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"Hey, wait up!" the squealy voice whined. The sound rang clearly through the trees causing the elven to stop and sigh.
"If you truly wanted to come," the elf said over his shoulder, "then you would catch up and stay that way."
The little neko didn't have a verbal answer, but she did run faster. With a heaving chest, she skid to a stop by him. The elf merely chuckled and continued with his long-strided walk. The trees passed by quickly as the time flew. They had been walking through these woods for days after he had left his village. He didn't know why he had left... he just had. And the annoying little creature had followed him. Even now, as he glided easily through the trees, the little neko struggled.
"Wait..." he said, holding a hand up silence her.
"Awwww, what for?" she whined. "Daravin! How come you haven't told me where we're goin' yet?"
Daravin sighed, waiting for the little neko to catch up. When she stopped by him to catch her breath, his slender hands wrapped around her face, hiding her mouth. "I said be quiet," he hissed into her ear. As she sulked quietly behind his hand, he looked up and around, at the trees. It was quiet.... very quiet. Not a bird would sing and the breezes of this season seemed to be hiding from something. His brow furrowed as he thought.
"Hmmm..... do ya think he saw me?" The little being whispered to its self. The lean, black-furred body moved along the branch, the sun dappeling glistening fur. "Hmmmrow," it purred. "No, not yet.... not yet." I have been following him too long.... yes, too long, he shouldn't see me yet. At least not untill he returns to his village so I can see it.
"Hmm..... guess it was nothing...." Daravin muttered. "Just nothing." He looked down. "Kat, next time I say quiet, I mean it." The little neko nodded and he removed his hand from her mouth. Katarina huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away from him. Daravin merely grinned to himself. Maybe now it will be a little quieter. he thought, continuing to walk on. Kat followed, still pouting.
The shadowy being grinned, the pearly fangs vibrant in the shadows. Without a sound, it followed the two on the ground, leaping from tree limb to tree limb.
"Wow....." the voice drifted from the hood. "Hmm..... this is interesting....." The man had been watching from behind the tree. Let's see what happens. He moved on, following the two as well.

"This is excellent......" the silver tone muttered. A hand hidden by a strange, black cloth waved momentarily, dispersing the cloud that had shown the being the images of the people coming. "They are just in time, too," the voice continued sadly, "Time has been running out for this world."

"Hey!" Kat exclaimed. "Do ya smell that?"
".......No," Daravin paused before answering.
"But I do!" she exclaimed before dashing off.
"Kat!" Daravin yelled after her. "Kat!" All he could hear were the crunching of leaves under her feet before they were silenced. A moment later, he heard her squeal. "Kat!" he gasped, running after her.
"Ya!" the male voice yelled as a brown-cloaked individual landed in front of him. A large blade whistled through the air to strike the elf. Daravin grabbed the man's hand, twisting the blade from his grip. He shoved the man out of the way before continuing to run. He found her, sitting on the ground and staring at something.
"Hey!" Daravin turned from the girl to see the man. He was covered in leaves and a little red in the face. "That wasn't fair! Give me my sword back!" Daravin tossed the sword to the side before looking back over at what it was that Kat was staring at.
Before them stood twin oaks of massive size. His eyes traveled up to their great heights before looking back down. Between the two trees seemed to be a different part of the same forest. It was a clearing, but not just a clearing. The light seemed clearer, the colors more... pure. And, in the middle of the clearing, the air seemed to ripple and vibrate. Daravin was curious. Patting Kat's shoulder, he took a few steps forward. The branches of the oaks dipped momentarily before springing up. This had caused Kat to gasp, but Daravin didn't notice.
"Wow....." the other man whispered, standing behind the little neko.
Daravin walked forward, stopping and looking down. At his feet was a bed of coals. Though they were dim, they glowed with a surprising life and warmth. The air rippled from the heat. But this wasn't what his eyes were fixed on. Nested in the middle of the coals was an.... egg. Its ruby surface seemed more brillant with the air dancing around it, making the surface shimmer even more brilliantly. "Wow...." he muttered.
"Be careful," the silver voice warned. Daravin jumped, looking back. Leaning against one of the oaks was a strange being. It seemed neither male nor female, but he was unable to to see from the hooded robes the being wore. The cloth seemed not only black, but it seemed to absorb the light. And while there was no breeze, the cloth was in constant motion.
"E-excuse me?" he asked.
"I just warned you to be careful," it said again. "If you aren't the one for that egg, it will strike you down." When he cast a quick glance down at the little egg, a small chuckle drifted from the shadowy hood. "Fear not, Daravin. You may very well be the one it seeks.
"Hey, how did you know my name?" Daravin demanded.
"Because I do," the being answered. "Please, tell Garnet, Damian, and little Kat to come in here as well."
Daravin looked at Kat and the man, the Damian. He motioned to them. Damian frowned and stood still, but Kat jumped to her feet, dashing to Daravin. "Hey!" she said. "What is it?" she asked, looking around. She didn't see the eggs. but her eyes did stop on the cloaked being. "Who are you?"
"I am," was the answer. It glided forward, into the gate of the oaks. "Here, now. Come here, Garnet and Damian."
Damian started, then jumped when he heard the loud thud behind him. "Hey!" a new voice schreeched from behind him. He turned in time to see a blur of black streak by. "How did you know my name?!"
"Please, come in," the being said, turning and walking around the clearing. Damian sheathed his sword, walking forward. Since it seemed neccessary that the black-furred being to come along, he grabbed the female's arm and dragged her forward into the clearing with the other two. As he strode forward and they both entered the protection of the clearing, a thick wall of thorny bushes began to grow quickly. They blocked the entrance while trapping them inside. Daravin looked over at the being angrily.
"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed.
"Protecting," the being answered. "Now, pick an egg."
:"What?" Daravin asked, a little shocked.
"Now. Pick an egg," it said again. "Pick the one you are most drawn to."
Daravin sighed, rolling his eyes. While he was talking, Kat had crouched down and began to examine the egg. While the elf had broken out into a sweat just standing near the egg, she felt only a slight warmth. "Wow...." she breathed, reaching out and gently stroaking the eggs surface. It was warm and radiated with life. "So pretty..." A loud giggle followed this, ringing through the air, causing Kat to leap backwards. "W-w-who..."
"I do believe she likes you," the silvery voice said from beside the little neko. Kat looked up at the blackness.
"Really?" she asked before moving closer to the egg again. "Umm... hi?"
"Hello," a cheery voice flowed from the egg's shell.
The little neko sat by the coals, picking up the egg. She cradled it in her lap, stroking its surface.
"This is good," the being said to the elf. Daravin was looking at it with a mix of emotions. He had no idea who or what this thing was and it had just trapped him and Kat in here with a random creature and a man that had just attacked him... tried to attack him. Speaking of which... Daravin looked over at the man. He was kneeling by one of four eggs. This shell of this egg seemed to be made of sapphires, all shimmery and shining. It rested at the bottom of a bowl of clear crystal water. Hmm.... amazing....
Damian reached out, his hand reaching down through the water to gently touch the shell of the egg. "Wow...." he breathed. "Amazing."
"Hee ha ha ha," the voice of the egg replied. "More of an amazement than you." The sound bubbled up from the bottom.
Damian's jaw dropped, his eyes growing huge. "Y-you speak," he gasped.
"Well, don't act amazed," it answered. "Hey, aren't you going to pick me up?" Damian, a little shaken, answered picking it up, the water cascading from its shell..
As this was happening and everyone's attention was on the eggs, Garnet had snuck over to the wall. She pulled from her pocket a small sheet of stiff cloth. Her hands lost the feline appearance as she quickly folded it. Before finishing the folding, she whispered something into it before finishing the square fold. It dissapeared in smoke.
"Will you not choose one of the eggs?' the black cloaked being asked.
Garnet jumped, looking up at the being. "Um, uh, I... yes," she answered, scrambling to her feet. For some reason the being was making her very uncomfortable. She, while looking over her shoulder at the being, knelt by what seemed to be a bush. She sighed, looking in boredly. Then she gasped, her jaw dropping. Nestled within the branches was an emerald-shelled egg. "Wow...."
"Hey, get me out of here," a small voice said from within the bush. Garnet jumped, answering by digging into the bush and pulling it out.
"Now you," the being said to Daravin. "You are the only one without an egg." It had been watching all of this and now seemed to be a little more uneasy than it was making them feel.
Daravin rolled his eyes before reaching out and picking up the last of the four eggs. It had been floating within the hold of a small whirlwind of air. It now rested in his hands like a sleeping child.
"Now, we will see if you are worth this," the being said as it faded.
"Hey, wait a second!" Damian yelled. He tried to walk away, but before he could the water from the basin slinked from the hold of this bowl to wrap around his leg, winding up it. "Whoa whoa whoa!" he yelled as it climbed higher. It swirled around his hand and then around the egg.
Daravin's attention was drawn to him. He didn't care about that random idiot. Then Kat squealed. "Help!" she squealed again as the embers wrapped around her arms and hands, wrapping around the egg. He tried to run to her, but the wind from the nest of his egg held him immobil, whirling around him and the egg. He strained against the wind, trying to move towards Kat. Then he suddenly fell forward, stumbling towards his friend. "Are you okay?" he asked the little girl.
"Y-yes.," Kat gasped. He sat back, breathing deeply and sitting back. Kat was not looking at him, however, but at the eggs. They were now wrapped in what looked like silk cocoons, each a gemstone color. Her own egg was now hidden by crimson cloth with a strange creature blooming in gold and orange as well as crimson.
"You all should be going," the silver voice of the black being echoed around the clearing. "And remember, stay together...."
"What was that supposed to mean?" Damain demanded.
"I dunno," Kat answered, standing up. She had no need to hold the egg nor its new bag. Instead of holding it, a strap had formed around her and held the bag on its own.
Daravin wasn't talking, but looking at the briars that surrounded them. They were dying, fading from life. Then they suddenly weren't there, but a whole lot of trouble suddenly was. Around them seemed to be a half of the legion. "RUN!" he yelled. He picked Katarina up, running quickly. She squirmed from his arms, crawling over his shoulder to ride on his back.
He tore off, drawing his sword and quickly cutting a path through all of the shadows between him and freedom. His blade flashed and danced, cutting through the dark flesh. Kat clung to him, burying her face in his back. She didn't want to see what was happening to them.
A few moments later, Daravin broke free. When Kat looked back, she could see that they were being followed closely. She gestured, a blast of spelled wind throwing a few of them back. Another gesture and a small bolt of electricity zapped another.
Damian, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed. He cut his own path with his blade, yet followed the other male. "Hey! Wait up!" the man yelled, cutting at the shadows. They pressed in on all sides, trying to drown him in darkness. Hr broke from them only to be pulled back. He looked down, scowling. The strap of his bag glowed a brilliant blue from between the shadowy hands. His blade came up, cutting off the hands in question.
This time when he got away his legs carried him away quickly as he fled the scene.
Garnet cast a look at their leader, nodding before turning away. The black fur vanished, turning into downy feathers, the tail vanishing and wings sprouting from her shoulders. She took to the air, easily flying over the heads of the others. The emerald bag threw her balance off just a little but she quickly found it again. She had to keep up with the others.
The trees flew by in a blur, paid no mind by the harried elf nor the one who rode upon his back. Damian was looking behind him, looking forward from time to time to avoid trees. The same trees were peppered by arrows and throwing knives in their wake.

"So it begins," the black cloaked being said to its self. While they fought below, it had watched and it watched even now as the Bearers ran and the Legion followed. "Lets see how this will end."