Familiar wars

The true face of darkness

It was right before sunset, I had tracked down Niya, she had actually gotten off trail, but had gotten separated from jewel, I had to help her, so I had confronted jewel earlier, I asked her to wait by the pond, and that I would search for Niya, so now I've gotta talk to her. She had ended up near echo cliffs and got confused by the direction change it does before night fall, she was panicking awfully bad.
"Are you okay," She jumped and a small blade nearly took my eye out, I barley dodged it. " calm down I'm trying to help you, I know where your friend is," She followed me but didn't lower her daggers she wasn't going to let her guard down. "How much further we have to leave soon," she said with her blade near my throat, apparently she has a bit of an attitude issue. " calm down just up ahead, besides arnt you in a bit of a rush I mean it's not like there is much to be doing here, and if you miss the door it'll be back by morning,". "That's not what I'm worried bout, jewel has a rough nature,". " I havnt got a clue what you mean,". " I'm guessing you havnt been a wielder for very long," she laughed alittle but figured out I was clueless by my blank look. " well if you would like you could come with us, I'm sure they will teach you there as well,". " where would that be"? " it's kinda like a training ground, but you will learn a lot more then how to fight," " y'all would let me go with y'all". She smiled and shook her head, I don't know what it was about her but even though I only just met her, and even if she just had a dagger to my neck a few moments before, I feel like I can trust her. Her expression changed quickly as the shadow cast by the setting sun hit her, " please we have to hurry," she had a shaky tone to her voice, so we picked up speed, I didn't understand the issue until I could see the pond I the distance.
Jewel was sitting across the way and it was around the time the other animals began to release thier glow, but she didn't do such a thing, a black almost negative energy started to form around her, glints of red and purple flashed as her claws and teeth tore through flesh, areas on her back became spiked and her eyes were grim and hollow, what had I let happen. I took off in attack position, she was thrashing and growling just as I slammed into her side. I was about to use my staff when Niya hollered out, " please don't hurt her, she only does this when here, we have to lead her to the door." "Easy for you to say, she doesn't look like she wants to kill you, you better be right about this." I let out a small energy burst to call to spirit, and he rifted to us, " come on hop on, he can give us a lift there," Niya was cautious at first but got on and spirit bolted for the tree line. Jewel was chasing us down, and almost caught us with her claws twice, and even though spirit couldn't rift with us riding him he could still out maneuver her. He used the trees as cover as we bolted down the path, the door coming into view," how do we open the door," " your familiar has to come in contact with it,". " what's that," she pointed to spirit and I guess it made since now, but how was he going to get to it first. " brace yourself," I had sent the thought to slam through it and he was more then happy to try, we sped over the ridge and he jumped full force aiming for it, his front paws caught it and the moment he touched it the door burst into light as we past right through it, followed by jewel.

As we rolled across the ground, jewel regained her form and crashed along with us. She growled and locked her eyes on me they were red and basicly burning with anger. " woah now I'm not an enemy here,". She went to Jump and Niya out of nowhere slams her foot into the side of my head, I had officially been field goaled. " there I got him back for you no quit whining," she look at jewel and as if a pouting kid, the panther huffed and sat down. I was about to say something when I looked around, I had no clue where we were but it wasn't the place I though was awaiting me, the ground was cold and dark, purple and black crystal made up most of the land, there was an almost eerie green glow radiating from a trench nearby, I wasn't sure where I was but it gave me serious unease. I wanted to get out of there but it was no use, the door had vanished behind us, I panicked and was looking around frantically, but to no avail, it was nowhere, Niya must have noticed and decide to clue me in, " your not gonna find it, it only appears at night here." I felt sick to my stomach and looked to the dark sky, " this isn't night,". " nope the night has a red moon in the sky, ". " that doesn't make me feel any better."

I decide it's useless to be negative about this so I give in and follow her, she lead us to this cave entrance, " it's just through here," I'm not sure where she had in mind but is rather not face off against a bear from here. We follow the cave, the purple crystals glowing and giving us a dim light to walk by. " how can you Stand not being able to see," she turns around revealing that her and jewels eyes were glowing yellow, " what do you mean not being able to see,". " never mind I'll just follow you."

We emerge from the other side of the cave, I had expected more of the desolate terrain but instead it was a forest, true the plants all glowed unusually, but they were there, sadly so was a giant three headed tiger, I nearly passed out at it's sudden appearance. Niya simply walked up to it and patted it on it's nose," hey big guy I'm back, brought some fresh meat,". It turned it's attention towards me, but didn't attack, I'm glad it knew she was joking, but as we passed the view of the distance was revieled, what seemed like a castle sat in the distance, it felt like so thing out of a story book, though it would have been the castle of the evil queen by the looks of it, but it was still amazing, And she spoke up and waved all theatric like," Welcome to shade haze!!" I stared in awe as the castle as well as many other Victorian looking buildings were revieled floating on crystal platforms above a bottomless abyss. It was without a doubt what the stories I the cave walls back home had been talking about, I had entered the gates of wrath and come to a place known as shadow depths, it was in the darkest realm of the haven.