Creative Corner

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Nine[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Much to Seolfor’s surprise, Aeris arrived on time, and the trio quickly rejoined their comrades. “And you are sure that Grado is only two days away from here?” Seolfor asked the priest with an raised eyebrow, and Aeris nodded. “Very well then, lead on,” the coatl said, and Aeris went to the front of the party. Seolfor and Auric hung back as Aeris set off in slow pace. “We aren’t on a leisurely stroll, y’know,” Auric growled, and Aeris quickened his pace somewhat. They marched on in silence for many hours, with Seolfor finding himself deep in thought. Self doubt started to rear its ugly head as the mage thought about his choices. He’d only read about war, after all; and Seolfor wondered if he was leading the army to a grizzly end. It wasn’t like he could take up arms to fight alongside the rest of them, and he couldn’t help but feel like a burden. He shook his head and sighed as he continued to walk alongside Auric. “I never thought I’d be this far from Ramba… I hope they’re okay,” Auric muttered to himself, and Seolfor looked over at him with sympathetic eyes. ”As do I. With any luck we can end this quickly, and return home,” Seolfor said gently before he fell back into his anxious thoughts. They continued like this for several hours, and they met no obstacles in the road. Night was quickly falling over the Tangled Wood, and Seolfor called for the group to stop to make camp. As Seolfor enchanted the camp, he had an idea, and quickly made his way to Auric’s side. “Auric! Something has just occurred to me, I believe I can help in battle!” he said with an excited twinkle in his eyes, and Auric raised an eyebrow at him. “...Don’t get yourself stabbed again,” he said gruffly, and Seolfor turned away. “I was trying to save your life!” he hissed. Auric frowned at him, and got up after a moment of silence; leaving Seolfor to stare blankly at the dying campfire. Eventually, Seolfor made his way to his makeshift bed and fell asleep after what felt to him like an eternity. Morning came, and with it the army resumed their march. Aeris once again took the lead, with Seolfor and Auric not too far behind him. This morning however, the duo were standing further apart than they had since they left Ramba, with both refusing to look at each other as they marched along in silence. After several hours, Aeris turned back towards Seolfor with a slight smile. “We’re almost to Grado now, this time tomorrow we should hear the hustle n’ bustle,” he said in his usual mellow way, and Seolfor nodded in understanding. After a few more dull hours of marching, they saw a small settlement on the horizon. “That can’t be Grado, right?” Auric asked gruffly, and Aeris nodded as he turned toward the skydancer. “No, it’s the last village between us ‘n Grado ,” the priest said, and Seolfor frowned. “It might be best if we stopped there for the night, we could use more supplies at the very least,” he said, and Auric looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to straight to Grado, no detours?” he asked, and Seolfor scowled. “I miscalculated our rations,” he huffed, and Auric looked amused as he turned his direction back toward the priest. “You heard ‘em,” he said gruffly, and the spiral nodded in understanding. After a few hours or so of marching, they arrived at the settlement safely. Seolfor went ahead of the army and into the town. The sun was starting to set, and the streets were all but deserted. “Excuse me!” Seolfor called out when he saw movement nearby. He started to hurry closer to the figure, but quickly slowed to a halt as the figure turned around. The golden telltale eyes of a Light dragon looked back at him, and Seolfor’s eyes grew wide with horror when he realized that he was wearing armor. The Light warrior gave Seolfor a toothy smile as he came closer. “We’ve claimed this town for the glory of the Lightweaver! Submit, or be struck down!” he cried with authority, and before Seolfor had the chance to react, the warrior had summoned his allies, and the mage found himself surrounded. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193#post_28645236][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28669797][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Ten[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] “He should be back by now,” Auric said with a frown as he looked around anxiously. “He's probably having a hard time finding anyone awake now,” Aeris said with a yawn, and Auric narrowed his eyes. “If this is a trap -” he started to say before he was interrupted by Seolfor, who just appeared beside him with a panicked look. “Invaders! There is no time, they know we are here! Let me enchant the army, It will look like we have more than we actually do. It may just be enough to tip the odds in our favor,” Seolfor said somewhat breathlessly, and Auric nodded as he readied his axe. Seolfor quickly enchanted the army, and found a safe spot to hide with Aeris as the rest charged into the the village with a thundering cry. Auric was in the front of the charge, and with a shout, rallied the troops. The warriors of Light had gathered together, and they looked a bit terrified at how outnumbered they seemed to be. “There's not many of them, we can win this!” Auric cried as he lept for the closest invader, making his end swift before he turned to the next in line. If he had time to think, he’d probably be horrified about the bloodshed, and just how proficient he'd gotten with his axe; but battles don't leave you with any luxuries like that. One by one, the mirrored copies of the Shadow army were disappearing as the illusions were attacked. “How can we win against ghosts?!” an invader cried before she fell victim to the edge of a sword. There were only a handful of warriors left, and they were standing back to back. Their teamwork was good, but not good enough against a sizable mob in comparison. They fell over with a thud and a prayer on their lips, and with that Auric wiped the blood off his axe and returned it to his back with a sigh of relief. “We won!” He cried, and an echo of delight rang through the village. Seolfor and Aeris had reappeared; with the latter slowly making his way through the crowd, looking for any injuries he could heal. “I am relieved,” Seolfor said softly as he returned to Auric’s side. “About earlier,” the skydancer said gruffly, and Seolfor shook his head. “It is fine, I am just happy that you are alive,” he said, and Auric rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Suddenly a villager had ran into the street with a joyous look on her face. “I saw the entire thing! You saved us from those horrible monsters!” she cried, and was quickly joined by the rest of her townsfolk. “Yes! They were destroyin’ Peryton, they were!” another cried. “My father has been avenged!” a young voice called over the din. “Three cheers for these valiant warriors!” “Drinks are on me!” More and more voices cried out, and the whole village was bustling with festivities. “You really are a hero, Auric,” Seolfor said just loud enough for Auric to hear over the crowd, causing the skydancer to blush slightly. “I'm just doing what I have to,” he said embarrassed, and shook his head ever so slightly in shock. “You gave this entire village hope!” he said, and Auric looked away in embarrassment, his cheeks burning even more now. The army had followed the villagers into their tavern, and they spent a while savoring both their victory and dinner. Laughter ran out, and it was almost hard to remember that a bloodshed just occurred a few hours prior in light of the festivities. Eventually the crowd started to thin out, and the tavern keeper was generous enough to let the army sleep in her empty rooms upstairs. They were assigned about four to a room, save for Seolfor and Auric, who ended up alone together. They all slept in a bit, and after a hearty breakfast they resumed their march. “Just a few more hours to go!” Aeris said in his usual mellow way, and the army was able to keep a good pace for the duration of the trip. “It's just on the horizon now,” Aeris said, and Seolfor let out a small gasp. “I have never seen any town this large! Are you quite sure this is Grado, and not some great kingdom?!” Seolfor asked, and Aeris laughed, ”Nope, this is Grado,” he said, and Seolfor looked at it's distant skyline with wide eyed wonder. “Auric! Grado is much bigger than I could have possibly dreamed it to be! Surely we will get the aid we need, we can win the war!” [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28665320][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28676599][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Eleven[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] They drew a bit closer to the city before Aeris stopped dead in his tracks. “Why are you stopping?!” Seolfor hissed, and Aeris looked back and quivered slightly. “Grado’s…[i]never[/i] this quiet,” he uttered so softly it was hard to make out. Auric’s eyes grew wide in shock, and Seolfor’s narrowed. “Gods…” Auric muttered, and Seolfor glared daggers at the priest. “Did you know of this!? Did you knowingly lead us into a trap!?” Seolfor hissed as Auric stepped forward threateningly. Aeris shook his head. “No! I didn’t know!” he said, and before anyone had the chance to speak, they heard an unfamiliar voice that shook them to the very core. “I thought we made it clear that none of you pathetic merchants were to leave your homes!?” said a gruff voice, and the entire army turned to Seolfor with fearful eyes. “Oh ho ho! You lot aren’t merchants! C’mon boys, there’s a little milita here to take back this city! Let’s shed some light on their situation!” he cried and bellowed his horn. Not a moment later, they were completely surrounded by more soldiers than they’d ever seen in their lives. “Everyone, stand back to back!” Seolfor hissed as the warriors of Light charged. The two mages found themselves at the center of their group, and they did what they could to fire spells at their foes. For every Shadow warrior, there was at least four Light invaders. Without the element of surprise, it was abundantly clear that they were no match for the invaders.The warriors of Light were better trained, were better supplied, and it showed. If one invader fell, at least two Shadow dragons went down with them. Auric fought as hard as he possibly could, and if the odds were more in his favor, he could have won the battle single handedly. Seolfor was throwing spells left and right as fast as he possibly could, and was feeling confident in his skills now. Despite his confidence, his comrades were falling hard and fast, and it would be foolish for him to feel hopeful now. Seolfor looked around desperately for anything he could use to his advantage. He wasn’t a strong enough mage to teleport his comrades to safety, and it seemed they had no options but to stay and fight. They were still surrounded, and the distant rumbling sound filled him with dread. More invaders were on their way to join their kin in the fight, and they sounded rather close. Panicked, he resumed the fight, and took out a soldier with a shakily aimed bolt of magic. Despite Aeris’ best efforts, he couldn’t heal anyone fast enough, and the forest floor became littered with more and more corpses. Seolfor took down another warrior and collapsed. “I cannot do...any more, I am sorry!” he cried between heavy breaths as he fell onto one of his fallen comrades. He started to cry as the reality of the situation hit him. It would only be a moment or so before he’d die, he was sure. “[i]I have lead all of these dragons to their deaths, what a fool I am![/i] he thought as he watched more and more of the Shadow warriors fall. One of the invaders noticed he was still alive, and lunged for the final blow. Seolfor didn’t move, his death was warranted after his arrogance, after all. And then time seemed to slow to a crawl as Seolfor prepared for the end. He watched the warrior’s spear come closer, and then he was suddenly shoved out of the way. “[i][b]AURIC![/i][/b]” Seolfor shrieked as he watched the spear impale the skydancer instead of himself. Auric’s eyes grew wide as he slumped over, and Seolfor threw himself onto him hysterically. Auric’s eyes were fixed upon the full moon that was illuminating the bloodshed, seemingly not aware of Seolfor’s presence. “Mother...I’m sorry I’ve...failed you…” He muttered weakly before he closed his eyes and drew his final breath. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28669797][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28680046][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Twelve[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] [i][b]NO![/i][/b] You [i]cannot[/i] die! Not here, not now!” Seolfor screamed as he sobbed, and in his despair he failed to notice his surroundings. He felt the air move behind him, and was now eagerly awaiting his end. Seolfor heard the clang of a few weapons dropping, and opened his eyes. He saw the mark of the Shadowbinder glow softly on Auric’s forehead, and Seolfor’s eyes grew wide as he scrambled off of him. Auric’s wounds started to rapidly heal, and he seemed to grow both taller and more muscular. The battlefield was eerily quiet save for the unsettling sound of bones breaking as Auric’s body convulsed and changed. After a few moments, it was clear that he was turning into a wolf, one far larger than any Seolfor had ever seen in his life. The mark faded away, and Auric’s eyes fluttered open, now such a deep purple they were almost black. The warriors of Light screamed as they started to retreat, but Auric was too quick. He tore each of the remaining invaders with his mighty teeth and claws, and the few remaining Shadow soldiers rallied behind the mighty wolf and they finished off whatever Auric didn’t. “He’s been blessed by our Mother! We cannot lose now!” Seolfor cried triumphantly, and the tides of the battle had turned. The last warrior of Light had fallen as the sun started to rise, and Auric had begun to change back to normal. The skydancer’s sides heaved as he blinked in confusion. “What happened?” he asked gruffly as his brow furrowed. “I don’t remember anything after I saved Seolfor...and why do I feel different?” he continued, just as confused as he was before. Seolfor ran over to him with a smile while tears rolled down his cheeks. “I was so afraid I had lost you!” he cried, and Auric looked at him with his same confused look. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, and Seolfor started to cry harder. “You [i]died[/i] Auric!” Seolfor said as he shook his head, and Auric blinked. “Well, that’d explain why I feel like someone snapped all my bones like twigs,” he muttered. “Our Mother blessed you! Your wounds healed, and She turned you into a mighty wolf that made quick work of our foes!” Aeris said as he bowed, and the rest of the survivors followed suit; save for Seolfor. “We won, thanks to you,” Seolfor said warmly, and Auric blushed. “Please stop bowing, it’s weird,” he muttered, and the army quickly got back on their feet. “We should bury the dead, and rest,” Seolfor said, and they got to work with the burials. The fallen Shadow soldiers were laid together, and Aeris performed the burial rights. It was a solemn affair compared to the burial of the warriors of Light, who were thrown into a mass grave with no ceremony, and no marker. Eventually the few survivors made their camp, and it didn’t take long for sleep to claim them. Auric found himself awake, his mind too consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts to sleep. He slowly moved his tongue against his teeth, and furrowed his brow as he realized they were much longer and sharper now. He wondered how much he’d changed, and dug around in his belongings for a mirror. Eventually he found one, and as soon as he picked it up, he dropped it in horror. He gripped his stinging hand, and looked down at the shards on the forest floor. Curiously, they reflected everything but himself, and Auric shook his head as he walked away. “I must be tired,” he muttered as he laid down, and eventually fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke next, Auric could tell it was nighttime once again, but he found himself able to see just as well as he could in the day. “Auric? Are you awake?” Seolfor asked softly, and Auric turned his head around and nodded. Seolfor looked a bit alarmed, and Auric raised an eyebrow at him. “You look like you just saw a ghost,” he said, and Seolfor shook his head. “No, no… I was not expecting your eyes to glow like they are. I am fine, I assure you. I thought it would be best if we made our way for Grado when you are ready, the people deserve to know they have been freed,” Seolfor said, and Auric nodded as he furrowed his brow. “You look concerned,” Seolfor said after a moment, and Auric sighed. “I just… I know I should feel honored ‘n all, but...well,” Auric said gruffly, and Seolfor frowned. Auric started to say something, but shook his head as he looked away. “...You said you wanted to go to Grado? C’mon then,” he said gruffly after a moment, and Seolfor nodded as he left his side and went to gather the army. Auric stretched, and watched in horror as his hands begun to change into massive paws. “[i]Ngh… stop it, go back[/i]” he thought, and was surprised to see it worked. Auric sat in silent thought for a moment as he furrowed his brow. “[i]Can I control this..?[/i]” he thought, and decided to try it out. He let out a cry of pain that ended in a howl, and looked down at himself with satisfaction. “[i]That’ll come in handy for somethin’ I’m sure,[/i]” he thought as he willed himself back into his regular form. He gathered his things and quickly rejoined the rest of the army as they prepared to march to Grado. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28676599][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28743521][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

AMAZING WOLFBOY I LOVE STRONG WOLF MAN

@Skyeset

You've got it~

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Thirteen[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] The remainder of the Shadow army arrived at Grado after a short walk. Aeris looked uncomfortable upon arrival, and Seolfor narrowed his eyes at the priest. “It's too quiet,” Aeris said when he noticed Seolfor glaring at him. “It's not deserted, everyone’s just inside their houses,” Auric said gruffly, and Seolfor gave him a confused look. “...I can smell them,” he said after a moment, and the coatl frowned. “How [i]do[/i] we get them outside, I wonder?” Seolfor muttered to himself as he looked around the empty streets. He saw a large bell off in the distance, and gave a satisfied look as he began to remotely ring it. “Citizens of Grado! We have driven away the invaders, you are freed!” Seolfor cried, and a head poked out of a nearby window. “Did you say we were free!?” a young tundra asked with wide eyes, and Seolfor nodded. The tundra scrambled away from the window with a shout. “Ma! Pa! We’re free!” he shouted with joy as he ran out into the streets. He ran door to door with the news, and it wasn’t long before the remnants of the Shadow army were completely surrounded by overjoyed residents in the streets. Excited shouts such as “How’d you do it!?” and “You’re my hero!” filled the air as more of the cities population filled the streets. They paraded through the entire city, bringing the good news to all. Eventually they made their way to the center of Grado, and once again Seolfor found himself in awe. A castle was being built, and while still unfinished, it was still the most magnificent structure he’d ever seen in his life. The crowd erupted into a chant of “Tell the King! Tell the King!” as they pushed the Shadow army in through the front gates of the castle. The guards nodded as they let them pass through into the main, completed area of the castle. Seolfor looked around at his comrades and shook his head in embarrassment. “We cannot have an audience with a [i]king[/i] looking this ragged!” he hissed, and was about to magically spiff himself up when he heard a chuckle behind him that caught the coatl off-guard. “Your attire does not bother me in the slightest. Now… I understand it that you freed my kingdom from the warriors of Light?” said a very regal looking nocturne, and the Shadow army quickly bowed. “Yes, your majesty, that is correct,” Seolfor said politely, and the king looked the army over with a curious expression. “There are so few of you, in comparison to the hundreds of Light soldiers; how [i]did[/i] you manage it? Come, we will discuss this over dinner,” the king said as he gestured for the army to follow him. They followed the king down many long and ornately decorated hallways, before finally coming to a stop in a large dining room. The king sat down at the head of the table, and gestured for his guests to join him. He then called over a servant and ordered her to fetch their best wine, and to tell the chef to begin dinner preparations, and finally turned back toward the small army. “I take it that you are their commander?” the king asked Seolfor, who looked a bit flustered as he nodded. “You must be quite brilliant if you were able to win! Tell me, how did you free my kingdom?” the king said good naturedly, and Seolfor shook his head sadly. “Forgive me, your majesty, but I am not as wise as you think me to be. We were ambushed, and despite our best efforts; we were losing the battle. Most of our army had fallen, and the invaders had reinforcements on the way. Auric, our best warrior, had fallen to save me… I was expecting I would be dead in another moment, but then a miracle happened,” Seolfor said, and the king furrowed his brow as he listened to Seolfor speak. “Our Mother blessed Auric, not only bringing him back to us, but giving him strength beyond compare! She turned him into a mighty wolf, one far larger than any I have ever seen, and with his new strength, made quick work of the rest of the invaders,” Seolfor finished, and the king frowned as the servant came back with the wine. “Do you expect me to believe that our Mother, the Shadowbinder Herself, blessed this…”Auric” fellow!? Do you take me for a fool!?” he spat as he took a sip of wine, and Auric frowned. “Will this prove it?” he growled as he stood up, and the king recoiled as Auric took a step closer. Auric willed himself into his wolf form, and the king looked between his glass and the giant wolf with bewilderment. Auric changed back and sat back down after a moment, and the king looked flustered. “Forgive me for doubting you, Auric, and your company. You are most welcome here anytime you please, O’ mighty warrior. Please...if there is anything I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask,” the king said, and Auric raised an eyebrow at him. “We are in need of troops and supplies, your majesty. My plan is to continue east of here, and to drive out the invaders back across the border,” Seolfor said, and the king nodded. “Consider it done. I implore you to be my guests here, in my castle, while I personally see to your requests,” the king said as more food than Seolfor had ever seen in his life was brought to the table. “A grand feast, in honor of the saviors of Grado, and to our Mother’s blessed son who triumphed over the invaders!” the king said as he raised his glass with a genuine smile. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28680046][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28745943][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Fourteen[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] Seolfor looked over to the other bed in the extravagant room and frowned. Auric was still fast asleep, but Seolfor had a hard time recognizing him. He’d shifted into his wolf form somewhat as he slept, and Seolfor winced as Auric started growling in his sleep. “[i]I cannot help but feel so...insignificant… compared to him. He deserves someone better than I,[/i]” he thought sadly as he got himself ready for the day. Eventually, Auric woke up and sighed as he saw the damage he did to the bed as he slept. “You were growling as you restlessly slept… are you alright?” Seolfor asked when he noticed Auric was awake. “...Yeah… Just a nightmare. I’m fine,” Auric said gruffly, and Seolfor frowned. “If you need to talk, you know that you are always welcome to do so,” the coatl said awkwardly, and Auric rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. He then realized he was half-wolf, and turned himself back, looking even more flustered than he did before. “...We should get going, the king said he’d have everything ready today,” Auric said as he pulled on clothes, and with a heavy heart Seolfor nodded in agreement. “[i]Will we ever be as close now..?[/i]” he wondered as he followed Auric out of the room and into the labyrinth of hallways. They had stayed in the castle for about two weeks time now, but still, Seolfor found himself constantly lost and often relying on Auric’s sense of direction. The duo had joined the rest of the small army in the dining room; and after a hearty breakfast they made their way outside, as per the king’s request. In the short timespan, the king had managed to rally several hundred troops for the cause, and the new army was ready and waiting for orders outside. Seolfor turned to the king and bowed. “You are most generous, your majesty. Thank you,” he said, and the king chuckled. “It is the least I could do. Now, go forth and drive the invaders away once and for all!” he commanded, and with that the Shadow army marched on. Morale was high as they marched across the land, and they’d made it several days without running into any enemy reinforcements. They had settled down for the evening, and while it was late, Auric found himself restless and on edge. He decided to patrol the camp, and quickly shifted into his wolf form. He found it as natural as he did breathing now; but he still felt embarrassed when others saw him like this, so Auric patrolled from the shadows. Despite his massive frame, he was able to move nearly silently, almost as if he had melted into the shadows themselves. Suddenly a distant smell caught his attention, and he crept towards it. There was no denying the smell of a campfire, about a day’s travel from where they were at. Auric ventured a bit closer, and grimaced at the new smell he was picking up through the more overwhelming smell of fire. “[i]Light warriors! I’d better tell Seolfor,[/i]” Auric thought as he quickly made his way back to the camp and barged into Seolfor’s tent. “Wake up, I smell Light warriors only a day’s travel from here!” Auric growled, and Seolfor woke up with a shout. “A-A-Auric?! Is that you?” he asked as he backed away from the opening of the tent with fear in his eyes. Auric nodded and frowned as he shifted back. “...Can you not understand me like that..?” he asked, sounding a bit vulnerable, and Seolfor frowned. “You were just growling, Auric,” he said, and Auric furrowed his brow. “...Let me try this again. I smelt Light warriors about a day away from here,” he said gruffly after a moment, and Seolfor looked startled. “We are still decently far from the border...this cannot be a good sign. I will let the army rest for awhile longer, and then we march,” Seolfor said with a frown, and Auric nodded and left his tent as the Coatl began to consult his maps. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28743521][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28765100][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]

[center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Ue34vuS.png[/img][font=Monotype Corsiva][size=7][color=#2a164f]Chapter Fifteen[/size][/color][/font] --- [font=Palatino Linotype][size=4] True to his word, Seolfor waited about an hour or so before he mobilized the army. They began to march, and after a few hours, Auric stopped in his tracks as he looked around with narrowed eyes. “They’re just downwind of us,” he growled, and Seolfor nodded. The coatl gave the silent command to attack, and the army charged forward into the fray. Even with the bolstered numbers of the Shadow army, they were still greatly outmatched by the warriors of Light. Seolfor and Aeris hung back, watching the battle from a relatively safe distance. Auric was leading the charge, and his raw strength inspired the rest of his comrades to fight even harder. The skydancer tore through the invaders as if it was nothing, and Seolfor found himself watching him with wide-eyed wonder. But as good as Auric was, Shadow soldiers still dropped left and right despite Aeris’ best attempts at healing them. Auric looked around at the carnage and gave a primal yell as he lunged at the nearest invader, throwing his axe into another close by. He transformed mid-lunge, and proved to be no match for the Light warrior. Terrified shouts of “They’ve got a monster on their side!” and “It’s got the strength of the Gods!” rang through the battlefield as some of the invaders turned tail to flee. The thick and unfamiliar forest hindered their escape, and Auric finished them off with frightening speed and accuracy. Night had begun to fall over the woods, but the battle was still raging on. The mighty wolf returned to the heart of battle with a spine-tingling howl, his eyes now wild as he tore through his foes with even less mercy than before. Seolfor tore his gaze away from the brawl and looked at the tiny patch of sky that was visible from the forest floor. “[i]A month has already passed?![/i]” he thought as his attention was drawn back to the fight. Seolfor gasped as he saw Auric get impaled, and was shocked to see the spear had no effect on him as the invader pulled it out with a horrified expression. “[i]Oh Gods, is he immortal?![/i]” Seolfor wondered as he watched Auric take down several invaders in a short span. A few moments went by, and then the last few Light warriors had fallen in a very one-sided matchup with Auric. The remaining Shadow troops erupted in cheers as they realized they had won the battle by a landslide. Auric, however, did not join them in their cheering, and instead dropped low to the ground as he began to growl. Seolfor’s eyes grew wide in a panic. “Everyone, retreat at once!” he cried as he ran forward. The troops looked at each other in confusion, and Auric lunged at the soldier closest to him. Seolfor did his best to knock Auric away, but the soldier didn’t get away completely unscathed. “I said, [i][b]retreat![/i][/b]” Seolfor shouted as he tried to contain Auric with magic. “Auric! Get a hold of yourself! The battle is won!” Seolfor cried, but Auric only growled at him as he looked at him with wild and hungry eyes. “[i]Oh Gods, this...isn’t Auric anymore,[/i]” Seolfor thought in horror while he struggled to contain the wolf. He remembered Auric telling him about the mirror incident as they marched from Grado, and a thought occurred to the coatl. Thinking fast, he summoned any nearby silver he could, and formed it into a crude barrier of sorts. He looked up at the tiny bit of sky he could make out and prayed dawn would come soon. He struggled to keep the barrier up, his body was screaming at him to stop as he used up more and more of his magic. Auric lept at the barrier, and recoiled with a howl of pain; causing Seolfor to have a twinge of guilt for indirectly hurting him. Seolfor screeched in pain a moment later as he fell to the bloody forest floor. “[i]I am sorry, but I cannot keep this up any longer,[/i]” he thought as the barrier of pocket mirrors and silverware fell with him. Seolfor looked up as his vision was fading, and he prayed he bought his allies enough time before Auric would find them as he lost consciousness. [img]http://i.imgur.com/gAjBEgR.png[/img] [sub][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/2#post_28745943][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z7TDQEm.png[/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/t2H7r4v.png[/img] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2242193/3#post_28766098][img]http://i.imgur.com/JIV4dlU.png[/img][/url] [img]http://i.imgur.com/69MIHaA.png[/img]