the Forest of Emmitaenu

Frenemies

"Don't touch me!" Lienkin shouted venomously, ripping his arm out of Zeftx grasp and unsheathing the concealed wand he always had on his personage.

"No!" Tres squeaked, seizing his arm and forcing it down against the side of his body.  He stared at her, momentarily caught off guard, confused about whose side she was on.

"Everybody freeze!" Lara shouted. Surprisingly everyone listened. All eyes turned toward her, and she wasn't sure what else to say. Zeftx and Jade were looked alarmed than any of the others. They had never seen the other two like she had and frantically she realized this was her fault. She had kept secrets to herself and it had caught up with her at last.

Lara, listen to me, Lienkin spoke to her privately in the witch's language, seizing her attention. It's going to be ok, I'm going to get you away from here I promise. Just do what I say and Lara, don't trust the demon.

Lara was surprised Lienkin knew Zeftx was a demon. Regardless, she knew him as a person not just a species, and she didn't need to escape. they were her friends. All of them.  Well, nearly all. She wasn't really sure who the young girl witch was despite having seen her before. As best she could, Lara summarized all of these thoughts back to Lienkin, trying to help him understand.

Lienkin, you're wrong about the demon, he's helping me, and the nomad. I can't leave this place because... it leads to my home. It was Lienkin's turn to look shocked. He stood frozen, struggling for a response.

Home? You're leaving? But why? I want you to, we need you to stay. He sounded crushed. Lienkin stared into Lara's eyes, anguish evident on his face.

"Lara, talk to me," Zeftx broke the silence, and when she didn't respond right away, he followed the direction of her gaze. Right away he could tell what was going on. 

"Sneaky witches," Zeftx practically choked on the realization. "If you've got something to say, say it to all of us. Don't be shy; we haven't any time for your tricks." Turning back to Lara, he tried again. "Lara...Talk to me, please."

Lienkin's eyes snapped in Zeftx direction and he spun the wooden rod, his wand, between his fingers as a silent challenge. Tres still held tight to his arm, trying to arrest it in place. Jade answered his wordless threat, rolling her sleeves up, crossing her arms and moving a step closer to Zeftx with a peculiar smirk on her face.  Lara didn't like where this was going and knew she had to say something fast, no matter how guilty it made her look or feel.

But then, a dark shadow snuck up on them, moving determinedly like a living thing as it engulfed the entire jungle in its path, hungry to swallow them all. Turning on her heels Lara caught the last dying rays of the retiring sun. Night had fallen!

Everyone's eyes were locked on those last rays of daylight as they seeped away. A chill ran down Lara's spine. In this desolate area of the forest the moon couldn't even be seen and finding their way back to the safety of the hut had suddenly become mission impossible.

Tearing her eyes away from the trees above where the sun no longer filtered through, she looked in front of her to see Lienkin. Fear rose in her and a tremor rocked her body because she couldn't see more than an arm's length in front of her face. He was lost in the darkness. Her mind called out to him. She could hear the girl that he came with crying just strides ahead of her.

Lara jumped when she felt hands on her shoulders. Feeling her jump, Zeftx pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. A breeze blew past, and this time it was icy instead of warm like the ones the day had carried. She turned in his arms and buried her face in his cloak. He hugged her tightly and looked sideways for Jade. "Thank the immortals that demons see better in the dark than any other creature." Zeftx whispered in her ear, giving her some reassurance.

The uncanvassed sound of a familiar roar started growing in their direction. Zeftx could see the exact same terror on each face of those around him that he himself portrayed.

Tres was sobbing on Lienkin's shoulder. He could see she was afraid in this wild place, and even more now that it was dark. Many creatures haunted the night, inspiring terror, and the moment that sound ripped through the darkness they were all frozen in place.

Lienkin pulled Tres into his arms and began tracing frantic sigils and runes that she wouldn't know or recognize in the air before them. Behind a mask of spells, Tres was holding her breath as the roaring grew louder. Already their ears were aching from the immensity of the sound and she cowered in his arms. He paused, trying to see off into the distance.

"Pitch black," he muttered, busily continuing to trace symbols in the air. He couldn't see anything at all. Instead he closed his eyes and constructed a mental map. He held Tres close as he used his senses to locate Lara a few strides away on his map. Lienkin winced; she was in the demon's embrace.

He watched in his mind as Lara and the nomad were led backwards towards a very tall, very thick tree. Suddenly, they vanished from his image. A very real sense of jealousy struck him. With them, Lara was able to disappear entirely while he and Tres although invisible, were still occupying space on the slender path. If anything came along this way, he knew they couldn't be seen, but they still risked being found.

"Come with me," he whispered to Tres. "Quietly," he added as they shuffled further down the dirt trail where he hoped they'd be a little safer.