Ruby Red

Chapter Six

RUBY RED

CHAPTER SIX

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Ruby couldn't scream. She tried, but it seemed to cease in her throat. Instead, a startled whimper escaped her lips. The man had blond curly hair and pointed ears, sticking out slightly from under them. His green eyes looked down at her distastefully, the sword still raised.  He cocked his head to the side slightly and suddenly sheathed his sword, pulling the horse back. 

He bowed slightly in his saddle and pulled her up. Startled, Ruby blinked. The wolves were gone now, and the men and woman mounted on horses chased after them wildly. 

"My Queen," the man said and smiled. Ruby just stared back up at him, confusion filling her brain. 

"Who..Who are you?" she stammered. He gave her another smile, flashing her his slightly pointed white teeth. 

"I have many different names, my lady. Faerie, elf, nature spirit, protector of the forest," he told her, "but you may call me Ashil."

"Where's my grandmother? Is she okay?" Ruby asked him, her eyes wide. Her grandmother was the only person, beside her mother, that she cared for. She remembered how her grandmother would tell her stories of elfish creatures protecting the forest from terrible Demon wolves. 

Maybe these were the creatures she was talking about?

"Your grandmother is alive and well for now. We have protected her from those Daemons, but alas, we cannot protect her from illness," he said, bowing his head slightly. 

"Can I see her?" Ruby asked nervously, playing with the vial tucked neatly in her basket. 

He waved her hand towards the cottage, smiling. His teeth amazed Ruby. They were pointed to a slight edge, curving inwards slightly. "Be my guest," he said.

Ruby smiled thankfully and began to walk towards the cottage. The curtains were drawn across the windows and no smoke blew from the chimney. Ruby shivered nervously. Her grandmother's house always had a strong fire blazing. 

She knocked cautiously on the door. There was no answer, so she slowly opened the door. It creaked with the sudden movement. She looked back to see the elfish army looked onwards at her. She took a deep breath and pushed inside. 

The house was dark and empty. "Grandmother?" she called out, her lone voice echoing against the walls. 

There was brief silent pause before a frail voice gently whispered "Yes?"

Ruby's face broke into a grin as she ran into her grandmother's room. Propped on the bed was her grandmother, old and weak and coughing gently into a napkin. 

"Ruby," she exclaimed weakly, smiling slightly. "What a surprise."

"I brought you the medicine, Grandmother," she said, taking out the tiny vial. She smiled at her granddaughter and took it with shaking hands. 

"Thank you so much, Ruby," she said, her eyes gleaming. 

She opened the cork of the vial with trembling fingers and stared at the liquid inside for a moment, before gulping it down, her eyes tightly shut. She opened them and placed the empty vial on her bedside table. Her face looked suddenly relaxed and at peace with itself. 

"How do you feel?" Ruby asked. Her grandmother smiled warmly at her, her snow white hair falling in gentle wisps around her wrinkled face. 

"Much better, thank you, dear," she thanked her. "Grandmother?" Ruby asked hesitatingly. 

Her grandmother hummed a 'yes' and looked up at her. Her eyes were no longer sick and tired, but possessed a strange light in them that warmed Ruby's heart to know her grandmother was safe and well. 

"Who were those creatures out there?" she asked, biting her lower lip. Her grandmother paused for a minute, her gaze flickering to the closed window were the elfish army lurked. 

"Remember those stories I told you? The ones about the protectors of the forest and the Demon Wolves?" she asked. Ruby nodded. 

"Well, they're true. The Protectors, as I call them, have protected me from the evil of the forest since I was the Queen's grandmother. Ruby, you are the Queen," she said, her eyes bright. 

"I know," Ruby replied in a small hushed tone. 

Her grandmother blinked several times, registering what her granddaughter had just said. 

"Who told you?"

Ruby bit her lower lip again and kept her gaze on her feet. 

"I had a strange dream, Grandmother. Father was in it. He told me I was the Queen he used to tell me about and he wanted me to remember. I don't know what he meant. He warned me about the wolves, he told me not to trust them. He thought I would fall for one of them!" she said. 

The room fell silent. Her grandmother's brow was creased tightly together in deep concentration, over thinking what Ruby had told her. Ruby looked hopefully up at the old woman who breathed a sigh of defeat. 

"I don't know exactly what this 'dream' was. It might be a vision. I'm not quite sure. But your father's words ring true. You are the Queen and the Demon Wolves are not to be trusted," her grandmother finally told her sternly. 

"What exactly are they, Grandmother? The Demon Wolves?"  she asked. 

Her grandmother sighed absently. "They are werewolves, Ruby, half wolf, half man. But I would hardly call them half man. They are demons who take the form of both wolf and man. They are very dangerous. They used to protect mankind, but the Demon King, Ra, has changed all that. He is dangerous and blood thirsty, Ruby, You must be careful," she warned her. 

"I'm so scared, Grandmother," whimpered Ruby in a small, wavering voice. Her grandmother took her in her arms and hushed her. 

"You are so brave, my Little Red. So much like your father," she whispered gently. 

Ruby glanced up at the old woman to see tears in her blue eyes. "I'm going to get us out of this, Grandmother. I promise," she promised her. 

"Take this, it will tell you everything you need to know. You must go back to Ra and his army. It's the only way to complete the prophecy," her grandmother said, handing her a small leather bound book. Ruby took it and tucked it under her red cape, away from curious eyes. 

"I love you, Grandmother," she told her, embracing her grandmother. Her grandmother hugged her tightly back, letting a single tear fall from her blue eyes. 

"I love you too, my little Ruby," she whispered back. 

AUTHORS NOTE

So I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry that I haven't uploaded in like, forever. But according to that many sos, I'm very sorry and you should all forgive me because that took me a fricken hour to type that many sos. So yeah, sorry and stuff like that. 

Thank you so much for the support and votes and stuff. Keep at it, guys. 

Vote, comment, fan you all know what to do. 

Love, 

Fallen Abyss

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