'Finally here!' Kaluar shouted, his feet stepping onto this uncharted land known as cobble town, a generic place, nothing really special about it. Stone paths laced the village as it coiled, houses lined up on the path up to the top of a mountain disappearing into a forest.
houses lined up against stone walls as it coiled to the top, their stone walls mixed with wooden frames keeping their structure. A calm flowing river running down right outside the village walls.
Kaluar and Celi ventured inside, their eyes panning over the calm lively village, the cries of venders filled the air as they walked through. Children playing around their parents, kicking their ball around in a merry dance of innocent joy. The clear blue sky smiling down on them as they continued their day.
'Okay, first stop, the train station!' Kaluar cheered, running ahead in a playful burst of speed. Making his way through the village, he stopped at the train station a crowd forming at the door.
'huh?' he muttered to himself, standing on his toes to make out what's above the crowd, to hopefully get a sense out of what's happening, lightly tugging the shirt of a Tengu dressed in peasant's clothing, his black feathers making his bright blue eyes even more prominent.
'Excuse me.' He called out to the Tengu.
'What's going on?' He asked the him, his eyebrows furrowing in concern as to what could possibly be wrong with the train now of all times.
'Isn't it obvious?' The Tengu huffed, his feathered arms folded as he looked towards the crowd.
'The train broke down mere moments ago, something about it being over ran by scavengers from the reaper sect.'
'Scavengers-' Kaluar murmured under his breath the name ringing a bell to him but he can't quite place his finger on it. Celi looked ahead, her eyes too filled with concern, soon panning over to a little boy around Kaluar's age, his black hair and white eyes standing out the most, an elf just like him.
He wore nothing but a white gown, a black line circling his wrist his stare unblinking never leaving them for a moment.
'H-hey Kaluar-' Celi said her voice shaking with concern as she turned to Kaluar, tug on his ear, only for the boy to be gone when she turned back to the spot he resided.
'What's wrong Celi?' He pondered, his eyes looking down at her with a look of concern before she shook her head.
'No- it's nothing.' She reassured.
'Though It's seems like the train wont be fixed for a while.'
'Yeah-' Kaluar sighed, turning around to the lively village behind them.
'Maybe we should look around, would be nice to get to see everything.' He suggested, looking at Celi for her approval, and with a slow nod from her they were off. Walking through the town of Cobble heads held high and eyes admiring the village, the buildings, the shops, the people it was all like a breath of fresh air, the air that Kaluar hoped to breath from adventuring.
'Hey, excuse me.' The voice of a concerned woman called out to them, her hands reaching out to lightly tug on his sleeve.
Kaluar turned back, curious as to what she needed her hands seemed cuffed together almost as if she were praying or nervous, Purple hair cascading down her white dress, her silver eyes taking occasional glances at our hero but seemed to fear asking for what she needed, before finally parting her lips to speak.
'you're an adventurer... aren't you?' She pondered.
'Yeah, I am, you needed something?' Kaluar asked.
The woman smiles, relief laced in her silver eyes as she spoke her piece.
'It's my daughter she's been missing for days! Can you help me find her? Please adventurer!' She pleaded. Celi looking at Kaluar with her eyebrows furrowed, the young elf looking back at her with a nod and a smile.
'Where did you last see her?' He asked.
'In vagabond forest.' She responded.
'not many people go there it's mainly used for travelers carrying goods or nomads with adventurers at their aid, It's a really dangerous place so everyone I cried to said she's already dead.' The woman's eyes begin to tear up as she remembered their harsh comments, biting her lip to calm the tears.
'But- I just can't accept that!'
Kaluar nodded at her cry for help, her desperate situation met with the kindness and warmth of an young elf's smile. She felt reassured, safe, certain that her daughter will come home unharmed.
'Don't worry miss!' Kaluar announced, his hands on his hips in a gesture of pride and reassurance.
'Your daughter will be back here safe and sound!'
Kaluar's footsteps echoed throughout the forest, crunching against the dried fallen leaves, silent whispers blew against his ear, the wind tickling the rotting tree barks. The dried, crispy leaves and plants blew in it's direction creating a ominous melody similar to a crackling flame. A slow dance to the rhythm it set. Celi clung onto the hair of our hero, a bad feeling crawling up her spine. Her shaky pupils taking in her surroundings.
The trees were close together, their branches and leaves melding in perfect harmony making it impossible to see the sun. Darkness loomed over our travelers, a dense hue of gray enveloping them in the woods. Their mission seeming even more futile by the second.
'Woah, is that.' Kaluar's voice trailed off, causing the tiny elf to raise her head. A spark of hope lighting within, a hope that the child was alright.
Though when she looked ahead, no one was there. Her heart sank, looking at her companion with concerned eyes as he walked forward, a smile plastered on his features, a smile of genuine relief as he stretched his arm out to what seemed to be nothing at all.
'Are you alright?' He asked the ghost that riddled his head. Awaiting the response of a figure that wasn't even there, the empty space that lied before the two of them.
'You're the missing girl right? The one we were sent to find?' His voice sounded genuine, not the mere plays of a prank. Celi noticing this started to tug at the ear of Kaluar, but her presence was merely ignored.
'Hey, Kal this isn't funny! Cut it out!' Celi protested as she continued to tug at the ear of the young lad. Her eyes panning back on the space in front of them incase she missed something, though regrettably her initial guess was right. No kid was beyond where they stood.
'No need to be shy.' Kaluar kneeled, his mind in a daze.
'We've come to take you to your mom.' His eyes continued to deceive him, his face on the same level of that of a young girl with purple hair of silk, green pupils to the floor of the forest. Her fingers twirling together in an awkward dance before him.
'Are you... alright?' He asked, his eyebrows furrowing over his eyes in concern.
She seemed hesitant, running off deeper in the woods, leaving our heroes behind. Kaluar got up from his knees, chasing the girl, trying to catch up with her as soon as possible.
'Hey! Wait up, don't you want to go to your mom?!' He shouted, his hands reaching out as the girl got further and further away from him. Hands grasping at nothing but the air in front of him as the little girl finally disappeared into darkness.
'Kaluar, stop!' Celi cried, her pleas falling on deaf ears as he continued to run. Pushing himself to get faster and faster. Hoping to catch up with the girl at any minute. His feet crunched against the dry plants and carcasses of the forest. He grit his teeth as he chased the tail of a ghost. His eyes squinting as the wind blew passed him trying to slow him down.
The forest felt like a blur passing them by. The whistles getting more and more intense. A feeling of warning. Almost as if it's telling them to head back.
Soon Kaluar slowed in his steps, his feet coming to a halt, as his mouth hung open to draw in as much air as possible.
The forest goes to a ghostly silence once more. The slow cracking of the dried leaves, falling off from their branches onto the floor. Their bodies crushed by the fall or destined to be by the shoes of an adventurer or wander animal. Kaluar looked around, his eyes panning from tree to tree as he heard a hushed whistle the wind taunting him his senses tricking him in the mirage of the forest.
'Where are you!' Kaluar would shout with his hands around his lips, carrying his voice throughout the forest.
Celi would watch, tears in her eyes as she couldn't get through to him, doing everything she could to get his attention but it was all futile.
'Kaluar!' He heard a soft voice calling out to him on his shoulder, his head turning to see Celi staring back at him. Her eyes filled with tears, her fists clinched around his fiery red hair, staring him in his cyan eyes.
'Please, listen to me.' Her voice shook with pain and relief, a small smile forming on her face once Kaluar finally reacted to her cry.
'You need rest, you've been running for days.' She muttered softly.
'Days? No, it's been only a few minutes hasn't it?' Kaluar questioned, his mind still in the daze he was in once before, looking around the forest which continued to taunt him.
'I don't feel tired..' As if to spite him, his eyes grew heavy and his knees weak. Collapsing to the ground with a huge thud. The leaves flying up in the air a little from the impact, landing on his unconscious body.
'Where.... am i?'