Project Clair - Prologue

“Sir! The sighting was said to be around this general area." spoke the young man no older than 19. "The breakage should be close by now, perhaps... that way!" his adolescence was evident but suppressed by his on-the-job voice. After speaking he resumed his observation of the forest around him. The trees were tall and thick with large branches obscuring what little light the moon had to offer.

“Good, I’m sick of walking through this bloody forest. You had better be right.” This time the talking came from the eldest of the small group. His name was Arctos and his tone was dangerous and non negotiable. He spoke with an increasingly angry look on his face. He absolutely loathed coming to this forest for any reason. The younger two just looked at each other blankly to keep quiet and thought of what the other was thinking just to avoid an awkward conversation.

Arctos comment had broken the conversation completely, leaving the silence to hang heavy like incense in the fresh night air. The three figures approached an odd light, one that created a thin fence that seemed to stretch for miles either way. The younger two were walking slightly behind Arctos, letting him take point in their search. Both of them were lightly pressing their fingers into the tight and familiar leather hilts of their swords, though this was more of a habit rather than a precaution. The three kept walking.

“Noah, you said we're nearing the sightings, correct?" sighed Arctos, not caring for conversation. He was simply after the satisfaction of an answer.

“Yes sir, that is correct”. Noah's tone dwindled towards the end; Arctos seemed to be bored. Perhaps this was why the third of the companions was yet to speak. Her name was Luciana. Hiding behind her silence she agitatedly looked around for their destination... Whatever they were looking for she wasn't excited to find.

“Well then, any chance the furry looking sack of shit over there is what we're looking for?” Arctos raised his left arm obstructing Luciana's view. They had almost walked straight past it by mistake. Luciana stood straight as the sword at her waist. Arctos’s physical presence was a great burden on her mind even though she was able to hide it. Arctos was quite the dashing young man, but through his fluffy white hair–behind those crystal blue eyes–within his chest where a dying heart lay beating was danger unforeseeable from the outside. She hadn't the slightest clue what, but there was something there… something about her leader that didn’t feel right. She gazed at the scar suspended right before her on Arctos’s arm Luciana felt a sympathy that very few would understand. The scar was deep and black just like the ones on her own body; Noah's too. The scar rested deep in the skin and was dark as if it had been chiseled out and filled with jet black ink.

“Yeah, that'll be the one, let’s check it out hey?" said Luciana, unsure whether she had built up the courage to speak or if fear had pushed her to do it; it didn’t matter now either way. She was simply glad to have said something and smiled to herself in accordance.

“Right, don’t get too close now." Arctos spoke authoritively as he approached the creature, his words carried no emotion. They were nothing but an order.  Upon hearing his words, both Noah and Luciana proceeded slightly behind Arctos as they slowly unsheathed their weapons.

They approached the creature; a large black bulging sludge with a hairy exterior was latched onto a heavy set black stone pillar with a small jewel on top of it. The jewel was a speckles white sphere. It was radiating unusual waves of energy. The disipitating waves were clear and glittery yet almost invisible against the night sky. The large leach-like creature seemed to be sucking away at the energy.

The three came to a stop barely two meters away from the leach.

“Arctos... Any idea what it is?" Noah spoke upfront; he had never seen a creature like this, other than small river leeches with a similar appearance.

“None.” Arctos muttered the word quickly. He cared little for Noah's question. He looked through the trees of the forest, his mind weaving terrible thoughts. There were many innocent people living in this forest under the protection of the fence that this very creature had destroyed. Some of these being people he had abandoned years ago but loved too much to forget. This made him uneasy as he watched the trees sway in the gentle breeze that had just stirred up around him.

Though the sun was nowhere to be seen, the dark presence of night was beginning to lift. “Let’s get this thing off our fence before daylight, eh?” Arctos’s hand reached for the hilt of his blade and began to draw. “You should both stand back." His voice sounded full of anger, and with his words came a dull red light slowly growing stronger and stronger as it illuminated his surroundings.

Noah and Luciana jumped back with haste.