《Sword of Hatred》


 Stone, Sword, and Spirit

    Chapter 1


    Stone, Sword, and Spirit


    A lone stone rested in the grove forgotten to time, hidden away in the depths of the Eterna Forest. It sat alone in this place, where the creatures, monsters, and spirits of Iagorothi dare not step; accompanied only by the ash resting on the earth around it.


    The stone in the forest was meant to be alone, and since the Plane was forged had seen a spare few entities. Since the Erasure of History, throughout the Age of Heroes, the Era of Adventurers, until the Broken Times there were no visitors. One day a curious scholar arrived, perished, then stood up and departed.


    Over a century later, another person entered the forgotten grove.


    Standing in a daze was a white haired man unaware of his surroundings. A young adult full of vigor, yet staggering along without purpose. His odd eyes were empty of pupils, and violet in iris. Strange. The stone didn''t know what to think of this man.


    Then again, the stone didn''t think at all. It was just a stone.


    Looking up at the curious stone, the man wondered why such a place contained such an odd boulder, never stopping to consider that he did not know his own name. Even more curious was the large black chain wrapped about the stone and through the enormous archway that looked like a doorway for a giant. The chain was blacker than an empty night sky, like a void beyond the reach of the Planar Paths.


    There was something even darker than these darkest of chains amongst the metal loops; A straight, solid piece of craft held to the stone by the massive chains. It was a sword.


    The man stepped forth, drawn in by this curious sight. Why was there a sword chained to a stone out here? Maybe if he just took it. His finger twitched as he approached, wondering why anyone would leave something so strange out in the middle of the forest. His feet drew him closer without prompting, his empty violet eyes unwavering from the sword chained to the boulder.


    Without pausing to think the man climbed the chains to reach the sword and tried to pull it free. The chains were tight, clamped hard around the stone as if there was nothing else in the world, but the man was persistent. With mindless endurance and zealous drive he pulled at the sword until it came free.


    Pulling the sword with such force threw him to the ground, and the sword flew up into the air above. Alarm flashed across his face as the sword plummeted towards him, threatening to pierce him! The man closed his eyes.


    Clinking crystal clattered into the ash as the sword landed beside him, banishing the feeling of uncertainty. His death averted, the man stood up and let out a sigh of relief. Then, having succeeded in his task, he knelt down to grab the sword by its hilt.


    Pain shot along his arm, burning his blood and twisting his muscles. He could feel his bones rattle, his skin split, and dull pressure press in around his head. His howl of agony drowned out all else in the world, and he dropped to the ground a moment later.


    A void of white cast neither shadow nor light above an endless murk of rolling mists. Here there was no pain, no pressure, and time itself seemed absent. With nothing else in the world to distract him, the man with white hair asked himself a question.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± He asked. There was nobody to respond. The world around was as vacant as his eyes. He could see himself, as if reflected by the mists. Black scars adorned his cheeks, white hair his head, and violet eyes blinked as he examined himself. His clothes worn and ratty from hard travel, shadows of their former selves.


    He looked around, but there was nothing around him. ¡°I need a name.¡± He said, ¡°I need a calling.¡± He was certain of his words. ¡°Without them, I will never take a step.¡±


    ¡°My name... My calling. Mine...¡± He looked around at the silvery mists that surrounded him, ¡°Mists. No...¡± He closed his eyes to focus, something stirring deep within.


    The letter he sought stood out in his mind, ¡°M.¡± He said, ¡°My... calling. My...¡± it called to him. ¡°My call.¡±


    ¡°Michael.¡± He opened his eyes.


    Michael stood up, looking around for the first time. The ashen clearing around him seemed familiar. Had he been here before? Yes. It was here that he found the sword, he pulled it free, and it was now in his left hand.


    What was he doing before? His feet were sore, had he been walking? From where? Michael rubbed his head, a dull ache throbbed without end. ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± He complained.


    Michael felt his ear, covered in fur, and it twitched as a sinister sound rose in volume. Something was stirring near the stone.


    Ash swirled and rose from the ground, becoming a reflection of a person. Crackling nebulous energy held it together, like black and blue lightning. The creature made from the ash looked at Michael, eyes full of rage and envy. It leapt forth!


    Michael pulled the sword up in front of him on instinct. The ash monsters¡¯ talons collided with the black crystalline surface of the blade and bounced away. Michael blinked and didn''t know what to do for a second, so he decided to fight. This thing needed to be stopped. He let out a roar and swung the sword with both hands.


    He missed.


    The ash monster struck again, cutting into Michael''s right shoulder and sending a spray of blood to the ash of the forest floor. Michael roared and swung again, using only his left arm. This time he clipped the monster, taking off some of its chest. It seemed like too shallow of a blow to matter.


    With a howl of fury the ash monster leapt towards him, so Michael dove out of the way. His heart hammered in his chest, but the pain from his wound made Michael growl with his own rage. The monster tried to attack again, but Michael swung the sword with a roar.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Crackling force crawled along the sword as it swung before expanding off the edge of the blade. A wave of dark energy erupted out and cleaved the ash asunder, before the entire form burst apart. Ash dust covered everything in a dull haze.


    Coughing and sputtering, Michael rushed out of the smoke screen and looked around. The clearing was silent, the monster no more. He was alone in the shadow of titanic trees, with the enormous boulder looming behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡±


    Michael checked himself over with his hands. There was no wound where he thought he¡¯d had one, before passing out. The slash from the monster remained, but the pain was fading. He wasn¡¯t in danger of dying. That was a good step.


    The next issue came to mind at once. Here he was, somewhere. No recollection of where he had been before, or why he was here. Where even was here? The question made his temple throb. ¡°I must have hit my head.¡±


    Something caught Michael¡¯s gaze at the base of the stone while he tried to get his bearings. A simple wooden sheathe. He walked over to pick it up, but something made his ear twitch. A slithering motion, slinking through the ash. Michael dove to the side!


    An ashen talon swept through the space he¡¯d left, along with a lean twisted effigy of ash. The monster, reformed, tilted and creaked as it looked at Michael. An awful sense of calm, a feeling that Michael was caught in a trap. He had cut it, but it just reformed. Could it be beaten?


    The monster lunged again, and Michael reacted. Dodging out of the way of the first attack did not work for the second. The moment the ashen creature landed it lunged again, cutting into Michael¡¯s chest and shredding what remained of his ragged shirt.


    Pain, again, but the lancing heat of discomfort was familiar. Michael pushed past the damage to lash out, striking with his right fist as he slashed. Shearing chunks of ash from the enemy felt useless, but Michael didn¡¯t have any better plans.


    Talons slashed into him, but Michael was not deterred by his own drawn blood. He slashed with the black crystal sword and splattered blood onto his foe. It writhed and screeched, recoiling back towards the boulder. Michael shouted and chased it, but the monster expelled ash and scrambled away.


    Michael avoided the second smokescreen by backpedaling with his eyes and mouth shut. Once he felt the air he swung his sword as he looked around, but the creature had stayed back. He found it across the clearing, huddled over a mound of clumped bloody ash.


    As the ash fell away the being within was revealed. Twisted energy stretched thin and coiled into a haunting simulacrum of a person. Shadowy cables of darkness woven together with deep blue flames. It shuddered and twitched, changing posture in the blink of an eye even without moving.


    ¡°Terrifying...¡± Michael took a deep breath, ¡°But I won¡¯t lose.¡± He brandished his sword in front of him and considered what to do next.


    The monster streaked across the clearing like a flash of lightning faster than Michael could react. He expected to be knocked over, but it struck without weight and engulfed him.


    Pain even greater than anything before flared to life across Michael¡¯s body. Every cut, every wound, every inch of flesh seared with heat as the darkness engulfed him. Soreness from his toenails to his scalp, crawling along his skin like needles. It was all consuming, then gone.


    Once again a hollow sense of emptiness engulfed Michael. He felt, but neither pain nor pressure. He saw shadows roiling ahead of him. Then, power.


    Building up within to fill his frame there was power. Energy enough to shatter his skin trapped within his muscles. A sense that he could run, leap, or smash with endless abandon and never tire. More power than he could even think to use, beyond the limits of comprehension. Unlimited power!


    ¡°Is this real?¡±


    A spark of light ignited before him. The darkness churned until shapes took form, a mirage of potential. An image of the trees within the clearing, parting to reveal vast canyons and tall mountains. Michael examined the unfamiliar landscape, watching the weight of his gaze shatter distant mountains or crack the very ground. Wherever he looked his power overwhelmed, it was nothing beneath his will. The strength to destroy all at a whim. This was what had taken root inside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± The power creaked, echoing within him. It could reshape rivers or flatten hills. ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± He could do anything, nothing would be able to stop him. ¡°No! What I do is up to me!¡±


    The pain threatened to return, but Michael rebuffed it. He could feel it now, the power that welled up inside him did not belong. His rejection made it writhe. There was no anger or emotion, just the will of desire. It was power and wanted to be used. ¡°Begone!¡±


    Lancing pain shot out from inside, churning his body. Michael gritted his teeth to withstand the agony, but could feel his willpower slipping. How could he battle something intangible? Something that had already taken root?


    He was slipping. His grit became panic, the agony was overwhelming. His vision swam with a haze as his muscles withered. He slumped down, unable to muster the strength to curl up anymore. The fear of it all ending before he could even act, surrounding his insignificant miniscule body. There was nothing before that force.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    Everything was about to end, and that was too much.


    Fury.


    As the all consuming darkness collapsed around him, a red heat ignited beneath his eyes. Anger, rage, contempt spread through Michael like a tempest. Blood burned his veins, scorched his skin, and tore through his body; but it pushed him to his feet.


    Over the course of minutes, hours, or perhaps a single instant, the fury beat back the shadows and expelled it. The twisted energy rebounded from Michael¡¯s chest and slammed into the chains of the boulder. As it struck the ground Michael let out a guttural croaking of incoherent fury and rushed forth to finish it off.


    The simulacrum lashed out as Michael arrived, but could not match the frenzy of attacks the raging man unleashed. Blow after blow striking down as the monster flinched and shrank with every strike. Michael attacked and roared until his blind rage sent his sword slamming into the ground. Jet black energy coursed along the ground and crawled along the boulder like lines of fractal lightning.


    For an instant the pattern remained visible, then force erupted from the lines and blasted Michael and the monster across the clearing. As he tumbled through the ash, the sword dancing away and thunking into a tree, the anger Michael was holding slipped into naught.


    Sore, bruised, bleeding, and covered in ash and grime, Michael heaved himself to his feet. He was dizzy and deflated, but knew he could not let down his guard. Any moment, the enemy would come and he needed to be ready.


    Michael looked across the clearing to see the creature. It had crashed into the brush, spooking a small fox from its den. Michael glared and inched towards where he thought the sword was, but when the monster lunged it went for the fox instead. ¡°What?!¡±


    A tiny shriek preceded an awful twisting sound, then the fox changed from a frightened critter to a poised animal. It rolled its shoulders, flicked its tail, then hissed before bounding into the woods. ¡°No!¡±


    All Michael wanted to do was race after and finish off the monster before it could do greater harm, but his legs gave out when he tried. He lay on the ground, defeated and sore as he caught his breath. He did not notice as the dark lines across his body faded away.


    When he caught his breath he stood up. His headache was gone, but his memory had yet to return. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am, or why I am here.¡± He grumbled, walking over to retrieve the sword. ¡°I could just walk away, figure things out.¡± He grabbed the sheathe from the base of the boulder. ¡°Whatever I do is up to me.¡± There was no attaching point on his belt so Michael just held the sheathed sword and looked towards the footprints left by the fleeing fox.


    All around him the trees were enormous, with trunks wider around than ten or twenty of Michael with arms outstretched. Immense, but also spread far apart. ¡°I released that thing, I¡¯m the cause. I¡¯m responsible.¡± Michael strode into the forest and followed the path of the fox, now possessed as he almost had been. ¡°I¡¯ll put a stop to it, if it''s the last thing I do.¡±

 The Revenant

    Chapter 2


    The Revenant


    The grove where Michael had awoken and fought the monster was deep within the forest. Dense brush and steep hills hindered his progress, but Michael forced his way through like he was used to it. Something about trekking through the woods felt familiar, perhaps it would remind him of something.


    Tracking the fox proved to be tricky. Michael really didn''t know what to do when he lost sight of the footprints, so spent time whenever he¡¯d lost them crouched down and searching under ferns and brambles. After a while the path went through a creek, which had eliminated all the ash left over. Michael took some time to get a drink and clean off the grime from his bare chest. His cuts had all closed, but he was still sore from the earlier skirmish.


    After unknown hours of travel Michael caught up to the fox, but not as he¡¯d hoped. The trail led across a narrow dirt path and into the brush, where the corpse of the critter was cold.


    Bloody fur and teeth marks on the body of the creature, but whatever had killed it did not stop to eat. Larger paw prints continued away from the poor creature. ¡°It changed hosts.¡± Michael picked up his sword and continued onwards, still determined to find the monster at all costs.


    That determination wavered when something of greater concern reared its ugly head. A churning in Michael¡¯s gut struck like a punch, and all at once he realized his hunger. ¡°I need food.¡± He glanced around in hopes of finding a convenient berry or something, but the forest did not provide.


    Colored crystals crunched underfoot as Michael pushed through another thicket of ferns. The forest floor was leveling out and the trees were more distant. From the distance ahead there came a sound, and Michael saw stones stamped into the earth. A road.


    As Michael approached the sounds became clear, two voices arguing about something. Loud angry voices, but one word rang out clear. ¡°Food!¡± Michael felt his ears twitch and he hastened towards the noise.


    Three figures and a cart were stopped on the side of the road. All wore the same garb of brown leathers with white cloth, though the leanest man was facing the tall man with an accusatory glare. The third person was huge, and stood placid by the cart. Michael crept closer.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t where you said, so where¡¯d you put it?¡± The lean man¡¯s voice was getting louder.


    ¡°I. Told. You. I tucked in the side pouch! I remember it clear as day!¡± Even the tall man was shouting enough to be heard. He was holding up a large green back with lots of pockets and clasps, rattling it for emphasis.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡± The lean man grabbed the pack and tugged, but the other man wasn¡¯t letting go. ¡°You¡¯ll ruin the food with all your shaking.¡±


    Michael watched the bizarre display until something else caught his eye. The back of the cart was open on top, and inside there were large bags and cloths, but something had moved. He crept closer until he was behind the last tree before the road to have another look.


    Inside the cart there were two more figures. The cloth concealing them having shifted, Michael saw the people were bound in ropes and gagged with cloth. A person struggling to move near the edge of the cart had caused the motion, which the people arguing hadn¡¯t noticed or acknowledged. Then, the person in the cart saw Michael and froze.


    Wide eyes examined Michael, looking him over from afar. After a moment lingering on the sheathed sword he carried, then his face, the person in the cart wiggled over and thrust out their bound arms towards him. They wanted to be cut free. Michael looked closer, and around, to assess the situation.


    Three people on the road with a cart had two others bound and hidden. There were no signs of anyone else around, though the bends and hills meant all there was to see in the distance was more forest. The bound people wanted free, or one did. The other looked unconscious. Michael crept out from behind the tree to approach the cart.


    The person in bindings kept their arms held out as the people up front yelled about missing food as they dug through the pack. The wide eyes that examined him came into view, clear bright emerald eyes that shone with a curious gaze. The moment he saw them, Michael was transfixed, and nothing else mattered. Those eyes held him prisoner more than any bindings, and he knew that person needed to be freed. Michael approached the cart and drew his sword.


    ¡°Oi! Who are you?!¡± The sound of one sword drawn had given him away, and Michael saw the two arguing people draw swords in response. There was no time to dally, Michael lunged forward, placed his sword against the ropes, and pulled back.


    The moment the arm bindings were undone the person with emerald eyes glowed with green energy and moved. In a moment she was free of the bindings, and in the next had flipped up atop the narrow cart wall. The men in leather hadn¡¯t even started to approach and looked up at the woman in shock.


    ¡°Thanks, wild man.¡± The woman said, her glowing had subsided to reveal her unbound appearance. Garbed in ordinary clothing, with brown hair and wolven ears, the woman was still for just a moment. As Michael watched her vanish he blinked and looked around.


    She had jumped, and landed with a kick to the shoulder of the lean man before bouncing to strike the tall one. In an instant, two of her captors had been taken down. The third one, the huge placid one Michael had forgotten about, lunged forward with a sudden burst of speed. Red energy had erupted from behind him, and the woman had to dodge out of the way. Michael watched to see what would happen, but felt a tap on his shoulder.


    The other person in the cart had rolled closer and sat up, offering bound arms with an almost relaxed ease. Michael figured he¡¯d already made his choice, and slit the bindings with no further consideration. The bound man undid his gag and started untying himself. ¡°You have my endless gratitude, wild man. After I had been captured by those bandits I did not know if I would escape anytime soon.¡±


    Most of what he said went right over Michael¡¯s head as he stared at the woman flipping around to fight the lumbering man. ¡°So, they¡¯re bandits?¡± The word was familiar enough, but Michael didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Why?¡±


    The man in the cart rubbed his chin for a moment, ¡°An interesting question, but for the moment I suggest we make ourselves scarce.¡± He hopped out of the cart, just moments before the huge man crashed into it.


    While flicking her hair to the side, the woman approached Michael and the other former prisoner. ¡°They weren¡¯t so tough.¡±


    ¡°Yes good work beating those ruffians into submission.¡± The man glanced over at the groaning fallen men. None were unconscious or close to death, but they didn¡¯t seem like ready threats. ¡°Though I feel I owe you an equal share of gratitude, wild man.¡±


    Michael grumbled a bit, ¡°I¡¯m not a wild man. I¡¯m Michael.¡±


    The two looked at him, and the man inclined his head. ¡°Of course, my apologies. You have my thanks, Michael. I am Sebastian, a scholar of sorts. Though I am just another adventurer I suppose.¡±


    The woman stepped closer to Michael, looking up at him with those dazzling emerald eyes. The way she examined him with abject curiosity made his body feel warm, and he was more aware of his bare chest and torn clothes. No wonder they called him wild.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yan.¡± She said, reaching up to pull a twig out of his hair. ¡°Your eyes are amazing, Michael. What a lovely shade of violet.¡± Michael felt flushed from the attention and wished he hadn¡¯t spoken up.


    Sebastian rubbed his chin as he examined Michael with a critical gaze. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a potential issue.¡± When the two younger people continued staring at each other, Sebastian cleared his throat. Both the others looked over, but at the same time a grumbling sounded from Michael¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°You must be starving.¡± Yan took a step away from Michael and towards the carriage. ¡°Hey old man, is there any more of that food you swiped?¡± Sebastian shook his head, ¡°Damn. Well, they only caught me in the first place because I was starving, but we can figure something out.¡±


    ¡°It might be best if we make ourselves scarce before these bandits awaken, or any Zori appear.¡± Sebastian grabbed a small pack from the cart and dug through some of the bandits'' things. ¡°I think there¡¯s-¡±


    Howling from the trees interrupted the conversation. Michael whipped around to see a wolf, near as tall as he was, leering down at them. The others went on guard, but something about the animal was wrong. It wasn¡¯t standing like a wolf, nor did the motion of its head looking around seem animalistic.


    The wolf charged out without warning, causing Sebastian to yelp as it rushed towards him. ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± Michael swung at the oncoming enemy and got it to dance back from the blow.


    ¡°That¡¯s not normal behavior.¡± Sebastian¡¯s hands glowed a pale blue for a moment before a translucent barrier spun to life before him. Michael stared at the barrier in amazement, unaware that the wolf charged forward again.


    A green energy blasted into the wolf from the side, ¡°Keep your eyes open!¡± Yan shouted, causing green energy to surround her hand before launching towards the beast. Michael wasn¡¯t sure how or what they were doing, but focused on the enemy instead of questioning it.


    Michael rushed towards the wolf, intending to clash. He swung downwards, but the wolf dodged. He tried again, facing the same issue of agility. An agile and alert beast was much faster than Michael¡¯s sword.


    The voice of Sebastian called out an order, ¡°Don¡¯t swing blindly, use a surge to pin it down.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael called back, ¡°What¡¯s a surge?¡±


    Confusion drew across Sebastian''s face, and in that moment the wolf lunged past Michael and leapt through the air. In a sudden rush of furious fur it jumped over the cart and crashed into Yan, knocking her to the ground.


    Sebastian and Michael both shouted in alarm, but the wolf hadn¡¯t bitten like they assumed. Yan and the wolf lay still, but a shadowy energy was seeping out from the wolf¡¯s grey fur and surrounding Yan. ¡°It¡¯s trying to possess her!¡± Michael sprinted forth to intervene.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    With a swift strike into the belly of the wolf Michael skewered and lifted the beast before hurling it away from Yan. The black energy being that was inside was torn away from Yan, eliciting her to take a sharp breath. ¡°What... what happened?¡± She had a distant look, shocked.


    Michael knelt down next to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    For a moment the two were gazing at each other, then Yan shook her head and sat up. ¡°Yeah. Focus on the fight.¡± Michael nodded and stood up, then both looked to assess the situation.


    Dark tendrils of energy stretched out of the fallen wolf, coalescing once more into the familiar shape Michael had seen before. An entity formed of cables of black energy, more defined than in the ashen grove. The shadow of some warrior, tall, lean and fierce. Sebastian was staring at the enemy in total concentration, studying or scrutinizing with a silent gaze.


    Yan took one look at the creature before speaking, ¡°That¡¯s an evil spirit. Let¡¯s kill it.¡±


    ¡°Such a simple assessment without a simple solution.¡± Sebastian kept eyes on the being, his ward raised. ¡°In my decades of study I have heard nothing of a being like this. It''s not a Vurzori, nor any manner of beast. I don¡¯t know of any Spirit that behaves in this way either.¡±


    ¡°Analyze later, fight now! That thing really hurt!¡± The enemy lunged towards them, ¡°Here it comes!¡± Yan thrust her arms forward and released energy that she had been holding around them, creating a bolt of force. At the same moment Sebastian conjured a wave of power that expanded into a crackling wall. Both attacks struck the enemy, but did not slow its approach.


    With nothing else to go off of Michael waited until the shadowy figure was near before striking again. The black crystalline sword slashed through the air with a sharp swoosh, and passed through the body of the enemy. It went right past him towards the others.


    The enemy was rushing Yan again when it dashed to the side to tackle Sebastian. The older blonde man took a step back to hold his ground, but the attack was not like he expected. Instead of striking, the shadowy figure began to merge with the man, tendrils like dark cables surrounding him. Sebastian¡¯s mouth opened in a silent scream, but Michael and Yan were already closing in.


    Yan surrounded her arm in energy again and tried to grapple the foe off, but her hand passed through its body. Next she tensed up and her body turned green and glowed before she tried again, but whatever she did just caused her pain. ¡°Surges and Energy Form aren¡¯t working!¡± Sebastian seemed paralyzed as the entity merged with him, helpless to struggle free.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Michael pressed both arms into the center mass of the figure and groped for something to hold onto. It was like grasping at mist, and stung all up his arms, but he didn¡¯t recoil. He gritted his teeth and kept trying, his mind flitting through the sights and feelings of those strange attacks these two were using. Powers that seemed second nature to them, but he had no understanding of.


    There was a power he remembered. That force that exploded along the ground in their first conflict. Michael growled and focused on that feeling as he clenched his hands around nothingness and ripped his arms back.


    Whether through determination, or having grasped at some invisible thread, the shadowy being was torn away from Sebastian by Michael¡¯s frenzy. It scattered around them and tumbled to the ground as roiling masses of energy, but Michael was huffing and fuming too much to give them notice.


    Coughing a few times before catching his breath, Sebastian absently pawed at his own chest with a look of panic fading into disbelief. ¡°Well. That¡¯s not an experience worth repeating. Thank you.¡±


    Yan looked around then back up at Michael, ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± He didn¡¯t respond, taking deep overt breaths as glared into empty space. Stilled with rage and not focused on anything around him, Michael¡¯s breathing just grew more intense. ¡°Listen, you need to calm down and focus on my words. Hey, just slow down. Are you listening, Michael?¡±


    Something shifted, a slight sense of change in the back of his mind. Michael, that was the name he had chosen. He slowed his breathing and blinked several times before looking at both Yan and Sebastian. ¡°Thanks. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yan patted his arm. Michael felt sweat pooling on his forehead like a fever had just broken, and he studied the two again as if for the first time.


    Yan was shorter than Michael by a fair bit, lithe and athletic. From the way she had been jumping, flipping, and kicking with such ease it was easy to call her strong. Short brown hair with a curl in front of each of her wolven ears, and dazzling emerald eyes. ¡°Stop looking at me so hard, we need to focus.¡±


    Sebastian was closer to Michael in height, with blonde hair and a scrawny figure. He seemed far more studious and had different ears than Michael and Yan did. As he rubbed his chin to inspect something Michael wondered what he thought behind those calculating blue eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t see it, there could be trouble.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, I ripped that thing apart.¡± Michael looked around, his newfound sense of clarity helping him spot details he had missed before. There were so many shrubs and rocks alongside the weathered cobbled road, tall grasses and trees of varying sizes. He couldn¡¯t see any trace of the spirit monster thing they¡¯d been fighting.


    Groaning drew Michael¡¯s attention, but it was just the bandits that Yan had knocked out. Michael scrutinized them, trying to decide if they were a threat or in danger, when a flicker of shadows moved along one. The huge man that had been pulling the cart through sheer strength stirred and rose with unnatural stiffness, turning to level an empty gaze at Michael and the others.


    ¡°An evil Spirit that possesses people and cannot seem to be defeated,¡± Sebastian assessed, ¡°I believe this is a Revenant.¡±


    ¡°Not the time, old man.¡± Yan reached for her hip where there was no weapon and looked around for a second. ¡°Anyone have a knife?¡±


    Neither of the others answered the question, so Sebastian returned to his original line of thinking. ¡°It¡¯s always the right first step to know your enemy. If we- WATCH OUT!¡±


    The lumbering Revenant grabbed the cart with one hand and tossed it into the air. Wood and barrels crashed towards them, breaking Sebastian¡¯s ward without effort and forcing everyone to scatter and dive for cover. As they fled the lumbering man charged them, slower than when it was a wolf or spirit, but commanding a weight of mass that shook the earth with every step.


    Yan dove the furthest, but found the huge enemy bearing down on her first. With an eep she dashed further on all fours for a moment before leaping again to gain distance. Michael emerged from the bushes where he had dodged and brandished his sword with a snarl. He rushed towards the Revenant, but the big man swatted the air and created a wave of energy that sent Michael head over heels into a tree.


    Sebastian recovered from where he¡¯d taken shelter and launched a simple attack at the Revenant. ¡°Don¡¯t be too predictable, Michael!¡± He advised, despite his own attack being blocked.


    ¡°Right.¡± Michael forced down his annoyance as he stood back up. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if he was too angry and direct. Michael charged forward with a yell, but stopped short to strike the ground and launch dirt at the enemy. Instead of dirt, black lines spread over the ground and gave off a weak blast of energy.


    It wasn¡¯t anything like what he¡¯d done in the grove, but it made the lumbering man stagger. Yan flew in and delivered a flying kick to the huge man¡¯s chest, causing him to start falling backwards. In an attempt to avoid falling the man took several steps back, then crashed onto his back with a heavy whump.


    Michael gathered himself and ambled to a ledge overlooking the fallen bandit. His stomach growled as a pang of hunger made him clutch his chest, and the thought of fighting anymore made him feel dizzy. ¡°Is it over?¡±


    Sebastian approached as well, looking down with a curious gaze before inspecting the other fallen bandits. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too optimistic. This Revenant has proven resilient already.¡±


    Yan crouched down near the bandit and rummaged through a pack of his, withdrawing a sheathed dagger. She drew the blade and looked up, ¡°Shall I finish the job?¡±


    The thought of killing made Michael¡¯s stomach turn, but motion made that worry flee. ¡°Look out!¡±


    Thick fingers closed around Yan¡¯s ankle before she could react and she was hoisted into the air as the possessed man rose. Yan slashed and drew blood, but that didn¡¯t stop her from being thrown at the ground. Acting on instinct, Michael dashed to try and catch her. She slammed into him as they both fell over.


    Looming above was certain death. The shadowed glower of a man possessed, wider and stronger than both put together. Michael and Yan watched as two torso sized fists were raised above. Yan closed her eyes, and Michael couldn¡¯t look away.


    A glimmering light appeared around them as Sebastian arrived in the final moment. A spherical ward surrounded them as the heavy fists came crashing down. The Revenant could not break the ward, but Sebastian stood with arms outstretched maintaining it. With a howl of fury the huge mute bandit slammed again, and again. Each impact made the earth tremble, but could not break the barrier. Blood formed from the fists of the bandit, before harsh blue flames sparked to life around his fists and body.


    Sebastian was wavering, the impacts rang out with the roaring of bloodthirst, and the ground continued to shake. Michael tried to stand, but found his legs and arms too heavy. Yan was trembling, curled up into a ball on his chest. Why was his heart racing so hard?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Sebastian croaked, ¡°Nothing breaks a meteor shield.¡± It wasn¡¯t clear whether he was telling Michael, or himself.


    The mindless fury of the Revenant continued as he slammed again and again against the barrier, breaking his own hand to try and get at them. Someone shouted and approached from behind, another of the bandits, but the Revenant swung back hard. A sickening crunch, and the other man was dead. Michael felt the bitter taste of bile color the back of his throat.


    ¡°GRAAAAAAAAH!¡± With a final roar the massive bandit slammed his entire body against the barrier with unrelenting futility. His body burst into flames as fiery blood splattered, and the physical form of the Revenant fell dead. Michael exhaled, but it was not time to celebrate.


    Black energy and blue flames flickered and burned around Sebastian¡¯s meteor shield. The barrier wavered and the Revenant closed in around them, hungry malice in its infernal body. A cold sweat broke out over Michael, Yan, and Sebastian as daylight was closed off.


    That fervor that carried it to try so hard to get to them that it drove its own host to death, the intensity of it was closing in around them. It would go beyond death to destroy, consume, or control. Sebastian dropped to one knee and the barrier closed in more. From the way his hands were trembling, it was clear this was not meant to be maintained so long.


    Yan was unresponsive, and Sebastian was slipping. It felt like the end was coming, and Michael had done nothing to fight back. Everything that was accomplished worked without his intervention, and because of him. Behind that feeling of helplessness, anger bubbled to the surface. ¡°You will never have us.¡± Michael glared up in absolute defiance, his eyes and jaw locked into a scowl. The inevitable didn¡¯t matter, nor did his hunger. ¡°We won¡¯t give up fighting, ever.¡±


    The faintest shift in Yan¡¯s shivering, and in Sebastian¡¯s poise, told Michael his words had done something. That was enough, there was nothing else that could be done.


    The encroaching darkness wavered, blazing in silent fury around them. All of the blood on the barrier had been burned away, and the body of the fallen bandit was withered after the possession. There was a long moment of silence as the world held its breath, then the Revenant retreated.


    Michael gave a sigh of relief, but Sebastian kept the barrier active as his body trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t relax yet. Help me keep us safe.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Use a meteor shield. Take over for me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t... know what that is. How do I do that?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sebastian glanced back, ¡°Are you serious? Everyone can do this, Iagorothi grants us all this ability.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Iagorothi?¡±


    Sebastian reeled from shock, but Yan uncurled and stood up. ¡°Take a break.¡± She extended her arms and created the meteor shield, allowing Sebastian to drop the ward.


    As he collapsed to catch his breath Sebastian stared at Michael. ¡°How do you not know the name of our world, the very plane upon which we all live?¡±


    Michael scratched his head and felt embarrassed, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know my name is Michael... and... math I guess.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡± Sebastian hummed, ¡°You must have hit your head. Temporary amnesia, that¡¯s rough.¡±


    ¡°Boys, the Revenant.¡± Yan snapped the others back to attention as they all watched the last remaining bandit stand up. Dark tendrils of energy faded into his clothing, but afterwards he looked the same as before.


    The Revenant looked over at them, dug one hand into the pouch on the bandit¡¯s belt and threw dust into the air. The white dust caught the air and spread out like a cloud, obscuring their sight for several seconds. Michael got his sword ready to try something when the enemy appeared, but the dust cleared moments later. The Revenant was gone.


    Yan dropped the ward and dashed ahead to where the bandit was before he threw the smokescreen. After looking around for a moment she looked back at the boys and declared, ¡°It fled!¡±


    Sebastian groaned, but Michael relaxed and lay back. He¡¯d been sitting against a rock in an awkward position when Yan first landed on him, but the enemy was gone. Nothing else mattered as he closed his eyes and slumped to the ground, ¡°I need food.¡±

 Liniva

    Chapter 3


    Liniva


    The first rule of adventuring is to be wary of monsters. In order to prevent travelers and towns from being overwhelmed, it was important to take measures against the proliferation of the profane. After the chaotic battle against the Revenant, Sebastian gathered what food he could find amidst the wreckage of the cart to feed Michael. Then he burned the corpses of the bandits.


    ¡°Most Zori reproduce by eating, so we can¡¯t take the time to bury anyone in the wilderness.¡± Sebastian explained, enjoying his captive audience.


    ¡°And what¡¯s a Zori?¡± Another sigh from the exasperated blond man, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Until your memory comes back, you need to know the basics.¡± Sebastian put out the flames of his impromptu cremation when ashes were all that remained. ¡°It¡¯s useful to go over the basics from time to time anyways.¡±


    Michael gulped down another helping of the flatbread rations that Sebastian had found in a crate. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be going after the Revenant?¡± They glanced over to where Yan had started finding tracks while the others rested.


    ¡°While it¡¯s true I have never encountered, or heard of, a spirit so malevolent, I feel that we just need to report it. Once the Myrrh royal army is aware of it they will be able to deal with it better than we can.¡±


    ¡°Myrrh, that¡¯s the name of the Kingdom we¡¯re in right?¡± Sebastian nodded. Michael took another few bites and gulped down some water. ¡°I should do something about it myself though, I¡¯m responsible for it.¡±


    Sebastian shrugged and shook his head. ¡°Either way, it''s a good idea to stick together until we can report our findings. Always best to team up in the wilderness, it''s one of the most important rules for adventuring.¡±


    Yan approached with a scowl and crossed her arms, ¡°Won¡¯t matter what we report if they don¡¯t know where to look. I¡¯ll track where the bandit went, but I don''t want to go to any towns.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to avoid going to town forever. In fact, that¡¯s probably why you were starving and kidnapped in the first place.¡± Sebastian chuckled, and Yan punched him in the arm. She pouted, but didn''t have a retort. ¡°Regardless, you¡¯re right. We should stick together and track where the Revenant went until we are near a town, then report it so the royal army can get involved.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know much about this royal army, but if you say so.¡± Yan sat down on a barrel and swiped a ration from the crate.


    ¡°My my, are you telling me that I am stuck traveling with an amnesiac and an uneducated country girl?¡± A piece of flatbread bounced off Sebastian¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not uneducated. I just learned different things than you, old man.¡± Sebastian just chuckled and started going through the rest of the debris while the younger folk ate.


    Now that the fighting was over and Michael had gotten a chance to relax, he felt uneasy. The suns were starting to get lower in the sky, just a few more hours of daylight, and he¡¯d spent all day walking through the forest. How much did he know, and how much had he forgotten? Amnesia, it was a term that Sebastian had explained to him. A loss of memory, not uncommon for adventurers. Something about that scared him, what if he never remembered anything?


    Michael looked around the area. Yan wasn¡¯t looking at him, focused on eating, and there had been no one coming along the road. Just how far in the middle of nowhere were they? He could see enormous silver barked pine trees, a huge cliff in the distance beyond them, and the most tremendous mountain he could imagine in the distance. None of it looked familiar, he knew what they were because Sebastian had explained it.


    This was Eterna Forest, where gigantic silver pine trees grew hundreds of feet into the air. That was the Great Sky Mountain, the tallest mountain in the world. These names, the Kingdom of Myrrh and the world of Iagorothi. None of them were familiar. Did he belong here? That was a bad thought, he could just make himself belong.


    ¡°Here Michael.¡± Something hit Michael before he turned to see what it was. He pulled the cloth into his lap to find a shirt, as well as pants and a pack. Sebastian walked over and used a spell to make a sheet hang in the air. ¡°Get yourself changed. It¡¯s not polite to flash your chest in front of a lady.¡±


    ¡°Har har.¡± Yan rolled her eyes, but snuck one last look at Michael before he acquiesced and stepped behind the curtain. A couple minutes later he emerged in the new garb, wearing a green shirt and black pants that Sebastian had recovered amidst the wreckage.


    ¡°Here, have a look.¡± Sebastian handed over a hand mirror, and Michael was able to see what he looked like for the first time since he¡¯d awoken in the clearing.


    White hair in an untidy mop clumped into several spikes over his head. He had the same wolven ears that Yan did, in his white coloration. Marring his cheeks were symmetrical black scars, diagonal marks that stretched from his neck to beneath his eyes as if he¡¯d been slashed. His eyes were violet, but lacked the black center than the others had, no pupils at all. ¡°So this is what I look like.¡±


    ¡°Notice anything peculiar?¡± Sebastian asked.


    ¡°Uhh, my hair is white... but I¡¯m not old? Am I old?¡±


    ¡°No, you just have white wolf Feral heritage.¡± Yan said, ¡°Must be from further west, closer to the Great Sky Mountain. I¡¯m from the east, hence the brown wolf.¡± Her ears wiggled.


    Sebastian rubbed his chin as he examined the man. ¡°Nothing else stands out?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Another sigh preceded an explanation. ¡°You have no pupils, your eyes are violet, and you bear black scars. All of these things are unusual, and having all three is downright bizarre.¡±


    ¡°What do they mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, scars shouldn¡¯t stay black for one. I don¡¯t know the particulars, but I imagine that¡¯s important. As for your eyes, violet is a very rare color. I don¡¯t think anyone of Valon or Feral heritage can get it, so it means you have already been significantly warped by some kind of magical effect.¡± Michael blinked and realized he didn¡¯t know half of what Sebastian had said. ¡°And having no pupils means that you are empty eyed.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s scary.¡± Yan said, ¡°I thought empty eyes were blank, I didn¡¯t realize it just meant no pupils though.¡±


    ¡°See, even Yan knows what that is.¡± Another piece of flatbread was flung at Sebastian, but did not get a reaction. ¡°But it¡¯s a pretty widespread bad omen. There will be people afraid of you just because of that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is, just ghost stories.¡± Yan shrugged and started packing her pouch with extra rations.


    ¡°And while some people might react like Yan, many others will be far more unpleasant. That¡¯s the trouble with superstition.¡±


    Michael listened and nodded throughout the talk, then asked the same question. ¡°Okay, but what does that mean? Changed by magic, or empty eyed. That doesn¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all there is to it. You are different, and some people won¡¯t like that. I¡¯m sure many will be like myself or Yan and either not care or know enough to ignore superstition, but others will be afraid of you.¡± Sebastian rubbed his chin again as he examined the man, ¡°And you didn¡¯t know any of that. How intriguing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± Michael put the mirror away, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything because I¡¯m amnesia.¡±


    ¡°An amnesiac.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, what are we gonna do about it?¡±


    Sebastian stopped himself from sighing and took a breath. After all those years of study, he was being asked to teach. ¡°Okay, pull up a seat. It¡¯s time for class.¡± Michael sat down and Yan scooted closer to listen in. ¡°Since we are out in the wilderness and may need to fight for our lives, again, I think it¡¯s time to start with combat. That means Vibes, Surges, Spells, Techniques, and Zori. Get ready to learn, because our lives may depend on it.¡±


    The following day came all too early. After a night of lessons, camping, training, and salvaging what they could, Michael felt like sleep didn¡¯t last long enough. After stuffing their packs with supplies they took as many of the shiny coins called gil, the currency of Iagorothi, as they could find. Sebastian had them dispose of the excess food and set the rest of the supplies by the roadside before they all set out as a group to track the Revenant.


    Yan proved to be an effective tracker, picking out footprints from a hasty retreat until they¡¯d come to a more well trodden road. While Michael and Sebastian flailed to try and help out, another important detail was discovered.


    Littered along the path of the Revenant¡¯s retreat were oblong clumps of bark, things called Nodules. Sebastian explained that they gathered up and stored excess mana, growing on the bottom of tree branches to help regulate the tree. They could be seen on any given tree, twisted knots that hang like fruit. Yan discovered several along the path that appeared to be crushed as if squeezed by hand. ¡°Was it squeezing these for some reason?¡±


    ¡°I have read that Spirits can strengthen themselves by taking in mana. I never really considered trying to take mana from Nodules though.¡±


    ¡°Well it left us a trail to follow anyways, we¡¯re heading southeast.¡± Yan continued the journey along the larger road as it continued through the Eterna Forest. The trees all around were tall enough to be the horizon, with the occasional gap or glade to break up the scenery.


    More nodules were found scattered in trenches along the side of the road as they proceeded, even after hours had passed. Michael¡¯s concern that they had delayed too long faded into the background as the trail persisted, until they came upon a commotion in the distance. A crowd of people were stopped along the road. Michael and Yan looked at the scene with interest, though Sebastian glanced over at Michael. This would be his first encounter with people, and bore investigation.


    A group of travelers with a wagon were stopped on the roadside, gossiping about something out of sight. As Michael and the others approached, so too did another group from the other direction. ¡°What¡¯s the commotion here!¡± The shout from the lead soldier made the gossiping group flinch and go silent.


    One of the gossipers spoke just as Michael and the others arrived to see the scene. ¡°We found everything like this, didn¡¯t touch nuthin ma¡¯am.¡± In a ditch on the side of the road was the corpse of the third bandit, emaciated and amidst a pile of fallen nodules. Michael covered his mouth as his stomach churned, but the scene didn¡¯t bother the others as much. The soldiers looked over the scene, and those gathered, with steady serious looks.


    Sebastian spoke in a low voice to Yan and Michael, ¡°You think the Revenant just died, or found a different host?¡±


    ¡°The road is too worn to see any tracks.¡± Yan was scrutinizing the ditch while channeling energy into her eyes, a technique to enhance vision. It had made Michael a bit dizzy when he tried it. ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs of anyone leaving the ditch, it might have changed bodies and dumped the old one.¡±


    Two of the soldiers were ordered to start cleaning up the mess, while the lead soldier looked around again at the two groups. The wagon group was also talking amongst themselves. ¡°That¡¯s enough chattering, you should all be moving along now!¡± The soldier emphasized her point by slamming the butt of her spear on the road. She took a longer look at Michael in particular, narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°Pardon me ma¡¯am,¡± Sebastian stepped forth to address the soldier, ¡°We need to make a report concerning this dead man. He was possessed by an evil spirit you see-¡±


    ¡°You need to make your report in town. Liniva is just a few miles further.¡±


    ¡°But we have reason to believe-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just highway patrol, I won¡¯t be able to turn in any additional reports myself.¡± The soldier snapped, ¡°Go to the military outpost in Liniva and report there. I¡¯ve got my hands full with my duties.¡± She turned and gave a whistle before continuing along the road with one other soldier. Two of the patrolmen busied themselves with disposing of the body, to prevent it from being consumed by wayward Zori.


    Sebastian watched the soldier depart for several extra moments, ¡°That¡¯s annoying. She could have listened. Still, I suppose it''s not really her job.¡± He frowned, taking a few extra moments to scrutinize the female soldiers'' backside.


    Yan approached the other travelers as they got their wagon ready to move out again. ¡°Did you guys pass anyone else heading that way?¡± She indicated the path they were heading, where the town of Liniva would be in sight soon.


    ¡°Sure did. Two others in fact. A skinny guy in a cloak, and a guy wearing a big red mantle around his shoulders.¡± Yan thanked them for the information and rejoined the others as they continued along the road.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much to go on.¡± She stretched as they started walking again.


    ¡°But, either of those people could be the Revenant. Worth knowing.¡± Sebastian gave Yan an appreciating look, until she glared at him, then focused on the road ahead. ¡°We¡¯d best make haste.¡±


    Michael followed along with the others, but his thoughts returned to the scene they had passed. During it all he hadn¡¯t spoken a word, but that soldier had given him a long look. ¡°Do you think she looked at me like that because of my eyes?¡± The others looked at him, ¡°A bad omen, like you said?¡±


    ¡°That could be the case.¡± Sebastian considered things for a moment, then dug through his pack. Each of them had gathered several things from the former belongings of the bandits. Sebastian withdrew a simple brown square of canvas. ¡°Here, we can fashion you a simple hood out of this. It should provide enough shade to obscure your eyes and face for the most part.¡±


    The offered disguise was accepted, though Michael frowned at the idea of hiding. He draped the cloth and fastened it with some offered leather string. It was hot, and the summer heat didn¡¯t improve matters.


    ¡°Allow me.¡± Yan adjusted the tie so the hood fit a little better, and could be pulled down while they were still on the road. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Better.¡±


    The road wove around crests and banks, following a river that ran through the forest. As the trees became further apart and more of the sky opened up to their view, the three came upon a view of their destination. Surrounded by trees on one side and foothills on the other was an enormous wall with stone foundations with wood woven together like a vast living net. It was a breathtaking view, impressive even for the most seasoned of the travelers. Liniva, one of two cities in the Eterna Forest with authority to fell and process eterna trees.


    ¡°Walls are the primary defense against Zori, in Myrrh anyways. You¡¯d be hard pressed to find a town, or even a hamlet, without one.¡± Sebastian was growing to enjoy explaining things they came across. It would be missed when they parted ways.


    ¡°Well here we are.¡± Yan frowned as they drew closer to the city. ¡°Do you think the Revenant is inside? How are we going to find it?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to. I¡¯m going to report the issue to the military and they can send an expert to track and deal with the problem.¡± The words made Michael perk up and look over with a serious expression.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop until I deal with the Revenant myself.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have to?¡±


    ¡°I have to.¡± Michael continued without another word.


    The wall of Liniva was incredible, unlike anything Michael had ever seen. He had no memories of any other buildings, but that didn¡¯t matter. He gawked up at the wall as they approached, stopping to take in the details of the woven wood. How did they get it to grow together into a seamless living fortification? He would have kept gawking too, if Yan didn¡¯t drag him through the gates by the arm.


    Inside the city was an even more spectacular sight. Streets surrounded by buildings leading to plazas filled with stalls. People moving about and doing work or going about their days, even so close to the city¡¯s edge. The other end of town was well within sight, but to Michael it was a massive and wondrous world of untold mystery. Sebastian and Yan did not seem as impressed.


    ¡°A small town, but should have enough of a market to get some real supplies.¡± Sebastian looked around and spotted the road he wanted to take. ¡°I¡¯m going straight to the military outpost to make my report. Yan, could I trouble you to get supplies for all of us, and bring Michael with you?¡±


    ¡°Give me your share of the gil we got, and I will.¡± Yan held out her hand for Sebastian¡¯s coin purse. It was a well known rule of adventuring to be ready for anything, which meant supply runs the moment a town was reached. Sebastian handed over the money, and Yan headed off with Michael in tow.


    With the younger folk out of the way, it was time to get to business. Michael was still looking around at everything like a child as they walked away. So he still had amnesia then. Sebastian shook his head and refocused, heading along the flow of the streets with practiced ease.


    Liniva was not a very big town, it appeared to have little in the way of adventuring activity. Rural areas were simple to navigate for a native of Myrrh. After all his time abroad, Sebastian had ended up in his home Kingdom after all.


    The layout of Liniva followed a simple ideology, with walls and fortifications surrounding the marketplaces and residential areas. Sebastian moved along the roads just inside the walls and soon found a military outpost, just as expected. Myrrh had some form of military presence in all of the bigger towns, and Liniva was big enough to meet that metric. Sebastian entered the building, and began his wait.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Simple complaints came to the guards throughout the day, from noisy neighbors to gossip that mattered to no one. After listening to multiple reports about teenagers loitering about and spirits in the forest, as well as few actual reports about Zori sightings, Sebastian¡¯s turn arrived.


    Hands placed on the counter between them, Sebastian looked at the two guards manning the reports desk. ¡°I have something to report that needs to be directed to the Mystic Grove. There is a dangerous spirit on the loose, which has been possessing people and causing havoc.¡±


    One of the guards was eating a sandwich and grunted, while the other shook his head. ¡°Spirits are not dangerous, just a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°This is no ordinary spirit. It has already killed several people. We need to alert the capital at once and get some Myrrhmidons out here!¡± Sebastian could think of a few Myrrhmidons, the most elite warriors of Myrrh, that could deal with this. ¡°We should summon the Wall of Myrrh.¡±


    The sandwich eating guard chuckled while the other one spoke again, ¡°Sir, we are not going to waste the military''s time on some spirit in the forest. I can dispatch a Slayer or two, but nothing more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not some spirit in the forest, it left and came this way.¡± Sebastian curled his hands into fists, ¡°It¡¯s already possessed and killed people!¡±


    ¡°And who is possessed now, where is this evil spirit?¡± The guard was noting things down, but did not appear to appreciate the gravity of the situation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We were tracking it, and it was leaving behind nodules, consuming mana. It¡¯s probably one of the people that got to town from the west road.¡± Sebastian was having more difficulty believing his own words. There were black shadows and blue flames...¡±


    The guard took a deep breath and tried not to look too condescending, ¡°Do not eat the mushrooms in the forest, sir.¡±


    The other guard laughed, ¡°Flames and shadows he says, a spirit.¡± He laughed more, sending spittle and sandwich in all directions.


    Sebastian slammed his fist on the table, and the guards straightened to glower. ¡°This is serious! I-¡± He exhaled, memories of a past in military doctrines resurfacing. He didn¡¯t want to get involved with that again, ¡°Listen. This Revenant we saw is dangerous. Just contact the military, have them send someone.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you need to leave now.¡± The guards glared and there was silence further in the building.


    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Sebastian frowned, but a few more uniformed guards stepped into the room from other halls and their message was clear. Sebastian whirled around and stormed out, grumbling at being stonewalled. The military was supposed to be there to help, but if they could not be reached what did he do?


    After the door closed the guard with the sandwich began noting everything down. The first one looked over, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Have to report everything, you know the rules.¡± He scrawled out the exact wording. ¡°We¡¯ll file this through tomorrow morning. It¡¯s probably nothing, but if Kris found out we were slacking while she was away...¡± He trailed off and the other guard grimaced.


    ¡°Nothing ever happens around here anyways.¡± The first guard said after a minute, ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a nap.¡±


    Marketplaces of stalls and stores were a common sight throughout Myrrh and the other nations of Alymbai. Whether in tiny hamlets or sprawling cities, people needed to come together to trade their goods and get what they needed. Bustling with people looking to trade, share stories, form parties, or play games; the marketplace could be seen as the center of most settlements.


    A man rang a bell and cried out with local news, vendors shouted to passersby about their goods, and folk sat at tables around board games. Everywhere Michael turned, something new and dazzling piqued his endless interest. Yan huffed and put his hood back up, it had fallen with all his rubbernecking. ¡°Be careful, you remember what Sebastian said, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Michael pulled the hood down more to fit snug around his hair and ears. He didn¡¯t understand what Sebastian had meant by superstition, but if his eyes were a problem he wasn¡¯t about to draw attention to them.


    ¡°Come on, we have to get a bunch of supplies.¡± Yan grabbed Michael by the wrist and dragged him through the crowded streets. It was a bit forceful, but Michael was excited to see where they would go.


    The outer streets of the market were too focused on knick knacks and trinkets that they didn¡¯t need. Yan managed to navigate towards the inner areas ripe with grocers and general supplies stalls. Here they would be able to find useful foods and items at a decent enough price. Michael watched Yan barter with small coins without seeming to understand what was happening. When she noticed his blank stare Yan handed him a package. ¡°Just wait on a bench and hold onto the supplies.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Michael followed her pointed finger and walked over to have a seat on the empty bench she¡¯d pointed out. This worked out well, since there were so many people out and about. He could sit and watch as things carried on all he liked.


    The amount of people around in the marketplace was incredible to Michael. There must have been at least two dozen, so many people in the same area. Of course, Michael couldn¡¯t really remember ever being around people, or anything before waking up in that ashen grove. He didn¡¯t know whether or not that should be a concern, so he decided not to think about it much. There were people doing things, and he wanted to know what they were up to.


    A man standing on a stage was telling a story to people gathered. Children and teens listened in, along with a few others, as he spoke of battles in ages long past. Terrible struggles between mighty armies fighting for dominance over every scrap of land. The tale brushed over the tragedy in favor of amazing feats of strength. A man that lifted a massive boulder, a woman that zipped through the air and split into two, even someone that parried a raging dragon with nothing but a sword. Each tale was more fantastic than the last, weaving images of brave adventurers and warriors.


    ¡°But there was one warrior who stood above the rest, the strongest man in the world. Stronger than the old hero Amadon, mightier than the great slayer Granrend. That¡¯s right, I speak of none other than Maximus. Strongest man in the world, so mighty in fact that the whole world banded together against him for fear of his power.¡± The storyteller explained, drawing rapt attention from the children sitting nearby. ¡°A man that walked onto a battlefield of ten thousand soldiers and departed as the lone victor. He who swept a raging wave the size of a city apart in a single slash. Powerful enough to rend the earth with just energy, leaving chasms in his wake. Maximus was truly the strongest warrior in history. But...¡± The man raised a finger, letting the word hang in the air as everyone leaned in closer. ¡°Power is nothing without temperance.¡±


    ¡°Strongest though he might have been, Maximus was threatening the world with his rampage. If such a man was to continue his conquest, surely all the world would fall beneath his thumb. Thus, it came to pass that an alliance of the greatest nations joined together to stop him. The tricky Jagdep, the magical Athylistia, the just Zasarenok, the mighty Satrica, and of course...¡± The man spread his hands wide to indicate the world around him, ¡°Myrrh, our beloved Kingdom!¡± Children cheered, and a few of the adults listening clapped at the patriotic tale. ¡°Never forget children, no matter how strong you can become, the power of people working together can breach any wall. Always remember that, because anything is possible.¡±


    Clapping and cheering rang out in the stands, and from Michael who had scooted to the edge of his bench to eavesdrop on the saga. Stories of mighty warriors made him bounce with readiness and want to act. Strong enough to rend the earth? What an amazing story.


    ¡°Still good over here?¡± Yan approached and handed Michael another bag.


    ¡°Yeah! Hey, Yan, listen. There¡¯s this storyteller, and all these big heroes, and strong feats and stuff!¡± Michael pointed at the stage where the man who told the story was being tipped by various people, bowing and exchanging pleasantries. ¡°It was so cool!¡±


    Amused at Michael¡¯s sense of wonderment, Yan looked over and gave a small chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s awesome. Want to give him a tip?¡± She held out some coins for Michael, who grinned and accepted them as he stood up to walk over. ¡°Come back when you¡¯re done, we have to go to the next area.¡±


    As Michael arrived at the storytelling stage he dropped the coins in the basket beneath the man¡¯s feet. The other listeners had already cleared out, and the teller gave Michael a smile and a nod. ¡°Thanks for the story. Was that all true?¡±


    ¡°Why yes it was, young man.¡± The teller said with a wide grin, as he picked up the basket.


    ¡°That part about the guy parrying a dragon even?¡± Michael bounced on his heels a little.


    ¡°Well, you know how it is.¡± The man was counting his money, but Michael continued to dance around in excitement.


    ¡°What¡¯s a dragon anyways?¡±


    The storyteller paused and arched his eyebrow, looking over at Michael with utter confusion. ¡°How old are you, young man?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I dunno.¡± Michael shrugged.


    ¡°Wait... let me have a look at you.¡± The storyteller knelt down and scrutinized Michael for a moment, his gaze stopping at his eyes. He let out a harsh gasp and stumbled back, falling onto his rear. ¡°Empty eyes...¡±


    A pit dropped into Michael¡¯s stomach, and all his excitement fled his body. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°G-good day, don¡¯t mind me.¡± The man stammered, scrambling to his feet. He just about threw himself from the stage and sped away down a side street before Michael could so much as say another word.


    Michael looked at his feet, a pain in his chest that he could not help but clutch at. The change in demeanor was so swift, Michael wasn¡¯t prepared for it. What was it Sebastian said about his eyes, just a superstition? He tugged at his hood, making sure it was on better.


    Soft warmth pressed around Michael¡¯s left arm. ¡°Come on.¡± Yan said, getting him moving. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡±


    The rest of the shopping trip had been swift and efficient. Yan zipped around, using what little gil they possessed to get as much as she could, while Michael followed along in silence. He didn¡¯t complain about carrying everything, but had withdrawn into silence. Food helped a bit, but not as much as she had hoped.


    After they gathered their things, Yan led Michael to a free bench to have some time to rest. Several parks dotted the town so they found relative solitude with ease.


    Michael was just a strange boy, but he¡¯d saved her life. They weren¡¯t friends, but seeing him moping about didn¡¯t feel good. Yan stretched out and let out an exasperated grumble. ¡°Where is Sebastian? We should be doing something by now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Michael glanced up and seemed to just notice where they were. ¡°Should we try looking for the Revenant?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s better to keep a low profile.¡± Yan checked the surrounding streets, looking at shadowy corners and alleys. Michael looked around too, though she could be sure it wasn¡¯t for the same things. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    A man with a big red mass of cloth piled up around his shoulders was walking by. Something about him seemed familiar. Michael could have sworn he¡¯d seen him two or three times before in the market. ¡°Just... thinking.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t leave me hanging.¡± Yan slumped her body down on the table connected to the park bench they sat on. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Lot¡¯s of things. There¡¯s just so much I don¡¯t remember.¡± The two sat and thought for a few moments, while Yan let herself relax. Michael realized where he had recognized that man, it was one of the ones described by the other travelers. Michael stood up and went over to where he¡¯d turned a corner, but he was gone.


    ¡°See something?¡±


    ¡°Just, nothing important.¡± As Michael turned back to face Yan something caught his gaze. A board with several images posted to it, pictures of faces along with names and numbers. Each one started with a large red ¡®Wanted¡¯ and described someone. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±


    Yan approached to see what caught Michael¡¯s interest. ¡°Oh, wanted posters. These are people the Kingdom wants to be captured, see?¡± She pointed a finger at one in particular. ¡®Wanted: The Bandit King.¡¯ It listed attacking merchants, organized crime, and kidnapping amongst other things. The picture was of an angry man with lots of intense red fur and a helmet on.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you call those other guys bandits? Do they serve this Bandit King?¡±


    ¡°Could be. I¡¯ve heard of him before.¡±


    ¡°You both seem to be getting along well.¡± Yan whipped around as Sebastian approached, glaring at him. ¡°Woah, relax.¡±


    ¡°What took you so long? It doesn¡¯t take an hour to file a report!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Sebastian held out his hands in a placating motion. ¡°The guards didn¡¯t listen, so I had to do a little digging on my own. I have an idea.¡±


    Michael gave Sebastian an enthusiastic wave, but Yan narrowed her eyes as the man approached. A half wiped pink stain on his cheek made her shake her head and roll her eyes. ¡°Just get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Sebastian noticed the disapproval and wiped his cheek with a pocket cloth. ¡°Well, I figure that our wayward Revenant is a Spirit of some kind, but this town is well known for a strong spiritual connection.¡± As Sebastian approached the bounty board Yan shoved a full pack into his arms. ¡°So I learned about a Spiritualist that works for the town.¡±


    ¡°So now we are going to track the Revenant ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Beats waiting for the military.¡± Sebastian got his pack on and glanced at the bounty board for a moment. ¡°So, I shall go speak with this spirit specialist.¡±


    Yan shrugged, and Michael seemed a bit more relaxed. ¡°Well, lead the way.¡±


    Without further delay, the three packed their belongings and followed Sebastian through town. Liniva was not large by any standard, but the outskirts edging the wall were still a bit out of the way. On a road skirting the path towards the densest portion of the neighboring forest, the party arrived outside an eclectic log cabin. ¡°And here we are. This is the Spiritualist¡¯s hut, if I have been informed correctly. I shall go in and learn what I can.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Michael and I will just wait, I guess.¡± Yan looked around the denser wooded section of the town then led Michael to a bench near a meditation hollow. Sebastian double checked the collar of his jacket, then strode into the office of Liniva¡¯s resident Spiritualist.


    A bell jingled, signifying Sebastian¡¯s entry to the place, a large open office room with a central table. Sebastian took a seat, waiting while looking around. People with skills were not keen on giving away secrets, double true for mages and the like. Sebastian pondered how he might wrestle the information out of the man.


    ¡°I shall be right with you!¡± called a voice from within.


    Sebastian nodded to himself, taking careful note of the place. The Spiritualist was fastidious. Quite clean. Each shelf was organized and each surface kept free of dust. Before long, a man in shabby robes emerged from the back. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± He said, shuffling some papers onto a shelf and sitting down across from Sebastian with a small impact. So then, it wasn¡¯t he who kept things clean.


    ¡°Greetings, I am Sebastian, a traveler interested in things of a spiritual nature.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, greetings. I am Noiva. Liniva¡¯s Spiritualist, and speaker of the forest.¡± The shabby robed man brushed untidy hair with one hand as he wiggled to be comfortable in his chair.


    ¡°Speaker of the forest? What an envious feat.¡± Sebastian made a show of fixing his posture. ¡°It is an honor to be in your presence.¡±


    Noiva shifted again, ¡°It¡¯s really not all that impressive.¡±


    ¡°But of course it is! There are only two people in the world that can claim to speak on behalf of the Eterna Forest, and you, Noiva, are one of them.¡± Eterna trees grew nowhere else in all the world, and there were just two towns with permission to log from them. It paid to be well informed.


    ¡°You... You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Noiva said, nodding a bit. Then he shook his head. ¡°But we¡¯re getting off track. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Listen, Noiva. I need to know something important.¡± Sebastian leaned forth and spoke in a hushed tone. Noiva leaned in as well, curiosity plain on his face.


    ¡°What... Is it that you need to know?¡±


    ¡°It may very well be a matter of life or death, something I take very seriously. I think you are the man to help me.¡± Noiva¡¯s eyes widened. His breathing paused. Sebastian used the right words, but stopped himself from smirking. ¡°Noiva.¡± Sebastian continued. ¡°I need to know how to detect if someone is possessed by a malicious spirit. What can you tell me?¡±


    The spiritualist blinked, then nodded, collecting himself. ¡°Yes, well. That¡¯s not something usual, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t expect it to be.¡± Sebastian said, ¡°Usually I could check a library, but I need an expert.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, of course. The possessed person may be acting differently.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t know how they acted before? How can I find out if a stranger is possessed? I can¡¯t very well suspect everyone who behaves oddly.¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing is not something you can just do. Picking a possessed person out of a crowd... Is no ordinary act of perception. There wouldn¡¯t even be any mystic traces to detect.¡± Noiva said, steeling himself somewhat.


    No mystic traces, that was a problem. Sebastian changed tactics, sitting back a little. ¡°Hmm, not really very useful, is it? I can¡¯t even be sure you aren¡¯t the one possessed.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± Noiva said, taken aback.


    Sebastian spread his hands and shrugged. ¡°Listen, I didn¡¯t know you before this. Maybe the Revenant I am after somehow got to you, even before I arrived.¡±


    ¡°Preposterous!¡± Noiva slapped the table and rose to his feet.


    ¡°Then prove it!¡± Sebastian stood as well, towering over the unkempt man, ¡°Prove you aren¡¯t the one I am after, Noiva.¡±


    ¡°Now listen here, Sebastian, I won¡¯t stand for this kind of.. Of... outrageous claim!¡± Noiva spat, puffing out his chest some.


    ¡°Oh? Look around. Your wonderfully clean little office, and yet here you are, robes unkempt, papers strewn wildly as you entered. You aren¡¯t really an expert spiritualist, a speaker of the forest. How could you be?¡±


    Noiva looked around too, balking. ¡°I have a cleaning service.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Why bother? You don¡¯t even keep your notes clean.¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly identify a possessed person, even if they were right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course I could!¡± Noiva said, defensive and scowling.


    ¡°Then you can prove you aren¡¯t the Revenant.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Noiva flexed energy around his right hand. ¡°My energy is perfectly normal, neither erratic nor disrupted. No Revenant could be so in tune with their host¡¯s Soul!¡±


    That was enough to go off of. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a matter of Soul. Excellent. Thank you for your time, Noiva.¡± Sebastian inclined his head with a smile. His tone returned to normal.


    ¡°What?¡± Noiva deflated a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help. But I must be off.¡± Sebastian left the office, leaving Noiva dumbfounded, having given away secrets with such ease. Sebastian stepped outside before he had to pay for the information. The bench had one fewer of the young folk at it. ¡°Where is Michael?¡±


    ¡°He just ran off.¡± Yan said, ¡°I was waiting for you. He¡¯s this way.¡± Yan led the way along the road. ¡°What did you learn?¡±


    ¡°A possessed person would have erratic and unstable energy, as their Soul would be disrupted.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I¡¯ll devise a way to test people.¡±


    ¡°Energy huh.¡± Yan said. ¡°Actually, I have an idea.¡±


    Michael moved through the streets of Liniva at a run, following the man with the large red coat. There was something about the man, something dangerous. The man gave off an air of honed skill, like the edge of a sword. He had showed up again at the outskirts of town. Why was he following Michael? Michael needed to know. Could he be the Revenant? Michael followed the man to a large plaza.


    The center of the plaza was a huge tree trunk wider around than many of the buildings, and there were many people about the place, moving here and there as their days proceeded. Michael looked around with a frown. He had lost the red man. The crowd was too big. He¡¯d escaped. How would he find out now?


    As Michael wondered what to do next, a slim man bumped into his shoulder and walked past. Michael felt a twisted unease, a stinging feeling as they made contact. A familiar, harsh, and unpleasant sensation that burned in his memory. Michael looked at the man, eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    The slim man¡¯s eyes narrowed as well, and he smirked. Then fear masked his features, and he cried out, ¡°Get away from me!¡± The man pushed at Michael, but fell over onto his butt instead.


    Michael blinked in shock, wondering what had just happened. He¡¯d been attacked, so to speak, but the assailant had fallen instead. Many people turned to watch as the man on the ground backed away from Michael, one arm raised in defense. ¡°D-don¡¯t come any closer!¡± The slim man cried, crawling back away from Michael.


    ¡°What?!¡± Michael barked, ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Michael stepped towards the Revenant. He couldn¡¯t let it destroy anything.


    ¡°Empty eyed freak!¡± The slim man shouted, cowering. His voice reverberated through the town center, carrying volume and fear, yet lacking any kind of power. They were just words, nothing more, and yet.


    Many eyes turned to Michael¡¯s face, examining him. The black scars on his cheeks could just be from an accident. His brilliant white hair might just be age or heritage. Vivid violet eyes suggested he had been changed by some powerful magic, but those eyes had no pupils... a symbol of fear, destruction, chaos that called back to incarnations of disaster from history.


    ¡°Empty Eyes...¡± people muttered. ¡°No pupils.¡± People whispered. ¡°A bad omen. A walking disaster. He¡¯s after that man...¡±


    The murmurs of the crowd grew more intense as people pushed in to gawk at Michael. Once they saw his lack of pupils, each aspect of him seemed to stand out more. Why were his scars jet black? What evil forces had changed his iris color? Could his white hair be a symbol of emptiness as well? Each question that escaped the lips of the onlookers incited further suspicion.


    The crowd grew around the plaza. So many people gathered that it felt like all of Liniva had gathered. Michael looked around, an icy sensation washing over him. The animosity of the townsfolk, their hatred, made his skin crawl with tension and chills. He felt something stirring in his gut. His right hand twitched. The hair on his neck stood on end. He could feel burning anger fighting past the confusion. Why was this happening?


    ¡°HELP ME!¡± the slim man shouted, a terrible panic in his voice. Michael looked at the Revenant with his rage. The slim man did not look panicked at all. He seemed arrogant, smirking. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that he wasn¡¯t afraid?


    No one else was looking at the Revenant.


    Sharp pain struck Michael¡¯s cheek as a thrown stone bounced off of him and fell to the ground. Michael snapped towards where the stone came from, his anger flooding out. ¡°Who threw that?!¡± He roared, instinct putting his hand on his sword.


    The people of the town looked back with shock, anger, and fear. People began shouting at Michael, ¡°Get out of here! Freak!¡± Someone pushed Michael, more people threw small objects. He was pelted with something cold, then shoved again.


    Michael tried to right himself. He tried to run, but the crowd wouldn¡¯t let him get anywhere. He got knocked to the ground, someone stomped on his hand, and he felt a heavy foot in his stomach.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The heavy voice that escaped Michael¡¯s lips felt strange. A tense, raw, violent emotion filled him. With a surge of energy, Michael hopped to his feet, drew his sword, and let out a harsh guttural roar!

 Dark Smoke

    Chapter 4


    Dark Smoke


    Summer experienced fewer stormy days than the rest of the year. In the heartland of Myrrh, insulated from the seas to the north and ocean to the west by the Great Sky Mountain, rain was not a typical occurrence. When the skies darkened, it was not because of rain.


    Smoke rose into the air above Liniva. There was a fire.


    Yan and Sebastian heard screaming and went towards the pillars of smoke. ¡°What happened?!¡± Yan cried out, but the streets had emptied. No one was around to answer her. They rushed forth.


    ¡°I have spells for small fires.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°But if it¡¯s a big one...¡±


    Overturned carts and busted stalls clogged the streets ahead as they rounded a corner. ¡°There¡¯s too much debris. What is going on? Where is Michael?¡± Yan looked around, then scaled a building without another word. She moved like a cat up the building, then hopped the short distances over compact alleys. She moved forth with haste, ready to help and still wondering where Michael was.


    The buildings on the north side of the central plaza were ablaze, an inferno consuming dozens of them. Yan stopped in her tracks. It was an uncontrollable blaze; it was too much.


    The chaos within the plaza was even worse. A large tree had fallen over, there were cracks in the cobblestone, and hundreds of people crowded in fear and fury. Many people were attempting to flee or crowded behind barricades, but most of the plaza was an angry mob. At the center of it all, swinging out waves of dark energy, was Michael.


    He did not look like himself. Michael looked terrifying. His hair was standing on end, his skin had turned grey, and he was snarling with every swing of his jet black sword. His visage was nightmarish, and his roars sounded with both rage and anxiety. The mob surged towards him in groups, only to be pushed back by black energy released from the sword into the ground. Others broke off to flee, but every exit to the plaza was blocked.


    Sebastian arrived next to Yan and gazed upon the scene with horror. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Do you think... He got taken? By that Revenant?¡±


    Sebastian frowned. ¡°This is bad. We need to stop this.¡±


    In the plaza, Michael struck the ground with his sword, causing lines of energy to crawl forth along the ground in a random erratic cone ahead of him. The lines darkened, then thin walls of energy exploded up out of them, launching everything and everyone below the lines into the air with incredible force. Several recovered using spells or surges, but a few fell without getting back up. Michael continued to lash out as people neared him, and the mob seemed incensed with zealous fury.


    ¡°I... he¡¯s stronger than me.¡± Yan said. ¡°You have any spells to subdue him?¡±


    ¡°I can try.¡± Sebastian sounded unsure.


    Someone hopped onto the roof behind them. ¡°Let me help.¡± A man with brown hair in a ponytail, a tight white outfit, and a large red coat bunched up around his shoulders. ¡°I am a swordsman. Give me a battle plan.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Yan said, recognizing the man¡¯s description.


    ¡°I am Hyato. You are fast, he is smart, I am skilled. Allow me to help.¡± He pointed at Yan, then Sebastian. ¡°Give me a battle plan.¡± Sebastian and Yan shared a glance, but there was no time to waste.


    ¡°Get in front of him, take his attention, and disarm him.¡± Sebastian said. Hyato nodded and jumped off the building to rush towards the plaza. Sebastian looked at Yan. ¡°Clear the roadblocks so people can get out of the plaza.¡± Yan looked dazed, eyes darting between Hyato, Michael and Sebastian. ¡°Yan! Now!¡± Yan snapped out of it and went to work.


    This jet black sword swung well. It was sharp, well balanced, it was a good blade. Another foe appeared, but fell back before the finishing blow was dealt. Weaklings. How long had it been since that time? Too long, he needed to fight.


    Arriving in a flurry of blows that pushed through the smoke was a man in red and white. He deflected a blow from the black sword, stopping the energy wave in the same stroke. A challenger at last. ¡°Dark Michael!¡± The man shouted.


    ¡°Dark Michael? You mean me? Very well, if you say so.¡± The grey skinned Michael smirked, raising his sword in a lazy way.


    Fires burned all around, filling the air with the wonderful scent of destruction. Dark Michael could feel it, the hatred all around. The tension. Blood. His smirk widened.


    The red man swung his sword from ten feet away, sending a sharp surge forth. Dark Michael blocked it, but the Red Man moved under his guard and slashed at his left arm! ¡°How. Dare!¡± Dark Michael roared, swinging the sword at the Red Man. The man dodged it. Fool! Dark Michael touched the sword tip to the ground again, letting out the waves of hatred. ¡°Dark Blade...¡± Dark Michael muttered, as the waves of energy launched the Red Man and a bunch of debris into the air.


    The man in red soared through the air as if that was his plan, slashing several times and pelting Dark Michael with surges. This one was skilled. Dark Michael lunged forth, not backing down.


    Two blades clashed. Dark Michael¡¯s heavy black crystalline sword was more durable, but the Red Man¡¯s beige sword was much heavier, and Dark Michael was being pushed back. Dark Michael snarled and sent a surge of energy through the blade.


    The Red Man dodged again, his sword becoming lighter as he channeled energy through it. He ducked Dark Michael¡¯s attack and began to slash.


    Then something changed in Red Man¡¯s eyes. His step faltered, and he dropped his attack. Realizing his foe was confused, Dark Michael struck. A downward slash cut into the Red Man¡¯s chest and knocked him to the ground.


    Dark Michael looked around, smirking. Many people had wounds. Some were fleeing. They needed to be finished off. Dark Michael looked down at the man in red. His strange white clothes had absorbed most of the blow, but he was winded and confused. Him first, then.


    A sudden tangle of twisting cords struck Dark Michael and began wrapping and constricting him. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still standing,¡± the woman said, arriving with her knife drawn.


    ¡°Be careful, Yan,¡± said the older man. Dark Michael snarled and struggled at the bindings. ¡°You won¡¯t get out that easily!¡± The man said. Dark Michael did not agree, thrashing with wild abandon.


    ¡°Sebastian, get Hyato!¡± Yan snapped. Sebastian didn¡¯t hesitate, pulling the red coated Hyato away as Dark Michael thrashed and slashed his way free of the binding spell.


    ¡°You seemed like a nice guy, Michael.¡± Yan brandished her knife with grim purpose.


    ¡°As if!¡± Dark Michael spat, ¡°You¡¯ll welcome oblivion soon enough!¡±


    Yan¡¯s mouth twitched, and she let loose an erratic wave of energy, which Dark Michael swung at. His sword connected, but did nothing to stop the attack. Yan followed up by leaping towards Dark Michael. The grey skinned berserker pushed past the first attack to swing with brutal force, and missed!


    At the very moment they would have crashed together, Yan¡¯s body shifted into energy, allowing her to pass right through the man! She landed and delivered a stab into Dark Michael¡¯s back, eliciting a gurgle of pain.


    ¡°How?!¡± Dark Michael complained, turning and allowing the blade to cut him to try to strike the woman. It didn¡¯t work, and the berserker roared in frustration as Yan hopped back and away from him.


    She would have found his actions comical, but felt feral malice from the man. He looked at her with eyes of hatred burning with fury. Yan shivered, but steeled herself. There was no reason to be fearful now.


    Dark Michael lunged. Yan dodged. She struck with a Surge, but it was deflected by the malevolent purple energy condensed around his sword.


    Yan tried to think of a new plan, but Dark Michael began to swing and launch heavy purple surges, forcing her to keep on her toes. One struck her shoulder, making her yelp. Another hit her belly, and she was sent to the ground with a heavy thud. She lay there, too winded to move, as Dark Michael walked over and stood above her. His eyes burned with hate, but his lips bore a tilted smirk.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Yan said, looking past Dark Michael to the sky above, ¡°Is it night already?¡± A sudden booming noise filled her ears, and all was black.


    Sturdy stone fortifications remained unbreached and standing around Liniva. From the crenellations of the wall rose a smooth spherical sheet of power, a black sphere that enclosed the town from the land. No sound or smoke, nor survivors from within the walls could be seen or heard through the umbral barrier.


    The black sphere that surrounded Liniva wavered as two people stepped through it. The tall thin man looked at his taller companion, who wore full plate armor. ¡°Get to work. This spell doesn¡¯t last long.¡± The armored figure nodded and moved out, going about a macabre duty. The thin man adjusted his robes and placed a simple mask over his face, eyes gleaming with dark purpose.


    Silence permeated Liniva. The chatter of people, the noise of crowds, the flow of nature, all suffocated in stillness. Bare streets clean of people and creatures, not even the lowliest insects were moving about. The inferno in the central plaza had died out. All was stopped, save for the machinations of one being.


    A tall thin man sat in an unusual perch, waiting. Patience was of the utmost importance, and he had plenty of it. He sat and waited for the four chosen people below to stir, and he had been waiting for hours. Everything hinged on what happened next.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Michael noticed the headache before he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, but he sat up.


    ¡°Good. Finally awake.¡± The hollow voice made Michael flinch and look everywhere. His skin crawled on his arms and the back of his neck, he felt cold.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Michael asked before spotting the tall thin form reclining atop a mound. The air was thick with haze and shadows.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, little Michael. I am Vero.¡± Each word Vero spoke sounded hollow and breathy. Michael shivered. ¡°I have been dying to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    Vero let out a shrill laugh. ¡°Why not? You are an interesting person. And just look... at what you¡¯ve done.¡± Vero spread his arms and the haze of the area was pushed away. Michael took in the true nature of his surroundings.


    The acrid smell of dried blood permeated the air, and the plaza was stained red. In the center of the plaza was a tall mound. Of corpses. Vero sat atop them without care or revulsion. The few others spared that fate were Yan, Sebastian, and that man Michael was suspicious of earlier. Michael staggered back, turned and vomited.


    ¡°Such a beautiful disaster. So much carnage. You must have enjoyed yourself.¡±


    Michael coughed a few times. ¡°I... didn¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°Oh but you did. Or don¡¯t you remember? You were enraged. Unstoppable. Merciless.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Michael roared, but a sick feeling crept over him. His sword was in his grip, and the black blade was stained red. Did he really do all this? The townsfolk had been angry, attacking as a mob... But...


    ¡°And here I thought that spirit would be the real catch. But it turns out, it was you.¡± Vero said.


    The spirit... the Revenant. ¡°You are after the Revenant?¡± Michael asked, latching onto questions to push away the emotions rising in him.


    ¡°Revenant... how fitting. And yes.¡± Vero said, a flash of light from the eyes beneath his hood, ¡°I will capture it, and fulfill its purpose.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Vero just chuckled in response. ¡°It possesses people, it destroys them. I¡¯ve seen it. That lust for power, it must be stopped!¡±


    Vero shook his head, ¡°Oh, no no no. You saw only yourself. Look around you. It¡¯s your power that destroys.¡± Vero laughed again, his shrill cackle carrying through the emptiness of the town.


    Liniva was in ruins. Buildings burnt down, smoke searing the skies. Michael saw the damage, the destruction, and the blood on his hands. He had done this, brought death to this whole town.


    All because of a stupid superstition.


    Michael dropped to the ground, his knees slamming into the flagstones. He didn¡¯t care about the pain. He didn¡¯t care that the Revenant had started this. He did this.


    He screamed.


    Anguish and pain the only things Michael felt. His heart throbbed, his stomach ached, his skin crawled. He screamed even as his throat began to hurt.


    The scream woke the others, who shot up with a start. Yan moved to her feet, weapon already drawn, while Sebastian and Hyato got up bleary eyed and confused. They all saw the carnage, the anguished Michael, and the stranger atop the pile of corpses.


    Yan threw her dagger at Vero, striking his arm as he flinched away. The hooded tormentor reeled back and began to flee, but Yan chased him. She moved around the pile of corpses as Vero clambered down the other side, throwing a Surge-powered knife at the man.


    A crackle of magic from Vero¡¯s hand created a shower of sparks and a cloud of smoke unfolded to obscure him. Yan held her breath and dashed through, but did not see the man on the other side.


    When Yan returned to the others, after being unable to pursue the hooded Vero, she saw Hyato and Sebastian looking solemn.


    Michael had screamed until his lungs gave out and he collapsed in a fit of coughing. ¡°You need to rest.¡± Sebastian said, offering the younger man a consoling pat.


    ¡°Grieve later. Move. Now.¡± Yan¡¯s words were clipped in annoyance. ¡°We can¡¯t linger. They¡¯ll think we did this.¡±


    ¡°Who will think that?¡± Hyato asked, looking around.


    ¡°The Myrrhmidons, the elite soldiers from Myrrh¡¯s capital.¡± Yan said, helping Michael to his feet.


    Hyato supported Michael¡¯s other side and patted his back. ¡°Come on Michael, let¡¯s go with Yan and Sebastian.¡±


    Michael looked over at the man, who smiled as if everything was okay. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hyato. Nice to meet you.¡± Hyato chirped as he grinned. Michael started to respond but Yan pushed and forced him to get moving. The four strangers made their way out of the ruin that was Liniva, each touched with a different worry.


    The tallest mountain in the entire world stood out from Iagorothi, piercing the heavens and stretching so high above the clouds its pinnacle was never visible from the ground. Taller than any tower, than any building, the Great Sky Mountain was a wonder. Its base stretched out for miles, holding a host of different ecosystems all on its own. Four great rivers rush forth from the sides of the indomitable cliffs. The silhouette of the peak could be seen all throughout Myrrh, the land in which it resided, and farther.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the capital is.¡± Sebastian said, pointing towards the Great Sky Mountain. ¡°Sheltered in the eastern crags, surrounded by an enchanted forest, the Mystic Grove.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Hyato said, nodding his head.


    ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t get in the habit of randomly explaining things.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Hyato turned around to assess his surroundings as Sebastian walked back over to his seat at the campsite.


    The four had made it quite a distance, before exhaustion took hold. They camped in the untamed foothills between the woodlands of the Eterna Forest and the Drakmor Mountains on the eastern horizon. Yan busied herself setting up wires around the perimeter while Michael attempted to cook. Hyato looked at the three people he was traveling with and wondered where he was. The others did not notice the Swordsman¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°I think this will do.¡± Michael said, stirring the soup again. Sebastian peered over and nodded. Dinner was served.


    Everyone ate in silence for a while, before Hyato cleared his throat. "We need to talk about Liniva."


    "I''d really rather not." Michael protested, shifting in his seat.


    "Too bad. What did that man tell you?" Hyato asked, his eyes now stern and focused. Michael paused, and was silent. He fidgeted under the steady gaze of Hyato. Yan began to move, but stopped as Hyato glanced at her. The stoic swordsman could be intimidating when he wanted to be.


    "The man, Vero." Michael said, "He told me what I''d done, all the carnage."


    Hyato was silent for a moment, making Michael shiver. "Was there anything else?" Hyato asked. "Anything about the Revenant you''ve been after?"


    Michael raised his head. "Oh, yeah. He was seeking it too. But he wants to use it to destroy. Like I destroyed..."


    "About that.¡± Sebastian chimed in, ¡°What do you know about the Revenant, Hyato?¡±


    ¡°Only what I heard back there.¡± Hyato took a seat and drew his sword and a cloth from the pack hidden beneath his mantle. He began cleaning the long single edged sword.


    Michael looked over at his sword in its sheath, then grabbed it and drew it as well. He grabbed a cloth to clean, but stopped. The black crystalline blade was unmarred. Pristine. Michael pressed his thumb to the sharp blade, bleeding over it. "Whoa, what are you doing?" Yan asked.


    "Checking." Michael said. The blood stained the crystal, and now it needed to be cleaned.


    "Well?" Yan asked, leaning over Michael''s shoulder to peer at the sword.


    "It''s stained." Michael confirms. ¡°But it was stained when I woke before, unless my other self cleaned it.¡±


    "I don''t think Dark Michael stopped to clean anything." Hyato commented.


    Everyone stopped and looked at Hyato. Michael raised one eyebrow. "Dark Michael?"


    "What? You were all gray skinned and violent. Do you have a better name?" Everyone thought about it for a bit.


    "Evil Michael?" Michael suggested.


    "Rage Michael?" Sebastian mused, "You were rather enraged."


    "Leahcim?" Yan said.


    "What''s that mean?" Sebastian asked.


    "It''s Michael backwards."


    "Oh," Hyato said, "So like Anti Michael."


    "Yeah..." Michael said, putting his finished dish away, "Dark Michael then."


    "Better than nothing." Sebastian said.


    "I liked Anti Michael." Yan said, "But I''ll get over it."


    The four of them ate in silence, having all run out of things to say at once. Michael felt a bit awkward as he thought about Dark Michael. Even if he wasn''t conscious, even if that was some other entity. It was still Michael... Right? He burned those buildings. Killed people. Sweat dizzied him at the thought. I don''t want to be him. I don''t want to be Dark Michael.


    "You alright?" Yan asked, sitting next to Michael.


    "Yeah. Well. I want to stay me. I don''t want to be him. I''m afraid I''ll become him at any time."


    Yan rested her hand on Michael''s shoulder. "Hang in there. I believe in you."


    "Thanks." Michael smiled and Yan shared the look for a few moments, before blushing and retracting her hand.


    The crackling fire danced between them as the twilit sky deepened. It would soon be time to sleep, but Michael could not stop thinking. He had to do something, or else what was the point? "The Revenant. We need to go after it." Michael clenched his fist and stood up. "It''s still the biggest problem." A determination returned to his empty eyes, a serious sense.


    Sebastian¡¯s arms were folded as he frowned, looking towards his feet. Hyato remained still and stoic, one hand on his sword handle. Yan was silent too, until Michael looked her way. ¡°We only just met, Michael. Most adventurers team up just to get to the next city you know.¡±


    ¡°Although.¡± Sebastian said, ¡°It is not unusual for a group of like minded fellows to form a party and work together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re strangers. I don¡¯t know anything about you guys,¡± Yan folded her arms around her chest, ¡°And you don¡¯t know the first thing about me.¡±


    ¡°I know I like you.¡± Michael said. Yan gave him a sharp look. ¡°You¡¯re nice. You¡¯re strong, and smart. Sebastian, you too. I saw today what you meant by superstition. All those people attacked me just because of my eyes. And right when I found the Revenant.¡± He shook his head, eyes still determined. ¡°I am going to find the Revenant and put a stop to it, and I won¡¯t let Vero have it either.¡± He thrust his fist over the campfire, feeling the heat of the flames sting his hand. ¡°Come with me, help me put a stop to this.¡±


    Yan exhaled and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say no when you straight up ask like that.¡± She stepped up to Michael by the fire as the other two rose from their seats. ¡°You win Michael, I¡¯m with you.¡± She bumped her fist against his.


    ¡°You know, my travels have always been in the pursuit of knowledge.¡± Sebastian explained, ¡°Despite my years of experience I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of dealing with a major threat. It won¡¯t be easy.¡± Sebastian pressed his fist into the huddle above the fire. ¡°My skills are at your disposal, Michael.¡±


    Hyato¡¯s fist joined the groups. ¡°Allow me to help as well.¡±


    ¡°You sure? This thing we¡¯re up against is no joke.¡± Yan arched her eyebrow as she studied the swordsman, ¡°We don¡¯t even know you.¡±


    ¡°I will do anything...¡± Hyato¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment, ¡°I will help get rid of the threat. Everyone is in danger because of it, I must not be idle.¡±


    ¡°Well, we could use all the help we can get.¡± Sebastian said, glancing towards Michael for the final decision.


    ¡°Welcome to the party, Hyato.¡± Michael said, ¡°And thank you, everyone.¡±


    Yan snapped her hand back, shaking it to cool it off. "Okay. In that case we need to find the Revenant again. We should go to the next town and look for information."


    "Yeah. And we''ll be more careful." Michael withdrew his hand and shared a nod with Yan. The others withdrew from the fire as well, and started packing down the camp.


    As the new party prepared for the oncoming night, Michael stepped over to an open space in their campsite and started swinging his sword. I need to control my anger.... And get stronger.


    "Training to tire yourself?¡± Hyato asked, taking a space across from Michael.


    "I may as well."


    "Here, I''ll show you a few things."


    The sky was seared scarlet with the setting suns, casting the world ever closer to darkness. Two of the moons had already come out to greet Iagorothi, viewing the world from above as the dark of night inched near. Michael and Hyato trained. It would be a few days'' travel to the next closest town, Nita, and the threat of the Revenant weighed upon their minds.

 Princes of Myrrh

    Chapter 5


    Princes of Myrrh


    The Mystic Grove was nestled in the eastern foothills of the Great Sky Mountain. Its ancient history began only two years after the erasure of history in the time of the ancients. Since its creation, it has expanded from a secret village to a large capital city. A mixture of three species of tree infused with magic surround and grow within the walls of the city.


    On the cliffs above the city the Mystic Citadel sat, a palace and the seat of power in the Kingdom of Myrrh. The stoic towers and walls of the citadel were silent as ever, but a cacophony of continued chaos echoed throughout the halls within.


    Things had been quite tense for the past week, and the royal court had an issue worth more than idle gossip for once.


    The Crown Prince, Mistan, had gone missing.


    It was a nightmare. Right out of his room in the northern tower, no body or trace of him to be found. Just a broken stained glass window and an empty teacup that gave off a strong chaotic magical signature.


    The handmaiden serving the Prince had been imprisoned for questioning, but turned up dead in her cell just two days later. Treason. The talk of the palace was this and nothing else, in all but the most senile of circles.


    A man with silvery grey hair walked towards the great gates of the palace. He had not been here in eight years. He let out a nostalgic sigh as he looked up at the towers above, but his eyes narrowed at the sight of the North Tower. The broken window was a bit obvious. He wondered how word hadn''t spread yet.


    The palace guard saw the man''s casual approach, and the younger of them became alert and tense, ready to act. The pair of older guards remained relaxed at his approach.


    "Halt, who goes there?" One of the younger guards demanded.


    The man came to a stop, not amused. "Do you really not recognize me?" He asked.


    "State your name and business, or we shall be forced to remove you from these grounds."


    "You are doing your job, good." The man said. "Now step aside."


    "How dare you!" The guard drew his sword, but another blade intercepted it. One of the older guards had stopped the swing. "What are you doing?"


    "Stand down." The older guard said, pushing the younger guard''s blade back. He sheathed his sword and turned to the silver haired arrival. "Welcome home, Prince Mien."


    Mien inclined his head, "Thank you. Now, father has summoned me."


    "Of course." The guard opened the gate, and the younger one hastened to help to avoid shame.


    The guards opened the gate, four of them placing elaborate metal gauntlets to the surface of the stone gates. Runes etched into the ornate gates dimmed and lit up in a complex sequence, lasting only a moment.


    The gates opened, and Mien entered the courtyard. The defenses of the Palace were designed to be impregnable. Breaking in with sheer force would be loud and require a great deal of power. Breaking in with stealth should be beyond the capabilities of even the best sneaks. Complex wards, protective magics, prevented aerial or spatial approaches; the wards shielded against over a hundred types of magic.


    Mien had a gut feeling that there had been an intruder that night. He strode through the courtyard, ignoring the various groups of nobles gawking and gossiping. Mien frowned. Half these nobles were useless, unable to so much as fend off a single Zori. He pushed those thoughts from his mind. His baby brother had gone missing, and he''d been summoned for that reason.


    The elaborate palace and it''s intricate hallways were easy to navigate only after living there for years. Mien moved through hallways and passages and secret stairs like it was second nature, arriving at the council hall before anyone else had assembled.


    King Roger Mune Myrrh had assembled the best Trackers, Hunters, and Investigators he could find. He sent missives out to even those he knew would never respond. At this point, he needed all the help he could muster.


    The time for the meeting with those he had summoned was nearing, and the King paced in his study. He looked down upon the scale model of his Royal Palace, the Mystic Citadel, scrutinizing it for details he hadn¡¯t seen yet. Nothing stood out, nothing was amiss. The Citadel was impregnable, as always.


    ¡°Damn it all!¡± Roger summoned his Axe and smashed the model to pieces, ¡°WHAT HAPPENED!?¡± The solid table buckled from another swing, and a third cracked the stone beneath the heavy rug. The King slumped after the brief rampage, clutching his chest and panting. He needed to compose himself. Rage was not something a King could show guests.


    ¡°Sir.¡± A well dressed man said from his post at the end of the room. ¡°The time is upon us.¡± He held up a small pocket watch towards the King.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± King Roger said, standing up and dropping the Axe, which faded into smoke. Without another word he strode from the room, took the purple and green cloak his butler offered him and swept forth to the council hall. The butler remained at a bow until the King passed, before fading from sight.


    A large chamber had been prepared for the meeting, the council hall. Elaborate stonework made up the walls and supporting arches of the ceiling. A sturdy room infused with more protective forces than most others in the Citadel. The floor of the chamber was covered in an enormous deep purple rug, adorned with green to mark the colors of the nation without being too distracting. Several tables and chairs were present, but there was also a large space for people who preferred to stand.


    The council hall had many assorted folk present. Men and Women of every race, bearing colors from Anamos, Henos, and even Roagle were here. Some showed more local national allegiances, and others seemed unadorned adventurers without hearth. The ever present Royal Guard stood motionless at key points in the room, adorned in deep violet armor with black and green trim, easily mistaken for background furnishings.


    King Roger stepped into the room, and the small buzz of chatter died away. Despite the mixed attendance, he still commanded attention to even those outside his court. As the King took up position on the raised platform to be seen by all, he indicated to the doors with one hand.


    The doors were sealed, and barriers of magic and energy buzzed along the walls, designed to keep unfriendly eyes and ears out. ¡°Eight nights ago my Son, Prince Mistan Myrrh, heir to the crown, went missing.¡± King Roger spoke with a loud clear voice, and everyone remained silent to listen. ¡°For those of you unfamiliar, my son has fourth degree Bone Rot, and spent his days confined to his tower chambers by choice.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    There was a murmur in the crowd at the mention of the Bone Rot, but Roger continued to speak. ¡°The stained glass window of the tower was broken, from the inside out, and my Spellbinders detected Chaos Mana in his teacup. The handmaiden that attended him was imprisoned, however...¡± his lip twitched, ¡°she was found dead in her cell two days later.¡±


    ¡°No body was found, and while my Palace is thought to be impregnable, Anything is Possible." The last three words made most in the room nod, the first law of Phaerayoe was known to all. "We found no evidence of a breach, which means if someone infiltrated they were too skilled to track.¡±


    King Roger looked out at the teams that had assembled, letting them take in the details for a moment. ¡°Your objective is to find my Son, any questions?¡±


    ¡°Could the culprit be someone already in the palace?¡± An investigator asked.


    ¡°It certainly could be.¡± King Roger said, ¡°But we have not found them.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any Seers scrying that day?¡± Another posed.


    ¡°They are certainly trying to, but our wards are difficult to work with.¡±


    ¡°What of the handmaiden¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the teacup warded?¡± ¡°Why did the Prince not have a personal guard?¡± King Roger listened to the small crowd of people begin tossing questions forth, grinding his teeth.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Mien commanded, standing from among the gathered adventurers. The room fell silent. ¡°You call yourselves the best? These questions do not aid in our task!¡±


    A few nearby adventurers were unmoved, and one sneered. ¡°Asking questions is our job.¡± He said.


    ¡°Not useless ones.¡± Mien said. ¡°The tower Mistan lived in was above the northern grounds, but he could have fallen outside the walls and into the East Sky River.¡± Mien looked up at King Roger, ¡°Who has investigated the river?¡±


    ¡°The barrier cannot be exited so easily.¡± King Roger said.


    ¡°Chaos Mana can cause any effect.¡± Mien retorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a stretch, Mien.¡± King Roger said. A few people in the room suddenly stiffened and looked at Mien when the King said his name. ¡°It¡¯s quite unlikely-¡±


    ¡°Eight days and no body.¡± Mien said. ¡°The grounds aren¡¯t so complex as to hide a corpse. If someone absconded with him, we have no leads. The river is the only place to look now.¡± Mien said, putting his coat back on.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s jumping to conclusions.¡± The snide adventurer near Mien said.


    Mien looked at him, sharp silver eyes causing the snide man to falter. He had the same eyes as the King. Then Mien walked out of the council hall. By the time he had exited the room word that he was the former Crown Prince, and Eldest Son of King Roger, had spread amongst them.


    While King Roger gave info to his assembled adventurers, Mien walked through the palace. He had heard what he needed to know, his brother had been poisoned by Chaos Mana.


    Why?


    As he mulled it over Mien walked through the familiar halls without watching his step. Why had the culprit used Chaos Mana to poison him? It could hardly be consistent. There would be no way to be sure of the results, or perhaps there were magic users out there with simulations so complex they could even work with Chaos.


    But still, what was the reason for it? Why Mistan? Sure, he was the Crown Prince, heir to the throne of Myrrh, but removing him from the picture would not damage the Kingdom enough to weaken it. Was it political? There were no active enemies of Myrrh, were there?


    It couldn¡¯t be personal. Mistan was never out and about. Bone Rot prevented him from going too far, and his lack of exercise made him frail, weak. He had no stamina for even ordinary activities. From the letters Mien had been receiving from his Mother and younger Sister, his condition had not improved.


    ¡°A WILD MIEN APPEARS!¡± Mien was greeted by a sudden hug as a girl in regal dress found him.


    ¡°Hey there kiddo.¡± Mien said to his little sister.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kiddo, I¡¯m a teeno!¡± she retorted, squeezing him tight. Her silver hair was clipped back, but longer than her shoulders. She wore her furred ears openly.


    ¡°Fourteen, right?¡± Mien said, ¡°When do you turn fifteen then, Mio?¡±


    ¡°In Myrdost, duh!¡± Mio said.


    ¡°Right, maybe I¡¯ll get you a present.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be a first!¡± Mio said, unhugging him. Mien wasn¡¯t sure how she did that.


    ¡°So, you know anything about what happened to Mistan?¡± Mien asked. Mio¡¯s smile faded, and she shook her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to find out, come on.¡± Mien and Mio continued walking through the Palace to the entrance of the North Tower.


    They climbed the spiral stairs up the tower, ¡°Mother told me everything already, but I listened to Father with the rest of the adventurers he hired, just in case.¡±


    ¡°So why are you coming up here?¡± Mio asked.


    ¡°I need to see the scene for myself. I have an idea I thought of on the way here.¡± The guards let them into the tower room, perks of royalty.


    Prince Mistan¡¯s room was a thing of splendor. A massive room at the top of the tower, the bed dominated the furnishings. A large regal mattress perhaps more comfortable than the King¡¯s, it had to be for someone of Mistan¡¯s delicate condition. The room was fully stocked with everything you would need to live alone, a kitchen and study and many small comforts.


    Mistan did not spend his days wallowing, or even reading. Every space of the wall was covered in paintings. Landscapes, People, Still Life, all vibrant and colorful. Half the room had easels with complete and partial paintings as well, and Mistan didn¡¯t shy away from any subject. Massive Ailands suspended in the sky, the Mystic Wall, the Scorpio Mountains of Cryston. There were even paintings of obscurities; a large pointed black doorway at the end of curving paths, a titanic creature with a forest growing atop it, a Dragon with black scales and a crown of golden horns, and vast fields of colored crystal spires taller than any building. ¡°Where did he come up with all these ideas?¡± Mio wondered, looking at the paintings she¡¯d seen hundreds of times.


    ¡°He had a strong imagination.¡± Mien looked at the new paintings. Eight years of them, although it took Mistan longer than normal to finish a piece. There was a piece in progress of the Great Sky Mountain and the fabled firebird that is said to dwell atop it. Perhaps Mistan had seen it. There was a telescope to peer out of the tower from any direction after all. Mien and his Mother installed it themselves, some ten years ago.


    The stained glass window was the most important thing here, so Mien approached it. ¡°Remove the patch.¡± He ordered one of the guards in the room. Too little too late to start guarding the place, its resident was gone.


    The guard removed the patch and Mien looked over the window, while Mio looked about. Tiny shards of colored glass near the base on the inside, but all of the larger chunks that were missing fell out of the room. The edges of the mural were still visible, so whatever broke the thing hit it in the center. No doubt all these details had already been noted.


    ¡°Were all the chunks of the glass recovered from the grounds?¡± Mien asked the nearby guard.


    ¡°No sir. A few pieces are still missing, four, no bigger than a forearm¡¯s length.¡±


    ¡°A senne¡¯s forearm, or an evari¡¯s?¡± Mien asked.


    The guard smirked, ¡°We went with valon, but you could say two sennish forearms if you like.¡±


    Mio giggled, and Mien smiled a moment, then glanced back out of the broken window. It was a long drop to the grounds below, and nearly three hundred feet from the base of the tower to the north wall around the Palace.


    ¡°But... it¡¯s still possible.¡± Mien said to himself. He extended his hand towards the north wall, the River beyond it really, and let a swift flow of ethereal force fly forth. The vibe shot out like a bolt, soaring fast and striking the invisible barrier around the Palace. The guards watched with interest.


    Mien fired several more vibes, testing the barrier in several places. Each one returned a different reaction. ¡°Aha!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Mio asked.


    ¡°The barrier.¡± Mien said, ¡°It¡¯s not consistent like it should be. So it¡¯s possible it was affected by the Chaos Mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mio looked out over the grounds. ¡°So is Brother alright?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Mien said. ¡°But I need to investigate the river to be completely sure.¡± Mien looked at the guards. ¡°Report what I¡¯ve found to the King, I¡¯m going to the river.¡± The guards nodded, and one of them moved with practiced speed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going already?¡± Mio asked, ¡°Did you see Mom?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mien was already heading down the stairs.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be mad.¡± Mio grinned and skipped alongside her brother.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Mien said, ¡°She¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Come back soon, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll... try.¡± Mien said. Mio sighed, and they exited the tower.


    Mien left the palace, almost as swift as he had arrived. There was tracking to be done.