6: Darken Flower

5: the haunted forest

we made our way to the edge of the forest, it was also the border to the kingdom of Lunistar. 

"are you sure about this?" Oberon asked me. "i would rather avoid going in there myself."

"we need to save my sister dont we?" i looked at Oberon. "we are going in."

"as you wish." Oberon led the way. 

we walked for what seemed like hours without seeing anything but trees and wildlife. 

"are you sure this is supposed to be a haunted forest?" i laughed. 

"thats how it gets you." Oberon's face remained serious. "they trick you into a false sense of security, then they show up."

"Oberon has been here before." Lunar explained. "he had hoped to see his sister, and he did, but she was different. the figures seen here are never truly the people lost."

"thats good then." i nodded. "it means we know not to be tricked."

"they know what the lost ones know." Oberon stated. 

"that could be a problem." i said. "is it always just those who are dead?"

"yes." Oberon answered as we walked on. 

"um." i looked behind me.

"what now?" he turned to face me.

"where are Lunar and Carlisle?" i looked around us.

he looked around, "damn it. where did those two idiots go?"

"Carlisle!" i yelled, no answer.

"we cant be spending time looking for them." Oberon sighed. "once we save your sister, i can teleport them to us, but until then, they are on their own."

i nodded, i did not like leaving them behind, but my sister was more important right now. 

we continued on the path.

"if you had just been watching those two, this would never had happened." Oberon growled. "i would have been better off coming on my own."

"your one to talk." i rolled my eyes. "they are fairies, you are the dark fairy king you should be able to control them. in fact, why didnt you control the one who hurt my sister? if you had been a proper king, we wouldnt be out here in the first place."

"if i were a proper king, then your sister would have been sacrificed and your father dead." Oberon kept walking. "i can not control the actions of every fairy out there any more then you will be able to control every elf."

"i would still be a better king. i dont need your help out here, i can save her myself." i ducked out of the way of a branch and froze, the ground under me shook and gave way. 

i fell for what felt like forever before landing at the bottom of a large pit. i stood up. "a little help would be nice!" i yelled up the fifteen foot pit as Oberon looked down at me.

"you said you didnt need my help." he gave me a smug smile. "figure it out yourself." he walked off.

"damn it!" i yelled. i tried to climb up but the ground just gave way wherever i tired. 

i sat on the damp ground. 

"you know, hes right." i heard my sisters voice. "you should have stayed behind, your nothing more then a useless human who can talk to animals." 

i tired to cover my ears but could still hear her laughing. "go away, you are not my sister."

"im not?" her voice went on. "because i feel real brother."

i looked up and saw her sitting across from me. "you are a figment of my imagination, or some wicked spell or something. you dont even have the form of someone who is actually dead."

"are you sure about that?" she laughed. "because you and i both know that this quest is going to fail and i will be dead. Uncle froze me just moments before death you know, so i may already be."

"shes not." i stood to my feet. "my sister is not dead, she will not die, and i will save her." 

"we will see about that." she laughed as she disappeared. "your trapped down here arnt you?" 

everything went silent, i sat back down. 

i was mad at not only Oberon, but myself. if i had just been nicer, than he would have helped me.

"what are you doing down there brother?" i looked up to see my brother Althaeon staring down at me.

"now this woods really is playing with my mind." i closed my eyes. "i know you are not dead."

"dead?" Althaeon laughed. "nope, im just on my trials and found these two idiots looking at a flower. also, cool wolves, had me freaked out there for a moment." 

i opened my eyes again. Carlisle and Lunar were waving at me.

"for fuck sake." i stood. "can you throw me down a rope or something?" 

"yup, one sec." Althaeon left from view and a few moments later a rope fell into the pit. 

i grabbed hold of it and climbed up, carefully using the sides of the pit as support to get up. Althaeon reached his hand down and helped me the rest of the way up. 

once free of the pit i laid on my back on the ground. "this place is going to be the death of me." i was breathing heavily. "thank you for finding those two." i motioned to the two idiots. "why are you all the way out here?"

"according to aunt Alana, i have to seek the one i wish not to see." he laughed. "no idea who that could mean."

"your father." i sat up. "she means your father."

"hes dead." Althaeon's face went serious. 

"this woods can show you dead people." i told him. "did she not tell you that?"

he shook his head, all color drained from his face. "no, she did not."

i stood to my feet and looked around. "where the hell did that jerk go?"

"Oberon?" Althaeon asked. "thats right, wasnt he supposed to be with you?"

"he left me to die in that damned pit," i said. "when i see him again i am going to kill him."

"as much as i would like to see that." Althaeon laughed. "i have to go, trials to finish and all that."

"it was good seeing you little brother." i pulled him into a hug. "keep safe out there."

"me safe?" he laughed. "your talking about a Darken here, getting into trouble is in our blood." 

"that it is." i pulled away from my brother, patting him on the back. "if you see Astraea out here, remember, its not her."

"i thought you said you could only see dead people out here?" he looked worried. 

i nodded. "i did say that, i think its because she is close to death."

Althaeon started to walk in the other direction. "ill keep that in mind, make sure to save our sister."

"i will brother." i said, i watched him go until i could no longer see him.

"well that was nice." Carlisle smiled. 

"indeed." Lunar laughed. 

"you two are idiots." i said to them then looked to Tyr, "can you sniff out out bird-winged companion?" 

i can. he answered me and took off in a run. follow me.

"stay close." i told the two idiots.

we ran through the forest, going farther off the path until we reached a clearing. 

in the center sat Oberon, knelt on the ground, covering his ears and sobbing, his wings wrapped completely around him.