The night was beautiful. The moon was out, and it was full, shedding light on everything in sight. It created an easy atmosphere that despite the forests beauty, told any who came near it that they should steer clear. And they were right to have that feeling.
Crunch
Woosh
Grrrh
A small figure appeared between the tall trees, running for his life from monsters unseen, yet heard. The young child could hear them growl behind him, tracking his scent closely, hoping for a easy hunt.
But Ezekiel was anything but easy. Even for a young kid of the ripe age of 8, he could run faster than the avarage human, but that would only last him so long and he knew that. To these things, a human's speed was child's play, and by their chittering laughs, he knew this was that- play.
They were toying with him. Gritting his teeth, Ezekiel made what was probably his dumbest and most dangerous decision of his life, except for that one time he snuck into the guards building looking for a emergency meal that is.
Taking a hard left, he sprinted as fast as he could deeper into the forest, where he knew an even more foreboding danger lied. Hearing a branch snap behind him, Ezekiel dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a rake from a deadly set of claws.
Getting up and running, he didn't stop, even when the intense scent of death hit his nose. He was ignoring every last instinct within him, telling him he had better odds turning back and facing off the pack of monsters behind him.
Luckily, they were hungry enough to do the same.
As he was running, a vine wrapped around his ankle, lifting him high into the air. Whippingbhis head around, he desperately tried to look for what had captured him.
"D-damnit!" Taking out a stolen dagger, he swiped at the vine, but he lacked the strength to cut it with his meager muscles. Even so, he desperately knawed at the vine, glancing back into the forest where the pack of monsters could still be heard, hooping and hollering about something.
Whatever it was that got them riled up, even more than when the were hunting him, Ezekiel hoped beyond hope that it wouldn't take an interest in him.
Finally, the vine gave way, allowing him to drop down to the ground, and mistakenly stabbing himself on the way. "Arrgh!"
Looking down at the wound, he could see the dagger embedded into his side. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew it wasn't supposed to be there. He also knew not to take it out or he'd quickly bleed to death.
Unfortunately, he might not have much of an option, as a distorted voice caught his attention. "A lost human cub, wandering around my forest? What a treat!"
Turning to see, Ezekiel went pale when he saw what had been in his nightmares for years. A tall...something. It was made completely out of vines, forming a humanoid shape that seemed to shift and change as it reacted to the world around it. There was also a deep set of red eyes staring hungry daggers into the blood seeping into the ground, and a crown of thorns running from the thing's temple all the way down to its chest, where it formed a small ritualistic symbol.
A Druid.
Panicking, Ezekiel scrambled backwards away from the thing, trying and failing to get enough distance from the thing. Unfortunately for him, this Druid or any for that matter, wouldn't let that happen.
A new vine wrapped around his legs, holding him in place as the master drew closer, using vines to move itself via the arching branches overhead.
It leaned in close, seemingly taking in his scent despite the fact that it had no nose. "Hmm, yes. You will serve as perfect fertilizer for my children."
It reached its 'hand' out to grab him, but it seemed that Lady Luck had yet to forsake him. A glowing arrow pierced the bundle of vines that made up the limb, causing them to sizzle and catch flames, forcing the Druid to back off.
Looking up to where the arrow came from, both the Druid and Ezekiel took in the image of a towering man. He couldn't see him well in the dark, but he could see one feature that he had heard of only in stories: A distinct, silver necklace hanging from his neck.
The Druid hissed, clutching his vines closer to its center of mass. "Griever!"
The hunter didn't give it time to speak, firing another arrow from the crossbow attached to his wrist, causing another short fire on the beast. Not wanting to face such a man, the Druid took its losses and scurried away, vanishing into the night.
Sighing in apparent disappointment, the Griever closed the contraption that was his arm mounted launcher, then looked tonthe still bleeding figure of Ezekiel.
Walking over to him, he took a knee, gently lifting the shirt to get a better look. Seeing the dagger firmly planted in his side, the hunter sighed before leaning back, looking Zeke in the eyes.
The Griever's eyes held a deep look of contemplation, as if what he was deciding was life or death. Or just really annoying. Sighing again, he gently picked the kid up, holding him princess carry as to not disturb his wound.
"What's your name, kid?" He asked, his burly voice echoing through the now silent forest.
"Cough, Ezekiel."
The hunter grunted out a name. "Yule."
The both of them fell silent for a long time as Yule carried Zeke off into the dark. Along the way, they passed a group of torn up bodies, grey and lifeless.
It would seem that Yule was the monster that killed these...gouls. Recognizing this fact, Ezekiel only let himself relax, knowing that he was in good hands. That and the blood loss combined, and he was out cold sooner rather than later, being carried off to the next chapter of his life by a man many would rather call a monster, than a human.