《Voices of the Strong》


 The Outworlder

    The man struggles to get his baring while floating inside the rift. The dimension filled with a massive void in time and space was relentless without any form of direction. Thoughts of the man''s life swam inside his mind, "Is this it?" He thought. "Is this really the end of my pointless 20 years?" He doubted himself for every significant choice he had ever made.


    Ripples of light flashed in the pit of darkness. His eyes almost missed the flicker of gold and green. He disregarded this event due to his despair from his life ending taking precedence in his thought stack. "I''ve only worked part time jobs, not for very long either. Would anyone even care if i died? Even notice? If anything the people that know me would be annoyed that i died. Attending my funeral would be a hassle for everyone."


    Again the light flashed. The gold and green brighter than before. Taking on the form of a thin vertical diamond. A ribbon of yellow-orange light outlined a deep, forest green. Again the man removed the lights from his mind. "No family... No friends... The only one who would know i existed after i die would be the guy that stamps, ''DECEASED'' on public records..." The third flash appeared. Nearly four times as large as the last. The diamond grew wider. The man could make out an image of a tree through the ever brighter golden light. "Hallucinations. The beginning of madness. I guess seeing things is better than nothing. Hell, madness might be fun..."


    The man let out a sorrowful chuckle. The fourth flash came like an explosion. Bolts of energy capable of leveling cities erupted from the points of the diamond. Shrapnel of light splash thought the black abyss surrounding him. It swallowed the light as it traveled deeper, warping from the distortion of space. The diamond''s edges trembled with instability, while the green rip in the cloak of nothingness began to suck him in. He felt his consciousness fading as his lower body was beneath the surface of the rip. The man shut his eyes, and soon enters a forceful sleep.


    The creek of wooden wheels greeted him as he awoke in a wagon. At first the light shining through the branches above blinded him, but as his eyes adjusted, he could see that the leaves were moving. A man in a shabby tan tunic and torn brown trousers peered down at him from above. His greyed beard, thick and callused hands, and think smell of dirt made him out as a poor farmer. The two made eye contact.


    The farmers eyes were bright blue, and cheerful. He grinned and said, "Lad, you must have had a hell of a night at the tavern. We found you in a rash bush a leap from town! Luckily me granddaughter spotted you. We put an ointment on ya, so the redness is gone. Damn those bushy bastards sting."


    "Who..." the man groaned. His voice rough and dry.


    "Me? I¡¯m Dendrik. This is Clara. And you, friend?" The man felt his head on something soft. He quickly realized that Clara had been letting him rest his head on her lap. He saw Clara clearly for the first time. A truly beautiful girl, appearing to be around the age of 18 or 19. She had long black hair and the same bright blue eyes as her grandfather.


    "Sorry... Im..." The man paused. He struggled with the answer. He could remember most of his life, but not the simplest and most important detail. His name eluded him. "I... I don''t... remember."


    Clara looked at her grandfather. Dendrik shrugged. "Do you know your roots boy? Your homeland?"


    "Im from¡­ Las Vegas." Again, Clara and Dendrik turned to each other. Confusion could be seen on their faces.


    "Ive never heard of such a place." said Clara. "On what continent does your home reside?"


    "North America¡­" the man replied hesitantly. Dendrik raised his hand to his brow and scratched his head.


    "An outworlder." He muttered. Clara''s eyes widened.


    "That means... he''s..." Dendrik shot Clara a look of unease, and Clara grew silent. Dendrik shook his head, as if freeing himself from an uncomfortable thought.


    "I guess we can give you a temporary name, lad. That ''right with you?" The man nodded. "Then, I¡¯ll call you ''Alder'', from the word of the old world, Alderos. It means ''no one'', or ''man of nowhere''." Alder accepted his name gratefully. He was surprised by the kindness of these two. Coming from a world plagued by war and death, it was comforting seeing people from a simple, yet fulfilling and peaceful lifestyle.


    Alder sat up. The beauty of the surrounding woods hit him like a wave. His body filled with awe as he examined the towering trees lining the small dirt path. The trunks for the trees seemed to be almost 2 meters in diameter, with a dark, reddish bark and massive needles protruding from branches like swords. They reminded him of the pines back home, but far more extravagant. Small, squirrel like creature leaped from tree to tree, gathering insects for their meal. They had round ears and thin, cat like tails. "Tree Minks." Said Dendrik. "Native to the Red Forest."


    "The red forest..." Alder mumbled to himself. He had a hard time convincing himself he was no longer in his own world. The evidence was all around him, the trees, the creatures, the wooden wheeled cart, everything pointed to a new world, yet it didn''t feel real to him. Alder turned to the front of the cart. An old brown mare pulled the cart at a slow, but steady pace.


    "That''s Gretch. I''ve had her since i was a lad. She''s old, but tough as nails." said Dendrik. For the next hour the three made smalltalk. Alder thought it best to keep most details of his life to himself, but gave a brief history of himself in a way they would understand. The topics of cars or the internet may be better left to another time. Gretch slowed, and came to a halt. Uneasily she hoofed at the ground, then huffed and reared. "Oi, old girl, calm yourself." Dendrik said soothingly, attempting to comfort the horse.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."What wrong?" asked Alder. Clara looked at him and put her finger to her mouth.


    "Listen..." The forest was completely silent. No birds, no minks, only the sound of the wind in the trees.


    "We should move." said Dendrik quietly. He snapped the reigns, bit the horse was still. Again he tried to move the horse, but she huffed, and turned her head. An arrow sped from behind a tree to the left side of the cart, whistling over Dendrik''s shoulder, and grazed Alder''s cheek.


    "Bandits!" shouted Dendrik as he smacked Gretch''s thigh. The horse reared and took off, rounding a bend, only to be blocked by a fallen tree on the road. Gretch came to a stop. An arrow rocketed past Alder¡¯s face. He felt blood run down his cheek followed by a sharp pain. Dendrik slid off the cart and released Gretch from the cart''s harness. After another slap, the horse was off. Clara leaped over the side of the cart, unsheathing a steel sword in one fluid movement. Alder was stunned with fear and in a dazed confusion. "Run! Leave the cart!" Dendrik commanded as Alder fell off the side, a large, bearded man upon him.


    Alder could feel the chill of a cold blade on his throat; its edge cutting into the skin. "Move and this one dies!" Cried the bandit. Dendrik and Clara turned and froze as the bandit forced his hostage to stand. Alders eyes were wide with fear, his entire body trembling. The bearded bandit was large, an entire foot of height difference with Alder. His muscles seemed swollen with raw power. Two more bandits revealed themselves from the bushes nearby. One, equipped with a longbow and hip mounted quiver, the other a spiked mace. The archer was thin, but well-built while the other, strong but strangely short.  "Oi, unload the cart." Commanded the bearded bandit. The other two obeyed, and began to take the haul. "You, li''l miss, drop the stick." he said as he shifted the blade. Clara tossed her sword away.


    ¡°Is this for real?!" Alder wondered in a panic.


    "Alright missy..." The bearded bandit turned his gaze to Clara''s chest. "It''s a bit hot, ya think? You ought to take your shirt off." The bearded bandit grinned. "Or he dies..." Clara began to remove her shirt. She started to undo the buttons on her white, long sleeve blouse. She then untucked it from her slim, brick red trousers. Alder watched in shame and confusion.


    "Please!" Dendrik pleaded, tears in his eyes. "Let the girl go! Please! Shes too young!" Clara slipped off the shirt, revealing a cloth wrap around her chest. Alder could feel anger building inside him. He was powerless. These two saved him out of the kindness of their hearts and now they would pay the price. Even now, the two wouldn¡¯t leave a man they just met.


    "Now, the trousers." Laughed the bandit. The archer and the mace user were watching now. Tears began to run down Clara''s face as she untied the string at her thigh. The 3 were laughing together now. Calling out things like, "What a slut!" and "Smile darling!" Alder¡¯s anger transformed into rage. ¡°This is my fault¡­¡± he thought. ¡°How could scum like this exist?!¡±


    A blinding pain exploded inside Alders head. Flaming white letters spelt out a single word on the back of his eyelids. His brain screaming with pain, beckoning him to shout it out. Alder¡¯s eyes began to emit a cold, silver light. Dendrik looked at Alder in horror. "Cover your ears, Clara!" he shouted. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, the both clapped the cups of their palms on their ears, creating a ringing that drowned away all other sound for a brief period. They then held their hands tightly over their ears.


    Alder could feel the word clawing at his lips, its pronunciation branded into his mind as if it were a term he used every day. At last Alder gave in. "Dal''ven!" He cried. A deep, growling voice shadowed his own. A moment had passed and the pain subsided. The forest was completely silent. The blade lightly lifted from his neck. Alder noticed his eyes were tightly shut, his teeth grinding like a press. As he opened his eyes, the scene sent a shock through his entire body. The three bandits lie dead, hands clutching their chests. Birds had fallen from the sky and minks hung lifelessly from trees. Dendrik and Clara were the only ones left alive in a 300 meter radius, both crouched down, hands over their ears. Alder felt light headed, and soon he felt immense exhaustion. His eyelids fell as his consciousness drifted away.


    The abyss. An endless void of black. The absence of all things. Again Alder floated through the emptiness.


    ¡°Weak¡­ They¡¯re all weak¡­ and we are strong¡­¡± A voice boomed from all directions.


    Alder¡¯s eyes shot open, scanning his surroundings in a panic. ¡°Here again?¡± Alder thought in confusion. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I just¡­¡±


    ¡°All of them¡­ So weak¡­ my voice alone swallows worlds¡­¡± Again the voice echoed, deep, and hate filled. The voice chilled Alder to the bone. He shivered. The presence of a being of immeasurable power filled him with Terror.


    ¡°Where are you?!¡± Alder screamed, his voice cracking from the fear and the sheer pressure of this being. A silver silhouette shined a short distance away. A thin line of silver surrounded what looked like the shape of a man, but with massive boney wings. Inside the silhouette, waves of warping black space pulsed from all directions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you¡­ Use it as you see fit¡­ Entertain me¡­ Human¡­¡±

 The Color of Power

    Dendrik and Clara sat with two others in the dimly lit inn known as the Drunken Forest, only a few miles outside of the Red Forest. The inn''s bottom floor was a large tavern, while the two floors above housed travelers. The inn was vacant aside from the four, as it was long into the night. Dendrik and Clara sat across from a brawny male dwarf with a thick brown beard with long hair tied in the back and a blonde, thin, remarkably beautiful female elf. A pair of candles flickered between them on the table, accompanied by four large tankards of mead. Gloom and silence hung over the small crowd until the dwarf finally spoke.


    "Why did you have to bring that demon to my inn, Den?" He asked, giving Dendrik an uneasy stare.


    "He''s not a--" Clara began, almost shouting.


    "Quiet Clara!" Dendrik commanded. Clara grew silent, glaring at the dwarf. "We don''t know for sure if the lads a demon yet, Grey."


    "He used a death cry for gods sake!" Grey urged.


    "He shouldn''t know the old language." Said the elf as she brushed aside her golden hair. "Even the current Speakers had to spend several years studying to use their power."


    "He can''t be a Speaker, Eve." Replied Dendrik. "The eight gods of light all have living Speakers."


    "Can''t a god have two?" Asked Clara.


    "Impossible." Said Eve. "The power of a god would be too weak with more than one Speaker. Weaker gods fall in the hierarchy. No god would grant power to another Speaker and risk losing their current position."


    "Then, aside from a demon, what is he!?" Grey stood, hands on his hips.


    "Calm down Grey. There''s no reason to be huffin and puffin." Said Dendrik, attempting to lighten the mood.


    *Thump* *Thump*


    "Sounds like your demon''s awake." Clara again glared at Grey.


    "Eve, see to the boy." Said Dendrik. Eve nodded, stood from the table, and started up the stairs.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Alder awoke with a start, sweat covering his brow. He lay on a wooden sleeping pallet in a small room. Next to him, a lit candle, a chair, and a gorgeous elf sitting at his side.


    "Where--" started Alder, his voice rough and dry.


    "Shhhh. Drink." The elf held a wooden mug filled with water to his mouth.


    "An elf?" He though, a bit surprised. "Well, this is another world, i bet there are more than a few things I haven''t seen before."


    At first he sipped, and soon realized how parched he really was. Sitting up, he took the mug in both hands and drank deeply. As he drank, the elf spoke.


    "I am Eve, an old friend of Denny."


    Alder lowered the mug. "Denny?"


    "Ah, my apologies, Dendrik."


    "I see." Alder replied. "Im Alder, for the time being. Its a pleasure."


    "Likewise." Said Eve. Alder turned to sit on the edge of his bed. Eve refilled his mug from a clay pitcher at her feet. As he again went to drink, he spotted his reflection. Alder quickly stood, shocked. He peered into the water, staring at himself.


    "What happened to me?! My eyes... my hair its..." Alder paused, glanced to Eve, who looked worried, and back to himself. His reflection showed his short hair, originally brown, had turned jet black and his eyes, a cold steel silver. Alder lowered the mug and again sat on the bed.


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    "Why do I look like this? How did this happen?" He asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.


    "This is proof..." Eve mumbled to herself.


    "Huh?"


    "It is rare, but their have been cases like these. After the body experiences a certain power, the appearance may change. The color sometimes corresponds to the type of power experienced." Said Eve. "Relax, it is said to be harmless."


    "Harmless..." sighed Alder. His thoughts suddenly jumped to his two companions. "Dendrik and Clara! Where are they?! Are they alright?!" He asked, almost shouting. Eve smiled warmly.


    "Why don''t you ask them yourself? They''re down stairs."


    Alder took the stairs two at a time as he quickly descended. Turning the corner, he saw Clara and Dendrik sitting at a table, completely unharmed. Alder sighed in relief. Sitting across from them was a man that, to Alder, looked like a very short body builder. Considering his past experience with fantasy novels and games, he concluded the man was something like a dwarf, and easily accepted the fact. He had already run into an elf, a dwarf was no surprise. Clara turned to look at Alder. Her eyes widened, and quickly looked down at her hands, blushing.


    "Oi laddy! You gave us a right scare. Look a bit different, can''t say its bad though." Dendrik let out a hearty laugh. "What do you think Clara, he your type?" With blinding speed, Clara''s fist came down on the top of the old man''s head.


    "D-d-don''t say such things!" She said, embarrassed.


    "I''m glad to see you guys are in high spirits. Clara, I''m so sorry..." Alder said apologetically.


    "Hmmm? For what?" She asked, getting up from the table. Dendrick holding the now forming lump on his head.


    "Because of me... those bandits almost..." Clara strode to Alder and pinched his nose. "Ahhhh! Why?!" Clara looked into his eyes, let go of his nose, and smiled.


    "Its ok. You saved us. Don''t worry about it much. We''re here, and we''re safe." Said Clara.


    The two stood silently, smiling and looking into each other''s eyes. Dendrik cleared his throat.


    "Now then, boy, lets get you fed and caught up." He said. Alder sat at the table and Dendrik introduced him to Grey. At first Grey seemed tense but, after exchanging a few jokes and drinking quite a bit of mead, he relaxed. Dendrik filled Alder in on what happened after the bandits. Clara and Dendrik had practically dragged him to the Drunken Forest, Dendrik having been old friends with the owner, Grey. Eve had been staying at the inn for a short time already. Being an elf, and very close to magic and nature, she had sensed a massive surge of power inside the Red Forest, planning to investigate the following morning.


    *Bang Bang Bang*


    A loud knock came from the door. "Travelers? At this hour?" Grey said to himself as he walked to the door. He removed the large wooden plank from the door that kept it locked from the inside, and the door swung open. "Welcome to the..." Grey stopped. A man and a women entered the inn. The man had blood red eyes and long red hair. He wore a black robe with red armored plates built into the chest and arms. The woman, short blue hair and eyes, wearing light blue leather armor, a crest of an eagle at her hip.


    Everyone, aside from Alder who had no idea who they were, stood in awe. "Sp-Speaker of war, Speaker of Grace, w-welcome..." Grey shuddered.

 Words to Weapons

    Grey stepped aside as the two Speakers entered the inn, closing and locking the door behind them. Grey directed them to a table and quickly prepared two tankards of mead for the visitors as they sat down. ¡°What brings two of the eight speakers to my humble little inn?¡± inquired Grey, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Alder, Eve, Clara, and Dendrik sat down at a table far from the two, but still within earshot.


    ¡°We require two rooms. Your best and cleanest rooms.¡± The speaker of war said proudly, as if looking down on Grey. ¡°Gahh!¡± The Speaker of Grace elbowed him in the stomach. ¡°What the hell is the matter with you, woman?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude now, Gregory.¡± She smiled cheerfully at Grey. ¡°Thank you for accepting us so late at night, innkeeper. You have a lovely tavern here.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, Ms. Speaker, you words are too kind. Please, call me Grey, and stay as long as you need.¡± Grey said.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to meet you Grey. I am Trisha, Speaker of the God of Grace. This is my companion, Gregory, Speaker of the God of War. Gregory?¡± She attempted to get Gregory¡¯s attention, but he was staring intently at the group across the room.


    ¡°I can feel a powerful energy¡­¡± he thought, ¡°It feels¡­ wrong almost¡­¡± Trisha flicked him on the cheek, and he immediately snapped to attention.


    ¡°What!?¡± he squawked.


    ¡°Pay attention Gregory. Thank the innkeeper.¡± She snapped, still sporting a smile.


    ¡°Tsk. Like I would thank him for making someone like me sleep in a pig pen.¡± He sneered. Trisha quickly covered his mouth.


    ¡°Pay no attention to this idiot.¡± She said, ¡°He¡¯s still young.¡± Gregory pushed her away, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry ma¡¯am, but what brings two Speakers to a place like this?¡± Grey asked.


    ¡°We felt a massive surge of power in this area. Normally, we would leave matters such as these to the Royal Guard but¡­¡± she paused, ¡°this time it felt a bit¡­ different¡­¡± Grey nodded.


    ¡°Good a reason as any. Ill prepare your rooms.¡± Grey said, and retreated to the floors above. The Speakers turned to one another and began to speak in hushed tones. Alder and the three casually watched from a distance. As they could no longer interpret their words, they began a conversation of their own.


    ¡°Clara, Eve, chat about something girly.¡± Dendrik whispered. Clara nodded, and began boasting about her new formal dress. Whether or not this dress actually existed was another matter. Dendrik then turned to Alder. ¡°Keep an eye on the red one, lad. He looks a bit suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± He replied. From where Alder sat, he had a clear view of the two speakers. Ten minutes had passed before Grey returned. At that point, Eve was giving Clara a recipe for an herbal bath to make her skin as soft as silk. For some odd reason, Dendrik was captivated by the conversation. The speakers stood, and followed the dwarf. The Speaker of War hadn¡¯t looked in Alder¡¯s direction at all in that time. The three made their way across the tavern, toward the stairs at the back of the room. Alder continued to watch out of the corner of his eye. As the Speaker of War, who walked at the tail of the three, stopped at the corner, and locked eyes with Alder. After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Gregory¡¯s face changed from his cool, natural demeanor, to that of discomfort and anxiety. He then broke contact and proceeded.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Gregory thought as he climbed the stairs. ¡°Just looking at that freak made me feel¡­ colder almost.¡± As the speakers arrived at their rooms, they immediately turned in for the night. Given the time, it was reasonable.


    ¡°Anythin¡¯?¡± Dendrik asked.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Alder replied. ¡°Although¡­¡±


    ¡°Although?¡± Clara chimed in.


    ¡°It felt strange. Almost like he was extremely angry.¡± He said.


    ¡°If he was angry enough for you to feel it, I should have as well. He must have tried to conceal it.¡± Eva said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was emotional. It was almost as if the air around him emitted this anger.¡± Alder added.


    ¡°You felt his aura?!¡± Eve questioned. ¡°Only high level human magicians can sense auras. Not including elves, of course. I didn¡¯t feel anything from the man, but the woman¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you get from her? Is she hostile?¡± Clara asked.


    ¡°No, I felt¡­ curiosity¡­¡± She replied. ¡°Seems she has taken an interest in us. We should leave at dawn and put the Red Forest far behind us.


    ¡°I just realized I never asked, where were you guys headed when you found me?¡± Alder asked.


    ¡°We were on our way back to the farm from Rookheim.¡± Dendrik replied.


    ¡°Rookheim?¡± Alder asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the trade capital of Varen, and Varen is this continent. One of three in the world. Grandpa and I travel to Rookheim twice a year to sell grain and vegetables and stock up on tools.¡± Clara explained.


    ¡°By gods it¡¯s late. Maybe 5 hours till dawn. We ought to at least get a bit of rest for the trek tomorrow.¡± Dendrik said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right but, where are we headed?¡± Alder asked.


    ¡°The farm o¡¯course!¡± Dendrik said. ¡°I¡¯ll put ya to work in the fields to pay back me cart!¡± He then laughed and gave Alder a firm smack on the back. ¡°By the way, Eve, you don¡¯t have to come with us.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep an eye on the boy a bit longer.¡± Eve said with a smile. Clara turned away pouted, puffing her cheeks like a little girl. Alder smiled weakly. Even though he had slept most of the time here, his body felt heavy and his muscles ached. The four then climbed the stairs and entered their individual rooms on the first floor.


    *******


    Alder¡¯s eyes shot open. He sat up on his pallet, terrified. He peered around the room. Darkness filled every corner. He had only been asleep a few hours. The wooden shutters of the window at the back of his room flapped and knocked against the wall. ¡°That scared the shit out of me¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not goin back to sleep any time soon¡­¡± Alder stood and dressed. He still wore his black, faded jeans and dark red t-shirt he had arrived in when he came to this world. As he zipped his pants and fastened the button, he thought of home. It was mid-summer last he could remember. ¡°I bet it¡¯d be 115 degrees in Vegas right now.¡± He thought. He felt his chest tighten. ¡°I guess this is what home sickness feels like. Better not to think about it. Guess I¡¯ll head down stairs.¡±


    Alder rounded the corner from the stairs and stepped into the empty tavern. ¡°Grey must have passed out too.¡± He walked to the bar and sat in one of the high chairs. His mind began to wander. He pondered his encounter with the bandits, the word that randomly appeared in his mind, and finally, the voice. The voice was so deep and rough. Almost like the voices of demons in movies. Cold and filled with evil.


    ¡°GAHHHH!¡±


    Alder felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, the tip of a crimson blade of seemingly pure energy protruded from his breast. He fell from the chair, the sword shattering into slivers of red light as he landed. A gaping hole was left in his chest. Blood poured from the wound. Alder laid on his side, and spotted a man in a black robe with red armor. Near the stairs stood Gregory, the Speaker of War. He smiled wildly.


    ¡°I thought it best to take care trash like you now! It really cuts back on travel time!¡± He laughed.


    ¡°You¡­¡± was all Alder could muster. His strength quickly faded. His eyelids felt heavy. He could see Clara and Dendrik rounding the corner and running towards him. Clara was weeping heavily, calling out to him. He couldn¡¯t hear her words as the world around him began to darken. He no longer felt the searing pain in his chest. Only a powerful cold was left behind. His eyelids closed. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ sleep¡­ for a little while¡­¡± he though.


    ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡± Dendrik howled, pushing Gregory against the wall, hands at his neck.


    ¡°I know evil power when I feel it! He¡¯s a demon, and I kill Demons! It¡¯s my job!¡± Gregory retorted, pushing Dendrik away. ¡°I¡¯ll have you executed for putting your hand on me you dirty old man!¡±


    *******


    ¡°It seems¡­ you have fallen¡­¡±


    The deep voice echoed in the darkness.


    Alder awoke, once again floating in the abyss.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do¡­¡±


    The winged silhouette appeared before him.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re stabbed¡­¡± Alder laughed sadly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your time¡­ human¡­ I¡¯ll send you back¡­ for a small price¡­¡±


    ¡°What price?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In due time¡­ I shall give you more power¡­ In death, I absorb all knowledge of the dead¡­ I shall give you the knowledge¡­ to fight¡­ A master of death, you shall be¡­ in time¡­¡±


    Alder¡¯s vision blurred, and began to spin. He felt as if his entire body had been yanked back to reality. His eyes opened to see the tavern around him. Clara¡¯s eyes widened. His head rested on her lap. She then collapsed upon him. Sobbing tears of relief.


    ¡°I-I thought you were¡­¡± She cried, burying her face on his stomach. Alder sat up and raised his hand to his chest. The gaping hole had healed. A large scar was in its place. He stood, and turned to Gregory who, at the time, seemed as though he would do the same to Dendrik and Eve, who had come down on account of the yelling.


    ¡°How¡­ are you¡­ alive?¡± Gregory questioned, stunned. ¡°Never mind. Looks like this isn¡¯t over yet. I underestimated you but, what can I say? Trash is trash.¡± Gregory stepped closer. ¡°Sleesen!¡± A voice shadowed his own. It was the voice of a man, no, not just a man, a General who had seen, and won, countless battles. Two crimson sword of energy appeared out of thin air, floating near his shoulders. ¡°The word for blades in the old language. I¡¯ll give you a chance. Choose your weapon.¡± Gregory grinned.


    Alder glared silently, and turned to face him. This time, the word appeared, but painlessly. He felt a rush of energy throughout his entire body, and he spoke. ¡°Thoonkess.¡± A horrible, terrible voice spoke with him. Two long black blades grew from his forearms, extending almost two feet past his hands and curving slightly.


    ¡°The old word¡­ for fangs¡­¡±


    ______________________________________________


    A/N  Thanks for reading this chapter! Ill try to update this story as soon as I can if you guys enjoy it! Please let me know if u do.  Suggestions are always welcome. Follow and favorite and all that jazz!