Chapter 3 (Am I still writing this?)

Betrayal

It was a little past mid-day. The sun still burned bright in the sky over the open dirt plain. Silence flew over the mountain ranges and through the tree branches of the wood. There was a stillness about the place, an unsealing calmness that slowly gnawed away at confidence. Far off a babbling stream was the only sound for miles. This place was bewitching.

A million thoughts raced through Unn's mind. She'd been part of the Queen's Legion since the age of  six. She'd been educated in the strategies of war, combat training, and to live by her instincts, but above all else loyalty was ingrained in her. Her actions of this day had ultimately caused her to turn her back on that virtue. Or maybe she'd found something more important to be loyal to. She needed a plan, no matter how foolish. Despite her extensive training and knowledge of a well planned strategy, nothing seemed to fit together in Unn's mind. She'd have to figure something out eventually, all these humans were counting on her. 

The group made their way towards the woods. Unn at the front, Sassa taking up the rear. The plan was for Sassa to join them until a good hiding spot was found. Beside Unn marched the dark skinned boy who had introduced himself as Ronald. Followed by Mr. Willis who was unnervingly quiet, then the big tough girl, some boys and near the back slowly trudging along were two girls, both unsure and worried. 

They walked in silence. Every couple of minutes Ronald would glance over at Unn and the tough girl would glance at Ronald. 

Stop looking at me like that! Unn thought. The thoughts traveled from Unn's mind and entered Ronald's causing him to react as though he had been slapped across the face. Stunned and still rather confused by his new discovery that telepathy is real.

As they reached the permitter of the woods the two girls halted.

Through broken sobs one girl shouted, "What is happening?! None of this is real! None of this is real!" She fell to her knees shaking and curling her head downwards into the dirt. The other girl who had been walking with the crying girl knelt down beside her and hugged her, rocking her gently back and forth.  

"Keep her quiet!" Unn hissed, as everyone unwillingly made their way back to the commotion. 

"Alice, you need be quiet. It's going to be okay," the kneeling girl said encouragingly. 

"Maybe this is all a sick joke. Just go along with it. We'll be beside you," the big girl said pulling Alice to her feet. 

Sassa looked to her sister, concern over taking her. Her eyes pleaded with her sister's. Unn knew what Sassa wished to do, but she also knew what toll it would take on her little sister's strength. Unn looked away and regretfully nodded. Sassa went and stood before Alice. She wiped the tears from Alice's puffy, red cheeks and then stared deep into the emptiness of the human's eyes. Alice could not pull her gaze from Sassa's, in a trance the connection could not be broken. The longer Sassa looked at Alice, the wider Alice's eyes grew as she and her mind fell deeper and deeper into the swirling galaxy that laid beyond Sassa's emerald eyes. A calm swept over Alice. A stillness settled over her. Sassa released the human as the young creature's strength left her. The other girl held onto Alice as she went limp for a moment. For a second time that day Unn rushed to catch her sister. 

"You've used your abilities too much today," Unn reprimanded Sassa, even though what she truly felt for her sister was complete worry. 

"I know," Sassa whispered. 

"You don't have the strength to continue on with us. Stick to the plan. I will somehow figure out how to send you a signal. Then meet us at the doorway of the Fountain of Ing-gard, past the eastern hills. If I have found the right spell, we may see each other again."

Sassa looked out to the open sky. Far off in the distance a dark cloud formed, moving in their direction.

"Looks like a rain cloud," Alice's friend Dawn observed.

"That's not a rain cloud. That's the Queen's legion," Unn said, hopelessness filling her voice. While everyone stared out at the sky, with what little strength she had left, Sassa entered back into her trance, compelling herself to be transported to be amongst the approaching legion. As her subconscious flew along side the general and his army she could sense that they knew exactly where the humans and her sister were resting. 

"They know!" Sassa shouted as she snapped back to her body. The group turned to look at her. "Somehow a signal is being sent from this very spot, letting General Manning know where we are!" Everyone then turned to look at Unn.

"It's not me! I swear!" Unn insisted as the humans slowly advanced at her. 

"Where's Mr. Willis?" Ronald asked, pausing in his tracks. They all looked around, but their teacher was no where to be seen. Unn held her amulet in her hand and closed her eyes, she mumbled a spell and out from the orb a hazy, dim light shot out moving around trees like a dog tracking fowl. The beam of light, only seen by Unn filled the woods, making visible all that was in actuality invisible. Unn moved around bush and rock, peaking behind tree and stump as if time had slowed around her. Her companions frozen and yet still moved at the pace of a snail. She moved through her conjured haze until it brought her to what she was looking for. There stooped over was Mr. Willis, hands clasped around a silver crystal, eyes rolled back, the whites filling the sockets, his lips mumbling and trembling rapidly as the ancient language fell from his lips; a tracking spell, sending out a message to the approaching army. 

"Elf," Unn gasped under her breath. As she did, Mr. Willis turned and snarled at her, showing his teeth, that had become long and jagged. He dropped the crystal and his invisibility fell with it. The group had heard his growl and they came running.

"Oh my god!" One of the boys shouted. Mr. Willis no longer looked like Mr. Willis; what little hair he had left on his balding head had become long, and stringy, he was suddenly bone thin and his skin was gray, hunched over, sunken eyes, large pointed ears and of course, his manglement of sharp teeth, poking through his cracked lips. The group formed a circle around the elf, his back up against a tree. Frantically the elf looked for a way out of the circle, his beety eyes settled on the boy who had shouted upon the discovery of this new creature, this boy incidentally was the smallest in the group. The elf lurched forward towards the boy, tackling him to the ground, biting, clawing and gnawing at the boy. Screams of anguish echoed through the woods as the small boy tried to fight off his attacker.

"Kevin!!!" Dawn shouted.

Unn drew her sword, the old handle tarnished and dull, but the blade while starting to become discolored from past owners' lack of care, Unn had made sure to always keep it sharp. She came at the elf swift, taking his head clean off with one blow. The girls screamed, the boys gasped in horror and amazement. The head landed on the forest floor, rolling slightly through the freshly fallen autumn  leaves and became nestled under some twigs and branches. Unn went to push the body that had now fallen front first on top of Kevin.

He's too still. She looked up quickly at Ronald, to make sure he got the message. Ronald knelt down beside her to help with the remains of the elf. Kevin's still body laid, as if frozen by an early winter frost. His blank eyes stared up into the tree tops, piercing through space to the very dome of the sky. Ronald held back what he felt inside; rage, anger, hurt, pain, sadness. He looked away. He turned and got up looking at his classmates unsure how to tell them. Unn covered the dead boy's face with her hands and began speaking under her breath an ancient prayer of death and passage from this life to the next.

"He's dead," Ronald spoke, his voicing breaking, as though his brain and his lips could not, would not believe his words to be true.

Alice still in her trance did not respond but her fingertips quivered slightly as though the sadness in the air was a breeze chilled by frost and cold. The others so shocked by what had happened stood still unable to move, not sure if they should cry or scream or punch something. Except for the big girl, who's name was Syl, she grabbed Unn by the shoulders before Unn could finish her prayer. Syl pushed Unn to the ground beside the dead boy, pinned her down and clutching her fist she punched Unn straight in the face.

"Stop!" Sassa cried out from a distance.

"This is all her fault!" Syl shouted continuing to punch the slender creature. Blood began to pour from Unn's nose, her lip split from the rings on Syl's fingers, bruises quickly began to form.

Although weak, Sassa rushed behind Syl. A bow appeared in Sassa's hand and the creak of an arrow being drawn echoed beside Syl's ear.

"I said, stop!"

Syl stopped punching and Sassa lowered her bow, which began to fade into invisibility. Syl looked back at Sassa glaring, but when she turned back to Unn. Unn was on her feet, her face pale as ever, not a blemish or bruise or drop of blood was present. Though half the size of Syl, she took the human by the neck, lifted her off the ground and shoved her up against a tree.  She stared deep into the now traumatized girl's eyes. Behind those eyes Unn could see a little girl, scared and lost. Unn loosed her grip slightly but before letting go completely, I can be your friend, or I can be your enemy. Never touch me again!