The whispering forest

Chapter 10: The Ghost Virus

James has been sick for about a week now, I was pretty sure he had the ghost virus. The ghost virus is the virus that ran through our village not too long ago. It was the one that made my mom sick and killed his mother. The doctors called it the ghost virus because it showed up and left with little to no trace. It all happened so fast that there wasn't enough time to make a vaccination. It mainly affected children and women. This was bad, very bad, I didn't have the right medicine for him, and I didn't know how long we would be in the desert. This trip has just been one thing after another, I kept doing what I could to help him. Alfred was getting antsy; he wanted to move on without him and leave him behind. He said it was because he would just slow them down, but I just couldn't do it. So instead I got him up to his feet and helped him onto Charlie, I got up and sat behind him, and we continued on like this for a couple more days, until we reached some more ruins, although they looked oddly similar to the ones we took shelter in before. I questioned Alfred about it but he insisted that these ones were different and that we were almost out of the desert. So I left a piece of string behind and carved my initials into the stone structure that way I would know for certain whether or not we had been here, and sure enough, a few days later we found the stone structure again, and there waiting for me was that piece of string and my initials. So we had been going in circles this whole time the question was whether it was on purpose or not. That night there was an intense atmosphere. I confronted him about going in circles but he just blew it off and said it was a coincidence. I didn't believe him though he had this cold and angry look in his eyes. That night I stayed alert and held my hunting knife close to me.

Ace alerted me of danger by scooting closer to me and raising his hackles, he growled and before I knew it I was up on my feet and defending myself against someone dressed in all black and wearing an emblem with three overlapping circles. These were the same guys that attacked us before. We traded blows left and right, He had a spear, and he had the advantage when it came to strength but I was more agile, and faster. However, I didn't see the attack coming from behind until it was too late. I felt a prick on the back of my neck and then weakness. Great this old trick again, I turned my body so I would land on my back and not my injured arm. "Look, we just want to talk," The man in all black said.

"We could help cure your friend, all you have to do is listen," The one to his left said.

"Well, it's not like I have a choice now" He chuckled.

It was now that I realized that Alfred was gone.

I looked at Ace. He was calm and not showing any signs of aggression or fear. Well, might as well hear them out. "Alright I will try to listen"

"Great well for starters my name is Kris and these are my brothers, Kip, he indicated to the left, and Kit to the right of him."

"We are from the whispering forest, we are its guardians, we keep people we find threatening out and make sure every creature is cared for."

"Okay, what does this have to do with me?"

"Well your mother was our older sister, and when she was born, a prophecy was born to her, it told that she would have two children one born to the moon and one to the sun, the moon child would stay and fight under the full moon filled with embers to save the village, while the child born under the sun would venture out with there loyal companies to save the whispering forest from an enemy that lies within."

"You were born under the sun and your sister was born under the moon"

"How come my mother never mentioned any of you to us?"

"Well, we must be kept secret from the world, if anyone was to find out our secret it would bring devastation to the whispering forest." Kip said.

"On the evening of your mother's death, she appeared before us in a dream and told us about you, she was certain that it was you that needed to fill the prophecy," Kit said.

"Do you know who the threat is?" I asked.

"No, we don't, we only have an idea," Kris said.

I was about to ask another question when a wolf howled in the distance.

"We must get going, here is the medicine for your friend, we wish you luck, nephew"

They were gone just like that.

I got up and tended to James making sure to give him the right amount of medicine. Every few hours I did the same routine. When morning came he was completely cured and was just fine. Which was a big relief, Alfred seemed displeased with it though which I didn't understand because why would he be angry about it when he should be happy that his son will survive? Well, Alfred has always had a weird relationship with James; they just could never figure out how to get along well. Especially after James's mother died from the virus. Well, all that we can do now is continue on the journey and hope we make it out of this desert alive. If we didn't I was sure our bodies would never be found even if the horses and Ace made it to safety. "Hey look, over there is that a tree line?" James shouted excitedly to me, "Only one way to find out" I said while praying under my breath that it was.