magic circle of
fire cast by the arrow, and the flames disappeared in a puff of
smoke.
“ Obviously you aren’t a
demon or you would have killed me when you had the chance,” staring
at Anakari’s flaming blue hands, “and you do look like you could
take care of yourself,” she laughed, turning away.
I’m still lost in these
woods and I could use her help , she
thought.
“ Wait,” said Anakari,
shaking her fists to extinguish the blue flames.
“ My name is Kari, I am a
sorceress and am obviously lost. It appears that we have met on
rather unusual circumstances. I could really use your help getting
to Crondor. Do you know the way?” she asked, smiling in an attempt
to gain the woman’s favour.
“ The name’s Yuski and I am
a demon hunter. I have been in these woods long enough tonight, so
it will not hurt for us to head to Crondor together. After all, if
we do face any
particularly dangerous demons… I could use the help of a sorceress
like you to destroy them. It may allow me to prevail unbruised, for
once,” she replied, shaking hands.
Picking up her lantern, Anakari
mounted her horse again.
“ Would you mind if we ride
together on horseback? It would get us to a warm bed more swiftly,”
asked Yuski with a smile.
“ You don’t have a horse?”
asked Anakari in disbelief, reaching down to help Yuski climb
aboard.
“ It’s somewhat of a
challenge to hide in the woods with a horse, is it not? Crondor is
this way,” she answered sheepishly. Yuski pointed west, and they
headed quickly through the forest.
“ That was a beautiful song
that you were singing, but I would suggest avoiding drawing
attention to yourself in Marithian woods. Has anyone ever told you
that you have an enchanting voice?” asked Yuski.
“ That is very kind of you;
and thank you for the warning. My master Aldorus told me often how
much he loved me to sing for him. I was wondering what demons would
be particularly dangerous as those demons looked dangerous enough
to me.”
“ These are dire times and
ever since the day the red shaded moon rose into the night sky,
demons that would otherwise never see daylight made their way back
to Marithia. Those demons should not be here and I intend to return
as many as I can to the underworld with their tails between their
legs. Although some demons have been in Marithia all along, hiding
among us,” began Yuski.
Anakari shivered, looking on the
surrounding forest with even more terror than she had before. She
felt very unsafe despite having a demon hunter perched directly
behind her. She gripped her reins tighter.
“ What are these demons and
how do you know so much about them?”
“ Demons are my life; to be
more precise, hunting them is my life. I was born into a family of
demon hunters and that calling runs through my veins. Demons have
been around for hundreds of years and we work tirelessly to rid
them from Marithia. I take great pride in banishing them to the
underworld by a blade or arrow. The demon I was waiting for in the
woods tonight is of particular concern,” said Yuski.
“ What makes that demon so
special?”
“ I suppose I better tell
you the whole story, but this may take some time, are you sure you
want to know?”
“ Of course,” answered
Anakari.
“ As you wish, let me tell
you how the elder demon, Wumvarn, came to be. What we know has been
obtained from many sources. My father collated all of that
knowledge into a book which was then passed on to me by birth
right. Many years ago, far before you or I were in this world,
there was a great war with the almighty demon of darkness, Shindar.
The details of that war are not important for this story, but after
Shindar’s defeat by the dragons and most of the Forces of Darkness
had been destroyed in battle, something awful happened,” continued
Yuski, pausing to drink out of a water flask in her
coat.
She offered the drink to Anakari, but
the elf wasn’t thirsty, just impatient to know more.
“ No,
fire cast by the arrow, and the flames disappeared in a puff of
smoke.
“ Obviously you aren’t a
demon or you would have killed me when you had the chance,” staring
at Anakari’s flaming blue hands, “and you do look like you could
take care of yourself,” she laughed, turning away.
I’m still lost in these
woods and I could use her help , she
thought.
“ Wait,” said Anakari,
shaking her fists to extinguish the blue flames.
“ My name is Kari, I am a
sorceress and am obviously lost. It appears that we have met on
rather unusual circumstances. I could really use your help getting
to Crondor. Do you know the way?” she asked, smiling in an attempt
to gain the woman’s favour.
“ The name’s Yuski and I am
a demon hunter. I have been in these woods long enough tonight, so
it will not hurt for us to head to Crondor together. After all, if
we do face any
particularly dangerous demons… I could use the help of a sorceress
like you to destroy them. It may allow me to prevail unbruised, for
once,” she replied, shaking hands.
Picking up her lantern, Anakari
mounted her horse again.
“ Would you mind if we ride
together on horseback? It would get us to a warm bed more swiftly,”
asked Yuski with a smile.
“ You don’t have a horse?”
asked Anakari in disbelief, reaching down to help Yuski climb
aboard.
“ It’s somewhat of a
challenge to hide in the woods with a horse, is it not? Crondor is
this way,” she answered sheepishly. Yuski pointed west, and they
headed quickly through the forest.
“ That was a beautiful song
that you were singing, but I would suggest avoiding drawing
attention to yourself in Marithian woods. Has anyone ever told you
that you have an enchanting voice?” asked Yuski.
“ That is very kind of you;
and thank you for the warning. My master Aldorus told me often how
much he loved me to sing for him. I was wondering what demons would
be particularly dangerous as those demons looked dangerous enough
to me.”
“ These are dire times and
ever since the day the red shaded moon rose into the night sky,
demons that would otherwise never see daylight made their way back
to Marithia. Those demons should not be here and I intend to return
as many as I can to the underworld with their tails between their
legs. Although some demons have been in Marithia all along, hiding
among us,” began Yuski.
Anakari shivered, looking on the
surrounding forest with even more terror than she had before. She
felt very unsafe despite having a demon hunter perched directly
behind her. She gripped her reins tighter.
“ What are these demons and
how do you know so much about them?”
“ Demons are my life; to be
more precise, hunting them is my life. I was born into a family of
demon hunters and that calling runs through my veins. Demons have
been around for hundreds of years and we work tirelessly to rid
them from Marithia. I take great pride in banishing them to the
underworld by a blade or arrow. The demon I was waiting for in the
woods tonight is of particular concern,” said Yuski.
“ What makes that demon so
special?”
“ I suppose I better tell
you the whole story, but this may take some time, are you sure you
want to know?”
“ Of course,” answered
Anakari.
“ As you wish, let me tell
you how the elder demon, Wumvarn, came to be. What we know has been
obtained from many sources. My father collated all of that
knowledge into a book which was then passed on to me by birth
right. Many years ago, far before you or I were in this world,
there was a great war with the almighty demon of darkness, Shindar.
The details of that war are not important for this story, but after
Shindar’s defeat by the dragons and most of the Forces of Darkness
had been destroyed in battle, something awful happened,” continued
Yuski, pausing to drink out of a water flask in her
coat.
She offered the drink to Anakari, but
the elf wasn’t thirsty, just impatient to know more.
“ No,
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