"They aren't leaving the forest," my father remarked. His voice was filled with concern, seeing his face etched with confusion.

"Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe the Blight literally can't leave this forest."

"Impossible, the Blight doesn't care for anything, just mindless monsters."

We sprinted away from the forest, running across the grassy field towards Hearthglen, occasionally jumping over holes or rocks to avoid tripping.

I don't want a broken ankle out here.

The ground was steady, but it wasn't harsh like the ground where we fought the bear. The ground was brittle and mucky-like due to our battle and from all the black veins that sprouted across the floor. Here, the grass was green and healthy.

We continued to run. My feet kept digging into the ground with each step. I pushed my legs as hard as possible to run faster, making my feet hit the ground much harder than intended. We soon noticed that the screams from the forest went silent. I thought it was weird until I felt it.

My heart skipped a beat as cold air went down my spine. A very distinct presence came into my mind, sensing it. It was very far away, passing upon what I was feeling. I turned my head back towards Zarmen Forest.

What am I feeling? Something was telling me that something was there, off in the distance.

"What's wrong?" turning to see my father looking dead at me.

"Can you feel that?"

"No! What is it you feeling?"

"I don't know. It feels like something is out there." I don't understand it either. I could feel something familiar but different, like comparing two different-colored flowers. They are both flowers, but they are different. But what was it similar to?

"There!"

I soon realized we were at the gate to Hearthglen. I was so distracted that I didn't know how close we were. The gate was closed, however.

"Open the gate!" my father demanded, yelling fifty feet away.

The gate guards turned to us. "What's the rush?!" We heard an answer back.

"Blight! In the forest!" We both shouted at the guard.

We ran to the gate, the door still closed. We grabbed the bars and tried to lift them. "We must warn the City and the Riders now!" My father commanded.

"The Blight never comes this far north, nor do they spawn up here. Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

The gate guards looked at each other as one approached the wall tower and pulled a lever, opening the door. The other went over to grab a crossbow with a bottle on it. My father and I entered as the gate closed back up, running into the courtyard.

The guard fired his crossbow into the sky, and a black explosion detonated. Then he turned to us. "This will alert the riders of the so-called sighted Blight. Head home, lock yourself up until otherwise, and be ready for an evacuation if needed."

The guard ran off as I tried to say something, but my father pulled my arm, leading me deeper into the city.

"Father, where are we going? Our home is outside. Where are we supposed to go exactly?" I asked feebly.

"The Guild," he answered as he started to run off down the streets.

I sighed, slowly dragging my feet till I went into a light jog.

Why are we heading to the Guild? Especially now! What is the point?

"We are leaving tonight! I need to call on some favors and supplies." My head almost spun. I wanted to ask why but wasn't ready to question anything. If anything, I wanted to be left alone. My father had to stop and wait for me. "This is the perfect opportunity to leave. No one would question it."

"Figures," I muttered coldly as I caught up to him, as we turned to run together.

How much longer are we going to run? I'm exhausted. I can feel my veins pumping in my legs and arms. My breathing was shaky, and hoarse.

My legs were surprisingly relaxed. Usually, one's leg would start hurting after running for a long time. Yet, the only thing I can feel is my veins pumping. My whole body didn't ache in pain exactly. Sure, there are minor bruises and sores from battling, but nothing like being exhausted.

"What's wrong? Where's your loud and usual self?" my father asked as hundreds of Dragon Riders started to fly through the sky. Roars echoed throughout the city, making us stop moving for a moment until we turned down an avenue.

Many of the usual carts or beasts that people used to move around the city started to turn down alleyways. Everyone was starting to freak out as a few guards yelled out orders. Many massive beasts began to freak out.

They know what's coming.

"A lot just happened, Father. I'm just trying to process all of it." I managed to answer as a violet dragon roared out right above us.

A few other dragons that were grounded jumped on top of buildings, hoping from one to another as they took off.

"Well, good. We're almost there. You see it!" he said, pointing his finger out towards the familiar brick building we go to every time we finish hunting. It was the Guild house.

It was a few blocks away.

My heart throbbed from exhaustion. But we are close now. Just a few more steps, just a few more buildings an̸̘̑d̶͇̅̍́̆̊ Ị̶̛̦̩̹̥͌̂͠ c̷̡̝̉̓̓͂̑͛́͂̚ą̷̨̡̱̬̞̣̮͙̊̀̔͂̈̽̍̚̕ͅn̶̠̫̺̅̐͂͋́̅ ̵̛̰̋̉̂̔̈́̎̑̊̓͝r̴̩̹̱̯̆̈̈́̄̒͆́͝ḛ̵̭̙̯̏͌̃̓̚͝ś̶͔̟̻͕́̂͌̈̋̏̓͠t̶̢̥̹̘͉̖̮͈̦̏.

Я̲̲̝͖͌̌̓̚͞ͅі̢̱̥̾̐͑ↁ̨̨̉̏э͇̼͓̘͊̎͊̄͑͘͟͜ѓ͇̪̝́̈́͡ѕ̢̭̖̱͎͓̼̯͋̇̎̾͐͝͞͠

My eyes widened as I fell to my knees, feeling my pants starting to tear, my kneecaps scraping the pavement. But I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't hear anything. Nothing...

This sensation, ringing throughout my body and soul, forced me to listen, demanding a response. I can see my father running towards me, sliding onto the ground next to me, and yelling out my name, but I can't hear him. My head spun as if someone was grabbing it and turning it upside down, but there was no sickening feeling of discomfort. Everything slowed down until it felt like even time stopped.

҉̞̐G͕̲͚̠̙̗̍̾͐̃͌̑҉̛̭̯̫̗̠̝͈̔̍̈͊̕͠҉̬͑i̧̡̯̻̠͒̈́̍͂͐҉҉̧̝̜̲̜̺͓͚̊̌̓̈͛͆̈͘v̬̣̟̫͇̰̇̓͊̔͋̄͢͝҉̺̑͠ͅ҉͍̙̼̗̫́̒͗͂͘e̛̮̳̺̤͛̑̀̚͢͜͞͞ͅ҉̧̛͎͍̗͈̥̫̾̎̓̇͞͝ ̨̺͓̟͊̑̈́͠҉̥̳̩̺̊̂̾͠Ỷ̞҉̛͓̤̠̇̆҉̧̧̩̻̪̥̩͋̽̎̀̏͝͡ơ͔̫̫͎̭̄̃̈͐͜͜͠͝҉̧̙̼͖̻̝̭̿͛̎͋̆͊̔҉̡͔̝̘̦̌̉̑͘̕͟͠u̧͖̘͙̰̬̞̔̓̔̐̋̈̎̏͜҉̢̼̦̖̍̌̇̚̕͟҉̮̳̳̣̘̀̐̾̓͌̕͟r͙̺̫͗̓̄҉̗̩̮͓͚̣̩̫́̌̂̽͌͘̚͡ ̺̼͚͊̒̌͡ͅ҉̝͚̗̭̤̍̋̋͑̃W̧̪̺̺̬̹͒̆̆̆͐͌͟͝҉͍̱̤̞̍̂͂̌҉̦̤͈̙̓́́̇i̡̤̬͕̯̳̞̞̔͊͛͊̑͗̓̚҉͚̤͓̬̲̠̈͒͌̓͂̉̚͜҉̜͇̱̼̟̅̌͑́̇̀͢͟͝l͓͉̱̼̠̇̀͑̃̿̚͟҉҉̥͞l̠̘̤͍̼̮̓̓̊́̐̓̄͟҉̮͋ ̟̊̿͜҉̧̤̞͎̦̲̤͒̏̔̂̈̋̇̚ͅȚ̛̞̈́̾͢҉͓̆҉̲̜͇͊̚̚ó̢̞͙̻́̋̕͜͞҉̤̱̩̗̽͒͐͗ ̡̯̈́̔҉̡̖̗̯̔͐̈́̔҉̖̗̔͐M͇̦̀͝҉҉̞̤͓̘̪̗̜̔̾͒͋͢͝͠͡͠ḙ̯̇̎҉̤̹̯̮͓͔́̔͊̓̆̄̕͢͢͠͞

The only thing I felt after was pain.