Kynna rolled her eyes at the centaur when he spoke to her. "Stuff it, pony-boy." She retorted, already still irritated at everything going on. "If I wanted meat, I'd eat it." Then the other man stood, and her eyes went wide in shock as what she thought was human turned into a literal demon. Her hand gripped Mikael's tightly, ready to turn and run, but a moment later, he was gone. She barely heard the man with the apple when he spoke to her, and by the time she realized he had, he was already walking into the darkness.
"ENOUGH!"
The female voice suddenly boomed loud enough that one could swear the forest itself spoke. Without warning, the dark forest suddenly went white. When those in the forest could see again, they stood in a circle, side by side each other. In the middle of the circle, a slender woman in a flowing white gown with golden hair stood hovering over the white expanse of ground. Nothing else seemed to be in sight, the forest, the ground, the sky, nothing but white expanse as far as the eye could see.
"Fools." The woman frowned. "Bickering among yourselves. Did you really think that one small flame drew you all to the same place? Did you really think that your meeting each other was just happenstance?"
Kynna stood close to Mikael, peeking out from around his shoulder at the sudden change. She bit her lip a moment, watching the woman before finally speaking. "E-Excuse me, but...Who are you? If...If it wasn't just chance then...why are we here?"
The woman looked at her for a moment before speaking a bit less heatedly. "Kynna." She spoke. And then she began to turn in a circle, looking at each person as she called out their name. "Mikael. Cedran. Denryr. Amelise. Denrig. Fredrick. Halen. I am Lyphera, Messenger of the Old Gods. It is they who have chosen all of you. Through the hands of fate, you have been guided to one another. For far too long, the people of these lands have suffered. Yet even now, a shadow grows that would threaten the lives of every race and person upon the earth."
The area they stood flashed again, and they stood in the midst of a village as it burned. The screams of the dying and those trying to escape could be heard as easily as if they were really there as monsterous beasts flooded through the village. No man, woman, or child was spared. Elves, humans, centaurs, dwarves, demons, fairies... all mercilessly slaughtered by the giants.
"This is what will come, if it is not stopped." Lyphera spoke. The image lingered a moment before they were once again in the white expanse.
"Denrig, the Mountain Lord. Your axes and knowledge of the mountains will prove vital in this quest. Halen, Archer of the Ice. Your knowledge of the lands beyond the sea will be needed. That land, too, will be ravaged, and all that you hold dear to you will fall. Fredrick, the Armsmaster. You have lived alone far too long with no real purpose. Now, your task is to see this mission complete. Denryr, the Horselord. Valliant and strong, your skills will be needed to gather what is required. Mikael. Amelise. Your abilities will help to ensure the wrath of the Gods is brought upon this evil."
She turned then, looking to Kynna and Cedran. "The son of Darkness and the Daughter of Light. The Sword that will protect the Key. Trust in your instincts, Kynna. They will not lead you astray. Find the Crystal of Amenel, beyond the Blackwood in the mountain of Valron. You will know what to do when you have it. If you should fail in this quest, if you refuse the will of the Gods, all life on this earth will perish."
The forest returned, and the eight of them all stood in the clearing by the fire again. Kynna glanced around as she slowly sat back on the fountain again. Those things were going to destroy everyone. And she was some sort of...key? She was visibly shaken, her eyes raising to look around at the people who were all suddenly with her. They needed a crystal from a place she'd never heard of, and somehow, they were meant to stop this...evil. She didn't understand it, but she couldn't just ignore what was happening. Not with a risk like that.
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