[Locked] [Community Project V2] Shadowblaze Chronicles

Marie returns with Rocan, and Rocan drops off the boulders for Marie to work on. Rocan introduces himself briefly, then leaves. Masayoshi was in the middle of some self-training, as Elgaraf had given up on him for the day. Marie apologizes to Masayoshi, and he apologizes back. All is well. That is, until Masayoshi finds out their supplies are barren, and he needs to return to his village to acquire more. Elgaraf suggests against this, but Masayoshi is dead-set on returning, and they need to see if the villagers are safe, anyway.

The next day, Marie is working on the weapons, and Elgaraf and Masayoshi decide to make a trip into Arden, seeing as it was only about an hour's walk at a leisurely pace, and see if they can get any supplies to take to the village that they could trade. They end up finding a lot of money, but ignore it, seeing as money that is stolen always brings trouble. They take any preserved foods they can carry and two bags of salt.

They make the trip back to camp, and Marie is still working on Masayoshi's spear, having learned it needs a lot more repairs than just the pommel. Masayoshi notes how they need to go now, and Elgaraf seconds this, giving Marie a hunting bow, and Masayoshi his Katana. Marie asks what the bow is for, but spots a deer as she's asking this, figuring it out on her own. She aims for the deer, and kills it in one shot.

Elgaraf asks if she's used a bow before, and she explains that she hasn't, since bows were expensive where she used to live. Elgaraf takes note of her potential, but won't train her, as he already has a student to take care of. Instead, he'll just gently guide her potential, by giving her the right weapon for the job.

He explains that a bow is good for use in the mountains, and Masayoshi seconds this, having used a bow to drive off bandits in the past. Marie decides to put aside her personal feelings on the matter and use the bow. Elgaraf lends Masayoshi his Katana for use, since it would work well with Masayoshi's armor, having both been forged by techniques of the same country.

They make it into the mountains, and find out that something is amiss. No one's there, but there's no sign of a struggle, either, or anything being cut by shadows, since the damage to the buildings was the same kind as when the lesser demons attacked before. They find Emil, the Shadowmancer standing in the center of town, and he smiles at them, already having opened a portal. Instead of killing the group, Emil leaves and closes the portal behind himself.

Later that day, a few villagers and the village elder returned, having been wounded, except for four of them. They explain the situation, where the surrounding villages outside of the mountains had all been slaughtered by fierce bandits, and most of this village's people didn't make it back alive. This was all that was left, six men, two women, and one old man. Not even the children made it back.

Masayoshi was enraged by this, and decided that they would stay and defend them from the bandits for a while, slaughtering any that dared to enter the village. The elder agreed to this, seeing as Masayoshi survived against a hoard of demons when they attacked the village. Elgaraf explains that Masayoshi took down several demons and even a lesser pack leader on his own, and that was before he started receiving training. He's got potential to be extremely powerful.

The Elder takes Elgaraf aside, and explains that no one knows where he came from, or whether he's even Human, or just a weaker Wevirian. Wevirians look just like humans, after all, so there's no way to tell them apart, except their abilities. Masayoshi was still within human limitations, but only barely, having long ago made the average human soldier or mercenary look like a chump.

Elgaraf takes note of this, but assures the Elder he is human, just one with extreme potential. Elgaraf feels that this is definitely impossible, and he must be a Wevirian, but no one wants Wevirians in their mix, so if they found out, Masayoshi would no longer be welcome in his village. He returns to Masayoshi, who is watching the south road out of the village, tapping the ground. His finger's skin is worn down every time he does this, but regenerates instantly, certainly faster than most humans could see.

But, the man they encountered at the camp, Evan Darfolza, would have most likely noticed. Every time Masayoshi moves his muscles, they are instantly deconstructing and reconstructing, as if by a de-then-re-materialization process. This means that his abilities, if he knew how to harness this power, could be practically limitless.

Being invincible by measure of never taking any attacks wouldn't be a dream, it would, in fact, be easy, once he learned how to harness this power to move instantly to and from points, and also separating his own body parts harmlessly. Elgaraf knew this power could benefit him, as well as the boy, very greatly.

But, now was not the time for him to learn it. Right now, the people they were up against knew where they were, so training his true potential right now would be a waste, especially since they were still underestimating Elgaraf and his group, but mostly Elgaraf. They finished their preparations for the bandit attacks, gathering and equipping their gear. After a while, the bandits began their attack, but were quickly dispatched by Masayoshi and Marie, without Elgaraf needing to lift a finger.

Elgaraf notes that the attacks won't stop even if they kill the ones that come today, so they would have to seek out the bandits and kill them, destroying their camps as well. Masayoshi agrees to this, but decides that he cannot leave the village, being here was more important to him right now. Elgaraf decided that either he or Marie would leave and kill bandits, and asked Marie for her opinion. She noted that she's good at solo combat, but not against groups. That was all Elgaraf needed to know.

It was daytime, but he had a cloak now, so the sunlight would not be an issue, and wouldn't weaken him nearly as much as last time. He decided he would be the one to descend and fight the bandits, seeing no reason not to - the demons he fought while unprotected and weakened were much more fierce than a few bandits could possibly be, despite them being called 'fierce' if you could even call them that. To Elgaraf, they were like helpless baby wolves who bit off more than they could chew.

Elgaraf went down the mountain, killing off the bandits he came across. Eventually, after killing an innumerable number of bandits, their leader appeared. He was a skilled combatant, but was a drow, like Elgaraf. Then, Elgaraf found out that he was actually someone related to Elgaraf's ex-fiance. He tortured the drow for information, but the drow took his own life, biting off his own tongue. Elgaraf grieved this loss, because even though he was torturing him, he had no intent to kill an involved party when he's better off alive and able to give more information. He found out nothing.

After returning to the village, the village elder was pleased to hear that Elgaraf had taken care of all the bandits. the village elder noted that there was tension in the cities past the villages, and that they wouldn't allow anyone in, neither refugees nor merchants. This was disconcerting, seeing as Eradicia has always been very open for travel, for the last ten thousand years. These sudden changes did not bode well for the Empire, and Elgaraf was concerned that there was something extremely large at stake...

The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, not yet risen to an annoying point for Elgaraf's body. Elgaraf stood across from Marie, who had been awake for some time already. "You're not doing yourself any favors by keeping quiet. Explain your situation. Now." Elgaraf demanded forcefully, keeping his hand on his rapier's hilt, ready to draw it and kill her if she decided to come to blows.

Marie pulled the blanket that Masayoshi gave her over her shoulders, inching closer to the campfire. "That man was my former boss. More specifically, though, he's the current leader of the Empire. The other generals fear him, as do most of their troops. Anyone under his direct command is either an elite, or they're dead." Marie explained, waving the smoke away from her face.

The wind was gusting a bit, making the smoke from the campfire rise away from the camp. They only made fires during cold and damp, or windy nights, mostly to avoid their camp being discovered, but also out of necessity when it became too cold. Elgaraf had no problem with the cold, or seeing in the dark, and so the fire was a nuisance to him personally, but he overlooks it in favor of his traveling companion, Masayoshi.

Elgaraf nodded in response to Marie's explanation. "So, the other generals fear him. They must all be far inferior to him in combat skill, or am I wrong?" Elgaraf inquired, removing his hand from his rapier's hilt. She seemed cooperative enough, so Elgaraf decided to let her feel a little more at ease, so long as she didn't make any sudden movements.

"You're not wrong, no, you're exactly right. What we saw earlier was a mere fraction of his skills. He was obviously holding back grievously, probably to reserve his stamina for a long journey." Marie claimed, still pondering why he retreated. She brushed aside the blanket on her right shoulder, then pulled her shirt over. There was an 'XX' shaped scar on her shoulder, carved with a blade.

"These represent strikes. Three strikes, and you're out. Dead. The General began this tradition shortly after the disappearance of Etheria, the Empress." Marie explained. Elgaraf nodded, sitting on a log near the campfire. He brought it over for Masayoshi so that he could sit on it, but he also found it comfortable. He took a nearby branch, stripped of all its leaves, and turned the coals in the bottom of the fire pit.

The campfire was slowly dying from time to time, because even though they surrounded it by tents on 3 sides, the gusts from the south, from the direction of the river, still came through, although with less strength than the gusts pelting the tents on the other sides. Elgaraf had been careful to reinforce the tents and the ropes that held them down, making sure to add weights atop each of the stakes holding the ropes down.

The tents themselves were fairly durable, made from deer leather. Masayoshi's mountain village had done well to acquire these tents for him, despite the fact that Masayoshi felt as though they treated his presence as a nuisance. Some day, the boy would likely come to realize that one's own mother family would cast them aside if they felt threatened by their presence.

Meanwhile, back at Masayoshi's mountain village, Sento, a chilling mist crept into the village. Andrew V. Lithum stood alone in the center of the village, right next to the water well. There were no people here, just as he thought. They all must have fled to other towns and villages. "Why the long face? You did good work in Arden yesterday." jeered a voice, echoing throughout the mountains eerily.

A portal opened behind Andrew, and he turned around to face it. Vastenarok stepped out, his Silver hair glistening in the morning sunrise. The sun had risen above the horizon now, making its gradual climb to the top of the sky. "You know that means absolutely nothing, seeing as my shadow did the heavy lifting." Andrew retorted, cringing with rage, and eyes filled with hatred. If anyone stood near them, it would be clear that Andrew hated him.

Vastenarok smiled. "Now now, no need for hostility. I have another job for you. This one will add a whole year to your daughter's life expectancy, if you complete it. I don't care what methods you use." Vastenarok offered in a threatening tone. Andrew clenched his fists, and his non-existent Shadow came out from his robes, crept to the floor, and rose into a figure. It turned into Emil, The Shadowmancer. "What do you want this time? Just tell me and it will be done..." Andrew replied, lowering his voice but still using a sharp tone.

Emil stood silently, observing his master's conversation with Vastenarok. It was clear that Vastenarok had Andrew by the balls, and if he didn't comply, would execute his only child, without hesitation or mercy."Your love for your daughter is indeed greater than your hatred for me... Bring me the head of this person..." Vastenarok started, casting a projection spell, showing an image of someone strikingly similar to himself.

He had silver hair, pale skin, but had blood-red eyes. His eyes were special, and because the whites of his eyes... weren't white. They were jet-black. Andrew noted this. "...Look for someone with this appearance, and execute him." Vastenarok continued. He ended the spell, and the projection dissapated. "They should be in one of three major cities to the west. I would do it myself, but I'm not sure where they are right now. Use a summoning spell to bring me there if you have too much trouble." Vastenarok explained. Andrew nodded, still clenching his fists, but was now curious about the situation afterward.

"I'm guessing that doesn't mean you'll let my daughter live for an extra year, though, if I fail to kill him myself?" Andrew questioned, grinding his teeth slightly. "No, that part of our agreement still stands. All you have to do is try your best. Don't push your limits, it's not the last job I have for you this week." Vastenarok claimed, frowning. Andrew knew that frown well enough. It's the kind of frown Vastenarok wears when he decides to do something begrudgingly, even though he really wants to do the opposite. Andrew didn't trust his words, but he did trust Vastenarok's expressions, as he was terrible at controlling his emotions.

"Alright. So be it." Andrew replied. Vastenarok nodded, stepping back into the portal he still kept open. The portal closed behind him. "Emil, what kind of hobbies do you enjoy? Is eavesdropping one of them?" Andrew interrogated, turning to face Emil. Emil shook his head. "Negative. I merely wished to see the outcome of your conversation. I will assist you in this mission." Emil proclaimed. Andrew shook his head.

"No, I can handle it myself. Also, I have another mission for you. I want you to find the party of three who confronted you at the gates of the town of Arden. They should be camping no more than five kilometers away, seeing as it's only been one day. Check the forests to the southwest, the river to the far south, the mountains to the north and northeast, and the glacial caves to the east and southeast. Do not engage them, just locate them for me and return here. I will return to this place within a week." Andrew commanded.

Emil nodded, seperating his shadows from Andrew. Andrew himself had no shadow, almost as though he threw it away. It was unnecessary. Not needed. Andrew turned around, and opened a portal. "You should go and do as I instructed. I'll be checking your progress, so don't disappoint me." Andrew threatened, walking into the portal.

He closed it behind him. Inside the portal, he stood in a vast cosmic space, with trillions of stars visible all around him. He tore another hole open in the cosmos, leaving the vast space, and entering an area near the first city he decided to visit: The City of Xalurako. It had the largest population, and made an ideal hiding place even for someone who stands out like his target did. Almost immediately, he saw his target entering the city through the gates, and decided to wait for them to leave again.

Andrew was special. He didn't need food, or sleep, or even to relieve his stomach contents. Three days passed, and his target left the city, making their way further west. Andrew teleported to intercept them, standing right in front of them. The man immediately entered a fighting stance. "I'm warning you - I'm a master of the arcane. Don't mess with me." the man warned.

Andrew's expression changed. How could Vastenarok leave out such an important detail? Andrew could steal a person's soul at will, but not if they were masters of all arcane arts. Was he set up? Is this to ensure that he doesn't rebel against Vastenarok? Andrew teleported backward to gain distance, but the man was already behind him, apparently having predicted his next move.

"What the hell?!" Andrew shouted, teleporting over and over again, only to be continually cornered. Andrew was already exhausted, but the man hadn't broke a sweat yet. "Did I mention that I have low-level precognitive abilities? I can see ten seconds into the future, and alter it however I please." The man boasted. Andrew knew he had no hope of winning, but refused to summon Vastenarok. That would mean playing right into his hands, the hands of the man he hated most.

He decided to charge up the only other defensive spell he knew besides teleportation: temporary invulnerability. He could charge it while teleporting. Now that he knows the man will predict his every move and move accordingly, he decided not to teleport more than once every 10 seconds. He would attack and defend in close quarters combat while he charged his spell.

"What's the point of this? Just give it up already." The man sneered, dodging Andrew's every strike and striking him before he can block. Andrew was both exhausted and beaten down by now, but after nearly a minute of this rinse-and-repeat, he decided it was time. But, since he knew the man could see ten seconds into the future, he decided to cast it with a delay of eleven seconds. He would just have to hold on until then, and not attack, focusing purely on defense.

The man stood still across from him, despite having seen ten seconds future. What could this mean? Andrew noticed sweat coming down the man's neck, but not his face. The man must be very good at hiding his own exhaustion. Andrew then cast three delayed teleport spells, one for eleven, one for thirteen, and one for fourteen seconds. His spell of invulnerability took effect at that moment.

Five seconds before the first delayed teleport. Andrew felt no pain, and so he attacked without worry for his own body, since it was currently invulnerable. He finally landed a blow, striking the man's solar plexus, after an overwhelming barrage of attacks. Andrew had figured out that the man was exhausted, and he was now at full strength. He could finish this. He didn't need Vastenarok. He could win.

Suddenly, Vastenarok appeared between them, and impaled the man with his bare hand, and ripped his heart out. It was still beating, and Vastenarok threw it into the open portal he apparently arrived from. "I can't believe it, but you actually had him cornered. Well done, my dog." Vastenarok jeered, throwing the rest of the man's body into the portal. Vastenarok then closed the portal, brushing the blood off of his cloak with some kind of spell.

Andrew's jaw dropped in disbelief. Now he couldn't even confirm for sure whether or not he needed Vastenarok for this battle. Vastenarok must have planned for this to happen from the start. Even though he didn't know it, he played into Vastenarok's hands anyway. He needed to start thinking ahead, thinking about what Vastenarok was trying to make happen, and how to make it not happen the way he planned.

Andrew clenched his teeth in rage, but immediately stopped his rage, knowing that to outsmart Vastenarok, he couldn't let his anger get the best of him. Better yet, he would pretend to show more loyalty to Vastenarok, bit by bit, so it wasn't suspicious. Still, he needed to be slightly hostile, for at least a while. He decided to let his anger show, but only a little bit, to make it seem like he was merely annoyed with Vastenarok's arrival.

Vastenarok finally faced Andrew, noticing his 'annoyance'. "So, you wanted this victory for yourself?" Vastenarok inquired. Andrew sighed, then nodded. "It's unfortunate, I was winning, and you came and ruined it." Andrew retorted, showing a little bit more annoyance. Vastenarok had a smug grin, but Andrew was grinning on the inside, knowing that Vastenarok had no idea what Andrew was planning next. He would slowly lure Vastenarok into a false sense of security, but first, he had to know some things before he could try to take him on.

"But wait, that man looked like you in a lot of was... aren't masters of the arcane immortal? How did you instantly kill him, do you have some power to kill immortals? I'm pretty sure immortality makes you very durable..." Andrew questioned. Vastenarok raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know this?" he interrogated. Andrew smiled. "Because, someday, I'll wipe that smug grin off your face... I'll kill an immortal, too." Andrew proclaimed.

Vastenarok sighed. "It's not like you couldn't kill him, he wasn't invulnerable, or anything like it. I'm getting closer with every day, but I'm not invulnerable yet, either. He merely resembled me in certain ways because he's mastered the arcane arts, like I have. When you master the arcane arts, your hair turns silver, your eyes turn initially golden, then later red as your mastery nears the level of Grandmasters, and your skin turns a ghostly pale. You don't age, and can live on indefinitely if not killed--" Vastenarok started.

"--However, Etheria Eradica, that meddlesome empress I banished, is another story. She has true invulnerability, and can take no bodily harm whatsoever. But, she can't harm me where I sent her, either. I know she'll break out, I just need to buy some time until I gain control of the empire, and obtain full invulnerability like hers." Vastenarok explained at length, pacing back and forth as he did. The story made sense, and Vastenarok's expressions told more truth than his words did about his honesty.

Andrew nodded in response, pondering the details and implications of everything Vastenarok explained. Why was he being so honest? The fact that he didn't mind revealing his secrets, means that he doesn't see Andrew as a threat, or, if he does, know how to deal with the threat if it comes. Andrew decided to put his plan on hold. He wouldn't interfere with Vastenarok bit-by-bit, but rather, decided to attempt to ruin him in his most vulnerable moment - the moment when invulnarbility is in his arms' reach, but before he becomes invulnerable.

That will be the best opening he has, and probably the only time he can catch Vastenarok 100% off-guard. He will take that moment to kill Vastenarok. Until then, he will look for many different spells with which to do so, and learn them. In his spare time, research on devastating spells that can cause intense harm to a single target will become his top priority. He has to do everything in and beyond his own power, so that he can kill Vastenarok, and save his sister.

Meanwhile, back at Masayoshi's camp, the sun was now setting, and Masayoshi had been taking a nap. Marie stood guard instead of scouting the surrounding areas today, because today was a little bit special. Masayoshi was going to begin training tonight. Elgaraf awakened, and began to gather the contents of his backpack, and started re-packing them. After Masayoshi's training, they would take down the camp the next day, and leave after the sun had disappeared at night to look for a more suitable location.

This place was still too near to Arden, and the Shadowmancer would be likely to come looking for them. They needed to move farther away. Masayoshi rolled over in his sleep, closer to the fire. The blankets he brought now had deer leather on the outside, to make them less flammable. It was an ingenious decision of Elgaraf's to add them, foreseeing that this kind of thing would occur.

Masayoshi awoke slowly, brushing off the blanket bit by bit. Elgaraf walked over, and kicked him in the head, knocking Masayoshi on his back. Masayoshi rolled back and then jumped into his tent, coming out with his spear. "What the hell was that?" Masayoshi interrogated. Elgaraf grinned. "Kid, you'd do well to remember to be on your guard... at ALL times. Even when you're not awake, people WILL try to kill you. First lesson: Always be on guard." Elgaraf retorted.

Masayoshi smiled, and then lowered his spear. Elgarad drew his Rapier and quickly lunged at Masayoshi, but he dodged it, seeming to have anticipated a second attack. "Good. You learn fast. I can work with this." Elgaraf complimented Masayoshi, sheathing his rapier into the sheath on his back again. Masayoshi stuck his spear into the ground point-first, then unscrewed the bottom segment, pulling out the chain.

Elgaraf grabbed the bottom segment of the spear, and took a look at the pommel, carefully examining the damage. Elgaraf shook his head. "Kid, you're gonna need a blacksmith. The connection to the chain in the pommel is damaged." Elgaraf proclaimed, tapping on the corroded pommel. Marie walked over after overhearing this. "Okay, so, I can repair weapons, if you need." Marie offered.

Masayoshi shook his head. "No need. This spear is heavy and slow, and not fitting for my combat style anyway. I need to learn how to use a new weapon. I also need to switch to switch to a different armor, as this one--" Masayoshi started, only to be slapped flat on his right cheek by Marie. "Would you throw away your family keepsakes just to take an easy way out? That's disgusting. I can't believe you..." She scolded. Masayoshi held his hand over his cheek, with an expression of shock.

"Would you take up your own weapons if you had a good chance to get killed using them?!" Masayoshi retorted with rage, clenching his teeth. Marie now wore a smug grin, with the top row of her teeth showing. For someone on the road constantly, she had surprisingly white teeth, Masayoshi noticed. "Yes. Even if my weapons are only for close-combat, I wouldn't switch to a bow just to fight a formidable archer. I have trust in my skills, and would make up for the weaknesses of my weapon." Marie jeered.

Masayoshi laughed, seeing that she was goading him on. He would return the favor. "Okay, suit yourself. You're insane. Why not just get better with a weapon that actually suits your fighting style? The limitations would be lifted, and you'd fight much better. Is that so difficult for you to comprehend? Is it too abstract for you to understand?" Masayoshi questioned spitefully. Marie's face became flushed red with anger and embarrassment. "Why, you worthless piece of human--" Marie started, only to be cut off by Elgaraf, who swung his longsword between them, glaring daggers at both of them.

"Shut up. Both of you. Training begins now, boy. We start with sparring. Fetch both of our walking sticks. I left them against the tree we hid behind near Arden's gates. We'll be using those to start." Elgaraf commanded, still glaring daggers at Masayoshi. Elgaraf didn't like Marie, but Masayoshi's actions were no better. He was being childish, even more so than deserving of his young age.

Elgaraf looked at Marie, and shook his head. "You repair his spear. Also, don't piss him off again. You may not like the results, since him wanting you around is the only reason I'm putting up with your childish bullshit." Elgaraf warned, removing Masayoshi's spear from the ground, then screwing the bottom segment of the spear back into the rest of it after dropping the chain back into the bottom segment. Masayoshi left the camp, heading north toward Arden. He would be a while, so he would use this time to lecture Marie a for a little bit.

Marie nodded, remaining cautious of Elgaraf. Elgaraf handed her the spear, but she shook her head. "I need to gather some larger rocks so that I can carve them out and build a furnace. Even for just a pommel, that much is required. I came across a lot in the forest to the east, so if I make a few trips today, and chisel them this evening, I can repair it tomorrow." She explained. Elgaraf nodded, and Marie left the camp, heading east.

Masayoshi brought back the walking sticks, both of which were around the same height as we was. "Alright. Today you're going to fight like you would with a spear, except that neither end is considered lethal, unless you strike a point that blunt force can kill. I, on the other hand, will be using this as a slightly-longer than normal sword, so if I hit you anywhere you have organs, you're dead. Do you understand?" Elgaraf questioned, explaining the training to Masayoshi. Masayoshi nodded, handing Elgaraf the other walking stick.

Elgaraf took the walking stick, and immediately swung it at him. Masayoshi quickly brought up the middle of his staff to block, but Elgaraf struck his hands, causing him to drop it. "Never block with the center of your staff or spear. A good edge will cut through it like butter." Elgaraf explained, then continued swinging at Masayoshi from different angles. Masayoshi was having trouble blocking the attacks, and so was forced to attempt to dodge them. Elgaraf eventually started picking up the pace, stopping just before striking Masayoshi's vitals and the striking a non-vital place immediately afterward. Masayoshi noticed this, and jumped back, picking up his spear.

"No more holding back. Fight me with your real weapons. I have to learn this way." Masayoshi proclaimed. Elgaraf shook his head, and dashed in, parrying Masayoshi's spear and throwing it from his hands. "That's why you're not ready for real combat, kid." Elgaraf retorted, walking over to Elgaraf's spear. "We'll continue this tomorrow, after your spear is fixed." Elgaraf stated. Masayoshi nodded.

Meanwhile, Marie noticed a boy about Masayoshi's age facing off against a large group of demons on her trip. Suddenly, bursts of lightning shot out from his body, electrocuting all of the nearby demons. The light blinded Marie, and she covered her eyes momentarily. She could feel a little bit of the shock, even as far away as she was. The boy noticed her after killing the demons, and suddenly disappeared, leaving sparks of electricity where he once stood. "Behind you, lady." The boy said. Marie jumped forward and rolled, rising up into a combat stance. "Who are you?!" Marie questioned. The boy shook his head. "I'm no one to you. Just a wanderer. Those demons attacked me, so I killed them. It's that simple." the boy explained.

Marie nodded, and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, I thought-- never mind. You're not evil, right?" Marie inquired. The boy shook his head. "Many people call me Ikawa, since my clan is a famous clan of blacksmiths, but you can call me Rocan if you want. That's my given name." the boy replied. Marie smiled. The boy was probably roughly half her age, but he had definitely suffered more hardships than she had. The knuckles on all of his fingers were worn down and torn up. But, his power was astounding, so

Elgaraf would be more likely to take him in, because he's useful. Marie just wanted to shield his worn-down traveling boy from any more suffering. "My name's Marie Ekielon. I'm a former scout for the Eradician Empire, but I abandoned by my leader. I'm with two others, who've protected me from my pursuers before. They're good people. Would you like to travel with us for a while?" She questioned, introducing herself.

Rocan shook his head. "Nope. I fly solo. Sorry." The boy replied. Marie nodded, but her smile weakened. "Well, I wish you the best wherever you travel, then, Rocan." Marie spoke, then continuing her search for rocks. Rocan stood still. "Do you need help?" Rocan asked. "Help? Help with what I'm doing? No, it's okay, it'll take a few hours, but I'll make the trip." Marie replied. Rocan shook his head. "Here. Let's make this easy." Rocan claimed.

Rocan pointed at a three medium-sized boulders, and a surge of electricity ran across the ground from him to each of them. The three boulders were lifted from the ground, being struck from below by millions of small sparks, with enough combined force to keep the boulders floating. Marie's eyes widened, and her mouth was left open in awe. "That's amazing! How did you do that?" Marie asked. Rocan shook his head. "I'll only say it's part of my abilities. Let's take these wherever you need them." Rocan replied.

Marie nodded. "My camp is due east of that forest--" Marie started, pointing at the forest near the mountains, "--due south of Arden, and due north of the river, right above the cliff. I'll be waiting for you there, since I don't want them to be surprised and attack you by mistake. You're a good person." Marie explained. Rocan nodded, and Marie began running in the direction of her camp. Oddly enough, Rocan wasn't falling behind, and even though he looked like he was walking, he was traveling at least as fast as she was. Meanwhile...

Rocan Ikawa had kept up with Marie until their camp was in sight, but then stopped abruptly. Marie noticed this, and continued forward to let the others know. It's a good thing, too-- Masayoshi and Elgaraf were already at arms, apparently viewing it as someone chasing her. Elgaraf had brought out a hunting bow he made, drawn and ready to fire at her 'pursuer' "Don't shoot! He's not an enemy!" Marie shouted. Elgaraf relaxed his bow slowly, then took his arrow out of the bow.

The bow was carved from a branch of one of the trees near their camp, and was sturdy but inflexible. He threw his arrow into a nearby bucket. He apparently made the tip with chiseled quartz and feathered it using feathers from one of the hawks that fly over the area. The hawk was roasting over the campfire, and a delicious smell wafted into Marie's nose.

Masayoshi set his spear on the log he normally sat on when near the fire, and the turned back to Marie. "Why are those boulders floating near him?" Masayoshi asked. Marie smiled. "I'm not sure how he does it, but it's part of his power. He's helping me carry those over." Marie explained. Rocan approached the camp, setting down the boulders gently along the way.

"My name is Rocan. I'm just a wanderer, and she needed help while I was on my way through, so I helped her." Rocan explained. Elgaraf raised an eyebrow in suspicion. He wasn't sure how this boy came to meet Marie, but he wasn't going to put anyone at risk by attempting to find out.

Elgaraf nodded. "I'm Elgaraf, and this is Masayoshi." Elgaraf introduced. Rocan nodded back. "I was just passing through, so I'll leave now. If we meet again, I hope it will be longer next time." Rocan claimed. Rocan turned around and left, walking at the casual pace of a normal human now.

As soon as Rocan left, Marie began working on the boulders. After about only two hours, she had carved out enough bricks to build a large stone furnace, and had made them into precisely-measured rectangles. Elgaraf noted this as one of her useful skills, good to keep in mind for later. Masayoshi was training on his own, since Elgaraf gave up on his for the day, due to his impatience.

Masayoshi finished a short workout, then went to get a drink of water.. "I have bad news, guys." Masayoshi claimed. Elgaraf and Marie both stopped what they were doing. "We only have enough supplies for tonight. Also, the sacks are ripped to shreds, so we can't just look more from Arden like we did yesterday." Masayoshi explaimed.

Elagaraf sighed. "Okay kid, do me a solid and put that on hold. Where are we gonna restock, while you have no weapon if you run into bandits or demons or something?" Elgaraf questioned. Masayoshi shrugged, but then remembered that the village elder said he was welcome to come back and get more supplies if he needed.

"Home, I guess." Masayoshi replied. Elgaraf raised an eyebrow. "You do know that we could be found by that Andrew fellow any time, right?" Elgaraf questioned, hinting that Masayoshi's suggestion was insane. Marie nodded. She was currently setting up a grindstone, for later. "I would have to agree with Elgaraf on this one. He's not the nicest guy, but he has the right idea this time." Marie intruded. Masayoshi sighed.

"Then, we'll get supplies from Arden first, but I should still return home today or tomorrow to get more permanent replacements for our damaged camp equipment. Especially the tents, the wind has been tearing them apart fairly easily, so they need to be replaced entirely." Masayoshi explained, dictating their next destination. Elgaraf smiled. "You're just homesick, aren't you, kid?" Elgaraf jeered.

Masayoshi ignored this comment and went into his tent. Shortly after, a cloaked man came running into the camp. He had no shadow. "It... can't be!?" Elgaraf shouted, jumping up and drawing his weapons. Before he had fully risen, his body was turned to stone. He instantly became an ice-cold statue. Marie armed herself, but was also turned to stone.

Masayoshi emerged from his tent, armed with Elgaraf's katana, which he was lent. The cloaked man turned the katana to stone, and took it from Masayoshi telekinetically, setting it on the ground nearby. Masayoshi took a fighting stance nonetheless. The shadowless cloaked man removed his hood. A grim expression adorned his face. His hair had turned white, and his skin pale. His eyes were the golden color of topaz.

"So, you may not recognize me now, but I am Andrew V. Lithum. Your friends are safe, just temporarily frozen, until I leave this area." Andrew re-introduced himself, assuring that Masayoshi's party was safe. "What guarantee do I have that you won't harm them after you leave somehow? That appearance is one of an Arcane Master, which means you also mastered long-distance magic." Masayoshi retorted. Andrew sighed.

"You're even well-educated. There's really not much I can do but ask you to join me, though I know that won't work. Your village is safe, and the villagers have fled elsewhere. You don't need to believe me, but I'm not doing this because I want to. I'm doing this because I'm forced to." Andrew explained. Masayoshi clenches his teeth in anticipation. "Then, if I refuse, you'll be 'forced' to take me by force?" Masayoshi inquired.

Andrew shook his head, and sat down on a nearby log. "I can't tell you why, or who I work for, but I can say this: I'm not out to hurt people if I can avoid it. I have work to do, but I would much rather avoid harming people I can." Andrew claimed, wearing a very slight expression, but nearly a blank face.

Masayoshi could tell his emotions, even though it was very slight, Andrew must have been feeling some sort of sadness or despair from being forced to commit these atrocities. "I don't want to anyone, but I'm tired of harming people by using the shadowmancer as my proxy. So, I came to confront you myself, and found you before they did."

Andrew explained, putting his hands out toward the campfire. The sun was beginning to set. Time was moving a lot faster for them. Then, Masayoshi noticed birds in the sky that were turned to stone and frozen in midair. This struck him as odd, but then it hit him - Only time magic could do this. "You're a time sorceror, right?" Masayoshi asked. Andrew nodded, then sighed. "I used to only know how to do two things: Teleport and soul destruction. That was because I didn't know those abilities weren't really what I though." Andrew explained.

Masayoshi raised an eyebrow. "How so?" Masayoshi inquired. Andrew took his hands away from the fire, and overlapped his fingers, clasping his hands together and placing them up to his face, with his fingers covering part of his mouth. "My teleportation is really just time travel, and I travel back in time, and then move to the set area. I used to not remember how I did it any time I teleported, but once I figured it out, I also figured out that my soul destruction was really just me speeding up time for the inside of someone's body... which is why it doesn't work on immortals, like Arcane Masters, for example." Andrew explained.

Masayoshi was silent. He had figured out what this meant. The fact that this man, Andrew V. Lithum, was spilling this information meant that Masayoshi had no hope of winning. "So am I being forced here? Or are you just asking me to join you nicely?" Masayoshi questioned, stepping back. Andrew selectively froze Masayoshi's feet and ankles with actual ice, not time magic, forcing him to stay where he was. "A little bit of both. Time magic doesn't work on Wevirians, which is why I waited for the one that helped you earlier to be long gone." Andrew stated.

Masayoshi then realized his worst fears about their situation. Not only had they not escaped Andrew, he had been watching them the entire time. Andrew opened a portal behind Masayoshi, and walked toward him to push him in. Just then, several bolts of lightning stuck Where Andrew was, but he teleported each time using time magic. "Teleportation can't dodge my lightning, so you must be a time magic user." spoke the voice.

With sparks flying from his feet, Rocan returned to the camp, and stopped dead-center between Andrew and Masayoshi. "Sorry, but I'm not here because I wanted to help you, but because I have to chase some theives. They took off to the east with my money, and I spotted this on the way back through." Rocan clarified. Masayoshi nodded, Rocan set a hand on Masayoshi's shoulder, and Masayoshi was freed from the ice spell, his ankles and feet returning to normal, and the ice melted into water.

Andrew took a look at the situation, but decided to stay around for now. "Even without having you all locked in time, all four of you combined are no match for me. Please reconsider, as I have no desire to harm you." Andrew requested, warning Rocan. Rocan shook his head. "That goes against my beliefs. Never leave someone in need in their time of need." Rocan replied.

Andrew sighed, nodding in response. "You know what? You win. Your tenacity has shown me that today will be annoying, and I might accidentally be forced to kill you to proceed. You're probably a mid or high level Wevirian, since you can stand there and posture against an Arcane Master. I'd rather finish my job later without wasting any energy instead." Andrew retorted, closing the portal he opened behind Masayoshi and opening one behind himself.

Rocan struck the portal with lightning, but it had no effect. "I just had to see what that is, but it seems it's not physical or magical at all... what even is that?" Rocan inquired. Andrew smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He jeered, jumping through and closing the portal behind himself. Masayoshi took a few deep breaths of relief, and Elgaraf and Marie awoke from the time spell.

"...Andrew V. Lithum, why are you here?!" Elgaraf continued, but immediately noticed he had vanished. Rocan shook his head, and then began to leave. Masayoshi stopped him. "Don't you need food for the trip to find that thief? Stay for a bit and gather some supplies from us. We were going to restock today anyway." Masayoshi suggested. Elgaraf raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?" Elgaraf questioned, cutting in.

Rocan sat down on a nearby rock. "That man left, choosing not to deal with me, though he likely would've won." Rocan explained. Elgaraf nodded, with an expression that showed a bit of disbelief. This boy was powerful enough to scare away an adversary that he couldn't think of taking on? "What's your relation to the Ikawa clan?" Elgaraf interrogated. Rocan shook his head.

"None, lately." Rocan replied. Masayoshi stepped between them. "Andrew has become an Arcane Master. He's far more powerful than the last time we saw him." Masayoshi explained. Elgaraf and Marie both took this as alarming news. Marie was still slightly confused, however. "How did he freeze us in time? I thought time magic was a lost art?" Marie asked, taking her battle gauntlets off, starting with her right gauntlet. Masayoshi picked up Elgaraf's katana, which had returned to normal.

He handed it to Elgaraf, who sheathed it at his side gracefully. Rocan stood up, with an expression of urgency. "The thieves had nearly half a day's head start, so I'm leaving to catch up with them. They're not powerful, but they're fast, so catching up with them will take a decent effort." Rocan explained. Masayoshi was about to say something, but Marie stopped him. "Thank you, Rocan. You've helped us not once, but twice, even though you could have ignored out situation. You're a good person, and I hope you get your money back, and then some." Marie retorted, forcefully hinting for Masayoshi not to say anything.

Rocan nodded, and left the camp. Elgaraf then turned to Marie. "To answer your question early, about time magic, it is indeed a lost art... Only three known people even know it, and refuse to teach it, one of whom was the Empress of Eradicia, Etheria." Elgaraf explained. He then nodded to Masayoshi, hinting that he should pick it up from here.

"Andrew said that he didn't know that he could use time magic until he discovered that two of the only spells he knew were actually forms of time magic." Masayoshi explained. Elgaraf raised an eyebrow. "Wait... Why didn't the magic work on your or that Rocan person?" Elgaraf questioned.

Masayoshi shrugged. "It seems that Rocan is a Wevirian according to Andrew, though I'm not sure why he didn't use it on me... He could have froze my ankles with time magic instead of ice, right?" Masayoshi explained, inquiring about the circumstances. His concern was understandable, all things consiered.

Marie shook her head. "No... Time magic doesn't work on Wevirians, that's got to be it! Evan retreated after he noticed you, and Andrew went out of his way to subdue you with ice magic... you must also be a Wevirian!" Marie claimed, as if she'd had an epiphany. She pointed at Masayoshi with a face that says "I've got you!", and smiled.

Masayoshi laughed. "You're kidding, right? I'm just a human." Masayoshi retorted, refusing to believe Marie's claim. Elgaraf didn't want this to come to pass yet. It was too soon for him to learn the truth. Elgaraf glared at Marie, and she noticed his intent. "Yeah, you're right... He probably just didn't want you to lose your ability to talk to him. He probably wanted to try to recruit you, probably." Marie stated, changing her story. Masayoshi sighed in relief. "Yeah. That's probably it. Let's get some sleep. Elgaraf, are you okay to watch tonight? You didn't sleep well today." Masayoshi inquired.

Elgaraf nodded. "Yes. I'll wake you both if there are any visitors, be ready to fight at any time tonight." Elgaraf warned, forseeing that incidents like those of today could continue to occur at all hours. The night continued. The chirping of crickets and croaking of frogs were the only sounds to reach Elgaraf's ears for several hours. Then, Elgaraf spotted a figure in the distant fields, scurrying through the tall grass. The was it moved meant that it was definitely humanoid, and not an animal.

Elgaraf decided to just watch it, however, since their camp was quite far from it. The figure shuffled through the grass, as if looking for something in the shrubery. Elgaraf became more concerned as the figure slowly worked their way in his direction. He walked to the edge of camp, making sure not to leave the camp unattended. The figure came to the edge of the tall grass, then started working their way to the opposite edge.

Elgaraf walked back into the center of camp, then turned around to keep an eye on the field, but there was no movement. Why did the figure stop moving, and where did they go? Elgaraf drew his rapier slowly, making sure to be quiet so as not to wake the others. He stood watch on high alert. Several hours later, Marie came out of her tent. The sun had yet to begin rising, but the sky was already fairly bright. It was a cloudless day.

Marie yawned, stretching her arms toward the sky, and leaning back to stretch her arms out further. She rubbed here eyes a couple times before opening them again. There were marks of dried tears on her face. Elgaraf wanted to ask why, but figured it was a touchy subject it she cries about it at night. The day was just beginning, but for Elgaraf it was nearing its end...

Meanwhile, to the northwest of the Eradician Empire, The Queendom of Sharee was hatching a scheme. Terack Norfel was, begrudgingly, the perpetrator of said scheme, and directed all plans related to the slaughter of the generals. Vastenarok would spare the four allied nations if they managed to kill or capture two generals from the Empire's capital. Terack has sent hundreds of assassins to casually blend into the populace. They were instructed to act like normal people, talk with normal people, eat normal food, and enjoy a normal day, until they could ascertain the locations of the two generals.

Eventually, Terack received a report that there were three Generals in one place, drinking tea together. He knew this would be his best chance, but having an extra head would be catastrophic, and would likely lead to the Empire finding out about their schemes. They needed to distract one of the generals. Terack Norfel himself decided to go, as taking this risk would both give him an alibi, and allow the assassins to nab the other two. The assassins were instructed to subdue and capture, not leaving a drop of blood in the capital, so that they couldn't be tracked. Terack went to see the generals personally.

Terack had a friendly relationship with one of the generals, General Natalya Ludmilla. She had been good friends with him since childhood, so it wouldn't be suspicious for her to talk with Terack alone. Terack shows up to the Generals' tea ceremony, which they held under a tree in a large patch of short grass. Natalya smiled at Terack. "Long time no see. You're not with guards, so are you here to visit?" Natalya asked.

She had beautiful snow white hair, that swept straight down her back, almost down to her hips. Her bangs were neatly combed and pinned to the sides. Her eyes were a golden topaz color, and glistened in the light. Her skin was a smooth, delicate pale color, which brightened with her happy expression. Natalya was the only arcane master among the Empire's generals, so having her out of the picture for this assignment would be vital. Terack smiled back, and came up to Natalya, hugging her for a moment.

"I've been tied up with things back home, but I wanted to visit you and talk to you for a while. I can wait until you're done with the other generals, though." Terack claimed. The other two generals nodded at her. Natalya hugged Terack back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You know, I wanted to see you too. It's been too long. Let's go talk somewhere." Natalya spoke.

This was perfect. Terack was aiming for this, but didn't expect her to ask for it herself. He and Natalya left the area, and began browsing other stores. He felt guilty for manipulating her like this, but couldn't show it, or everything would fall apart, and his country would fall victim to Vastenarok's wrath. The assassins took care of the job, capturing and removing the generals from the capital.

Meanwhile, Natalya took Terack to a secluded location, where there were no people nearby. The grass was much greener than in the capital, and the trees were much taller. There was a small spring with a waterfall pouring into it, and Natalya walk over to the shore, removing her clothes. She took off her shirt playfully, and threw it at Terack. He was surprised that she was coming onto him, since he didn't even know she liked him. She walked seductively up to Terack, turning her hips as she did.

She wrapped her arms around his back and the back of his neck, and pulled him over, causing them both to fall in the grass. Her eyes were filled with desire and anticipation. Terack began kissing her, wrapping his tongue under and around hers. She pulled his tongue out and began to suck on it, still licking it with her own. She gently rubbed his crotch through his pants, feeling the heat from his erection. Terack felt up her legs, working up to her pussy.

Her breathing was becoming more ragged and she let out small moans, as he fingered her roughly and deeply, rubbing different parts of her insides as they coiled around his fingers. Her juices dripped over his hands, and she began holding his wrist with one hand, and covering her mother with the other. They were fairly far from anyone, but could still be heard if they became too noisy. This fueled their excitement, and she arched her back with pleasure as he found her g-spot and dug into it. She peed herself with shivering, shaking and falling limp on the ground.

Just as Terack was about to lose his virginity, however, there was an interruption. An explosion occurred nearby, shaking the entire area. Both of them jumped up. Natalya's legs were still slightly shaking, but now Terack was shaking like a leaf, fearful of what could have happened. Natalya dressed herself quickly, throwing her robes on with much haste. They ran back to the market square, but it was completely destroyed.

All of the buildings for kilometres had been reduced to rubble, smoke and fire rising from their piles. Corpses were strewn everywhere, and body parts were scattered her and there. Natalya fainted from the shock of the situation, but Terack caught her, setting her down. This was no doubt Vastenarok's handiwork. A mangled, dismembered forearm rolled down the hill behind them, and bumped into Terack's ankle.

He jumped forward and screamed like little bitch, turning to see the trail of blood that had spilled from the severed forearm. There were gashes all over the arm, as if someone had shown it to him this way on purpose. Vastenarok appeared before him, grinning deviously. "Very good, rat. Now, you see what would have become of your country had you defied me." Vastenarok sneered, laughing maniacally. He opened a portal and walked into it, closing it behind himself.

Terack suddenly felt his heart vanish. It fell out of his chest, rolling around on the ground. A sudden excruciating pain, like nothing he'd ever experienced, overcame him. There was a gaping hole in his chest, and it had happened faster than he could have possibly noticed. Shadows retreated from the hole, and as he fell, he caught a glimpse of an expressionless man surrounded by shadows. The Shadowmancer. Terack was dead before he hit the ground, and blood ran from the corner of his mouth and eyes, dripping onto the stone bricks of the road. Terack died a dog's death, one deserving of a traitor to both his allies and his own childhood friend.

He even died a virgin, just short of losing his virginity for good. But, it didn't stop there. Natalya awoke to find assassins searching the area for survivors, wearing emblems of the Queendom of Sharee. Noticing her friend's corpse near her, she screamed out in agony. She stood, tears running down her face, but wearing an expression of rage. The man she trusted most betrayed her, and the city she loved had left her, ruined and destroyed by the explosion earlier.

Natalya teleported out of the area as the assassins began to approach her. She teleported all the way to her hometown, the town of arden. It was deserted, and there were no signs of life anywhere. Not only had she lost her friend, but her family was gone, and all the people she knew were dead. She cried out in despair. She decided that she would never trust anyone again. She never wanted to repeat this mistake.

Just then, Evan Darfolza passed though the town, making a sweep to prevent demons from running rampant. There were none, however, as he had passed through before and taken care of them. He noticed Natalya, and walked up to her. "This is a disgraceful sight for a General. Stand now, General Natalya." Evan commanded. Natalya stood, attempted to wipe her tears, though unsuccessfully. Evan knew the situation in the capital must be dire if she had returned here. "What happened in Elradina?" Evan questioned. Natayla shook her head. "Elradina is gone." she replied.

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Who did this?" Evan interrogated. Natalya continued to wipe her tears, trying to compose herself. "I was betrayed by my childhood friend. Apparently, the four allied nations are responsible for this?" Natayla claimed, finally composing herself. Evan nodded. "Right. So, you failed to protect the capital because you were manipulated. Well, that's only your first failure, so it can be forgiven." Evan stated. He sheathed his claymore blades, since there was nothing besides her in the town for now. "Let's return to what used to be the palace. I had a bunker build under it, and it's partially functional, still." Evan directed.

Natalya nodded, following Evan. "Natalya, two generals went missing today, according to my scouts. Was this their work too?" Evan inquired. Natalya nodded. "I'm fairly certain. Terack probably visited me just to get me away from the other two." Natalya replied. Evan clenched his teeth. "They wanted all-out war with the Empire? We'll show them what war truly is. There will be no mercy, and no prisoners. Etheria was too lenient with these 'allies' of hers." Evan proclaimed. They continued to travel west again, back through the Sento mountains, and back to the capital.

Meanwhile, back at Masayoshi's camp, Elgaraf had long since gone to sleep, and Masayoshi was just waking up. It was early evening, as the sun was setting over the horizon. Marie was on the outskirts of the camp, working on Masayoshi's spear. She was heating the chain, hammering out the links, and rebuilding the chain from scratch. It seemed like an incredibly tedious process. She had already repair the pommel, shafts, and spearhead, now all that remained was to rebuild to chain. A few hours later, Elgara woke up, coming out of his tent fully geared up. "Kid, it's time to return to your village. I want to get there before sunrise." Elgaraf proclaimed.

Masayoshi nodded, and then went into his tent. He pulled on his armor one piece at a time. As he came out, Elgaraf lended Masayoshi his katana, handing it to him sheath and all this time. "I trusted you with the blade before, now I'm trusting you with both. Don't lose either one, kid." Elgaraf warned. Masayoshi smiled. "I won't. Let's go." Masayoshi retorted. Marie nodded, and the two left the village. They stopped into Arden to grab some supplies to trade for the ones they needed. Masayoshi carried both sacks, as assigned stamina and strength training. Elgaraf drew his rapier, staying on guard as they followed the road into Arden forest. "We're getting close, so why are you so cautious?" Masayoshi questioned.

Elgaraf shook his head. "Kid, I'm cautious BECAUSE we're getting close." Elgaraf replied. Masayoshi nodded, and they continued up the road into the Sento mountains. They finally neared the village, but there were two guards with spears outside, blocking the path. "Oh, it's Tom and Bob." Masayoshi said, sighing in relief. He waved at the two, and they waved back. "Welcome home, Masayoshi!" Bob cheered. Tom frowned at Elgaraf. "We don't take kindly to strangers..." Tom stated. Elgaraf raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?" he asked. Bob nodded at Tom.

"Lately, there have been bandit attacks, and they've been destroying all the villages they come across, taking control of towns as well." Tom explained. A man was running up the hill behind them. "The bandits just took out Quinalt village to the northeast!" The man shouted. Bod nodded. "Good work, Steve. Go and guard the east road with bill, we'll watch the south." Bob replied. Elgaraf and Masayoshi continued into the village, to be greeted by only four villagers and the village elder.

Masayoshi went to the elder with an expression of deep concern. "What happened to everyone? Why are all the children missing?" Masayoshi inquired. The village elder groaned, and then sighed. "We were all attacked at the city of Xalurako. The bandits in that area took over the eastern part of town, and killed everyone that they could find. Man, woman, and child alike." The village elder explained.

Masayoshi's face lit up with rage, but he remained calm. "Elgaraf, we're going to stay for a little bit, and do some 'cleaning'." Masayoshi proclaimed. Elgaraf saw Masayoshi's expression, and nodded. Elgaraf drew his longsword, and sheathed his rapier. "They won't stop even if we kill the bandits that come up the mountain, so the only way to do this is for one of us to defend the village, and the other to kill the bandits in the surrounding areas." Elgaraf explained. Masayoshi grinned with fury, his expression one of near insanity.

"It's okay if I mangle the bodies of these worthless bandits, right?" Masayoshi asked. Elgaraf knew he wouldn't get any more decent responses out of him, and so he nodded and Masayoshi, and made his own way down the mountain. It the distance, he could hear Masayoshi shouting and the sounds of bandits screaming in terror. One of them fell down the mountain near him, beaten to death by the rocky cliffs on his way down. Elgaraf sighed. "That kid needs a hobby." he said, thinking aloud. A small group of people walked up to Elgaraf. They were clearly bandits.

"Hey, elf bro, we need to borrow your money. I swear we'll pay it back." One of the bandits claimed. Elgarar smiled, as he already had his longsword out. "Sorry boys, but I'm broke." Elgaraf retorted. The bandit laughed. "This retarded elf thinks we're stupid. Let's kill him and take his money!" One of the bandits shouted. They charged at Elgaraf, but he effortlessly decaptiated all of them, without moving from his spot. Afterward, he walked over their corpses and continued on. After killing hundreds of bandits that were crawling all over the area, A group of bandits with bows, on horseback rode and surrounded Elgaraf. A leader-like

bandit stepped forward, getting off of his horse. He was a drow like Elgaraf, though with many scars. "You're the one causing my merry band trouble? Tell you what. If you leave now, I won't have to kill you. It would be terrible to kill one of my own." The leader threatened. Elgaraf chuckled, giving the bandit leader a cocky smile. He slices all of the riders' legs off swiftly, and returned to easily deflect the arrows the bandit leader shot at him. The horses panicked and scattered, running in different directions, and the bandit leader jumped back several times to stay out of Elgaraf's reach, but was soon in reach each time, before he could react.

He re-mounted his horse and turned to run, but Elgaraf cut him down, killing his horse as well. "Sorry, but, unlike you, I have no love for my own kind. I was betrayed by the one I used to love the most, so I know that drow can be just as garbage-like as humans." Elgaraf stated, standing over the drow, who was bleeding to death from his throat. Elgaraf then stabbed him in the head, giving him a swift, less painful death. He returned to the village, cleaning up the corpses by moving them into piles along the way. He ditched his cloak, since it was covered in blood. The sun hadn't risen over the horizon yet, but it was on its way.

As he entered the village, he noticed that Masayoshi was covered in blood, but dirt as well. There were several freshly-dug graves which he had likely placed the bandits in. He was crying. "It didn't have to be this way!" Masayoshi shouted. Elgaraf shook his head. "No... It was meant to be, kid." Elgaraf replied. Normally, he wouldn't console Masayoshi in any situation, but this was the first time he killed humans. He had to be feeling something from that. Elgaraf used to feel like throwing up with every drow that he slew, but eventually got past it, in order to do what needed to be done. Masayoshi had buried the bandits with dignity, obviously feeling great remorse for having killed them.

The village elder walked up to Elgaraf. "Thank you so much for your hard work." he said, bowing his head to Elgaraf. Elgaraf clicked his tongue. "Don't bow to me, old man. You're an elder. Act with the dignity your title deserves." Elgaraf retorted. The village elder raised his head, smiling. "You have done us a great service, Elgaraf Moonshade. We will repay you in any way we can." The village elder announced. Elgaraf sighed. "We just need some supplies. Then we'll continue out journey. You should all move from this village to one of the medium-sized towns, they'll be the safest." Elgaraf explained.

After much deliberation during that day, the village elder agreed with Elgaraf, as did the eight remaining villagers. Tom, Bob, Steve and Bill geared up to protect their fellow villagers during their journey to a new town. The elder gave Masayoshi 3 new tents, 3 blankets, 6 pillows, 14 days of food, 6 horses, and 3 sets of clothing for 3 people, of 3 different sizes. Elgaraf's outfit was too large for him, but it was the closest size they had. They provided Elgaraf with two new cloaks, as well; one for protection from the sun, and one for protection from the cold of winter nights. Fall was approaching fast, and so the nights would become colder and colder.

They also had taken the time to go through Masayoshi's belongings in the shed in the back of the village, and found a Katana, similar to Elgaraf's. So close in appearance, that they might be considered twin blades. Masayoshi accepted the blade with gratitude, returning Elgaraf's katana to him. They said their final goodbyes to the villagers, and left down the mountain. As the passed through Arden Forest, Masayoshi demanded that they spend time to bury the bandits. Elgaraf nodded, understanding the grief that Masayoshi was currently experiencing. After burying the bodies of the bandits in the forest and the fields outside, Masayoshi and Elgaraf came across the body of the former bandit leader, the drow he had stabbed in the head.

Masayoshi started digging a hole, but Elgaraf stopped him. "Drow prefer to be cremated. As a member of my own race it's the least respect I can give him." Elgaraf said, lifting the body, and taking it to a boulder. He placed the drow's body on the boulder, and the straigtened out his arms and legs. He placed the drow's bow at his side. and the last arrow he pulled from his quiver in his hand, and then dropped the torch on his body. The smoke rose for miles, and the smell of burning flesh permeated the air. His flesh was rotten. The sun was rising now, and Elgaraf put his new sun cloak on. It worked fairly well, though the sun still bothered his vision a little bit.

At least it wasn't weakening him now. "Let's get back to camp, kid." Elgaraf spoke. Masayoshi turned, and they both went back to camp together. Marie had worked on the repairs to Masayoshi's spear throughout the day and night, and was now resting peacefully at her work station. Masayoshi went over and draped one of the new blankets over her, to ensure she didn't catch a cold. He had stayed up all night with Elgaraf, and had been up all day yesterday except for a short nap at sundown, and so he was exhausted. The party decided to take one day of rest, and then they would move their camp the next day...

On this day, Elgaraf, Masayoshi, and Marie slept in short shifts. They did this so that when it was time to move camp, they could all travel together, wide-awake and alert. Elgaraf knew this pushed Masayoshi, since he couldn't fall asleep easily, but Marie had no problem, and went out like a rock each time it was her turn to rest. Currently, it was Elgaraf's turn to rest. Masayoshi say silently, depressive and self-isolating.

"Cheer up. I would've done the same thing. Well, I probably wouldn't have given them the dignity of a proper burial, though."

"...Yeah."

Masayoshi crossed his arms over his knees, hiding his face behind them. He wasn't crying anymore, but was still stricken with guilt. Masayoshi

"Do you know what my name means?"

"Nope. I'm not familiar with names originating from the old island nations."

Marie chuckled, thinking the conversation was taking a brighter turn. Masayoshi looked at Marie with a sobering expression.

"My full name, as it should be read, is Masayoshi no Hitobashira. It literally means 'Human Pillar of Justice.' But, I'm just a cold-blooded murderer."

"Don't say that!"

Marie spoke quite loudly, but covered her own mouth. That surely woke Elgaraf up, but he'd likely go back to sleep if the conversation went quiet again.

"You're not a cold-blooded murderer. If you are, then I am even more so. And I'm not. I kill sometimes because I have to."

"But... You weren't there. I actually felt joy as I killed them with my own two hands. I didn't kill them with the katana I was lent, I ripped their guts out. I was insane."

Masayoshi looked straight down with an expression of deep despair, remembering the emotions he felt then. Marie came over and lifted his head up with he hands, gripping his cheeks. She let go with one hand, and then slapped him with all her might, knocking him flat on his back. Elgaraf came out, apparently awakened by the noise. Marie wore an expression of fury, and Masayoshi, one of confusion.

"You're not a murderer, damn it! I've lost my mind before, too! I killed my own brother to protect myself from him! If you're a cold-blooded murderer, then what the fuck does that make me?"

"...Wow. I'm gonna stop you two right there. Marie, I understand you want to console the kid, but this went too far."

Elgaraf stepped between Masayoshi and Marie, with a somber expression directed at Masayoshi.

"I had to kill countless people of my own kind, all just to find one person who I desperately need to defeat. If we're talking evil deeds, I'm the real bad guy here. But, I'm not heartless, nor do I consider myself a cold-blooded killer."

"..."

Masayoshi and Marie both fell silent. Elgaraf sighed.

"Marie, go to bed.

"But--"

"Now."

Marie nodded, and went into her tent silently.

"Kid, you have to understand. Women like her want you to believe in yourself, and for that, she's right. You can't keep doubting yourself. You'll get all of us killed if you do."

"..."

"I need some kind of response from you, kid."

"... Fine..."

Masayoshi stood up.

"I'm going to get firewood."

Masayoshi left the camp, heading toward the river. Not the place to find firewood, obviously. But, they had enough firewood anyway. Elgaraf noticed the large pile near the campfire. He decided to leave the kid alone for a while.

"... Why did I kill them like this...?"

"Because you're like me. It's your basic instinct."

A large shadow appeared in front of Masayoshi, engulfing the entire area. Emil the Shadowmancer rose from the shadow.

"What do you mean, like you?"

"Just what I said. You're a Wevirian. Probably more powerful than I am."

Masayoshi took caution to his words, but knew that he couldn't win if it came to a fight, so didn't take a combat stance. He was unarmed, as well.

"So, I'm really not human after all..."

"Affirmative. You are a pure-blooded Wevirian. Probably the last of your kind, since Wevirians began interbreeding with other races thousands of years ago."

"...Then why haven't my powers awakened?"

"Unknown. I have little knowledge of the pure races, because they are mostly extinct."

"I see. Then... why are you here right now?"

"I was instructed to find you and your comrades, not to engage, and report to Andrew. Any resistance would be futile, since you are already inside my shadow."

"Alright. If it's just our location you want, the camp is directly north of here. Please return without a fight, we wouldn't hope to win now."

"Affirmative. Thank you for your cooperation. You have voided the need for destruction."

The shadows receded to Emil, surrounding him like whips. He then sunk into his shadows, disappearing as soon as he came.

"I know he used to use portals to warp, but to think he can warp using his own shadows now... We need to be careful."

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Elgaraf ran over, apparently witnessing their conversation. He was furious, likely because Masayoshi gave away their location.

"We're not going to wait a day. We're moving today, Elgaraf."

"Is that why you gave them the information so easy? That's no excuse, kid! You've done it now!"

"...Shut up. I can't take any more of this. Let's just get the hell out of here. We're heading east."

"You little punk--!"

"If you don't like it, then come up with a better plan. This is the same plan you would have thought of, am I wrong?"

"...Okay kid, you win. Let's wake the woman and start packing."

Masayoshi and Elgaraf return to camp, and started packing all their supplies and gear. Marie woke up from the noise. She left her tent, and walked over to Masayoshi.

"What's going on?"

"We're leaving this place. Now. We'll explain later."

"Fine. I'll pack the food, water, and blacksmith tools, you pack the tents and other necessities. I hope you know what you're doing, Masayoshi."

"Even if I don't, there's no time to wait around. We leave in fifteen minutes."

The three packed up the camp rather hastily, and loaded up all six horses, since the packing wasn't neat, they couldn't limit it to three. Each of them took two horses and led them along. They traveled on foot at a normal pace, heading east. The sun was rising behind their backs, since it rose in the west and set in the east. Elgaraf pulled his hood over his cloak for protection.

"Where to, kid?"

"Marie drew some maps yesterday, from that I gather there's a town to the far southeast of Arden, also south of the river. There should be a bridge to cross the river that meets a road to the town. What was it called again?"

Marie took out the maps, examining them carefully.

"The Town of Aiful. They say if you go there, you're see an eye full."

"Ha ha... funny jokes... not..."

Masayoshi continued to search the area as they walked, looking for landmarks. Marie did so as well, being the one that drew the maps.

"Hey kid, how many hours on foot do you think it would take to get to the bridge?"

"Probably four or five. Not long."

"Not long for me, maybe, or for you, with your monster stamina, but what about Marie?"

Marie laughed, as if she'd heard the funniest joke in her life.

"Come on. I can run faster than you, what makes you think my stamina is bad? Humans need to build up A LOT of stamina to run this fast, you know!"

"Oh really? Want to have a little wager, then?"

"Sure, anytime!"

"My stamina is greater than Masayoshi's by quite a bit. If you can beat him to the bridge, then I'll give you my rapier. It's my most prized possession, and I use it only when I feel it's needed."

"You're on."

Marie began running, ignoring Masayoshi altogether. Masayoshi sighed, and then handed the reins for the horses Marie left behind to Elgaraf. He also left his reins to Elgaraf, turning to run. He began jogging at a decent pace, but not overdoing it. After around ten minutes, he caught up to Marie. She had stopped to rest, exhausted from running full speed.

"What?! I left you in the dust!"

"Well, I caught up."

"It won't happen again!"

Marie darted off, running full speed, not bothering to look behind her. Masayoshi continued jogging leisurely, not caring about her speed. It was several miles to the bridge, and she'd definitely pass out at this rate. He caught up once more, in merely two to three minutes this time. Marie was panting heavily, trying desperately to catch her breath. He had passed her some time ago, but she caught up and passed him once more with great haste.

"Don't get your hopes up, Masayoshi! I see what you're planning!"

"What is it, then?"

"You want to wear me out!"

"Good of you to notice, finally."

"I'll make you eat those words!"

Marie gained a lead of a few hundred metres, then stopped dashing, and jogged at around the same pace as Masayoshi. She looked back at him, smiling cockily, but noticed his expression of pity toward her. He sped up to a slight dash, easily catching and passing her. She ran faster, trying to surpass him in speed without wasting too much energy. She caught up, but was only slightly faster, and was being worn down.

"You won't win... I will make both of you regret challenging me to my specialty!"

"Listen, I don't want you to pass out. If I ran any faster than this, even I would have stamina problems. Pace yourself."

"Can it! I'll win this for sure, all I have to do is out-speed you even slightly!"

"Alright. Suit yourself. But, I've learned to do something you can't."

"Oh, what's that?"

"This."

Masayoshi suddenly accelerated like a bullet, and was already out of sight. Marie halted in her tracks. She couldn't move nearly that fast. She caught up to him shortly after, and he was flat on his back. She stood over him, frowning.

"Now why'd you go and do that? You could have won had you saved that trick for the end..."

"Because I don't care about winning. I wanted to show you that raw speed comes with a price."

"I see. You know what? You win. I don't even care about this race anymore."

Marie picked up Masayoshi, lifting his arm over her shoulders. She carried him until he could walk on his own.

"Thank you."

"No problem. You would have done the same for me, right?"

"I planned to carry you back to Elgaraf after you passed out."

"Fair enough. I basically won, but for Elgaraf's sake, let's just say that you won."

"But that's a lie."

"Not really. If you'd saved that trick, you would have won, definitely."

Masayoshi smiled, and Marie smiled back, cheerfully. They returned to Elgaraf, and Elgaraf wondered why they were both worn out, when he only expected Marie to be.

"He won, but only barely. His stamina trumped my speed."

"I somehow think he was pushing himself."

"He's probably faster than you, Elgaraf. At the end, he shot forward like a bullet."

"What?! That could only mean..."

Elgaraf looked at Masayoshi. Masayoshi sighed.

"Emil, the Shadowmancer, told me about my Wevirian blood. Apparently, I'm probably the last pure blood, too."

"I figured. Kid, why didn't you tell me before?"

"There was no time."

"Fair enough. Let's continue our trip, kid."

Masayoshi nodded, and the three continued their journey to the Town of Aiful. What awaited them there would be a much needed reprieve from the fighting and running they've done so far. Elgaraf had new plans for Masayoshi's training, now that he figured out he was a Wevirian on his own, albeit prematurely. Meanwhile...

There was a gentle breeze in the air. It caressed the boy as he strode across the planes, pursuing those that stole from him. He had caught up to them, and they were very surprised by this. They all took defensive stances, one man drawing his sword, one woman pulling out daggers, another man lifting his ax, and another woman drawing her bow. Rocan smiled at the group's ring-leader.

"It's good to see you four again."

"Who the fuck are you?"

The thieves all backed away, except for the leader. He had considerably powerful muscles, small in size yet chiseled to perfection. He carried the ax. Rocan smiled cheerfully, with his eyes closed. He held out his hand.

"You have five seconds to return all of my money before your lives become difficult."

"We don't owe you shit, bitch!"

"Suit yourself."

One of the four took a few swings at him, but he easily dodged each, without even using his abilities. Rocan punched the man in the stomach with just a little bit of force, and he went flying.

"What the fuck?!"

"Come on, I just want my wallet and money back. Is that too much to ask?"

"Take your goddamn money, monster!"

The other man took out the wallet and threw it at Rocan. He caught it with his right hand, and as they began to run, He picked up the downed man's ax and threw it up, it landing right in front of the fleeing man. The women stopped immediately in place, but the man almost tripped over the ax.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"My money. Give. Me. My. Money."

"Fine! I'm sorry! Please don't kill us!" The man cried. He was literally crying out of fear, holding out a bag with Rocan's coins inside. Rocan took the pouch and walked away. After walking about thirty metres, an arrow struck his aura. One of them had aimed for his back. He turned, ready to fight, but they ran away, the woman with the bow fleeing desperately behind the rest.

"Not worth my time... Now, to head to the nearest town... from here, that's probably Aiful."

Rocan continued walking, making his way toward the Town of Aiful. He would rest there for a while, getting a reprieve from demons, bandits and thieves. Meanwhile...

Evan Darfolza had led Natalya Ludmilla to his underground bunker. It was a renovated dungeon, turned into a training center for soldiers. Hundreds of soldiers trained diligently, practicing one move at a time. Evan checked on the progress of each room, and moved on to the next. Natalya followed him.

"So, this is our new army's training camp?"

"Yes."

"Are you training anyone personally?"

"Only those with outstanding talent or performance. If they're determined enough, they can gain skill even without talent."

"Did you?"

"Yes. In fact, I still have no 'talent'. I simply push myself and my body endlessly."

"Human limits mean nothing to you, huh."

"If they did, I would study Arcane Arts, and try to become immortal, like you are. You have much more durability than I do, thanks to your Arcane Mastery."

"But that doesn't mean anything if my attacks would miss 100% of the time."

"True enough. Let us continue."

Natalya nodded, following Evan room-by-room. Then, they went down a floor, where there were elite soldiers, scouts, medics, and assassins, all receiving specialized training. He checked their progress as well. On the final, bottom floor, There were five people, standing in one row of three and another row of two. The middle spot in the front row was empty.

"These are my most elite forces."

"Two of them are Arcane Masters?"

"Yes. Those two in the front are like you. Join them."

Natalya walked over and stood in the previously empty middle spot. She didn't trust Evan, as she trusted no one, but knew that disobeying him would be bad as well. Evan faced her, but spoke to all of them.

"You three in the front are the most powerful Arcane Masters still loyal to the Eradician Empire. You three in the back are the most skilled Combat Masters. You six will become the new generals of the Eradician Empire."

"But, what about you?"

"I will take position unofficial, as of today, as the 'King' of Eradicia. I will still await the return of our Empress, Etheria, but for now, I must give all orders to keep the Empire safe."

The six stood formally in unison, Natalya following the lead of the other five to adjust her stance. They stood straight, and saluted Evan. Evan nodded at each of them, and pinned an Emblem onto their armour and robes. Natalya was suspicious of this Emblem, but Evan looked like he was about to explain them.

"These Emblems are trackers. We've had three generals betray the empire already, and I don't wish to see more. If those trackers are removed, you have ten minutes to retrieve them before I consider you a traitor, and order your execution. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Wonderful. Now, be at ease."

The five others let out sighs of relief, some of them stretching, some of them sitting down. Natalya walked up to Evan.

"I will follow your commands without fail, sir. However, I must be honest with you. I don't trust you. I don't trust anyone at all, now. But, I am loyal to Etheria, so I will follow you for her sake."

"Fair enough. You understand that saying this places you under stricter scrutiny, correct?"

"I figured as much. But, it's better than holding it in and essentially lying to you. If I came to hate you because of pent up emotions, that'd be unfair and unjust."

"Don't let your sense of justice get in the way of your duties, understood?"

"Understood, sir. I may not like it, but I will perform as required."

Evan nodded, leaving the room to the six of them. One of the other women clapped for her. She pulled back her hood to reveal her face. She had the same snow white hair and pale skin, but had ruby red eyes instead topaz-colored. She must have advanced from the first stage of Arcane Mastery. Which meant... She killed another Arcane Master. Natalya took note of this for later.

"You got balls, sista! Mhm, you prolly ain't seen him mad yet, but you got serious balls!"

"And you don't?"

"You know what, don't you even talk like that to me! Do you even see my eyes?"

"Of course. But, just because you're a stage two, doesn't mean you should be cocky."

"You know what, girlfriend. I like you. You got serious attitude."

"Thanks, I suppose."

"The name's Bianca. Let's all go eat. But, I ain't paying no bills!"

The man in the leather armor behind her sighed. They all turned to him. He looked around, knowing his situation.

"Damn it. Always making me pay just because I have more money... I'll be broke in no time."

"This ain't survival of the fittest, yo!"

"Whatever. I'll pay. Let's just go somewhere cheap."

Bianca chuckled, but nodded. The four of them left ahead of Natalya, the other Arcane Master stayed behind. He stood there, silently. Natalya walked over to him to see his face, but he backed away, covering it with a thick veil underneath his hood. He obviously didn't want anyone to know what he looked like.

"Why do you hid behind a veil?"

"Because I have to. Also, don't trust Bianca. She'll kill you in your sleep if she wants to."

"I figured that much out already, but thank you for the warning."

"You're welcome. I don't need any food, so go join the others. I prefer isolation when I can have it."

Natalya sighed, but she left the room out of respect for a man who gave her a useful warning. She caught up to the group, and they had a lively meal, with the only man among the Combat Arts Masters paying the entire bill. It wasn't a cheap place either, and he was mad about being tricked, but Bianca just laughed cheerfully as he chased her down. At the same time, Emil, the Shadowmancer, had plans of his own...

Emil had returned to the Sento village to await Andrew. It had only been half a week as of yet, so he may have to wait a while. Vastenarok opened a portal, just then. Emil was on guard, as he knew whenever Vastenarok showed up, it was usually something disadvantageous for Andrew.

"So, my dog's puppet, how do you fare?"

"I am fine."

"Good, good. Now, I have a task for you."

"Negative. I only take orders directly from Andrew himself."

"This order is from Andrew, but he's currently preoccupied."

"Speak it. I will decide whether or not to believe you after."

"He decided he wants you to test the power of the three you're trying to locate, but only after you located them. He says not to kill any of them, or wound them beyond repair."

Emil nodded. He was suspicious of Vastenarok still, but it sounded precisely like an order Andrew would give.

"Alright. I believe you. Where does he want me to meet him?"

"Here, in five days or less. His time out got extended because of some issues with his current job. I'm testing his usefulness this time, so I won't help him."

"Affirmative. I will depart immediately. If you've lied to me, I will refuse any future orders."

"Then I can always kill you."

"Negative. At night, I disappear. During the day, I'm invincible."

"Fine. Whatever. You don't have to do what he asked, just don't blame me later."

"Negative. I will carry out Andrew's orders."

Emil sunk into his shadow, disappearing without a trace. Vastenarok grimaced, as even he didn't understand the Shadowmancer's current abilities. He was probably already more powerful than Andrew, so why was he loyal to him? It was a major thorn in Vastenarok's side.

He would personally meet the troublesome group of three after Emil 'carries out Andrew's orders' and returns to the meeting point. Then, he would be rid of the real threats: Elgaraf, a very unique Drow, and Masayoshi, a pure-blooded Wevirian. This was integral to advancing his plans for invulnerability.

He was only a stage three Arcane Master, so he had to kill others like himself to proceed. Little did many stage twos know what he knew - in order to advance, you had to kill an Arcane Master of the same or a higher stage than yourself. Also, your eyes don't immediately change color when you're a stage one.

Stage twos can go undetected for around a week before their eyes turned red. This was the case with his last victim. But, from stage two onward, your eyes change instantly, so the only risky battles are when stage twos are preyed upon by stage ones during their week of leeway.

Your eyes have six stages, changing with your level of Arcane Mastery, and the stages are broken through only by absorbing the soul of another similar or more powerful Arcane Master. They start out topaz-colored, then turn ruby red, then amethyst, then emerald green, then sapphire blue, then finally, back to topaz color and your hair turns silver.

Vastenarok already had the silver hair, which he obtained mysteriously in his battle with Etheria over nine thousand years ago. He still hasn't found the answer to why his hair was already silver. He opened a portal, disappearing into it and closing it behind him. The search for others like himself continued, so that he could eventually eliminate them...