[center][b]~Four days prior[/b][/center]
The cool breeze of Zephyr plains were truly a sensation to partake. The range of life within the plains were as diverse as a childs imagination. Grass and sand scattered the lands, sharing it hand in hand in a copacetic symbiosis that was majestic and inspiring. The young Alunei woman took a deep breath of the fresh hair, not plagued with dust like back in The Soul where she had lived most of her life. The breeze brought the scent of the salty ocean so far in land it was almost unbelievable. She could spend her life here, she knew she could. It was perfect for young Alina, former Guardian turned wanderer. The plains held a vast array of herbs and wild growths for her medicinal purposes and the natural attunement the Alunei had with living creatures had little fear of harm.

Alina stretched her arms high in the arm, loosening her muscles for the long day of herb gathering she had ahead of hear. Her wide, powerful wings also reached out far before folding back in on itself. With a confident nod to herself she was off. Each step left a foot print in the sand as she walked, her violet hues skimming the area for any herbs that she might find useful. This continued on for the next few hours, nearly filling the several previously empty pouch she had along her belt. She was almost done for the day before setting up camp and continuing on her aimless journey in the morning. Though something distracted the girl. The pained whines of a create far off in the distance and behind a formation of rocks, hidden from view.

But Alina needed no incentive to figure out what would make a creature make such a sound. She burst into a dash, running at full speed in the direction of the sound. As she rounded the rock formation she saw a small boar was limping as fast as it could avoid from an approaching hunter, an arrow sticking out of the boars back leg. The sight made Alina disgusted and physically ill. The man covered in exotic leathers head to toe proved he had little appreciation for the life of Enduwin other than a trophy. A sick, twisted trophy. Alina once more eased into a fast run to intercept the hunter from his would be kill; pulling her long, thin blade from its sheath at her hip. 

"Stop!" She cried out as she knew her speed alone wouldn't get there in time, hoping her cries would distract him.

Her attempt worked, the man looked over at the sprinting Alunei with the drawn sword set the man back a bit. Alunei were a rare sight in the realm of Enduwin, especially outside the vast sands of The Soul. Finally she made it between the limping boar and the hunting, Alina's presence easing the hurt boar to a point it lay behind her panting; the boar knowing it was safe behind her. She held out her sword towards the man that was a mere twenty feet from the girl.

"Stop there! Leave the boar alone!" She demanded with a harsh tone, faintly undermined by Alina's naturally sweet, melodic voice.

Though the hunter simply smirked as he knocked another arrow into his bow and pulled back the string, aiming at Alina's chest. "I no longer have interest in the boar, girl. You will fetch a greater price than a hundred little boars." He commented, his words nearly drowning in saliva at the thought of such a prize. "Now, you could either come along with me or I can put you down. Your wings alone would set me up with enough gold for years to come. I know your kind can't kill, so there is no use fighting."

Alina cringed as she stood there, she were truly hoping the man didn't know as much as he did about her race. Though that would not stop her. She would not be killed or even worse. Not today. Not ever. Within a fraction of a moment Alina's free hand flung out towards the hunter with an open hand. Suddenly came forth a bright light out from her palm towards the hunter, blinding him only a moment before his arrow was shot free. The flash of light distorted his aim though still crossed her side, giving her a terrible gash though nothing serious. She winced in pain and gripped at her side. Though she needed to do something fast, his eyes would regain focus soon.

The hunter wobbled and stomped about as her held her eyes, crying out obscenities. Alina went into a limping run towards the hunter, sheathing her blade and the other hand gripping at her bleeding side. As she closed the distance she noticed the hunter beginning to blink and regain some of his vision, but it was to late. Releasing her side she would need both hands to incapacitate the man. She jabbed powerfully into the mans abdomen twice, he grunted and hugged his stomach in pain leaving his head defenseless. Winding back her right fist she let a devastating hook connect to his jaw, sending him spiraling back through the air before crashing into the earth unconscious. She might not be able to kill but she could certainly lay a beat down on some low life. 

She winced and clenched her jaw tight from the pain that shot out from her side. The movement did little help for the wound, probably making it worse. She gripped at her side once more in attempt to stop the bleeding. Alunei were fast healing but they still needed time. She turned around and made her way back to the small boar that lay panting and quietly whining in pain, the leg that was hit with the arrow fainting twitching from the pain. She knelt down beside boar, looking it over caringly. Her heart ached as she realized the boar would not make it. The damage to the leg was to severe and would never survive in this habitat without the use of its leg. It would lived a pained couple of days before a predator found it. She sighed, she could not let the poor thing suffer like that. She then placed a hand affectionately on the boars faintly furred head. The boar rested his head down, as if it knew what were coming and accepted its fate in Alina's hands.

Once more Alina withdrew her blade. "Vaon Hinh, auvet Neyav." she softly whispered to the boar, which roughly translates to [i]'Rest little one, travel to neyav.'[/i] With the she pointed the tip of her blade to the chest of the laying boar. It's eyes fell shut before swiftly the blade sank through flesh and into its heart, ending its misery, but it was then the beginning of Alina's pain. Even though her killing was pure and to keep a creature from suffering, she still took a life and the Alunei could not take a life without sacrifice. A pain shot through her the instant the life faded from the boar. Like a bolt of lightning twisting and churning within her heart so strong that it made her entire body clench from the agony. She could not breath, even utter a sound at the pain that scorched through the very fiber of her soul. As the pain slowly subsided she collapsed to the earth, her muscles felt as if they were torn into shreds and she could hardly move as she panted on the ground. 

It took her several moments before she could push herself up onto her feet with incredible strain. She hardly noticed the pain at her side in comparison to what she had just under gone. As she regained a little more strength she leaned down and picked up the dead boar into her arms. She carried it a good distance until she found the perfect for the burial ritual. A large over hanging tree bearing several white flowers. The Alunei called it the Whimpering Tree, for the way the branches hung and how it only grew in sand. It was the only vegetation that grew in The Soul. It was there the Alunei put the dead to rest. Alina dropped to her knees, setting down the boar in front of her. she removed the arrow and cleaned the dried blood from its leg. She then stood and went about the tree, plucking vines and flowers from the Whimpering tree. It took her nearly an hour weaving the vines into an almost blanket just big enough to cover the boar, flowers placed throughout the blanket.

She draped the vine blanket over the boar, closing her eyes and saying a silent prayer. She then took flint and a jagged rock, striking the rock across the flint to make a spark til the vines got fire. As the vines took flame Alina scooped back though stayed on her knees, her hands respectfully resting on her lap as the burning vines filled the air with a sweet scented smoke. The smoke slowly dancing up through the over hanging tree and reaching for the heavens.

"No need to worry child, he will find his way." A warm voice quietly whispered at Alina's right side. She looked over to see a strange looking man seemingly made of bark and flowers. He had no arms and his body seemed to come straight out of the ground. All he had was a torso, a handsome face, a kind smile and long branches outstretched from the back of his head which held beautiful light blue flowers. His gaze turned to Alina from the burial ceremony, a warm smile cracking the bark near his lips.

Alina should be afraid, she should be terrified but there was a coming aura about the creature. A soothing presence he held that let her know there was no need to fear, like the boar felt around Alina. "[url=http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a493/RandomPhotoPlace/Creatures%20and%20Gear/tree_person_by_memymine-d4sbinr_zps5a5091bd.jpg]Trayig?[/url]" she simply questioned under her breath.

"Yes, Alina. I have come to you with very little time." He began to speak once more, "You are needed. Something evil is brewing within Enduwin. There is a man, the Storyteller. He awaits you in the Plains of Origin. He will tell you more. I have sent you a strong steed, it should be here soon. My time is up within this world. Make haste young Alina, there is little time..." With that his voice faded into the sky, his physical form slowly sinking back into the earth and sealing around him as if he were never there at all.

[center][b]~Present Day[/b][/center]

Alina galloped atop a weary steed, her arms clung tight around its powerful neck as she could not sit upright any longer. They had rode straight through the days without a stop. After the first eighteen hours the horse began to tire though Alina was able to pool her healing powers into the steed. Mending worn muscles and giving them strength to go on though Alina was slowly draining. How she had barely anything left, the strong gate of the creature kept Alina bouncing on its back and reopening the wound at her side repeatedly giving it no time to heal only worsening her in the long run. 

Alas she finally heard it. The call of the story teller that echo through the lands and directing the steed where to go. They adjusted and continued on, air rushing past her. Her long black hair whipping in the breeze. She simply held tight to the steed neck and trusted in him to take her to where she needed. It was not long before the steed eased its gallop to a slow trot as it entered the encircling rocks. Shaky arms pushed her upright to take upon the sight before her. This was it. She had finally arrived. She groaned as she lifted a sore leg up and over until she practically fell off the horse and landed on her feet. She her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. The gash at her side throbbed, grabbing at it once more with her hand to hold the wound closed finally.

"Could someone please... grab some herbs from the.... the pouch along my waist..." She whimpered as she lay on her back, her wings out stretched along the grass.