The Trees

[Relym]

Yeah, sorry, I thought that Tobias was adding a character. My mistake.

[PUSbucket]

(You must forgive me as my posts might sometimes seem strange or incomplete. This is because my computer somtimes desides to go haywire and post my replies in the middle of a sentence).

[Tobias116]

Thanatos awoke in a dark cavern with Zentara smiling at him, for some reason the smile unnerved him. He shuddered and tried to stand up, but to no avail. - "Those were some pretty nifty spells." Zentara said, with that demonic tinge. - "Where did you learn?". Thanatos tried to laugh, but instead coughed up some blood. - "My parents were rich, they had a library with alot of books about alchemy and magic spells in them, I accidentally killed them whilst practicing." - "Must've been harsh." Zentara said. To this, Thanatos shrugged, it didn't matter to him. - "I think I won this time." Thanatos said changing the subject and grinning at Zentara.

Zentara snorted at this and said - "It was unnecessary, you knew we could've been killed by that boy." Now it was Thanatos time to snort, - "Doesn't matter, the boy has been marked with Jar'Endra, now it is up to fate to decide if he's good or evil." He looked around. His surroundings was this cavern, a damp and cold cavern. Water trickled from the ceiling and down on the hard and cold floor. - "We need a fire." Thanatos said. - "I can't cook a meal with my hands for the moment..." He coughed again, more blood. Something inside him was damaged.... He tried to stand up, but was met by dizziness and a pain in his head. He remembered being kicked in the face, but that couldn't leave internal damage in the chest or stomach area. Then he remembered tasting his own blood in the battle.

He spat on the floor of the cave. Zentara was surprised at this. The floor was red by blood. He drew the conclusion that the blood had come from the wound in the head and nothing to worry about. Zentara made ready, Thanatos withdrew the small kettle and put it on the floor. Zentara read an incantation and a fire started under it. The center of the fire was black and transcended into blood red. Thanatos poured water into the kettle from a small flask which quickly began to boil. He put in pieces of meat from his backpack and waited. Zentara watched the fire closely, transfixed by it's flames. Thanatos laid down on the floor, he could smell his own blood. - "Wake me up when it's finished.." He said, and drifted off to sleep.

[Relym]

Henry and Jaggery sat on a log that had been pulled from the mountainside by Henry's spells, and S'kendra finished tending to Sam, who had been propped up against a nearby wall. Now that he could sit up properly, he seemed to be in much less pain. He had even tried to get up and walk a few times, despite S'kendra's orders. While being unable to move, he looked around to fully appreciate what was around him.

Henry's spell had not only been an excellent attack, but it had also cleared the mountainside of snow, where the melted water had begun to sink in and fertilize the ground. The trees were full and green, and ferns and grass had begun to expose themselves as well. "Wow, mate. I didn't even know you knew magic." Sam said, his voice a little shaky, but clearly recovering.

"Neither did I," Henry admitted, sounding sheepish. "I have no idea what happened earlier." The sunset made every color a shade or two pinker, and the elongated shadows made everyone realize just how tired they were.

"So what, you just said some random words and then created an ocean?" Jaggery said with heavy skepticism. "You must have heard it somewhere."

"No, I really haven't. That was the first time I've ever done magic." It was silent for a few moments, and then S'kendra shifted a little on her side of the log.

"You know, I've delved a little in magic, I could teach you a few minor spells. You might need it next time we run into Thanatos."

"Really, S'kendra? You would do that for me?" Henry was now excited, despite his heavy eyelids. "Yes, please. I would love that." He finished. "But now, I think we should get some rest. Especially you." He said, pointing his finger at Sam.

"Good idea." Said S'kendra. "Let's go." They all helped Sam up towards the center of the town, where the buildings were less burnt.

[Tobias116]

Thanatos awoke in the middle of the night, he could hear crickets chirping in the forest outside of the cavern. He made read a spell in his mind that meant if directly translated "Nights Gaze", he saw dried blood on the floor next to where he slept and figured that's where he had spat. He sat up analyzed the cave and quickly figured Zentara had eaten his meal. No matter he thought and removed a piece of Venison from his backpack. He held it in his right hand and read a small incantation in his mind. A flame burst to light in his right hand and it quickly fried the venison. He suffocated the flame by strangling the power flow to it and began eating the venison. - "Proteins, food for thought." he thought. After he finished his meal he stood up. He wasn't struck by sudden vertigo this time.

He thought about the dream he had before he had awoken, of rotting corpses with maggot eaten eyes and their sometimes horrified looks and some other times, revenge. He dreamt these dreams almost every time he slept, of the living dead or just that, dead. Dead people, killed by some kind of force. He walked out in the night, breathing the refreshing air, that tasted of dampness and night. He drew his broadsword and went about exercising. He did some flashy maneuvers and then slashed at a tall and thick tree. He put his right thigh down in front of him whilst making the slash to get more force in it. The sword hit the tree with tremendous force and splitting it into two parts, the sword had with no problem chopped through the tree from one side to another. It came down and hit the ground with a large boom. - "Demonic steel, the best ever." He said, and smiled. He then went into the cave and meditated. Then he decided to sleep, awaiting the light of day.

[Woo]

Having found a suitable house, and seeing the others settled in for the night and sound asleep, S'kendra slunk out of the door to forage. Of course the villagers would never again have need of the things left in their dwellings, but her companions may have some moral issues with pilfering the property of the dead. She, on the other hand, had slept through to many cold and hungry nights to have such hangups. These things should be used to help keep the living alive, and she was sure the dead would respect that if she respected them.

Having raided a few supplies stores, she had managed to fill her pockets with food and equipment, ingredients for alchemy, and even found herself a fine new blanket. She even had time to find new, strong and warm boots and an excellently crafted jacket to keep out the cold. She said a small thank you at the door of every building she visited, and when she felt she had all she needed she quickly headed back through the dark streets. She slipped silently through the door, past the bed in which Sam slept, and back into her own. In the morning, she would suggest they check the town for medical supplies and food.

[Relym]

At what Henry assumed to be around 4 o'clock in the morning, he saw S'kendra creak the door open and carry a large bag filled with something into the hut. She placed it on a table and emptied her pockets, then laid down in her bunk. Too drowsy to really comprehend what he had seen, he rolled over and closed his eyes. Despite his exhaustion and the darkness of the room, the smell of salted meat drew him back out of his light sleep.

Being raised on a farm, being up and working before the sun came up was law; there were no complaints and no questions asked. He would have normally slept for another hour or so, but there was no way he was going to get back to sleep with his mind working so fast already. "S'kendra?" He whispered.

She jumped, apparently convinced that Henry was asleep. "Yes?" She whispered back.

"Did you steal food from the villagers?"

"I don't think it counts as stealing, per se," She replied, and Henry recognized the silhouette of a sheepish shrug.

"I'm not angry," He said, sitting up on his bed. "It makes sense. They no longer have need for it. Where they are, the gods provide their nourishment."

"We should talk outside," S'kendra said simply, indicating the sleeping forms of Jaggery and Sam. In silent agreement, they stepped outside into the frigid morning air, sliding on layers of clothing that S'kendra had picked up as well.

[Woo]

Once the door was shut, S'kendra turned to Henry. "Forgive my sneaking out so early without telling anyone. Sam needs his rest, and Jaggery seems a poor choice to waken. Also forgive my going first to gather supplies... I was running low on many things, and self preservation took hold." she smiled shyly, unsure of how to explain herself. She knew that she would have been sneaking out at night or dashing off during the market to raid stalls and shops had the villagers been alive. But Henry didn't. And he didn't need to know. It would be better he didn't, then she wouldn't feel like she was walking on egg shells. She sighed and glanced around at the empty town, then back at Henry. He looked a little confused, and who wouldn't be? She pulled her brightest, most reassuring smile and pulled a small book from her pocket. It had a cover of deep, rich red leather, and the pages where well thumbed and edged with gold. "I found this in the physicians, in the back room... its a small spell book, it might help you." S'kendra offered the book to Henry, who held it up in the dim light to study it.

The sun was trying to claw its way up on the horizon, but the light was still too weak to cast shadow. The moon was still the main source of light, and it set the frost on the dirt streets and charred houses glittering like a thousand stars. Still smiling, S'kendra made up her mind, and softly whispered "I may help, I always try to help, but I am a thief. I have stolen from every city and town I have been to. Never lots, never what I don't need, and never from the poor. But I take things. I tell you because I trust you, and you can trust me. I shan't take from any of you three."

[Tobias116]

Something stirred inside Thanatos mind, he couldn't sleep... Acrid thoughts about why the boy had been able to use such strong magic plagued him. He had never seen the boy cast any spells before so he wondered what had triggered it. Maybe he was a so called "Source", but they hadn't existed for years. Thanatos thought about an epoc that had ended ages ago. An epoc where magicians ruled the land, and shaped it to their will. Something must have triggered the recessive genes in the boy. And Thanatos would be prepared the next time for literally anything the boy would throw at him.

He stood up, his body was stiff. He decided to take a stroll through, possibly ending in the town. He walked through the forest. Crickets were chirping. He walked with silent footsteps through the forest and came out on the other side of it. He was met by the moon and a beautiful field in front of him. He continued walking, making footsteps in the field and trampling grass and various other plants and flowers. He couldn't stand flowers. A small frog jumped past his left foot. Thanatos stomped the ground with force, leaving a paste of brown and blood where he had walked. He jumped over a small fence at the end of the field and stood upon a small road leading to the village. He walked up to the ruin of the gate, it had a sheen of frost on it. He could still smell the ashes of it and looked at its burned form in distaste. He walked across it, creating echoing sounds through the empty streets. He stepped on a burned farmer, the spine cracked from his sheer weight. Thanatos had to some degree manipulated his muscle tissue, making it more durable and stronger though in the same size. Sufficient knowledge about alchemy made this possible. Rumours had it that some miles south, an alchemist had created mutants. Thanatos was interested in acquiring this recipe.

He continued walking through the streets. All the destruction, he and Zentara had caused it and it filled him with glee. He laughed. Unaware that others could hear him.

[Relym]

Flattered at S'kendra's honesty, and not entirely surprised by her confession, patted her on the back to show that he understood. They continued to stroll in the still, frozen morning, and Henry stared at the book in his hands. Having learned the basics of reading during his childhood in his home village of Sharac, Henry wasn't confident he would be able to understand everything inside, but he took a peek nonetheless. He opened the front cover and froze.

"You're not going to believe this," Henry said, staring wide-eyed at the first page. The letters printed by hand read:

"Hello, Henry. Find me in the mountains.

Signed,
-Darien"

When S'kendra placed herself shoulder to shoulder with Henry in order to read the book, she put one hand over her mouth. "No... you don't think? It can't possibly..."

"Maybe he's on our side after all." Henry said, excitement still coursing inside of him. Not the terrified adrenaline that he had become accustomed to as of late; he felt hopeful and confident. What he couldn't learn from the book, certainly a famous wizard could teach him.

"Henry! S'kendra!" Jaggery and Sam were turning the corner behind them, Sam supported awkwardly by the much shorter dwarf. "Where have you been? We woke up and were worried sick!"

"Come look at this." Henry said, and showed them the signature inside of the book.

"I don't think we should do it." Sam said, apprehension clear in his voice. "We're on our way to see the King, not visit mountain hermits."

"He's not a hermit," Said S'kendra impatiently. "He's the greatest magician to ever live. 'The Wandering Wizard'? Ring a bell?"

"No, not really." Sam and Jaggery stated in unison.

"I think he can help us get rid of Thanatos," Henry piped in, "And you can't deny that would make things easier."

Sam was about to retort, or perhaps even agree, but he was interrupted by a chilling, maniacal laugh.

[Tobias116]

Thanatos, obviously filled with glee at the destruction of the town, proceeded to read a small incantation. The farmer with the broken spine stood up. Thanatos smiled at this. "You're not entirely dead yet, are you?" He laughed in a tone that chilled to the bone. The farmer murmured something, and walked past Thanatos. Thanatos sat down in a meditative position and started chanting. "Telemacus di adre madulum irendre Zimertre damnu Liruiz rezu." He continued the mantra. The dead, seemed to resurrect, even the horde of peasants that had been melted, rose, their skeletons vibrating with energy. Thanatos didn't break the mantra. He continued, and more and more rose. The dead barman rose, and walked out in the streets, spilling a smell of charred flesh. The smell was horrid, but Thanatos didn't care, because he now had a small army of about 30 undead. He stopped the mantra, small droplets of sweat landing in the ashes. - "March forward!" he yelled. - "The living must die!".

[Relym]

Henry smelled the undead before he saw them. Burnt, decaying flesh seemed to thicken the air with its stench. "Oh, god!" Sam said, leaning over to vomit. A formation of 3 dozen corpses marched down the dusty and bloody road towards them. "That man is sick," Sam wretched, "If he's still a man, that is."

Panicking, Henry flipped through the spellbook and picked a random spell. "Umun erbat erusama!" He said, waving his hands in the directed pattern as he did so. One of the dead bodies exploded, sending shards of broken bone and a cloud of smoke from the point where it had previously stood. "Orsidum ghamu shamare a!" He was listing off random spells, walking backwards down the road, away from the oncoming militia.

He shouted a few more spells, and several of the soldiers fell, but they just got back up again, re-attaching whatever parts of their bodies that had been severed. "They don't die!" Jaggery exclaimed, corpses being his only fear. "What can we do?"

"Make Thanatos incapable of casting spells," Sam replied, limping much less on his foot than he had the day before. "We'll have to knock him out, at least." All the random spell-casting was wearing Henry out, but he still continued to shout spells that implied slowing or stopping.

"Impedimus rimpium rafugam!" The front row of soldiers froze, midstep, every muscle in their bodies suspended in time. The rows behind them, incapable of self-thought, walked straight into them, causing disarray in the formation, and causing a short distraction.

Sam, meanwhile, took out his dagger. He cursed himself for leaving his bow back at the house, but steadied himself for a battle. S'kendra also drew a dagger, thinner and more deadly-looking, engraved with runes that Henry and the others did not recognize. "Enchanted elf-metal," S'kendra explained quickly as the other soldiers began to make their way around their frozen companions. "It will never wear out, and can pierce through almost anything."

Very glad that he had met these faithful friends before encountering a danger such as this, Henry flipped through the book frantically, trying to find something powerful enough to stop the entire group of undead. As he did so, a small piece of parchment fell out, and Henry caught it before it landed in the blood-stained earth. In the same handwriting that Darien's note had been in, it read, "Iridis rem asmandu."

He chanted it aloud, and a large gap formed in between him and the nearing army. They all toppled in, falling into the ever-deepening chasm.

[Tobias116]

All of his undead fell to the next spell by Henry. The zombies toppled over and into the chasm. It created a gap that Thanatos was able to see through. - "I have you now!" he yelled. "Quartzimu deras no faret no hiel!" He yelled. Henry fell and hit the ground with a thud, quivering. Thanatos laughed like a maniac. - "How is it to be captured inside ones own mind, nightmares clawing your eyes with sharp nails and a stench of death?!" He yelled.

Henry continued his involuntary shaking as the nightmares of moldy flesh and dead horrors confronted him.
Pictures of mouths sown together and eyes gauged out by wooden planks filled his mind.

The chasm closed with Thanatos zombies in it as Henry couldn't maintain the rift any longer. S'kendra leaped out with a silver dagger that shone as sunlight itself. - "There will be no kick in the face this time." Then Sam leaped out from behind Thanatos and nearly fell because of his hurt leg. He hit Thanatos in the back of the head with his dagger. Thanatos dropped to the ground, but quickly rose. - "I always take protective measures." he said with a chilling tone. Sam and S'kendra were momentarily transfixed by this sudden change in their plan. Thanatos seized the opportunity and hit Sam in his damaged leg with the flat side of his sword. Sam screamed in agony as a crunching noise ripped through the streets, a bone protruded out of his skin. He fell to the ground. Thanatos laughed a bone chilling laugh.

- "You monster!" S'kendra yelled. - "Blame my parents." Thanatos said. - "They died because of me." He proceeded to swing with his huge sword at S'kendra, who easily parried the huge sword with her dagger. Thanatos head pounded from the earlier blow, and he knew he'd have trouble to cast spells, and failed spells could go horribly, horribly wrong. They traded blows in the moonlight. For some reason Jaggery jumped out and took Sam's dagger. This changed the battle completely. Thanatos broadened his aura to be able to see both of them inside it. He closed his eyes and mumbled a small incantation. His head pounded more because of this, but if he was to survive he'd need it. His aura now allowed him to sense attacks. S'kendra lunged at him and he parried. Jaggery then slashed at his waist.

Thanatos then did a small turn, and parried the blow half a foot from his waist. S'kendra stabbed at his stomach. Thanatos pirouetted over S'kendra's head and landed gracefully with her turned towards Jaggery who had almost stabbed her. S'kendra turned as Thanatos brought down his sword with his full might. S'kendra directed the point of her blade against the edge of Thanatos sword, and lunged with all her might. Thanatos sword got shattered. It broke in 2 large pieces, the hilt, and about a foot of the edge, and one piece of the blade that almost hit Jaggery in the head. Thanatos swore. S'kendra laughed and said - "You didn't count on elven steel, did you?"

Thanatos only smiled at this. He grabbed the sword at the beginning of the blade and mumbled a few words which S'kendra didn't pick up. The hilt loosened from the blade. - "Let me introduce you to Plaguehand, a blade that not even Time can reach." Thanatos said, and then mumbled another incantation. The blade was a double edged longsword, the broadsword was gone. It had small holes in it, oozing with pus and larvae creeping from one to another. The gruesome sword's name was a perfect description. Thanatos slashed madly at S'kendra who parried graciously. Jaggery joined the battle and stood next to S'kendra. All three slashed and parried madly, sweat glistening in their faces. Thanatos raven black hair danced in the sky.

The sun had now come up and was bathing them with light, but they didn't care. They concentrated on a much more important thing. Thanatos had noticed the sun. - "Time's up." he said. There was a vibration in the air and he appeared behind S'kendra and Jaggery. This time he would show no mercy. He thrust his blade into the upper part of Jaggery's waist, then quickly withdrew it. The dwarf fell to the ground. S'kendra turned and lunged byt was too slow. Thanatos grabbed her by the wrist and twisted. There was a cracking sound and she dropped the knife. - "This time, there will be no glory, no salvation, no escape." He said with a bitter tone. S'kendra was on her knees, Thanatos thrust towards her abdomen but stopped about an inch from it and released her wrist.

He stared shocked towards his right. There was a mage there, who went under the alias "The Wandering Wizard." He held his hand up against Thanatos, who didn't have time to react before a savage blade shot out towards him. - "DAMNIT!" Thanatos yelled before casting Blink. He reappeared on the roof of the shack where the fellowship probably had spent the night. - "This isn't over!" He yelled down into the street. He cast blink again, for if he had stayed any longer, he'd been hit by a 7 foot long and wide ice bolt. He quickly withdrew towards the cave, only to stop at the opening of it, where Zentara greeted him. - "Hi there." he said, and smiled. Thanatos collapsed. It was too much.

[Relym]

Sam's screams, Jaggery's haggard breathing, unhealthily irregular, even the terrible moans and shrieks that filled Henry's mind with inescapable horror- they were all gone. A soothing hum filled the air, and the pains and aches that Henry had felt from the use of magic were gone. Henry could only see bright white light, and a familiar bearded face peering down at him. "Remember. The mountains."

When Henry opened his eyes again, he was in the same house that he had awoken in just an hour or so previously. "Thanatos!" He yelled in anger, charging out into the streets. It didn't matter whether or not he had any spells, or that he was unarmed, or that all of his companions were probably dead. Thanatos would die. He had to die. That was the only thing that mattered. "Where are you?" He shouted, his voice cracking with barely contained anger. "Where are you, you bastard?!" He knew that he was gone, and that the magician had already fled far away. Clenching his fists, he imagined just how wonderfully satisfying it would be to sink one of them square into Thanatos's jaw. "Come on, fight like a man! No more cowardly spell-casting!" He fell to his knees, and put his face in his hands. "He always gets away. Every single time!" He slammed his fists onto the hard-packed, snow covered earth.

"What's wrong?" Sam's panicked voice rang out behind him. He had his bow at the ready, and was pointing arrow at each place he looked for danger. "Did you see him again? Are you hurt?" He looked at Henry, shaking and sobbing on the ground.

"Wait," Henry said, turning around. "You're... you're okay." Sam looked up and down himself, a look of shock on his face.

"You're right... My foot is completely fine. I don't understand...?" S'kendra had now wandered out, and had apparently been awake for some time, judging by her lack of reaction to Sam's whole state.

"The Wandering Wizard," Henry said, dead-pan with shock. "He must have sent Thanatos away and healed us."

"I thought of that, too, but... if he was here, why didn't he just meet with us instead of making us go to the mountains?" S'kendra said.

"Which I'm still not a fan of," Sam made a point of interjecting.

"We'll discuss it," Henry said quickly before turning back to S'kendra. "I think the journey is meant to be a test. I mean, it sounds like he wants me to be his apprentice, and a famous wizard wouldn't just accept any old kid who learned a few spells. I was already exhausted earlier and I had only cast a couple minor spells."

"And one powerful one," Jaggery said, now stumbling out. "You separated the earth like it was a bucket of sand!"

"Well, that's not important," Henry said, but he couldn't hide a hint of a smile at the praise. "He still doesn't know that I'm worthy yet."

[PUSbucket]

The bright sun blinded Thanatos as he woke up. He took a moment to get used to it, and then, when he could see clearly again, he slammed his fist into the cave wall.
"Won't you ever give up?" Zentara came yelling.
Thanatos looked at him with dark eyes.
"Didn't sleep well?" he continued.
With those words Thanatos slamed the walls again. "I see you can't take this seriously." he said, and sat down, waiting for the demon to answer. But he didn't. He just smiled at him and sat down aswell.
"The boy defeated you again?" Zentara asked curiously.
"You would do well to stop." Thanatos answered. "It wasn't the boy. It was a wizard."
"Which one?" Zentara asked, clearly trying to make Thanatos look stupid.
Thanatos did not know what to say, and simply said "A powerful one. And he's on their side."Now Zentara started paying attanchen "He will train the boy. We can't let that happen." he said, and left the cave, leaving Zentara sitting the alone.