Snippet #1529930

The ebony night took hold of the Reighton Glade, an unusual glow eminating from the deep woods. Stars alone were not the only thing illuminating the darkness this night. It was a wicked gleam - gentle in it's menacing intent. The maliciant glow grew ever brighter as quickly as it had shown, as the hunters, and their torches increased their pace agaisnt the pray of this night's hunt.... Oh no, but this was no simple stalking seeker group for trophies, or even or fun. This was to banish those foul satanists the inhibited the forest like demons in a town.....

Ley'Viule hastened his footsteps, smashing the soles of his feet against the loamy soil of the forests as fast as he could while moving away from the foul voices, smells, and lights. The Leiged, as catlike as they were, did not have night vision as many believed.... and were as vulnerable without light as the rest of the races that didn't have such abilities. However, one advantage they bore over the hunters was their familiarity of the wilderness through which they fled. Ley's own eyes tried to focus hard on distinguishing the path below his feet, and the dancing lights that gave equally fluid-moving shadows. The footsteps of his bretheren were close around, him, quietly talking to each other, encouraging each other to move faster, and murmurs of fear. With hearts full of fear, the Leiged, Ley'Viule included, they ran, hoping to flee their pursuers....

Their legs swift, they were able to keep the upward pace on their predators... untill that was the sound of the first crossbow bolt penetrate the hardwood they ran alongside. Their frantic, frenzied heart beat faster as the ignorant amongst them even now knew this was not some sport... but murder. The voices of hatred behind them chanted for their demise, for their end. But the Leiged would not surrender themselves to genocide; not this day.

Alas, Ley'Viule had made too swift with his movements, and in his haste, gotten careless. He felt the embrace of a root around his foot, dragging his body to slide across the rough soil. He struggled to gain his liberty...but all was for nothing, as the men were soon upon him. He saw little other than the shadows of their faces and the glow of their torches that covered their assaulting body parts that impacted against his form. Ley'Viule curled into a ball to protect himself, but it was not enough, as he felt conciousness fading, knowing that he would not wake up again....

That was a prayer to himself - If he did wake up, he would've wished he hadn't.

And of course, in a living nightmare, nothing ever goes the way you wish.

Ley'Viule felt his weak eyes open, one of them swollen, his body covered in stinging welts and throbbing bruises. He was bound in some unknown fashion, making his slender wrists twist desperately at his binds, rasping his wrists sore. The reddened flesh stung, but he cared none.... The light was gone, but he knew that the threat was still real in his mind. He felt himself sweating profusely, and gaining more heat, as he felt water well in his eyes. He didn't want to die - be tortured to death like some kind of animal...the animal he knew they viewed him as. His flesh smelt of black water which in his mind, he knew what their plans for his race this night was.... But as it seemed that the depression of terrible fate decended upon his weary, beaten mind, a voice, scratchy, but friendly came to his ears.... He couldn't see face or even smell distinction...But the whispered voice consoled him lightly, before breathing into his white furred ear....

"We'll sneak out,
While they sleep,
and sail off in the night.
We'll come clean,and start over
The rest of our lives.
When we're gone,
we'll stay gone,
...it's not too late..."

The young Leiged only nodded, and whispered affermations afterward. He felt fellowed hands at his binds, working at them...before they finally were losened enough for his freedom. Ley'Viule in turn returned the favor, before moving around, subtle with his motions as he freed his beaten, drenched friends, whom too, reeked of the wreched black water.... And he counted at least ten binds he freed before the united fellows heard the voices of their predators approaching....And with this, their forms took off again, this escape successful.... untill they heard the torch take the ground, which apperently had soaked in black water, and took to flame... The woods glowed again with the foul glow... except this time, the forest itself would take toll...as well as anyone whom was unlucky enough to fall behind. The run was desperate, and many didn't make it.... they fell victim to the flame that claimed the land itself....


Ley'Viule felt his eyes finally opening, relinquishing him out of his nightmare....and then into it. The daylight was seeping powerfully through the folliage above him, as he felt the day begin. His body lay naturally sweating, due to the nature of the nightmare. The Leiged pushed himself off the ground, and streching his hands high in the air, pulling against his stiff muscles. Ley'Viule thought he could still smell the black water on his presence....and felt he needed to wash. He told himself it was just his mind.... but he had the smell stuck in his head now...and could not free himself of it. With a sigh, his tan body moved itself towards the river....

The Oewerte river ran through the Reighton Glade, a larger river of the land known for it's bountiful fish; salmon especially. But it served many purposes for the Leiged... Bathing being one of them. Moving through the woods swiftly, taking in the echoing sounds of birds and bugs, he felt a level of serinity that hadn't exsisted in a long while. Of course, he still thought it false. As soon as the water came into view, his eyes locked with the clear, running water. He removed his clawed boots, and the rest of his garb....as he stepped into the ice-like water, a frigid chill he was used to running up his spine. He cupped the pure water in his hands, looking at the reflection of himself in the ripply surface, before he began to wash the water over him, refreshing his mind somewhat.... As he looked down at the water, following it up and down stream, he saw a few familiar faces of his own race, as they encroached him. He kept looking at the water.

"Ley'Viule..." A male voice said, placing hand on his shoulder. "You seem unwell.... are you okay?"
He looked at the fellow's reflection in the water. ".... The nightmare..." He awnsered quietly.
"Do not let it trouble you." He said, patting Ley'Viule's shoulder. "It is a new day, and we must start it as any other."
"Let us thank the river. It gives us life." A female voice said. "As it gives the rest of the forest life."

At this point, Ley'Viule finally was able to break his gaze from the river, and look over to the boundry that he hadn't walked in from.... which was white and grey with ash, smoldering smoke rising into the distance, obvious that the river had stopped the forest from burning futher.

"Yes. The river gives us life...." Ley said quietly as he solemly looked towards the charred remains of the forest that he used to call home. "I cannot believe it was just four days ago...."

Ley continued to bathe in the presence of the others, which too bathed. Finally a voice came forth amongst the small groups.
"I know it has been brought up...." A male voice said. "But...who? And why?""
"Who is not the question. Humans...dwaves... maybe even a few elves.... but why is the reason. We are one of the few remaining clans even left in the world. And yet the world is still plagued by the Blightfeng. They courrpt the world with not only actions, but words. And they cannot tell the difference. To them, our words are as good as blasphomy. They turn to us, a deaf ear." A female Leiged said.
"That many required to find cultists? At least seventy people. AT LEAST. And that was at our end... I bet more were at that northern end. " The first voice replied.
"People hate. It is their nature." The female retailiated.
Ley'Viule finally spoke. " It's more than that - Humans are socially inclined creatures. They band together for right and wrong causes... They feel as long as they act in group, their actions are justified. It's not their fault... but it's how are."
"But aren't you angry? Don't you want vengance?!" Another male asked.
"Of course. I'm angry... I'm sad. I wish it wasn't true. But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. The past is written, and we cannot change it.... We can stay bitter, but it won't change it. We must move on." Ley said quietly.
"Easy for you to say! You didn't have any family in there I had a mother, and a father, and...." The female said.
"If we act against them, we're no better. Do you want to go in and kill their peoples so that they may actually have reason to slaughter us?" Ley interrupted. Silence took over the river...

"....Is this it? This is all that's left? The four of us?" The boys asked. And only silence answered them.
"Four." He said in disbelief. "Four out of hundreds." The same fellow said sadly. "What do we do now?"

Ley'Viule didn't think anyone knew the answer to that. They sat in the river, looking across into the devistation....

Finally, they group went their seperate ways, and parted the river. Ley'Viule went back to his little campside, reclaiming his things that he was able to save.... he figured that he would head to the nearest village.. maybe seek refuge from them... And he began to walk quickly. He made sure his crossbow was ready to fire, before slinging it behind him as he moved.... However, it wasn't long before he heard movement... And not natural movement of wilderness. He instantly dashed to a tree, slamming his back against it, as he peered around it. He couldnt see it.... but he moved from tree to tree, untill he saw it....

It was a man.... it was hard to size him up from distance, but he was black-haired, and fairly armored... He had a sword and a shield...but... was he alone?
Ley decided it was as good as a gamble as anything. He was walking into the forest, and the last people that did that were trying to kill him... So he decided to play it safe. The man didn't have any ranged weapons.... So he began to climb a tree. Digging his clawed boots into the bark, he swiftly and nimbly scaled the tree, finding a solid branch about fourty feet above the ground. Making sure his crossbow was still ready, but didn't have a bolt on the table, he gingerly walked out onto the limb. He knew that his pale hair and tan skin would stand out against the rest of the forest... He sunk, squatting on the branch as he cautiously watched the person invade the forest....