[Locked] [Community Project] Shadowblaze Chronicles

Elgaraf Moonshade examined the sleeping Masayoshi’s face in the early hours of the morning. It had been another night without incident, and it was just about time for him to wake up the boy so they could be on their way.
Elgaraf had never intended to become attached to the boy – his offer to take him under his wing and train him had been a lie, to score himself a free roof for the night. The boy had surprisingly seen through him. The drow indeed was in search of something, but it wasn’t a student.
He briefly pondered slitting Masayoshi’s vulnerable throat as he lay sleeping. It would be fast, efficient, and lethal. He could be on his way, and none would be the wiser.
But there was also benefit in playing along. The boy seemed like he knew the area well, and after all he had done nothing to deserve a hasty death. He could also keep watch while the drow was sleeping, and cover for his vulnerability to sunlight. If worse came to worse, Elgaraf could just turn him down. There was something about Masayoshi which reminded him of his younger self - Elgaraf had been watching when the boy had tried to negotiate with the enemy commander, despite the clear difference in their power levels. The recklessness in that action was all too familiar to him.
His mind made up, he gently roused the boy from his sleep.
“Time already?” Masayoshi muttered groggily.
Elgaraf nodded in response. They would make haste while the sun was still rising, and hopefully travel a good distance before noon. Elgaraf would rest then, and Masayoshi would take watch.
The two gathered their belongings and slowly set off towards the plains, travelling in the huge shadow of the mountain. Little to no words were exchanged. When the time came to eat, they would eat. When the time came to drink, they would drink. When the time came to rest, they would rest.
“How much farther is it?” Elgaraf asked a while later. The sun had almost completed its trek to the pinnacle of the sky, and this meant it was almost time for him to sleep.
“Not long,” Masayoshi replied. “We’ll probably arrive at dusk, assuming we rest during the hottest hours of the day.”
The boy’s face was flushed with perspiration – a result of travelling in his segmented armour. When it came down to protection, the plates of the samurai armour would cover more than Elgaraf’s studded leather – but at the cost of travelling ease.
They ended up setting camp under the shade of a large tree. Elgaraf lowered his back against the solid bark and closed his eyes, his breathing deepening. Within moments, he had fallen asleep.

***

“Elgaraf! There’s something in the distance!”
Elgaraf squinted out at the harsh sunlight. Masayoshi had his spear by his side, and was staring off into the distance. Following the boy’s line of sight, Elgaraf spotted a mass of movement on the horizon. The brightness dazed him and caused his head to throb, but he could tell they were demons.
“Are they coming towards us?” the drow asked, his hand around his rapier. “I can’t tell.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Masayoshi replied. “It looks like they’re travelling parallel to us. I think they might be headed towards the town as well.”
Elgaraf closed his eyes, trying to concentrate in the intense brightness.
“What should we do?” the boy continued. “Do we fight them? We can’t let them lay waste to another settlement…”
“No, we can’t fight them,” Elgaraf said. “Not unless you can take them on all by yourself.”
Elgaraf couldn’t care less about the settlement. But the horde that was marching off into the distance had to be under the command of an elite – perhaps Elgaraf would finally find a worthy opponent.
“We’ll follow them,” he concluded, “and maybe we can confront them once they arrive. “
“Will you be able to?”
“Don’t worry, elves don’t need to sleep as much as humans. I should be fine if the town is as close as you say it is.”
Masayoshi looked uncertainly at Elgaraf, but the drow waved him off.
“I guess we’d better hurry, or we’ll lose them.”

***

They arrived late in the afternoon, as predicted. The demons had gathered by the town gates, talking amongst themselves before the guards without a care in the world. Bringing his finger to his lips, Elgaraf drew Masayoshi to the shade of a nearby tree, where they would not be seen.
“Stay back, demon filth!” one of them roared. “You shall not set one foot inside Arden!”
No one appeared to pay attention to him.
“So how should we do this?” a demon asked its comrade, as if they were discussing the weather. “Should we destroy their town completely? Or leave the women?”
“We should torture them,” another rasped. “I just love hearing human screams.”
“No.”
The cloaked human who spoke was clearly the leader of the demons – the way he carried himself exuded an aura of superiority. His hair was a golden blonde, and combined with his pale skin he almost looked ethereal.
“Lithum has given us orders to be as fast and efficient as possible. We will eradicate this petty settlement, leaving none alive and move on to the next town.”
One of the guards was shaking with fury, his knuckles tightly gripped around his sword. “You have been warned, demons. Now, face the might of Ard-“
There was a blur of movement, and Elgaraf almost choked in surprise.
Where the guard’s head had been was now a fountain of blood - the leader of the demons had decapitated him with one swift blow. Elgaraf hadn’t even had time to see what happened – there had a been a quick blur of shadow, and the next moment the man’s head, separated from his body, had come rolling to a stop in the midst of the other guards. A few moments later, with no head to command it, his body collapsed within a pool of his own blood.
“Elric…”
“No way…”
Elgaraf had heard tales of mages who practiced the shadow arts. When the sun was setting they were at their strongest due to the extremely long shadows cast. The shadows could be manipulated to their will, whether it be an edge sharper than the sharpest blade, or harder than the hardest gem. But he had not expected them to be this fast.
“L-Let’s work something out,” another guard stammered, his face almost as white as the shadowmancer’s. “Is there anything –“
Another shadow whipped around, the guard looked down to find it embedded in his chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.
“We have to do something!” Masayoshi whispered from beside Elgaraf. “At this rate they’ll all die!”
Elgaraf’s grip tightened around his rapier. He wanted to… his blood was racing to fight this new foe. But in his heart, he knew that he would not stand a chance if the shadowmancer had twenty demons on his side. He would wait for a better opportunity, hopefully with just the two of them. He wanted a worthy opponent, but he also wanted a fair fight where both parties were at their strongest.
“We can’t take them on,” he cautioned. “The shadowmancer is at his strongest at this time. If we just wait a bit until the sun sets, he will be vulnerable.”
“But the town could fall in that time,” the boy urged. “If anything we can stall it out!”
Elgaraf shook his head. “If you want to do something, you’ll have to do it yourself. I value my own life over the lives of those who I don’t even know.”
Masayoshi’s mouth drew into a thin line as he looked at the party of demons, who had launched themselves at the guards. The shadowmancer was standing at the back, watching in silence. Elgaraf saw the hand which was holding segmented spear tremble.
“I can’t just stand by and watch.”
Elgaraf said nothing as Masayoshi stepped out from their hiding place and approached the shadowmancer.

The demons snarled as Masayoshi approached, ready to attack him. The Shadowmancer, still wearing his cloak, turned to the gates, refusing to acknowledge Masayoshi's presence. His shadows sliced the gates to pieces, and chunks of iron and stone fell to the ground.

"Demons, kill or stall our uninvited guest, I don't care which. I will slaughter the townspeople myself, don't let that child enter, or anyone exit the town." The cloaked man commanded. He walked into the town of Arden, systematically slaughtering the townsfolk, merchants, and guards. Screams could be heard in the distance for a while, but then it fell silent.

Elgaraf stepped out from behind the tree, no longer worried about his chances of survival. He had taken the time to observe the demons, and noticed that two of them stood out as the pack leaders. Twin demons, each of them more than three times the size of Masayoshi, towered over the rest of the demons in the group. They had curved, sword-length under-claws, and wore plates of iron over their chest, likely to protect their weak spots.

He joined Masayoshi to confront the demons. "Hey kid, if you want to fight that shadow-wielder, it's your funeral, especially since you're not trained yet. Even I'm not crazy like that. Instead, we should fight these guys, it'll be much easier than taking on their leader. Do you see those two?" Elgaraf asked, pointing to the huge demons that stood above the rest. Masayoshi nodded.

"They're the pack leaders. Without that man, the demons should scatter as soon as they're defeated. I'll take care of the rabble, and you should fight the pack leaders. Use their lack of speed to your advantage." Elgaraf explained. Masayoshi nodded again, and dashed toward the pack leaders. They had dark gray, scaly skin, and judging by their straight horns and curved claws, were probably reptilian demons.

The night before their travels began, Masayoshi had studied from his father's old books about many types of demons, and about their physical traits, strengths, weaknesses, and intelligence levels. Reptilian demons were normally unintelligent, brute-force demons with some kind of specialty relating to their claws.

There was a dark purple residue on the edge of their under-claws, and Masayoshi decided to treat it as lethal poison, which must be avoided at all costs. Demons tried to stand in his way, but Elgaraf quickly dispensed of them, stabbing them with his rapier. Masayoshi noticed Elgaraf's slightly dazed state, he was likely weakened because the sun was still up, although it was setting.

He had to hurry and figure out a way to defeat the pack leaders, because even one as powerful as Elgaraf wouldn't be able to handle all of those demons while still in a weakened state. He dodged the swings of the two brutes by a hair's breadth each time, purposefully cutting it close so that he could test their speed.

Elgaraf recently explained that holding back is for the strong, but Masayoshi decided he would hold back in a different way - a way that lets him learn more about his opponents. He himself was very fragile, and one hit would likely kill him, even if the coating on the edge of their claws wasn't poison of some kind. He had to carefully dodge each strike, while saving his energy.

Elgaraf, on the other hand, was having trouble, having been weakened by the sunlight. He hadn't fought during the daytime for several years, so it was quite painful to do so. He was already sweating. A few of the smarter demons noticed this. "He's worn down! Don't fear him too much, but don't throw your lives away, either!" One of the smarter demons howled, stepping away from the fray. Elgaraf decided to prioritize him, as smart demons can be problematic during long battles.

Elgaraf charged the demon, sheathing his rapier on his back and drawing his katana and longsword at his sides. He decapitated the demon with his katana, and stabbed its fallen head in the brain with his longsword. This would prevent it from communicating with its comrades and causing more trouble.

The other demons then converged on him in a surrounding circle, apparently not forgetting the demon's advice. There was another demon behind them, continuing to give them directions. "Damn smart ones... They always make life harder." Elgaraf cursed as he was forced to block consecutive strikes from demon after demon.

Meanwhile, Masayoshi had been dodging the brutish pack leaders carefully, but leading them away from the fray. They were near a hill now. Masayoshi was visibly very exhausted, sweating bullets and breathing heavily. His armor was lighter than most, but still too heavy to move quickly consistently, and his stamina had hit rock-bottom.

His only solution was to create some distance and ditch his armor. The demons were reluctant to charge him for some reason, and he looked behind himself momentarily. The hill he stood at the edge of was very steep, and the drop was farther than some small cliffs, although not as deadly, because it was a grassy slope.

He could survive the fall if he rolled down the hill correctly. He threw his spear down the hill, and jumped down after it, landing about five metres down before he began rolling. The demons ran around the opposite sides of the hill, not keen on following him straight down. As he was rolling down, but before he gained too much speed, he planted his feet into the steep slope, dragging some dirt down, but stopping himself.

He then leaned into the steep hill, with his back to it, and lifted his feet off, allowing him to slide straight down. At the bottom of the hill, he picked up his segmented spear, and re-attached the pieces together, knowing that the range of his spear means little with such a small shore. There was a raging river merely a few metres away. The demons finally reached the opposite sides of hill, and charged at Masayoshi from the left and right.

As they swung, Masayoshi ducked, then jumped into the river. One of the demons screeched, and melted into a puddle of bubbling green liquid. As he guessed, their claws were coated with a lethal toxin that dissolved anything wounded by them. The remaining demon began howling, enraged that they were tricked into killing their twin.

Masayoshi followed the current, swimming as quickly as he could to distance himself from the second demon. He had a hard time doing this with his spear, and threw it ashore. After he had gained enough distance that the charging demon was nearly out of sight, he swam desperately to reach the shore. He nearly drowned in his swim, because of the armor he still wore.

He removed it and threw it on the ground, dreading his family keepsake for the first time. The demon was catching up, still charging him recklessly while howling in rage. He dodged the demon, and dashed as swiftly as he could back toward where he threw his spear. As he came across it, he picked it up, and continued to run.

The demon was gaining on him again, even though they were much slower than him earlier. This could only mean one thing. Masayoshi was the one getting slower. It made sense, seeing as he was thoroughly exhausted. His legs screamed at him in pain every inch he ran, but he had to ignore the pain. If he didn't, he would surely die.

He finally came to the steady slope the demon had come down, and ran in a zig-zag pattern up it. He was already slowing down, so he couldn't outrun the demon anymore. This would help him avoid the demon, and allow him to dodge more easily. The demon caught up, and swung at him with powerful blows, tearing out the ground where they missed Masayoshi.

He finally made it back to the top of the hill, noticing Elgaraf having similar trouble. He tripped the pack leader after dodging another strike, and the pack leader fell down the slope, tumbling to the bottom. He knew that their best chance now was to team up, and dashed toward Elgaraf. Masayoshi jumped atop a demon and broke their neck with his arms, jumping off of the demon and into the fray with Elgaraf. "What took you so long, kid?" Elgaraf questioned.

"I was tired out because of my armor, so I had to make a detour to ditch it." Masayoshi replied, ducking under a demon's punch. There were eight of the demons left, and Masayoshi was starting to recuperate, since he didn't have to run as much anymore. "Alright, fair enough. Can you handle these guys?" Elgaraf asked, noticing the remaining pack leader charging toward the fray.

Masayoshi nodded. "I might not be able to finish them off, but I can keep them occupied." he replied. Elgaraf smiled. He sheathed his katana and longsword at his sides, then re-drew his rapier from his back. The charging demon aimed to tackle him, but he stepped to the side, just far enough for the demon to miss, and crash into the town's walls.

He lunged into the demon, and sliced the straps that held the demon's armor plate over its chest. The demon got up, and the plate fell off. There was an opening in the chest, with the demon's beating heart exposed. Elgaraf dodged a few more swings, returning to join Masayoshi.

"I'll fight off the rabble, you just have to strike that pack leader in the heart. It'll be good experience for later." Elgaraf explained, deflecting the demon's massive claws with his small, thin rapier. Masayoshi nodded, switching places with Elgaraf. He detached the segments of his spear, and swung the bottom end around to his left, striking the demon's claw in mid-swing.

The toxins from the demon's claws corroded the bottom end of his spear a bit, and he decided from that to play it safe and dodge around it. After he got behind the demon, he noticed that there was no armor where there used to be on the back, either. The plates must have been held together by the straps Elgaraf cut.

Masayoshi jumped upon the back confused pack leader, and stabbed it in the heart with his spear repeatedly before jumping down and away. The demon screeched in agony, flailing about until it dropped the the ground with a massive thud. The ground shook slightly. This meant that the demon was incredibly heavy, which Masayoshi attributed to its slow speed.

Masayoshi hadn't fully recovered, but was well enough to fight the rest of the fray with Elgaraf. Just then, however, the demons stopped fighting altogether, howled in unison, and fled in all directions. Elgaraf sighed, and sheathed his rapier, returning it to his back. "What did I tell you, kid? Kill the leaders and the cronies run." Elgaraf stated calmly.

He was still sweating, but wasn't breathing hard at all anymore. Masayoshi noticed this. "How can you recover so quickly after you run out of stamina? he asked, still breathing slightly hard. Elgaraf laughed. "You really don't know much about the drow, do you? We're made for combat, unlike most elf races. We're built for longer fights than most, kid." He explained.

Masayoshi nodded, and Elgaraf nodded back. They knew what they had to do next. They quietly entered Arden, hugging the west side of the street, because the east-setting sun still shined on the buildings there, minimizing the shadows. As they followed the trail of bodies, they noticed the cloaked shadowmancer in the distance, his shadows waving back and forth, as if testing something in the wind.

Elgaraf and Masayoshi went around a corner, and peeked from behind a building with had flowers stacked in pots on the side, which gave them a good amount of cover. The shadowmancer stood next to the central fountain, in the middle of town, and opened a portal from out of nowhere. Elgaraf had seen these portals before, knowing them to be spatial rifts.

The shadowmancer tossed a large, blood-covered sack into the portal. He then closed the portal, and another cloaked man approached him. This man had no shadow at all, which was very strange. Elgaraf recognized the man's presence immediately. It was Andrew V. Lithum, the man that attacked Masayoshi's village. He decided not to inform his traveling companion, seeing as they would probably do something stupidly reckless.

"Emil Jörg Baumhauer - The Last Shadowmancer. Did you prepare the ingredients as instructed?" Andrew interrogated. the shadowmancer, Emil, nodded. "Affirmative. All living beings in the town of Arden have been eliminated, and their heads have been secured." he replied.

Elgaraf had a realization at that moment. "Those demons we faced earlier, there were a few more intelligent from the rest." He whispered. Masayoshi looked befuddled. "So what does that mean?" he asked. Elgaraf continued observing the two for a moment, since they remained silent and merely stated at one another.

"They had been summoned using a ritual with severed heads as an offering... Demon rabble can be summoned easily, but if you make offerings to them, they'll gain abilities from those offerings..." Elgaraf explained, still whispering. Andrew had apparently noticed them, and suddenly glared in their direction. Terror struck Elgaraf at that instant.

How did he not sense this intense bloodlust before, when that man invaded the mountain village? His aura was one of power Elgaraf couldn't measure, meaning that Andrew was immeasurably more power than him. He ducked around the corner, grabbing Masayoshi and covering his mouth to prevent him from making noise. Were they done for?

It all made sense now, though. He had to be many times more powerful to command a force of nature, such as a shadowmancer. Yet, from what he heard during Masayoshi and Andrew's conversation during the village attack, he's fairly low-ranked in his organization. Just what kind of god-like beings were they provoking, anyway?

Emil also glanced in the same direction after noticing Andrew's glare. He then turned back to face Andrew. "Is something amiss?" Emil inquired. Andrew nodded, pointing at the trail of bodies strewn everywhere.

"You left quite a mess, and reinforcements from the Empire are on their way. Clean up these bodies and all the blood before the sun sets, because you're useless after sundown. Meet me at the fortress once you're done." Andrew commanded.

"Also, next time you lose the demons I lend you, there will be severe consequences. Don't leave the rabble to fight by themselves. They obviously had their work cut out for them." Andrew threatened. Emil nodded in response. "It won't happen again, I promise, Andrew V. Lithum." He replied, almost mockingly.

From that, Elgaraf figured out that Andrew must have watched their battle. There was no other explanation for his words. How long had he been watching them, anyway? He let the two of them live on a mere whim, twice in a row, but probably wouldn't do so a third time. "We have to leave, now!" Elgaraf whispered, pulling Masayoshi back into the alley.

Masayoshi nudged Elgaraf, pointing out a small, agile girl, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. She stopped on the roof nearest to Andrew and Emil, in a position that made her seem ready to pounce down. Andrew turned away from Emil and opened a portal. "The sun's on the horizon, you have ten minutes before you run into problems. Finish quickly." He commanded.

Emil nodded in affirmation. Andrew entered the portal and disappeared, and the portal disappeared after him. Emil used his shadows to gather the decapitated bodies of the guards, merchants, and townspeople he'd slaughted, absorbing the blood along the way. His shadows took on a slight red hue as they absorbed mass amounts of spilled blood. The shadows retracted to him as he gathered the bodies from the main road, then stood still.

The shadows then shot out in all directions, searching for and grabbing bodies. Elgaraf noticed this, and knew that they were in trouble. The girl who was previously on the rooftop nearest to them had made her way to the roof of the building Masayoshi and Elgaraf hid behind. She dropped a rope next to them. "Grab it!" She spoke, keeping her voice quiet, yet with a sharp tone.

She had reddish-brown hair, deep green eyes, and an average-fair skin tone. She had a circular scar under her left eye, in the shape of a sun. Elgaraf noted this - it was a trademark scar that was only carved by one person he knew of. She wore black leather armor, and steel fist gauntlets. She was certainly the close-quarters combat type. Elgaraf didn't trust her, but the alternative right now would be much worse.

Elgaraf grabbed the rope, letting go of Masayoshi. He scaled the rope to the roof very quickly. The girl had tied it to the chimney. Masayoshi grabbed the rope next, but was too exhausted to climb still. Elgaraf noticed this, and pulled him up. Just in time, too, as the shadows entered the alley to search for bodies. The girl pulled the rope up before the shadow could find it.

The girl untied the rope from the chimney and gathered it in her hands. "My name's Marie Ekielon. I'm an elite scout of the Eradician Empire, working for the Head General, Evan Darfolza. I was sent with 2 others as an advance party, to get in touch with this town's soldiers, but it looks like it's too late for that. Who are you two, and what is your connection to that... thing?" she questioned.

Elgaraf nodded. "That's some great timing you had, but let's not talk here. That one's master already knows we're here, and could come for us any time. Let's leave town first. He wouldn't leave his subordinate alone when he's about to become vulnerable unless it's a trap." Elgaraf explained. Marie nodded in agreement.

Masayoshi sighed. "Near the river at the bottom of the steep hill, south of town, I left my armor behind. I need to pick it up before we return to our camp." he explained. Elgaraf shook his head. "Not tonight kid, we don't have time. You can retrieve it tomorrow." Elgaraf replied, signaling him to follow. Masayoshi followed him to the other side of the roof to observe Emil.

Emil had gathered a giant pile of corpses, towering taller than the buildings surrounding the central area. He then opened a portal, and threw the bodies in one after the other. Soon enough, the entire area was void of people, or evidence that people had been killed. The sun had fallen over the horizon completely, and, noticing this, Emil entered the portal as well, closing it behind him.

Masayoshi let out a sigh of relief, but Elgaraf's expression remained grim. "Did you see what he did to the guards at the gate?" Elgaraf inquired, facing Marie. She nodded, but then tilted her head. "Sort of. All I saw was that one moment the guards were alive, and the next moment, they were dead. I didn't even notice his shadows strike them." She replied.

Elgaraf nodded. "I'll explain everything we learned today after we make it back to the camp Masayoshi and I set up. Escaping this town with our lives intact is our top priority for now, especially since we don't know anything about the abilities of the other one who came." Elgaraf explained. Marie nodded.

Marie tied the rope around the chimney again, and slid down the rope. Elgaraf went after her. Masayoshi went last, and slid down as carefully as he could, but was too exhausted and lost his grip. He hit the ground with a thud, and fell unconscious. "Damn kid, he pushed himself way too far today." Elgaraf said, lifting Masayoshi over his shoulder.

Marie, and Elgaraf, who carried Masayoshi, traveled back to their camp. Elgaraf set Masayoshi down inside his tent, and placed a blanket over him. As he exited, Marie had gotten comfortable near the fire pit, and was poking at the coals. "I'll get the fire started," Elgaraf started, "so I'll be back in five." he stated. Marie nodded.

Elgaraf trekked into a nearby forest, which was only a few hundred metres from their camp. They set up their camp under some hills, so that it wouldn't be visible except from the direction of the forest. He gathered fallen branches and twigs until he had a sizeable pile, and returned to camp. He took two smooth rocks he found, and set them near the fire pit.

Marie wondered why he went through all of that trouble just to make a campfire, when there were lots of twigs around the camp as well. He silently started the fire, striking the smooth rocks together with a slight grind. The spikes became cinders, and turned into embers. The flame finally gained strength, and dimly lit the camp. Elgaraf then went and set up a new tent.

Marie crossed her arms and moved closer to the fire. Elgaraf noticed she was cold, but he had only one more blanket. He wasn't going to put himself at risk in the future for a perfect stranger they'd only met today. Masayoshi came out of his tent at that time. Marie looked at him, noticing his expression. He was clearly still exhausted.

Even though it was mid-summer, this was still a cold night. "Are you cold?" Masayoshi asked Marie. Marie was shivering, but shook her head. "Elite Scouts do not fear the weather." she retorted. Masayoshi chuckled a bit, then tossed his blanket at her. "I only brought blankets for two. You can use it tonight, we'll alternate nights." Masayoshi stated.

Elgaraf frowned. "Kid, you want to get hypothermia? You dived into a river earlier today, you need it more than she does." he scolded. Masayoshi shook his head. "I'm not going to sleep yet. I'm going to dry off by the fire, and we're going to discuss yesterday's events." Masayoshi explained, taking charge of the situation.

Elgaraf wasn't pleased with this, but decided to let the child be, knowing he had a very difficult day, and accomplished much more than he was expected to. Why not let the kid have the spotlight for a little bit? Marie's face brightened at the notion of this discussion. "So, what happened first?" She inquired. Masayoshi looked at Elgaraf, and he nodded at Masayoshi.

Masayoshi sat down very close to the fire, placing his hands mere centimetres from the flames. "So, we should start with how our journey began..." he began. Masayoshi and Elgaraf took turns explaining the events during their journey in detail to Marie, and afterward, she pondered the information for a while.

"So, we need a plan of action." Marie stated. Masayoshi and Elgaraf nodded in agreement. Masayoshi put his hands down, apparently warmed up enough from being so close to the fire. Elgaraf grinned. "I hate to admit it, but we stand no chance against these enemies, and they're just the grunts." Elgaraf explained. Marie shook her head, stood up, and took out a scroll.

"This is the message that was supposed to be for the people of Arden, but they're gone now." she exlained, handing it to Elgaraf. He opened it, and read the contents. "So, basically, the first reinforcements sent here were the main army, and they vanished without a trace, so the Empire's abandoning its people?" Elgaraf stated apathetically.

Marie was visibly offended by this. "No, it just means that the Empire will try, but cannot guarantee the safety of its people in the absence of our Empress." she explained, trying to improve Elgaraf's opinion of the Empire. Elgaraf sighed shaking his head in disagreement. Masayoshi stood clapped his hands together, noting that he felt the tension between the two of them.

"It doesn't matter. We're back to square one, and there's demons and much worse after us now. We need a new plan of action." Masayoshi said, changing the conversation. Elgaraf and Marie nodded in agreement. Elgaraf then turned to Masayoshi. "I normally travel alone, but only agreed to allow you to come with me to cover my weaknesses. Another person would only slow me down even more." Elgaraf explained.

Marie shook her head in disgust. "So I'm a third wheel, am I? Two's company, three's a crowd? Look, my partners were killed in action, and I'm likely assumed to be dead as well. Right now, mission failures result it death, because Evan Darfolza has become something like a dictator in the Empress' absence, and decided that mission failures will be treated as high treason." She retorted, defending her position.

Masayoshi understood that having her in their party with have both merits as well as flaws. The relationship between her and Elgaraf was already unstable, and given time, could be even more volatile. Yet, having her along would mean they could actually scout the surrounding areas safely during the day, because the camp would always have one person present and awake. It would be quite invaluable to have this ability, especially now that they've started trouble with demons and their masters.

"Elgaraf, I think, though it may not be agreeable, we should take her along. Her ability to scout surrounding areas will be an invaluable asset during the daytime for our travels. It would also increase the safety of our camp, in case of emergencies. We can always take extra supplies from the town of Arden, since they'll soon be pillaged by bandits anyway." Masayoshi explained.

Elgaraf sighed. "If you feel that strongly that she would be useful, so be it. I'll hold you accountable for this, kid. But let's get one thing straight - I don't trust her. Not even a little. She could easily stab us in the backs anytime. I don't trust you either, but I trust that you're weak enough that I could kill you if you double-crossed me." Elgaraf retorted, warning Masayoshi.

Masayoshi nodded. "I understand. I won't let you regret this." He replied. Marie walked over the Elgaraf, and took out a book. "I found this recently, I came across it as I was heading through the town. It seems to be a translation guide for an ancient language. It might come in handy later, so I'm giving it to you." She explained. Elgaraf shook his head. "Miss, that's your next mistake - assuming that because I'm an elf, I'm well-educated? That shit is better off in Masayoshi's hands, lady." Elgaraf sneered.

Marie turned away in disgust, but then went over and presented the book to Masayoshi anyway, "He obviously hates me, this isn't going to work out." She said, her expression one of anger. Masayoshi smiled weakly. Elgaraf noticed at that time, that Masayoshi still hadn't fully recovered, and doing tomorrow's watch would be suicide if something went wrong. Elgaraf walked over and took the book out of her hands. "Fine. I think I'll abide you. But, only because he needs you more than I do." Elgaraf proclaimed.

Masayoshi then sat back, backing against a tree, and wrapped himself in his own shirt. "I'm going to need to sleep in a bit... Elgaraf, could you get my armor from near the river sometime tonight? It should be right along the shore between two slopes." Masayoshi requested, shutting his eyes and dozing off. Elgaraf nodded, knowing the boy could no longer hear him. Marie stepped in between them and sat across from Elgaraf.

"That child is something else. What's you're relation to him, anyway?" Marie inquired. Elgaraf stood up, brushing himself off. "He's my traveling partner. He's also soon to be my student..." He started. "But no more questions. Time for you to sleep. I need you in peak condition so you can take over his watch when the sun comes up." Elgaraf explained. Marie nodded in agreement, taking the blanket Masayoshi gave her into her tent.

She wondered why Masayoshi slept outside his own tent, even though there were three tents up now, but decided it wasn't important enough to ask about. Elgaraf sat by the fire pit, and put out the fire by turning it over. He didn't want to draw undue attention to their camp, and he didn't need a fire to see or stay warm, anyway. Meanwhile, a major scheme had been hatched in the Empire's capital, one that would transform the Empire into an ocean of chaos and destruction.

Title: The Youngest Arcane Grandmaster (Hey, everyone needs a talent)
Race: Human? (All the arcane masters look human, right? I'll leave it up to you)
Gender: Female (Duh.)
Age: 19 (because, a girl has to be young ;p)
Height: 5'11" (She's taller than most women, she's a big girl >.>)
Weight: ????? (How rude!)
Hair color: Snow white (there seems to be a trend here...)
Eye color: Topaz yellow (there definitely is a trend here...)
Skin color: Pale Caucasian (okay we get it, it's a trend!)
Armor type: Scholar's robes
Armor color: White with blue trim.
Armor backstory: Do I really have to do this? Okay. Once upon a time...
Weapon: The Staff of Souls
Affiliation: Protagonist
Elemental type: Divine
Preferred weapons: Arcane magics
Abilities of worth: She has the ability to instantly lock her spells onto any target she desires, including spells that cover a large area. This ability allowed her to master all of her spells and their practical uses much faster than anyone else. She is a Grandmaster of all Arcane magics still widely-practiced, and knows a few forbidden magics as well.

After many strange things occurred following the disappearance of the Empress, and ancient demons had returned to the realm of mortals, The Eradician Empire, once thought invincible, was in tatters, and abandoned in its time of need.

The allies who pledged to uphold protection of the Empire, instead abandoned it in fear of their own safety. Evan Darfolza had been busy protecting what was left of Eredina, the empire's capital city.

"Don't disappoint me."

"We won't, Master General.

Two knights bowed, and then left the room. It was an underground war council room, but what was left of it stood aboveground, in the center of the crater. It was the floor just above the dungeons, but most of the rooms were destroyed. Evan stood alone in the room.

"Show yourself."

A figure came out of the shadows in the corner. His shadows writhed back and forth in agony.

"My master doesn't wish to end the Empire, but rather, has another goal in mind."

"What does that mean?"

Evan drew his two claymores, wielding one in each hand. The shadowmancer sighed

"I was instructed not to kill you, but I will if I must."

"Come on then, try me."

The shadowmancer began his assault on Evan, shadow after shadow striking and slicing at him. But every single strike was blocked, despite being faster than any human, or even elf, could hope to see.

"How? How could a mere human deflect my attacks?"

"Like it matters."

Evan sliced the shadowmancer in half, from head to groin. Instead of becoming a mess of blood and organs on the floor, he split into two, and fizzled into a black mist which disappeared into thin air.

"We'll be back, Evan. It's too late to bargain now."

"Come back anytime, the result won't change."

Evan sheathed his massive claymores, and left the room, walking up the slopes of the crater toward the new walls surrounding it. He would execute every man, woman and child in the empire before he turned their lives over to the demons.

He would travel to the eastern lands of the Empire, slaughtering all the demons he came across, and recruiting more new troops to his cause. He was always 'running out of fresh meat' to fight the demons with.

On the western border of the Eradician Empire, a deal had been struck. One of the shadowmancer's shadows had taken his form, and met with the estranged allies of the empire. They stood after the fact, and the shadowmancer threw a sword into a dimensional portal.

"So, you won't harm us as long as we attack the capital, and capture one of the Generals?"

"Those are the terms of our contract. A contract is absolute to a shadowmancer."

The diplomats nodded to one another. In the middle of this, was Carant Norfel. He was one of the diplomats present at the Peace Ceremony, and knew the implications of breaking this treaty, but dared not to speak near the shadowmancer.

"I will return tomorrow to hear of your feats. That is your time limit."

"One measly day?!"

The other two diplomats shrieked in panic, not knowing what to do. Carant Norfel stepped forward.

"I would like to ask this, then. If we manage to capture 2 generals instead of one, can you extend the time limit to one week?"

"Fine. Don't keep me waiting longer than that, or your countries will fall overnight."

The shadowmancer dissipated into a black mist, then vanished into nothingness. What would the diplomats do to ensure their nations' safety? How would the empire react? Only time will tell...

A young-looking lass with snow white hair, eyes the color of golden tourmaline, and fair skin so pale that it was nearly translucent, stepped out into the moonlight. Her thin lips had black lipstick on them, as if she was trying to appeal to someone.

Vastenarok entered the clearing, also entering the moonlight, and faced her. He sported the same snow-white hair and pale skin, but had eyes the color of amethysts instead. There was an aura about him that clearly distinguished him. He stood with a vicious grin, expecting something of the woman across from him.

"You've done well to master all arcane arts, young lady. But, your road to becoming a grandmaster of the arcane is merely starting."

"Thank you, master. Your eyes changed color again... Have you finally done it?"

"Yes, I have. I transcended the level of Grandmasters, and entered the realm of God-like power. I'm merely two stages away from obtaining invulnerability... I can almost taste it."

Vastenarok walked away from the clearing, beckoning the woman to follow. She did. They exited the moonlight together. Meanwhile, Evan had come across the camp that Elgaraf Moonshade, Masayoshi Hitobashira and Marie Ekielon were resting at...

Evan notice one of his former scouts searching an area he traveled through. The fact that she hadn't returned meant she failed her mission. He immediately went to confront her, but she ran. He followed her back her camp.

"So this is where you've deserted to."

"N-no! It's not what you think!"

Elgaraf came out of his tent. It was past midnight, and he didn't expect Marie to act on her own at night.

"You fool! You revealed out location!"

Evan turned his attention to Elgaraf.

"A drow, right? Join my army."

Elgaraf chuckled.

"And if I refuse?"

Evan drew his claymores. Elgaraf drew his katana from his left side, and with his left hand, drew the rapier sheathed on his back. He knew this man was strong, his aura didn't lie. But, he wasn't as terrible as the shadowmancer or Andrew V. Lithum. This man must have battlefield honor.

"My name is Evan Darfolza. What is your name, drow?"

"Does it even matter?"

Evan took his stance, ready to strike. Elgaraf replied in kind.

"Yes, it does."

"Why?"

Evan lunged forward at a speed Elgaraf could clearly see, and yet could not predict where he aimed. Elgaraf dodged backward, sensing something fishy about his attacks.

"You have no killing intent, but you aimed for my heart... what the hell?"

"It doesn't matter. En garde!"

Evan continued his assault, and Elgaraf dodged each attack without moving too much, but couldn't figure out how to effectively block him so that he could counterattack. The man seemed to be unguarded, but it was clearly not the case.

They entered a stalemate of doing nothing and achieving nothing. Evan stepped back first.

"This is a waste of my time, drow."

"Mine too."

"Great! Then, allow me to deal with the traitor, and I'll be on my way."

Evan turned his attention to Marie. At this time, Masayoshi came out from his tent, fully armed and armored.

"There's no better time to fight than when someone in your party is in trouble, right?"

Evan slapped his face in annoyance.

"One more won't make a difference. If you stand in my way, You'll be cut down as well."

Elgaraf stepped behind Evan.

"Nope. After fighting you, I'm fairly certain you're only good for one-on-one combat. You're slower than all three of us individually, so you won't try anything stupid, right?"

Elgaraf sheathed his rapier and drew his longsword. At this moment, Evan kicked up some dirt from the ground and threw it into Elgaraf's eyes. He fled the scene. Elgaraf and Masayoshi decided not to follow him, as he could be planning to bait them and separate them, defeating them decisively in single combat.

"Kid, don't get up next time, we could have handled ourselves without your interference."

"But, Marie is STILL shaking in fear. She's in no condition to fight that man."

They both turned to Marie, who finally felt relieved, but collapsed once her tension was lost. Elgaraf, despite the fact that he didn't trust her, wasn't heartless enough to not help her when she's unconscious after suffering trauma. He sent Masayoshi back to bed, and took the night to keep watch over the camp, as well as Marie. Who knows what the future holds for them? Only time will tell...