Enchantyon: Knight of the Holy Faun

Chapter Two: Khar Vell

"No no no...look all of you! Over there! He's just up ahead, I can see him now...we've finally spotted you, son. Come on! We need to hurry before he infects someone!" War-Pastor Gennady led them onward through the wilderness as they pursued his turned son.

While most of the knights of their company stayed at the village to set up shop and help the few survivors figure out what to do next, Lalauri—along with her fellow paladins and of course, Gennady— gave chase to Anxo the Werewolf, refusing to let the downpour stop them as it turned from afternoon into the twilight of evening. 

The other paladins were all from various nearby kingdoms and city-states collectively known as The Free Border Dominions of Tesardess. Their names were: Sir Axlan, Lady Christabel, and Sir William. All belonging to the race of Men just like the war-pastor. They were white with black hair except for Lady Christabel who had the tell-tale white-blue hair of the people from the Kingdom of Yonder. There were also two other paladins by the names of: Sir Besian and Lady Aine who were both elves like Lalauri. However, while Lalauri herself was black with stark white hair, the other two elf paladins were lily white with dirty blonde hair like many of the other elves that could be found in the Dominion's Valley Kingdoms from which they came.

"Gennady!" Lalauri called ahead to him, trying her best to shout over the booming and crackling storm. "Where is Anxo going?"

The war-pastor did not answer. He just kept riding through the wooded area they had entered with such speed that it took some effort for Lalauri and the others to keep up with him despite the fact that they were all riding the horses they had quickly grabbed and hopped onto as they were rushing out of the village to follow Anxo. The poor mares were not helped by the fact that they were all wearing full suits of armour as fitting of a paladin, unlike the war-pastor who's outfit consisted of minimal armour plating and his crimson robes.

When they finally stopped, Lalauri and the other paladins all stopped their horses abruptly due to Gennady having done the same just before them, causing the horses to rear and whine in protest, nearly slamming into each other. While Gennady came off his horse and examined what looked to be a rock wall, the others followed suit and walked up to them giving their horses a chance to calm down and catch their breath. No one complained, though. They all knew the stakes. If they stopped any longer than absolutely necessary, they would only increase the chances of Anxo coming into contact with innocents. He would infect them with the Wolfplague that he now carried, resulting in a brand new outbreak. One that they would struggle to contain given how physically spent they all were becoming by this point.

"He...he...he got away?" said Sir Besian, in between breaths. "But I thought...you said you saw him?!"

"No...no, Anxo. Not here..." Gennady muttered to himself, seemingly lost in thought.

When Lalauri approached him, there were tears welling in his eyes. "Gennady...where are we?"

After a few moments, Gennady finally said, "We have arrived at a village. A village that I once told my son about some time ago back when he was still just a boy. I think...I think he came here hoping we wouldn't find him. He must have not thought that I myself would have followed with you..."

"A village?" said Sir Besian. "Here? What village, priest? I see nothing but a bunch of trees and a rock wall covered in moss. 

Lalauri shot the young hot-headed elf a glare, causing him to look away—albeit with a look of clear disdain on his face. However, she had to admit, he was right. This was no village they were in. The untamed lands they were now roaming was just another tiny nook of the greater realm that was known as the Greater Wilderness of Tesardess. It was in this Greater Wilderness—the middle section of the continent between Tesardess' two continental empires—that the city-states and kingdoms of the Dominions called home. It was also home to several smaller villages and settlements that existed within the territory in-between the Dominions. However, this was none of those places, and the place where they stood was exactly as Sir Besian had described. There wasn't even as much as a clearing to which they could say someone might have camped in, let alone a whole settlement or a village.