The Prince of Light

Chapter 6

Kendra took the lead with Faolan in the back. We headed east from the clearing. It quickly turned into a steep hill and we all started sliding down. The rocks were all loose and the edge of the hill was crumbling! Kendra suddenly yelped and I lost sight of her off the edge. I turned towards Faolan the best I could.

"We need to follow her!" I yelled. He was scrambling for roots and rocks, but they were all loose.

"NO!!! That's the Deadwoods below us! That's where all of the most horrible creatures live!" He yelled back.

"Even more reason to go! Three is better than one!" I said and then I dropped off the edge. The hillside was more like a dirt cliff. The crumbling dirt followed my freefall about sixty feet. I hit the bottom hard, landing on my right leg. A snap followed and I yelled out in pain. Dirt started to pile on top of me. Then a big, furry body did an awkward run/stumble on my back. Again, more pain. Faolan shifted back to his normal self. He grabbed me and started pulling me.

"Ow! No.......STOP! No more pulling! OWW!" I said. He stopped. I saw a flicker in the shadows. "Faolan, look out! Behind you!" He spun around and started to morph. It was scary. It looked like he was growing and he was being molded into the shape of a giant wolf. About halfway through, when hair was starting to grow, he started morphing back. Even more disturbing. Kendra walked out from the shadows. She looked at me with.....was that admiration?

"Quick reflexes. Nice." She looked around. Then back at me. "We need a healer. Jayden would be the best at this...." She sighed and started pacing. I looked around at my new surroundings. To my back was a dirt cliff, to loose to climb, to tall to do anything, much less climb. On all other sides were dead trees, barren ground, and dark shadows.

"Man, this place is creepy." I told Faolan.

"Yeah. This is where the worst of the creatures live." He answered back, sounding nervous.

"So, what kinds of creatures live here?" I asked. He looked around, and then leaned in closer. He answered me, whispering.

"Creature that are the most powerful and the darkest creatures. Demons that have escaped the pits of Hell, giant spiders, and ghosts and zombies. And......" All the sudden, my leg flared up in pain. It felt like liquid fire running through my veins. I screamed once again. Faolan quickly clamped his hand over my mouth, muffling the screech. Kendra moved away from my leg. Sweat broke out and dripped down my forehead. The pain intensified. I felt like I was going to pass out. The pain slowly subsided to a dull throb. I shot daggers at her with my eyes. Faolan let go of my mouth.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!?!" I exclaimed in a fierce whisper.

"So you could walk!!!" She whispered fiercely back.

"What did you do to it???" I said, my voice strained. I was holding back from strangling her.

"I had to pop it back into place. You dislocated it. We need to go now or else we will be stuck in the Deadwoods at night." She got up and looked around. "Which path should we take?" She asked us.

"Path?" I asked. She gestured at the woods. There were three paths I had not noticed before.

"The Deadwoods used to be a lush forest. We used the paths to feed the creatures. There are three types of creatures in the forests. Well, the really bad ones. The others we don't have to worry about. But if we get to the other side of the forest, Kendra can use her water powers and get us across the river." Faolan said.

"Ok. So, pick a random path?" I asked.

"NO." they both answered at the same time.

"OK? Then which path?" I asked meekly.