The Blessed Stones <Complete>

Vayne

By the time it was morning, Tyde is already awake with a pot over the fire, mixing some sort of stew. Scents from the cooking creep up Evelyn's nose and arose her from her slumber.

"Ah good morning!"

"How... do you get enough sleep, Tyde?"

Tyde stands up on the spot, keeping a puzzled look on his face, "What do you mean?"

"Whenever I wake up, you already look as if you've been awake for hours..."

Tyde just laughs while Evelyn's back slams back onto the ground.

"I must have been mistaken, I thought you would be hungry, Oh well, more for me I guess!"

"Woah, woah, woah, let's not rule anything out here!" she says after springing back to life. Tyde chuckles and passes her a bowl of his made-from-scratch stew. Evelyn takes a first sip, "Wow, it's delicious!"

"You sound surprised!" Tyde replies before gulping down his first mouthful.

"Well... obviously... what else would I be?" She sends a wink his way.

"Thanks 'friend'. Anyway, make sure you eat plenty, every bit of energy will be useful to you if you want to get to the cathedral in good time today." Evelyn nods. They both finish their bowls, leaving good time for a second helping for the both of them. When they finish that, they gather their supplies and start the descending hike.

Around half way down the path, Evelyn stops and looks out beyond, to the land of Straxand.

"This place is magnificent ya know Tyde... If only I could stay here." Tyde, who had kept walking without noticing her sudden halt, turned around to face her.

"Well... why don't you stay here?"

Evelyns eyes widen at the sudden offer.

"What? You're crazy... I couldn't do that, I have a life on Earth, I need to finish my degree in University... I need to get back to my friends... my parents will be worried sick..."

"But what if... there was a way you could do all those things, and stay here?"

Evelyn takes a moment to think about her answer, "I don't know Tyde, it's a big change, a bigger one than you could ever understand... I'll... get back to you..."

Tyde nods and say's he understands.

"Thanks for offering though, Tyde..."

Before Tyde gets the cance to reply, the land around them darkens, as if night has fallen early.

"Tyde, what's going on!" Evelyn asks.

Tyde doesn't answer and instead looks up to the heavens and lets out a gasp in awe. Evelyn mimics him, but instead of an awe-inspired gasp, lets out a squeal of fear.

"How can you be so calm?"

Above them, a dragon was flying around in circles. It had green shimmering scales, and lined all the way down it's spine, from the top of it's neck to the tip of it's tail, it had a litany of white hairs. Either side of its fierce jaw were two ferocious tusks.

"Relax, it's not here to guard us, its... a guardian, how haven't you..." he starts saying before realizing Evelyn isn't from Strazand. "It's a legend in Straxand. The guardians watch over our people, and is there to help in life-threatening situations. However... no one's seen them until now. It's presence here means that it foresees something... terrible in one of our futures..."

"Well... I wish it would 'save' us from having to walk to the next cathedral..." Tyde looks down at her with disgust in his expression, "Hey, don't be so disrespectful! Besides... it doesn't work like that."