The Forest Chronicles

Chapter 16

Luminos exhaled, arms crossed. Luminos shivered from the sudden cold in the planning room. She mumbled a few words about the army and its plans of attack.

     "Luminos!" a loud voice shouted. Luminos flinched. She looked up at the shadow above her, who yelled her name–the shadow was a literal shadow; a mass of darkness and no light in sight.

     "Our army is ready to attack. Captain, when will we fight?" Luminos asked the Shadow. "We will fight when I say," the raspy voice replied. "Besides, the group is split apart."

     Luminos cleared her throat. "Isn't that a good thing for us and a bad thing for them? We could attack them now, s–since they're split up. And since they cannot work all that well alone, with themselves or just one other person, they'll be more vulnerable. A–And we could strike them down and kill them that way!"

     The Shadow hummed in thought, "I suppose. General Nevi," the cold in the room shifted to another being. "What do you think about this situation?"

     "Luminos' idea is a good one, but each member of the quest has different strengths and weaknesses that we need to take in mind. We need to plan," continued Nevi. "But, first, I suppose we need to chart said strengths and weaknesses, and, of course, powers."

     The Shadow hummed once more. "You know enough about them, though, the charting idea is an intelligent one."

     General Nevi nodded. "I am glad that you believe my plan is a good one, my ruler."

     "I am needed elsewhere, so please, do not act like imbeciles while I am away, tending to business."

The boy–who looked around seventeen through nineteen–just as he finished climbing up a RoseTrim tree, put his hand in his pockets and pulled out a handful of small rocks.

     Another person, a girl, climbed up after him.

     "Hey, Leslie," she said.

     Leslie nodded, "Zyra! Hello!" He held his hand out towards her. "Take some rocks, maybe half or so. I'm going to see if I can hit a crow or two." Zyra rolled her eyes, "Leslie, there's no point in trying to knock some crows down. What if you accidentally hit one of Kaikos, Krenlis, or Kei's messengers?"

     Leslie chuckled, tossing a rock up and down. "Why do all the gods who have crows as their sacred animals have a name that starts with the letter K?"

     Zyra shrugged, taking five rocks out of Leslie's hand and copied what he did, tossing the rocks up and down, juggling them. "No idea," she said. "Hey, Leslie?" Leslie turned his head toward Zyra. He nodded. "Why did your parents name you Leslie? It means 'glory,'" Zrya continued. "And it hasn't been used si–"

     "I don't talk about my parents," Leslie's voice was stern. Zyra's gaze shifted down to the rocks in her palm. "But, it's only a small question."

     Leslie tossed a pebble at Zyra's head, playfully. "I just don't want to talk to them." Zrya chuckled at the small action.

Soon enough the two had a miniature rock fight.

     Leslie sighed, "why must you always hit me right in the bruise on my arm, Teak?"he said in his signature accent. Zyra raised an eyebrow. "Teak," she repeated. "What does that mean?" Leslie chuckled. "It's Vakish for Zyra, your name."

     Zyra nodded. "Teak...Hmm. Hey, Leslie, what's your name in Vakish?"

     "Doh," he replied. Zyra smirked. "Oddly simple. And how do you say 'Zyra is the best person in the world and the best friend I could ever ask for?"