The Moonlight Warrior

Chapter 3

I jolted awake. I opened my eyes and looked up. A pair of big, golden orbs with a pitch black center hung above my head.

"Are you finally awake now? My eyes were starting to get all dried out from staring at you." a familiar, sarcastic voice said floating down towards me. I sighed.

"Yes, I am now." I said as I slowly sat up and looked around.

I stood and stretched. It was still dark, but a soft glow of light was just visible behind the mountains making them look blacker than they should be. I looked below at the village. People were starting to come out of their huts and started preparing for the oncoming day. The women were starting the mornings fires and fetching water while the men went about with their assigned duties. The small children were chasing one another weaving in and around the adults while the older children were busily chaperoning them or were helping their parents. So hectic looking yet peaceful at the same time. I remember this. This was once a part of my life, but no longer. Anger started building up inside me. This was supposed to be my life but now it never will be. Arcone ruined that for me and now, I am going to take it away from him the first chance I get.

"Do you miss it?"

Damien had silently walked up and sat beside me while I was lost in thought.

"Sometimes I just wonder what it would've been like if things hadn't turned out the way they did." I reply quietly.

"You didn't answer my question. Do you miss it? Your old life?" Damien said gently. I sighed before answering.

"Yes. Yes I do at times." I whispered.

We stood in silence listening and watching the scene below us. Finally, Damien broke the silence.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"We leave this place for now. There is a more pressing matter that needs to be taken care of." I replied my dream coming back top the front my mind.

I told him what my father had instructed me to do. I also told him that someone by the name of Raziele was supposed to meet up with us in a few days time.

"Raziele? Oh why him? He's such a pompous jerk strutting around the forest thinking it all belongs to him. Why couldn't it have been some mentally awkward squirrel or something? Anyone would do but him!" Damien replied with an edge to his voice that I had never heard before.

"You know him?" I asked.

Damien replied with the same annoyance in his voice, "Regrettably, yes I do. I've ran into him on a few occasions none of which were the most friendliest or cheerful." Then under his breath, "Aggravating unicorns anyways. Can't stand a single one of them."

"Raziele...is a unicorn?" I asked bewildered.

"don't get your hopes too high. They aren't exactly the noble and great creatures you hear about in fairy tales." Damien grumbled.

"Well right now it doesn't matter what he's like but we need to start out soon. I do not want to be standing here in plain sight when the sun rises." I said looking around at the continuously lightening sky.

Damien nodded and we started off into the forest once again.

As the sun peeked over the horizon it's rays found a morning that was quite cool and foggy. The dense, grey mist enveloped all it could reach. The rainstorm the night before had made the hard ground soft and the leaves on the tree branches were sprinkled with large drops. A woodpecker was perched high in a tree drilling a hole in the tree for its burrow. The rain had softened the bark and the bird was taking advantage of this opportunity to get its home built. It lifted its head and listened for any sign of pending danger. Then it went back to pecking away at the wood. Suddenly a branch cracked and it lifted its head to look around. Another branch and then yet another cracked as two figures moved through the forest. The woodpecker looked down and saw a big, grey wolf and a creature it did not recognize. it walked on two legs and had strange objects strapped to its back. It had raven black hair that rippled down it's back. It walked with a kind of self-confident air to its step. It's dark eyes were searching every shadow in the trees and every time an auspicious squirrel rustled a leaf the creatures eyes darted towards the sound. Finally, the big wolf spoke breaking the palpable silence.