Destiny of Light

Layla nodded and mounted. "Let's go. There's not a minute to waste."

And befroe she could even finish her sentence, he bolted south, to Darkwoods

"If there really is a new evil magic rising over the land, then this could mean some serious trouble. And I don't mean Balthazar's kind of trouble. This could be potentially threatening to more than just Garlan."

Jargos fought to keep himself from flying into a rage over the news. The people of Darkwoods were peaceful, they stopped going to war long before he was even born. Never in his life time had one of his people ever made a threat to an outsider. This was infuriating beyond belief

Layla started focusing her powers to be ready before arrival. She only hoped she'd have the ability to fight back with her vision. "I left Garlan while weak and fragile. I returned with strength and wisdom beyond the dreams of my own. I walked the road of death, and I won't let anyone else walk the same road as I if I can prevent it." A brief flash of anger grew on her face and then faded. "The Angel of Death is still after me. He once spoke to me and expressed his anger to my ears. 'You cannae evade death forever, maiden.' This I do know, but I will fight him until the end. This I swear on the Oath of my homeland."

Jargos roared out as the tree line came into view, his speed unmatchable by any normal mount. As he raced into the woodland, shadows erupted from the earth and shot into Jargos with spiky protrusions that somehow pierced his leathery skin. Jargos was stopped dead in his tracks

"Jargos? Jargos! Are you all right?" she asked.

Jargos tried to move, but it was as if his muscles were locked in place. He was barely able to growl as more spikes shot into him

Layla quickly hopped off of him. "Something dark. I can sense it." She didn't know if Jargos was hurt or not, but using her magic she tried to force a shield over him. "We must be in the Darkwoods. Or, at least, near it. Whatever magic surrounds us, I can try to prevent it. My magic is stronger, needless to say."

Jargos saw a spike form and shot at Layla and his rage boiled over, his arm lashed out, breaking the protrusion from his bicep and grabbing the spike in front of Layla, halting it.

Layla felt a cold rush come over her. "T-thank you, Jargos." She could tell that the shadows were around them. "We have to do something. We're against something that we don't understand and something I can't see. For love of Nicca, Master, give me guidance..." Layla silently searched for an answer to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, she started focusing her magic once more until her eyes glowed white from the rush. A black shadow formed behind her, and she formed a white misty ball in her hands. Layla thrust it at the creature and it fell back for the moment.

Jargos put forth tremendous effort and snapped the spikes in him. He roared out and stood by Layla. He snarled at the creature, a wave of heated air surrounded him and Layla

Layla couldn't figure out why the creature wouldn't stay down. "This isn't magic we've seen. No, it feels darker. Not like Dark Magic. Like something even more strange. If I could get close enough to it, I probably could pick something up from it. But, then there'd be the concern of getting it away."

The heat shimmer intensified, acting as an effective barrier for the two, when out of the deeper woods came a bloodthirsty, guttural, monstrous battle cry. A young man, who couldn't have been more than 15 darted into view. He was well powerfully built, with a moon shaped rune on his chest and one on each shoulder, along his wolf paw runes on the backs of his hands. His long brown hair was back in a pony tail, and his clothes were almost identical to Jargos'. With crystal blue eyes and a growing beard, as well as clawed hands. The young man leaped and tried to tackle the creature

Layla could tell that a battle was getting ready to happen. Channeling her magic to her eyes, she tried to see, at least, faint outlines of what was happening in the darkness she saw. It eventually turned into too much strain to handle. "I was told I could channel magic into my eyes to see faint outlines, but it's just more power than I can deal." After rubbing her eyes a bit to settle the pain, she said, "Jargos, who is he?"

"I do not know, but he wears the most scared lunar runes. Even I do not posses them. He is one of my people and he seems to be hear to help"

The young man attacked with claw and fang, slashing and tearing with bestial strength and ferocity. He terrified the shadow creature and stood where it once stood. Once he clammed himself, he immediately turned and dropped to one knee in a bow to Jargos and Layla

"My Lord and our Beloved Angel of Light! It is an honor!" He spoke in human tounge

"Beloved Angel of Light?" Layla blushed a little bit. "I'd call that a bit of exaggeration, but I'm grateful you came to our aid. Thank you for giving us a hand." She bowed in courtesy. "May I ask your name?"

"It is no exaggeration, your holy light saved the Lord Darkwoods and with his help, you defeated Balthozar" He stood at 6' 2" when he arose. "I am Kreig, heir to my Lord's mantle of Bestial Guardian"

"Well, Kreig, thank you for aiding us. I wish I could've seen what we were up against and maybe it wouldn't have come to this point." Layla still had a bit of regret for her choice from about ninety years ago, but she chose it to find Jargos. "These creatures... I cannot understand what magic of sorts creates them. It is unknown to me, honestly, and I've been studying all sorts of spells and such for some time now."

"They are beings of shadow, the darkest form of magic. The elders are worried, we have no defense, except for the lunar rune, but so few can wield it" Kreig told them

"How could this be? Nerak sealed the shadow magic centuries ago, my mentor Hunal saw him do so . . . I can't believe it" Jargos said

The bear arrived with Jargos' clothes and he went behind a tree to shift down and change

Kreig sniffed the air around Layla, smelling Lunalia on her from their hug

Layla sighed a bit. "I wish I could be of more use in this fight than I was. I can't see these things and I haven't learned how to channel my magic to such a point where I can trace outlines with my vision. Sure, there's sensing but it'll only get you but so far. My master trained me to use it, but it still has to develop." She pinched her forehead. "Whatever the case, I'm willing to hunt down these creatures to find the source."

Jargos came back from behind the tree, dressed and ready to go

"I think we need you granddaughter, Layla. She should be able to help us"

Kreig was curious as to whether or not the scent he picked up from Layla was her granddaughter or not, but whoever she was, she smelled wonderful

"If you think it's best, then we can head back to Zeiza." Layla nodded to Jargos. "Kreig, do you wish to join us? I live in Zeiza, located in the Northern Mountains."

Kreig's eyes got wide. In truth, he had never left Darkwoods before in his life and the idea both excited him and terrified him. He nodded to Layla and Jargos

Jargos nodded to Layla, but he didn't have the energy left to take them both to Zeiza in his shifted state, they would have to walk until nightfall and in the morning, he would shift and take them the rest of the way

Layla didn't want to press Jargos on, knowing he would need his strength. "Then let us go onward. We can rest in the evening and continue on tomorrow morning."