giant trees. The mist, the makeshift forest carpet, was gone - showing what lay beneath, jutting roots shaped like traps made for bear or bigger, burrows with diameters not smaller than his head, insects with hundreds of segments connected by huge fangs in the end, bigger than his hand altering between the tree trunks. And the sound, he swears he heard a banshee screeching, in the middle of bird cries.
All these thing just to find a single guy
Honestly, the guy was not that hard to find
He was bigger then his peers, not with muscle but fat, he guess it was better now - knowing how the crown prince treats him. His armor was not the calm kind, made of gold with six-limbed horse and knives for hooves, sculptured in the middle of breastplate. And his sword, You sure need to see it, it was shaped like scimitar with blade purposefully bigger than it should.
Yes, that was what he needed to find
So he dashed to the river bank, place filled with fire and charcoal, their last night sleeping spot
And he guessed right, as usual, he stood near with a roasted meat in hand, mouth opened wide ready for a huge bite.
"Tiernan"
Tiernan halted, mouth shake, either in confusion or anger - Firland would never know. And he doesn't want to know.
"What ?"
So it's annoyance, he was forced to know
"The crown prince called you"
"Where ?"
Tiernan took a bite, mouth filled with munching sound
"Inside the forest, they going to...."
"Wait"
Tiernan cut in, hand pointing towards the sky. What is this guy doing right now, is he mocking me ?
"That's not the time Tiernan. I'm serious. You.."
"No... look, Firland. A smoke"
Firland sighed, only this once, he would follow Tiernan's whims. The fat guy was quite close to Arthur, for unknown reason. He sure doesn't wish for him to snitch.
When his eyes landed on the clouds, his face turned grim
It was colored black - black as smoke