The Sky Demons Part Two: Quest

End Part Two

The sun was shining in the Peryton forest, penetrating through the leaves to fall in splattered patterns against the lumpy forest floor and the trunks of the trees that rose from it, as if a wounded creature that bled light had rampaged its way through.

Upon one tree- unnoticeable unless you knew to search for it- the proud image of a one-antlered peryton was ingrained within the patterns of the bark; but unlike the image decorating it, the Peryton tree no longer stood proudly. Now it lay felled, slowly sinking into the mud that had been left behind in the clearing by the rains the night before. Its pale roots had been unearthed and now blindly reached into the air in an undignified looking tangle. On the side not reached by the natural light of the sun, green leaves and brown bark were tinged with red and orange, bathed as they were in the bloody light of the fire now consuming the great tree still standing tall and visible behind its smaller, former guardian and way-sign.

In the larger clearing- standing before The Hideout and watching it smoulder- is a woman of middling age with grey features painted orange in the firelight, a pointed face and a slight frown. The deity she was looking for was not here. Neither were the hybrids.

She takes a slight, measured step forward and bends down to examine the seal that she had burned into the ground before her, curling her scaled dragon wings in around her shoulders like a cape. She had made the seal in the hopes that she could pull the deity out of wherever it was hiding nearby with golden chains wrapping its legs. No such luck.

"M'am," comes a yell.

Argenta stands and turns her head to watch one of her soldiers approach. She makes no move to meet them halfway, preferring to watch them struggle their way across the clearing, tired from hours of searching through the forest and looking hot and bothered in the heat of the bonfire.

"M'am-"

A branch breaks away from the rest of the great tree behind them and falls with a crash and a splintering of wood onto the ground. Argenta does not flinch, does not look round, but simply waits for the weak-voiced soldier to realise that it is once again quiet enough for their words to be properly heard.

"A young woman, in the forest. She approached our patrol group, she wants to speak to you, they're bringing her here now."

They arrive as the lackey finishes speaking, two of her employees marching the woman between them. Argenta allows herself a slight smile, here, at least, was something interesting. Perhaps this would not be a wasted journey after all. Perhaps.

END PART TWO