The story that never ends... (A Five Kingdoms fanfic)

New Recruits?

TW: Blood, stab wound, talk of slavery, slight panic attack, cliffhanger bit of a longer chapter so I hope you enjoy!

 The days after the rescue you might think would be somber, but instead morale was higher than ever. While Cole's mind slipped from time to time he was more present than the month before. The campers threw parties and held celebrations, each party styled around the celebrations and holidays of their kingdoms. Sambrians threw festivals with banners and music, large groups danced around and painted the ground.

Elloweerian's made light shows that danced around the other shapers, animals prowled and puppets of illusions told stories of past battles. Necronumian's had parades where they dressed up as the dead and danced with ghosts, ritualistic gowns and skirts were worn by every camper no matter gender and kingdom. Zeropoliot's made robotic creatures and costumes and put on shows with loud music and the bright lights of their energy.

However outside of those walls the news spoke of a cult that turned children into monsters. They hid in the woods and hunted those who entered, police speculated that they ate those they caught. People were urged to leave the town if they could, relief would go to the victims' families, and they were told to stay out of the woods at all cost. Of course any good ghost story brought lots of unwanted attention.

This attention turned into youtubers making videos, interviews, theories, some even went hiking and camped out in the woods. As fall approached more and more people craved spooky stories, and the law enforcement found it difficult to guard the perimeter from campers. One day in the middle of September three hikers, Irina Stuart, Tara Bruce, and Luis Myran began their trip into the very woods the campers called home.

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"This is dumb." Rina complained loudly, Lu rolled his eyes and kept walking. Tara smiled at her annoyed girlfriend, "It's not dumb!" She exclaimed, "It's... interesting." Rina raised an eyebrow tossing her blond braided ponytail over her shoulder. "This is probably just some weird group of kid playing a prank and the cops were dumb enough to believe them."

Lu sighed and narrowed his dark eyes and Rina, "The actual army is involved in this, it's not a prank." Scoffing the blond asks, "and you know this how?" Lu didn't answer, instead he glanced up at the darkening sky, Tara frowned and asked her brother if they should set up camp. Rina started complaining about sleeping on the ground and stomped off somewhere.

Lu groaned up at the sky, Tara tugged on one of her dark braids, turning a bead that hung on the end. "How can you date her?!" Lu exclaimed, "She's not always like this, she just doesn't like going outside." She explained to her older brother. Rina shouted something a bit further off and with the sky not getting any lighter Lu stalked off in the direction of the blond.

Tara sped up a bit to keep up with him, after a bit of walking they still couldn't find Rina. Until, that is, they passed a tree and saw rain and mud soaked blond hair on the ground, blood steaks ran through it onto the leaves she rested on. Two people crouched over her unmoving form, one was spinning a blade and had bright green hair. The other carried something that looked like a club, red drops falling from the club to the leaves.

Tara screamed and Lu stepped in front of his sister and raised his hands making fists. The two people in front of them looked up at them, the green stood straight but didn't move forward. The one with the club frowned and cursed, that's when Lu saw that the green haired one's eyes were glowing a bright lime color. He stepped back taking Tara with him, she tried to get to Rina but he held his arm out to stop her.

A knife embedded itself in the leaves beneath his feet, the green haired one raised a twig that molded itself into a throwing knife. "Don't move," they spoke with a hushed tone, " Or the next one goes into your skin." Tara froze but Lu grabbed her hand and tried to run, before he could even take a step a sharp pain flooded through his shoulder. Dropping Tara's hand and falling to his knees Lu gripped his right shoulder hissing when all he could feel was hot sticky blood coating his fingers.