Rowan

He asked them if they smelled something, they didn’t. Rowan frowned, he was sure he had smelt something, it was a very distinguished smell and the sensations it gave him left a trace inside him. He needed to find out where it came from, but he also didn’t want to look like a mad man in front of the group, so he decided he would wait for the right moment.

Rowan was able to take the lead after Omar calmed down. He was very disturbed and Rowan felt very bad for him, he couldn't imagine the pain it caused him to see the rotting place.

Omar alway talked about Arda as the most beautiful place any being could ever see and now they saw the place almost completely destroyed, it was less than half of what it once was.

Everyone, including him, looked anxious, the group behind him was looking around nervously as if something would jump at them at any moment and break the silence.

As they walked the castle grew closer and so did the foliage, which started to reveal beautiful greens, sprouting flowers on the grass began to paint the place with color, and the addictive smell became overwhelmingly stronger.

The diversity of flora sent a wave of relief in some of them, a sense of hope that told them not everything was lost.

They walked towards the castle until they were just below the tall wall of one its towers from behind. It was filled with tall windows, curtains blocking the view of the inside in every single one of them, except the window that was below the highest one.

Omar told them it might be a good idea to wait another day to prepare, since they weren't expecting the change the place had gone through, but everyone knew he was scared to go inside and have his last thread of hope ripped from him with the sight of an abandoned castle.

"We can go a little back inside the woods and get whatever you guys use to start a fire, I'll go look around to see if there are any harmless plants to eat".

Someone in the group groaned. Vienna.

"What? You got a better idea?", Omar asked, squinting his eyes at her. Rowan could feel everyone else struggling to not roll their eyes.

Vienna and Omar had quite a long history, they knew each other since they were little, maybe in their previous life's too.

Rowan and Omar weren't friends until Rowan was around 16. But when Rowan was younger he would see the fights Omar and Vienna would have, they were very violent. Vienna who was a tall and strong woman always ended up unharmed, unlike Omar who was the only one that ended up going to the healer's office, resulting in how he got the very first knowledge of healing spells.

"Well... I think hunting would be a better idea", she said looking to his right where her best friend Noah was standing."right Noah?"

Noah's eyes widened, he looked at everyone.

"Uh, well... umm... maybe b-both are good ideas?", he looked around searching for approval.

Vienna glared at him, the look in her eyes asking him why he wasn't taking her side.

"Well Vienna, yours is the worst, how do you plan to hunt when you can't even hear any sounds that prove there are still animals living here?", Omar asked with a smug face.

"Well I smelled what I believe is a deer not so long ago, I can hunt you dimwit unlike you who is a feline that depends on a vegan diet because you are absolutely useless at hunting".

Omar hissed and the hairs of his black tail spiked up. He glared at her with his slitted pupils. The threat made Vienna bare her sharp teeth and lower her fox ears.

"Alright, Omar you go and find whatever you find useful for dinner and Vienna go hunt whatever you smelled". Rowan intervened, these arguments always ended up in a physical fight and they didn't have time for that. He looked at the horizon that was partially covered with the silhouettes of trees, the sun was starting to set and they didn't have anything ready.

"Alright, let's get moving!", he said loudly and everyone started walking inside the woods while Omar and Vienna went separate ways.

Rowan stopped halfway, standing behind the moving group and looked at the castle, inside one of the multiple windows he could swear he saw someone looking beyond them, staring at the horizon.

The window and orange sunlight made the vision a bit blurry but he could make out fiery red hair inside with colors of what he supposed were flowers, neatly placed between threads of red. His eyes quickly traveled to the pointed ears that rested on the creature's sides, his eyes widened in recognition.

He breathed in and the sugary smell was back, stronger than ever, filling his nostrils and traveling through his body.

He was about to walk closer, guided by the scent that lured him to where the window was to get a better look, but the person was suddenly pulled away from the window and gone from his sight.

A woman replaced them, with long golden hair and pointed ears, and quickly covered the inside with curtains.

He smiled.

He had good news to tell Omar.