Blood Act: I

[h1]Deven Zoria and Jenna Fellrein[/h1]

[b]Deven's perspective[/b]

The sun hung low in the twilight sky casting an array of beautiful colors that stretched across the open sky, it was a wonderful view. The views, it was the views, that was the thing he liked most about traveling. There was always so much to see, so many beautiful breath taking sights. It was all the sights that made the countless hours of riding so worth it. The sprawling forests, when trees just seemed to go on endlessly in either direction, some growing so tall whenever a gust of wind came they would sway precariously. The open plains where you could see for miles and miles, putting up a facade of vast emptiness that never was entirely true. The mountain paths that scaled the faces of giants, where at times you'd have the mountain on one side and a cliff side on the other giving you that tingling sensation as you looked down off the side. There were so many views out there, so much to see and all these sights made the sometimes quite literal pain in the ass of horseback riding so worth it.

They had been traveling for several days now, nearing on a week. The trip from Wintercrest to the Twilight college was a rather bearable journey. They had managed to cut the usual travel time in half by going directly through the mountains that flanked Wintercrest. People considered this a bit more dangerous, but at the time he and Jenna had begrudgingly been accompanied by a small group of guards from Jenna's father's own retinue. They had made the trip before so they were already willing and the presence of the guards just made it assured that they would take the mountain path. The guards only accompanied them until the got through the roughest part of the mountains before they returned to Wintercrest, leaving Jenna and him to finish the journey on their own. From here it would be rather simple forest to travel through. 

Now nearing the end of their sixth day, Deven guessed that they would likely reach the Twilight college around nightfall. The permanent twilight that seemed to grip this place made it sometimes difficult to tell time, but after all this wasn't their first time at the college.  

Deven's gaze drifted down from the twilight sky and unconsciously scanned their surroundings. For a while now he had begun to recognize some familiar landmarks that marked the area of the Twilight College. The dreary grey landscape was a sharp contrast to the lush terrain around Wintercrest. He couldn’t help but wonder if this absence of color had somehow been cause magically or if it occurred naturally, he wasn’t sure why but something told him it was the former. 

Deven’s gaze meandered off of the landscape and towards the road ahead. His thought shifted to their destination. He imagined something like that would make sense given where they are going. It is a Academy for mages. He couldn’t help but wonder how much must have changed in their absence. They had been gone for several months now. He couldn't help to bitter feeling that rose up in him as he thought about all the lost time they had in their studies. He knew he shouldn't feel bitter given the reasoning, but he couldn't help it. 

As Deven thought about the Twilight college he slowly drifted onto his memories there and unsurprisingly one night in particular came to mind, the demon attack. His bitterness was quickly replaced with an unease that rose up in the pit of his stomach. He could only think of one other night where he had been that terrified. But this night was different, he wasn't helpless like he was last time. He was able to help he was able to fight, he even killed some of them and somehow they had made it through that night. Images of all the people who didn't flashed through his mind. The bodies, the chaos, the fighting, he couldn't help but wonder how the school even managed to come back from so much chaos. But it had...somehow.

Deven sighed long and loud as he tried to shift his thought to something more pleasant.

"Something wrong?" Asked his companion, who was riding silently beside him. For the past few minutes she'd had her eyes buried in their map. He wasn't sure why she was so insistent on reading it he was posotive they were going the right way but sometimes it is impossible to argue with her. He'd have better luck trying to learn Aquamancy.

Deven thought for a moment before he answered her, "No, nothings wrong. Just thinking."

"Oh no, don't hurt yourself I'd rather not die from blood-sickness before we even got there." She replied with a grin.

Deven only looked away from her and rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. Only when he heard rustling paper did he turn back to her.

Jenna finished folding up the map and carefully placed it in one of her saddlebags before looking up to Deven. "Alright Mr. Philosopher, what were you thinking about?" She asked with a smile.

"I was just thinking...about your grandfather." He lied.

Jenna's smile quickly faded, "Oh" she said before pausing, her gaze shifted towards the horizon "what about him?" She asked.

Deven shifted slightly and rolled his shoulders, his armor making a metallic grinding noise as the plats shifted with him. The ride and his armor had started to take its toll on him. "I don't know...it's just sad to think that he's gone." Deven replied solemnly.

Jenna nodded her head knowingly, he gaze had shifted down to her mares mane. She thought for a long moment before speaking, "Yeah...it is. But at least he died peacefully. Mother said he had passed away in his sleep, he didn't feel a thing. Besides he's lived a long a full life. I only wish when my time comes around that I can have done as much and as much good as he has." Jenna said contemplatively.


Deven shifted uncomfortably, he never liked talking about things like this he silently regretted having started this conversation. 

Picking up on his discomfort Jenna glanced at him and smiled softly, "Oh quiet your squirming, i'm just talking hypothetical, i'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I am a vitamancer after all." She said with a smile.

Deven nodded and smiled lightly back. He new she was but over these last few months there had been a lot of hypothetical talk like this and still it made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to think about losing any of them.

The silence hung between them for only a second longer before Jenna randomly let out a loud dramatic groan. "Months it's been months!" She groaned.

"Don't remind me." Deven said back in an equally exasperated tone.

"How many months has it been?" Jenna asked

"What part of 'don't remind me' do you not understand?" Deven replied.

"We've missed months worth of training. Months! Don't get me wrong, I am glad we went to see my Grandfather, even if it was after he had passed." She said and Deven nodded in response, "But it was that gods damned coronation. That killed me, I just wish we didn't have to stay for that. We get it Uncle you're being crown Lord of Wintercrest la de da, can I go back to learning magic now? I want to turn myself into a dragon." She joked.

"And I want to create my own personal inferno." Deven added.

"Right? That was such bullshit! So much political minutia. They didn't need us there, I know it's proper and [i]oh it's etiquette it would be rude for you not to be there he's your uncle after all[/i]" She said doing an impersonation of a snotty noble woman, "But excuse me, I have to learn how to control my magic you can't just keep us away from our studies like that." 

Deven chuckled and nodded in agreement, "We're lucky your father even let us come back after what happened with the attack." Deven commented.

"Yeah, that was a close one, but I am glad he understands that it may be dangerous but we wont receive any better education than we will here. We need to learn magic we need to know how to control it." She said vehemently.

"Alright take a deep breath now, you're going to hurt yourself and like you said you want to make it there without dying of blood-sickness." Deven quipped.

"Oh shut up, why don't you go light some candles match boy." Jenna retorted.

"Why don't you go turn yourself into an ass, you've already got the personality for it." 

"Alright guess who just talked them self out of getting healed next time they get hurt."

"I don't know the same girl who's going to have to find someone else to light a fire for her when she's cold." 

"Oh so you're admitting you're a candle lighter." Jenna said with a grin.

"I prefer the term walking torch. Has a much better ring to it." Deven replied.

Jenna laughed and shook her head in mock annoyance while Deven just grinned at her stupidly. "Ugh, I'm ready to be there already. Feels like we've been riding for weeks." She complained as she rolled her arm making her chain mail rattle and bumping her bow and quiver she had sitting behind her. 

"Well it's been more like days. So I mean you're close, a little." He joked back as he turned his gaze back to the road.

"You think anyone will recognize us?" Jenna asked, as she reached back and grabbed her bow bringing into her lap and plucking the string lightly.

Deven thought for a while, "I'm not sure can't know for sure but I am sure maybe one or two will." Deven commented as he watched the road.

Jenna pulled up her bow and drew back the string and aimed at some imaginary target, being careful not to dry fire. "I guess we'll have to wait and see." She said before pausing for a minute, "I should practice horse back archery." Jenna commented, before she carefully unnocked her pretend arrow. 

"Well you've got the drawing it part down so it can't be much harder." Deven pointed out.

"I'm not going to be able to hit anything while riding faster than this and it'll be a wonder if I don't fall off." Jenna replied as she went to return her bow.

But before she did she and Deven were graced with a howl that echoed throughout the area, they both tensed in their saddles until the howl passed. Keeping her bow in her hand she glanced over towards Deven and gave him a slightly worried look. 

"What was that?" She asked a bit of worry present in her tone.

"I don't know, but whatever it was it's in some serious pain and it is close." Deven commented, his grip on the reigns tightened. But a thought drifted into his mind and he looked to Jenna.

Jenna caught him looking at her and it took her a moment to recognize the look in his eye. "No Deven, no we're not going to findout what it was. We're going to the college, we're just going to waste more time and besides that does not sound like the type of creature that you want to get up close and personal with." She said in a stern tone.

Deven rolled his eyes, "Jenna, we've been riding for hours, and besides we're almost there, whatever it was I am sure it wont take us long. Come on. Besides whatever it is it doesn't stand a chance, it's obviously hurt and besides what can it do to two experienced fighters who are also mages." Deven replied.

"Novice mages Deven, novice." Jenna said in an annoyed tone.

"Well fine then. I'll see you back at the college." Deven said with a shrugg before he tugged on the horses reigns and veered off the road towards the nearby woods where they heard the howl.

"Really Deven?! You thick headed asshole." She cursed before following after him.

As Deven neared the trees his horse neighed loudly and took several steps back. "Woah boy woah, easy buddy, it's alright. Nothing to worry about." He said before dropping down off his horse, his armor clattering loudly as he landed. Taking the reigns in hand he gently lead the horse closer to the trees, glancing back to Jenna who had just arrived. 

"I'm glad you decided to join me. Tie up your horse, whatever that was has them pretty spooked, we should go on foot from here." He said as he tied up his horse to a nearby tree. 

"This is a stupid idea, you know that." Jenna said as she hopped down, chain mail rattling, and began tying up her horse.

"Well sometimes it's good to be a little stupid." Deven commented as he finished and drew his sword.

Jenna grabbed her bow quiver and strung it over her shoulder drawing an arrow and readying to nock it as she followed after. They continued through the woods in relative silence for a short while before they began hearing obvious sounds of fighting. Sparring each other worried looks the two picked up the pace moving at a jog through the tree until they came to a small clearing and were shocked at what they found. 

The first thing they saw was the beast, large and covered in black and white strips with a blood covered mouth, arrow in its eye and bloody claws it had two large stong looking arms on the front of its body and two smaller legs towards it's rear. Next were the people, there was three of them, two human girls and a elf boy. All of them seemed to be in rather desperate straights. One of the human girls and the elf boy were tangled around with the beast and the other girl...well the other girl seemed to be having some sort of issue, [b]something[/b] seemed to be attacking her leg something very strong. 

That's when Deven saw it, a shimmer a little dance of the light that caught his eye, then he noticed the large foot prints in the grass, he was definitely correct. Whatever "it" was it was big and for some reason he couldn't see it. The suddently it clicked, he had heard about something like these before a creature that could turn itself invisible phrases flew through his mind as he tried to remember, pack animals, territorial dangers and a series of other complaints raced through his mind. 

Whoever these people were they had to help, they were in some serious danger these things were out for blood. 

"Jenna, do you see it." Deven quickly asked not sparing the time to look at her as he readied his sword.

"I-I don't know I think so." She said hurriedly.

"Okay I am not crazy then, help those two, I'll try and help her!" Deven ordered and before she could reply he was off.

With a vague idea of what exactly it was that he was charging at or the position it was in he knew he had to do something even if it was something stupid. He charged at what he believed was it's side and prepared to do a cleaving swipe upward with his blade and hopefully catch the beast in it's side or back and at best seriously wound it or least get it's attention, he definitely had more protection on then this human girl his armor should be able to take some of what this monster could dish out so he needed it's attention, he just had to keep his head and neck safe that's were he lacked armor.

Before he could even reach the beast he heard the whizzing of an arrow flying past him towards the other beast loosed by Jenna with practiced precision who was aiming towards the beast's side, already she was grabbing another arrow and preparing to nock it.