The Blessed Stones <Complete>

Surviving the Wild

Tyde and Evelyn have walked in deep forest for around an hour now. Tyde has tried at every opportunity to make conversation, but Evelyn persists that she simply doesn't need him around.

"I don't even know your name yet ya know...?" another attempt at small talk.

"It's Evelyn, Evelyn Grey," was her only response.

"Okay, we're getting somewhere, my name's..." He starts.

"I already know your name... Tyde..."

Tyde can't help but to let himself fall behind for a moment and let out a sigh. He looks up to the sky; he notices it's almost night time. He calls ahead; "Evelyn, it'll be getting dark soon! We should find somewhere to rest!"

Before giving him her reply, she waits for him to catch up, "I'm not really tired."

"You may not be tired... but 'they' are hungry."

He finally catches her attention, and senses a hint of fear in her expression.

"W-what do you mean... they?"

Tyde stays silent for a moment, as does Evelyn. He puts his ear against the air, listening.

"Don't you hear them?" He asked.

Evelyn concentrates for a moment, and as she turns to face Tyde once again, she hears it, a faint howl in the distance, echoes through the forest.

"Wolves...?" She assumes.

"Ha! If only they were wolves! No... these are much worse. No one really knows how they came to be, they look like some sort of strange conjuring brought about by a mad wizard somewhere. They're like wolves in stature, but their fur is green and brown. They hide easily in their landscape, with their dagger like claws and shredder like teeth. At last, their tail. At its end clings a dagger of bone... we call them, scavena."

"Then let's get out of here, come on!"

"It's too late now; we just need to find shelter. Follow me, I know a small cave not far from here, I've used it in this situation before."

As Tyde pulls away the leaves behind which lies the cave, he notices something. They're too late.

"What are you waiting for?" Evelyn asks. Tyde turns toward and instantly, Evelyn knows what's wrong.

"There are some there... aren't there?"

All Tyde can do is nod, and hold up four fingers.

"We'll need to fight them... two each!"

"You're mad! Even I've never attempted something so suicidal!"

"Look, I'm sure I'm going to fight more dangerous things in this world, if I can't step up to these, I may as well just let myself die now! So come on!"

Tyde tilts his head down. He knows he has no choice.

"How good are you with that bow?"

"To be honest, I've never used one."

Tyde sighs, "Well, now is a good time for you to learn! Shoot one of them, if we're lucky, it'll scare the rest off, and if we're not, at least it's one less we need to deal with..."

Evelyn lifts her bow off of her back and takes an arrow from the quiver. She ready's it in the bow string and silently lifts her head over the bushes. She takes aim, although she isn't really sure how to do so, she releases the arrow. It fly's through the air, towards the creatures. A luck shot, it hit it in its chest. The scavena lets out a screech, as blood spills onto the ground. It struggles for a moment, before dropping, dead. The others prowled around the first, looking straight toward the bush where Evelyn and Tyde are hiding. Suddenly, a huge burst of water shot from the leaves, staggering the creatures. Evelyn followed the burst of water with her cutlass out. She engages the scavenas in a fight, and they whip their tails at her, but she blocks them with her cutlass. Tyde sprints out and shoots more water into their faces, and Evelyn slashes two of them across their ribs while they were blinded. The last scavena managed to break free from Tyde's rush of water, and pounces into Evelyn. She slashes its claw across her arm, and blood starts to flow out.

"Evelyn," yells Tyde. He pushes a blast of water into the scavena, and while it's down, rushes water down its throat, drowning it. He quickly runs to Evelyn's aid but before he can do anything her eyes are already closed.