Dark night in the forest. (Alistair)[QR]

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

"Kólasi!... Kólasi!!"

Was the voice of a young teen which was heard deep in the forest. No one got into the forest just like that, everyone knew that the forest was a dangerous place to be and that who ever got into that place should take at least its sword with it, if not a monster could kill that person right there without thinking about it.

But she didn't think about that in that moment, she was looking for her 'puppy' as she called it, it was a hellhound and Elizabeth McKinnon was the name of the girl who was looking for the hell beast. And why would she be looking for such creature in that dangerous place? Well it was easy to explain, she was Hades' daughter and she was able to summon hellhounds whenever she wanted.

"Kólasi!! I'm not playing now... you shouldn't be out here!" she said and frowned looking around, she wasn't wearing her armor, she forgot her sword and daggers back in the cabain, just because the hellhound heard a satyr and ran after it. She ran after her pet-hellhound and well the rest is too long to explain, but she had been looking for it for hours, now the sun was setting and the forest got even more dangerous at night.

"I can't go back without him, if he kills someone in the camp, it will be my fault and father would take away that ability from me." she said as she continued walking. Suddenly there was some weird sounds, foot steps seemed to be. "Hello?" she said and looked around, she wasn't afraid of darkness or creatures, she could hide in a shadow, but there were some creatures that could follow her, she didn't like that thought.

That sound again, she frowned trying to identify the person or creature that was approaching. "Hello?..." she kind of sang that last word.

[Alistair Theirin]

Alistair had been off in the forrest doing what he called his devotional. They were prayers for his uncle and for the gods. There were prayers to the gods for all sort of things. he felt good, energized. His spiritual needs had been met. He found that being spiritual was better then being a religious zealot. Alistair shouldered his shield and his longsword before hopping down from zeus' fist. Rocks crumbled and moved as he deftly landed and padded off in the forest. His feet were dexterious and he moved fairly silently through the woods. Alistair didn't mean to be fairly quiet, but he did it with a learned talent. He hadn't spend so much time learning his technique. It was from all of his years training for fencing.

As he made his way through the woods, Alistair keep a hand on the hilt of his sword before he came to a clearing. There was such a singsong voice calling out to whomever was scrounging around in the underbrush. That critter scrounging around happened to be himself. Alistair looked around and spotted Beth. She was a rather wonderful child of Hades. She was well spoken and scottish bred. "Wotcher Beth!" Alistair called out in greeting to his friend. It was nice to have a few friends that were females. "You shouldn't be out here this late without a weapon. Mind if I stick around to make sure you are alright?" Alistair offered as he took out his sword and flipped it a few times over in his hands.

Alistair made a few exploratory movements and as he made some practice swings he shouted, “The life so brief, the art so long in the learning, the attempt so hard, the conquest so sharp, the fearful joy that ever slips away so quickly - by all this I mean love, which so sorely astounds my feeling with its wondrous operation, that when I think upon it I scarce know whether I wake or sleep.” He felt a little like an idiot but he also felt like one of the greatest things like one of his hero's the french Cyrano DeBergerac.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Beth listened a bit longer to the footsteps that she was listening at, the night was pitch black, so even for the daughter of Hades, was difficult to see in that darkness, she would have to use her power to travel in the shadows to see in a perfect way, but she didn't want to drain her energy just like that. she needed all of her energy to find her hellhound. She heard a bit more and suddenly she saw something as large as a bear! but when she heard his voice, she relaxed and giggled. "Alistair! Good to see ya out here! you surprised me, I didn't know there was other one out here."

She walked a couple of steps closer to where he was, he was a really handsome guy, tall as a tree and wide as a bear, he was strong but he wasn't a brute man, no... he was reasonable man, well educated and a gentleman, maybe that is what she liked of him the most, she didn't want to admit it, because they were friends, that she had a crush on him, but she would never say a word about it, not unless she knew he felt the same, at least a crush, just like she did.

When he mentioned that she shouldn't be out there without a weapon, she frowned and moved her hand to her hips, she looked down and sighed shaking her head. "I forgot my sword and daggers when I left the cabain. My hellhound just ran into the forest, but I can't leave it out here, all by himself" she said and bit her lower lip, but then he offered her to stay with her while she was out there. She looked up directly into his sweet blue eyes and smiled.

"That would be great, thank you" She said and started walking, then he did some moves with his sword as if he was on stage. Then he said some words, a poem it seemed, then she smiled and nodded. "That is a very good one, Cyrano must be one of the best!" she said and looked at him with a sweet smile. Her mother was a teacher in a public school in Scottland, she loved to read and since Beth was a little girl, she taught her how to read and they read every night before going to bed, so Beth knew a lot of novels and poems.

" 'I think the Moon is a world like this one, and the Earth is its moon.'
My friends greeted this with a burst of laughter. 'And maybe,' I told them,'someone on the Moon is even now making fun of someone else who says that our globe is a world.' "
She acted another of Cyrano's quote and then smiled at Alistair.

They didn't know but a creature was lurking in the shadows, haunting them.

[Alistair Theirin]

"Wait." Alistair threw his arm out to catch beth before she moved again. The dark of the night was thick and they were in the forest to boot. This could end up rather disasterous if things didn't play out just particularly correct. He didn't want Beth to get hurt. His eyes darted from bush to bush, his ears straining for each little sound. But everything was quiet. too quiet for his liking. There were no birds singing and no sound of the little forrest critters scratching amongst the under brush. he really really didn't like this. Alistair drew his sword and his shield.

Suddenly there was a roar and Alistair quickly brought up his shield in the nick of time. A wolf rammed right into the shield. He skidded back a few feet, quickly motioning for Beth to get behind him. His sword glowed brightly with a blue light, making waves amongst the shadows of the tree. "A wolf pack..." Alistair growled as the beast started a relentless assult. its claws scraped against his shield, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake from the claws on iron. "Stay behind me Beth. I don't want you getting hurt." Alistair instructed as he and the alpha wolf started to circle each other.

"Don't break your eye contact with them and don't back down. Wolves respect a pack." Alistair said as a few more wolves started to encircle the two demi-gods. Alistair snarled, bearing his teeth at the wolf in a display of dominance.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Beth had just acted Cyrano's part, when in a fast and slight move, Alistair moved his strong arm and stopped her to keep moving, she frowned at him but then she looked how worried he was, he had heard something that she hadn't. "What is going on?" She looked around trying to see like a Hades child and not like a mortal. a second later, a huge wolf jumped against them and Alistair moved in time to save them both. His shield was the only thing between them and the beast. "Oh, Gods!!"

"I'm so sorry, Alistair... we shouldn't be here... you shouldn't be here..." She got scared, only six months in camp, the only things that have attacked her in the past were government's agents and some campers in the catching the flag exercise, nothing like huge beasts, nothing that would really endangered her life like that, or worst! endangered her life and the life of one of her best friends and even when she didn't want to admit it, her crush too! "I won't move, but let's find a way to go away, I don't want you to get hurt because of me"

When alistair motioned her to move to his back, she fastly moved, she grabbed his shirt's back, and looked at the wolves as they were moving around them. Alistair told her to keep looking at them and not to break the small group they were. "I'm not leaving your side..." she looked at the wolves and bit her lower lips, regreting mentaly to have forgotten her sword in the cabain.

while Alistair was snarling at the wolf, Beth tried to think on a good way to get out of there. "ghosts..." she said and then looked at Alistair. asking ghosts to help them was a jeopardy, They would have to take some of her energy to be able to keep the beasts away from Alistair and herself, but that would drain her energy out, she would be weaker and maybe a burden to alistair when running away. "I'll try something... when the wolves get blocked, you must run alistair... ok?"

She was no hero, she had never been one, but it was her fault to be out there, her hellhound who ran away, her fault forgetting her weapons, not alistair's fault, so she needed to get him out of there! "I need to close my eyes for that... just a second" she said and closed them, just for a second, but she didn't know Wolves, she didn't know that a second could mean death or life! She started calling her closest ghosts, the one she knew from when she first got to the camp, she asked for their help.

[Alistair Theirin]

"Do not look them in the eyes. They take that as a challenge..." The alpha wolf was easy to spot. His pelt was littered with gashes of missing fur patches and scars as he snarled. Some of the other wolves seemed to follow his lead. Alistair never took his eyes off of him, but at the same time he had an ear and eye out for the four others. "Don't do anything, I've got this." Alistair muttered under his breath, trying to not give the wolves any reason to attack. Suddenly the alpha wolf leapt and Alistair charged. The wolf was nearly in the air above his head and alistair spun, keeping his sword aloft as the wolf jammed its breast strait into the blade of Alistairs weapon. He gave the hilt a jerk and there was a high pitched whimper. The other wolves gave a long drawn out howl before bounding off. Alistair's eyes darted back and forth.

"We aren't out of the sticks just yet. There's something else out there more dangerous. I can feel it." Alistair spun his longsword in his hand, giving it a good swing. Blood dripped down his face from a large scratch over his eyebrow. It wasn't anything too bad, he would be alright and it would just need a butterfly stitch or two. He would patch himself up a bit more later. His ears heard everything in the forest, but there was just one problem. "Do you hear that? There's nothing. No birds... no wind... this isn't right. There's something else...." There was a massive crashing sound and alistair quickly brought up his shield. Spikes drove up deep into his shield and a few bounced off.

"You!" Alistair roared as the manticore bounded into the clearing. Alistair charged forward and brandished his sword. There was a low hissing sound of the monster laughing. "It eez not you I want little godling. I want her!" The monster hissed as he tried to reach around Alistair to try and get to Beth. Alistair had gotten that alot. HE was just the son of a minor god but he had the ferocity of a big three. Sometimes he hated being considered a lesser man than them but he made up for it nearly all the time. "Sorry you ugly sot, you'll have to get past me first." Alistair growled at the pair of mismatched eyes. A massive paw swiped at him but it was not fast enough to hit alistair. A quick jap to the underside of the beasts paw and Alstair had drawn blood. "Nice try you blighter" Alistair shouted as he bounced on the balls of his feet, being spry and springy and easily manuverable. His blade flashed as he swiped once more to keep the monster back from his prize.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Beth was glad to have closed her eyes when he mentioned that she shouldn't look at the wolves into their eyes, she was trying to find as many ghosts as she could, maybe five or seven could work even if that drained her energy out. but in that moment the alpha wolf jumped against Alistair, Beth opened her eyes and looked at Alistair, she was frozen out in fear, what would had happened if he got badly injured by that wolf? just for being out there with her?! "NO!" she yelled and several ghosts showed up holding back the other wolves of the pack.

the blood of the alpha wolf just spotted Beth's face when its breast got stabbed by Alistair's sword. She felt sorry for the wolf, she respected every living being on Earth, but she knew that if the wolf hadn't died, then Alistair would be dead by that moment, so she just thought that she would ask her hellhound, after yelling for running away, to lead the wolf to the hell of beasts, it would be really happy there eating evil humans. Alistair talked to her, she looked at him and noticed the scratch on his eyebrow. "you'll let me take care of that at least..." she said pointing at his eyebrow.

But then she frowned when he mentioned that there were no birds sounds or other animal sounds in the forest, it was night so it was normal not to listen to birds, but he was right about the other animals, the nocturne animals! "you're right... but they also leave when my hellhound is out here, so I haven't noticed it or even worried about it..." she was telling him when she heard a horrible crash, she looked to where it came from and she saw a huge Manticore.

"oh... gods..." she said and swallowed trying to hide her fear from the manticore. But Alistair seemed to know it! how did he know that thing?! She moved to get closer to Alistair, but then she heard how the manticore wanted her, why she was of importance to that creature?! "me?... what do you want from me?!" She said and looked at the ghosts that were holding back the wolves, but then she realized that the wolves were there just mingling, even those wolves ran away from the manticore.

But then Alistair told the manticore that it would have to pass through him to get to her. "are you insane?! don't risk your life for me!... Alistair!!" she yelled at him and ran after him, she wouldn't let him give his life for hers, she didn't feel she wouldn't worth others' life, even less Alistair's life who was a perfect banner for justice and good! Then she saw blood coming from the creature's paw. That made her stop and she waited, she looked at her ghosts and breathed deeply. "just watch over him..." she ordered them.

[Alistair Theirin]

"Oh me and this beast of a manticore have met once, right before I tried to take his head off!" Alistair raised his shield and the sound of the monsters tail clanged against the shield, denting it. He would have to take it to the forge later on if he survived this encounter. There was a good chance that he would live, but not while this creature was trying to hurt someone that was dear to his heart. "Stay back Beth! Let me deal with this thing! I won't have you visit your father so soon." Alistair quickly brought his shield up, blocking a massive hit from the paw of the manticore. The force was enough to throw him back. Alistair slammed into a tree, cracking it beneath his massive bulk.

Alistair groaned as the beast pounced on him, his reflexes were enough to keep his sword up and between him and the monster. The manticore snapped its fangs, trying to bite through the celestial bronze sword. "You... will...not...have...her!" Alistair growled as he kicked his legs and struggled his hardest to throw the monster off of him. He lifted weights and worked out in the arena nearly every day, but there was nothing to prepare someone for an actual attack of a monster. The monsters claws whipped back and forth. Alistair hissed as they raked across his bicep and drew blood on top of the gash he had on his forehead.

Alistair drove his knee into the midsection of the beast, throwing it over Alistair's head and into the bushes. He rolled over on his shoulder and came up on his feet. Alistair dove into the bushes quickly after the manticore, but was almost imediately sent flying backwards as he smashed into another tree, massive gashes crossing his chest as he tried to stand to his feet. He planted his sword in the dirt as the Manticore was trying to crash back through the bushes and Alistair started to pray. "By the light clense the unclean, by the light give me vision in darkness, give me strength in weakness, in doubt give me faith. may your light shine upon this earth and those who are worthy will stand!" All around Alistair a bright blue light shown from him and the ground grew to a brilliant color. Alistair stood up and charged right back, his energy revigored.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Alistair told Beth how he met the manticore, they had fought before, at least once! And Alistair survived after fighting the horrible beast. That was a relief to Beth, but still as he was fighting the creature to keep her safe, her heart was squizzed each time the manticore threw a hit against Alistair, even if the young man was such a good fighter, she was concerned about his safety!

Beth listened to his words, how he told her he wouldn't allow the manticore to kill her, she frowned and got up from where she was, shaking her head in slow moves. "I don't fear death!, But my heart trembles at the single idea of you meeting my father before your right time comes!" Her voice showed him anger and fear. Tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw how the Manticore hurt him again and again.

When Alistair was thrown from the bushes to another tree, Beth held back her breath and covered her mouth, she didn't want to seem so weak, but without her daggers, what could she do? She bit her lower lip and then looked at the manticore. "Stop hurting him! I'm here!! you want the blood of Lord Hades' Heir?! come and get it!" She said with more than anger in her whole body, she didn't want Alistair to give his pure and just life for her! She was already living borrowed time!

The ground began to tremble a slight quake was being done by Beth's powers, suddenly she saw a beautiful and warm shine, she looked back and saw Alistair was getting up, he seemed to be in perfect conditions to fight again. "Alistair... no..." she said and the quake stopped. "I don't want you to die for me... please, just don't die..." some other tears ran down her cheeks.

[Alistair Theirin]

Alistair gave a mighty roar as he raised his longsword, a glowing blue light coursed around his weapon. It was almost like a blue fire that licked his sword. "You are a malicious and vile creature. I will have your head mounted on my wall!!" Alistair shouted as he threw his shield at the monster, watching it rebound off of the monster's head before returning to his hand. Alistair charged forward and slashed and spun, stabbing at the beast and dodging his claws with almost little effort. Beth had shouted something at him about not meeting her father before it was his time. Alistair ignored what she was saying for the time being. If he was to meet with lord Hades right here and now, he would go out swinging and defending Beth with every fiber of his being.

Suddenly there was a sickening crunch and Alistair got in a good hit. The look on the manticore's face was priceless. The look of surprised laughter caught the creature in mid hiss as Alistair severed the creatures head from the rest of it's lion like body. The beast fell and evaporated, leaving behind a massive spike from its tail. Alistair let out a sigh as he collapsed to his knees, exhausted. The glowing light that Alistair had concecrated the ground with disapated. The gashes on his body had opened up once again and his shirt spouted crimson lines as his hand went to his chest to try to stem the bleeding. He placed a hand on the tree to try to keep him steady as he once more attempted to rise to his feet. His breath was rapid and he tried to keep his breath calm, or as calm as it could possibly be after a wicked fight like that.

"You're safe now." Alistair said breathlessly, falling down on the ground again. He could feel the Manticore's poision starting to course through his veins. He was lucky that the venom was only to dehibilitate and not to kill. It was painful, oh yes it was very painful. Alistair hissed as he inhaled sharply, there was a massive pain in his side, but it was just a stitch. "Are you alright? No injuries?" Alistair whispered, asking to check on Beth.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Beth looked at Alistair, he was glowing and the blue light around himgave her hope and peace, She walked back and allowed him to fight against the huge beast, she knew that he was fighting to keep her safe, that also gave her some kind of warm feeling inside her chest. Maybe if he survived, she would talk to him, she would do as Allan told her, she would talk to him about her feelings for him.

She saw how Alistair jumped and attacked the manticore, but also how it attacked Alistair back. She listened to his sword clashing against the thick skin of the creature. The sound of the fight would haunt Beth's nightmares for some time. She wasn't used to such violence. Her mother taught her to be a lady, perfect daughter of Lord Hades. but she wished she had been taught to be a warrior, so she could help Alistair in that moment.

Suddenly she heard the scream coming from the manticore, she noticed how the beast faded. Alistair was the only one there, but he didn't seem well. Beth walked some steps at him, at first slowly, then she ran to be at his side. He told her she was safe and asked if she was ok, trying to check if she was injured or not. She looked at him with anger in her eyes, tears were running as waterfalls down her cheeks.

She slapped him in a soft way, not to hurt him but to let him know that she wasn't happy about what he did, risking his life for her, "fool... how could I care more about my safety than about your life and health?" Her voice was low as a lady should speak, but he could feel the anger, pain and fear in her words.Then she wrapped her arms around his torso. she didn't care that her clothes were staining of his blood, she only cared about his warmth and his beating heart.

She then looked up at him, then she kissed his cheek and smiled shyly. "I'm fine, thanks to you. That thing didn't hurt me, it didn't even touch me" she smiled a bit more. "now, please, my shining knight, could you listen to me and come with me to the infirmary..." she put his arm around her shoulders and smiled waiting for his reply, hoping he would accept at least that help from her, from his damsel in distress.

[Alistair Theirin]

“Sorry….Sorry…” Alistair was breathless and the color was starting to drain from his face as he grimaced. He grasped the spike from the manticore that was protruding from his shoulder. It hurt like nothing he had ever seen before. He set his jaw before he pulled out the spike and tossed it aside. He felt cold but his lips moved soundlessly. Alistair licked his lips, but cotton mouth was setting in rather quickly. “Water? Do you have some water?” He asked his voice cracking. His throat hurt and the night air was rather dry for this particular time of the year. His heart was pounding and his head throbbed. Needless to say that was going to be the least of the problem when he got to the infirmary. His shoulders ached and he could only guess at how many bruises he had. The Apollo cabin was really going to have their work cut out for them when he got where he could go.

“You are safe yes? He didn’t get you did he?” Alistair gently touched Beth’s face with a shaking hand. His chest rose and fell slowly. He felt Beth’s hand on his face, gently slapping him. Yes he did something very stupid, but he had to. There was nothing that could keep him from doing the right thing. That meant sacrificing himself for someone with more power, someone who could help keep this camp safer than he could. It was something that he could at least say, that with his dying breath he was able to defend a beautiful woman who was much stronger than he.

“I will go with you… but I cannot walk. I’ve lost a bit too much blood to move.” Alistair gave a small chuckle. Alistair felt her lips on his cheek and he smiled. He raised a weak hand. “Please can you hand me my sword?” Alistair rolled as best he could to his knees and started to chant a small prayer to his mother. Maybe she would listen and grant him a tad bit of healing. There was an answer as he started to glow brilliant blue. Most of his injuries were still there, but his shoulder had healed. “I feel a bit warmer. But I’m not sure that I can still stand.

[Elizabeth McKinnon]

Beth looked at his face, he really looked to be in deep troubles. His usual fair skin was getting paler, maybe as pale as hers and that wasn't good, she looked at the several wound and bruises, they weren't putting his life in risk, what was risking his life was the manticore's wound in his shoulder. Manticore's venom was strong, very few had survived a wound made by a creature like that. "Oh please father, please don't take him with you... don't do that to a brave man like him. He saved my life and that should be enough payment to let him keep his life..."

Beth was praying in his mind, she thought that maybe her father, the Great Hades would listen to her begging and would allow Alistair to live. "“Sorry….Sorry…" Beth looked into his eyes when he talked to her. she breathed deeply holding back the knot in her throat, she didn't want to be a weak crying girl, she wanted to be strong for him. "I know you aren't really sorry. you would do it again if the situation was presented to you..." she shook her head and then smiled tenderly.

When he pulled out the spike form his shoulder Beth shook her head eagerly. "No... let the Apollo children do that!" she said and put her hand on his wound, trying to stop more blood to pour from his wound, he had already lost a lot of blood. Water? Do you have some water?” She shook her head with sorrow in her eyes. "no... I'm not a poseidon's kid... and I'd love to be an apollo's child right now, so I could heal you right now..." a single tear ran down her cheek.

Some hellhounds that weren't hers walked closer to where they were, she knew they came to take Alistair's soul down to the Tartatus. "Father, please! I know you saved my life because you have a purpose for me... well, he saved me and kept your plans with out stain, please... if you spare his life I'll do whatever you want me to do..." She prayed and begged again. Kólosi jumped in and put himself between Alistair and the other Hellhounds.

“You are safe yes? He didn’t get you did he?” It seemed that only Beth could see the Hellhounds or maybe Alistair didn't care if they were there. She looked into his eyes and smiled again while other tear ran down her face. "yes... I'm unharmed, thank you... my shinning knight." she smiled a bit more and kissed his cheek again. “I will go with you… but I cannot walk. I’ve lost a bit too much blood to move.” She smiled and then nodded. "don't worry you won't need to walk to get there..." she breathed deeply and looked around. "I need your help... help me take him back to the infirmary"

ghosts started gathering, 4 of them. then nodded at Beth and approached to them. “Please can you hand me my sword?” She frowned and looked around, she stretched out and grabbed his sword. "here it is..." she said and gave it to him. He moved and did the same that he did before. He was praying to his mother. the hellhounds moved back in that moment and Beth saw how his shoulder wound got smaller and finally healed.

She didn't know if it was his mother or her father, maybe both, but he was alive and probably will get better soon. “I feel a bit warmer. But I’m not sure that I can still stand." She smiled and looked at the ghosts, they moved closer and lifted alistair, then started moving to the Infirmary...