Ever Realm

At your head sits a graceful pure white cat it's tail curled about its feet. It looks at you through half closed lids and purrs contentedly. It has wings growing from its back that are folded neatly and tightly behind it.

Suddenly, your attention is attracted away from the cat when a beautiful women steps out of the shadows. She has blue hair bound loosely to the top of her head and she stands about 6 feet tall. You are so stunned by the face that you don't even notice that the feet that she is walking on have no toes. Yet as she turns, you notice that her legs are actually the thin powerful legs of a horse, and there are four of them! She is a mythical centaur! She like the other two creatures also has a pair of wings.

Strapped over her shoulder is a quiver full of arrows and she carries a long bow at her side. She strides calmly towards you here eyes, bluer even then her hair stare straight into your sole. Then in a voice so quite you can just barely tell that she is speaking a language unknown to you, she speaks a word. At this the griffin steps off you stomach and walks toward the centaur curling itself between her legs and coming to stand next to her. She walks up to you and gently nudges you with one hoof.

You hurry to your feet only to find that she towers over you. She points into the distance and shoves you in that direction. You start to walk and find that the griffin is close beside you watching your every move carefully. You decide it would be best to just follow orders. You would rather not like to become part of that creature's dinner.

The cat ranges before you leading the way with tail high and ears pricked forward. Behind you can here the soft clip-clop of the centaur's hooves on the forest floor. And keeping pace beside you, the griffin. You follow the cat deeper into the forest. Here the trees grew thicker and the waning light barely pierced the canopy.

You walk for what seems like an hour until you are walking in almost total darkness. The white fur of the cat seems to glow in the distance lighting your path. As you peer into to the stifling darkness, you see a faint glow appear before you. As you continue to walk towards it, you realize that it is a fire. In fact, it's a campfire. You walk closer and closer to the circle of light and right before you enter it, you feel a hand on your shoulder.

You turn and the centaur holds her hand up in front of her and then points at you and then at your feet. You understand that she wants you to stay here. She turns to the griffin and murmurs something to it, and the creature comes and lies in front of you. The centaur didn't have to worry, you wouldn't move with that beast watching over you. The centaur then continues into the circle of light. You turn to watch her and notice for the first time a young lady sitting near the fire. She is staring up at the stars through a small clearing in the canopy. She has long red hair that falls softly to the middle of her back. She seemed to be about 19 or 20 years old.

The centaur walks over to the lady and gently lays her hand on the woman's shoulder. The woman jumps slightly and shakes her head causing her hair to shimmer with little bolts of fire. She turns slowly a wistful look on her faces and speaks quietly to the centaur. They converse in the strange language that you heard before the centaur gesturing over toward where you are standing. The lady peers into the darkness squinting slightly to try and make out what it is that the centaur has brought. Then after a few moments she motions the centaur to bring you over.

The centaur comes over and grabs your arm and guides you into the light. You are taken to stand before the young lady and from her you notice that her eyes are a beautiful green color. She looks at you curiously and then speaks to you in her strange language. You look puzzled and shrug. She tries another language and again you shrug. She tries several other languages and each is just as unintelligible as the first.

Finally, she speaks English, "What are your motives in this forest?"

"I just got lost! I don't know where I am!" You respond.

"Are we to believe this?" she questions raising an eyebrow. "How are we to know that you are not a spy from the Northerners?"

"I don't even know who the Northerners are! How can I be one of them?"

"A likely story, however I know how you can prove you worthiness. Will you except my test?"

You look at her questioningly but by the tone of her voice you decide its best not to go against this lady. "I suppose."

With that she stands and walks toward you. She is about 5'10" and walks with a smooth even gate. AS she moves, the black cloak that was wrapped around her shoulders falls open and reveals a sword. The hilt is made of a red wood with gold bands around it that have some design that is indistinguishable in the dim fire lit. At the end is a blue stone that winks at you. The sword seems wickedly long and immediately you become frightened. She walks up to you and motions you to follow her. She takes you away from the fire and into a dark clearing. At the other side you can barely make out the figure that sits there waiting.

As you approach the man, you notice that he is bond tightly with ropes and that a gag is in his mouth. The lady stops in front of the man then a sharp ring cuts the silence as she turns on you with her sword drawn. At first you cower away from her but then she turns the blade over and hands it to you hilt first. You take the sword in your hand.

She looks you straight in the eye and says, " This is a Northerner. We caught him two days ago. If you are truly with us then you will kill him now. "