alright, thanks for the comment, but im still wanting more. ive had a hard time thinking up titles for each chapter so i just stopped. here is the fourth chapter, hope you enjoy.



Chapter 4


Syril’s hooves threw up clumps of dirt as they rode through the icy wilderness. Earen stopped when he saw five dark figures hunched over something ahead on the side of the path. Earen drew his sword and Syril clopped forward cautiously. The figures turned around at the sound of hooves and just stared. They were an ugly sight to behold. They looked like melting muddy sculptures with red glowing eyes and black mouths.

“Leave, man creature and we will not harm you” one said in a slow deep voice.
They wielded nothing more than sticks and rocks. Earen looked harder and saw what is was, a human. He was a male and middle aged by the look of it. He had brown hair and looked unconscious. There was a gash on his forehead and it was bleeding.

“Stay away from him foul creatures, or I will destroy you all” Earen said, pointing his sword at them. They all turned towards Earen and they started throwing sticks and stones at him. Earen batted them away with his gauntleted hand and sword.

“We will eat this man creature and absorb his strength, then we will eat you, man creature” the apparent leader said, brandishing a stick with a stone tied on the end. Two of the creatures came at Syril and Earen, and he tried slicing them with his blade, but they just morphed back together with a nasty slurping sound. Earen shot a bolt of light at one of the creatures and it blew up in a shower of mud. Suddenly, the others ran over to the remains of the one that he exploded and started to eat the remains.

“Absorb his strength brothers, then we will destroy this lightning creature!” the leader yelled. The creatures ate the remains, and they grew bigger. In the beginning they were about 4 ft tall, now they were 5 ½ ft tall. Earen shot at all of the creatures, each exploding in a bigger rain of mud than the last one until there was only one left.

“Lightning creature is very strong, I return with more warriors. We be big and ferocious!” and with that he ran off into the forest. Earen jumped down and ran over to the man. He had the gash and a few scratches, but nothing more. Earen picked him up and carried him back to Syril and threw him onto the saddle. Earen grabbed the reigns and led Syril into a small alcove of trees. Earen laid the man on a blanket and set up a fire and a tent. Soon he had a warm fire going and a stew boiling. He healed the gash and the cuts, and soon the man woke up.

“Wha, what happened I was just walking along, and then a mud thing was standing there then everything went black” the man said sitting up.

“Well they were going to eat you and I saved you. Would you like some soup?” Earen asked as he dished up two bowls of piping hot soup. The man took it and set it down to let it cool.

“I am Jerred. I am a salvager. I dig up artifacts, and for a bit more I steal them, if it’s honest work or something of course” he said and ate a spoonful of soup.

“I am Earen” he said and grabbed a bag full of oats, “Wait, how is stealing honest?” Earen asked, putting the oats bag on Syril’s muzzle.

“Well if it was stolen from you to begin with, something like that” Jerred said, continuing to eat his soup. “Hey, what are you doing out here anyways? No one comes out here, except for…well never mind” he said hastily. Earen told him the story of how Leana was taken and how everything had happened since.

“Sorry to hear that friend. Hey, since you helped me, I am going to give you something, and I think it will help you” he said as he searched through his pack.
“I was supposed to give it to my client, but you will have more use for it” he looked in a pouch and pulled out a necklace.

“This will protect you from their dark magic. That vision you had, that is a spell they know, and this will protect you from it” Jerred said and handed it to Earen. He looked it over in his hands. It had a steel silver chain and an amulet on the end. The amulet was gold with a jade eagle holding a sword in its talons.

“Wow, you sure? This is really nice” Earen said, looking at it.

“Ya sure, just put it on before I change my mind” he said, finishing off his soup. Earen put it on and let it fall down to his chest plate next to his other amulet.

“Hey Earen, you gonna finish off that soup?” Jerred asked, looking at it hungrily.

“Go ahead, I am gonna go to sleep, the tent is yours for the night” Earen said and he sat down against a tree and tucked his head down in his cloak.

Earen woke up with the sun in his eyes. He looked around and Jerred was gone. The tent was packed in its bag and the fire was out and the blanket folded.

“Well, can’t blame him I guess” Earen said and packed up the stuff. He led Syril back to the road and he hopped on. They started riding, and after a bit, they heard bird chirping noises.

“That's strange, there aren’t any birds around. Wonder where they are coming from?” Earen said as he pulled on the reigns and Syril stopped. Suddenly Earen heard a twanging sound and was pierced by three arrows. Earen looked around for a second and fell off of Syril. The last thing he saw was three pair of boots walking towards him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Earen woke up in extreme cold. With blurry eyes he looked around the room he was in. He wasn’t in a room at all. He was lying outside on the ground with nothing more than his clothes. Then a couple of men came up to him speaking in a strange language. They picked him up and rushed him into a warm room. Earen sighed with relief even at the change in temperature as he was laid next to a roaring fire. It felt like he was melting. Then a young girl ran to his side and was wiping his brow with a wet warm cloth. Earen pushed her back and sat up, but was in immense pain. It was just then he remembered the arrow wounds. One was in his left shoulder, and his right leg. He looked and felt for the third arrow but felt nothing else. Then he touched his back, and he couldn’t feel anything back there. Not cold, hot, his own hand on his back.

“What is going on here? Why is my back numb, who shot me?” Earen questioned at a rapid pace. The girl just put her finger on his lips and made a “shhhhh” sound.

“Well, what is going on is that you had a fever, so we put you out in the cold to cool you down. It may not be the most comfortable method but it worked. And when you woke up, we put you in here. Your back suffered minor nerve damage, but your not paralyzed thank heavens, just you won’t feel anything on most of your back. Your shoulder and leg are fine, they just need to heal. And I don’t know who shot you.”

Earen just stared at her. “I don’t have time for this, I need to leave” Earen said as he pulled up his pant leg.

“Sir! I beg your pardon what are you doing!?” she said as Earen pulled up the pant leg to the wound which was pretty high. He ripped off the bandage and placed his hands on the wound. A light flashed and the wound closed up and looked as good as new. She stared in amazement as he did the same to his shoulder. He stood up and looked around.

“Where is my stuff? I need to leave now, please” she pointed at a box near the door, and he opened it hastily and put everything on.

“I thank you for the healing, and I forgive whoever shot me but I must leave, where is my horse?” Earen asked. She pointed out the door and cowered away from him. He ran out the door and he found Syril standing there waiting for him. He jumped on and dug his heels into her sides and she clip clopped forward. He headed for the exit but was suddenly blocked by a line of rough looking men.

“So pretty boy, where you going? We save you then just skip out on us?” one said stepping forward.

“Look, I am grateful for your help, I truly am, but I must leave now” Earen said, staring at the exit.

“Oh, so you think you are pretty important huh? Well let me tell you something, we deserve some payment for our services” the same man said again.

“Hey, I didn't ask to be saved. You could have left me there after whoever shot me, so don’t go expecting some reward for it” Earen said, starting to get annoyed.

“I don’t like the tone your taken stranger, I think we need to beat it out of ya” the man said drawing an axe from his side.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Let me pass” Earen said.

“No way. You chicken? I bet your girl would be pretty embarrassed right now chicken, if you have one anyways” he said laughing. Earen jumped off Syril and drew his swords.


“Take it back, and I wont humiliate you” Earen said, his voice as cold as ice.

“So. The chicken isn’t totally scared. Cmon chicken, lets see what you got” the man said and charged at Earen. Earen easily blocked his attack with one sword and stabbed his foot with the other blade. The man screamed in pain and dropped his axe. Earen sheathed his swords and kicked the axe away. The man took a powerful swing at Earen but he dodged it and delivered a powerful uppercut to his stomach. The man doubled over and Earen kneed him in the head. The man fell backward and grabbed his head and rolled around in pain.

“Take it back” Earen said in his icy voice.

The man spit up some blood but stood up. “Never” he said and ran at Earen. Earen easily side stepped the tackle and kicked him in the back side. The man crashed into a mud puddle and Earen walked past him and to Syril, tightening the saddle. Not a sound could be heard except for the distant crackle of a fire and a bark or two from the dogs. Syril trotted slowly to the exit, the line of men parting for the horse.

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[Sig and avy by me!]