darkSpyro

Shiina sighed.
"It's gone now and we will be keeping track of any more of that stone." she said.

Cypress saw that Icestorm was okay. "Alright now. Up on your feet. We need to get across this swamp as soon as possible." Cypress walked ahead, finding the raft at the start of the swamp. He ushered everyone on. "Icestorm you may have to fly. Do you feel well enough to do that?" Cypress asked. The raft was extremely cramped, as it was only meant to support two or three people.

"Hey Zenneth, let's look out for ghosts." said Shiina with a grin.

Cypress picked up his oar and began rowing. He shook his head at Shiina's remark.

"I don't think the ghosts will pose much of a threat." Zenneth said.

Cypress shouted back to make sure Icestorm heard. "No, I don't believe so!"

Rowan looked at Zenneth. "You can't kill a ghost you know. You look at one, you're pretty much dead." He said firmly.

Cypress looked up ahead. "We are nearing the spot where the ghosts are. We should be there in five minutes." Cypress said, informing the group.

"So if we don't look at them, they don't pose much of a threat." Zenneth remarked.

"Hooray. I'm going to look at one." said Shiina.

Angel frowned and shook her head.

Rowan nodded at Zenneth. "You're safe as long as you don't look at them." He said.

"Pretty straightforward." Zenneth said.

Shiina shook her head.
"Ghosts don't exist." she said.

"I agree, but we need to be safe." Zenneth replied.

Cypress rowed further. "We're going right into the area of ghosts!" He exclaimed, his heart racing. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw white blurs. He didn't dare look at one of these lurs, for he knew they were the ghosts. He nervously gripped the oar, his hands twitching.

Shiina sat down and sighed.

Taito looked around.

Angel flapped her wings, trying to not look around.

Cypress motioned for Rowan to take over the rowing. Rowan quickly switched spots with Cypress. Cypress closed his eyes, wishing to be back in Ferount.

Taito looked at a ghost. It didn't affect him as it would if the others looked.

Shiina laid back and fell asleep.

Zenneth closed his eyes and laid back, trying to rest.

Angel yawned and was asleep in seconds.

"When are we going to get there?" Zenneth thought.

Shiina looked at Zenneth.
"Something up?" she asked.

"Nothing." Zenneth replied, still trying to sleep.

Shiina nodded.
"Alright." she said.

Rowan rowed further, hoping to get to the other side of the swamp soon. His hands were blistering from the rough wood he was using as an oar.

Cypress was scared and shivering. As he opened his eyes to see where the group was, he spotted a ghost. He made the fatal mistake of looking at it. He quickly looked away, thinking he might be safe. Wrong. The ghost quickly teleported to the raft. It grabbed Cypress by the neck. Cypress tried to choke out a few words, but failed as he was plunged into the murky depths of the swamp. Underwater, Cypress tried to swim back up, but the ghost was pulling him down.

Rowan saw as Cypress was caught and emerged into water. "Cypress!" He shouted, looking frantically in the water.

Shiina snapped awake at the sound of Rowan yelling.
"Taito! Go help Cypress!" she yelled, casting a quick protection spell so his flames didn't burn out.

Taito dove into the water, swimming deep down to claw at the ghost holding Cypress.

Cypress, deep in the depths of the water, saw a flame about ten feet off. It was coming closer to him. Taito...Perhaps the dog could rescue me! But what good can a dog do against a ghost? What good can anything do against a ghost? Cypress stopped with these thoughts, and tried swimming closer to the fiery animal. His muscles ached, as he attempted to slip the cold grasp of the ghost.

Taito saw Cypress and swam faster. He reached the ghost and Cypress. He lit his flames and began to attack the ghost, clawing and bitting.

The ghost was completely unaffected. The ghost looked at Taito, but then back at Cypress. The ghost quickly strangled Cypress, hoping to kill him, so that he could then move on to the dog.


Cypress was almost dead. He couldn't hold his breath much longer, and the ghosts hands felt like they were about to crush his neck. He had no power left in him. He took one last glance around, before his eyes shut. He was now unconscious, and soon to be dead.

Taito grabbed Cypress in his jaws and quickly swam to surface. Shiina grabbed Cypress from Taito, who climbed back on the raft and she began trying to press the water from his chest.
"I'm NOT doing mouth to mouth if it's needed. Just making it clear now." yelled Shiina.

The ghost chased after Cypress, rising out of the water. The ghost, deciding to attempt to kill all of the group, lunged at the raft, completely tipping it over.


Cypress, regaining his breath thanks to Shiina, was dunked underwater once again. This time though, he had no ghost grabbing at his throat. He surfaced out of the green water, searching for the raft.


Rowans fall into the swamp did not involve a ghost, but perhaps something even more deadly. As Rowan fell, he was brought down deep into the swamp. As he attempted to surface, his foot got stuck on a plant. A vine to be exact. It had coiled around his leg, preventing him from coming up. He quickly pulled out one of his cutlasses at an attempt to remove the vine. It was no use though. The vine wasn't being cut through at all.

Shiina and Angel surfaced but Taito had gone under to help Rowan. He tugged at the vine with his fiery jaws.

Angel spread her wings and flew into the air, searching for the raft. Finding it she flew over and overturned it.

Shiina morphed into her wolf form for easier swimming.

Rowan let Taito tug on the vine, hoping it would break. Luckily, the vine snapped, and Rowan swam back up, giving a nod of thanks to Taito.

Cypress saw that Angel had turned the raft over. When he reached the raft, he clambered on, and made sure all his documents were dry. His satchel wasn't exactly waterproof, but it did give decent protection to anything stored in it.

Shiina climbed onto the raft, looking like a soaked bundle of fur. She just hoped Cypress didn't mistake her for a real wolf as she shook out her fur.

Taito nodded to Rowan and swam to surface.

Angel sat on the raft, yelping at the sight of a shadowy wolf climbing on.

Rowan stroked towards the raft, seeing several members of the group on there already. As he climbed atop it, he quickly grabbed the oar. "Let's just get out of this swamp." He muttered. He began to row the raft towards the other side of the swamp, where he could see Icestorm lying down.

Shiina shook out her fur.
"Seriously Angel? I've known you for ten years and my wolf form scares you?" she said in disbelief, morphing into human form.

Taito shook out his pelt.

Rowan reached the edge where Icestorm was, and got off the raft. He made sure everyone was off, and then pushed the raft away with his foot.


Cypress was very excited. "Great! Now we can see my mage friend! It's been so long!" He said, gleefully.

Shiina sighed and shook her head.

Taito grinned and waged his tail.
"Cypress got us tipped overboard!"

Taito nodded.
"I looked at one too. But it didn't do anything." he said.

"As long as they can be harmed, I don't care how dangerous they are." Zenneth stated.

Cypress led the group to the house. It was in a tree, but very low off the ground. It was entangled in branches, and had moss growing all over it. It was just a little crafty wooden house. It had a door, but no windows. There was a small chimney atop the building. Cypress approached the house, and knocked on the door.

Shiina twirled her black staff and Angel made a rabbit out of water that Taito chased around her, causing her to almost trip and fall before catching herself with her wings.

The door was answered by a short man, with a scraggly beard. His hair and beard were purely grey. He wore clothes that were made of leaves woven together. He had a staff, that was a twisted tree branch. He looked at Cypress for a second before recognizing him. "Why, Cypress my friend! It's great to see you again!" He gave Cypress a hug, and then looked at the rest of the group with a glare. "And who are these wanderers that you have brung with you?" He asked roughly. Rowan introduced himself with a shake of the hand. "I am Rowan, the blacksmith." He said.

"I'm Shiina. I'm a Necromancer and a fire Mage." She said.

"I'm Angel. I'm a water mage." Said Angel quietly.

"I'm Taito! Shiina's fire hound!" Barked Taito.

The man looked at Shiina. "Why, a mage! Just like myself. Perhaps you have heard of the legends about me. I am Trodden. Have you heard any of the stories about me by chance?"


As it started to rain, Trodden ushered the group into his house. "Make yourself cozy. These rainstorms last usually all night." He said.


Inside the house, there were a few chairs and such. It was quite a normal home. Although he had an unusually large bookshelf at the back of the house.