Ferns

In the dark, walking through the woods two figures could be seen. One with a muscular and large frame, while the other slim and shapely, having a smaller frame. As they made their way through the woods, their faces were hidden under the hoods of their dark cloaks.

Holding up a body in his hands, the muscular one kept the head resting on his arm. Inorder to keep it from dismembering from the rest of the pale, cold and rotting body. Since they needed to have her buried whole, unless they wanted hunted dreams the rest of their lives.

"Mia, she's rotting away faster than before. Can't you do anything to preserve the body without a scroll?." Vans said, looking down at the teenage girl in his arms, part of his face been seen under the hood. "I could draw some runes on her but it would require channeling energy into her body."

"And spiritual Energy in a dead body would dissolve it, she'd melt away as there wouldn't be a heartcore to ensure the flow of it." Mia added.

"You could have simply said no from the beginning." Vans sighed.

"But maybe there would be something in his residence."

"Who?" Vans inquired a glint of hope I'm his eyes, when the next second his ears twitched picking up something. "Master Lo-an's Mansion of course he'll sure have enough unused scrolls to rune up a preservation scroll."

"You mean the cottage that he lives in." He stated sarcastically, his focus shifting to his senses as the sounds he'd ignored seemed to be drawing closer instead. "Hey it's a better mansion than—"

"Sssshhhsss." He interrupted her words, silencing her at once though making sure to comment with his voice low and in a whisper. "It's not a mansion to begin with." Vans could now hear it clearer, someone and definitely not something, was already a few meters away from them.

*SNAP!

*RUSTLE!

Quiet, her eyes darting around Mia couldn't see anyone and neither could Vans himself. Listening carefully, snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves filled the air. Though he couldn't pinpoint it's actual source, whether to the left or right from their position. However, he could now tell how wrong he was, it wasn't a single person nor a handful. They were many, already close enough to shove the thoughts of taking an alternative to avoid them away— after all, he wasn't planning to even do so.

"Vans Watch Out!!" Mia suddenly yelled and instantly manipulating energy from her heartcore to her hands. She pushed away her husband, hitting him with all she'd got. Being so unaware and impromptu, Vans was chucked a few meters away. Still having the corpse of Yannah's daughter in his hands, he fell back first bracing for impact. Foremostly ensuring no damage was done to the body he held.

"Hyaaaaaa!!" Descending on her, a figure shrouded in beast skin and wielding two blades could be seen, Basic Tier Sabers. Raising her hands and lowering a body an inch, Mia braced for impact. As the blade reached her, she suddenly looked up to the attacker, her eyes flaming gold with a smile up her face.

"Eh?" The attacker realized something was off, yet it was too late for a meter from slashing through her as he thought. The leather pads around her lower arms lit up and glowed all over with runes as a golden shield spread out and engulfed her.

Nonetheless, the attacker still went in for the strike and as soon as the blade came into contact with the shield. Like a sudden burst of energy, he was sent flying away from the shield. Gently placing the body on the ground near a tree, Vans ensured her head wasn't falling of and wouldn't later. Done, he turned just to see Mia being attacked, and without haste a sword appeared from his storage ring. It was one secured in a golden scabbard with well crafted designs of silver around it.

Holding the sword in his hand, he walked further away from the tree getting to a certain point before stopping. Watching carefully, Vans's hand moved down from the hilt of the sword to the blade though hidden under the leather. When the attacker had slashed his blade and found himself flung to who knew where— except Vans of course.

It was at that moment, he drew out an ample amount of spiritual energy to his hands and with a deep breath, threw the sword. Swirling diagonally as it went, the attacker also incoming. Without the blade even bare it slit right through him, dividing and ending him instantly. As now bloodied, it continued heading towards Mia.

Catching the sword, her protective barrier down, she drew it out exposing the silver blade with a symbol of a halo engraved near its hilt.

*CLAP!

*CLAP!

*CLAP!

Echoing throughout the woods, unable to pinpoint it's location yet, alert to face any attacker which would be coming from any direction. A masculine and unfamiliar voice spoke afterwards. "Impressive, I'll give you both that. For now, can someone frickin kill them already?! Are you birds or Ferns— get down here."

*RUSTLE!

*RUSTLE!

*WHOOSH!

*WHOOSH!

*THUD!

*THUD!

*THUD!

Dropping like oranges from the nearby trees, about twenty unfamiliar faces in beast skins and all having spiky hairstyles. Baring their teeth at them, the all held different types of weapons, being lower tiers from one look at it. Although it didn't render it useless in finishing of a living being of course.

Surrounding them, Mia had already redrawn a good distance towards her husband. Vans now wielding a double-edged great sword firmly in one hand. Taking a stance, their attackers weren't alone as growls were heard in the distance, telling of the approaching pack of beast riders.

"Mia, what's the highest power level amongst them." Vans asked, his eyes darting around his scope of view and to the sides. Not taking the chance's of missing any movement, until he was aware of the enemy's strength and that was where Runers were needed the most.

Revealing her left eye once again, the runes began to glow up a pure bright white this time round. And as the attackers saw it, they didn't need any orders to charge. However, all she required was a glance at them to know their levels. "My side has only Manipulators, let's switch I'll set up the barrier to stop your's till you're done with them!"

"No! Grab Yannah's daughter and get to Lo-an's place now!" Vans yelled out to her, his sword burning up silver. "Are you kidding me?! At this moment!"

The other sides were also charging towards them, all twenty at once with the incoming growls closer than before. As they weren't up for giving any chances of escape. Yet, Vans definitely wasn't going to agree with them at all, he needed her out of there asap.

"Mia, duck!!" Vans yelled out, a scroll appearing in his hands, one which didn't have the usual colour but rather was a dark purple.

"Huh?" Turning to look at her husband, her eyes widened in shock. 'A taboo scroll?!'

"Vans, don't!!"