The Inconvenient Alliance

Chapter 5

Drake's POV:
We have been traveling in these woods for a while, It began to get dark quicker than expected as the sunsets and I had a bad feeling when I heard thunder in the distance, knowing it's going to be a long night. I can't help but get this feeling we are being watched ever since we set foot partway into these woods, though, I also keep getting this feeling something is calling out to me, a feeling so dark but also so very familiar. I was staring out in the distance almost entranced by the feeling and then I heard Grayson's voice come from behind me, "So, where do you want to go now?" I take a moment to shake off the odd feeling and wander over to him, taking a glance at the map even though I'm having a hard time seeing it due to the sky being dark, and a light drizzle of rain has already started. "I'm not sure, to be honest, I think we should keep heading deeper into the woods and try to find some cover from the approaching storm, perhaps some nearby ruins or a cave of some sort," I suggest to him, really not enjoying the thought of being stuck out here in the dark with a bad storm. "I suppose that's our best bet, there doesn't seem to be any villages nearby us here, and I know how you hate water but we probably shouldn't wander around aimlessly either just hoping to run into shelter somewhere." Grayson would say back to me, I glance off into the distance for a moment considering to follow the very odd but familiar feeling, there could be shelter there even though I know this is a bad idea, and I have a feeling I know who and what could be lurking there, I suggest it anyways to Grayson seeing it may be the closest place to us, "I think I know an area, It's not that far but I keep getting this certain feeling almost like something is trying to draw me to it, the feeling is so strange but so oddly familiar, almost like another one of those diamonds such as the one I found in the abandoned ruins that one time near my house." Grayson immediately shows his concern, "Should we really go there then? You know "he" could be around there." I take another moment to think about this, to consider what's worse, finding "his" diamond possibly along with "him" but there may be shelter wherever the diamond is or being stuck out here in the dark in a storm and possibly ending up lost out here. I decide to take the risk and go investigate the diamond, he wasn't by the one near my house for some reason when he lured me over there, at least I don't think he was, and there could be shelter there as well, and if something does go wrong I could still get us out of there quickly. I finally respond to Grayson, "yeah, I know "he" maybe there, but I have a feeling there's also shelter there, and he wasn't there when I found the one by my house, at least I don't think "he" was so I'm willing to take this risk, and if things do start to go wrong, I still have enough mana to teleport us out of there quickly." Grayson lets out a long sigh, he doesn't seem to like this idea very much and I can't blame him, we both wouldn't want an encounter with "him" if we can help it. He glances up at the sky, some small rain droplets fall on him but he doesn't seem to notice it too much, some lightning flashes illuminating the sky for a moment and thunder follows close behind it, rumbling overhead. He's still looking at the sky when he responds, probably why he hasn't noticed me walking off yet, "Alright, I guess we can head over there for now, but we better hurry before this bad storm hits and we get soaked out here." "Way ahead of you," I call back to him eager to continue on and find someplace to get out of this bad approaching storm and continue to walk in the direction of where I think I sense the diamond still. He finally notices me walking off ahead without him as I hear him call out frantically behind me, "Drake wait up!" I pause to let him catch up and hear him jog up beside me, I continue to move on once he isn't struggling to catch up to me anymore and we continue at a normal walking pace. I glance over to my side slightly after a moment to make sure he's still there due to him being so silent right now, which thankfully he is. Then I look back in the distance and we both continue to walk close together, nearly blindly in the dark forest, the feeling of the diamond trying to lure me to it almost like an invisible beacon is there to guide me.

Credits for the art goes to its respective owner(s).