There's many a saying throughout the annals of time, that can be used in respect, pity, mourning courage as well as fear. In the Kingdom of Valoria, one place has been given a moniker that invokes these feelings. The Ardenwood, nicknamed the Phantom Pines across Valoria, its said when someone ventures through its thickets they never come back, and those who do make it outside grow mad with the Arden's Curse. Their hair turns a crimson red, veins becoming visible on the outside of the skin with eyes forced open as if they are being burnt alive. "If you want to die and have given up on life, one step into the Adenwood will make you cherish it." No one knows the man who came up with that saying but it has stuck around for a millennium. You don't venture into the Ardenwood even if you must die outside its entrance.
Peering out of a windowpane at the tip of the palace in Valoria's capitol city Avaro, a beautiful red-headed woman stood watching a full golden moon shine down upon the Ardenwood forest over one thousand kilometers away. A striking golden glow in her eyes as if she can see the world from her seat. A large crowned man bounds up the stairs to her chamber out of breath, he then proceeds to knock as he says through the door. "C-Clara my dear, it is finally time." Looking towards the door she smiled "That it is, come on in Vincent let's commemorate this momentous occasion for old times' sake.
12 Years Later a vicious red whirlwind wound its way through large, luscious pine trees breathing heavily and bleeding from multiple puncture wounds on his chest and back, he was cursing his sick luck along the way. Azayus was fuming, how the hell had I missed that shot, his mother was going to be furious he wasn't able to get food for tonight, he really hates it when she gets angry. though he thought this time around she couldn't be that mad, he tried his best missed and almost died surely that would give him some leeway for his inevitable punishment. Wincing in pain Azayus hurriedly made his way to their wooden hut deep in the heart of the forest they call home.
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Unknowingly to Azayus his master was not home to patch him up but had watched him from above in the treeline the whole time. She wasn't going to starve tonight that's for sure, Azayus had convinced her to let him hunt a six-legged deer a dangerous mutated deer species that was quite common in the forest. They sat around five feet tall weighing over 600 pounds, the real kicker with these beasts was the almost metallic-like substance their antlers were made of. What makes them all the more formidable is after you are gored barbs are released from the antlers that take a great deal of time and effort to pull out. As winter was rearing its head it was their job as hunters to cull the overpopulation while the main predators of the forest went into hibernation.
After Azayus whiffed his shot the deer's head shot up towards the twang of his bowstring and immediately charged, he froze as if fighting a basilisk the deer rushed him head down skewering him to the ground, shaking him off the deer looked around before sprinting away. The woman watching from the trees shook her head in disappointment she could tell he was going to miss, his mind wasn't steady and saving him wouldn't give him any confidence for the future. He had gotten cocky hitting the owls and moving targets back home, hell even the rabbits still gave him a challenge he needed a reality check. Though he most definitely could've gotten himself killed in the process. Hopefully he won't bleed out in the time it takes me to haul that back. Slinging her bow a beautifully carved wooden piece from her back, she eyed the deer zigzagging off through the brush. Drawing her bow she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a second, at the end of her long exhale her eyes shot open revealing a bright gold color as she let her arrow fly true, the speed seeming to rip air from its surroundings, piercing through the air so fast that it seemed to phase through the trees. The arrow struck the deer from behind at the base of its neck connecting the head to its spine with so much momentum that it wrenched the head clean from the body taking the rest of the spine with it before finally stopping after 40 more meters and embedding itself into a tree. The body now a limp corpse with nothing to support itself collapsed in a heap on the ground. Shaking her head she whispers to herself "He still has such a long way to go, I hope I-we have enough time.