Dressed To Die (Part 2)

"You're... you're alive."1

The disbelieving words hushed the clearing as tears of joy and pain welled in his eyes. Reaching hesitantly then pulling back as if afraid this were a dream, Reion closed his eyes, bit his lip, then opened them suddenly as a hurt look of pure loathing came across his face.2

"You were alive... all these years? Everyone thought you were dead. For years they looked for you, for years everyone was living on false hope, hoping that one day, that... that one day they'd wake up and find it was all a dream! One by one they all gave up... DAMNIT, Why did you ev--" 3

He stopped short as friend suddenly motioned him silent, alertly scanning the forest. "Aen? What... what is it?" 4

Cutting a slightly concerned and spooked looking Reion off again with a silent but stern motion, Aen sprang from the rock and swung effortlessly into the oak tree that was shadowing the clearing at the sun fought its way through the morning fog to take its rightful throne in the sky. 5

Rein watched as silently and skillfully his friend disappeared from view, leaving him alone in the clearing. The pressing silence revealed no dangers, but the sudden appearance, and equally as sudden disappearance of his old friend led Reion's thoughts to perplexing questions. Why had Aen suddenly showed up, and... had he really been there, or had his over-active imagination been playing tricks? And, if Aen was really there... then so must be whatever danger his old friend had gone off for. 6

Suddenly over aware of every small motion and sound, Reion listened for what had disturbed Aen. The sound of a twig snapping resonated through the clearing, and before the suspenseful silence fought its way back into dominance, the peaceful setting broke into chaos fit for a nightmare. The clearing became a cage as several tall, ghostly figures seemingly materialized along the tree line. Reion froze, his back to the oak tree. They had returned, the monsters of the previous night, and it didn't seem as if any mysterious cloaked warrior could miraculously come to his rescue this time. Glancing wildly about for someway of escape or protect himself, Reion felt a wave of hopelessness engulf him. These beasts were skilled fighters, and last night he had barely been able to hold off the one of them that hadn't been occupied by the tall fighter, and there were quite a few more present currently. 7

As the ring began to close in, somewhat hesitantly at first, as if they were expecting the great warrior to return, then more and more boldly as it became apparent that he wouldn't, an acorn bounced quite forcefully off of Reion's head, alerting him to the presence of something above. Hoping against hope, he glanced up and saw exactly what he hoped he wouldn't: Aen. He didn't want them both getting killed, and remembering Aen as not being the most athletic or coordinated, and knowing that he didn't have much of a chance of holding the monsters off long enough, it didn't seem as if either of them had much hope or escape. 8

Glaring upward again and quickly assessing all possible outcomes of the now desperate situation, Reion was surprised when Aen suddenly dropped from the branches, landed nimbly on the rock, effortlessly drew a giant hardwood bow, notched an arrow, and aimed it straight at him.9