The Ever War: Chapter 2.8

Malachi sighed. "If you are going to attack, then may I suggest you do it now? After all, those three will only be out so long." Echo ground her teeth together. The old man always had a way of getting under her skin. He casually leaned upon a staff, which made her wonder where it came from. He certainly hadn't had it a minute ago. She frowned; she should know better than to underestimate him. His powers rivaled those of Lord Saevio. She set her teeth and prepared herself. Malachi watched her with an almost disinterest.

She rushed forward, only to swing at vacant air. She whirled about just in time to feel the smack of wood across her face. She spun in the air, landing on her face. Blood ran from her nose as she rose to her feet. The staff struck her in the gut, causing her to double over. The staff came down across her back, and she fell back to the ground.

Malachi watched as she struggled to her feet again, observing her with now mild interest. "You haven't learned a thing since we last met. Still rushing into things, still ending up flat on your face. And I haven't even used a single spell."

Echo glared. "Damn you! Damn you, old man!" Malachi sighed and tutted.

"That's enough from you! Begone!" With a wave of his hand, she vanished from sight. Malachi took another swig from his flask. He shook his head and knelt next to Sarah. He gently touched her forehead. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Malachi?" she asked softly. He smiled and helped her sit up.

"You took quite a nasty blow to the head, but I must say that you did some damage." He moved on to Josh and Thoden. Both of them groaned and stirred. Josh tried to leap to his feet, thinking the assassin was still about, but ended up falling back down. "Ah, ah, you. Take it easy. All is well now, though I must say, you're not too shabby with that sword. And you, Thoden, are just as your father said you would be. It is good to see that you have grown to be and honorable man." Malachi gave a slight bow to the giant. The giant bowed in return.

"It is good to see you once again, Pathfinder." Thoden smiled. Malachi turned sad eyes to the smoldering village.

"A real shame. This place was a very sacred place, which ironically is what drew them here." He murmured.

Josh kept glancing around, expecting to be attacked at any moment. "Is it safe to be standing around like this?"

"As long as I am here, perhaps. Although, if we are attacked, then we will be assured that we are where we are supposed to be." He groaned and stretched his back. He stabbed his staff into the ground. "Ah, my aching joints. I haven't moved like that in three centuries." He proceeded to perform a series of stretches that included several arm stretches, twenty push ups, and one cartwheel, much to the amazement of the three onlookers. "Ah, now, that's more like it! Now, where are we headed?"

Josh glanced around, and when he realized they were all staring at him, he blinked a few times in surprise. "What? I have no idea! All I thought about was finding whoever we were supposed to find. And we found him."

Malachi clicked his tongue and smiled. "So ignorant compared to the last generation. Ironically, that happens to make you perfect for this job!" He muttered. The others stared in confusion, but he shook his head. "Oh, you will all find out soon enough. Now, Josh, you have the ability to hear the Road, a trait that has never fully developed in anyone like it has in you. Listen to it, and it shall tell you where you are to go. Now, have you any other questions? I must be off soon."

Sarah frowned. "Where is it that you need to get too?" Malachi shrugged his shoulders.

"I have absolutely no idea, but I know that I must get there. Now that you lot have an understanding of all this, it's time for me to head out." Malachi strode off into the forest and was gone in minutes. Josh shook his head.

"I'm not sure whether I want him to answer anything or just let us struggle on our own." He said.

Thoden spoke up. "He has always been an odd one. He is the old, that's for sure. He has visited my village from time to time for as long as anyone can remember, going back hundreds of years."

"And yet he can still do a cartwheel. Heh, that'll probably be me one day." Sarah sighed.

The wind blew, and on it, Josh seemed to hear something else. It was like a beckoning, a feeling in his gut that pointed out a single direction. "We go that way." And he pointed to the west.

Thoden's face grew grim. "That's what I feared."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

Thoden turned to her with grave eyes. "Because that is where the Yacota live. A dangerous and savage race that seem to kill for no reason." He paused before continuing. "It is where we send those condemned to die."

The Ever War: Chapter 2.7,2

Without any warning, Echo lunged forward. Josh barely managed to block her attack before she hurled another one at him. He found himself hard pressed to defend against her furious strikes. He winced as her blade grazed his arm, blood dripping. She smirked with satisfaction and stepped up her attack. Josh was finding himself more and more hard pressed to maintain his ground, taking first one step back, then another. Finally seeing an opportunity, he ducked beneath her sword and dealt her a quick uppercut. The assassin flew up and back, landing with a thud. Within a second, she was on her feet again and charging. Josh dodged around, trying to catch her off guard again, but now she was being cautious. Her eyes shone with anger and hatred, and he realized that he was not going to get another such opportunity. He jumped up, trying to gain some ground, or even trying to get into the air, but she grabbed his ankle and threw him to the ground.

An axe slashed down between her, and Thoden slammed a fist into her, really sending her flying. She landed on her feet, catlike. She spat to the side, licking the blood from her lips and wiping it off her cheek. She glared and stood to her feet as Sarah tended to Josh. She inspected her new opponent. Her usual tactics wouldn't help her here. Not against such a massive man. Two great wings spread out behind him, and for just a moment, she thought about the fearsome sight that he was. But such thoughts were fleeting. Her target was in her sights, and she was not about to fail again. She leaned back as the mighty axe sailed directly over her face, mere centimeters from her skin. A couple of her hairs fell, cut clean off.

Thoden hefted the axe, waiting to see what she was going to do. She charged at him, feigning. The axe swung at her, and quick as lightning, she leaped onto the moving weapon and jumped at him. Her fist struck Thoden across his face, causing him to sink to his knees with a thud that shook the ground. She smirked, but her smirk turned to surprise as she was hurled backwards. Sarah stood, an arm in front of her. Josh stood next to her, Solaris glowing with gold fire, as Thoden stood to his feet. Echo pushed herself to her feet, her sword flying to her hand. Her eyes narrowed with determination. "Congratulations. You just pissed me off." Without another word, she leaped at all three of them. She parried each of Josh's attacks, even managed to dodge his fire spells. Trying to evade Sarah's magic actually took effort; it was no wonder that her Mistress, Lilith, and the other Generals wanted her capture. Even as young as she was, Sarah was a formidable Sage.

She slammed her blade into the ground and threw all her weight into both feet, kicking Josh directly in the stomach. He went down on his back, winded and out cold. Echo gave another satisfied smirk. She set her sights on Thoden; Sarah would require her full concentration. She dodged around, evading both Sarah's spells and Thoden's axe. She leaped up into the air and conjured a spell of her own. A ball of Dark energy formed between her hands, and she threw it as hard as she could at the giant. It exploded in a cloud and Thoden slammed ten feet away. Now it was just Sarah. She gulped and faced the assassin.

Echo smile wickedly. "Come with me now, and I will not harm you. Make this difficult and I will rough you up a bit."

Sarah gulped again and readied herself. "I-I won't. I won't go!" Fast as a diving falcon, she whirled about hurling spell after spell. Echo's eyes widened with pure shock as she was struck by the sudden barrage. She slammed back into a tree, causing it to snap in half. She groaned and stood to her feet. Focusing all her remaining strength, she used a spell Lilith had taught her. Darkness clouded about her, filling her and boosting her strength. Her fatigue fell away, and she stood steady on her feet again. She formed another Dark ball, this time throwing it at her opponents feet. Sarah was thrown back. Her vision faded; she knew no more after that.

Echo approached, making sure she was alive. Satisfied that she was, she was about to pick up the unconscious girl, when she felt eyes on her. She whirled around, unleashing several knives. They all stopped in midair and fell to the ground before Malachi. His grey hair blew about him; his teal eyes burning with a purpose of their own. For what seemed like the twentieth time, Echo felt shock.

"Malachi..." she whispered. The old man smirked.

"My, my, it has been quite some time. Has it not, Echo?" he asked.

The girl snarled at him. "Don't you ever die?"

He chuckled. "I will if my Lady ever wishes it." Echo frowned.

"I still fail to see why you follow her. She's weak and pathetic. If she had any strength, she would have defeated my Mistress and her brethren long ago!"

Malachi inspected a small pebble as he answered. "Oh, you and I both know what would happen if my Lady and your Lord were to actually fight one another. It would bring about a Cataclysm neither of them desire."

Echo smirked. "Are you so sure of that?"

Malachi nodded and took a swig from his flask. He offered it to Echo. "Indubitably." Echo just glared at him, so he pocketed his drink. "Suit yourself. Something tells me this is going to get rather interesting." He stood as the assassin once again drew her sword. This would be most interesting indeed.

The Ever War: Chapter 2.7

A Shade stood at the head of a battalion. A Waith came up to him. "Sir, why must we have to put up with...her?"

The Shade glared at the grunt. "Because it is the will of Lady Lilith." At the mention of her name, the Waith drew back. Echo stood ten feet away, alone. The rest of the soldiers feared her. She was the Handmaiden of the Generals. She carried out their will without question.

The Waith bowed and fled. Echo approached the Shade. "There's a village not far from here."

"And you're sure that this is the village?" The Shade asked. Echo looked at him with cold eyes.

"Mistriss Lilith taught me to read the Signs. There is no doubt; this is the village." The Shade turned to order his troops. "But remember, he is not the priority. It is the two who are on their way here that are the main targets."

The Shade turned back to her. "They are your targets..." A blade held to his throat silenced him. Echo crept close until she was an inch from his face.

"It is the will of the Generals that those two be stopped, and you will not stand in the way." She removed her blade. The Shade nodded, shaken that she could move so swift.
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Sarah stopped and rested on a log. "How much farther?" Josh looked at the map.

"About three more hours. I wonder who we'll find." Josh answered. Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"You mean, we don't even know who it is we are getting?" She asked. Josh shrugged.

"All I know is where to go, and now we know how to get there. As for who we are getting to...I have no idea." Josh said. A glance at the sky revealed it to be around noon. His original thought that the forest resembled Earth had been wrong. The trees grew tall, and many were centuries old, their massive trunks rising into the sky. "Be wary. Darkness lurks about." Josh stiffened. Now that it was brought to his attention, he wondered why he hadn't noticed it earlier. Solaris was in his hand in seconds. Sarah stood in alarm. He looked at her and nodded. Their wings quickly spread out behind them in case they needed to fly.

Sarah's wings were interesting. As the Sage, she could manipulate time, hence the sun and moon. As a result, her right wing shone with a golden light, while her left shone like silver. Her hands glowed with magic. Together, the two of them carefully made their way forward. Josh frowned. Smoke? Sarah shifted uneasily beside him. They ran in the direction of the smell and froze at the edge of the forest. Smoke rose in the distance, a few figures could be seen running about. A shadow towered over them, and they both whirled around only to freeze again. A giant stood before them, or at least, he appeared to be a giant. He stood over them, inspecting them, before kneeling down to their height. He said something, speaking in a deep and slow voice.

Josh frowned. The giant spoke again, and this time, Josh understood it better. "Are you the Wanderer?" he asked. Despite his great size, his movements were quick and precise. Josh's eyes widened at his face. A Mark. The Mark of the Warrior. Two wings spread out around a double headed axe, their tips spiraling down the sides of his face.

"The Warrior." Josh said. He gave a salute. (The Vi'gero were a people of honor. Those who held special titles would receive a special salute in greeting: a closed fist to the heart.) The Warrior returned the gesture. Josh nodded at the burning village. "What happened here?"

"We were attacked." The Warrior answered. "I apologize, I have not introduced myself. I am Thoden, son of Thaden. This was my village before we were attacked by a Shade. A Shade and an assassin."

"Assassin..." Sarah murmured. "Was it a woman?" Thoden nodded. Sarah bowed her head. "She is after me." Josh frowned.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "Josh, assassin!" He whirled about, Solaris flinging the throwing knife away. She emerged from the brush, her eyes shining with malice.

"You are much stronger than your predecessors, but you are still no match for me." She drew her blade. With hate burning in her eyes, she inspected her prey, ready to slit his throat.