Illyria - Western Forest | [member=Kyrinov]
The western forest of Illyria stretched across the planet surface like a blanket of green. Tall trees of many species stretched up toward the cloudless blue sky. Below them a sea of vividly coloured flora battled it out for the rays of summer sunlight that broke through the canopy. Despite the multitude of life within the fairy-tale forests the place seemed to be mostly deserted, apart from one lone soul who's footsteps disturbed the silent sanctity of nature. Elyane felt mildly at peace. Surrounded from all angles by the sounds of the native fauna, for once she was actually pleased that she had managed to convince herself to go out. Bright green-glass eyes remained fixed on the lush forest floor as slender legs nimbly picked their way between bushes and fallen branches.
Of course, nobody in their right mind went to the western forests alone. There were tales of a temple there. A temple that had an undeniable connection to the darkest of powers. But they were just bedtime tales meant to scare children from getting lost in the forest. Elyane herself could remember sitting by the fireside, eyes wide with terror as the words were regaled and the horrors of dark magic unfolded before them. The golden-haired woman was older now, wiser to the world and the words of stories. It did seem strange to her that the tale had gotten so out of hand though, to the point where people felt frightened to explore the forest. Elyane drew a deep breath of the sweet summer air, holding it there as her eyes scanned the forests that stretched on before them. As she drank in the beauty she came to a conclusion. People were missing out.
Time passed slowly. So slowly that Elyane had hardly realised just how far she had gone in search of a simple herb. The only reason she had come round from the spell the bright summer sun had put her in was because of the shadow that suddenly turned her vision dark. Glancing up from the carpet of lush green flora, Elyane was met with the towering archway of onyx brick that projected such an eerie vibe she was shocked that she hadn't noticed it before. Unsure of what to do, her foot made a single step backward to retreat from the shadow. All of a sudden, she felt it. A force so dark it stood her hair on end and set her heart beating a rapid pace against her rib cage. It clutched and tore and her insides like a swirling hurricane carving a path of chaos and destruction.
There was nothing she could do to prevent the careful steps her feet took. Their wilful ways would not have been a problem, if they weren't directing her back into the shadowy embrace of the onyx archway. Elyane knew it was a stupid idea, she knew it before she even let the first footstep fall. She could almost hear the desperate tones of everyone she knew calling out to turn round, to go home. But nothing could convince her feet otherwise. They were diving head first into a world of ghost stories and nightmares.