Knights of Sylvainia(going through editing)

Chapter Three

Knocking brings me from a very strange vision about talking animals, "Astilstar! Wake up! Now!" Heath's voice keeps calling, but the image of an angry rabbit appears. Apparently he can hear me laughing and swings the door open, more angry than I've ever seen someone, even my father. His glare slices through me, "Get dressed and meet me in the dining hall. You have 5 minutes." he growls. I open the white-oak dresser to find black riding boots, black breeches, white linen shirt, Sylvainian tabard, black riding gloves, leather belt and black cloak lined with an intricate silver boarder.
After dressing, I scramble down the stairs; and in my hurry, I face plant in the dust. Dirt and tiny stones sift into my cuts, "why? Why does this happen to me?" I mumble and laughter fills the tiny hall. I turn my face toward the sound and see the girl from yesterday with white hair.
"You okay, kid?" She says, sounding anything but concerned. I mumble something and she laughs again, "My name is Elivie Snow, if you wanted to know." she says hauling me out of the dust. She touches my face and I hiss, batting her pale fingers away.
"I have somewhere to be, leave me alone. I'm fine!" I screech as she keeps touching my cuts with her long, deathly pale fingers. She makes a sound I can't quite understand, something between a growl and a mumble, and walks away toward the castle. I run in that direction and make it into the dining hall as Heath stands, ready to leave. Some scary glares from him are pointed in my direction. A warm loaf of bread and a brick of cheese is thrown at me and Heath leaves the hall, knowing I'll follow him. Struggling to stuff my face and keep up, I slam into him when he stops ahead of the forge shop.
"You'll be choosing a weapon today, follow me." Heath grumbles and is halfway through the forge before I catch up, "Hey Avenly." he taps a girl in the shoulder and she turns around, heated metal in hand.
"Hey Heath, what can I do for you today? I see you got a new lad to train, eh?" She laughs, get perfect face lighting up under thick layers of soot and coal dust.
"The lad needs a weapon, one only you can make, Avenly." Heath says, pushing me into a stool very close to the raging fire. Avenly bends down in front of me, looking at me with ice blue eyes, blonde hair lighting up like a halo in the firelight.
"Clear your mind, open your soul, open your heart. You'll find what you're looking for. Look into the fire, not at the flames, but at the story behind them." she whispers and blows the special orange powder into my face. I cough and look at the flames. Orange, yellow and deep red fade, and blackness replaces it. Stars pop into the darkness, and a loud screeching fills the air. Wings, razor sharp, were at V-like angles and 3 sharp talons produced from the points of the wings. A low cry sounded and scarlet dripped from the talons, the points on the wings, as I was yanked roughly back.
"Are you crazy lad?!?" I can hear Heath screaming at me, but I can't see him. Freezing water is tossed into new and I open my eyes instantly to be roughly lifted off the ground.
"He wasn't supposed to jump into the flames..." Avenly quietly says, unknotting her fingers from her hair.
"I'm okay, really. I'm okay Heath!" I yell pushing him away, trying to remember the image from the flames.
"Tell her what you saw." Heath says, panic fading from his voice.
As I tell her what I saw, I grip her shoulders, shuddering as I ponder where the blood had come from.
"Give me tonight and the morrow, then you're weapon will be done." she whispers, pulling away from me and nodding to Heath. We walk away from the forge and Heath smacks me on the back of the head. He's glaring at me, but doesn't say anything so I do;
"Heath, what did you see in the fire?"
He hesitates then stops, unblocked the strap that hold the sword to his back, " I saw an animal with no name, it was made of fire and had one long claw in its tail. When it struck, two more blades produced from the main one. Something had hit my leg and when j came to, a pool of blood was under my foot." he lifts his breeches' leg and shows a large hole that is scared over. Taking his blade out, he swings it forward, and what seems like one shiny blade, turns into three; they buzz and slide over one another before becoming one once again. I doubt Avenly made it for him, she looks even younger than myself. Heath turns abruptly and motions toward the barracks. Guess that means we're done for today, and as I start to walk away, he grabs my cape and yanks me back. I follow his finger to a dark shape, very hard to see against the stone, shifting and pulsing.
"What...is that?" I ask, backing into Heath. He pulls me behind him and takes out his Buzzsaw.
"Astilstar, go get help. Go to the tower and find Kaila. She'll know what to do." he says in a shaky voice. Fear fills his eyes and he swings the Buzzsaw toward me, "GO NOW!" I stumble away from the blades and toward the castle, slamming into someone on my way to the central hall.
"Uggh.... are you okay, miss?" I say, rolling off the ground and helping her up. She gives a slight nod and locks her black eyes on me, yellow vines running through the blackness; Beautiful. Light, flawless skin, prickled with almond colored freckles. Cute, tiny nose; perfect pout; and silky, flowing, almond colored hair done up in intricate braids. She is very beautiful. I realize a little too late that she's staring at me, expecting me to say something but instead she starts in an accent I can't quite place;
"I am High Priestess Kaila. Anything I can help you with, young knight?" Her voice sweet and wispy like a soft, summer breeze.
"Heath said to come get you, something's wrong outside. He said you'd know what to do." I say walking toward the hall doors. She nods and breaks into a dead run, shoving through the doors and sprinting across the courtyard. All the Guard had assembled around Heath, weapons raised, one person caught my eye. A boy, about 15, with a tall, lean build; yellow, Cheshire eyes; whiskers and fangs. His most shocking features were his ears and tail, soft, caramel-brown fur sat into vibrant, platinum-blonde hair for two twitching cat ears that swiveled toward Kaila's voice. His tail; long brown/caramel fur tipped silver/platinum blonde, swished and twined around his upper arm. His choice of weapons matched his appearance: gloves, paw-like topped with retracting 4foot claws, razor sharp. He hissed as we approached, then his sandpaper tongue lolled out and he giggled,
"Hey, Kaila, pretty as ever. Here to help us?" His voice has the hint of a purr or meow to it.
A boy, about 18, smacks cat-boy upside the head, "Shut up Ivve. She didn't come to say 'Hi' to you, fleabag." his black hair held hints of ghost silver, freckles speckled his pale face. Gunmetal blue eyes with golden flakes, and two distinct scars ran on his face. Black scar tissue on his right cheekbone, another patch under his left eye to his nose. A double ax on a long pole ending in a spike was grasped in his gloved hand. Ivve hissed at the other boy, showing 2 inch, white fangs, snapping at the boys' extended hand.
"This 'fleabag' isn't afraid to take your fingers, or even hand off Tristin Rath." Ivve growled, stepping toward the taller knight.
"Boys, be good. Arguing will kill us all." Kaila says, rubbing Ivves' ear as he purrs, "Hi Ivve. Hello Tristin." she adds as Ivve purrs louder.
"The problem is a wrath, Kaila." Heath says as a scream cuts through the air. Elivie had been in the barracks, and had just came out, face-to-face with the shadow creature. Tristin froze at the sound, his face turning white.
"Elivie.." he whispers and turns, hitting a dead run before anyone could catch him. He slams the end of the pole-arm into the ground 5 feet in front of Elivie and the deadly wrath, launching himself across them both carefully, landing behind the girl. Kaila furiously begins chanting in pre-Roman Holy Text (hope this exists), trying to save both of the knights. The wrath is focused on Tristin, backing him into a corner, Elivie takes the opportunity and throws his ax to him. My heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest, my ears are buzzing, blood roaring, this is what fighting feels like? Launching himself up into the air again, Tristin misjudged the distance, arms pin-wheeling in the air. I flinch as his gaze locks with mine, the shadow beast flooding under him as he meets the ground, breaking our eye contact as his body makes a sickening CRACK. Kaila yells a final word I don't quiet catch, but I do hear Elivie's sobs as the shadow creature disappears and the others rush toward Tristins' more than limp body. Someone I'd known for 2 minutes had already died... Turning to the side, I let loose, my lunch coming up and projecting into the mud at my feet.

>>> THANKS FOR READING! If you liked this story and want more updates, feel free to vote for it! Also if you have any questions, comments, opinions, feel free to state them! See you again soon! -creation shadow- <<<
I'm sorry I killed Tristin in this chapter and that you readers never really got to know him, but I simply had too many characters and one of them needed to go. I hope you understand ^.^