De Sacrificia - The Fifth Stone

"Dammit, " she swore, tightening the makeshift bandaged around the soft green leather top she wore which clasped behind her neck in a body suit, her shoulders left mostly exposed for flexibility's sake. The feathered shaft of an arrow protruded painfully from the blade until she could spare a moment to heal it, causing her breathing to be slightly erratic and her plain yet still exotic features to crinkle in a grimace when she moved. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.. Oh, Goddess.."

Inhaling deeply, Iactura took off again, heading even deeper into the dark forest which was once in her childhood a place to play, and now in her adulthood was a place for war. The leather of her boots made no noise as she streaked through the old familiar pathways, the only sound the tiny tinkling of the tin bells on her laces and the whisper of the wind through her thick brown hair that streamed behind her like a galloping mare's mane. Feathers interwoven through smaller braids caught the light, their myriad colors strangely cheerful through the shouts of war. More tin bells sparkled from her locks and from the lenth of her right ear, which held an earring that pierced through the top of her sharply pointed ear and a second time halfway down, then a third through the lobe, bearing her distinctively artistic own design, as was the custom when one came of age.

Her tanned legs flashing through the slits in her loincloth, onwards she ran, seeking those who went missing not long ago when their camp was raided - her Spirit Brother and Sister Aesta and Ver. Her eyes closed as she continued to sprint, abandoning the fleeing remnants of her troop of soulfighters, thinking of the two who were so important to her, she would not bear leaving them behind. Ver with his sparkling brown eyes and striking wit, whose hugs could melt the heart of an icicle, fresh from the cold of winter. He was the older brother she had never had, but had always wanted; never was he too busy for her, nor too involved in his own matters to lend an ear for her babbling, and for that she was ever grateful, for she knew she was a weakling, and she knew she was a bother, but never once did he balk at her for such.

And the same could be said for Aesta whose endless and gentle patience were of Goddess quality, strongly drawn from their green-born mother it was said. Her golden hair, like sunshine, would cascade upon her shoulders like the light of a summer's day, and where Ver was as refreshing as a cool spring storm, Aesta was as warm and welcoming as a pleasant day in June. Her hands were the slender hands of a Caretaker, and soon, when this war was ended, she would take her place in the green ranks and help with the maintenence of the forest. Ver would most definately be an KinRider, or one of the red-mantled people who walked the forest and aided the animals like the far-roving rangers they were. But Iactura knew Ver would never go far.. his heart was too close to where they were now.

Iactura herself had no occupation to look forward to, no sense of calling. Her life was bound to be one of the meaningless, and though this saddened her, she knew her Fate, and was going to meet it gladly, no matter the outcome. Always had Fate pulled her in one direction, and she trusted for Fate to lead her feet on the path meant for her, as they all must, in one way or another, no matter what roots of pain and sorrow they were to trip over. Her ears pricked at the sound of a voice in the nearing distance and her footsteps slowed, breaking her from her reverie. Silently, like a panther stalking her prey, she slid up alongside a tree that blocked her from view.

".. and turn these people into the mines, if you so choose to take them prisoner. I wouldn't care less.. though these two should make an interesting.. pair for servitude. Mayhaps even entertainment to throw to the lions!" The voice cut off with a cackling shriek and Iactura's eyes narrowed as she slipped closer. That voice belonged to the one who started these wars.. Acerbe. The hag was as bitter to look as her voice sounded, all shrivled from the beauty she once was into a prune of a being with long, gnarled fingers and nails like the talons of an aging Harpy. Her voice scraped like metal upon old, rusted and unoiled metal, assaulting the ear with its unearthly dulcitones, though she was said to have been at one time a magnificent beauty eaten away by hatred and ambition, two things remote and unassociated with Iactura's people, who were the gentle spirits of nature, now forced to fight for their forest.

Iactura rounded the tree enough to see Ver and Aesta bound and gagged at the base of a tree across the clearing. Acerbe's back was to her as she tiptoed around the outskirts of the clearing, mildly surprised at the lack of guards, but her surprise turned to alarm as she silently reached to cut her friends' bonds with her dagger and felt a flowing sensation around her hand, only to see a putrid red energy streaming like an unholy demon around her hand. She yelped and dropped her dagger, and Acerbe cackled wickedly.

"What's this? A new little one come to join her friends?" Involuntarily, Iactura was bourne forward by invisible hands, held up face to face with the haggardly and gory features of Acerbe. The grey, hooked nose wrinkled as the beady, pig-like eyes studied her from the deep recesses that were her eye sockets. Thin, straggly white hair blew about her face as Iactura could only stare and pray to be loosed for a second long enough to untie her friends.

"Yes.. I do believe you'll make a tasty snack for my pretties.. with your friends."

As if on cue, three black panther-like demons padded into the clearing, their forms blurred as if they were walking shadows. Their tails writhed and hissed like snakes, and their eyes were wild, untamed, battling with their claws as being the most fearsome aspect about them. Iactura gulped quietly, watching the three pad towards their Mistress.. right at her.

"There's my good pretties. Care for a midday snack?" With that, Acerbe's unseen forces threw Iactura back onto the grund, near her friends' feet. Scrabbling to her knees, she could do little but watch as the shadows leapt for her and her friends. Useless again. Perhaps that was all she was meant to ever be.

"NoooOOOOOOOO!" The scream, it took Iactura a moment to realize, came from her own throat as she lunged at the beasts, meeting them halfway. Once more she was surprised, this time to learn that these beasats were in fact solid, and as she wrestled with them, a voice spoke to her deep within.. and she knew.

Casting the demons aside, she rolled to Aesta's and Ver's side, who both wore stunned and slightly frightened looks on their faces, and palmed her dagger once more, slashing their bonds and freeing them. Quietly, she looked at them both with her warm brown eyes and smiled a bit, seeing their imminent futures so bright in the tears shining from their eyes.

"Go.." Iactura whispered fiercely. "Go and don't ever look back."

"But.." they protested.

"GO!" was her only reply as she whirled to face the snarling Acerbe, leaving her friends to stagger upwards weakly and as Ver slid an arm around Aesta to support her, cast only once glance back before disappearing into the forest with her, silently vowing to himself to be back for her when Aesta was safe.

Now Iactura faced off with the cause of the pain and sorrow in her people, the wench that had forced her peaceful people to arms, and her rage boiled over. No longer was she the quiet, calm little friend that everyone had known,. but became in that one instant the avenger she had always been in a place deep inside where a secret had been locked away since her birth. The clearing again swelled with energy, but this time it glowed golden and green, like the sunshine through the forest leaves. She blinked to find this energy as her own, but then gritted her teeth and embraced her destiny as one who works with magick must make a choice when their untrained resources are unleashed, and she clasped this decision to herself as she spread her arms to the sky, giving herself over to her Lady.

The pain-filled baying of the demon creatures was the only sound that echoed from the clearing for several long moments after its source has been silenced, ringing through the trees and out over the sky. Those who fought on Acerbe's side knew their battle was over and turned to flee, leaving the people of Iactura to stand puzzled fom where they themselves had been fleeing a moment earlier, but few knew why the invaders had fled. And, truth be told, at that moment, few cared.

But as Aesta and Ver padded quickly back to where they had left Iactura, sensing a change in their environment, they were met with a sight that truly startled their eyes. Four stones stood in a semicircle like a silent monument, or tombstone, and on the opposite side from where one small woman had made her last stand stood a fifth stone that hummed with a gentle energy, a protective, loving energy that soothed the two friends' weeping for a moment. The wind whispered softly and touched the fifth stone, a soft tinkling heralding the fall of a brigh flash of silver. Ver picked it up reverently.. Iactura's earring, still warm, and imprinted with her symbol, the star.. he gently tucked it into the breast pocket of his leather vest and lead Aesta out of the clearing, tears running down both their faces for the sacrifice their friend had made.. her parting gift for the world in which she didn't quite fit in.

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