BLADES AND BONES

Chapter 9: Friend or Foe

Yureka's group marched deeper into the Unknown Forest. A few minutes since they entered the shady forested lands, two of the knights escorting the princess experienced hallucinations, seeing what appeared to be ghosts of children with mutilated limbs. This caused the whole party to halt. Sooner, three more became hostile, attacking the princess with their swords and poles. Yureka was well-trained to block the incoming attacks with her golden elongated, round shield. Those who remained sane protected her as well.

"What's happening to you?!", the woman asked in a confused state of mind. Then as the moments passed, she found the answer to her question. The black-haired lady felt a tingling sensation all over her body...then, centipedes came out from her armor. She writhed in disgust, rubbed it off her body and fell down from her horse. Wondering in utter amazement how and when the centipedes crawled inside the armor though the princess stayed alert and on guard. Seconds later, the crawling creatures were gone. "Illusions?", she thought.

The young adult felt a hand on her heavily padded shoulder. Surprised, she shook it off, and as she looked around to see who it was, a sigh of relief escaped her dark red lips. "It's just you.. " It was one of her knights named Alex Merck, recognized by his pearly navy blue eyes. He helped Yureka stand up. They were about the same age. He was rooting on the princess since he entered the castle as a squire. One of Yureka's admirers.

"Is the forest always like this?", she said. Shaking her head several times as if trying to wake herself up. For her, this was a bad dream.

"I don't know.", Merc replied. He was baffled, too. The young knight helped the others stand up. One of the soldiers was dead. He was found with his sword stabbed on his neck. Horrible things the forest can do. The team realized their horses have ran away. There was no choice but to walk on foot.

"Hey! Wait for me! I should be the one leading! ", Kesk was having a hard time catching up with Ashven who was walking ahead of him in searching for his master's food. They were at the other side of the forest. "Hush, you'll end up calling the beasts. And, I thought you were really hungry so I'm hurrying.", the brunet's excuse to the other. He paused to wait for the blond as he suggests, "Maybe it's faster if I carry you."

"Don't you dare.", Kesk refused, preferring to walk with the long wooden stick that Ashven gave to him. In turn, the taller male gave a smile. Both of them continued to tread the unknown lands until...

"Stop." Ashven, furrowing his eyebrows, extended his left arm straight and blocked Kesk in going further. The blond knew he was serious by the tone of his voice, thus, he chose to keep quiet. He looked around, alert and on guard. "The necromancer is here... ", the brunet warned Kesk, slowly stepping backwards with his companion who couldn't help but ask, "So what will we do?"

"You can't run so I'll fight him." He dragged the farmer by the sleeve and hid themselves behind a huge trunk.

"You can?"

"Yes. Just hide here."

The skies darkened as black smoke came forth from the ground less than 20 meters in front of the two. It faded and revealed a man with dark skin tone, his hair dreadlocked, robed in dark orange and green hue combination. The necromancer Zao has arrived.

"Ashven! I know you're there! I could smell human blood in you!", Zao spoke in his low and angry barreled voice.

"He knows you?!, Kesk asked in whispered manner. Ashven simply responded with a nod and went out of hiding, throwing his gloves away.

"Yes, I am here, old friend." He uttered loud enough for Zao who replied, "Well, you b-", Ashven dashed forward in extreme haste, faster than any human could ever do, piercing the necromancer's stomach with his left bare hand, the fingertips clawing deeper through the skin. Blood oozed out from the wound. Zao coughed. His eyes were grayish white as a blind man. "So..this is how you greet me after a long while. You ate a lot of humans again..." He grabbed the attacker's hand as pitch-black smokey dusts materialize on his arm and began to wrap Ashven whole. The brunet's quick response was to jump backwards, brushing away the dusts in his arms and body. Kesk observed during the fight, contemplating within his mind, whether to run away or wait for an opportunity to strike and help Ashven. It seemed the latter was easier to ignore, but, he can't bear the fact that the necromancer has killed many of his allies, the knights and his pet Kip and the others more who were used in his dark magic. Revenge is at hand. Kesk thought of letting Ashven take the role of an assassin who will kill his target. Henceforth, the fight commences.