Hidden World: The Archmages(Draft)

Chapter 8 (DRAFT)

WHEN ARWEN AND AURELIAN MADE it to the other side of the river with Nóir not too far behind them, Arwen was relieved she’s never flown before or much less been on a gryphon.
      She watched as Aurelian slowly shifted back down into himself, they were in another forest but this one was made up of pine trees. Pine cones littered the ground below their feet, “we can rest here a bit if you’d like?” Aurelian suggested.
     Arwen nodded, she needed to sit down after her trip in the air.
They began on their journey again not too long after they had a nice refreshing drink from the river.
       The pine trees soon disappeared into open plains, not too far ahead of them they spotted a small group of houses, and farmed lands. Arwen’s heart began racing ‘we're headed straight for a village’
     Arwen reluctantly followed Aurelian down the road path to the village, Arwen began getting a strange vibe as they grew closer.
   It was dead silent, no birds chirped no dogs barked, they couldn’t even hear people dwelling in the village.
        A cold feeling brushed against Arwen’s skin making her little hairs stand straight up.
     It even seemed to grow darker despite the sun being high in the sky, Arwen halted not liking the vibes she was getting at all.
    Aurelian still had her magic blocked, she couldn’t help but feel as though he was leading her into a trap.
       Nóir halted as well, his nostrils flared and his ears pinned back as he stamped the ground grumbling uneasily.
       “Aurelian, we shouldn’t go in there…” Arwen advised.
Aurelian seemed well aware of that as he slowed to a stop as well,
    “Something’s wrong...there’s...there’s something ominus here…” Aurelian said in a quiet tone.
       Arwen could definitely tell that Aurelian wasn't lying, suddenly a horrid scream tore through the silenced making Arwen leap out of her skin.
       “Arwen get down! Now!” Aurelian said in a panic as loud wingbeats filled the air. Nóir rear up on his hind legs neighing fiercely and swatting the air with his front hooves.

      A loud roar pierced the air, Arwen looked up to see a big blood red figure swoop by them in the air. Arwen lowered to the ground as strong gusts of wind whipped through the area.
      She looked up as a loud thud could be heard, there towering over them in shiny silver armor—was a blood red dragon.
     His gold eyes glared down at them and smoke curled out of its nostrils, there mounted on the dragon’s back was a soldier clutching the reins of his Dragon.
         “Mages…they really are in Berunda…” he murmured.
        The soldier dismounted his dragon and drew his sword as he approached Aurelian and Arwen.
    
     Nóir flattened his ears and reared threateningly at the man, Arwen straightened her posture.
     “Tell me? Are you satisfied with what you've done to these poor people!?” The soldier sneered at them—he aimed the point of his blade towards the village, Arwen and Aurelian exchanged glances.
     “Done what?” Aurelian questions, narrowing his eyes at him.
      It was rather hard to read the soldier's expression for his face was encased in a helmet that only showed his eyes.
      On his chest plate was a red dragon coiled in a striking position.

         “You are in no position to toy with me—mage” he replied defensively, he aimed his sword at Aurelian.
       Aurelian put his hands up in defense, “whoaw—I’m not toying with you…” he tried to assure him. 
         His dragon grumbled deeply in his throat as he watched them closely.
      Arwen felt her heart pounding within her chest, 'are there other soldiers here? Is he going to kill us? And why are they blaming us for this darkness on the village…?’ Nothing was adding up in her head as to why they would blame the mages for this dark aura that drifts through the village.
   Arwen knew that no mage was strong enough to do so—of course then there's Aurelian who can shift into animals.

    “Nice try—you dark mages will be ended right here under my blade” he stated gripping his sword with two hands and holding it up ready to strike.
       “Dark mages…?” Aurelian murmured—but before he could go into questioning the soldier charged him.
       Aurelian ducked as he swung his sword at him, but as he ducked forward under the danger of the blade—the soldier skillfully trips him with his foot making Aurelian tumble to the ground.
      The soldier placed his foot on Aurelian to hold him down as he aimed the point of his sword down at his head—Arwen began to panic she didn't understand why Aurelian wasn't shifting into an animal or something.
     In an attempt to save his life—Arwen rushed over to them and grabbed the soldier's sword, trying to get it out of his hands.
     “Leave him alone!” She cried through their struggle, Arwen was overwhelmed however by his strength and shoved back to the ground. The soldier was now focused on her—he halted however as a small part of her markings on her arms was revealed.
        He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her sleeve further down revealing her lightning markings, Arwen struggled to get her arm free as he clutched it in his hand.
      “Let me go!” She cried,
“You're one of them!” He shouted in furry.
      He began to raise his sword,
  “You and your kind will pay for what you have done!” He was hesitant however in ending Arwen's life for some reason, the sword shook viciously in his hands.
  What was preventing him from ending her?
    Two hooves suddenly collide with his armored chest sending him flying to the ground as well as knocking the wind out of him.
    Nóir whipped around and reared neighing protectively over Arwen as the red dragon reacted to his master getting hit.
       The dragon hissed at them as he flared his wings, but the dragon halted as it coiled back ready to strike them.
      Nóir stamped his hoof in the ground and grumbled in different ways as well as shifting his feathers, it was as if he was communicating with the beast.
     Aurelian came over to Arwen,
“Arwen—lets go while we got the chance” he insisted, pulling her to her feet.

They both flee to the ominus village, the dark feeling grew worse as they passed destroyed houses, Arwen halted as she took in the horrific sight.
     It was almost just like her village—only it seemed much worse.
      Smoke rose from smoldering fires that blackened the skies, they came from fallen in roofs of some of the houses.
        “Arwen—come on” Aurelian pressed.
Nòir tossed his head in the air—his nostrils flared at the smell of the smoke.
              “What happened here…did…mages do all this?” She asked quietly in shock.
          Aurelian looked at her with concern, Arwen's never seen mages do this kind of damage before.
     Nor this kind of destruction—the soldiers couldn't even do half of this.
     Aurelian placed a hand on her shoulder, “whatever happened here has happened, we must leave before it comes onto us” he said.
       Arwen nodded hesitantly, as they went through there was no signs of life anywhere as well as the presence of it.
      There was dried blood staining the ground, but no corpses or dead bodies it was...strange.
        
 
(Hey guys I have not stopped writing this story I've been writing in it heavily for the last several months I just stopped updating it on here for a moment 🤣🤣, I'm not completely finished with it yet but I hope to be soon this summer.🤣 Anyway

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