Dark Kingdom

Forest guardian

I don't feel drunk anymore. An unusual thought and realization right now but I realize it's true. I am whole hardly stone cold somber. I feel a strong and warm grip on my hand, as someone tries to unclasp my iron clad grip from the wall.

"Miriam, give me your hand!" Ender exclaims.

"I'm not drunk anymore!" I holler back.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ender screams.

"I am not drunk enough not to be scared out of my wits!" I cry, feeling hot tears spill from my eyes.

"It's fine, I'm here, I will get you back over to this side, safe and sound."

"What's happening?" I ask.

"I don't know, let's worry about one thing at a time. Are you two going to help me or just stand there?" Ender says.

Then there are more hands trying to lift me up, one under my arm and one on my upper arm and they pull me up and over till I collide on top of them in a jumbled-up mess on the ground.

   My relief is short lived as the shaking stops being small trembles and instead becomes big booms. I lift up and see the others get up quickly as well, trying to see what it is and what could possibly be happening.

Bless the moon for being out tonight or we would see nothing, but what I do see doesn't help with my fear.

"That's not possible..." Ivana whispers.

"What, what is it?" Sophine asks.

"A forest guardian." Ivana whispers, her voicebarely heard.

This forest guardian looks more like a giant to me. A fourteen-foot giant to be exact, almost as tall as the height we were up in the castle, but this was no time for arguing. Whatever it was, it was mad, and huge and had the largest sword attached to its hand. If you could call it a hand.

The thing almost looked like a bearded man with a nice torso but that was as far as the similarities toa human went.

    He wore a mask made from a barked tree with horns and seemed permanently placed upon his face and though his arms and hands tried to look guman, it seemed to be more vines and trees made to wield together. This thing was ancient and not meant to be seen by humans.

Though it couldn't be possible that he could see us, I got the feeling that he could.

"Who slaid a creature in cold blood in my forest?" His voice booms out and I know as improbable as it is, his question is meant for us.

   I almost laugh. Truly. What is it about my crap luck that this would happen my one night of freedom?

As unfortunate timing goes, a memory surfaces that shouldn't. A conversation between my mother and father.

"What is wrong with her, why is she so sickly?"

"Every child gets sick darling, it's completely normal, she goes through fazes where she is strong, she just needs to fight off whatever unfortunate bug she has."

"Is it just that or is something truly wrong with her?" My father had asked, an accusation in his voice.

"She is our daughter. I know you love her. There could be a million and one things that our wrong and we should still love her. It is not her fault. Think how she must feel."

"She is our only living heir... if anything were to happen to her."

"Nothing will happen. I won't let it." My mother's determined voice replied.