Once Animbus walked into the Pale Moors, he felt his scales crawl and paranoia seemed to cloud his mind, as if someone was watching him, trying to mask their presence. His surroundings seemed to have a gray filter over them, everything dead and dark. As much as it made him cautious, it reminded him of home. All the cities he burned to the ground in honor of his mother and father.
The dragon blended in well with his surroundings, his slitted eyes scanning the area in search of a direction to travel. Thick fog blanketed the area in front of him, beckoning him to venture into the unknown.
The winged reptile bared his teeth as he walked on all fours, trying to walk in a straight line, but he could hardly see a thing with the white fog impairing his vision. He took a moment and opened his mouth to reveal dark energy as it glared menacing light through the mist. Trees occasionally stood in his way, the area seeming to have a bit of a forest, but overall there was nothing of interest.
Even after what seemed like hours of walking through the thick fog, Animbus seemed to be getting nowhere. Was this just like the area he had left behind in the gate? A vast emptiness of white, except with fog? A sharp crackle followed but the rustle of what sounded like bones caused the dragon to turn to his right. Was it a trick of the mind? He didn't trust himself, nor the area around him.
With nothing in sight, he continued his journey, but the sounds followed him, as if he had more than just one tail behind him. With as much speed as he could manage with his hulking body, he turned to try and catch his stalker by surprise. A low growl rumbled in his throat as a shadow in the mist rushed and disappeared behind the nearest tree.
Animbus assumed a fighting stance, his wings spread and ready to take to the air and his eyes trained on the tree. With a small roar he stomped his right foot, demanding that the being revealed itself. With no answer, Animbus decided it best to demonstrate his power.
With a growl he then opened his mouth, charging his dark energy before launching the shadow ball at the natural wooden barricade. With a splintering crush the tree crumbled under the intense heat and force of the ball, giving almost no resistance as it tumbled back, the sound echoing through the fog as it came to a rest.
With a small step back, Animbus prepared for countermeasures, but was met with a shivering figure, most likely too scared to make any moves.
With another stomp and growl, the creature understood that there was no way out. Careful steps followed, the soft clatter of bones apparent as the being made its way to the dragon.
What stood before him was no creature, but what seemed to be the work of magic and necromancy. A living skeleton on human bones, trembling and wobbling before him. It was almost comical to the young dragon, as it raised its hands in submission before they fell apart, align with the rest of him. However, the bones then began to move again, more magic as they seemed to be pulled together by some unknown force, recreating the undead sack of bones.
Kritanta saw the beast dash into the thick gray fog, she knew by the way it moved that the creature was a prime. She was intrigued with this prime, she wanted to know more about him. She went after him, she was willing to take the risk of either getting lost inside the thick fog or get caught by the prime.
She venture inside the fog not knowing what she could encounter, she watch the prime from a safe distance. It took the prime sometime to get out of the fog, she knew that she couldn't just go and introduce herself.
She waited until the prime was far sought so that she could make her way out of the fog. She began to run from tree to tree watching that the prime won't see her. Before she could completely get out the fog she noticed that the prime sturned her directin, she stayed behind a big tree hoping that the prime didn't see her. She stayed behind the tree, she began to hear the noise of the prime charging, she began to freak out, she hoped that the prime would just go away but instead he attacked the tree. She saw how the tree suddenly began to crack, and thanks to the force of the attack the tree began to lean towards one side. The tree ended up on the floor showing her position. She turned and noticed that the prime was on his fighting position, she knew that it was better that she went out then taking that risk of getting attacked by to prime. She began to walk forward trying to stay relaxed and trying not to show fear. Ones she was complete out of the fog she looked at the prime, she had never seen and actual dragon, she had only heard about them. Her vision began to cloud, her bones began to shake into the point were it was just to much that they began to fall one by one until her whole body was on the floor. Kritanta looked at the eyes of the prime and notice that inside the dragon there was darkness. She knew that she would love to spend her life with this prime.
Animbus looked at the pile of bones standing in front of him. He looked at it carefully, and with his low and gravelly voice he asked "What are you suppose to be?" with a slither of his tongue. He waited for an answer, he began to get impatient after four seconds. He lowered his head, he looked at the pile of bones with rage and showed his teeth.
Kritanta looked at the prime, she didn't know what to say, she didn't want to mess anything up. She bean to think about what the most appropriate think to say would be. So she looked up at the prime and answered "M-My name is...K-Kritanta...I'm a s-skeleton... and I'm m-mage"
He began to lean towards the skeleton and said "What makes you think that you matter to me, your just a pile of bones, and apparently your alone." he slither his tongue and then began to guffaw at her. "Now if you don't mind I have better things to d then waist my time with something that is useless." he began to turn away from the Kritanta.
As the prime tuned away she began to dismantle. she got up and ran towards the prime, she got stood in front of the prime and told him " You don't have to worry about me, I'll do what I can to catch up and I would be a bother to you, and maybe latter on I could help..." She tried to look tough so that the prime would allow her to travel with him.
Animbus say how the pile of bones begged, he knew that she wouldn't leave him alone. He came up with an Idea to get rid of her. He told her " Actually there is something that can help me make up, I want you to go and spry at the Spectator Thread."
That was the opportunity she was waiting for, she put on her dark and long hood and headed to the gates.
As Kritanta walked toward the Pale Moors gate Animbus turn began to walk. He started thinking about what he could do now in such a dead place. He let his wing free and headed up into the sky, he looked around, trying to see if there was anything that seemed intriguing and worth the energy. He looked and looked until he saw a dark cave which was located north from his position.
He went down as fast as he could, when he landed he began heading north towards the cave. The cave wasn't as far as he thought, the only problem was that the only way to the cave was to through a dark, and humid forest. The forest was so crowded that it was impossible for him so just fly to the cave. The trees where all dead, nothing was to be seem, the only noise you could hear where the echoing of the crows and the screams of sorrow of the poor souls that went in the forest but never made it out. The ground was cover with bones and all kinds of nasty parasites moved from corpse to corpse eating everything in their way.
Animbus began to walk close to the forest, as he did he began to hear noises that where coming from the heart of the forest. As he made it to the entrance of the forest he didn't know what the noises where or who was making them, he started walking inside the forest keeping an eye on the distance making sure that noting could surprise him. The noises began to get closer and closer, he had no idea of what to do, in that moment of fear he opened his mouth and charged a shadow ball. He shot the tree that was a couple of feet away from him, as the force of the shadow ball pushed the tree making it collapse, a bug jump out of the ground and into the tree.
The insect didn't seemed to have any eyes or ears, he had no limbs and was cover in slime. His body had a couple of rows that were filled with spike. he would move his head from left to right.
Animbus looked at the creature, he realized that the tiny bug would never be a threat to him, he looked a way and stepped forward. As his foot touched the ground the creature began to scream, opened up his mouth and jumped back into the ground. It appeared that the insect would travel underground, they would make small tunnels and move around the ground where nothing would see them. Animbus tried to analyze and understand exactly what caused the insect to get to agitated. The crows began tot gather on top of Animus's, at that moment He knew that trouble was coming.
From the distance there appeared to be that small things where heading toward him at an incredible speed. He looked ahead, trying to figure out how many of those things where coming at him. The Insects began to jump out of the ground and then headed back underground. The insects seemed to be surrounding him, he had no way to get out, they began to jump and tried to take a bite out of him. After the first insect Animbus knew that he would have to use all of his abilities to be able to make it out of this situation alive.
They began to jump one after the other. Animbus used his razor claw, he took a couple of the insect out, but there where still way to many. He then had an idea, he charged up a shadow ball and shot the ground ones the shadow ball hit the ground the insects began to cry and began to spread out. At that moment Animbus had sometime to hatch his breath. His belly began to make noise, he needed to find something to eat and quick before the insect came back.
He looked around, trying to find anything he could find just to get his energy up. He couldn't find anything, he walked around, but the only thing he was able to find where mushrooms and moss. He looked at the mushrooms and asked himself whether to eat the mushrooms are keep looing. he gave a fast glance around his area trying to see if he saw anything to eat, but he had no luck. The appearances of the mushrooms made him wonder if they where even eatable.
The mushrooms where purple, but the strangest thing was that on top of the them they had a skull design. The skull was white and it had red gooey liquid coming out of the eyes, but Animbus was just so hungry that he was willing to take the risk. When Animbus was about to eat the mushroom, but before he could take a bite he witness how the mushroom poisoned a bird. When the bird was killed by the toxic liquid the mushroom began to move towards the corpse. Two tentacle's came out of the mushrooms head and grave the body. The tentacles took the body inside the mushroom, ones the body was inside the mushroom settle down on the ground again.
Animbus found out about the mushrooms and decided to keep searching. He looked and looked but nothing seemed to be around. He began to hear noises, he knew that the insects would be searching for him. He began to sprint across the forest, on the middle of his run he saw a small flower that seemed to be the only living thing that wouldn't try to kill you. He got closer to the flower, trying smell the flower. As his nose touched the flower, the flower puffed out a pink powder. Animbus move away from the flower and waited for the powder to go away. After there was no more sign of the powder Animbus knew he had to continue, he began took a step forward but waited. He looked back at the flower, before continued with his search for food he used his razor claw on the flower. The flower collapsed and began to change from pink to brown. Animbus laughed and kept going, after running for about five minutes he rested on a swamp that was in the center of the forest, but the swamp was the opposite of the forest, it was filled with life and color.
He looked everywhere trying to look for something to eat. he walked around the water, on the far distance there appeared to be a creature, he stopped and crouched down. He moved slowly towards the creature. The creature wouldn't move Animbus knew that if he was going to eat he would have to kill the creature before he saw him. Therefore he backed up, breathed looked at his target. He opened his mouth and began to charge a shadow ball, after it was done Animbus fired at the creature with his last it of energy. The shadow ball went straight to the creature, after the shadow ball impacted the creature the animal let out his last breath. Animbus was exhausted, but the good thin was that he finally got something to eat.
Animbus walked towards the dead animal and didn't waste time, he dove in. As he began to taste the wonderful task of fresh meant and the smell of death all over the air Animus's eyes began to turn red, and his appetite grew. He could feel his body filling up with rage and hate. He continued to eat every single piece of meat in that body and crushing every bone, letting all the blood and organs fall to the ground. The satisfaction of getting energy but yet still wanting more.
After he finished destroying the corpse, Animbus began to feel strange the forest moved around, he began to hear noises, and the object where moving. He began to get light headed, he walked to the closes tree and sat down. As he sat down he could feel his body slowly shutting down. when he least expected his eyes began to close.
As he stayed on the ground unable to move or see anything, he tried to move or at least open his eyes but not a single part of his body seemed to move. He tried moving his legs, tried to open his eyes but he still had no results. At that point he felt like giving up.
As he slowly let his body go he began to feel bugs crawling all over his legs. He noticed that his legs where finally gaining some mobility. After about two minutes he was able to open his eyes, but his vision wasn't as good since his eyes where still adjusting. He tried to slowly get up and keep walking but his legs were still weak. He tried to force the rest of his body to get up, but as much as he tried some part wouldn't seem to react. He began to hear noises coming from the far south of the forest.
He noticed that he now able to get all of his movement back, but it was difficult for him to walk strait, his legs were still adjusting. He began to slowly walk using the dead trees as support. The noises began to get closer and close, Animbus knew that there was no time to waste. He tried to slowly run but every time he ran his legs would shake causing him to fall to the ground.
It took him about five minutes for him to get full mobility over his body. By the time he was able to run, it was to late. The bugs had cached up to him and it seemed like they where ready to attack. He began top worry as he knew that he could loose his life. Animbus got ready to fight for his life, he slowly backed up, but the bugs were always looking at him.
The bugs started getting closer towards Animbus closing in from different directions. He spread out his wings trying to make himself look bigger but it seemed like the bugs just didn't care, they where determine to get something to eat. They all began to slowly move forward. At that moment Animbus knew he got himself in big trouble.
As the bugs moved forward from the distance you could hear how trees where just falling of, like if something just hit the trees causing them to fall one by one. The bugs stopped moving they all looked toward the direction from where the trees where falling. From the distance a hug creature was charging toward their direction, but since it seemed to move underground Animbus had no chance of seen the creature. They stayed motionless under the ground, some began to gather in small groups. The big creature stop, there was just a big pile of dirt standing in front of them. Animbus had no idea what it was, or what he should do.
One of the bugs charged at the creature, not knowing what was under that pile of dirt. The creature began to go deeper on the ground, at one point the pile had disappeared. When they least expected the bug jumped up from the ground, it was covered in blood. As the bug jumped up, the creature dashed out of the ground and with one bite eat the bug. A couple of bugs tried to go after the creature but it always ended up with the bugs getting devour. After seen how some of the bugs died the rest of the bugs began to retreat to the ground and headed back towards the center of the forest.
The forest was really dark, making it hard to see anything. Animbus tried to look at the creature but had no luck, the dark shadows of the trees made the creature almost invisible. The only thing that was visible where his eyes. He had about six eyes, two where big, the other two where medium and the last ones where small. They where round, blue and shiny, if you looked into them you could see all of the victims that the creature had killed.
Animbus needed to find a way to see the creature, the forest was always dark, not even the moon light was allow in the forest. That's when he had an idea, he opened his mouse and charged a shadow ball. The creature was more curious then scared. As the shadow ball finished Animbus fired, hitting a near by tree, after the shadow ball hit the tree the light of the impact allowed Animbus to get a quick look at what he was facing.
The only thing that Animbus was able to see was the creatures mouth and skin. His skin looked like if something took pieces of it. He had never seen anything like it, therefore he had no idea what he was about to fight.
As he tried to get any kind of idea of the kind of problem the creature would be, it seemed like if the creature wasn't interested on Animbus. Animbus tried to slowly move back and slowly get away the creature would move forward with him.
The creature began to move from side to side as if it was confused, that was the time that Animbus was looking for. Animbus started to slowly move to the left trying not to do any movement that could agitate the creature. As he got close to a tree it seemed as if the small creatures that had attacked before where starting to all gather around.
The bugs began to slowly move closer and closer to the creature, but the creature wasn't reacting to anything, it was just standing in place. Ones the bugs where close enough they began to get ready to attack. One of the creatures jump at the creature, but the creature wasn't doing anything. When the first bug impacted the creature the other bugs began to jump. They would hit and then take a bit, after a minute of the creature not attacking him bugs where able to take him down. went down. It was laying down in the floor, his blood was slowly running out of his body. The bugs lost no time, they came out of the ground and began to take small pieces of the creature.
As Animbus looked at how the bugs devour the creature he noticed that more bugs gathered from different directions of the forest. He didn't want to be the next target, so he began to slowly move forward. He carefully walked forward , trying not to give the bugs any sign of his location. He kept walking, not looking back, when he was far enough he took a small break and then began to run. He past through dead trees dead body's and creatures he had never seen before. He realized that everything in that forest was killing everything in their way no matter how strong or big it was. As he approached a foggy, humid, swamp they things began to get a little more complicated. He realized that he was not going to die on a swamp. He opened his wings and flew from one side of the swamp to the other. Ones he made it to the other side he could see the entrance of the cave. He walked towards the cave, but before he was able to give his first step he could hear how something was coming from the swamp to his direction.
He faced the swamp and backed away, as he backed up he could see a figure showing form the fog, when he least expected the creature dashed forward. The figure began too get clear, as he looked at the thing he noticed that it looked like the creature that had died earlier, but this time he was a lot smaller. Animbus knew nothing about the creature, he decided to ask and see if the creature would give him some kind of clue to the kind of creature he was.
Animbus asked the creature "what are you?" as he slither his tongue, but there was not answer. After there was no result Animbus realized that the creature has nothing to worry about.
|