Chapter 1 - Part 4

["I...pack. Yes. We best be moving, ain't got the whole day, young Haiden. No time for tea" He got the pot of boiling water and tossed on the ground and turned his back and quickly directed his attention to his belongings.. Haiden was slightly relieved for not being forced to drink that awful concoction but yearned for Regor tk come back, the warmth quicly being replaced by cold air.

It's for the best, he thought, he didn't know what his body might have urged him to do next if Regor's embrace would have lasted any longer.]

The soft chirp of a lonely bird mingled with the whistle of the wind and crunch of leaves making an oddly satisfying white noise to lose oneself in thought. The rhythmic pace of feet and hooves on the ground had a hypnotic effect making time run faster. The sun was shooting its last rays over the gray wall of emler trees coloring them bright yellow and orange. The deep, black shadows that the trees were casting, toyed with Haiden and Regor's vision, mimicking movement where there was none. The already tense atmosphere increased with shadows that danced in the corner of their eyes. They knew it will come, but they were now ready for it.

"We should be out of the forest in an hour or two, young Haiden. We must keep walking straight ahead." Regor said in an almost whisper-like voice.

"Aye, Regor. If it comes, we try it your way. Climb the trees as fast as we can." Haiden replied. He squished Dusty's reins in his hands, the animal could feel the nervousness in his movements. This made the cowardly mron twitchy and alert.

"I hate to ask this of you, young Haiden, but are you sure you want to use your wielding to kill the creature?" Regor asked without looking at Haiden. They have not looked each other in the eye since they left the camp.

"Truth be told, I don't know if I can. But I will try. My mentor refused to teach me anything more than necessary; I only know the bare basics, but If I have enough time I'll think of something." Haiden replied.

As they moved forward in the thick emler forest the sunlight grew sparse. The white noise of life in the forest went silent as the last light ray of sun was engulfed by darkness. This night belonged to the blue sister; her mournful pale light cascaded over the forest canopy with soft ghostly hues. The wind quickened and squealed through the trees, its cold blade cutting into any exposed flesh.

Haiden could hear his heartbeat thumping in his chest, Regor's hard breathing, and Dusty's hooves on the forest ground. His stomach churned with anticipation; he knew it was just a matter of time before the creature caught up with them.

Regor held up a makeshift torch to light their way, the soft dim light of the blue sister was not enough for human eyes. The torch worked well for a few feet, then darkness bloomed ahead; enveloping them like a shroud.

"You sure it won't sense the fire, young Haiden? Regor asked in a nervous whisper.

"I hope, Regor. We scattered our blood-soaked clothes in the opposite direction, didn't we? Think that bought us some time," Haiden replied. He had been racking his mind to find out a way to deal with the creature with every spell he knew, which were so few he could count them on one hand. Haiden went over each one in his mind but it was futile, he couldn't devise a plan to kill a beast like that, not with what he knew.

The torch was burning out as they move forward. The black shroud of night softened in the dimimg presence of their sole light. The emler trees gave way for a small clearing where the blue sister was visible in the night sky. Regor whispered a small prayer to the sister while holding the amulet tightly in his paw-like hands.

"Does it work?" Haiden asked.

"I don't know, young Haiden. I like to think it does. Gives me some peace of mind, it does." Regor replied.

"Can you...teach me?"

"Teach you what? How to pray?"

"Aye," Haiden was thankful that his face wasn't discernable in the dim light. He was embarrassed to ask this of Regor

"Everyone knows how to pray, young Haiden.

"I...I don't remember ever doing it. I must've, but I don't remember." Haiden said embarrassed

"Oh." Regor said remembering his friend's story. "right. Well, it ain't nothing special to it." Regor pulled his amulet over his head and handed it over to Haiden. "Here, you can have this. It's called Maker's tear. Me ma' gave it to me before I left. Been in the family for generations."

"I can't, Regor" Haiden said while holding the amulet.

"'s alright. You need it more than me." he said placing the amulet in his hands, enclosing them with his own. The touch sent a shock through Haiden's spine, it was pleasant. "So, praying...let's see. Guess you just call to the Makers, Creators, Original ones however you like to call upon them and their creations like the three sisters of the night to watch over us. Tonight's Lotri'ea's night, one the of the mightiest creation of our Makers, young Haiden. It would be good to pray to her."

"So I just say it..."

"Whatever suits you, really. You can speak, you can sing, you can think, as long as it gives you comfort."

"Right." Haiden said, pocketing the amulet and pressed forward. He contemplated what to say in his prayer but, really, he just wanted for the two of them to get out of this wretched forest already.

"We're almost out. I can –" Regor fell silent over the crunch of distant leaves. He quickly plunged the torch in the ground and pressed his finger to his lips for Haiden to keep quiet, then motioned him to climb up the nearby tree. Haiden tied the mron to a tree and then both of them climbed up the thick emler trees as high as they could and waited in dark silence. Haiden's heart broke for Dusty, it will become the creature's inevitable target. Regor nodded at Haiden from the adjacent tree signaling him to get ready for what ever he's about to do.

Haiden's stomach grew unsettled again with the anticipation of the impending attack. He closed his eyes and concentrated trying to get past his nervousness. The static flowed through him, he was ready. The hair on the back of his neck stood upright yelling "DANGER" however everything was still silent, there was no further movement between the trees - even the wind had stopped. He could hear Regor's heavy breath in the tree next to him. His senses were straining to see and hear, but there was something in his pack that was poking at his back. With a few adjustments he reached over for it pulling out the combustible oil.

And then it clicked.

"I got it!" He yelled in triumph to Regor. Dusty began to twitch and become restless as if his eureka moment alerted the creature, Haiden's senses didn't let up one moment - it was out there. The poor mron gnawed at the reins that tied him to a tree and rattled his tail endlessly. He was scared, very scared. Snorting and rattling his flaps while chewing through the reins in an almost plea like way to let him go. Haiden didn't want to look at him, but he had to. His life and Regor's depended on this one shot.  A rustle of leaves to his left drew his attention and then powerful thumps moved quickly towards the mron.

Haiden's heart was pounding out of his chest. He only saw a blur of white swiping at Dusty. Immediately its hind leg flew right off into the air, the clean cut spew blood everywhere: on the trees, the ground, their packs, and even the creature itself, drenched in blood. A heartbreaking grunt came form Dusty as it fell to the ground.

The creature approached slowly and stood right next to the mron's body as it flailed uselessly to get up. The distorted figure of an elongated human to the point of absurdity stunned Haiden. Its chest heaved with the triumph of its impending kill. It's crooked long hands tipped with dagger like claws swiped at Dusty's body revealing his innards. The creature let out a sharp howl from its vertical mouth that hurt Haiden's ears.

It was the first time Haiden was seeing the creature standing still. Its white skin, now soiled with Dusty's blood, glistened in the dim torch light. It supported itself on two immense skeletal arm-like limbs that were longer than the length of his body. When it approached dusty's corpse to enjoy its meal Haiden noticed that on the torso there were crevasse that rattled slightly that resembled those of the mron. It clumsily crouched next to Dusty's body and began eating. The crunch of bone in teeth sickened Haiden.

"Now!" yelled Regor. The creature hearing Regor swiftly turned his head in their general direction.

Haiden gathered all the power he could muster, static stabbed his body with electricity, condensing it into one hand, just like the way he lit the fire and torch, shaping it into a ball until a small spark glowed in his palm. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and hands were trembling but didn't let this phase him. He wanted to kill this creature, for the pain it caused them and for Dusty. He then pushed the combustible oil from the other hand with as much force as he could at the same time shooting the spark at the body of the creature.

Fire engulfed the creature and it flailed on the ground extinguishing itself. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air, even overpowered the scent of rotten meat and fresh blood. Even if its skin was singed, the creature survived and let out an ebem worse howl this time. But it wasn't enough to kill the creature. It jumped to Regors tree howling and rattling aggressively.

With the awful scream ringing in his head, his eyes glistened with tears of fear. Stealing a brief glimpse at Dusty's mangled body, Haiden took a deep breath and steeled his face into a maniacal scowl. Another life had been wasted because he was useless, he had no control. He could have saved both Dusty and Regor if he could just will his powers, but he had no idea how. However, one thing was certain: he will not let it harm Regor!

His chest tightened and rage consumed him, sudden surge of power flew through his body. The static intensified and could hear slight crackles around him reignite. He raised his hands again and released his rage onto the already wounded creature that was swiping at Regors tree with its long powerful arms. Intense heat scorched the skin of his palms as a column of fire poured out in a continuous downfall of flame while it screeched for its life. Once it finished its last screech it fell to the ground Haiden continued pouring everything he had and once he finished he finally heard Regor screaming at him.

"-den! Stop! Haiden!"

Both Dusty and the creature were charred to the bone. Flaming remnants luminated the dark forest.

Dizzily Haiden climbed down and Regor soon joined him. He looked at the charred mron at his feet and his bottom lip trembled. He placed his hand on Regor's shoulder while he sat for some time in silence, mourning over his lost friend.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it in...' Haiden looked at his hands in disbelief. Regor pulled Haiden closer in a tight embrace. He was trembling.

"I've had him since I was a boy," he sniffled in Haiden's shoulder and relaxed his body for a few moments.

"I'm sorry," Haiden repeated.

"It's not your fault." Regor said, his breath tickled Haiden's neck. Haiden hated himself for how his body responded to the embrace so he pulled away from Regor.

Wiping his tears and nose with the back of his sleeve Regor picked up his bag. "We're close, lets go," they re-lit the torch and resumed their way out of the forest. Soon after they departed the trees thinned and they could see specks of light.

"Look! Can you see them, can you?" Haiden's hand moved to point towards them but stopping abruptly halfway through- the flaring prickle of his senses overwhelmed him, his heart sinking in the depths of his stomach.

No! he thought.

The air stilled with a sweet acrid scent lingering. It smelled like rotten meat. He turned too late to the dark canopy of trees only to hear heavy thumps coming towards them.

"Aye! Must be Avlan town. We're almost – Ahh!" Regor's leg was grabbed by skeletal hand and dragged in the dark forest.

"No!" Haiden screamed and ran after them in the dark. Low branches scraped at his face and body, leaving bloody marks – he didn't care. He had to get Regor back.

He ran as fast as he could, pushing all fatigue aside, gathering all of his strength to keep moving, to find Regor. Finally, after what seemed like hours of running and falling on the dark forest ground he found Regor slumped at the base of a tree holding a big gash in his chest, he was half awake.

'Talk to me! You bastard, don't do this now!" Haiden pleaded with Regor.

"A...aye! that I am" Regor replied, his head swerving in all direction, he was going in and out of consciousness. "Go. I. Can't..."

"Please, please! Don't do this to me, you big oaf!" Regor's body relaxed and Haiden's mind was on fire. He had to do something. He cursed his lack of knowledge and skill. He didn't know how to heal so he did the next thing he knew. Haiden placed his palms on the wound and blasted it with energy just as he did with Regor's thigh. It didn't do anything; the bleeding didn't stop. He tried again and again and for nothing. Regor had passed out from the bleeding.

Haiden felt hopeless; a feeling of vertigo overwhelmed him to the point of almost passing out. He remembered he still had the Maker's tear and got the amulet from his pocket and begged and begged for something to happen.

"Please! Creators! Blue Sister! I need him, don't take him away, please just help him!" he prayed for something, anything, anyone to help Regor. He waited in vain. He placed his hands on Regor's chest again in one last desperate attempt to close the wound, with the amulet still in one hand he pushed all of his energy into it. It smelled of burnt flesh and blood. The wound was still seeping blood. The amulet was hot in his palm. He held it tighter as if the pain would solve anything, punishing himself for his inability to do anything.

Haiden took Regor's head and pressed their foreheads together. "I don't...I don't want to lose you, you big oaf! Please come back to me. I need you back! I need you, you hear me?" He pleaded, but nothing happened yet again. Regor's breath was no more and his heartbeat ceased, his body stood lifeless on the ground, beneath Haiden. Tears flowed cold on his cheek in the autumn air, he leaned sideways and heaved the contents of his stomach. A constant buzzing accompanied the searing heat coming from his hand, but he was too out of it to care.

Leaves rustled between emler trees followed by the quick thumps of the creature. His senses flared again alerting him of the attack and he spun around to face the creature. Its distorted human like face snarled and screeched angrily at Haiden. It was approaching fast. In Haiden's closed fist the amulet's buzzing grew and the heat became unbearable. It burned through Haiden's palm and in a panic he threw it at the incoming creature.

White light engulfed the creature, sending a shock wave away from it. Upon contact, the amulet exploded, decimating the creature that leapt towards him. The force of the blast threw him against a tree and he lost consciousness.

Blood, guts and pieces of flesh flew everywhere and a small crater was now located where the creature was.

When Haiden came around it was day. He could hear dim voices in the distance, but he couldn't care less about being saved. Haiden limped back to Regor's side and laid beside his friend holding him close.