Soul Lovers

The Prince of the Forest Nymphs.

Meanwhile within the half destroyed Haven filled with vines which gave out restrained dimmed glows through it's flower as it was difficult for them to grasp the facial features of the creepers around during those time Dryad's Uncle alongside the four hunters still fought against them inside the bedimmed haven, few of the sparkling stones shone in a small portion of the Haven exposing Dryad’s white hair slightly stained with red as he bled from his forehead rolling down his freckled face while he laid on the ground with few tiny debris and sparkling stones on his face with a dent in the middle of the shield, held closely to his chest.

He stares at the groin of the Haven with indistinct clomping and thudding sounds filling the atmosphere underneath his thought; Why I’m I even here the first place, I had a choice to escape from here but I was a fool for staying. If I die right here, right now. What did I gain in all this… If Oshoshi couldn’t do it how should I? What would his family do when told about his demise... I can only imagine. He rolled his eyes to the hunters fighting the few creepers around while his uncle alone fought the bigger one. Every one are risking there life over there to protect what is left in the forest Nymphs while me… me on the other hand lay here because of a single blow I got from the bigger creeper. Well if not for the shield I would have—”

“Dryad!” his uncle called. Dryad slowly rolled his eyes to his uncle, “Stand up right now and fight... You are stronger than you think... stand up you hear!”

Well, this is the third time he called my name but I’m too tired and scared to move my body. Definitely this isn’t a place for a kid to hang around. Suddenly, the word from Wren hit him. 'Fear is temporary. Regret… Regret is forever.' Dryad said to himself then he staggeringly stood up while using his dented shield, the few tiny debris and sparkling stones dropped from his face as blood from his head tardy dripped down upon the small sparkling stones on the ground.

Ugh!

He vomited blood this made the other hunters with a worried face side looked the prince then Dryad cleaned his mouth.

... What could I gain if I lay down doing nothing? If I die at least I did something for my kingdom, as an heir. This is a good way to…

He yelled as he charged his way to the big creeper, his uncle glanced to him as well as the bigger creeper also at the voice that cries within the Haven. His uncle rolled his eyes back to the bigger creeper. Now is my chance. He hastily rolled his body below it and sliced the bigger creeper’s calf with one of his dwarven axes and the other stabbed through it side. This move alone made the bigger creeper slightly loss its ground then Dryad held the shield closely leapt towards the bigger creeper with a cry:

“This is for Oshoshi!” knocking the bigger creepers’ face with the shield, unfortunately it was still standing, Dryad eyes dilated while his uncle below the creeper was also stunned hoping that hit could possibly fall it down then the four Hunters noticed that the prince was in danger, two of the hunters with short spear immediately projected their weapons into the bigger creepers’ back then the hunter with the chakrams threw theirs also piercing deeper into it’s skin using that opportunity Dryad dived back away from the bigger creepers’ face at that moment it swung his arm to Dryad while on the air. He gasped then disappeared using the teleporting forest technique, appearing near his uncle below, touched him and disappeared with him far from the distance were it stood.

His uncle clenched his fist.

“Now I know why Oshoshi is dead when fighting against that thing.” His uncle said then looked at Dryad sad face, “oh, I’m sorry. He will be missed.”

Dryad shook his head but totally dejected. He’d knew in one way or the other the fights against the creepers had leaded to many casualties in his kingdom. Few years back after the outbreak of the creepers within the Forest Nymphs, it was totally built-in hatreds, pains and sadness over their loss loved ones. Not only does it affected the prince of the Forest Nymphs nonetheless his beloved guardian and healer was killed by the hand of the most biggest creeper they had ever encountered. But one thing suddenly, struck his mind.

'I’m the only one that has the teleportation forest technique unfortunately among the four Hunters including my uncle however they’re all great in strengths.' He rolled his eyes to the four Hunters fighting off the creepers luckily with the help of one of our hunters using her vines flowers as the source of illumination in the half destroyed Haven was a great deal in seeing what was in front of us. And the only creeper that could probably end it all with the ability to extinguish the sparklingly stones as well as the glowing flowers on the vines around was right in front of me surprisingly not moving but just stared at our direction, that’s good to know we are only it’s target.

Meanwhile the huge creeper just stood still with few bleeding slashes on it’s greyish shoulders, chest, sides and calf inflicted by Dryad’s uncles' dwarven axes, groaning as shades of darkness enveloped it.

“Listen Dryad, this will be your second lesson and I would like to teach it you,” His uncle said, “ listen gently.”

“Alright.”Dryad replied.

“Good. We all know you’re the only one with the teleportation forest technique among us don’t pressure yourself. Use it to your advantage in helping to distract the monster fortunately it is not at all healing from my axes' cut. Do you understand.”

It was as though his uncle read his mind then he was sure of what to do and how to do it.

Dryad swallowed, “Al… right. I will do my best.”

His uncle held his dwarven axes tightly.

“Here we go.” He said as he dashed to the bigger creeper, raised his axes to it and leapt over with the bigger creeper following his step swinging its arm to him, Dryad’s uncle gracefully swirled around its arm as he sliced through. The bigger creeper groaned in pain using it’s other arm to block every slashes from the relentless attacker blades, meanwhile Dryad held up his shield closely, staring at his uncle while fighting the huge creeper.

“Wow… uncle is great. Okay this is my time.” He said softly, Then immediately teleported right on the side of the huge creeper strongly hitting the spears and chakrams in it's body deep inside with the dented shield.

The bigger creeper grunted as it staggered, it immediately turned swinging it’s arm to Dryad who before the bigger creeper could hit him he teleported behind it near his uncle while breathing heavily.

“That was close.”

“Quick teleport me over its head.” His uncle said, Dryad hurriedly nodded as he held his uncle then he teleported over the bigger creepers’ head, his axes held high to give the final blow on its head unfortunately the huge creeper grasped where he was, punched him hard as he deflected back smashing into the ceiling of the Haven above then dropped down about falling hard to the ground, Dryad teleported himself then appeared touching his falling uncle then teleported him to the lake inside the Haven.

The creeper looked up, he was no where to be found. From afar Dryad stared at the bigger creeper then he looked at his uncle slightly groaning just as he plopped into the lake.

“Are you okay Uncle. Sorry it was late before saving you,” Dryad said, if not for the sound of his uncle smashing through the ceiling of the Haven he couldn’t have known his uncle was hit because it was way too fast for his little eyes.

“No worries. This is your first. Can’t blame you.”

Then something flashed Dryad mind yet again. Then he stood up sloshed his way out of the lake without saying a word,

“Huh? What are you doing Dryad?”

“Trust me uncle, I know what I’m about to do.” He said rushed to the bigger creeper dodged some few punches thrown to him awkwardly then he jumped on one foot, dodging another as one fist of the huge creeper almost hitting Dryad’s shivery body without warning an axe breezed from the side of his face grazing a little of his lightly bloody drained white hair then it struck deep into the huge creepers’ neck as it staggered back making Dryad to possibly touched the bigger creeper on it’s forehead as both of them vanished before his uncle’s eyes.

—

A sudden rapid outflow of wind blew as Dryad closed his eyes then he slowly opened it.

“Ahhh!” Dryad cried as he was speedily falling downward which he’d knew he was falling from a mountain that he imagined before his teleportation then he saw the huge creeper also falling with his uncle’s dwarven axe still attached on its neck, about grappling Dryad he flinched, teleported subconsciously very far from the huge creeper but still falling. His wet, lightly drained bloody-white hair sways, his freckled face flapping as the wind strongly hit him making his eyes to water then he blinked able to see the huge creeper very far below. To the prince of the Forest nymphs It was spur-of-the-moment decision for him to teleport back to the haven or die from the fall along side the huge creeper. Just a few feet remaining before smashing to the ground below surprisingly for him he teleported very close to the huge creeper removed his uncle’s dwarven axe from it's neck, letting the blood squirting over the shield and his freckled face with the force of the wind then used his whole strength to pushed the huge creeper farther into the fall with his shield then he teleported. 'At least I will see how you end.' With a massive smash the huge creeper descended hard to the ground making the weapons on it’s back shattering firstly as it flattened.

Dryad appeared on the ground just as he bent his ankle mistakenly standing upon a rock, he grunted looked at the huge absolutely dead creeper splattered on the ground before him. His freckled face and his wet white hair were covered with the blood of the huge creeper veiling his own blood. Underneath those blood of his was the eyes of a glowing fire. The weapons on each hand were dripping onto the ground. Revealing the fogs and trees that surrounds the two figure near the mountain under the starless sky.

One standing and the other horribly shattered on the silent ground.

He gave a harsh breaths still holding the shield in one hand and his uncle’s dwarven axe in another and gently limping with one leg and the other probably an overstrained ankle.

“This is for my teacher and everyone you have ever killed.” His eyes were flooded with tears as he spoke then he dropped the axe in his hand and staggeringly knelt down, hitting the dead huge creeper—what was left of it— with his shield over, over, over again… as it echoed within the pitched location he was.

—

“Huh, where did he went to with the creeper?” his uncle questioned as he stood up looking around, then Dryad appeared at the same position landing on his bottom as he dropped the shield and his uncle's axe to the ground.

“Ouch!” he groaned staring at his ankle.

“Wow! Dryad where is the creeper?” His Uncle jotted out of the lake walking to him ironically the four hunters had finished off the smaller creepers slightly breathing heavily as they all glanced at the prince.

“Well. I left it alone while falling off from a random mountain. I think it won’t survive the fall.” He lied, then he clinched his fist. I can’t believe I had the power in me to teleport something that large. He looked over to were Oshoshi was laid then he shut his eyes and sobbed: What must have caused it?

Then Granny Chan’s appeared with Willian, the Queen, the Guardians from the Water Nymphs including the hunters with them. Immediately they were disarrayed by the sight of the Haven also they were grief-stricken on seeing dead Oshoshi laid at the corner with few vines' flowers glowing around him.