This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:
-Survive a near death experience (5)
Summary: While out exploring the island Ysera runs into an old arch nemesis, Galakrond, the scourge of the red river. After being ambushed she must survive and make her way back home.
Drip drip drip....
The rain fell outside with a gentle pitter patter as it fell in front of the entrance of her cave, its soft calming sight allowing Ysera to wake up in a good mood. Despite being raised in a beautiful sunny and warm climate, she currently lived as a protector in a monsoonal temporate climate, currently going through a heavy rain season. It wasnt unusual for the rain to last for a week before the next ray of sunshine would be seen. But it was a nice change to scorching heat and relaxing to fall asleep and wake up to, its rhythmic beating down outside soothing Yseras mind as she lay there listening to it. Sitting up on her bed she took a moment again to think about where she was, and how she got there. Currently she was worshipped and revered as a goddess of a village, despite trying to show them that she just wanted to lead them, not be a tyrant or seen as a cruel mistress or queen. She even helped set up the foundations of the small village, trying to show a good faith of how she was committed to helping them grow. She recently set up a post box outside of her home, allowing any of the peoples that had complaints or requests to come to her for aid and to ask her for help. But so far nothing had been shown, no letters or requests for assistance. Was she really that useless to these people? Did they really fear her that much even to ask for help. She got dressed and wanted over to the entrance of her cave, letting out a small sigh as Ysera looked over towards the island. She wanted to help, how could she help them see this? She decided to go check her box one more time, despite the overwhelming sadness of not being needed. As she slowly walked over to the stone tablet, she let out a little sniffle, the water falling down her hair, over her face as it trickled down bouncing off her chest. She opened the back, and closed it straight away almost immediately out of habit but stopped near the top as something caught her eye. There was something in there.... THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THERE! A SCOLL! This was it! It was her chance. She took the scroll shoving it into her pocket before heading back to her room. While there she lit a fire and opened it up to read it.
Lady Ysera,
My Brother has been missing for a week now since going hunting. He went hunting out by The Red River and I fear that maybe something may have happened.
Please, no one else in the village will go near the area, you're my only hope.
Putting the note to the side Ysera thought to herself quickly before she packed her gear. The Red River.... there was only one river in this land that she knew of but it wasnt called The Red River... but then again this was before the humans had moved in. Perhaps they had their own name for it, but why Red River Ysera wondered. Wait.....
Ysera froze as she was about to leave. Only one river... The powerful terrifying beast Galakrond used to live by the river before Ysera moved in. But she had beaten and scared him off before her hibernation, she made sure that he would leave the forest to find a new home and leave the animals alone. Had he come back? A vicious and huge beast that showed no mercy when killing its prey, The Red River certainly would be an apt name for the colour the river turned when he dragged his prey to opposite banks...
Ysera moved her hand to her shoulder clasping it as she thought back to that fateful fight where she banished him from the forest lands. The deep gash that Galakrond left in her shoulder had permanently scarred her never to let her guard down even on a wounded beast.
Unfolding her wings from her back, Ysera stepped outside and with one swoop of her wings, she took to the sky, as the rain fell onto her face, slowly falling down onto her wings. As the paper of her wings started to get heavier, absorbing and taking on the rain she barely made it to the mainland before she landed on the beach, and taking refuge under the closest tree. Releasing the paper from her control the wings broke off hitting the ground and dispersing into normal paper, as the rain started to come down a little harder. Ysera peered out from underneath the tree looking up towards the stormy clouds rolling in, deciding it was best to proceed on foot as the weather didnt look like it was going to improve any time soon. Continuing towards the direction of the river, Ysera splashed through puddles making her way and blazing a trail making way to her destination. By sun down, which was relatively earlier than usual due to the storm rolling in, she had reached the bank of the Red River. It ised to be called the River of Elune to her and her people before her hibernation, but now it was called the Red River by the villagers, oh well such is a name. Ysera cautiously approached the bank looking for any signs of the missing villager, and even though she knew that she had banished Galakrond, Ysera couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was watching her, as if there was a cold presence near by. What was this chilling feeling of dread that was invading her? Looking around and walking along the bank quietly, she saw opposite a broken boat, snapped completely in half. This did not bode well for Ysera as the mounting dread continued. It was unnaturally quiet around the river, only the water flowing down stream while the rain fell onto the river. Once or twice Ysera swore she saw something move under the water in the middle but due to the rain disturbing the surface of the water, it was impossible to tell what was underneath if it was something indeed, or simply her imagination. She couldn't see any signs of life around the river, no birds, animals or even any fish that looked like they were in the river. It was then she looked around, the vegetation of the river itself was bare.... it was simply a muddy bank that went into the water, none of the plants or ferns that usually lined the bank were there. What wa going on?!
It was about 2 minutes after creeping along the bank past the broken boat that Ysera saw something shift on the opposite side of the bank. Crouching below a tree branch, she gazed over to see a slumped figure. This had to be the missing villager. It didnt look like he was moving, and he could have been in serious trouble. The storm was coming in harder now, with a crack of thunder in the distance and lighting quickly after, the rain hammering downing harder onto the river now almost creating waves that were splashing onto the bank. Ysera could risk forming her wings to try and fly over to fall half way so she stepped out from behind the branch and stepped out to the bank, putting a foot into the river. The freezing cold pierced through her foot like icicles and shot up her leg like an electrical shock that was trying to hold her down from moving. This wasnt the warm comforting soft river that she remembered, the water usually gently caressing her and kissing her skin. Something had changed. Taking her foot out quick as she could, Ysera would channel chakra into her feet to walk along the surface. The river was rushing down stream, and so taking careful chakra management, she made her way across the river to the opposite bank and the body. Ysera got about halfway, when she slipped, almost plunging into the deep and dark river, shattering the surface of the water as her other leg was now dripping with the freezing water. As she moved forwards that was when she saw it. A figure move under the water. Something large and dark. She was sure of it. Something swum underneath her. Moving towards the bank as quick as she could manage, she jumped the last few feet, reaching the muddy surface as it splattered across her chest and face. Wiping it from her eyes, Ysera got up and walked over to the body, crouching down and examining it. It had be absolutely gutted, one of the legs almost completely ripped off, deep piercing wounds in its gut, and an arm almost unrecognisable. Ysera swallowed a breath she had suddenly been holding. This was often how the bodies of Galakrond used to end up, and Ysera knew first hand what damage he could do to those that weren't ready for him. Ysera noticed a thin gold chain around the mans neck. Taking it off his persons she saw that it was actually a pendant, with a picture of a woman inside. Ysera had seen her around the village before, a lovely looking brunette woman. Ysera would make sure to give this token back to her placing it in her bag, as she turned to look at the treacherous river she had to cross back to get home. Afraid of finding out what was in the river, her fear and dread getting the best of her of seeing Galakrond back in the flesh, Ysera took off as something almost snapped in her mind, sending chakra to her feet again as she went to sprint across the river. Each step let a loud splash as she crossed, the rain falling down her face as it blurred her vision, it coming in almost sideways now as the wind picked up to a furious howl. She could see the bank almost 20m away. She was almost home, It was then something erupted from the water behind her. Something broke the water with a furious roar as its jaws clenched down onto her calf, its teeth piercing through her flesh with ease, sinking into her muscle stopped by bone. letting out a howl of pain, as she swung her arm backwards releasing a barrage of paper shuriken behind her, there was another roar from her best behind her as it twisted from her attack at its face, and Ysera lost her footing her chakra disturbed and unable to keep balance. She was dragged under the water as it slapped her face, shocked by the massive tooth sunk into her calf, the freezing water that now covered her body, sent adrenaline all around her system. Her instincts taking over, Ysera's primal rage took over, the side she tried to hide and bury, her unheld back wrath as she kicked the beasts jaw, turning and seeing what held her. All she could see was a massive black jaw that held her leg, the rest of the body covered in the murky black water with blood from Ysera surrounding it. Water was filling Ysera's lungs and she knew that if she didnt break free soon, it would be the end for her. The creature was trying to barrel roll and tear her leg off. Loosening up her body, Ysera rolled with the creature as she became disoriented but keeping her leg in tact, as she wound up her arm gathering chakra in her arm. Almost as if in slow motion from the water she punched it forward and changing the chakra the erupted from her arm into wind, she sent a bubbling jet of wind nature chakre slicing into the jaw of the beast, giving Ysera just enough time to wrench her leg free. Looking up to the surface of the water, she could barely make it out with her vision going dark, she kicked with all her might letting out a bubbling scream in the water as the pain erupted from moving her leg, but she broke the surface of the water. With nothing in her mind except to reach land, she moved her arms pulling herself to the bank as quickly as she could. Pulling herself up she risked a quick look back towards the river to see the creature that attacked her. She couldnt see anything except a pair of yellow eyes that broke the surface watching her. It was the same shape, certainly but a different colour. The same eyes of the deadly beast Galakrond, but a different colour, perhaps an offspring? It mattered not, right now Ysera had to get to a safe place. Pulling herself upwards as the rain pelted down onto the tree she was holding onto, she fell face first back down into the mud. She couldnt stand on the leg she had been attacked with. Pulling herself to sit upright with her back towards the tree, she leant against it coughing and spluttering as she struggled to regain her breath. She focused chakra into her hands as she bent forwards, wincing at the pain as she manoeuvred herself into a position to reach her calf injury with her hands. As she focused on the chakra in her hands, it turned green as she wove it into the skin and muscle in her legs, using the chakra to heal and knit her flesh back together. The water was dripping from her hair, from the branches and making it hard to focus, each drop threatening to break her concentration of healing herself. After a moment she was done, able to lean back and calm her breathing, as she took the pendant from her bag and looked at it once again. She made a promise to help the people of the village no matter the cost and no matter how hard it would be. She would get this pendant back to the vilalge. Gingerly and tenderly standing up, Ysera stood on her leg, softly testing it out. It still hurt to move around and it was still healing a lot of the stress and muscle that was stressed, but it was ok to walk on. Ysera headed into the jungle to the village. After a while Ysera managed to get back to the village, finding a path that took her there, when the moon was rising over the mountains in the distance. Blood was soaked into her feet, she was covered in mud and drenched and looked a mess but she had got there. Looking like an absolute wreck, Ysera wouldn't let anything stop her from delivering on her promise and giving the necklace to the woman.
After briefly looking around Ysera found the house to which the woman lived, and knocked on the door. It opened slowly and almost shut immediately at the sight of Ysera to which she suspected she looked almost like a monster.
I'm sorry I have to deliver this news, but unfortunately I found this on his body. I think he would have wanted you to have it...
The woman almost burst into tears as she took the pendant...
Thank you...
Ysera turned and began walking away back towards her home. This was only a small step but at least it was a start. She knew it would be a tough time ahead and tough road to wind the entire village over but she would work as much as needed to do it.