"Poor Axie...", Rutilus said. A small group of deer were gathered there around the seemingly lifeless body of the fawn - the first of the deer Zephyr had caught. "What's all that black stuff on him?", Tabii questioned. "I'm not sure...", Lieka said, as she approached the fawn. His face was forlorn, and his body was covered by the infection. Lieka noticed that the infection was still spreading on him. She also noticed that his body was moving slightly.

"That's odd...", Lieka said. "Hmm?", Rutilus asked. "He's still breathing. It's not much but he's still alive.", Lieka said.

Tabii walked up to the fawn, looking down at him. "He is...that's...", but she couldn't finish the sentence. Axie's eyes opened suddenly. The fawn sat up and pounced at Tabii, making contact with her and infecting her. "Tabii! Run!", Rutilus shouted, but the doe was already turning. She collapsed momentarily, only to stand and glare at the other two with the same expression as Axie. "What's wrong with them?", Rutilus questioned Lieka. "It's that stuff on them, they're not the same anymore.", Lieka replied.

The two infecteds began to approach them. "Run!", Lieka exclaimed, as she and Rutilus doublebacked and fled. Tabii and Axie persued, the infection on them enhancing their speed. They caught Lieka and Rutilus quickly, and they were infected as well. The four disbanded and went in different directions, making contact with every deer they spotted. Many of the deer who saw them did not suspect anything was wrong, and this proved to be the drive to make the infection spread quickly.

Within the hour nearly everyone in the Endless Forest was infected.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

Judgement peered out from underneath the boulder. Several of the infecteds were moving around, seeking out anyone they missed. The stag backed into the opening, where he and two others were hiding.

"I think we're the last ones.", he said to Lorak and Pan. "This is so bad. I don't understand why this is happening.", Pan began to worry. "Well...", Lorak started, "maybe the Twin Gods will come to our rescue. They always have before." "That's true...", Pan replied. "Shh...let's keep quiet for now.", Judgement looked out again. Many of the deer they were friends with were out there, walking around aimlessly. Hunter was among them, who stopped and looked in their area.

Judgement moved back quickly, but Hunter had spotted him. He let out a roar that alerted the other infecteds. "Oh no! Oh no!", Pan cried. "Move!", Judgement shouted, and the trio darted out from their hiding place. They looked behind them, seeing a group of the infected deer chasing after them and gaining ground.

The trio dodged others that tried to get in their way. Lorak tripped and collapsed. Judgement and Pan could only glance back to see the infecteds overrun him. They ran for a few more moments before they slid to a halt, backing away slowly.

The infecteds had outsmarted them, some had run the opposite way in the Forest to surround them. The last two deer stood next to each other, looking out at the crowd. "Not like this...", Lorak sighed. "It's up to the Twin Gods now.", Judgement replied. At that moment, the infecteds approached from all sides, and the two were infected.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

Quad sat up, startled once again. He caught his breath, looking at the two Talux sleeping next to one another. Quad relaxed and looked in another direction.

Those sounds...they pierced the silence. He heard the screams of the deer from the Endless Forest, and then silence once again. He understood - something terrible had happened, and he was fortunate that the Twin Gods led him and the two winged creatures to safety before whatever it was arrived.

He looked back at them. They sat up at this time yawning and looking to him, and he saw they were shivering. The stag stood and sat by them, his body warming them both. The two rested their heads on him, one on the chest and the other on the belly. The stag closed his eyes, thinking about it all...

The world had become darker. The sky was suddenly overcast, and the light from the Sun was dimmed. What would normally be a calm and pleasant breeze had turned into a bitter wind that chilled their skin. Quad was afraid that the Talux would not last much longer out here.

He also thought about the prophecy...he recited it again so he could remember. "Upon the anger of the four elements, and thirteen sacrifices, the Lord of the Black Infection will arise on the day the great light is shrouded in darkness. Upon his summoning, the final two shall perish, and the world shall fall to the Lord's mercy."

He felt his body want to break down. Every prophecy that had been spoken had come true up to this point. The prophecy fortold the death of the Talux. Quad was destined to fail. The reality was tough to set in...everything that had been done would be for nothing.

My son, do not lose hope..., he heard his mother's voice call to him. At once his heart warmed. Quad's eyes opened as he listened - he had not heard his mother's voice in so long. Another began to speak as well, You are the one chosen by the Twin Gods. You have their protection., it was his father's voice, and his mind became clear. The stag raised his head. "You're right. We are not defeated yet.", he said softly. He looked back down to the two creatures, "How could I lose hope now? I swore to protect them with my life...", he said to himself. Quad was terrified of what was to come, but he no longer abandoned his hope. He would take this on to the very end.

There was a faint sound close by. Quad's ears perked up, and he listened again.

Hoofbeats...lots of them. He stood at once, "Seraph, Cherub, fly!", he said to them. The two looked up to him curiously. "Fly! Fly!", Quad cried, rearing up and pointing to the sky. The two looked to one another, and then their wings unfolded. It was the first time Quad had ever seen them fly, and they ascended gracefully into the sky, the forest canopy shrouding them.

Quad looked back, and was horrified at what he saw. It was the deer, all of his friends, but their faces were not right...they had a cold, almost lustful expression as they spotted him. He saw the infection on their bodies, and it remided him of the prophecy. It's coming true!, he realized. The infecteds at once sped towards him. Quad turned and ran, not looking back but listening carefully.

He was being chased by every deer from the Forest, and the infecteds were slowly gaining ground. It would not be long before they caught him.

To Be Continued...