THE WRETCHED

BLUE FOREST

"Maia!" Jenna called out when she saw the tall girl under the tree, excitement bubbled up inside her. She found herself relieved when she saw the shocked face of Maia that slowly morphed into a genuine smile that shone through the night, the moon seemed to shine brighter around the river.

"What are you doing here?" Maia asked.

"They escaped," her sister said, her mouth forming a scowl.

"We wouldn't miss this adventure for anything in the world," Arold said when they reached the tree.

Alec scoffed, "says the chicken," he murmured under his breath.

"Why are you here?" Hero asked.

"The seer said we should come here," Alec explained, "she caught us sneaking in the weapon room,"

"What about you?" Jenna asked.

"We were asleep then the next second we find ourselves out here and the seer looking at us, it was creepy," Kastor answered.

"Talk about my sleep getting ruined!" Nike said bitterly.

"So we are  going to find the rings?"

"Yes," Alec replied, "We should get going then,"

"Why couldn't she have chosen someone else!" Kalli lamented.

"I think it's something that was always meant to be," Maia said, her eyes falling on her growing sister. She felt a sympathy that only a sister could feel, she didn't know if her sister would be able to face all the ugly things that they would face out there.

"We can do this," Hero said, his eyes soft with care for Kalli, he held her hands and clasped them in his big palms and placed them close to his heart, "you know I would never let anything bad happen to you,"

Kalli searched into the depths of his eyes for assurance and found herself drawn into those beautiful eyes that had always been a pillar of support. She thought about all those times she'd spend with him and how happy he had always made her. She nodded, she trusted him. She wasn't the most fearless person but she was willing to go out there, she couldn't imagine herself away from him. What if she stayed and he never came back? She wouldn't be able to live without him.

They assembled and walked down the river bank and stood facing the other side. The green lush forest that they would have never dared to venture into danced with anticipation to swallow the eight teenagers. The forest seemed to swallow all the darkness even in the dim light of the moon. It was like a pool of darkness calling out to them even in the silence that reigned. 

"Once we cross the river, there's no going back," Alec said. The others looked at each other, their supply bags hanging loosely on their waist. Arold gulped, Jenna sighed and Hero gently squeezed Kalli's hand.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Kator said, he stood next to Nike whose eyes wouldn't live the glistening water before him. It scared him to think that he might not come back alive but he was excited at the same time to finally get to see what lay outside the village confinement. The magical barrier that had always protected them from outside attacks would no longer be present, he would be on his own with no magical protection except for the yellow portion that the seer had given him in a small glass flask.

"We are doing this for our families and friends," Hero said, "It's worthwhile,"

"If we think about it too much, then we might just end up thickening out," Alec said. He had felt it in the depths of his core that it was destiny that had brought them together, they had to fulfil their mission by retrieving those rings, it would give them an upper hand against the army that Aeschylus was preparing, "let's go,"

In a uniform style, they dipped their feet into the cold water and made their way to the other side. The closer they got to the magical barrier, the faster their hearts beat and the colder the water got. Kalli's stomach sank when she felt the magical barrier softly tickle her skin as she crossed it, it was done, she thought and squeezed Hero's hand tightly. The air outside the warm safe confines of the village wasn't different, it was the same except for the danger that wafted in the air to remind them of the dangers that lay ahead.

They stepped into the vast green leafy forest that was littered with the remains of dead explorers and the canning inhabitants that called it home. They wandered deep into the forest, Hero leading the way while Arold took the rear. Arold couldn't keep his eyes focused on one place. He was excited about the adventure but his heartbeat was a mess, filled with fear of what might creep out of the dark green bushes. He wasn't brave, he had never considered himself brave, he had always avoided arguments by backing off instead of fighting. The quiver fastened to his back by the leather straps around his shoulders gave him some kind of comfort that seemed to emanate throughout his body whenever he thought something was about to pop out of the bushes. The seer had said the arrows were special; he hadn't understood what she'd meant but he hoped they would protect him because he had no idea how to work with an arrow and bow. He suddenly felt his stomach let out a growl and then an empty feeling at the pit of his stomach; it was hunger mixed with fear.

"Can I have some food, Alec?" he asked the boy in front of him.

"You'll have to wait until our first stop otherwise the supplies will not be enough," he replied, barely glancing back.

"Please Alec? Am really hungry," he whined.

"Keep it down, you idiots!" Kator cussed at them, turning to give them a piercing cold stare.

"Why? Am very hungry ok? And anyway, you need me to be in full strength in case we encounter some weird creatures," Arold replied.

"Forgive me but you don't look like you'd add anything of value here," the girl with the grey eyes replied, a chuckle coming out of Jenna at Kalii's remarks.

Arold frowned but he wasn't hurt, he wasn't one to get hurt easily, "says the girl who can't take her eyes off the mirror," he clapped back.

Maia let out a chuckle, her glittery green eyes deviating for a moment from the path ahead.

"Honestly! We shouldn't make a lot of noise," Kastor warned.

"You're such a wimp!" Nike slapped Kastor's back in jest, "you really don't expect us to be quiet throughout? Our mouths will smell,"

"Your mouth always smells!" Hero chimed in from the front.

"That was one time! I had too much garlic!" Nike cried out.

Kalli burst out laughing.

"Nothing will happen, big guy," Arold said, referring to the tall bulky frame of Kastor.

"Am going to sing out loud, nothing will happen, after all, we're still very far from the earshot of any bad creatures," Nike said

The forest didn't seem as dense as it had been when they had started. Their surroundings were much clear,  the sun wasn't out yet but a  closer inspection of the area could make out the outlines of the group as they made their way past a few rocks that littered the green lush ground of the forest. There was also little green carpet like mounds scattered around the area; very strange looking, Arold had thought when he sported them. A very dim light emerged through the green branches of a tall tree, announcing the near emergence of the sun.

"No don't do it, my father says..." Nike didn't wait for Kastor to finish the sentence, he started, "kids in the dark here we are at the end of the road..." Kastor leapt on him, his hands going to cover Nike's awful singing that had the others asking him to stop. 

The forest had been alive with the singing of the birds as they welcomed the new dawn and one could hear the melodious swish of the wind playing with the individual leaves of the trees. Everything stopped, the chirping and the singing stopped. It was still, nothing moved and then suddenly, there was a tremor that almost knocked the teenagers off their feet. The ground shook as if a thousand meteorites had been dropped on the surface, "what's going on?" Hero asked, turning to the others.

"The Green Lions!" Kastor shouted, his eyes glazing over their surroundings. He noticed the green carpet like mounds that were morphing into big green lions, "there!" he pointed.

Arold's eyes bulged, a deep terror evident in those hazel eyes. He couldn't believe what was happening. It all seemed like a scene out of a movie. It couldn't be real, he told himself. He blinked but nothing changed. His fear had him rooted in the spot, even when Hero screamed for everyone to run, he found that he couldn't move.

"What are you doing you, i***t! Let's go," Alec grabbed his hand vigorously, snapping him back to reality only to realize the menacing quick advances of the Green Lion with protruding gold like horns. He followed Alec into the bushes, his heart beating haphazardly.

"What the f**k! What the f**k man! What are those!" he kept saying as he jumped over dry twigs and meandered through the rocky area they had found themselves in. Ahead of them was Kastor and Nike, he didn't know where the others were as there wasn't a sign of them anywhere.

"Shut up, they will find us if you keep talking!" Kastor screamed at him from the top of the small hill, his words forced out from the lack of breath. He followed Alec towards the top of the hill, doing his best not to slide back and possibly land on the rocks below. His left foot tripped over a small rock making him slide down the hill. He cussed out, his feet rapidly descending down the slope. He noticed a thin tree that he gripped on to steady himself before going on to climb. He looked up to see the progress of the others and noticed a Green Lion charging at an oblivious Kastor who was busy trying to catch up to Nike. 

"Kastor your left!" he shouted, the force of the scream vibrating through his throat, threatening to tear apart his vocal cords.

Alec glanced at Kastor, his eyes taking in the scene that slowly unfolded before his eyes, shock tearing throughout his nerves as the Green Lion launched blindly at Kastor who tried to avoid it but couldn't. A painful cry rang out through the forest awakening the sleeping birds from their nests. Kastor fell off the slope, his body falling limply as his blood painted the slopes of the hill in a crimson red. Nike glanced back in time to see the body of his friend descend down the slopes helplessly, his eyes bulging out in pure shock. Alec readied himself and grabbed Kastor before he could fall below the slope. He steadied himself on a tree and pulled Kastor towards him with much difficulty as Kastor's heavyweight threatened to crush his thin legs. Kastor was heaving heavily, his white tunic heavily soaked with blood and dirt. He held his palm over his left thigh in an effort to apply some pressure on it.

"Kastor!" Nike shouted, his tone laced with pain and shock.

"Tell him to be quiet, the Green Lions hunt by sound," Kastor said, his voice unclear as he struggled to bear the pain of the wound inflicted on his left thigh.

Alec nodded and motioned for Nike to be quiet by putting his finger on his lips. Nike noticed the Green Lion taking a turn towards him, he stopped in his tracks, his feet rooted to the ground. The Green Lion stopped just a few feet from where he stood, it's gold horns glistening in the dim rays of the sun as it rose. Nike felt goosebumps on every inch of his skin, trying as hard as he could to keep calm. He was having a hard time staying still but the harsh reality of the close jaws of death was enough to have him rooted. The Green Lion turned around and sped down the slope, leaving a trail of dry leaves. When Arold was sure it had disappeared into the rocks at the bottom, he gave an okay sign to Nike to descend down. They grabbed Kastor on both shoulders and helped him climb the slope and into a clearing in the vast forest.

"I am sorry Kastor," Nike said after they had laid Kastor flat on the ground. Nike's eyes were teary and sorrowful. He couldn't look Kastor in the eyes. He wasn't over the shock of the Green Lions, "I ...I should have listened to you," he added, "now you might just lose a leg,"

Arold had torn a piece of cloth from Kastor's tunic and used it to wrap around the thing that had suffered the injury to make sure no dirt could get into the wound and to minimise the blood loss that had made Kastor weak,

Kastor chuckled, "don't say that!" he said, his eyes baring no hate towards his best friend, "I should have warned you before we even entered the forest,"

"I don't think we would have believed you," Nike said solemnly.

"It would have been worth a try," Kastor replied, "It could have happened to anyone," he added.

Nike shook his head. He blamed himself. He was the reason they were separated from the others and also the reason for Kastor's wound.

"We will need to get the wound cleaned and dressed," Arold said. He was sitting on a small rock beside Kastor, "we can't let it catch an infection or else you could lose the leg or even die," he added, not noting the effect his last words had Nike.

"My grandfather has told me that there's a river that runs at the end of the Blue Forest, he says there's a cure for anything there," Alec said.

"We should go there," Nike said, his voice filled with hope, "it's River Phoenix right?"

Alec nodded, "it's rumoured, I am not sure though,"

"It was our next destination anyway," Nike added.

"Next?" Arold questioned, his brow lifting quizzically.

"The seer gave us a map of the locations of the four rings, Maia has it," Nike replied.

"What about the others?" Arold asked.

"I don't think it's wise for us to spend much time in this forest, there are other creatures in here that you would rather not know of," Alec replied.

"This forest houses monstrous creatures," Kastor added, "I think they will also go to the river, we can meet them there,"

Arold nodded, it seemed like a good idea. He didn't want to spend time in the forest anyway.

"We should make use of the presence of light to make our way out of this forest," Nike said.

They took turns helping Kastor walk through the woods while ensuring they didn't make too much noise as to awaken the Green Lions once again. Arold was sure Alec and Kastor knew more about the creatures that roamed the outsides of their home more than anyone else. He finally believed that there were evil creatures out there. His scepticism was long gone and replaced with a curiosity to know what else was out there.