Chapter 14

Michael and James both flung around to see a black figure jump from the fire into the sky, out of sight. The flames that followed it left nothing but smoldering ashes and darkness behind. When the high-pitched noise finally echoed away into the night nothing was left but the groaning of broken bodies lying scattered around the camp. Shernine sighed before dropping to his feet and pointing to the fire to reignite it. As light returned to the site he could see men strewn about all over the camp attempting to get on their feet. Bart stood up off of the man he was holding down and walked over to old man whom he had speared with the dagger. “Is he gunna make it?” He calmly asked while they both looked down upon the helpless fool, bleeding out before them.

“Not really my specialty. Drule, is this guy living?” There was no immediate answer. “Drule?” They turned to see Drule sitting down on the ground where he had been holding a horse’s head in his lap. The horse whined and hoofed as it tried to get back to its feet, but Drule had his arm around the creature’s neck preventing it from standing. Tears were rolling down Drule’s hardened face. Realizing what had happened, Shernine raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to…” before he could finish Drule grabbed the horse’s head with his other hand and broke its neck with an appalling crack.  The head rolled out from Drule’s handle as Drule lay back against the tree behind him while burying his face in his hands.

The horse had been injured severely enough in the scuffle that it wouldn’t make the journey to the next town. Drule’s body shook as he wept for the beast at its side. Shernine and Alchem were both somewhat detached from humanity and animal life, especially compared to Drule, who was quite fond of most living beings. Alchem was a man of chemistry and Shernine loved to dabble with physics, astronomy and engineering. Drule lived quietly on the surface and underneath the earth with all living inhabitants. Drule did not often engage with humans due to his very noticeable size but found comfort in the friendship of animals, especially horses. Even the wildest of animals would calmly wonder up to Drule to receive food and company from him. The animals could sense his presence and would often come running to him should he near their habitat. It was almost as if the animals gained a greater sense of understanding in his presence, they were more than animals to him and so they became more than animals when they were around him.

Before the Dark Age that shrouded almost the entire Mainland for two hundred years, it was decided between Shernine and the Sun that neither of them, nor Drule or Alchem, were to meddle in the affairs of humans or their struggles. This vastly differed from the time when Shernine could speak to the voices beyond the stars, but as times were changing and their memories were failing it become evident that any direct intervention on their part would be directly an outcome of each’s personal opinion as opposed to a correspondence with a higher order. Shernine blamed himself for no longer hearing the voices but the Sun presented the idea as if there was no longer any reason for the voices to communicate through him. The Sun was positive that if the voices were no longer present than humans did not require any further instruction or motivation on their part.

The Sun rarely walked on the earth so it became Shernine’s responsibility to explain to Alchem and Drule that human contact was to be limited starting in the early era of the Dark Age. Alchem was allowed to continue work with humans as long as he didn’t use any form of magic or use any extra-terrestrial knowledge to influence the lives of people he came into contact with. This was not a large constraint to Alchem. When Shernine broke the news to Drule it was in a forest far away from human hands. Drule listened intently as Shernine explained the decision to him. Without a word, Drule nodded before wondering into the darkness of the woods. For a very long time this was the last of Drule that any of them saw for over a hundred years.

When Shernine talked to Drule again it was with regards to Alchem. Drule was sitting atop a large rock with his legs folded underneath him. He put forward one hand as a small bird flew towards him and perched itself on his finger. The bird stuck it’s beak under its wing and danced around for a minute before chirping something and flying back off into the woods. Drule sighed and looked up into the branches above him. “Come down here and talk to me if you have something to say.” Shernine dropped down from above landed lightly on the tip of his staff with one foot so as to keep himself level with Drule up on the rock where he was standing. Drule glared directly at him unamused. Shernine kept only one foot underneath him with the other resting on his knee. His green robes waved in the gentle wind of fall.

“The Sun and I have been watching Alchem.”  Drule averted his eyes deep into the woods with a huff. “We think he might be uh… done soon.” Drule continued to stare off into the distance. “Done as in, like… dead.” Drule took a deep breath. He looked at Shernine who was still hovering on his staff looking genuinely concerned about the revelation. Shernine was always keeping tabs on the lot of them worrying himself about every time one of them disappeared for an extended period of time, as they tended to do quite often. Seeing as the surface of the sun was massive the Sun could easily disappear into its fiery surface. Drule would occasionally move underground to avoid Shernine having any visions of him and could pop out again in a completely different territory if he wished. Alchem was never purposely hiding but his movements tended to be so sporadic if Shernine wasn’t keeping an eye on him at all times he could easily lose his whereabouts.

The four of them were completely unsure as to how many others like them could exist, if any did. The Sun had no interest in finding out if there were; neither did Drule, in a sense. Alchem, when he was more active and was able to make contact regularly with humans, was very excited at the prospect of locating other powerful creatures. For a long time Alchem thought he was the only one until he was contacted by the rest of the group, purely by accident. Alchem previous to their encounter had a lot of contact with humans, some good and some bad. He mostly hid the powers he had from humans unless the situation deemed it either necessary or occasionally hilarious. One reason that they all were at least curious as to the possibility of more of them existing was that since they all had amnesia it was possible that another of them might have a stronger understanding of their origins. Alchem’s memory loss was more substantial than any of the others and he was desperate to find some background about himself, at least in his youth.

“Next time you come here to bring something to my attention, be sure it is of some significance to me.” Shernine was unhappy with the lackluster attitude Drule was displaying over the situation, although Shernine wasn’t expecting much more from Drule.

“Drule, if Alchem can die so can we. He’s losing his energy faster than anticipated. I know neither you, nor I, nor the Sun are near this point, but if Alchem has mortality then we may as well.”

“If you are to come down here to interrupt me from my work, only do so if it is of more value than your suspicions of death. We all will die; it is the only sure aspect of life.” Shernine huffed. There wasn’t ever a guarantee that any of them would die, he believed. Alchem showed the first signs of mortality as his energy began to fade towards human levels. The Sun had the strongest presence of energy based on his location in the sun. Drule had a nominal level that he could enhance by drawing energy from other living beings, although he scarcely monopolized this power. Shernine’s own energy was very subdued due to his own doing. None of the others were very sure as to how much he could actually do by his own means if he allowed himself to fully unleashed his strongest abilities. Shernine never felt it was necessary to retain his powers as they were no longer benefited humans in any way. For this reason he kept his own talents hidden from the rest, almost as if he was ashamed of his own strengths. No matter how mighty he became he could not remember what had come before the Dark Age with any detail and was unable to use them effectively to steer the events of time.

“But we can influence life! We can void the death of a person. If that is possible you know we may have some influence over the length of a life, human or otherwise.”

“We can prolong the inevitable, nothing more.” Drule stood up and reminded Shernine that he was the much larger figure. In some ways this made him feel as if he was more powerful. In truth, neither of them was sure who had the most extensive capabilities. Shernine had not taken advantage of his full strength since the decision not to interfere with humans. His amnesia was strong enough he was not familiar with his own abilities. While Drule was unsure as to whether or not he was stronger, he definitely felt more strongly about the situation.  Drule kept his own personal opinions to himself, but if challenged, he would stand his ground regardless of who may challenge him. Shernine leapt very lightly from atop his staff and landed quietly on the floor of the forest below. He gripped his weapon tightly in his right hand and gazed up toward Drule. He was upset at the reaction but did not feel any need to further argue on the point.

He forced himself to take a deep breathe. He remembered the angrier he became the foggier his memories grew. He took another slow breathe in an attempt to calm himself down. Drule stood tall on the rock underneath his feet, staring down, quietly at Shernine. Shernine realized how his grip on what was once a powerful group in Mainland affairs was falling apart. Drule hadn’t spoken to any of them in many years. The Sun isolated himself and refused to partake in any conversation except with an occasional update from Shernine. Alchem had begun living his own life outside of the clan but at the cost of his own health. When Shernine had talked to him previously Alchem seemed content to die slowly in his human form. The death may still be many years away but this entailed years of a slow and sure decent into frailty. Shernine was not sure if he was concerned for Alchem’s safety or for his own mortality. He lived far away from humanity and was not entirely comfortable with the idea of death. Alchem lived almost totally as a human after they agreed not to interfere with human ongoing.

“Alchem has lived among humans for far too long. His death could be detrimental, especially if his death ends the lives that depend on his strength. That Malcolm fellow should have died more than a few years ago. If Alchem dies, Malcolm may perish with him.”

Drule looked away from Shernine and into the woods. The birds chirped happily, completely unaware of tense argument taking place in the woods beneath them. Deer skipped over fallen branches as they quickly moved about in search of a meal. Every leaf that broke from the trees above could be sensed by Drule. He knew where every creature of the forest was and what they were feeling. The forest was a complicated yet simple system. He knew the creatures of the Mainland better than any human ever could. He could sense them no matter how small; even insects flocked to his side as he welcomed them to the warmth of his skin. Drule had found peace in the forest; he had a better sense of belonging than Shernine or the Sun. He figured that by fleeing their true home they had distanced themselves from their own destiny, but he refused to interfere with their decisions, even on their behalf.

“We agreed not to interfere with the lives of humans. If Malcolm dies it is for the best of them. We do not intercede.” Shernine was angry. He knew Drule continued to harbor hostility towards the Sun for his choices and his decision to avoid contact with humans. Despite his lackluster attitude, Drule was worried for Alchem’s safety and the humans who had come to depend on him. At this point his rage shined through in its own subtle way. He had felt betrayed for so long by Shernine and the Sun that he refused to assist the only other person he had sympathy for.

“I knew it was garbage when I told you.” Shernine pointed to Drule. “You knew that I knew it. The Sun doesn’t control us as he would like to believe.” Drule huffed angrily and leaped down from his rock. He landed hard on the ground with a resounding thud.  He stood there towering above Shernine while his eyes glowed through the shade of the trees.

“If the Sun did not control us you never would have come to me before.” Shernine took a step back. This was the most blatant resistance he had ever received from Drule. “Don’t have me abandon our treaty now because you need something from me. Your own decisions will bring about the downfall of Alchem without my assistance.” Shernine took another step back. Drule was leaning in and pushing his forehead against Shernine’s. Drule always followed the orders of the Sun and Shernine. He refused to disobey them based on their positions in the hierarchy of their group. Regardless of this he was not afraid to share his opinion on a matter. The Sun and Shernine had betrayed Drule in allowing their own fears to overcome their desire to help the Mainland. Shernine was afraid of affecting people due to his inability to gather information from the voices beyond the stars. The Sun never wished to interfere with humans and as a result easily convinced Shernine to have Alchem and Drule back away from human relations.

Drule was unhappy with the decision and completely understood why it was made but refused to fight it on the grounds that he was not nearly as strong as the Sun or Shernine, despite his own impressive abilities. He also had Amnesia almost comparable to Alchem. One of the very few concepts that remained implanted in his mind was that they had some purpose in developing the growing culture in the Mainland, but Drule was very loyal and did not disobey any orders decreed by the Sun and Shernine. Shernine looked calmly back at Drule who was standing over him. He looked down at the sandals on his feet balanced delicately on the leaves beneath him. A small bug crawled over his toes. He took a breath and looked back up and Drule, who had backed off by a single step. “Please don’t let Alchem suffer because of my decisions.” Drule averted his gaze and looked to his left into the forest. He hadn’t spoken to Alchem in years, but Drule had a very good idea of what might be happening to him

“Alchem is stronger than you give him credit for. In time we may find he will carry us when we fall.” Shernine may not always have taken Drule’s side on issues, but he never doubted the truthfulness of what he believed. He felt slightly reassured by Drule’s persistence. “While the sun still hangs in the sky you may wish to shift your attention South of these woods. There’s a darkness growing in the pines. It has become more powerful than any foe the desert has faced since these Dark Ages.”

“A curse?” Shernine was taken aback by this statement. Ancient dark magics such as curses hadn’t been seen in the Mainland in many years. During the Dark Age most people began keeping to themselves and shunning any sort of supernatural power that remained present until it was all but eradicated. As the generations passed the younger population had very little recollection of any sort of magic, good or evil. Occasional small curses may have arisen from time to time as it was much easier to conjure the dark side of the power, but most of the cases sorted themselves out or grew far too week to maintain any sort of hold on a person.

“Not a curse; a true demon. It would not be wise to venture into that area, surely a creature such as this would latch on to you the moment it sensed your presence. I have done what I can to clear the area of wildlife. If you truly wish to ignore the orders of yourself and the Sun, I would watch over the people in the town north of Borhevan of the great evil.” Shernine looked down the path to his left which led south to Borhevan. He felt a responsibility to them just knowing what harm could befall them should they find themselves involved with a demon of such pure origin. When he turned back to Drule he had already disappeared into the woods.

So many years later Drule found himself in the same woods where he had befriended so many creatures, this time he was bringing one to its death. Men were still rolling around on the floor of the forest groaning and attempting to get to their feet. For the most part the party ignored them. The man who had been holding a knife to the horses sat up grinning with his bloody teeth shining in the light of the fire. He was a bald man with a sagging face and a devilish smile. Bart wondered over silently and punched him directly between his eyes knocking him out cold. He then turned to a couple men attempting to escape. “Hey, you’re gunna have to drag this one.” The man was promptly pulled away as the men tried to keep their distance from Bart. James was still holding his sword tightly in his hands reminding all of the men that they’d better keep moving or he’d give them a good poke. Michael limped over and stood with the rest of the group as the retied the horses and calmed them down.

When Michael pulled his metal gloves off he noticed all of the blackness in his veins had subsided to two small points on each of his palms. He stared at them quietly before turning to Shernine. “What was that thing.” Shernine sat cross-legged on the ground near Drule and put a hand on his shoulder.

“The black spots on your hands remain because the curse is still tied to you. It will roam freely in its own form, but it still lives off of your spirit. The farther it leaves you the weaker it will become.”

“That’s good then. It will be weaker now, yeah?” Shernine shook his head.

“He’s no longer restricted to living within you. It will draw its power from any place it can find and attempt to use it against you. We need to find Alchem, and quickly.”

James watched the last of their attackers fade into the darkness. The old man was spouting nonsense as they attempted to get him away from the others. James wasn’t really concerned as to whether or not he was going to live. Bart didn’t want to know; he’d never killed anyone before. By remaining ignorant he could assume that the man would live. Even if he did he may not recover fully from the injury. More than likely an infection as a result of the wound would kill him unless they managed to get him back to Borhevan very quickly.

“Who’s gunna be walking?” James asked as he walked over to the rest of his company standing around Drule holding the dead horse.

“I can walk, or I could ride with somebody; I don’t actually weigh anything.” Shernine reassured them. His hand was still resting on Drule’s shoulder as he felt him begin to stand. The head of the horse rolled off of Drule’s lap as he made it to his feet.

“I will walk.” Drule announced to them from his lofty height. “We’re short on time now, and I’m the fastest. I will go ahead to Ytterghile and find Alchem.”

“It’s not safe for us to split up with the curse loose. The Sun won’t be…”

“A human will die this night. Are hands have broken the rules already.” Drule interrupted Shernine with a strong and authoritative tone. “We have to find Alchem before this curse causes any more damage.” Shernine sighed as he wiped his hands down his face. He looked towards the lifeless horse they had circled around.

“The Sun won’t be happy, but I’d guess he’s probably fuming right now anyway.”

“I will keep my aura subdued. When I find Alchem I’ll signal you.”

“Be ready. It’ll break loose as soon as it picks up on you.”

“We’ll be ready.” Drule slowly walked over the horse’s corpse and into the darkness. Michael stuffed the old man’s gun in his belt and waited for him to disappear.

“Am I wrong? Or did we just send the slowest person in the group ahead of us.” James opened his mouth to tell Michael he was wrong, but when he thought about it he realized Michael might be right. He turned to Shernine and raised an eyebrow with his mouth still slightly ajar.

“He can be pretty quick when he needs to be, especially through the forest.” He looked at the gun hanging in Michael’s belt. “Is there any ammunition left for that thing? I have no idea where that old guy got a hold of one of those.”

“No. He must still have the gunpowder with him. Looks like its military; it’s got some kind of marking on it.”

“Let me see it.” Michael tossed it to him. Shernine took a minute to look at the different pieces. It was a single shot muzzle loading hand gun. It was horribly inaccurate. The markings on the side looked like an assignment based on battalion. The series of letters and numbers appeared to assign it to a specific unit but Shernine wasn’t sure how to read it. He sniffed the end of the barrel. The scent was foul. He pulled back the hammer and pulled the trigger to a click and a spark but no fire.

“Do you think you could make more of the shots for it?” Bart asked from his sitting position on the ground. Shernine shook his head.

“The mechanics are simple, I could easily produce replacements, but the composition of the firing powder is another story. I’d need Alchem for something like that.” Shernine tossed the gun back to Michael, who stuffed it back into his belt.  “We should get some sleep.”

Bart had terrible nightmares that night. He rewatched himself throw that knife into the man’s back over and over. He knew the man would die. He’d never killed anyone before. His stomach hurt just thinking about it. He reacted quickly because he believed Shernine’s life was in danger, but Shernine wasn’t an ordinary person and there wasn’t any way for him to know for sure. Was there any possibility that someone as strong and mysterious as Shernine had the power to avoid causality by such a weapon as a gun? Shernine was full of tricks; he pulled a long sword out of a cape only two thirds the size of the weapon. His abilities were clearly remarkable. Bart wished he could have known truthfully whether or not Shernine could have survived the attack. If the old man failed to kill Shernine they could have incapacitated him easily before he managed to reload the weapon.

Bart knew there was no way of truly knowing in that short span if anyone’s life was at risk. He acted instinctively in order to save his friend. This knowledge didn’t provide any comfort to him as he thrashed about in his sleep. He rolled to his side and watched the last ember of the fire fade into darkness. He closed his eyes and saw the face of a monster. The skull of a goat floated above a black body of complete darkness. The eyes of the beast stared directly into him as it smiled. It felt the uneasiness inside of him and preyed his fears, growing stronger as he questioned himself. Fire dripped from the creature’s mouth as it uttered horrible words, as if whispered in his ear. “You can only comprehend your act in the darkest of places.” It spat as it laughed with a bellowing sound from deep within its body.

Bart opened his eyes to the stars floating above him. They glistened slightly and came in and out of sight as the leaves above brushed in the wind. He sat up and realized the fire was blazing in front of him. Michael was still fully clothed and poking at the flames with a stick. He looked at Bart with open eyes that conveyed a feeling of genuine concern. Bart rubbed his own eyes and sat forward with a yawn. “I can’t help but feel as if this is my own doing.” Bart didn’t answer, letting the silence echo the thought. He peered around the camp to see everyone else was quietly sleeping. Shernine was leaning against a tree and James was in a slump under a blanket. The horses were all in a deep slumber as well. The dead horse had been dragged into the forest before they had gone to rest. “No matter what it tries to tell you Bart, you’ve got to remember it’s all a trick.” Bart hesitated for a moment. Michael had more experience dealing with these inner struggles than he had, but he questioned his wisdom on the matter.

“What kind of trick?”

“It finds your weakness and latches on to it. You’ll end up torturing yourself over something you have no control over. Every night I remember the first time I picked up the dice. I never thought anything of it; I won them fairly.” Bart sighed again. He ran a hand through his hair and wondered what Michael was going on about. Michael liked to gamble, he liked to drink and he had a habit of making poor decisions. Going to Vordenport was clearly a mistake. It led to more trouble than any of them could have imagined. “How was I supposed to know they were cursed?”

“Why’d you bet for them in the first place?”

“I didn’t. I bet for a simple few coins. When he couldn’t pay he offered the dice instead. I’ve come to realize it was all for his own purpose.” He stretched his fingers and watched as the black circle wrinkled in his palm.

“He knew what he was doing?”

“As soon as they were in my hand I could tell he knew what he’d done. That’s why I kept them. It was my own fault, but I wasn’t about to pass it on to some other unsuspecting person. I almost wish I had now. It’s free and it can do much more damage than I had ever intended. I’d hoped to take responsibility for my mistake. For once I was ready to bear the burden of my on faults.” Bart looked at Michael. Michael had come to terms with his mistake, in doing so he began to realize that very little of the consequences had anything to do with his betting. He was in many ways a victim of circumstance. He committed an error that ended in a serious sentence, but he refused to push it off on someone else. He continued to bear the pain of carrying the curse on his own as a means of redemption. What he never expected was for the curse to grow strong enough to harm anyone other than himself, nor for it to escape the dice.

“It’s not your fault Michael.” Michael shook his head when he heard the words.

“It is. The old man will die tonight. That’s my fault as well. Don’t let the cruse find weakness in you. It will latch on to it and suck the life out of you. If the old man dies it is because I accepted the curse.” Michael poked the fire and watched sparks fly lightly into the air. Bart didn’t know how to respond. The curse was taking a larger toll on Michael than he had realized.

Earlier in the year he remembered Shernine coming to his door as a simple traveler seeking some information about the town. Bart invited him in and made a small cup of tea for the strange creature. He was so thin and light Bart assumed if he were really a bandit seeking to harm anyone he wouldn’t have chosen Bart as an opponent. Shernine tipped his hat as Bart set the tea in front of him.

“I’ve heard there’s been a bit of a rumble in Vordenport. Just east of here, right?” Bart chuckled and pulled up his sleeve revealing a large wound that was finally beginning to heal on his left arm.

“I got sideswiped by some shorty going for my skull. Tossed him in the river.” Shernine laughed at the reply. He took a sip of the tea and pulled a small book from his pocket. Bart cocked his head and watched as the unknown traveler flipped through the pages as if looking for the proper response to the situation. Shernine continued to read through pages completely ignoring Bart’s hospitality. After a few minutes Bart felt awkward enough to finally break the silence. His neither of his parents were home and he felt an obligation to represent his household as friendly to the passersby.

“What brings you to such a small town?” Shernine smiled and licked his thumb before flipping the page. He hesitated for a moment before finishing reading the paragraph on the page.

“Sometimes big things happen in a small town.” Bart didn’t have anything to say in reply. The traveler seemed completely uninterested in having a conversation with Bart. He flipped through page by page without ever glancing up to see his gracious host cleaning the kettle and dishes in the sink. After they were all hanging up to dry Bart made a point to loudly sit back down in the chair at the table across from Shernine. Shernine refused to move his head but glanced up from the pages of his text to stare back at Bart. “I gather you’re not the only one to walk away from the fight in Vordenport unscathed.” Bart huffed somewhat proudly.

“My friends with me also suffered various injuries, but we all walked back independently; we weren’t about to let a little scuff slow us down.” Shernine chuckled as his eyes returned to his book.

“You do seem like a determined bunch, I’ll give you that.” Bart wasn’t sure who else he was referring to. Had he been watching them since Vordenport? He didn’t seem hostile but the reply was strangely informed. “Thanks for the tea. Let me repay you by leaving you with something you may find quite useful.” Bart was ready to respond politely and refuse whatever gift Shernine offered. It wasn’t like him or his family to accept a present in return for some simple form of charity. Shernine moved a flat hand across the table seemingly carrying nothing with it. As soon as his hand withdrew Bart could see a black stone resting in the center of the furniture piece. He leaned over the table and gazed into the darkness within the stone. The rock reflected the light above the table very dimly. Looking into it was almost as if looking into a dark jagged portal. The reflection of light was slightly distorted in the crudely cut rock. When Bart broke his gaze to look back to Shernine he realized he was standing in the doorway. “It’ll light up in the face of darkness.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a special sort of stone. Tough to find on the surface of the earth, but it’ll point you to any nearby threat. Whether you follow it or run from it is up to you.” Bart looked back down at the strange rock. It was almost completely black at the moment. When he looked back up Shernine had already disappeared. He grabbed the stone lightly and inspected it in its entirety. He shrugged and placed it in his pocket, not realizing it would only become useful later, after a few more talks with the wondering stranger.

Bart pulled the stone from his pocket and pointed it towards Michael. It lightly glowed but nothing near how bright it shined when he was searching for him in Borhevan. The rock acted as a sort of compass for curses. He laid back down in his resting place and whispered to Michael. “Enjoy a night free from the curse; it’s passed us now.” Michael laid down as well and gaze up into the night light from the empty moon.

“For now.”

Concept Art: Shernine

Chapter 13

Bart slept soundly through the night. James stirred once or twice from his slumber as images of the demon haunting his dreams appeared before him. Unlike before the dream had become nonsensical and the beast came and went as it pleased. Sometimes a normal dream would be taken over by horrific images only to return to his previous vision. It began to speak more often which was highly disturbing to James. He knew that for whatever reason it was choosing to reveal itself in parts to him. The messages it related to James either involved it’s authority over mankind or direct threats toward Alchem. Most of them James would quickly forget when he became conscious but the general messages stuck with him.

Every time he awoke James would rub his puffy eyes and gaze through the room. Bart never moved and the clouds outside continued to flow by. He didn’t know what time it was but it eventually came to the conclusion that Michael wasn’t planning on returning during the night. Where he was didn’t concern Bart, clearly. James, on the other hand, was quite worried. Shernine never returned either, although James figured he was out of the city walls with Drule somewhere, making plans for the continuation of the journey. Shernine seemed more capable of handling himself than they had proven in his absence. James eventually fell asleep again and began to dream of his parents at home. They were doing chores around the ranch despite all of the horse being gone. His mother was brushing mindlessly through the air as his father refilled the troughs outside of the empty barn. He watched them walk into the stable followed by the dark monster on its beastly legs. James ran after them and upon turning the corner found that the inside of the barn was completely blackened. On a fiery throne another black being sat, but it was so blurry that James couldn’t make out the shape of it. To its right stood the familiar demon proudly staring at James with his white and glossy eyes. “Theogushek is strong; he will conquer.” A deep bellowing voice emitted from the thing. “The Arc hastens his arrival, ready to serve!” It proudly placed its fist on its chest.

James opened his eyes to see the light of day creeping in through the window. It was still early and James had very little sleep over the course of the night, but neither Michael nor Shernine were present and James felt the need to go find them. He rose and shook Bart’s leg which was peeking out from under the blanket. Bart looked around and realized the gravity of the situation. He was clearly still furious with Michael but was not ready to leave him alone in Borhevan while they readied for their departure. Downstairs they were trying to pay the bartender to keep the horses for some additional hours but he had passed out in a slump behind the bar and they were forced to leave him.

Outside the birds were beginning to chirp in the cool morning air. James rubbed his temples and tried to think of where Michael or Shernine might be. They had left a note in the room in case Shernine returned but he wasn’t clear about when he may have been back. James was absolutely clueless, but somehow Bart looked down the street where caravans were beginning to assemble and pointed. “Down there.” The confidence in his voice led James to trust him, despite him having no way of locating Michael, and they began their way down the street. Occasionally Bart would pull something out of his pocket and look at it before turning down an alley or continuing on. James couldn’t see what it was as Bart’s massive hand was enough to conceal the small item. He didn’t feel the need to ask as long as it was getting them to Michael. Eventually they came to an alley with many doors on either side. Bart took a minute in front of each door before shaking his head and moving to the next until eventually he came upon one that he knocked on with a confident scowl. After a few minutes of standing quietly together an old woman cracked it open and looked up at Bart, who was about twice her size. “We’re looking for someone, a young man.” Before he could describe Michael the woman opened the door the rest of the way to bring them inside.

“Yes, yes, of course. I knew you’d be coming soon. Come inside!” James and Bart looked at each other before hesitantly walking into the very small home. She was standing there somewhat hunched over in a dark green robe with ropes and tassels decorating it. There was an intricate design of gold down the arms that led to lacing around the sleeves. The woman had beads in her hand on a string that she was counting one by one, despite the fact that they formed a seemingly pointless loop. She seemed frail and unsteady but surely led them up a skinned stairway to a hall with two more doors. On the left she pushed one door open to reveal Michael laying in a bed sound asleep. “It wouldn’t be good to wake him, he’s not in good shape, you know.” Bart wondered into the room to see the darkness had returned again and was all the way into his neck. His chest rose and fell quickly as he took deep breathes in his slumber. He didn’t stir but didn’t appear to be sleeping peacefully. “Come, I’ll make you something to drink.” Bart cautiously closed the door on their friend, unable to look away at his poor state.

Back downstairs James and Bart sat at a small table while the woman prepared some sort of sour tea. The chairs were so small they creaked and groaned under the boys’ weight. James looked around the very dark home at all of the trinkets hanging from the ceiling and sitting on shelves. None of it was familiar and didn’t appear to be of any practical use, nor did it have any kind of artistic value. Her belongings didn’t appear to be constructed in typical Mainland fashion. There were a few books and some cooking utensils, but for the most part it all was mostly for decoration, or perhaps dust collecting. Large drapes covered the only window, in the front, and only one dimly lit lantern hung from the middle of the roof. The stove she was using was very old and rusted in many places. Her cabinets were also beginning to split and show serious ware. “Where did you find him?” James finally asked, as the women sat down beside them.

“The boy? He was making his way through the alley there and collapsed onto my door. He would have started crawling, I think, but I made him come inside and sleep. He’s very sick.”

“We know. We’re taking him to see someone.” Bart answered.

“I hope it’s somebody who knows what they’re doing. He’s in extremely bad shape; he’s been vomiting blood all over my floor.” James and Bart looked at each other. Bart turned to her. She implied that she understood more than either he or James about the infection. James stared at them both confused at their grasp on the situation.

“I don’t know how much longer he has.” Bart sternly informed her, which was met by a careful sigh. She appeared genuinely concerned about Michael’s wellbeing. James sat confused in his seat. Despite understanding what both of them had been saying he felt as if they were speaking another language to each other. They were both discussing information about the development of the infection that James had never considered, almost as if they had known what to measure during his deteriorating condition. James felt lost, with nothing to add to the conversation, and simply tried to understand what was happening to his friend.

“Do you know where the token is?” The woman stared at Bart before rising to her feet again and returning to the kitchen. She was acting as if James had completely left the room.

“I do, but I don’t have power to do anything about it. We’re working on getting to someone who we think will. Shernine said it’s about another two days of traveling, right James.” James was surprised to hear his name come up. He wasn’t sure what to say. He knew the answer to the question but felt so excluded from the actual conversation he wasn’t sure whether or not he was expected to answer.

“Two days to Grivenford, yeah.” He muttered as he stared into his tea. The woman shook her head.

“He won’t make it another two days without some serious complications. It’s getting very strong, one of the worst I’ve seen.” James grew worried. Whatever they were talking about must have been serious, by the tone of their voices. Bart sighed again and scratched his head in contemplation. He was searching for some kind of answer but was unable to justify a two day journey with a barely conscious Michael.

“Michael’s strong, stronger than he seems. He can make it.”

“No. He won’t be able to hold the thing at bay; you don’t even know its name.” The old lady seemed distraught over this fact. For a moment James suddenly felt a moment of clarity; as if a solution appeared in his head. He realized there was only one “thing” they could be talking about, something devoid of humanity. Perhaps Bart and the woman, and maybe even Michael, had a deeper grasp on what was happening, but James had the most experience with the demon itself.

“Theogushek.” Barts eyes opened quickly. They both turned to James who remained solid in his seat. He almost felt a little better having some sort of information available to share with Bart and the old woman but the grim circumstances vanquished his sense of pride. “It revealed itself to me in a dream.” Bart leaned over the table very close to James.

“I haven’t had the dream since we’ve left. How has it changed?” James took a breath and a minute to try and remember just what had been affected by their departure.

“Not a lot, honestly, but I can see it much more clearly than before, and it talks to me on occasion.”

“Have you said anything back?” The old woman grabbed his hand, leaning over the table. He could hear she was straining her voice to get the point across. The intensity in her face was vivid.

“No. Nothing. I think it’s… trying to confuse me maybe? It says strange things to me, like it’s trying to discourage me.” After a pause she returned to her seat. While they all sat together, James remembered his most recent encounter. “It showed me another… thing, on a throne.” This revelation didn’t garner the reaction James was expecting. The old woman sat back quietly and Bart held perfectly still. It was possible they didn’t really understand what it meant either.

“We need to find Shernine and get moving.” Suddenly they could hear footsteps from the stairs. James jumped out of his seat and turned to find Michael stumbling down towards them. Bart and the old woman kept their composure. When Michael realized Bart and James were in the room he sat down on the stairs and rubbed his hands through his shaggy hair.

“I think I owe somebody an apology, but honestly I’m not entirely sure what’s happened.”

“How are you feeling?” The old woman asked. She brought him over a cup of tea, her frail hands shaking as she tried to keep it steady.  He drank in a massive gulp before wincing and looking into the cup with his head cocked backwards.

“Honestly? Better than I have in a long time. I just can’t… remember much.” The old woman flipped his hand over to look at his palms. Very little darkness remained except for at the very centers. Bart immediately followed her and to look as well. Michael stared at the two of them completely confused by what was going on.

“Thanks for the hospitality.” Bart muttered before running over to the chair he was sitting at and swinging his jacket on. “Let’s go.” James and Michael watched shocked as Bart departed so suddenly. James followed him out the door and while Michael shook the woman’s hand and said thanks before running out after them. Her mouth gaped open but she was unable to form the words to stop them. He caught up to them at the end of the alley were Bart was turning to go back towards the inn.

James tried to slow Bart down by putting his hand on his shoulder, but he simply shrugged it off. “Who was that lady? She looked Shidenite.” He didn’t receive an answer. As they walked back Michael gazed through the city with widened eyes as if he hadn’t ever seen it before. They passed through dirty alleys and roads with drug houses on either side made obvious by the stench and dilapidation. People on the street wondered around aimlessly as the boys maneuvered around them attempting not to bring too much attention to themselves. As they circled past a certain building Michael stopped for a moment, peering inside. The canopy in front was very familiar for some reason. James and Bart realized he had stopped and turned around to see what was capturing his attention. It was dark inside the opened building except for the occasional spark from a coal on some smoking apparatus. Coughing and snoring could be heard inside as well. Michael squinted at a figure standing prominently in the center of the darkened area. Suddenly he walked out into the sun. It was an angry looking man in ragged clothes with dirty long hair and an eyepatch over one eye. He stared at Michael and smiled wide showing he was missing a few teeth.

“Look who’s back.” He laughed. Several other men walked out from inside all equally thuggish and angry in appearance. James whispered over to Michael.

“Do you know these guys?”

“No. But I know we should run.” Michael broke off into a sprint followed by Bart and James. The men were quick to follow, all with an assortment of blunt weapons ready to swing at whomever may come into their paths.  Michael ducked into a small alley while Bart and James made their way further up the street. They ran into a large market square and attempted to weave through the crowd to lose their pursuers. James managed to disappear and stealthily make his way to the other side of the square but Bart was much too large and noticeable for such a feet. He dove under a larger cart and found himself in between the backs of the sellers where there was sufficient room to push his way through. He bumped and shoved until he finally fell out of the other side knocking over quite a few things on the way down. He could hear men screaming from behind him but he continued to move and eventually caught up with James.

One more street forward and suddenly they found themselves approaching the inn. Shernine was standing out front with Drule and the horses. None of them were tied up, luckily, as they were all standing content in a semi-circle around Drule while he fed them apples. “Hey boys, I was wondering when…”

“Have you seen Michael?” They shouted as they tried to catch their breath.

“Not since… oh, there he is.” Shernine point south where Michael was making a mad dash for them. A moment of relief was quickly washed away as they noticed about twelve men not too far behind. “Well, guess we’ve overstayed our welcome.” Shernine effortlessly leapt onto a horse while James and Bart climbed their own. Michael caught up and jumped forward onto his, barely hanging on, as they all galloped away, save for Drule who calmly turned to all the men. They eventually made it up to the giant and all gathered in front of him waiting for each other to make a move, all unwilling to be the most daring and attack. Drule looked at them curiously before carefully mounting and trotting off after the rest of the party. The man with the eyepatch caught up from behind shouting. “Don’t just stand there!”

“Nothing they have is worth losing a head over.” One of the men stated. The eyepatch man walked up to him fuming.

“Yes. It. Was. Now it’s gone, and you’ll be lucky if I don’t take your head.”

“I know where they’re headed.” The group all turned to an old man sitting in a rocking chair outside the inn. It was the same man who had passed out drunk in a trough the day before. “Overheard ‘em yesterday.” He smiled. The eyepatch man approached him slowly.

“Where are they going?” he roared under his breathe.

“How valuable is this thing you’re after?”

After making it out of the walls of the city the group let the horses walk slowly through the much less crowded and safe streets as the roads began to disappear and the sizes of the homes shrank. Stone turned primarily to wood and the people wore more modest materials. The ascetics were plain but the mood was calm and relaxed compared to the business of the city center. To the east large pine trees could be seen standing tall, rising out of the sandy soil below. Few homes stretched very far into the region as the soil made it very unwelcoming for any sort of vegetation save for the cone bearing trees that shadowed all of the ground below. The wood from the trees wasn’t particularly sturdy and wasn’t used for much construction. As a result the town continued to pull materials from the wood to the north while leaving the pine trees alone. This led to what was referred to as the pine-wall; a long stretch of pine trees hovering over the town below. The trees were much taller than any other species and contained very few branches low to the ground. From afar the effect of this gave way to a large sea of brown topped with enough greenery to prevent any penetration of sunlight. It was surprisingly dark inside the forest making appear foreboding. The people who lived around the area refused to enter this section of forest. This was partially due to superstitious stories revolving around the area and partially because there was absolutely nothing of value to be found there. Many legends circulated about an ancient well within the forest that had certain healing properties but was guarded by a massive black, hairy beast that would gobble up anyone who entered. Some people told the story merely for the sake of interest, but some truly believed in the beast. Children were made to be frightened of the forest as it was incredibly easy to lose one’s sense of direction and get lost in. Most of the residents assumed this was reason the stories began.  

As they rode along a cool breeze began to blow in small amounts of sand from the neighboring forest. Michael spit as it stuck to his soft lips. Shernine pulled a purple handkerchief matching his robe from seemingly nowhere and fashioned it around his face. Drule’s face and lips especially resembled wood and no sand would stick to them. James and Bart were riding in the back of the group and simply pulled their shirts to cover their mouths. Michael turned his head to avoid the wind and noticed that all the doors and shutters of the houses on the street were closed tight. He turned into the wind to see the same unwelcoming gesture on the other side of the street. A flock of crows screamed overhead as they followed the group travelling through town. Shernine looked upwards towards them. “They sense it. It’s growing stronger by the minute.” Drule murmured so only Shernine would hear. Bart couldn’t hear what they were saying but could gauge the subject based on their faces.

“Let’s get out of this wind, shall we?” Shernine happily broke the quiet and ushered his horse to gallop towards the woods to the northwest, away from the pines. The landscape grew hillier as they neared the forest. To the left of the hills was the large sandy basin where only the pine trees grew, but to the right a more diverse forest grew with many small streams running through the rockier landscape. The woods north of Borhevan were only one route for trading available between the northern and southern territories of the Mainland.. The mountains to the east and the pine forest to the created a bottleneck that trapped travelers into a heavily wooded, but passable, region towards the upper Mainland. Any trading that didn’t occur on the river far west of the pines came through this area at some point if it were to travel south of Ytterghile. The woods were thick but the roads mazing through them were fairly clear due to amount of traffic through the region, although, traffic had slowed significantly as the capitol lost touch with the lower segments of the Mainland.

The changing of the seasons grew more apparent in the woods and the floor of the forest was beginning to be covered in bright orange and yellow hues. The bright sun could be seen through the brown branches shooting out above giving the woods an orange glow. Soft breezes chapped the lips of the travelers but brought a refreshing coolness to them and the horses. They continued to travel through the woods without stop for most of the afternoon. Everyone agreed that far too much time had been spent in Borhevan. Despite this, none of the party felt as well rested as they would have liked, except Drule, who had managed to avoid must of the trouble by staying outside of the city. The boys still weren’t sure were Shernine had been during the night, but they were starting to get used to the mysteriousness surrounding him and Drule. It didn’t appear as if they were intentionally keeping their whereabouts secret, it was more a matter of communication breakdown. Drule and Shernine were used to isolation and never felt need to share details about their separate adventures with anyone. If any of the boys asked they would give an overly simplified answer with a smile as if that took care of any other question that might follow.

James remembered Alchem being somewhat similar in this regard any time they spoke. Even with Malcolm, Alchem could be quite vague. He was very much of the opinion that any answer worth sharing must be concise. Often a simple nod would be his reply to a long question about a subject Malcolm was pursuing. James could tell it sometimes frustrated Malcolm but he learned to never pry for information on the subject. Remembering this brought some comfort to James as he realized disappearing in such an abrupt fashion was likely for the groups benefit and possibly Alchem’s doing. For their kind it was not something out of the ordinary. Malcolm likely went along with the sudden change of location realizing it wouldn’t be worth arguing with Alchem over it, although it unintentionally distraught James. Alchem could have been planning it for some time and not felt the need to relay the message until the last minute. It would not have been out of character for such a thing to occur.

The group found a clearing as night began to fall and set up camp there. They were surrounded by a ring of trees around the concave ground beneath them. They built a fire in the center and tied up the horses before laying out places to sleep. The weather was cooperating and so they didn’t feel the need to set up any tents. The journey had been unusually quiet. Bart was clearly concerned for Michael’s condition and Shernine seemed to be very focused on getting to where they were going. Normally Shernine would blab on for a bit about the area they were in; it seemed he knew a lot about the Mainland. Today he was much quieter and observant of their surroundings. Drule hadn’t said a word the entire day, but this wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. After a silent dinner they all gathered around the fire and stared blankly as the glowing flames warmed their faces. Shernine was not incredible at picking up on facial expressions, but he realized James was concerned about the turn the journey had taken.

“I guess you guys made some friends in Borhevan?” He tried to lighten the mood with his signature care-free grin.

“Yeah Michael, did you recognize any of those guys? Maybe they had the wrong person.” James didn’t want to push Michael too much as he wasn’t sure if Michael remembered anything, but he couldn’t help his curiosity.

“I think I bet the old guy his daughter if I could roll any three numbers he picked in a row. Needless to say, neither of them where happy about it when I did.” Bart couldn’t help but break a smile when he heard that. Same old Michael, he thought, despite the situation it was comforting to see his usual demeanor had returned to him. “Anyway, I think I’ll be fine until we can find Alchem. The infection has retreated significantly since that night. I shouldn’t need to gamble for at least another few days.” James cocked his head to the side. How much about this problem did Michael understand that he wasn’t sharing with everyone? Gambling? What did that have to do with his disease?

“Don’t be too sure about that.” Shernine jumped in. “The more you gamble the quicker it will be able to take control again. I’d say we have two days maximum to get you some help.” James wasn’t sure what was happening in front of him. Did everyone know what was going on except him? Bart nodded when he heard Shernine’s words as if he had been considering this fact himself. James remembered back to when he and Bart were looking for Michael. Bart definitely knew where to find him. He had to have been withholding some kind of information from James, but why? Michael flexed his arm to determine how much strength had returned to him.

“Alchem will have the answer.” Bart assured him.

“I hope you’re right, my wrist is already stiffening back up.” Michael complained as he waived his hand to and fro.

“Alchem knows all about these sorts of things, back when he fought in the King’s Army he dealt with quite a few of them.” Shernine reassured him.

“Them?” James finally pushed for an answer. He hated feeling like the only one who didn’t know exactly what was going on; especially considering it involved his friend. The rest of the group, except Drule, looked at James. Michael and Bart then turned to Shernine to see how he would respond. He rubbed his hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

“You know… like that demon thing you guys keep dreaming about.” He replied with a smirk. James had his arms behind him supporting himself. He slumped back a bit and took a breath.

“Theogushek.” James spat out. “How long have you known about it?”

“Didn’t realize we had its name; that’s good news.” He took a moment before speaking up again. “I’ve known about it for some time. Unfortunately Alchem was already gone by the time I went to find him. That’s why we’re bringing you along; somebody will have to speak with Alchem about all this.”

“What makes you think I’m going to be able to talk Alchem through this? Malcolm should be the man for that job.”

“Don’t be so quick to dismiss yourself; Alchem trusts you more than you think.”

“Not enough to tell me he’s leaving… or even where he’s going.” Shernine sighed.

“Look, Alchem can be…” he paused, carefully considering his words. “…strange, at times, but I know he trusts you. He told me that himself.”

“What? When?”

“I talked to him briefly before he left, while you all were in Vordenport.”

James wasn’t sure how to respond. Had Alchem really said that? If he really trusted him so much what was the point of leaving so abruptly? Bart was still staring blankly into the flames. He knew something that he wasn’t letting on to. He knew how to find Michael even though neither of them knew where he was. It was as if he had some kind of map in his hand he was hiding. The way Bart would look to Shernine whenever Michael or James asked a question about the mission did not go unnoticed. The way he was reacting to Michael’s condition and taking control of scenarios he’d ordinarily let play out on their own was suspicious. Michael noticed as well. James felt as if he was on a mission but didn’t really understand the objective. Why did they bother bringing him if they weren’t going to tell him anything? Something wasn’t adding up and he had a bad feeling in his stomach, but was unable to place a finger on it

They had been away from home for a week and he didn’t feel any closer to finding Alchem than when before had left. He was hoping Shernine would fill them in on the details as they went along but James was beginning to worry Shernine didn’t actually know what he was doing. Every step of the journey was haphazard and unplanned. James began to speak. He wanted some kind of direction as to what the plan was. If he was really necessary in winning Alchem over he was entitled to knowing what was going on. “How long have you…” Just then there was a stir in the woods behind them.  Shernine turned to see a man with a board filled with spikes emerge from the darkness of the forest. Soon, others came out from all sides, each carrying their own crude weapon. The old man who had recognized Michael finally emerged with them with the drunken slob from the inn at his heals.

James turned around. There were four men within close proximity to him. Each had some kind of weapon while James had nothing to defend himself with. They did not look as if they’d be willing to back down. James turned around and back. There had to be at least of dozen of them together, maybe more. He turned back to the men near to him. They had taken a step forward when he looked away. James put his left leg back to brace himself for an attack. The rest of the party backed themselves up against the fire until they could feel it warming them, except Drule, who continued to stand where he was. None of the men seemed too keen getting near to him. Drule slowly circled around himself looking at each man until he would back away slightly. James noticed none of them were appeared ready to charge forward but simply stood threateningly brandishing their weapons.

“There’s no way for any of you to make it out of this alive.” The old man spat at them. Drule grunted and refused to give up any ground. He still hadn’t even raised an arm defensively. “If you give us the dice without any fight, we’ll spare you, and even your horses.” Another man with a dagger walked out of the shadow with two of the horses next to him. He held the reigns tightly in one hand while keeping the knife pressed against the neck of one of the horses with the other. Drule growled and turned to the horses.

“Stay calm; he will not harm you.” The man snarled at Drule. Drule locked eyes with him and refused to take notice of any of the other men surrounding him. His deep brown eyes gazed upon his opponent as his tree-like face hardened into an angry glare. Michael grabbed his pocket where the dice were. He kept them in a small pouch in a lower shirt pocket.

“The dice…” Shernine shouted back to him. “The dice do not concern you. They will bring you more misfortune than any benefit you could possibly achieve with their power. You do not understand their…”

“Don’t tell me what I don’t understand.” The old man barked at him. He took a few steps down to Shernine. Bart moved to step between them but a gentle hand from Shernine kept him in his spot.  “I know an old curse when I see it, and last night I saw it with my own eyes. I want those dice and you’re in no sposition to stop me from taking them, so I’ll ask you one more time.”

“No position to us, eh?”

“You’re unarmed, standing amidst twelve men and yet your pride still beams. You’re a fool.”

“Unarmed?” Shernine reached into his cloak and pulled at a beautifully crafted long sword from the very tip of the blade and pointed the hilt to James. “Here you are son.” James turned quickly and grabbed the sword tightly before swinging it in front of him to deter the men in his path from stepping any closer. Without turning he shouted back to Shernine.

“When did you find this?” The blade felt very firm, yet light, in his hand. James had never held a traditional Mainland blade before. He had handled Malcolm’s special lightweight swords in the past, but they had been crafted in a significantly different fashion than any Mainland weapon. There was a raised pattern on the hilt that helped him grip it tightly. The flames of the fire behind him reflected serenely off of the shining metal. He alternated which opponent the blade faced and watched them shovel back as the blade swung in front of them. Shernine then pulled a pair of metal glove-like armaments out of his robe and swung them over to Michael who figured out how to get them on after a momentary struggle. For Bart he removed a simple stock of wood with large metal cap on the end. Finally he pulled very lightly from behind his back a long wooden pole with a metal piece covering the end. The pole itself was taller than Shernine, how he was hiding it in his cloak completely mystified the men.

“What did you think I was doing when I left you last night? I’m not totally useless guys.” The old man didn’t budge from his calm stance.

“You could pull a canon out of your cloak and it wouldn’t matter; you are out-manned. Give me the dice.”

“They aren’t yours to take!” Michael pulled the dice from his pocket and held them up in the air. Shernine gasped. “No one else is going to suffer the curse of these dice!”

“Michael, no!” Shernine was too late to stop him. Michael threw the dice at the fire. With a quick turn Shernine caught the dice on the end of his pole and swung them over to Drule who caught the effortlessly over his shoulder without breaking his glance.

“Hey, at least let me…” suddenly a man came charging at Michael with a sharpened stake. Michael defended himself with his a swing of his right arm. The gloves Shernine had tossed him include bracers with a metal corner to prevent any blade from sliding off of the protector and into his arm. He swung his arm down to deflect the attack and pushed the man back with two arms to the chest. “Shernine, talk some sense into these guys!”

“What do you want me to say? I’ve never met anyone who wanted a curse.” James continued to wave his new sword about.

“What are you two talking about?” He yelled over his shoulder.

“Enough!” Yelled the old man, “One last chance, hand over the dice, or we’ll take them from you.” Shernine pointed his stick delicately in front of the man’s face. It hovered just inches from his nose. “What are you gunna do with…” Shernine then, with a flick of his wrist, smashed the man’s jaw and knocked out a pair of teeth. The man instantly collapsed, writhing in pain. In an instant Drule reached out and grabbed the man near the horses. His reach was far beyond what anyone had anticipated. With a simple lean forward and an outstretched arm he managed to get the collar of someone many feet away from him. He threw the man behind him into another standing near his back with incredible force sending them both flailing backward. Most of the other men backed off in amazement at the sheer strength Drule displayed. The old man spit a gob of blood from his mouth and yelled at the ground. “Get the dice!”

Suddenly, three men charged at James. A man with a bat of some kind came first. James threw his sword over his head to deflect the blow. As the bat hit with extreme force against the swing it became lodged in the blade. Another man to his right came from behind with a dagger. James’ eyes widened as he realized he couldn’t swing his sword while the bat was keeping it in place above his head. He extended his right leg out and kicked the charging foe hard in the stomach. James lowered his shoulder and charged into the man holding the bat. The man toppled over backwards letting go of the wooden handle leaving it still stuck perpendicular to the blade. The third man appeared and swung his board with nails from his chest. James deflected it with the bat causing the blade to rotate in his hand. The handle of the bat promptly flung into the throat of the villain causing him to bend over as he struggled to breath. James then brought his sword down side-ways hitting the man on the back of his head with the handle of the bat and both dislodged it from the blade and knocked the attacker to the ground.

James turned to see Shernine plant his pole into the ground and leap high into the air placing one palm delicately on the handle as he hovered over it upside down. He then fell backward grabbing his weapon on the way down and swung it in front of him as he landed lightly on his feet. The pole stopped directly in front of two men who were running towards Drule with sharp weapons. They hesitated for a moment before Drule tossed the dice out in front of Shernine. Shernine grabbed them in an instant and proceeded to run up Drules outstretched arm jumping off of his shoulder high into a tree. Perched in the tree Shernine could see Bart had already disarmed two men and was wrestling with a third. Bart grabbed him by his shoulders and turned to the fire before pulling his chest into his knee, breaking two of the man’s ribs. Bart lightly pushed the man back into the fire where he began flailing wildly until he was able to crawl away from the coals. Disturbing the fire pit sent a mass of smoke into Shernine’s eyes. When it cleared Shernine noticed a man coming at Michael from behind. Thinking quickly, he chucked his pole as if it were a spear directly into the opponent’s forehead.

Michael turned around just in time to see the man waiver for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. “Enough!” The old man cried out as blood continued to drip from his chin. Shernine walked out onto a branch stretched out over the clearing. He squatted down on the very delicate limb to look directly down at the old man. James had his sword pointed to the neck of one of the men with his foot on the chest of another. Bart was sitting on one man’s chest and holding a dagger to the neck of another while holding him in place by his hair. Everyone quietly waited for a response. The old man was on his hands and knees breathing deeply, breath after breath. Finally he made it to his feet and looked up to Shernine. Shernine jiggled the dice in the bag.

“Next time bring soldiers, not Borhevan trash.” Shernine shouted back.

“That’s not all I brought.” The man spat. He then pulled a large handgun from his waistband pointed it directly at Shernine. Bart swung the dagger in his arm and managed to lodge it in the old man’s shoulder blade. As the man bent over backward he pulled the trigger on his gun. Shernine looked down at himself. It didn’t look like anything hit him. Suddenly he felt the load in his hand lighten slightly. He jumped down off of his branch and grabbed onto it with his free hand. He outstretched the other hand holding the small pouch with had been torn open by the bullet and reached for the dice as they fell. He managed to barely brush one with his finger before watching them fall into the fire and burn.

The inhuman shriek that followed was deafening.