Serenity
06-22-2003, 01:08 AM
The story of Serenity
part 2 Tempted by the Dark
Part 2 Tempted by the Dark
Serenity wandered for days in the elven wood, hopelessly lost and low on food. Darkness engrossed her and fear began seeping into every part of her body. She tried to find the moon, but the trees concealed it, only allowing small beams to come through.
-whoosh-
‘What was that?’ she thought.
She walked closer to where the sound came from and felt around. Her hands finally came across a long, slender shaft. An arrow.
-whoosh-
She heard an arrow again but this time it missed her only by an inch. She turned and started running. ‘Why was she being shot at? Who was shooting at her?’ she thought as she raced blindly into the woods. Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her behind a large tree. She gasped in surprise and the stranger put his hand over her mouth. “Shh…”he said. “Stay here and don’t move. They will kill you.”
She nodded and he removed his hand from her face. He walked toward the direction of her attackers and again she heard the whoosh of an arrow. She squeezed her eyes tightly; she knew she was going to die. She heard the stranger yell and then the cracking of trees. Cries of agony and the screams of birds followed. Then silence. Serenity stood there trembling. She had not moved an inch since the stranger left and her muscles ached. Seconds seemed like hours as she waited to see who would find her first, the stranger or an arrow. Something touched her hand and she screamed. “Shh…hey, calm down it’s ok. I won’t hurt you.”
She slowly opened her eyes and with the help of the few shards of light she saw a young man grinning at her. He was handsome with short dark hair and dark eyes. “Are you alright?” he said.
She nodded yes.
“Well you’re lucky. Wood elves usually don’t miss.”
She stood there not knowing what to say. Confusion hit the stranger. “Can you speak?”
“Yes” she squeaked out.
A smile returned to his face. “Look, my name is Arthur. What’s yours?”
“Serenity” she said with her eyes to the ground.
Arthur laughed. “You’re safe now, Serenity. I won’t let anything hurt you, ok? Now let’s get some sleep. My camp is over there.”
“Ok” was all she could get out.
She followed Arthur to his camp. He fixed her a place to sleep and they both quickly drifted off to sleep, a sword as Arthur’s bedmate. Morning came and Serenity woke up to the smell of eggs cooking on the fire. Arthur noticed she was awake and lifted the pan off the fire. “Hungry?” he asked.
“Very much, thank you.”
He handed her a full plate and she quickly gobbled it down. “Wow, you must have been hungry.”
Serenity smiled. “Well that’s a first! I guess that smile means your going to be fine.”
He chuckled to himself then continued to eat. She realized maybe she should trust him. He had saved her life, why not? After they had finished Arthur stood up and said. “Well, I guess we should get going. I’m meeting some men and they’re not the type to keep waiting.”
She giggled. He smiled back at her and they started packing. They continued on and Arthur entertained her with stories of his adventures. She relaxed a bit more and even started chiming in once in a while with small comments or questions. He then asked her about herself. She frowned. “I don’t wish to talk about it.”
“Oh, sorry. Well then I will tell you about myself”
He then spoke of his parents and sister. One day while he was away at school, a group of orcs killed his family. He pleaded with one of the guilds that protected his town to take revenge. But they only said there was nothing they could do. “I will get revenge for my family. In any way possible.”
Serenity then should have seen what lay beneath that handsome exterior, but she was starting to care for him and was blinded by it. “That’s why I’m meeting these men. I’m coming back from a test they sent me on.”
“I see”
They smiled again at each other. Later that evening their carefree chatting was interrupted by a familiar whoosh in the forest. Arthur turned abruptly to try and spot the wood elves.
-whoosh-
“Aargh!”
“Arthur!” Serenity screamed.
She looked to see an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Arthur grabbed her hand.
“Quickly, follow me!”
“But your hurt!”
“No time for that now!”
They ran through the woods, dodging arrows as they went. They slowed only when they were sure that the arrows had stopped. “Why I picked to take the short cut I’ll never know,” he said through his deep breaths.
“I’m glad you did,” she said. “You saved me. Now I shall save you.”
Arthur looked puzzled. She grabbed the arrow and yanked it out.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry, now hold still.”
She placed her hand on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Arthur suddenly felt his shoulder grow warm. Slowly the pain went away. Serenity opened her eyes and removed her hand, dotted with blood. Arthur looked at his shoulder. The hole in his clothes was there but the wound wasn’t. Arthur looked up in surprise. “You’re a healer?”
“That was the first time I ever healed a human.” she said with a small smile on her face.
“Wow, I guess I am glad I saved you.”
They laughed a small relieved laugh. They had escaped the elves again but didn’t want to see if they could make it a third time. In the evening of the next day they finally approached the end of the forest. Arthur stopped and pointed to a small camp quite a distance away. “That’s them.” he said.
“Oh”
She looked and saw a couple men, about two orcs, and some dark skinned elves; a kind she had never seen before. They were all sitting around the fire laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Some heavily armored dodos were off to the side pecking at the grass.
“Come with me.”
A sudden sick feeling struck Serenity’s stomach. Something about that camp frightened her.
“I can’t.” she said.
“Why?”
“I don’t know but I just cant.”
Arthur turned to her and grabbed her hands. “We could use a good healer like you.”
She could see the kindness in his eyes. Behind that, though, she saw the hatred and pain that fed a darker side of him. Something she could never extinguish. Serenity sighed as her heart broke. “I can’t Arthur. You’ve been very kind to me, but my destiny lies elsewhere. I’m drawn that way, towards the sun. I don’t know what’s out there but something is waiting for me there.”
Arthur lowered his head and frowned. “I know of that place. The kingdom of light.” He looked up. “Follow the sun, it will take you there. Be warned, you will go through plains, mountains, and snow but don’t give up. You will find it.”
“Why don’t you come with me?”
“I can’t. I don’t belong there. That was my home, but not anymore. You can do this. I believe in you.”
“I’ll never forget you, Arthur. If you change your mind, come find me.”
He smiled. “Here take the rest of my food. Now go.”
They let go of each other’s hands and she turned away. She never looked back. Days and days passed as she walked through blistering heat and freezing cold. On the seventh day of trekking, exhaustion and hunger finally got the best of her and she passed out.
She awoke to a voice saying “M’lady, M’lady. Can you hear me?”
She opened her eyes and saw a face staring down at her. As he saw her eyes open he disappeared from above her and she could hear him say “She’s awake, come quickly.”
She looked around and realized she was in a room lying on a bed. She squinted her eyes. It was so bright here. It was almost like heaven. Even back in her village during daylight hours it was never this bright. The man reappeared. “Welcome, M’lady, to the light. My name is Kalico.”
part 2 Tempted by the Dark
Part 2 Tempted by the Dark
Serenity wandered for days in the elven wood, hopelessly lost and low on food. Darkness engrossed her and fear began seeping into every part of her body. She tried to find the moon, but the trees concealed it, only allowing small beams to come through.
-whoosh-
‘What was that?’ she thought.
She walked closer to where the sound came from and felt around. Her hands finally came across a long, slender shaft. An arrow.
-whoosh-
She heard an arrow again but this time it missed her only by an inch. She turned and started running. ‘Why was she being shot at? Who was shooting at her?’ she thought as she raced blindly into the woods. Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her behind a large tree. She gasped in surprise and the stranger put his hand over her mouth. “Shh…”he said. “Stay here and don’t move. They will kill you.”
She nodded and he removed his hand from her face. He walked toward the direction of her attackers and again she heard the whoosh of an arrow. She squeezed her eyes tightly; she knew she was going to die. She heard the stranger yell and then the cracking of trees. Cries of agony and the screams of birds followed. Then silence. Serenity stood there trembling. She had not moved an inch since the stranger left and her muscles ached. Seconds seemed like hours as she waited to see who would find her first, the stranger or an arrow. Something touched her hand and she screamed. “Shh…hey, calm down it’s ok. I won’t hurt you.”
She slowly opened her eyes and with the help of the few shards of light she saw a young man grinning at her. He was handsome with short dark hair and dark eyes. “Are you alright?” he said.
She nodded yes.
“Well you’re lucky. Wood elves usually don’t miss.”
She stood there not knowing what to say. Confusion hit the stranger. “Can you speak?”
“Yes” she squeaked out.
A smile returned to his face. “Look, my name is Arthur. What’s yours?”
“Serenity” she said with her eyes to the ground.
Arthur laughed. “You’re safe now, Serenity. I won’t let anything hurt you, ok? Now let’s get some sleep. My camp is over there.”
“Ok” was all she could get out.
She followed Arthur to his camp. He fixed her a place to sleep and they both quickly drifted off to sleep, a sword as Arthur’s bedmate. Morning came and Serenity woke up to the smell of eggs cooking on the fire. Arthur noticed she was awake and lifted the pan off the fire. “Hungry?” he asked.
“Very much, thank you.”
He handed her a full plate and she quickly gobbled it down. “Wow, you must have been hungry.”
Serenity smiled. “Well that’s a first! I guess that smile means your going to be fine.”
He chuckled to himself then continued to eat. She realized maybe she should trust him. He had saved her life, why not? After they had finished Arthur stood up and said. “Well, I guess we should get going. I’m meeting some men and they’re not the type to keep waiting.”
She giggled. He smiled back at her and they started packing. They continued on and Arthur entertained her with stories of his adventures. She relaxed a bit more and even started chiming in once in a while with small comments or questions. He then asked her about herself. She frowned. “I don’t wish to talk about it.”
“Oh, sorry. Well then I will tell you about myself”
He then spoke of his parents and sister. One day while he was away at school, a group of orcs killed his family. He pleaded with one of the guilds that protected his town to take revenge. But they only said there was nothing they could do. “I will get revenge for my family. In any way possible.”
Serenity then should have seen what lay beneath that handsome exterior, but she was starting to care for him and was blinded by it. “That’s why I’m meeting these men. I’m coming back from a test they sent me on.”
“I see”
They smiled again at each other. Later that evening their carefree chatting was interrupted by a familiar whoosh in the forest. Arthur turned abruptly to try and spot the wood elves.
-whoosh-
“Aargh!”
“Arthur!” Serenity screamed.
She looked to see an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Arthur grabbed her hand.
“Quickly, follow me!”
“But your hurt!”
“No time for that now!”
They ran through the woods, dodging arrows as they went. They slowed only when they were sure that the arrows had stopped. “Why I picked to take the short cut I’ll never know,” he said through his deep breaths.
“I’m glad you did,” she said. “You saved me. Now I shall save you.”
Arthur looked puzzled. She grabbed the arrow and yanked it out.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry, now hold still.”
She placed her hand on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Arthur suddenly felt his shoulder grow warm. Slowly the pain went away. Serenity opened her eyes and removed her hand, dotted with blood. Arthur looked at his shoulder. The hole in his clothes was there but the wound wasn’t. Arthur looked up in surprise. “You’re a healer?”
“That was the first time I ever healed a human.” she said with a small smile on her face.
“Wow, I guess I am glad I saved you.”
They laughed a small relieved laugh. They had escaped the elves again but didn’t want to see if they could make it a third time. In the evening of the next day they finally approached the end of the forest. Arthur stopped and pointed to a small camp quite a distance away. “That’s them.” he said.
“Oh”
She looked and saw a couple men, about two orcs, and some dark skinned elves; a kind she had never seen before. They were all sitting around the fire laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Some heavily armored dodos were off to the side pecking at the grass.
“Come with me.”
A sudden sick feeling struck Serenity’s stomach. Something about that camp frightened her.
“I can’t.” she said.
“Why?”
“I don’t know but I just cant.”
Arthur turned to her and grabbed her hands. “We could use a good healer like you.”
She could see the kindness in his eyes. Behind that, though, she saw the hatred and pain that fed a darker side of him. Something she could never extinguish. Serenity sighed as her heart broke. “I can’t Arthur. You’ve been very kind to me, but my destiny lies elsewhere. I’m drawn that way, towards the sun. I don’t know what’s out there but something is waiting for me there.”
Arthur lowered his head and frowned. “I know of that place. The kingdom of light.” He looked up. “Follow the sun, it will take you there. Be warned, you will go through plains, mountains, and snow but don’t give up. You will find it.”
“Why don’t you come with me?”
“I can’t. I don’t belong there. That was my home, but not anymore. You can do this. I believe in you.”
“I’ll never forget you, Arthur. If you change your mind, come find me.”
He smiled. “Here take the rest of my food. Now go.”
They let go of each other’s hands and she turned away. She never looked back. Days and days passed as she walked through blistering heat and freezing cold. On the seventh day of trekking, exhaustion and hunger finally got the best of her and she passed out.
She awoke to a voice saying “M’lady, M’lady. Can you hear me?”
She opened her eyes and saw a face staring down at her. As he saw her eyes open he disappeared from above her and she could hear him say “She’s awake, come quickly.”
She looked around and realized she was in a room lying on a bed. She squinted her eyes. It was so bright here. It was almost like heaven. Even back in her village during daylight hours it was never this bright. The man reappeared. “Welcome, M’lady, to the light. My name is Kalico.”