[h1][center][color=silver] Journey [/color][/center][/h1]

Unbeknownst to those that followed the Templar, a few adventurers floundered in their faith in the mission. They doubted themselves and in their doubt, they simply put their artifacts down and left the Throne room. They would never be seen again by those that had gathered there. It took strength and determination to continue on such a perilous quest. There would be no room for weakness.

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Val arrived at the North Courtyard. Set up before him were provisions a plenty and fresh horses. The adventurers who now followed him would find anything they could possibly need. Val himself grabbed a pack, looked through it and found himself nodding in agreement. There were several water flasks, and dried food. He picked out a white and black horse and secured the pack. Templar's were trained to need little sustenance, as their missions seldom took them to civilized places.

Val mounted the horse, there was no time for talk. He looked at gate ahead and said aloud, [color=gold]"We head north to the crossroads, then west towards Havel and the then the Mountain."[/color]

He then motioned the horse forward and began at a trod. The Journey had started.

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The road was full of peasants and armed men fleeing towards the capital. Farmers and their families, livestock, entire households it seemed all traveling to Dramon to avoid an otherwise worse fate. He heard whispers and rumors of the Scorned spreading closer each passing day, that the Protectorates weren't slowing them down whatsoever. This talk only gave Val a sense of restlessness. They needed to be going faster.

Once they reached the Crossroads and turned West the traffic became steadily worse. But having a Templar at the front of the party helped speed the process up. No one wanted to get in Val's way and those that did apologized profusely. It seemed most were displaced from  Westgate falling and a few more had no faith in their own towns surviving what was coming. Still the traffic bogged down their time table, and by nightfall Havel was nowhere to be seen.

As it was night, few people walked the road and so Val had a choice to make. To keep going, or rest for the night. Val stopped the horse off on a long stretch of road right before a forest. The dark ominous trees looked like giants in the dim moonlight. They could camp on the outskirts or go through, the town was on the other side.

He turned to look at those behind him, his helmet glinted in the dim moonlight. [color=gold]"We have two choices. Camp here for the night, or continue to Havel. It's just on the other side of the for-"[/color] His words were cut off as a scream broke through the still night. Bloodcurdling and very close. It sounded like that of a young girl and it came from inside the forest. Val tensed up, the others would not know what he did. The scream came again, closer now, almost at the edge of the forest. 

Val dismounted and pulled out Sanctity. He held it in a stance. [color=gold]"Get off your horses. Now."[/color] He said to the others. [color=gold]"No matter what we heard, it isn't what you think."[/color]

The air was still once again, he could hear the horses breathing and those behind him. His eyes were focused on the treeline, scanning the dimly lit woods, seeing shapes and shadows disappear at a moments notice. There was tension in the air now, he could feel it. Something was about to break. A cloud washed over the moon, blanketing the area in uneasy darkness.

[color=gold]"Steady now.."[/color] He whispered.

And right before him at the edge of the woods, a large creature walked out into the open. It was hard to make out, just a large black shadow at first, but as the cloud moved and the moonlight came down again, its figure was seen. The creature had once been a wolf, but it had been consumed by the scorned. The left side of its body was completely transformed into an abomination of green flesh and plantlike growths. It looked at them panting long bits of drool and blood. Then it opened up its mouth, tilted back its head and screamed. The horses began to kick in fear. And then the wolf began to charge.

Val looked behind and shouted [color=gold]"Brennen, Kean, secure the horses away from here! The rest of you, get ready. Don't let it get a hold of you, or you're as good as dead."[/color]

As the wolf charged them, in the distance of the trees, more screams could be heard.

[@jdh97][@Zetsuko][@Ghost Shadow][@Leotamer][@Sofaking Fancy][@Rithy][@DinoNuts][@Stitches]