No rest for the weary. Or was it the Wicked..?

Arriving at the ruins of my hometown brought back memories, some good some bad, but I made my way to my old home, sat on my old bed, peered out my old window. Felt a sudden calm before the storm wash over me. The town was and pretty much always has been a ghost town since I had left. And I? a ghost, hovering ever near it's memory. Seeking solace in it's hollowed heart. I stayed there for uncounted time, I'd smashed the floorboard and opened up an ornate box that held my old friend, my old life; my old blade. It reflected no light in the darkness, only a color of deep red, almost the color of my eyes. It had awakened at my touch. It yearned to be free, to be ever near me. Having gotten reacquainted with the Semi-Dai-Katana I'd sheathed it, then set out for Ael Des Sol, to the home of the Omnibred force. I made it to the old hollowed halls of my once training ground home, I was admitted into the tactical placement office. The man stood, somewhat hunched over, still clad in blue armor, still sifting through intelligence, the only thing that had changed was his room. "Sir." I announced my presence. "Richter, is that you..?"the man, now with grey hair and time working against him spoke fiercely. Time had not caught up with his voice. "It is I, I've come for assistance." He nodded speaking, "State your purpose then, you do remember that the Omnibred force has been disbanded right..?"

I nodded, speaking the tale of Terin Moora, and the abductees. As much as I thought he'd be surprised about the news, he nodded and spoke that it was a common thing in these times. He had also informed me that it was in the guard forces policy not to get involved. But he would see what could be done. I nodded. The answer much like the sight of Terin Moora, not pleasing. As I turned to leave I overheard him say something like, "As if you needed our help, you know even if we told you not to get involved, you most likely all ready are." The rest of my ongoings in my old school that had happened in my stay there are for another story.

Chapter Six:

Standing Alone..

I stood just beyond the force's reach of authority, and directly in the middle of an oncoming hailstorm of blood.

I hastened towards Ivalica, hoping time still remained. "Of course, crazier things have happened." A thought from my past crept up on me, echoing with newfound purpose. To expect to cover that much ground in order to stem an attack would be crazy, almost impossible as well, seeing as how I knew not what, or whom I was dealing with. I remembered Dalias words, she spoke many words of wisdom, I'd also reflected on my time spent in the deserts beyond the Enleiyd mountains, which were just about the crown of the southern continent.

I'd burned with purpose, the purpose of hope. As I sped through the new night, with two of the moons in their full phase, and the third in the center of them, biggest of all, in crescent phase I'd wondered if all my past transgressions, had much, if anything to do with the current events. To understand the current plight, you'd have to plunge deep into my past, but that of course is another story as well. Once I drew near the fork in the road, I reflected on the words again. I'd not catch the force if they were deployed before I could halt them, so instead I took the path less traveled, the path that was left by the imprisonment convoy. As soon as I saw the lights, I looked to the floor where no new tracks were created, the force either moved from another direction, or didn't move at all. As soon as I saw the burning lights of the camp's torches, I dismounted and attempted to set the unruly mare free. "You've kept your end of the bargain, and I mine. Be free.." I spoke to the mare, for I knew it understood me. "However long that freedom comes to last.. is.. well unforseen."I silently thought to myself before I turned in the opposite direction of the mare. To the encampment. To the enemy.

Chapter Seven:

Know thine enemy..?

As far as I could tell, the encampment was only a small band of the enemy’s soldiers. None of the cages where the captives could be taken were seen. As I approached, I saw a man clad in black, with an odd type of head dress on, it appeared to a giant raven's head, with the a razor sharp beak as well. The eyes glistened in the moonlight, as if they themselves were part of the man. As I approached, the man had stopped and fixed his gaze upon I, the hooded man slowly approaching. He began to call out to the other troops in almost a bird call, before I could take but four more steps, I was surrounded by men, obviously of the same attire, save for the wings which I had failed to spot in the torch's flame.

I'd peered around, the whole lot of them wearing the armor of battle, and the head of a raven, or crow. I'd looked at the man who had called all of the crowd, he'd brandished a chain with a sharp blade attached to it, it drug behind him in a sluggish fashion. The man had feathers about his armor, about his arm and his wings of course, his hands however remained in human guise, then it had clicked. The crazy men, were indeed crazy. However, they weren't men at all; they belonged to a race called in my homeland the Avirihans. They lived on the eastern side of the planet, where the landmass was split betwixt the sky and the ground, it floated. The first one had spoke in a barking manner; "You will die here human. You've made a fatal mistake, remove your hood before the commander!" I stood, staring the "Commander" down. I stood, vastly outnumbered, but not outwitted; "Avert your eyes, ye who come here abandon all hope for this is the land that god forsake himself." I spoke the line in warning for they were about to be "sent".

"This is not hell, foolish man. Allow us to show you the way!" They sprung into action so to speak. I was set upon first by the one behind me, attempting to remove my hood, I'd gripped onto his forearm firmly, snapping the bones without turning to face him, then slamming him to the ground before me, his spinal column resonating in a sickening snap and crunch of bone. The Avirihan's eyes reflected minute moonlight before the reflection; I'd deflected the other one behind me with a swift but powerful back kick. Standing firmly once again I straightened out my shroud, and awaited the next move.

Chapter Eight:

Here comes the pain..

"My face, wanting to see it that bad that you'd die for it eh..? Well, have it your way." I lowered my hood and raised my head to see fully the enemy before me.

"This one, he is no human.. He is the last of his kind. Gentlemen, say Hello to Adrian/Richter Dain/Dane."

I scoffed. "Keep my name out of your mouth" I shot back.

"This is the one they tell children ghost stories of? I'd expected him to be much taller, with fangs or glowing red eyes or something! He's nothing but a man!" Another of the soldiers spat in disbelief. "Now, Now, Men. Are you aware of how big the bounty on his head is worldwide? Even after the court's "clearing" many still will pay handsomely for him. Alive, or. DEAD!" They'd jumped to it again, the first one scoring a blow on me with an armored fist, and the commander had attempted to impale me with the blade of on the chain with no luck, as I evaded it and heard a loud yalp as it stuck in the other soldier's chest. Grabbing the one on the left of the commander I'd kneed him in his left eye, avoiding the beak. Just as the blow connected, the man on the right of the commander snatched me from the air and attempted to hurl me to the floor. "See! A man, Just a man!"

As I went flying, I spun out of the eventual head trauma, and landed kneeling. "Come on, be real. Half of your force is dead all ready, and I haven't even drawn my sword yet." The soldier which I had just kneed had risen, left eye closed and attempted to overwhelm me with his running speed as he charged at me, we both fell to the floor as the tackle landed. Before we hit the ground I'd begun to roll off my back and drew the knife from my thigh sheath. As we'd stopped rolling I'd thrust the knife into the beasts head, and twisted it. A glorious spray of blood ensued before the being lie lifeless on the floor. As I withdrew the blade from his face I was immediately struck with the same armored fist that hit me before. The strike to the face sent me reeling back. These soldiers were indeed stronger than mortal men. Before I hit the ground the man took flight and snatched me, pulling me high into the air, only to come down with greater velocity and release me to the waiting floor. "It's not the fall that gets you." As I slammed into the waiting floor I thought, landing on my neck I'd heard a snap in my vertebrae. "It's the sudden sto.." I'd obviously not thought aloud, because the man thought he'd killed me, and left me to the dust as he went to report to the commander who was standing but ten feet away. Laying there, in silence and in pain, the pain of a broken neck and an even more battered ego, I'd began to feel my body begin to rework my broken bones, and heal them with a newfound quickness. Newfound because I'd just returned to my home realm, whereas in Silver Mist my healing power is not so profound. "See, I'll tell you, and tell you again, Humans are weak, he's just a man. A dead man now. We're so much richer!" He spoke arrogantly. I stood, spitting blood, and feeling the slow trickle cease on the back of my neck. I even popped my neck, sighing inwardly. "Let's go ge-" He'd had not time to finish his sentence because he now had a seven inch blade embedded in his skull, as he fell limp to the floor like a sack of flour, blood spattered on the commander's armor.

"See.. I didn't come here to kill you, but you obviously all know who I am, and you still don't take that chance to live. Dumb bastards!" I'd began my blinding rush technique, as I faded into the familiar darkness of speed, I drew my sword, only to end with the red blade, gathering more red from the blood freshly draining into it. I'd jabbed the sword directly through the beast's still beating, enlarged heart. "You . . . want riches..? Closest you're getting is Rich's blade!" With that I tore the living blade from the man's chest with an upward slice, sheathing it just as quick. As I stepped away, the body came to the realization of what had just transpired and began to collapse upon itself. The familiar lust of blood began to wash over me, I wished it didn't. I hated it. It had a hold on me. A sinful hold.

Chapter Nine:

And . . . your name was?

I stepped toward the tents, estimating the size of the camp, this was the reinforcement camp. The squad heading toward Ivalica, would no doubt need reinforcements because of the White Knights. Cutting off the reinforcements, would give us a winning chance. But what was the motivation, what was the purpose. At the particular moment I cared not. I thought of Lord Wind's words, "What lies deeper, is not always known Richter. Be mindful of this. That which is, is usually the most vital." At the given time, it was important. But at this time it was imperative, and I was blind to it. Blinded by fury. The fury of past wounds, wounds which have yet to heal up, no matter how much ground I put between it and I..
The commotion a few feet away from the camp seemed not to spur any reaction from the whole of the active camp. I evaded any patrol they had, what little they had I should say. I crept into the most ornate of the tent's, obviously the leader of the band's tent. Or so I thought.

I found a man, obviously not of the force's breed. He sat at around the same height of myself, which would only double when he stood murmuring to his self. "Bring this side up, then the sweeping winds from the east along with the . . . the . . ." He'd snapped his fingers. "The Flameriders." Wherever he was talking about was about to be hit hard. Flameriders were usually not a good sight, the riders themselves controlled magma in it's liquid form, that means the ability to melt through any and everything. The hulking behemoth turned to face me. As much as a grotesquery that he was, his voice was pleasant. "Hello there." I'd blinked in disbelief; m being the trespasser, and he regards me warmly. "Hell."I spoke slowly.. "O.." He'd quirked a brow. "You, you have been offered safe passage by the gods, so that I may relay this message." he spoke almost in a whisper.

"What might that be..?" I inquired.

"Ivalica will be attacked by this force's alpha squad, which you have not seen. They will bring in FlameRiders and a force that shall remain unknown to you." He'd paused, almost as if mulling over how to say this much to me. "Ivalica will fal; there is nothing you can do. However the gods say that the girl will survive." I'd scoffed. "You, giant of the clan of the woods that border the town of Terin Moora. What say you to that? Knowing full well that your clan does not believe in things they cannot see?" I was curious as to what he, one with land thought of the threat of war, famine and fire; and the breaking of the peace treaties of the two land masses. He sat thinking for a moment. "I cannot see the gods. I have heard them. They spoke to me. I do not believe in absolute fate. Free me, and we shall give the gods a run for their stinking money!" He obviously knew what I was thinking, how I felt. But I wonder, if he knew who I was, would he help me, striking the chains and his way to eventual freedom, I'd stood ready to commence the attack. "A bit ornate for a jail cell, don't you think?" The giant let out a bellowing laugh. "Yes, of course let us rearrange it!" He began to tear through the tent, and subsequent tents. The tent was ornate because the Avirihans thought that certain colors would keep wraiths and Shadows away, I suppose they were wrong, because in the text books of my land, I am one. The night began as a quick scuffle, a promise kept. It ended when dawn broke and the encampment resembling the smoldering corpses that were strewn about. Nothing remained standing, not even I. The giant had collapsed after scores of the opposition had been smashed to piles of gore and blood. Two men took out a practical army of legendary ferociousness.

I'd laid on the cold hard ground, unable to move, even my healing blood could not keep up with the massive amounts of lacerations and gashes that had riddled my body. All of my broken bones had healed, I was still bleeding profusely, but that didn't bother me. I'd bled before. I laid there thinking of recent events. My marriage . . . My wife. My brothers. My friends... Drew. Ivalica. As I lie there bleeding, in despair, lamenting how this whole battle had gone, the blood lust within me, my past, I remembered my urgency in rushing into this place ready to decapitate those who would kill the innocent. The lamentation wore off a bit, but was the battle justified..?

Chapter Ten:

Blinded by rage? or Speed..?

I felt the various wounds slowly healing, the poison on their blades, and claws that scores of them had was slowing my healing process. The giant was fast asleep, but healing from the draught of some potion he'd acquired. I'd stood weakly, wanting to make haste to Ivalica again, just to spite the gods..? Or to save the people..? Questions still. Answers, no where to be found. What was my purpose for being so willing to cause harm to others? What did I pick up the sword for? I knew the answers, I knew them. I know them now. But then, I was blinded by rage. My brain was muddled by an unknown force to me. I was home, things were supposed to be right, but they were in disarray. I'd began walking slowly healing towards Ivalica, as my wounds healed more, I Began to jog. As they had healed up fully I'd covered ground with supernatural speed, everything a shadowy blur, air not meaning much to me nor was muscle stamina. I was feeling the world without time I suppose. Trance-like, serene. Like home, when I'd arrived I dropped to my knees at the sight of Ivalica..

I'd made it in time, nothing had befallen the town that wasn't projected, many Avirihans lie dead at the castle gates, the guards were tending to small fires and I stood, facing the mare that I had set free only the night before. "Why do you return to me? Your freedom is yours.." I spoke through deepened breaths. It made no reply, only lowered it's head for me to pat it, as I stood there ruffling the beasts darkened mane, I felt a piercing familiar feeling, I had been shot with an arrow in the chest, my eyes dilated at the new sensation, I'd never felt pain like this. "Wh-!!" I'd grasped the arrow's end and attempted to dislodge it from my chest, and armor. "How th-!!" Blood, like time began to escape from me, the arrow was of jagged and planned construction, deep within each groove lie paralyzing poison, these arrows were made by only one clan that I knew, and we had history, a bad unforgiving history..

As far as I could tell the poison had not began acting at this point, it'd be futile for me to try to speak, as I stood there, defiantly eying the sender. This was the true force, the Avirihans were merely hired help, it was all coming into place. What began as a small clan of Demons; A race born of pure darkness, and long thought to be evil, that which resemble men, the women resemble human women as well, since time passed again they would expand into a vastly superior military force, and a lot more vicious. The differences are genetic, as well as in appearance every Demon born into this world is birthed in vast amounts of blood, only the strongest of Demon women are chosen to be mothers, in this time of birth a demon may stray genetically, into the regions of Vampirism, and may become an Incubus, or a Succubus. They may very will mutate and become what the locals call monsters, they range from human sized to about Seventeen feet in height, and are predominantly, Evil in disposition and mindstate. However, a select few are not.

Chapter Eleven:

Slipping and falling..

The archer appeared to be a young Demon, naught but the age of nearing his first century, his horns protruding through his light infantry helmet of war. He'd loaded another arrow into the sling and drew back, threatening to shoot if I'd taken another step. Ivalica still stood, but was probably under deep siege and, the inhabitants were enslaved, probably to be cattle, or experimented on in the depths of Adrok Salith, the Demon capital, which once was a small encampment that used to move throughout the dark regions of this land mass. I'd only blinked, then I'd prepared myself for the next wave of pain as I grasped the arrow firmly and twisted it violently. I could feel my flesh ripping, and the blood draining free, as I did such, he'd launched the other arrow, and I'd barely dodged it, as it cruised by my eye I'd seen to it that he was dispatched in the same way he'd attempted to get me; by gripping the arrow mid-flight, building momentum with a slight jump and spin, my cloak drew up in a blinding wall of black, and I'd thrust my newly freed blade into his face, while sending the arrow at a blinding speed through his right eye.

The near-immortal form of a man fell to the floor, bleeding profusely, only to have all of that blood be siphoned into the very blade which rest within his cranium, the arrow not but an inch away if that. Holding the blade firmly, I'd made sure it took all that drove his form to live into it. Peering down at the man's face, I could see that the sword had drained his very soul, and the man had departed, I couldn't withdraw the blade however as my body went limp, I fell on my back, and the sword sent itself to it's sheath. Two men from the demon's order had walked up, having seen the whole thing, and me incapacitated they'd hastened to disarm me, and report to their superiors about how I handled the archer's debilitating arrows. I could do nothing but lay there as they spoke to the resident commander, could it be, I was quick to fight? Quick to kill, even if they did mean well, it meant nothing now I'd killed those who wished to do harm to me..

The highest of "High-Up" had arrived, the man who'd laid siege to the castle strode up confidently, with many of his minions trailing behind, most of them with teeth protruding from their lips. "What is this?" He'd barked to the crowd of soldiers around me. "Sir, we found this one outside the castle, not too far from Farchide." With that he pointed to the archer who laid limp, dead and cold in the distance. "How did he kill him? He'd have to have a holy weapon, and I see nothing on him!" He began to assault the nearby soldiers for this travesty to him and his order. The two witnesses were lost amongst the crowd, however later they'd report to him about my blade, but for the time being they'd removed my armor, and placed all my things in a box, they'd attempted to remove the bandana but it would not budge, for some mystical reason, they'd tried to cut it but it would not cut, with that they drug me to the prison's dungeon, I'd made a note as to what the box looked like. I was thrust into a cell filled with the castle's citizens, I fell limply to the floor, exhausted and paralyzed. I'd closed my eyes knowing that this'd be a long situation. Deverell was just to the left of me, standing looking at me on the floor, speaking to someone. "Never seen this before.." He spoke, it almost sounded like he spoke it from beneath water, the poison was having a profound affect on me, though the wound had long since healed up. I'd laid there shirtless, with only my pants and my boots about me, no weapons, no armor, no cloak no nothing. Save for.. my bandana.

"Richtoorr.." Deverell spoke, or at least that's what it sounded like.. "Richtoorrr, tyyyymee toooo wahhhkke upppp!" He spoke, perhaps to warn me. I heard the words "Kor In Shakrah" in my home those were the runic words of sky shock, worse than lightning ever could be, as the words were spoken, a deeply blue bolt of, what the ever the hell it is I won't call it lightning ripped through massive tiers of the castle and struck a few feet away from me, and sent the cell's gate flying off the hinges into a nearby guard who was patrolling the cells, having smashed the demon into the wall, snapping one of it's horns off in the process it lay there unconscious, healing. In a few moments the guards would come, and the place would either be a blood bath or a quick escape, the jolt's resonance must've shook my cells awake as the healing processes going on in me I could feel had drastically sped up, I'd regained muscle awareness and stood up, to see much of the formerly imprisoned people running to the other cells and removing the lock's hold on the cells.

Chapter Twelve:

Out of the fire and into the what..?

"Richter!, You're up! What happened in Ael Des Sol?" Deverell had inquired, hopefully hearing that someone from the Omnibred force was lingering on campus to provide back up, or perhaps a strike force would be sent to aid.

"Bad news, no one I remember was there save for administration, and they said that this was common place, so I'd left and ran to the opposite side of the tracks that I'd told you about before." I replied. "So then? What happened?" He'd asked in the scene of the frantically rushing people.
"Wasn't this force, it was Avirihans, the reinforcements for here, which is odd because I met a Giant, and he said that flame riders were to converge here, on the force that occupies this castle." I'd replied with speed over the rushing crowd.


"Must've been misinformed! No Flame Riders came here!"

Then it hit me, the Flame Riders were to be our back up, the Riders knew Ael Des Sol because the school had set up a protectorate near SkyConne Volcano, where many of them amass to cleanse themselves in the heated lava, not to mention a gateway to quick travel through the lava veins. A loud resonating explosion had ocurred not too far away from prison wing, it shook the very castle, and a demonic soldier ran screaming by, on fire.

"I'd suggest you stay low, and find something to hide from fire in! Or flee the castle! I've got to get my things!" I'd taken off after advising him, it hadn't struck me yet that I hadn't seen Drew with him.
As I ran down the halls the castle was a mess, bodies lay on the floor, things freshly lit ablaze and demonic soldiers attempting to stop the rush of the lava waves which struck in sequence. Some of it dried up and began to provide the riders with ways to scale the wall. I'd turned the corner only to see a variant of the demonic force, a Vampire. I could recognize any form of vampire from half a world away, yet he stood barring my way. "Eee..h. You, care to tell me where you think you're goin' kind sir..?" He spoke with a slight accent, which I couldn't recognize. He sniffed the air around us. "An' why you smell of m'kin..?" Within a second of speaking the words he was a centimeter from my face. "Care to back up? I've got more pressing matters to attend to, then some demonic mutation." I attempted to get under his skin. "You are a fool.. or You are brave.. This I cannot differentiate.. but you will die swiftly, believe this." My attempt to get under his skin, only made him get under my skin literally, but as he drew my blood to his lips he staggered back attempting to spit out my blood, holding his face, which was now burning visibly.

Chapter Thirteen:

On a mission..

"You drink the blood of your kin, you die horribly.. You drink the blood of something that you don't know exactly what they are.. be they holy, or unholy.. You burn in hell!" I ran through the burning corpse as it began to crumple to the floor. I'd hit the next corner, which was aptly named 'loot room' with red paint, or blood I couldn't tell. The room was stuffed full of boxes, and in front of the boxes stood two burly guards with twin serpentine axes. And me, with nothing. Blinking I'd stepped back, and they began their advance, hulking armor resonating their every step, their very position. I'd ripped the torch from the wall, and awaited them to round the corner, which one did with all of his agility, only to run face first into a flaming hot torch that allowed flammable liquid to drip down the face grate into the armor below, onto his body. As he struggled to breathe, and to smother the fire I'd taken the truly heavy axe, well not too heavy.. but for mortal men, it'd put massive strain on the back, perhaps even rupturing a disc or two in the spine. Raising the axe above my head I'd brought it's serpentine form down upon his crown, causing a mixed reaction, from; "It's hot!!!" to; "I'm bleeding!!" to; "I'm bleeding and it's hot!!". He'd fallen down but he wasn't dead, their kind was hard to kill, so I left him to heal himself.

I'd come back to the room where the guard stood waiting for me. "Try your dirty tactics, I will cleave you in half boy!!" He yelled from under a veiled face. I just shook my head and waited for him to budge. "Come on!!" He'd urged me to advance upon him, I stood there tapping my fingers on the axe's thick hilt. "Coward!!" He'd continued to scream obscenities all the while, while I heard a familiar sound ,that of sizzling melting rock. "Fine!" I'd taken two steps forward, I could see him visibly bracing for impact, and I'd brought the axe up and stopped abruptly using the axe's own centrifugal force to propel itself at him at an accelerated rate. He'd dodged it, and stood there laughing as it cleaved a box to his immediate right, gold began to spill out of the box and plink on the floor beneath him.

"Is that the best you can do weakling!?" He'd barked between laughs.

"ye..ah. I guess?" I'd said mockingly. The sizzle grew only louder.

"I suppose killing you quickly would be in order right?" He'd inquired mockingly. I'd blinked, then peered above him, whatever was up there was melting through the floor, as it did it dripped onto his helmet in a massive downpour of a orangish liquid, it melted his helmet from his head, and finally burst through the roof and fell onto him fully, killing him instantly. When the liquid finally took shape it became somewhat a man, riding a horse. The man only looked at me, then sped by, running through the wall, killing the man healing in the hall way, in his wake he left a flaming pile and holes in the castle floor, and roof.. I'd tossed the room for my items, only to find them in the exact last box, as I refitted myself into my clothes, I'd looked around, then lept up through the hole in the roof, which led me to the castle walls eventually, I could see many of the riders laying waste to the demonic force, while Deverell and the rest of the citizens of Ivalica stood in awe of the molten warrior's battle prowess. I'd slid down the incline of the castle's sloped walls and met up with Deverell, and I'd finally remember that Drew was no where around. "Where's Drew?!" I'd inquired with haste.

"She was taken! I don't know where, but she's with the force, probably with the force that retreated!!" I'd reached for my sword to begin helping the Flame Riders slaughter the demons, but it wasn't with me, it wasn't in the box.. So the force that had left had it, I'd had my regular sword, made of steel. As I ran off to the front lines, I could hear Deverell pleading with me not to pursue such a folly, but I really couldn't hear him.. If that makes any sense. I don't know how many I took down in tandem with the force of the Riders, but whatever I didn't take down fully they'd burned them to nothingness, As I neared the end of the "battle line" I saw a force retreating with what looked to be a young girl, but as I began to advance in the direction I was hit with another of the paralyzing arrows. Just before I'd hit the ground from exhaustion and the arrow's new formula of poison, I could feel someone hefting me on their shoulders and moving towards the retreating soldiers...

Chapter Fourteen: