They had walked the entire day, and the trek had left them feeling bizarrely energized. Autumn's eyes had recovered well, the fresh air this low in the mountain range had done her a world of good. She had taken to walking without guidance half way through the day. She claimed her eyes were still slightly blurry but was confident to walk by herself. 

Arvid had been speaking avidly to Moonal, their discussions crossed between different plains of reality, strange concepts of time passage and the theories of possibility; quantum physics and the such. 

London quietly spoke to himself with a great deal of urgency in his voice, he held Anna comfortably in his arms, showing now signs of struggle.

When the group reached a nice outcrop on their journey up the steadily ascending folds of mountain, they decided unanimously this would be a good place to set up a camp fire and possibly a forted defense for the night. 

Moonal had disappeared for a number of minutes at a certain point in the day to go in hunt for food, his return proved to be fruitful, he had hunted down several small animals that he declared safe to eat, fruits and berries that he had collected seemed appropriate for a small meal that evening. His scouting skills were exquisitely tuned. At several points during the day he had come across a rather bizarre looking fruit, dark skinned and unnatural looking. Arvid had been tempted by his cravings for food to bite straight into one. Luckily Moonal had noticed and knocked it out of his hand, instantaneously a swarm of little white creatures swarmed out of the frayed fruit, writhing and screaming silent screams.

As her eyesight was regained, Autumn begun to develop a head ache, complaining of a strange sense of something... foreboding. 

As the group set up their campsite, efficiently and quickly, they begun to relax, Moonal was quick to take up position of cook, and rustled up a good hardy meal for each of them, catering carefully for Autumn's Vegan needs.  

Dark wisps of smoke like cloud hissed through the air, silhouetted like vast plump dragons against the teal sky of twilight. They threaded their way towards the dark plains of sand that the group seemed relieved to have past without too much harm. 

Autumn showed a great concern for Anna's welfare. She should have come around by now, she wasn't dead, she was breathing, everything seemed normal. She did have quite a harmful fall, but her bones all seemed intact, she had escaped with minor cuts and bruises, she had been lucky. So why hadn't she come around?

The whole day and evening passed without any more mention of where they were, what they were up against and what they should do. The truth of it was that none of them knew. Moonal felt quite confident that they would all come out of it alive. London secretly thought to himself that Moonal would betray them when the times got tough. He could just slip back through his time portal. I bet he wouldn't even think twice about leaving us behind. 

Autumn filled her thoughts with the others, she wondered how they were doing, and whether they had made it away from Alastor... she even wondered if Alastor had faired well against the shadows that had chased them. 

"Anyone want some... erm... small defenseless animal... on a stick?" Moonal stumbled over his words for the first time that the group had known of. His tail quivered restlessly behind him. He stood, quickly, his attention on the horizon, in the direction they had came.

Autumn followed suit, not long after, simultaneously with Arvid. 

London feasted on another small defenseless animal, oblivious to the dark presence that had caught the attention of the others. 

"Dear Ra, that is powerful." Moonal uttered. "It's almost as if Kaos were here"

"Don't say his name." Autumn grimaced, her eyes still on the horizon. 

Darkness leaked over them, as night time carefully etched the sky in black tendrils. Floods of dark thought lymphatic, pored them, fingered their minds, testing them with sinister ideas and fire... lot's of fire.

Arvid winced... he wouldn't less this take him, he wouldn't be the victim of his own heritage... he controlled his own destiny. He did.

A second darkness throbbed in the air, a new pattern of black kissing the shadows in their minds, feeling them. A second darkness... Very strong, very near. 

Brittle winds flourished and feathered the camp fire, it flapped like a damp flag at first, then with a snap it cascaded in on itself, sulphuric smoke wriggling in the wind like light silk.

The air near them pulsed and flexed, something darker than black leaked out, inking the air itself in a mess of rhythm and shattered glass filtering slowly out of the ant sized hole in the world... something dark was coming....

Something dark was coming very soon indeed.

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Author guidance for This story

TEAM PROTAGONIZE

Team Protagonize is about introducing your characters, from other stories you have written and placing them in a new story together. Currently there is only this story - The Darkness - but I will be thinking of new stories soon!

THE STORY SO FAR

The motley crew - Team Protagonize, are nearing an end, Issac has strange powers, he's a gateway? Will Vade, the Phoenix make an appearance? Where have the team from Silicon valley gone? What is Zanaria up to? Who is Mercuria? Will the team manage to defeat Kaos?

To find out, keep on reading The Darkness!

THE GOOD

Autumn 17 - - - (ElzuWolfe)
Currently, her soul is trapped inside of Lisle's being, so she acts as a second mind.
Autumn is from a Novel in the making – Chaos

Isaac 14 - - - (ChaosBeing)
Isaac is pyrokinetic and has lived his life mostly as an outcast. He has good instincts on who to trust, and if he thinks you can help you're bound to become friends eventually. He is from the story "Where The Embers Glow"

Lisle 9- - - (Traxisk)


Lisle is a stray soul that had been granted a body in Ezin's realm; she was an Elemental able to control darkness. Lisle's body has since been seized by her twin, and her spectral form is severely weakened, but it's unknown whether she remains an Elemental. - Lisle is from a short story called "Twinned", not available on Protagonize.

Mike Craw 83 - - -(Craziantix)
A piecemeal raptor, very intellectual but prefers saving his life over doing the right thing.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

Moonal - - - (ElzuWolfe)
Moonal is the immortal guardian of time, he is a pacifist at heart, but cannot stand failing in helping others… Moonal has some rather large secrets… – Moonal is from a Novel in the making – Aeon

Sedusa 24 - - -(Craziantix)
A mermaid who was thrown out of her colony and nurses a grudge against her family.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

Silver 3.8 Billion- - - (ElzuWolfe)
Silver is a renegade angel with an extremely dark past, he fights for all the right things, but is often blinded by his anonymous master. – Silver is from a Novel in the making – Chaos

The Angel of Torn Skirts - - - (Craziantix)
An angel recently fired from his post at the Ministry. Essentially good in all his dealings but nurses secrets.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

THE UNSURE

Alastor - - - (Mike_itong)
Once arrogant and ruthless, Alastor thought he was the most powerful of all demons, however as events come to pass his alliance with those set out on a mission of good has become more tempting.

Count Vladislau Rokkhans 32 - - -(Craziantix)
A Rushyan centaur and landowner who was once very rich but has since lost his wealth and his wife, Lyra. A moody but pacifist fellow.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

Crexnettle -3 - - -(Craziantix)
An undead bird who is truly neutral about good and bad, but will do anything to himself out of trouble.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

Mike Craw 83 - - -(Craziantix)
A piecemeal raptor, very intellectual but prefers saving his life over doing the right thing.
From "Quest Of The Datateam"

Zanaria circa 17 - - - (buddy123002)

Zanaria is an eagle human. He has a quick temper and is also quick to pull out a weapon. He doesn't know what side the is on, he is in a constant flux between Good and Evil.


THE BAD

Alix 9- - - (Traxisk)

Alix is human, though at the moment she's controlled by the Darkness through those bugs. She can dissipate her body at will to become sheer darkness. - Alix is from a short story called "Twinned", not available on Protagonize.


Kaos- - - (ElzuWolfe)
Kaos is the immortal guardian of death, however he lost all hope and goodness when his heart was broken by a mysterious female immortal. Kaos is now a highly intelligent, cruel being, the very epitome of evil. – Kaos is from a Novel in the making – Chaos

updated Aug 27 '09 by PaulMacklin