Hunter, Juggernaut, Assassin, Warrior (DNF)

O' Dancing Blades

((TW // Blood, fighting ))

The storm rolled in in the dead of night, it rained until dawn. Dream awoke with the birds. The air was musky and thick with moisture. He had found shelter in a small cave. Sleeping on the cold stone floor and waking up to water in the atmosphere didn't make his bones and joints happy. Coming out of his less than restful slumber, Dream opened his groggy eyes. It was blurred from just having awaken, he rubbed them. Tonight, he would hopefully go to sleep in a bed made for royalty.

He wasted no time getting ready to leave the valley. He swung his leather bag over his shoulder, and he threaded his body through. Once his bag was secure and in place, he wrapped his green cloak around himself, tying it just in front of his chest. Dream let it fall into place, resting comfortably over his slim-fit body. Since he was heading away from his hunters and he doubted they'd be very mobile today - especially after yesterday's attacks - Clay didn't put on his mask properly. He still tied it around his head but he lifted it up, so it wasn't covering his face.

Today seemed easy enough. Get to the Fifth. That's all he needed to do. Clay stepped from the safety of his cave into the shimmering sun. Golden diaphanous light reflected off the wet surfaces, giving the morning an ethereal bliss.

With the rays of cosmic light warming his bones, Clay was more than ready to travel. He would have no rations left after today, so he better make the journey as quick as possible. Making sure his boots were latched properly and his belts wouldn't fall off, Clay went on his way.

The Witches' Valley might have actually been beautiful, if it wasn't for the three sisters who have cursed this land. Since the mountains that made the valley walls stood to tall, when the snow melted, the water flowed down into the valley's depth, giving it an abundant source of water, feeding the valley's vegetation - and it showed.

With Clay's impressive height of six foot three, even he was dwarfed by the magnificent evergreens that surrounded him. Drops of pure sunlight trickled through the needle-like leaves, dappling the valley's floor with small yellow pools of honey. Dusty pine scent with a hint of citrus entered Clay's nose, filling him with the feeling of contentment and purity. Nothing told the tale of innocence better than a forest untouched by man's greedy hands.

A slim path had been carved out of the foliage on the forest floor from animals and the rare. Clay followed this path like a tightrope, one foot directly in front of the other. Even without the Rejex sisters' enchantments and charms to lure people in, Clay was bewitched by the forest alone.

But as much as he loved being lost in the gentle arms of any forest, his time within it drew to the close as the exit of the valley came into a view. Clay got excited now. Once outside of the valley, he followed the now dirt path up to where it intersected with the common road. While the Witches' Valley as by no means a short cut, it had served its purpose of slowing the hunters down. Even though the deeper and longer he thought about it, Clay felt guilty leaving them there.

If yesterday proved anything, it proved the hunters weren't the best men for the job. However, each man was selected by Ember Dargon for a reason. He knew by Sapnap was picked. Ember knew Clay would have a hard time fighting his former best friend. Bad was chosen because he knew Clay, Clay guessed Ember didn't know Bad remembered. Ant was the husband of the former chef that worked for Clay's family. But George. Clay didn't know why George was there, but he'd surely find out soon enough.

Clay was happy to be out in the open and following an actual road. The road snaked through the countryside and open lands. A warm breeze tugged at his cloak. From time to time, he was passed by a merchants carriage or men traveling on horseback. He was officially outside the borders of Ember's kingdom; he didn't have to hide. Instead, he was actually welcomed into the Fifth Kingdom. Seeing old family friends along with the security of knowing his own plans were being handled gave him a comfortable twang of excitement in his heart.