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The Book of Enlightenmentraulonastool.ethArtemus was a solitary figure, a hunter who had made a home deep in the heart of the woods. He was a skilled tracker and hunter, his senses honed by years of living in the wild. But the villagers, who feared and mistrusted him, knew him as the "Lone Wolf of Lunnon," a mysterious figure who kept to himself and rarely interacted with others.
One morning, as the sun was just beginning to rise, a knock came at his door. Artemus opened it to find his childhood friend, Xedho, standing on his porch. "Arty," Xedho said, using the nickname he had called him since they were kids. "You know I hate to ask you for this, but we need your help."
Artemus raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected visit. "What's the matter?" he asked.
Xedho explained that the farmers in the village were complaining about a pack of wolves that had been ravaging their cattle. The villagers were afraid and didn't know what to do. Artemus was their last hope.
Artemus sighed, rubbing the stubble on his chin. He didn't like being asked for help, but he couldn't ignore the plight of his fellow villagers. "Alright," he said begrudgingly. "I'll track them down."
Xedho thanked him profusely and offered to accompany him, but Artemus declined. He set off into the woods, scanning the ground for any signs of wolves. He could smell the pack's scent on the wind and followed it deeper into the woods. The forest's darkness closed in around him, the trees towering above like sentinels.
It took him only a short time to locate the pack. They were a large and vicious group, their fur matted and their eyes wild. Artemus knew that taking on a pack of wolves alone was dangerous. He crept closer, heart pounding in his chest, and his hand gripping the hunting knife tightly.
He had almost reached the pack when he accidentally stepped on a twig, the loud snap echoing through the woods. The wolves turned, sensing the presence of their prey. They snarled and bared their teeth, ready to attack. Artemus was outnumbered and outmatched. The pack closed in, their eyes glowing like embers in the darkness, and their teeth bared in a terrifying grin.
The adrenaline pumping through Artemus's veins as he prepared for the fight of his life, knowing that one wrong move could mean his demise. The wolves lunged toward him, he braced himself, and the battle began.
***
“Wake up, Artemus”
Artemus, roused from slumber by a voice as soft as a caress, opened his eyes groggily. He didn't recognize the speaker, but the tone was soothing.
"Wake up," the voice urged, growing firmer.
With a start, Artemus rose to his feet, his hand instinctively coming up to guard his face and his right hand gripping the hunting knife at his belt. He shifted into a defensive stance, ready to fend off any would-be thieves.
But as his eyes adjusted to the deep white mist surrounding him, he lowered his guard and relaxed his shoulders. He couldn't see more than an arm's length in front of him. "What is this?" he muttered to himself.
"Wake up, Artemus," the voice repeated - this time, he could tell it belonged to a woman.
As the mist receded, a figure emerged. A woman dressed in pearl-white robes trimmed with gold, her hood low over her face, revealing only her pale cheeks and tight lips. She held a large silver key that emitted a glimmering blue light. "Who are you?" he demanded.
But before she could answer, the mist engulfed him again, blinding him and leaving him disoriented, unable to determine which way was up or down.
"WAKE UP!" a voice bellowed, a man's this time. He felt hands grip his shoulders, shaking him violently. His body was unresponsive, paralyzed. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut.
The shaking stopped.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a cabin floor. His best friend, Xedho, loomed over him, concern etched on his face.
"Are you alright, Arty?" Xedho asked.
"The woman in the mist," he groaned, sitting up quickly. "Where-"
"Woah!" Xedho cut him off. "Those medicinal herbs must be taking effect." He gestured for Artemus to lie back down.
"Take it easy, Artemus. You've been sleeping for three days. You shouldn't make any sudden movements. You're still healing."
He noticed bandages wrapped around his arms and midsection.
"Those are fresh," Xedho explained. "I did it myself this morning. You're lucky to be alive. How did you manage to kill an entire pack of wolves anyways? There must have been at least a dozen of them."
Artemus furrowed his brow. He couldn't remember ever finding the pack, let alone killing them and returning to the village.
"You don't have to answer that right now. You can tell me later over a drink. I could use your help rebuilding my old oven."
The thought of manual labor caused Artemus to shoot his childhood friend a strange look.
"You owe me for staining my floors," Xedho said with a wink.
***
"Uncle Arty! Uncle Arty! Tell me again about how you defeated all those wolves!" Young Pirrus bound onto Artemus, playfully pretending to sink his teeth into his uncle's neck. "Because I'm a wolf! Arrrrr!"
Artemus indulged the boy's antics, chasing him around for a moment before scooping him up and holding him aloft. "Alright, that's enough, little guy. It's time for bed."
"Wolves don't sleep!" Pirrus wriggled and squirmed until Artemus set him down, and he scampered off to his room, howling like a wolf. "Awooooooo!"
"No running in the house!" Xedho called out from the kitchen. "Sorry about my child, Arty. I'm not sure who raised him."
"It's alright," Artemus replied as he rose from the table and stepped out into the night.
Xedho turned to offer him a cup of tea but found his friend had already disappeared into the darkness.
Artemus sat beneath his favorite tree, gazing up at the moon and basking in the sense of peace it gave him. He envied the moon, not for the light it provided, but for the way it worked alone, quietly doing its job without concern for the opinions of others. He spent most of his time in the mountains and woods around Lunnon, hunting, and fishing, and that's how he liked it. A village couldn't judge a man they didn't see.
The air was remarkably still that night; the only sound was the distant crashing of waves on the coastal cliffs. The emptiness of the night made space for the thoughts that haunted him to gnaw away at his mind. It had been weeks since he dreamt of the woman in the mist. Although he knew it was only a dream, it was unlike any he had ever had. It was as vivid as a memory, as striking as the last time he saw his father. But the most puzzling thing about the dream wasn't the woman, the mist, or the voice. It was the feeling that hadn't escaped him since that night - a sense of imminent danger.
Xedho joined him under the spruce tree, but Artemus kept staring aimlessly at the night sky. Xedho handed his friend a cup of freshly-brewed tea and sat beside him.
"How are you feeling?" Xedho asked.
"I'm fine," Artemus replied, still staring at the moon.
Xedho cast a concerned glance at his friend, noting the distraction etched upon his features. He knew the recent amnesic episode must be taking a heavy toll on Artemus.
"Hey, I appreciate all of your help with the bakery. My family enjoys having you around, and with the new oven, we can make twice as many batches as before." Xedho offered a reluctant smile and gestured toward the untouched cup of tea. "You haven't tried your tea."
"Do you ever get bored?" Artemus replied, his tone numb and unresponsive to Xedho's gratitude.
"Bored?" Xedho asked, his usual jovial curiosity piqued.
"With the bakery. Don't you think there's more to life than just making bread?" Artemus turned towards Xedho, his gaze intense and searching. "Why do you do it? For what purpose?"
Xedho chuckled, perplexed by Artemus' odd behavior. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I like the way it smells. I love the way it tastes. But most importantly, I love the face Pirrus makes when he bites into a fresh loaf." Xedho placed a hand on Artemus' shoulder. "What has gotten into you, Arty? You haven't been yourself since that night."
"I said I'm fine," Artemus retorted as he roughly shrugged off Xedho's hand, causing the tea to spill onto the ground. He turned and began walking back to the cabin, leaving Xedho momentarily speechless.
Just as Artemus reached the cabin, a glowing orb flashed in the sky, bathing the village in a golden light. Both men raised their arms to shield their eyes from the brilliant glow, which seemed to writhe like a worm above the forest to the north.
"Divine's sake, what is that?" Xedho exclaimed, a sense of unease creeping into his gut.
Almost as quickly as it appeared, the orb vanished. Artemus pulled his hunting knife from its sheath and began walking towards the woods where the strange phenomenon had occurred.
"Wait, you're not going out there, are you?" Xedho called out, despite already knowing the answer. "What if there's some sort of monster out there?"
"I bet it bleeds," Artemus replied, his determination to uncover the truth driving him forward. He felt pulled towards the source of the light as if it held the answers he had been seeking.
***
The night was dark, and the only light came from the silvery moon that shone through the canopy of trees. Artemus knew the woods like the back of his hand, and he moved with quiet, steady grace. He had been hunting in these woods since childhood, which was like a second home.
His father was a master hunter, and he had taught Artemus everything he knew. Most of the hunters in Lunnon traveled in groups, but his father believed that a true hunter must surrender to the environment and become one with nature. The two would spend many early mornings swimming in rivers, capturing fish with their bare hands. They would often put on wolf’s fur and crawl around in the forest brush, stalking a herd of elk grazing in the fields. The villagers called them "The Lunnon Lunatics," but they respected his father for his skill. In Artemus’ eyes, his father was the most prolific hunter in all the realms.
But then, when he was sixteen, a strange group of men wearing colorful garments under their armor came to the village searching for his father. They had requested his help with a rather unusual hunting expedition. His father told him that the mission was too dangerous for him to come along. The hunting knife he carried with him was a gift from his father on that day. He instructed Artemus to watch over it until he returned.
Twelve winters had passed since that day.
As he moved deeper into the forest, he came upon the small clearing where he had laid several snare traps. His father had always dreaded trapping, calling it the tool of lesser hunters. He believed that actual hunting required knowing your target and developing a quick, humane kill strategy. But these snares were useful for capturing fur-bearing animals, ensuring that the thickest part of their fur remained pristine. Winter was fast approaching, and furriers paid handsomely for high-quality materials to make their cloaks, scarves, boots, and gloves.
As Artemus ventured deeper into the woods, a sense of unease began to wash over him. The trails seemed just as they had in the morning, but something felt off. The trees stood tall and proud, their branches reaching the sky, but their leaves rustled with an eerie stillness. The forest floor was a blanket of crisp leaves, but they crunched underfoot with a distinct finality as if each step could be his last.
He reached the western edge of the copper mines, where the mysterious orb of light had appeared in the sky. He hoped to find answers at the Village Guard's outpost nearby. But as he approached, a chill ran down his spine. Felled beech trees blocked the entrance, their trunks sliced cleanly as if by a razor-sharp blade. And beyond the pile of felled trees, he saw a possum dragging something in its mouth. The creature scurried away at his approach, dropping its prize - a severed arm, still seeping with blood.
Artemus sprinted towards the outpost, his heart pounding with a sense of urgency. The Village Guard of Lunnon was a formidable force sworn to protect the village from threats. He and his childhood friend Xedho had joined their ranks at 18, as was required for all able-bodied village men. The guardsmen were a tough and capable group, second only to his father in his eyes. But whatever had caused the gruesome scene before him, it was not the work of any animal or a simple accident.
As he reached the gates, the sight that greeted him was unspeakable horror. Bodies of the Village Guard were scattered in front of the entrance, mutilated and dismembered. Some were missing limbs, others decapitated, and all had blackened, smoldering eye sockets as if their eyes had been burned to ash in their skulls.
The familiar faces of friends and comrades stared up at him; their expressions were frozen in a grotesque parody of death. He recognized Dunstan, Virgil, and Ivar among the fallen. They had been like brothers to him, and the sight of their brutalized bodies filled him with a sense of overwhelming despair.
Despite his familiarity with death, the sight before him was unlike anything Artemus had ever encountered. The once-proud guardsmen lay strewn about the clearing, their bodies mutilated beyond recognition. His childhood friend Dunstan is missing his right arm. Virgil, headless and missing his pinky finger. And the leader of the Village Guard, Ivar, was impaled on a flagpole, his eyes nothing more than blackened pits.
Artemus felt his stomach churn as he collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. It was as if a nightmare had come to life. He thought back to his father, and how he had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Was this his fate as well?
But then, a scream. It cut through the stillness of the night, piercing the silence like an arrow. Artemus' heart raced as he recognized the voice. It was the woman from his dreams who had haunted him for weeks. Despite his fear and uncertainty, he felt compelled to investigate. He rose to his feet and began moving towards the sound, his hunting knife ready.
As he moved deeper into the woods, the screams grew louder and more frantic. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he quickened his pace. What was waiting for him at the end of this path? Was it a trap? Or was it the same force that had decimated the Village Guard? He couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger, but he pushed on, driven by a sense of duty and the need for answers.
***
The young girl, Felicity, lay sprawled on the ground with her arms crossed. She pouted her lips as she implored the old man sitting before her, "I'm bored, Mordecai. Read me something from your book!" She fixed him with her most pleading gaze, eyes wide and innocent like a newborn puppy's.
Mordecai erupted in laughter, "Oh, Felicity, this isn't a book of stories. It's my Grimoire."
Felicity looked at him quizzically, and her forehead crinkled in confusion. "What's a Grilwarg?"
Mordecai chuckled, "A Grimoire is a book of magic. It's filled with hundreds of spells and invocations."
Felicity's eyes widened in wonder, "Wow." She lay belly down in the dirt, her chin resting on her hands as she pondered this new information. "Do you know them all?"
"But of course!" Mordecai exclaimed, a twinkle in his eye. "I've had a long time to practice."
Felicity's curiosity was piqued, "Is that how you summoned the portal?"
Mordecai's smile softened, "Not exactly, but that's a bit too complicated for one so young. Perhaps in a few years..." He trailed off, leaving the thought hanging in the air.
But Felicity was not to be deterred. She slammed her fist into the ground and started kicking it, "I'm almost ten. Explain it to me now."
Mordecai smiled, noticing a group of ants marching toward a small leaf near Felicity's face. "Pick up that leaf by your head."
Without hesitation, Felicity reached out and plucked the leaf from its resting place. She held it up for Mordecai to see, "This one?"
"Precisely," Mordecai said, beaming with pride. "You see those ants coming towards you? To them, that leaf vanished into thin air. But you and I both know the leaf did not disappear. You lifted it to a plane that they simply could not see."
"Ohhh," Felicity pretended to understand for a moment.
"Does that make sense?" Mordecai asked, surprised by Felicity's astuteness.
"Not really," Felicity murmured, eyes scanning the leaf as if seeing it for the first time. "It's pretty."
Mordecai and Felicity shared a moment of laughter, but their merriment was short-lived as a gust of wind snatched the leaf from Felicity's grasp. "My portal!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and giving chase. But her pursuit was abruptly halted as her foot became ensnared in a rope, lifting her high into the air, suspended like a puppet on a string.
"Help!" Felicity screamed, her voice a mixture of fear and pain as she swung back and forth from a large branch.
Mordecai chuckled in amusement, "Just hang in there, Felicity."
"That's not funny." Felicity cried, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts!"
Mordecai's expression turned serious as he heard the sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping in the distance. Artemus emerged from the trees, wide-eyed and panting with his hunting knife drawn.
"Who are you?" Artemus demanded through labored breaths.
But Mordecai's face shone with delight, "Look at that, Felicity. We've found a new friend to join us on our adventure."
Artemus struggled to keep his composure, his heart pounding so fiercely that he could taste blood on the tip of his tongue. "What are you doing here? Who else is with you?" he demanded, scanning the area for any sign of the mysterious woman from his dream. But all he could see was a pale, skinny child and a rangy old man. The girl was caught in one of the snares he had set that morning.
"Hello there, young master," Mordecai responded jubilantly. "Many names have been given to me in my lifetime, but my friends call me Mordecai. And this young lady caught in your trap is Felicity."
"Get me down from here!" Felicity's face turned bright red as she struggled to free herself from the snare. "Hey, mister! Cut me down with your little sword," she exclaimed to the blade-wielding hunter.
Artemus took a deep breath, attempting to steady himself as he processed the scene before him. "It's a knife," he replied.
Mordecai grinned, "She's right. It looks more like a short sword, but it's an interesting blade nonetheless. Where'd you find it?"
Artemus hesitated for a moment, "It was a gift from my father-"
"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" Felicity interrupted, her tone scolding.
Artemus walked over to the tree's base, untied the snare, and slowly lowered Felicity to the ground. She quickly freed her foot and ran back to Mordecai, punching him in the arm.
"Ouch! Just because I can't move my arms doesn't mean I can't feel them," Mordecai said through laughter.
"Good!" Felicity raised her chin and crossed her arms.
Artemus sheathed his blade, "You're paralyzed?"
"It's a curse!" Felicity responded.
Mordecai grinned, "It's called Sorrow Peak. My spirit is wide awake, but my body is just a puddle of melted wax." Artemus gave them a blank look, but he approached them more patiently as he caught his breath.
"I don't get it, but I gotta get you guys back to the village. It's not safe out here." He grabbed Mordecai's cart and pushed it down the trail, with Felicity skipping beside them.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Sorry, I'm Artemus. I live here in Lunnon. What about you and grandpa over here?" Felicity reminded him of Xedho's son, Pirrus.
"He's not my grandpa!" Felicity exclaimed. "We're on an adventure."
"What kind of adventure is that?" Artemus asked, curious.
The sound of blades ringing through the air filled their ears, and before anyone could react, a tree was felled and blocked their path. The cut was clean, just like the others they had seen earlier. A figure in a white robe with gold trim and a hood covering their face approached them, holding a long, thin blade that seemed to emit a wispy, ethereal black smoke.
"Grim Grasp..." Mordecai muttered under his breath.
Artemus unsheathed his knife and stepped in front of Mordecai and Felicity, his blood boiling with memories of the people he had lost.
"You! What did you do to my friends?" Artemus yelled.
The figure, a man, continued to walk forward, lifting his blade into the air. Artemus charged towards him and slid between his legs, delivering a slashing blow to the back of his calf. He dealt another blow to the figure's back with lightning speed, but it didn't have any effect. The man stood firm, unfazed, and turned towards Artemus, lifting his sword.
"Stay away from that blade!" Mordecai yelled to Artemus.
Artemus leaped to the right as the man swung his sword, narrowly avoiding the blow. The force of the impact left a mark in the dirt. Lying on the ground, the hunter's eyes widened as the man raised his blade. Artemus struggled to reach his feet but spun away from the overhead strike. He countered quickly with a swift strike to the figure's wrist, severing the assailant’s hand and causing the sword to fall to the ground in a puff of black smoke.
The black mist spouted from his arm, yet the assailant showed no sign of pain. He knelt, picked up his right hand with his left, and began to reattach it to the flat stump of his arm. Artemus ran back to Mordecai and Felicity.
"Run!" he shouted.
Artemus grabbed Mordecai's cart and darted around the fallen tree. He looked back to check on Felicity, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Felicity!"
He saw her standing in front of the hooded man, frozen in a haunting stare.
"Where did your soul go?" she innocently asked.
"Get away from him!" Artemus shouted.
Instead of responding, the large man picked up Felicity and disappeared into the forest.
Artemus turned to Mordecai, who was deep in meditation.
"What are you doing, old man? That thing just grabbed Felicity!"
Mordecai opened his eyes and looked at Artemus with concern.
"He's headed to your village. They're in grave danger."
Artemus paced back and forth, his mind in turmoil. He longed to charge toward the monster and rescue Felicity, but he knew he couldn't act recklessly. Not with this creature. His ears were ringing, and his vision had narrowed as he put his head in his hands and screamed into the dirt. He looked at Mordecai with bloodshot eyes and pointed his blade at the old man's throat.
"Explain yourself! Why is the village in danger?" Artemus demanded, his words laced with rage and vitriol. He had witnessed the atrocities that Felicity's captor was capable of and couldn't bear to think of what he would do to the innocent villagers. To Xedho and Pirrus.
Mordecai stared at the blade, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let out an exaggerated sigh before speaking calmly, "You seem upset."
The old man's calmness worked, and Artemus cooled his temper. He lowered his weapon and took several steps back. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Don't be!" Mordecai interrupted with a laugh. "To be alive is to experience emotions. Isn't it wonderful!?"
Rage and vitriol gave way to irritation and impatience. "Listen, I need to know what is going on. That monster murdered my friends. Now he's kidnapped a little girl and is headed to my village. We need to stop it. Please, Mordecai."
"Yes, I suppose you deserve to know," Mordecai pondered for a moment. "Have you ever talked with a tree?"
"What the--we don't have time for--"
"Well, I suppose it's more like listening." Mordecai continued, "Every blade of grass or grain of sand has a story to tell if you have the patience to listen. Living beings tend to leave an imprint everywhere they go. Our emotions. Our thoughts, our memories. They carry an energetic weight. The clothes we wear, weapons we wield, and even the ground we walk on can store that energy and, in a sense, is imbued with its spirit."
"What does that have to do with our situation?" Artemus leaned in, hanging on every word Mordecai spoke. The old man possessed the same charisma and infectious conviction as his father when he had taught him how to hunt as a young boy.
"It has everything to do with it," Mordecai responded guilelessly. "I can feel that man's energy. I can hear his intentions. And that weapon -" Mordecai shivered.
"What about it?"
"That blade is no ordinary weapon. It feeds on the souls of its victims." The optimistic tone had vanished from Mordecai's voice. "And it's hungry."
"It feeds on souls?" Artemus asked in bewilderment.
"Yes, it's just as it sounds. You can distinguish its victims from their eyes. Or lack thereof."
The village guard...
"The eyes are quite literally a window to one's soul. Grim Grasp rips the victim's soul out of their skull, leaving only scorched skin and hollowed bores."
"How can I fight something like that? I couldn't even damage it."
"That I do not know. I've lived a long time and have never seen anything like it," a sudden thought crossed Mordecai's mind. "But it appears our little Felicity knows him."
"How is that possible? Don't you two know each other?" Artemus asked, confused.
Mordecai let out a chuckle, "Of course not. We only just met a couple of days ago."
Artemus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Then what were you two doing in the forest at night? How did you even get here?"
Mordecai hesitated for a moment before responding, "Do you believe in magic, master Artemus?"
"Magic? As in fairy tales?"
Mordecai let out a snicker, amused and insulted by Artemus' response. "I was being held captive off the coast, not far from here. I'm not sure how long I was there. I lost track of time after a while. But a few days ago, I started hearing rumblings from the guards about a new captive - an extraordinary girl from a city in the sky."
Artemus crossed his arms in disbelief. "I've never heard of a city in the sky."
"Well, it exists, and if you stop interrupting me, I can tell you the rest of the story," Mordecai scolded, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. "As I was saying, this girl, as you may have deduced, was Felicity. I was impressed by how sharp she was for her age. But beyond that, I felt an immense well of power emanating from within her. While she may look like you or me, her bloodline is rather peculiar. Her father was a druid, and her mother an oracle. Such a child hasn't been born for 1,000 years."
Artemus' eyes glossed over as he struggled to comprehend Mordecai's words. "Mordecai, I don't know what any of that means. Did she tell you all of this?"
"Yes, it's quite fascinating. Felicity and I first spoke in a dream. My first conversations weren't with the young girl you met. She was much older. A beautiful young woman in white robes and..." Mordecai's words trailed off as his mind wandered back to the lady in his dream. Could the woman have been Felicity?
"How could she possibly speak to you in a dream?" Artemus interjected.
"She can't control her power. She must've wandered into my mind as a thought projection. She got lost in a deep mist, and I helped her find her way out," Mordecai continued to explain to his shaken caretaker. "But it took me decades to learn and hone my abilities in my astral body. Meanwhile, this child did it by accident! This new generation truly excites me."
"We need to find her, Mordecai. I don't care what it takes, but we must save her from that thing." Artemus flipped his father's knife back and forth in his hands and whispered, "What would you do here, father?"
A wide grin crossed Mordecai's face. "I think you've been holding the key to defeating this monster the entire time, master Artemus."
Mordecai's grimoire emitted a blue glow, rose from his lap and floated between him and Artemus. The grimoire opened to a blank page, and the old man's eyes began to glow the same blue as the book.
"LIGHTNING BANE," Mordecai shouted. A burst of electrical energy burst from the pages straight towards him. Artemus remained unharmed.
"Hold on to that blade of yours, Master Artemus," Mordecai shouted with a hint of excitement. "It's more than just an ordinary hunting knife, my boy. It is a short sword imbued with a spirit of protection – and it intends that no harm ever befall you. Whoever gave it to you must have had a hell of a lot of love for you, that's for sure!"
***
Xedho tightly gripped his torch as he ventured deeper into the forest, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. He halted for a moment to steady his breath, his fingers clutching the amulet around his neck. "You better be alive," he muttered as he continued down the path.
He carried with him an old quarterstaff, his weapon of choice for its superior reach, and the fact that the mess of swords made him uneasy. It had been collecting dust in his bedroom since he left the Village Guard all those years ago.
As he crept forward, he felt for the level ground before picking up his pace. Suddenly, the acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils, causing him to stop in his tracks. A bird flew past his face, followed by another, then a third and a fourth in quick succession. The cacophony of creatures escaping a nearby fire disoriented him, and in the chaos, he lost his torch and sense of direction. He stumbled backward several steps before colliding with something solid and warm.
"What in the..." he exclaimed as he turned slowly, his heart skipping a beat as he laid eyes on a hooded man carrying a young girl on his shoulder. "Woah! Sorry about that, friend. I didn't see you there with all the -"
The man lifted Xedho into the air by his collar and threw him down like a rag doll, leaving him coughing and rolling onto his side, wincing from the likely cracked ribs. Withdrawing his quarterstaff, he used it to stand up, but the hooded man continued through the smoke.
"Hey!" Xedho managed to yell out through a cough. "What was that for?"
The man disappeared into the smoke, and Xedho chased after him, covering his mouth and nose to prevent smoke inhalation. As he entered the forest trailhead, the mysterious man grabbed him from behind and tossed him to the ground again.
"You have to stop doing that," Xedho muttered as he rose to his feet, his eyes narrowed in confusion and frustration. "What is your problem?"
The hooded man carefully placed the sleeping girl on the grass and unsheathed his "Grim Grasp" katana, releasing heavy black smoke that swirled with the grey from the fire.
Xedho readied his quarterstaff, sinking into a fighting stance as his heart rate instantly tripled, hoping that years of peace hadn't softened his training from the Village Guard.
"Hey, I think your scary sword there must have caught on fire," Xedho said, trying to buy time.
The hooded man charged towards Xedho with his sword raised, but Xedho pivoted to his right, creating an advantageous angle, and swung the quarterstaff at his chin. The man didn't react, causing Xedho to be startled.
"Really? Not even a flinch?" Xedho leaped backward, creating distance between himself and his formidable opponent.
The man swung his katana at Xedho, but he ducked underneath, pivoted to the left, and slammed the quarterstaff at his face with all the force he could muster. This time, the blow spun the man off his base, causing him to stumble and remove his hood.
Xedho froze in terror at the sight of the man's face. The blackened skin on his forehead and scalp contrasted with the pale complexion of his cheeks. Fresh blood streamed down his face from the dark pits in place of his eyes.
As the man slowly approached him, Xedho backed away and tripped, falling onto his back.
"Die..." the man croaked, raising his katana.
Just as he was about to bring the blade down on him, the point of a sword exploded through his chest, raining blood down on Xedho. Even without eyes, the man's face betrayed his disbelief as his body slumped to the ground, revealing Artemus standing triumphantly behind him.
"Are you okay?" Artemus asked Xedho; concern etched on his face.
"Yeah, I think I got some of its blood in my mouth," Xedho responded, spitting to the side. "Pwahhh."
Artemus helped him up and pulled him into an embrace.
"You had me worried, running off like that. I thought I was going to have to rescue you again," Xedho said, a hint of reproach in his voice.
"This time, I rescued you," Artemus said with a smile.
"Don't celebrate so soon," Mordecai interrupted, stern and serious. "This fight is far from over."
Xedho and Artemus turned to see their undead enemy again rising to his feet, a look of determination etched on his face.
"Who's the old guy with the book?" Xedho said, readying himself for another round of battle.
"That's Mordecai. He's some kind of magician,"
"Wait, Mordecai? As in the Genesis Adventurer?" Xedho turned to the old man in amazement. "Oh wow, Master Mordecai, it is an honor to meet you. My wife and I live by the teachings in your letters!"
Mordecai smiled, "Thank you for the kind words, young man."
Artemus looked perplexed, "Genesis Adventurer?"
"Divine's sake, Arty, read a book. This man is one of the most famous people in all the realms. What is he doing with you -"
"Watch out!" Mordecai warned, interrupting Xedho.
Xedho and Artemus narrowly dodged the sharp edge of the katana, which cracked the earth beneath them.
"Xedho! Let's over-under," Artemus commanded, his voice steady and determined.
Xedho nodded in agreement, and with a fluid motion, he swept the back of the man's legs with his quarterstaff. At the same time, Artemus, with precision and deadly accuracy, plunged his short sword into the center of the man's rib cage, causing their undead enemy to crash to the ground with a thud. Xedho swiftly kicked away the katana and held the defeated foe down with a firm foot on his chest.
“Chop off his head!”
As Artemus gazed down upon the monstrous creature standing before him, his mind raced with thoughts of his friends and the realization that this may be the last thing they would ever lay eyes upon. With a fierce yell, he raised his blade, prepared to deliver the final blow with all his strength.
But just as he was about to strike, a blood-curdling scream from Felicity halted him in his tracks. Time seemed to stand still as the sound of crows cawing, and the crackling of the burning forest fell silent. Though he couldn't turn his head, he could see Felicity through the corners of his eyes, standing beside him and weeping.
"Please don't kill my father," she whispered, trembling. "He's all I have left." And with those words, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed to the ground.
As time resumed its flow, Artemus was left to ponder the revelation that the monster he was about to slay was Felicity's father. But before he could react, the enemy seized Xedho's leg and flung him towards Artemus, sending the two tumbling to the ground. The hooded figure lunged for his katana but was met with a powerful gust of wind from Mordecai's grimoire, sending the weapon out of reach. Mordecai, now weakened, coughed violently, "This cursed body of mine can't wield magic like it used to."
With a surge of fury, the monstrous enemy rushed towards Mordecai, violently yanking his limp body from the cart and tossing him to the ground. His fists pounded relentlessly into the old man's face, one blow after another. Artemus and Xedho threw themselves at the attacker, desperately trying to subdue him, but he shrugged them off quickly. The brute kicked Artemus in the stomach, sending him flying several feet away. He grabbed Xedho by the back of the head and slammed his face into the ground repeatedly, rendering him unconscious. Artemus struggled to get back to his feet, his broken ribs making it difficult to catch his breath. Helpless, he watched as the towering figure approached him with murder in his eyes.
"Artemus," Mordecai called out weakly, "Take good care of Felicity and see that she makes it home safely. She needs you -"
His grimoire lifted into the air, bathing Mordecai in a golden light. The brilliance was blinding, and Artemus had to look away. The char-faced man changed course, heading towards the old man.
"So this is where my adventure ends," Mordecai said as the light around him grew brighter and brighter.
"Mordecai, no!" Felicity screamed.
"There's no need to worry, child. Your father and I are going to get some much-needed rest," Mordecai said, giving Felicity a hopeful smile. "I leave the future of the realms in your hands, young adventurers. May the light illuminate your souls."
The light around Mordecai pulsed faster and faster, his grimoire flipping to its final page.
"Divine Twilight," Mordecai spoke in a serene tone.
A blinding explosion of light burst from the book, transforming the dead of night into the brightness of midday in an instant. When the light dissipated and Artemus finally opened his eyes, Mordecai and the enemy were nowhere to be found. All that remained was the glowing grimoire.
Xedho groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, "What happened?"
"They're... gone," Felicity said, her voice quivering as tears streamed down her face.
Artemus, struggling to stay upright, stumbled towards the grimoire. As he approached, its light flickered and dimmed, revealing a glowing rune on the front cover - a symbol resembling the rising sun.
With a sense of urgency, Artemus frantically flipped through the book's pages, searching for answers, but it was blank. Every page was a clean sheet of parchment, except for the first. Inscribed at the top of that page were only a few simple words:
"Where one story ends, another begins."