Telene: Book One

The Prince of Veneficus silently stood in the courtyard, his steady icy-blue eyes focusing on the swordsmanship his mentor was showing him with a volunteer. Every move, parry and footwork he digested while listening closely to the words his elder spoke. He took his combat training seriously even if he had no choice but to take them. Of course there would always be a choice of whether to strive to learn or to learn grudgingly. It would not make sense for him to slack on his studies, as tedious they may be, even such tasks had a purpose.

Nox, the Prince who was born on the black sun. Although no oracle, seer nor prophet of any kind saw any black omens on the particular birth, there were still rumors. Sometimes even he would wonder if he brought upon ill luck towards his Kingdom. Regardless, no disasters had happened since his birth and the land remained prosperous. Despite that, he was still named Nox by the King, to celebrate the day of the black sun in commemoration to his heir. And so, here he was, learning how to fence correctly.

His raven hair was neatly kept in a sleek and neat style to hide nothing of his face which held the seriousness of a king and the arrogance of a noble. Although he wore a simple tunic and plain breeches, he still seemed to appear like royalty. Although there was one thing bothering his mental being, one thing that quite annoyed the wits out of him.

"Oh, he looks so very serious Maybelle!" Cooed a blond haired girl, wearing a long and elegant sky-blue gown. Her companion agreed enthusiastically while she added to the comment.

"Serious and handsome!" Said the girl with the brown hair, both quite loudly speaking their flattery towards him.

Nox released his annoyance at his mentor, who mischievously grinned in reply.

"That should be all for today, Terence! I'm sure Nox has seen enough and is willing to put his observation to action." He announced cheerfully, motioning for his young student to come forward. Ludwig vi Fronce was Noxs' choice for a teacher. Despite declining the crowned prince several times, many were shown just how persistent Nox could be if he so wished. Ludwig had grudgingly accepted of course.

Even the most pessimistic teachers can be pleasantly surprised, when the rumors of Noxs' ability to listen to advice wasn't blown out of proportion, he too was smitten by the princes' personality. Though he looked arrogant and reeked of his social ranking, he did not show any of these in his actions and speech. Plus, the students you can tease are the best ones to have.

"Yes, of course, Lord Fronce." He bowed respectfully and walked away calmly. Nox turned back to look at the blond aristocrat and merely wondered how he seemed not to have a drop of sweat on him.

"Ready, boy?" Ludwig asked, although he didn't expect any other answer.

"Yes." Nox quickly replied while he went into a defensive stance. Ludwig was an aggressive fencer, however he seemed to know the most perfect moments to switch his strategy. It was troublesome. Of course it was difficult to completely focus with the distracting voices behind him. Noxs’ face was dishonest to show only a focused expression when he could hardly focus.

“Oh my, he learns very quickly!” Maybelle commented from a safe distance, admiring Noxs’ stance and poise while he tried to defend from his mentor. The moment the two had started, Maybelle and her cousin Adaline had cheered on for their Prince. Nox had only loosened his focused when they did.

The prince was by far not a novice, however he was clumsy in some areas of the art, he was still skilled in his own right. It was a favorable hobby that he would gladly train alone, unlike the academics which he had the gift of slipping away for periods of time until someone found him. His strikes were fast but inaccurate compared to Ludwig's even faster moves.

“It’s truly quite an honor to watch his Highness practice!”

“I agree, watching his Highness move elegantly like that is riveting!”

It was by this very same treatment that had led Nox to avoid women, their constant cooing, wooing and attention had been horribly smothering. He wasn’t quite rumored to hate women although his reluctance to stay in the same room alone with a girl was quite obvious. It was a concern for his mother who had wanted to match his son with a suitable bride since she had so failed with her daughter.

Isabella was the eldest child, growing into a beautiful but head-strong woman instead of a meek princess. He had not seen much of her when she was young, both of them often busy by studies and various lessons. Nox had seen little of her since her acceptance to the army, but he would remember her charming smile that made even Noxs’ heart calm as his fathers own smile did. It didn’t take a mastermind to know where she had gotten it from.

“Oh yes, Prince Nox, you can do it!” Adaline cheered, causing him to almost slip and lose his balance.

“Lord Fronce…” The young prince began quietly as he paused and gave his mentor a serious gaze. “Is this truly, truly necessary.” He asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Yes, actually. It will help you focus on the most distressing times, since unnecessary distractions seem to bother you more than unnecessary ones and clearly we have to fix that.” He replied simply, that same calm expression on his face when he is teasing a student. A normal boy would have been tempted to throw a tantrum, perhaps Nox had been tempted, regardless he showed no signs of the notion. Instead the young prince took a moment to breath in and out, something one usually did when he meditated and motioned for his teacher to continue.

There was a reason why Ludwig had liked Nox, it was because despite him giving him the hardest time he would still not complain nor whine. Instead he channeled his annoyance and dealt with it like what a grown man would do.

“Very well, now that I can see that you are ready…”

"They still at it?"

"Yeah. Getting bored?"

"Nah, just... impatient, yeah. That's it. Sick of waitin' around, y'know? Gettin' antsy. Ain't good to make us types wait..."

"I didn't need, nor ask for a tour guide. Why is your boss so paranoid?"

"S'big job as you can imagine. Gotta make sure you're doin' what we're payin' ya to, make sure ya don't squeal or jump ship. Simple as that, ya?"

"If I wanted to "squeal or jump ship", I would simply kill you and do it."

The man never replied after that, and the two waited in silence as the clock kept on ticking. The time for peace was coming to an end, and even as time steadily passed on, the people of Veneficus were unprepared for the future.

“Alright everyone, it’s time for the best part of class! Clear your books away and please move to the sides of the classroom!” The students in the class did as they were told and rushed excitedly to the sides all anxiously awaiting what was about to happen next. Professor Pierce waved his hands and cleared the room of all desks leaving the room completely empty. “Ok! Now grab your weapon of choice and let’s get ready for a battle royal! The winner will receive 10 points extra credit and the title of classroom champion until next time.”

The students clambered around each rustling through their belongings finding their desired weapons. Some students grabbed a typical sword, while others went the generic mage route with a staff in hand. Others who chose to be swift grabbed wands or those who were more thought provoking grabbed bows and ran towards the back of the classroom. Then there were those with the more unique weapons such as pole arms, concealed weapons, scythes, even the giant broadswords were brought out into play. Professor Pierce clapped his hands in order to gain attention and order once more.

“Now I want each and every one of you to remember, this is a battle magic class. Even if you are very skilled with your chosen weapon you can still be taken down very easily if the opposing person has the upper hand in magic. Watch your mana carefully! There will be no potions or replenishing of magic allowed during this battle royal.” Professor Pierce crossed his arms in an x touching the gems of his wristbands together. His weapon of choice were his own fists, however he would not be competing in this battle royal, merely supervising. His hands began to glow a brilliant blue as he waved it towards all the students in the class. The students reciprocated the glow and floated gently off the floor and then back down. “I have given you all a blessing that will cause most weapon strikes to do very little to no damage at all. The point is for you to use your skills and knowledge in magic to the best of your abilities, and with that I wish you all good luck!” With another wave of his hands he created a barrier around himself to ensure his own safety. Professor Pierce then proceeded to circle the classroom watching the battling going on.

As he walked near the archers that were in the back of the class almost half of the students had been knocked to the ground either through stuns or being knocked out. Some frozen others had scorch marks on their faces. He nodded in approval as the students were slowly coming into their own fighting styles and magical preferences. He quickly side stepped as one of the rangers were taken out with a fireball to the face and kept moving along. Slowly it was down to three students left battling it out in the center of the classroom.

The students that had lost already moved to the edges of the classrooms and performed healing spells on each other as they watched the intense battle that had begun. The three students in the center knew nothing of their surroundings and only of the battle that was going on. The first student was a girl who was very quick and light on her feet. She preferred to use wind magic and a fan as her weapon of choice. The second student that was opposing her most of the time was also just as quick and his weapon of choice were two small daggers that were charmed with poison on the tips. The third student was a broad shouldered slow muscular boy who used an oversized hammer with ground shaking spells. The two more swift students double teamed the larger boy avoiding his spells by keeping in the air thanks to the girls wind magic. With two quick swipes of the boy’s daggers the broad boy fell to his knees and moved to the side. With the elimination of the extra fighter the two quickly jumped to the sides creating distance needed for the fight.

“Very nice…working with your enemy to take down the bigger threat. You see students, that is how it should be done! Now…the fight will end momentarily.” Professor Pierce turned around and sat back at his desk to get a better view of the fight that was about to come to a conclusion. Both fighters were extremely fatigued with very little mana left. With the next move whoever is the more skilled will emerge the winner.

With two swift movements both fighters lunged at each other with lightning paced speed. The boy created smoke to conceal his movements but it was quickly countered by a powerful gust of wind. The girl smirked and twirled her fans towards him. They lunged towards each other again and this time impact with the boys dagger hit the girl’s stomach, however this was exactly what she wanted. They fell to the floor both still standing, but within the next instant a layer of wind revealed itself around the girl’s body and encased the attacker. The fight was over, she had emerged the winner. Clapping erupted in the classroom as the students chatted about the spectacular fight. Professor Pierce walked over to the girl to congratulate her.

“Well done Lizzy, very well done indeed. With this you have been awarded 10 extra credit points and the current champion! Class dismissed I shall see you again next week.” The class filed out of the classroom noise still buzzing about the battle. Normally the Professor would have loved to stay behind and helped his students out with the various spells that they had trouble with, but today he managed to slip away and be on his own.

“I should probably check up on some of my other students.” He said smiling to himself. Professor Pierce was also a private tutor for the prince and princess of the kingdom. He left the magic academy and headed towards the castle. Once reaching the inside he proceeding to the training room where he knew that Nox would be at, practicing fencing no less.

He stopped by a mirror on his way to fix himself up from the battle simulations he had done during class. His hair made a triangle in the front and was spiked down the middle while the rest fell to the sides. He fixed his coat which fell down to right above his ankles. He brushed his coat sleeves which stopped at his elbows off getting rid of any sign of dirt or scorch marks, while fixing his black shirt. His coat was a dark midnight blue lined with silver, it also had a silver almost phoenix looking design. He wore a black shirt with black pants underneath creating the illusion of wearing a typical mage robe when in reality he was not. His silver wristbands shone brightly against the darkness of his cloak, with an intricate winged design and with one big gem in the center of each band. Both gems were the deepest shade of blue that looked as if they had come straight out of the ocean.

As soon as everything was in check he proceeded into the training room. He saw Nox training with his private Fencing trainer with a very annoyed expression on his face. Pierce just assumed it had something to do with the screaming fan girls that were drooling over him. Professor Pierce just laughed to himself and decided to leave Nox alone. He’d check up with his pupil later. Now on to Nox’s sister Isabella, she was more gifted in magic than Nox was and was his older sister. He thought to himself “Princess Isabella should be at the training grounds currently…” Instead of walking he decided to take the short path and cast a dimension spell to get to the grounds quickly. There he found two teams of the army opposing each other, he spotted the princess and watched what happened next.

Beckoning the overwhelming opposition, Isabella met the first charging soldier with a side-step and cleaving blow to his midsection. The barrier surrounding his body almost cracked under the strain, but protected him even as he slung through a wall several feet away. Carrying the momentum of her swing, Isabella charged her two hand sword with magical power and unleashed a flurry of wind from the blade to sweep the enemy soldiers off their feet. Seizing the opportunity, she flipped over them and landed at the feet of their leader who was a gargantuan man wielding a heavy axe.

Rolling to avoid his slow swipe, she stabbed her sword up through his arm and ran forward to tear it from his shoulder. He turned with a wild swing to rip off her head, but she jumped over the slash and actually landed on his weapon to scale his arm and thrust her sword into his head. Channeling electricity through the blade, she sent a shock into his system that caused the giant man to scream in pain and convulse to the ground. She leapt off gracefully, landed on her feet, and rushed into the remaining enemy team.

She was quickly circled and forced to fight on multiple fronts. Imbuing her sword with wind power to make it light as a feather, she shot fireblasts with her left hand and locked weapons with her right, ducking to deliver knockdown strikes whenever possible. She spun her blade to swat away a swarm of arrows and advanced the motion to release a mini tornado that crashed into the rear ranks. One of the soldiers grabbed her left arm and received a fireball to the face, but two more followed his example and restricted her. The opposing team then piled on top of her, but were mercilessly thrown when her body surged with fire and flame exploded outwards to blow them away. Breathing heavily and barely clad in tatters of her once magnificent garments, she stabbed her sword into the ground and chanted inaudibly to focus the elements at her fingertips.

Shockwaves of power spread out from her body, her arms rippled with flashes of the elements as they gathered in her open palms, and her fingers curled inward as if barely able to contain the masses of energy. The opposing team was just starting to recover when she combined the separate balls of energy in her hands into one colossal force, and unleashed it on the field. A supernova cast the entire area in blinding light, and if it wasn't for the powerful barrier maintained by army sages, there would have been no surviving such an attack. The light died to reveal a devastated arena with soldiers strewn about and a lone red-haired princess in the center. Glancing sideways, she slowly noticed Professor Pierce, and a smile lit her features as she relaxed slightly.

Nox made his way back towards his room as the day dwindled. It was the usual day for him and Lord Ludwig. His temper was unusually short and though it would never show in his face, he was sure the extra effort he took to be even more gallant was more frightening then a snarl or a glare. The passing servants were visibly afraid, Nox was not known for his rude behavior, but something out of his norm would make anyone suspicious. The women in the court were infuriating and he realized the only women in his life were his mother and sister, whom he could stand and even enjoy their presence.

Lazily he paused at the roofed bridge that connected the the two towers, both representing the two children of the King. It was a little extravagant, but it was known that the king loved his children. Still, it did not truly matter, as a child he would sneak into their room, or to his sister’s room. Timid and positively innocent, Nox was showered with adoring love.

He smiled back at the memory as his eyes drifted across the Kingdom he would soon have a responsibility over. It was so beautiful, stretching as far as his eyes could see. The elegant buildings and lush farms were fruitful, the busy waves of people in the streets wavering as people made their way home. The horizon expanding as the sun began to set, and the night engulfed the wide open sky that enfolded across the world. Nox took a deep breath to take it all in, returned his resolve and let his irritation flee.

As the Prince took a step forward, the rustling of the wind whispered across the air, to begin the very eventful night that would grace the kingdom of Veneficus.

"So you are Nox, the young prince of Veneficus..." The voice belonged to a shadowy figure that appeared behind the boy, separating itself from the darkness of the unforgiving night. The young prince raised his guard almost immediately as an uneasy sense arose within him. Why had he not felt the stranger's presence? How had the stranger infiltrated their seemingly inpenetrable castle? "Who are you," the boy said carefully, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"You are right to question my existence and doubt my motives, but let it be known that if I intended ill against you," the voice wavered for a moment as the figure blurred out of view and reappeared with blinding speed at Nox' side, "agony would become you, young prince." Nox' eyes grew wide and he stumbled backwards as if in retreat, attemtping to put as much distance between them as possible. The figure seemed to watch him move with brown eyes glowing golden from within the shadows of his hood. "While your display is amusing, young prince, we have not the time. Come with me, now, and I can guarantee your safety!" The figure offered his gloved hand, beckoning the prince to come of his own accord, but Nox did not trust the stranger cloaked in black.

"I am not going anywhere with you, stranger. Begone or I will scream, and I can assure you that the castle guard will not treat you with as much patience-...ah?!" Nox let out a soft cry of pain as a gloved fist slammed into his gut and he had just enough time to look in shock at the figure towering above him before unconsciousness claimed his spirit. The figure caught him in one arm and lifted him gracefully to his chest in one fluid motion.

"My apologies, young prince, but time is of the essence," the figure spoke quietly to himself while entering the castle. He passed two guards lying unconscious at the door, their bodies still twitching as the occasional bolt of electricity flickered over their flesh.

Ridiculous.

That was the single word that haunted his mind as the events unfolded; all he could do was curse his carelessness. The ride was less than perfect while the mysterious figure who decided to kidnap him began to make his escape. If Nox was a stupid person, he might have resisted or attempted to make an escape however if the subtle warning of the electric sparks tickling his skin was of any indication it was likely not to be wise.

Thus he opted for a more passive action, “where are you taking me?”

A simple question could answer many things, especially certain things that might tell him what the bloody murder was going on. Nox grunted once more as the stranger leapt across a rather large gap between the more prominent houses of the higher district in Veneficus. Somehow the idea of riding in a bumpy carriage seemed like the ultimate comfort. He was in a hurry, which was certain. He even said it himself. But why?

There was not a spell in his mind that could protect him or counter the electricity that sparked every so often. It grazed his skin and even burned it slightly but he didn’t dare complain. Spellwork was not his forte, Nox had sadly admitted. They were heading quickly to the outer wall, slightly impressed by the agility and his ability to climb with dead weight on his back.

The black-haired man smirked while jumping off a building and using a laundry line to glide down into an alley. "Well, at least you're questioning me instead of making any rash decisions that could end in your premature death..." He loosened his hold suddenly as if to drop the prince face-first on the hard ground below, but it was only to mock the boy. "I am taking you to a place where you'll be safe until the kingdom decides to pay your ransom. How long you're with me depends entirely upon your father... the king," he whispered the last two words as if hiding a shred of disgust. The man paused briefly at a door located at the end of a few twists and turns before knocking exactly four times. He glanced around before the door was opened and he went inside with the boy still cluched in his arms. The room was pitch black but the man maneuvered through its obstacles effortlessly until lifting part of the floor to reveal a secret passageway underground. He walked down the steps slowly as hung lanterns automatically flared and lit his way. The two arrived at a dead end but Nox heard the words, "Navas nebula!"

The wall in front of them vanished into fleeting particles to reveal a room that resembled a bar. The room held unsavory looking characters that all regarded the two with mixed reactions. "Well well well, looks like the new guy pulled through," chuckled a man sitting in what appeared to be a makeshift throne on the far end of the room. The black-haired man narrowed his eyes before setting Nox gently on his feet, "I brought him as requested," he glanced at Nox out of the corner of his eye. "He is uninjured and there was no trouble. I trust our contract has been satisfactorily fulfilled?"

"Not so much," the man sitting on the throne replied with a grin. "Ya see, the king of Veneficus was found dead just hours ago... and reports say that the man who killed him is..." His voice trailed off as he pointed the dagger in his hand towards the black-haired man who looked stone-faced. "Now, obviously that goes against the very nature of our agreement! Quietly kidnap the prince of Veneficus," he said loudly while stepping off the throne and motioning for his men to surround the mercenary. "Tell me what part of that says to kill his father and put the whole damn floating continent into disarray?" He turned his back on the mercenary and shrugged hopelessly, "Ah well. Kill him... and the brat."

As his boots clacked on the floor, Nox stood proud and still. His icy blue eyes tore through their faces while he gave each of them a look of utter disgust. Unfortunately the news that he heard made his heart thump fast, worry and dread filled him while he kept still, fighting every urge to do something completely rash.

His father was dead? It couldn’t be true, these men most likely wanted the ransom money for themselves instead of share it with the guy who did all the work. Nonsense, they wouldn’t taste a single shred of gold in their hands, most especially treachery within their circle. It was despicable, and most dishonorable even for their standards. The way he looked at them was filled with so much entitlement and belittlement that it made them a little more than angry.

“I don’t like how the brat is lookin’ at us…”

Nox opened his palm behind him; it was for a temporary truce and a sign for aid. Anything sharp would do. He meant to get out of his situation alive and relatively unscathed.

"You never intended to let the prince live, did you?" The mercenary stared at the back of the ringleader who laughed quietly on his way back to his throne. You really messed up this time, Dowan, thought the mercenary as he acknowledged the number of opponents. He then looked down at Nox who stood defiantly despite facing such odds and the devastating news that his father was killed. He saw strength in that little body of his and decided then to fight with him as amends for his grave mistake. Reaching inside his cloak, he produced a handle that would channel the user's energy to create a weapon according to his or her needs. He planted this handle firmly in Nox' grasp with the words, "Think of the weapon you wish to wield and it will come to your aid as I am."

The dark-haired mercenary threw off his cloak and eyes widened at the technological obsidian armor covering his athletic form. The cracks of the armor swam with lines of energy that lashed out as if being charged to attack. The armor was recognized as being forbidden on Veneficus - as was all technology-based creations - and extremely dangerous. The enemy forces took a combined step back as the mercenary grabbed a protrusion from his back and pulled out a long cylinder from his armor that spiralled outwards to extend rapidly. The tip then unleashed a ferocious burst of energy that concentrated into the blade of a scythe. The mercenary spun the weapon skillfully and fluidly fell into a combat stance. He said nothing, but beckoned with his free hand.

The metal was cold in his hand as he grasped it firmly, his gaze not wavering. The action began quickly and although they were momentarily stunned by the mercenaries’ new ware, Nox quickly took the cue and swooped low and slid forward to unarm one bandit. Of course the same guy had several other sharp objects hidden in his person and unsheathed them. While daggers flew towards him, Nox instinctively brought his weapon to block the incoming projectiles.

Blue light escaped from the hilt and fended of the daggers as it shaped it’s blade into an energy sword. Nox blinked in surprise but another thug came towards him, two more behind him and all equipped with more than one weapon. Leaping up on his boots, Nox backed up and began to dance.

A blade came racing towards his side and he knocked it away with the hilt of his sword, inches away from his fingers. Kicking the unbalanced chap, he pushed his weight towards him and he fell backwards and hit his head on the wooden boards. From behind, an axe was lurching downwards to Noxs’ skull and he ducked, hitting the guy on his stomach with his elbow, knocking him back and using his sword to block a sword from his other side.

Blood dripped on the ground. Nox felt pain on his shoulder and side, not realizing where they came from he found a rather large cut. “Huh.” He murmured and ducked as two men came towards him. “I present the suggestion of an escape plan.” He called out while he threw someone out of the window.

While Nox began fighting, Dowan relaxed his stance because no fighter could so much as look at him without showing tremendous fear at the destructive scythe in his hands. "Why the fuck aren't you worthless men fighting?" The ringleader stepped away from his throne and kicked aside one of his lackeys. Taking an offensive stance in front of the mercenary, he grinned wolfishly. "It's really not often that I get to fight, ya know. These dogs usually bite at whatever piss poor command you give them, but it seems as if they've forgotten their place today..." His voice trailed off as he realized the dark-haired warrior was not even throwing a glance in his direction, but focusing entirely on the fight Nox was having. He narrowed his eyes and vanished to reappear inches away from the mercenary, his sword mid-swing.

Suddenly, one of Dowan's eyes slanted to catch the sword in his vision and he almost lazily lifted up the hand that wasn't holding his scythe to take hold of the blade slashing towards him. "You leave yourself wide open," he snapped the blade in half by closing his hand around it, and then swung fluidly with Gungnir. The energy blade on the scythe sizzled through the man's flesh like a hot knife through butter and severed him completely in half. Gungnir then released a backlash of stored electricity that danced throughout the corpse of the powerless ringleader. The corpse twitched violently until imploding and then disintegrating due to the powerful forces tearing away at it.

"You bastard," one of the fighters - in actuality the ringleader's brother - screamed and charged the mercenary with a two-handed axe.

"It amuses me that now you're ready to fight," Dowan leapt to avoid the reckless swing and parried a few arrows in mid-air. He cut a wave of energy towards the archers in the back and fell on his feet just as the giant man in front of him was rearing his axe for another swing. "Openness must run in the family," the mercenary muttered while impaling the large man.

"I may die here, but at least I'll take you with me..." The brutish man grabbed hold of Gungnir and ripped it out of Dowan's hands with the blade still inside him. Electricity coursed violently through his body as he staggered back, but for now the mercenary was unarmed.

"Pointless," Dowan spun on his heel and smiled at the multiple opponents lunging for him. Clapping his gauntleted hands together, he instantly charged and released a wave of static electricity that paralyzed his foes. As they fell to the floor in a tangled twitching mess, he took off towards the bulk of the force in an offensive dash. He met the first fighter with a palm to the face that knocked him through a wall, and used that momentum to roundhouse kick the next fighter. Crouching low, he thrust both his palms into the third opponent and sent him flying through the ceiling. As he was crouched, a young man snuck behind and slashed downwards into the mercenary's shoulder armor, but the cybernetics of the suit repulsed the blade before it could make contact with his skin. Dowan frowned at letting his guard down while elbowing the teenager in the gut. He then turned while standing with his left hand in a fist. He punched the young man in the center of his face and pumped so much electricity into the blow that his head exploded in a lightning bolt of gore.

"Why don't you just give up? You're outnumbered!" Dowan grunted as a harsh blow from the side pushed him slightly to the left. The axe was starting to slice into his armor as a second fighter attacked his left side with a sword. His armor absorbed more weapons as the men started to pile ontop of him, but he had enough. He used up all the energy reserves in his armor to repel the force with a shockwave of electricity. One man flew into another man who was bearing down on Nox. It was after this display that Dowan heard Nox' wise words and nodded. His armor generated energy to be used for various purposes, but that energy regenerated more slowly when in combat. He couldn't restore the energy he used until they got to safety. Looking around the room, he eventually caught sight of Gungnir and ran forward to retrieve the weapon (noting in some amusement that it was laying in a pool of bubbling human remains).

"Hey prince, there must be some kind of secret exit behind that bastard's throne. I'll cover you while you look for it," he spun his scythe to get a better hold of it and looked over the room. There were still quite a few opponents left and angry as hell for watching their men die. All the mercenary had left was the energy in Gungnir and while the weapon had greater regeneration than his armor, it was not limitless. They had to act fast and decisively.

Nox had time to raise his brow questionably at his kidnapper. Why did he have to look for the secret exit? Putting the petty thoughts aside, he began to shove the throne aside and prod on the wall. As if on cue, the wooden platform on the seat began to move and rumble. A lackey was charging his way, and Nox dodged the swiping attack to trip him with his boot and stab his chest. With a lurch of pain, it was the last time Nox gave him any thoughts.

With a new formed staircase spiraling downwards, Nox began to move in. He yelled at the man and they both ran down the stairs. When they reached the end, Nox started to whack on the staircase. It was easy, the wood was old and worn and it took very little for it to crumble with his sheer force of kicking and whacking with the sword. Men who followed them fell on the ground and the two men quickly dispatched them.
It was a tunnel made out of bricks, the purpose being unclear as there were no mine cart tracks. They could hear water from the near distance; it seemed there was a canal that had to have an exit nearby.

Nox did not say anything, neither of them did. All what was on their heads was that there would be men after them and they had to find an exit.

The two made quick work of the tunnel and emerged on the bank of a canal in an expansive forest away from any town. The dark-haired man tapped Gungnir against his shoulder while tossing glances at Nox. The truth was that he had screwed up big-time and for that, the boy had lost his father. Hell, a nation had lost its leader. How could he even begin to own up to that?

"This looks to be the Forest of Silence," he sat down with Gungnir over his lap, his armor and weapon slowly recharging their energy from the atmosphere. "Long ago, a great mage fled from his duties and sought refuge here. He knew that they would pursue him and so he drew in these woods a forbidden symbol in his own blood. He then activated it with all of his magical power. The spell could be felt for miles and to this day, no magic can be used in this forest." He flexed his shoulder as the scratch in his armor there repaired itself slowly. "But I'm sure you know all of that, being the prince. This is the perfect place to hide."

"I must return to the Palace." 

Nox declared as soon as they were relatively safe. They walked further into the forest, he too knowledgeable of the lore and rumors surrounding it. Yet all he could think about was his family and the Kingdom. If his father was really dead, then there was a lot to do. He attempted to stop the lurching pain in his heart, hardening his emotions and retaining his focus. The forest smog grew thicker with each step and there was always the feeling of being watched. Yet the two remained calm but cautious.

Not a lot of people would be brave enough to enter. Even though they did not have a choice, it gave the Prince a bad feeling. Bad omens and rumors surrounded this place and even though it could have been lies and blown out of proportion, there must be a ring of truth around it. There were no signs of animals nor noises of any other life form except the two of them. He turned to his kidnapper and took a better look at him. What could have been his motives? He did not seem particularly devious although he also possessed a magic that was not common on Veneficus.

With a fond thought, surely the High Mages in the palace would have loved to examine his type of magic. 

"We cannot hide long." He mentioned with an absent mind while picking seemingly safe fruits and berries. All the survival training would come in handy in the next few hours.

Dowan kept a watchful eye on the dense vegetation around them as they spoke. His grip on Gungnir was firm and with the weapon fully charged as it was then, he could make quick work of any foe that emerged from the darkness of the forest. He glanced at the prince gathering berries and thought about their best course of action. He knew Nox wanted to return to the palace as swiftly as possible, but was that really the best course of action? Could lowly bandits really have conspired to successfully slay the king? The king himself was a mage more grand than the highborne whose collective power protected the kingdom. There had to be something else at work here and if he wanted to find out why he was made a pawn, he had to follow Nox. He felt that if anything was going to happen next, it would happen to Nox, and together they could uncover the truth behind his father's potential demise.

"My name is Dowan," he said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fell. "I am a mercenary from the Lowlands who doesn't tolerate betrayal. If you're returning to the palace, then would you allow me to accompany you? I would not go as the man who kidnapped you, but as your personal lance."

As Dowan spoke, Nox did not face him but instead turned to the eerie distance. It was so quiet for a forest that seemed to house so many animals. He listened of course, keeping an eye on his kidnapper was on a rather high priority in his list. The crack of sticks on the ground as they step felt like it could echo a thousand times. There was thick magic lurking in the forest, something he could feel. It was the familiar sensation when he was near the mages quarters in the Palace.

"The Lowlands," Nox whispered. "Is that where they came from?" He turned to the other man looking straight onto his eyes. It would make a normal person feel uncomfortable but Nox was as direct as they could be.

"You are none of my concern any longer, what you wish to do will have nothing to do with me. Your part in this is over, Dowan. You were merely used as a pawn and money was your price." He gave a sad smile, "I believe it is merely a tragic fact of human nature." Something he could not particularly comprehend as Nox did not like to admit. "There are far greater concerns than seeking revenge. After all, you did not kill my Father if it is true and certainly I am assured that you also likely did not know."

"No, those bandits aren't from the Lowlands. Veneficus is... difficult to reach for us lowborne..." Dowan's voice trailed off as he lowered his gaze and slowly waved Gungnir through the air. The fog was almost like an entity and the electricity coursing through Gungnir reacted to it. He narrowed his eyes. The fog was thickening rapidly and if his experience so far on the floating continent was any indication, the increase wasn't a good thing. "We can talk later, prince. Something comes!" He spun his weapon while dropping into a combat stance and keeping his gaze leveled on the trees. A shadow flickered from one tree to the next. A deep laughter then echoed around them, booming from all directions as if they were surrounded. The shadow flickered and its pace increased as if the darkness around them was alive.

"Dakaath has been so very lonely, but now... now guests have come to see Dakaath... to feed Dakaath..." The voice was sinister and lost its humanity long ago. Suddenly the fog dispersed and the shadow flickered to the tops of the trees above them before launching downwards. Dowan growled and spun his lance upwards, creating a wave of electricity in front of him that clashed with a massive claw. He staggered back from the collision, but took no damage from the attack. The figure behind the claw flipped back through the air and landed on a large tree root a few feet away from them, and they could finally see what attacked them.

Dakaath, the Exiled Fiend
Dakaath once served the Highborne, but he was seduced by the vile temptress of a magical item in the Highborne's possession. Driven mad, he fled the capital and sacrificed his magical power to shield his presence in the Forest of Silence. When they came looking for him, what they found was a grotesque memory of the once capable old man. The Exiled Fiend consumes all in its vicinity to evolve and stay alive. The Dakaath long ago is but one of the many souls crying out in the mutilated body of the Exiled Fiend.

Its right hand was the massive claw and the nails seemed to twitch separately as if they had their own life energy. The arm itself was overly large and fleshy with bulging veins that looked to be pulsing blood to the rest of the humanoid body. And it did have a humanoid body... but with quite a few grotesque alterations. It also wore the cloak of the Highborne over its body, and the Highborne still operated as the most powerful mages on Veneficus. The cloak was worn and tattered, and through many holes they could see extra appendages serving no apparent purpose. Although its right arm was fierce, its left arm was tiny and had long since split into an array of tentacles that lashed at the air around its left shoulder. The creature's right leg was visible to them and it looked as fleshy as its right arm. There were also crater-like openings in the skin that seemed to be puckering as if releasing something. And if Dowan had to guess, that something was the eerie fog filling the forest.

And then there was the creature's head. Its mouth was always open and within they could see rows of razor sharp teeth that oozed thick saliva. Its nose appeared smashed and the nostrils were pressed into its face. And while one eye was large and rapidly took in everything, the other was small and appeared to be unusable. The creature was an utter abomination.

"Dakaath likes when his guests are feisty, but know this..." A long, thick tongue crawled out of the depths of his mouth to lick the teeth that dripped saliva. "Dakaath will feast on their bones, will devour them whole!" Dakaath leapt towards them and the fog swept in around them. Dowan could only make out the large red eye as the creature rapidly closed on him.

Nox could hardly believe the monstrosity they stumbled upon. He clutched the weapon Dowan gave him and prepared for battle. Taking note of their surroundings was easy, the thick suffocating fog was unusual and oozed magical properties. Unfortunately he had not a single drop of magical talent in his blood, negating any usefulness he might have gotten from that fact. In the split second he had that thought, it quickly charged towards Dowan and the first thing he did was run behind it to find a weak spot as their only chance was that they were two instead of one.

The Forest began to stir. Not often people would find themselves inside and it was as good as a suicide mission. The rumors and stories were not just stories to keep the children out of harm, it spawned from horrible truths. Creatures like the one in front of them was only one of the many other kinds and the danger was very real. Even if they were to take it down, Nox wouldn't have been sure if they would survive the next encounter.

Thinking on the imminent future was not fruitful however and instead he struck the creature at the back where it appeared tender. The smaller arm of Dakaath attacked him instead, while the other appendage  attempting to slice Dowan in pieces. Nox managed to dodge the attack and sliced some of the tentacle-like arm but something else was happening.

His body felt heavier, sweat was rolling down his body more than it should have. The fog made the air humid and heavy, slowly the scentless aroma seemed to have an unpleasant effect. Indeed the creature made powerful blows and attacks, slamming his fist on the ground and creating a crater but they were slow and predictable. Naturally he had to remedy the weakness.

"We have a rather large predicament, Dowan." He yelled as he took a step back.

"Dakaath rend you asunder!"

The fiend dashed towards Dowan and swung its demonic claw, but he met the attack with Gungnir and deflected the fiend's massive arm. The fiend was temporarily knocked off-balance and received a gash to the back from Nox, but his tentacles reacted immediately and forced Nox away. The fiend rooted its leg into the ground and let out a feral scream that echoed throughout the forest. The mercenary took a step back before the fiend looked at him and shot its claw towards him, its arm apparently able to extend over long distances. Surprised by the revelation, Dowan just barely swung Gungnir upwards in a protective arc.

The two powerful forces met in a collision that set off a shockwave to briefly clear the area of fog. The mercenary clenched his teeth as the claw pushed against his weapon and the force pulled his feet out from under him. He was carried into a tree and pressed against it, the force ripping a gash into his back through his armor. He gasped in pain and growled, kicking his right foot against the fiend's claw. He then used the momentum to swing Gungnir downwards, the blade tearing through one of the fiend's nails and driving through the claw itself.

"DAKAATH... HURTS!" The fiend let out another scream while retracting its claw, and Dowan fell to the ground, breathing hard. The fiend widened its wild eye and shrieked out, "DAKAATH WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!"

The nail that was chopped off twitched for a moment before growing small blade-like appendages that acted like legs for it. Flesh then separated to reveal an eyeball that spun wildly until locating Dowan. It then leapt towards the mercenary, but he swung it away with a simple swipe of Gungnir. If things could get any worse, the leg that Dakaath rooted into the ground came up behind the mercenary and thrust towards him, the flesh spiralling into a drill. Dowan barely rolled out of the way as the drill came down and burrowed again into the ground. "Oh, give me a break..." The mercenary spat while staggering to his feet, weapon raised to parry another blow from the miniature fiend born from the nail. Dakaath let out a shrieking laughter as Nox fought his own battle on the other side of the fiend...

Dowan yelled out, "Nox, this thing will just regenerate whatever damage we do it! We have to burst it down... but how?"