Where Worlds Collide[FANTASY/ADVENTURE]

Immolation

Tridore's POV

Huff....hufff, that took a lot out of me.

Age might just be catching up.....

It took me a good while to reach  Noct. I had to not only sprint thorugh half the forest but I had to pinpoint his location too, since my student left me without any explanation.

I finally found him in the midst of a clearing, with two men lying limply on the moss covered ground.

One lay still as a corpse and the other grimacing in pain, a pool of blood gushing from his leg.

Dear Lord....I hope no one's dead.

As a dry twig snapped under my foot, the sound drew my students attention.

He turned to face me, Amara still unconcious in his arms.

I rushed to the duo. "Is she alright?" I asked.

"I think so, no visible wounds." Noctis said giving her another once-over."She's not hurt " he added looking up at me.

Wish we could say the same about the other two creatures present there.

Noctis's POV

I handed Amara over to Tridore's care and went to tend to my two good friends still on the ground.

I turned over the fatso first. Underneath his helm, a pimply face greeted me, still very much out of it.

I slapped the man's  plump cheeks a few times as a vain attempt to wake him up. He was still breathing...so no reason to worry I guess.

If I was alone with them right now.... that is if they were alone with the demon... I myself shuddered a little at the thought.

This is unusual. The hazy darkness of my mind had just vanished without me even noticing.

I'm usually never this lucky, it took a lot more to rein in the beast once it was given even some semblance of freedom.

I guess Master's presence was the cause...or maybe it was Amara?

A wince reached my ear from the other victim. Hopefuly, I'll have better luck with him.

As he saw me approach, he tried to skitter away. But my sword prevented his escape. He frantically tried to free his leg, only to  have a louder groan escape his throat.

I withdrew my weapon and sheathed it, freeing his leg.
Underneath his helm, the man had a haggardly face, a stark contrast to his companion's plump-red one. Spread across his face was the unmistakable look of dread.

I crouched on my toes to level my face with his pallid one.

"Who are you people and what do you want from the girl?" I barked at him.

The man just continued to stare at me with his eyes wide, instead of answering.

Ok...this is getting annoying.

I asked again, yanking him by the collar,"Hey! What did you have to do with the Sprohm incident?Answer me or else..."

I didn't have to wait much.  The "or else" came true and I didn't even do anything!

The man's already widened eyes went wider, almost to the extent that I feared they would spilt at the corners. Without warning, he let out a piercing howl.

His eyes went bloodshot, nostrils flaring, beads of sweat anointing his face. As if in excruciating pain, the intensity of his shrill cry crescendoed.

"What are you doing, Noct! We need them ALIVE!"  Tridore shouted at me from the back.

"I'm not doing anything!" I said as I put my hands up, backing away from the man.

To Master's and mine perplexion,we watched the man's face start changing color.

I was left  utterly astonished as I saw smoke seeping out the openings in his armor. Within minutes the man's exposed skin became covered in scorch marks and blisters.

A cry from  behind informed me of his companion meeting the same fate. The men screamed loud enough to draw blood from their throats. Their cries sliced through the forest's peaceful ambience.

Right before our eyes, tendrils of  onyx smoke licked away at the men as if it was the smoke itself and not the fire that was burning them alive.

Their harrowing screams reached fortissimo.

The fumes created a wispy screen before their faces, obscuring them from view. By the time the smoke cleared, just their armors were left with a low "clank". Nothing else remianed of the men.

Then there was...silence.
It was as if the forest itself stood speechless,astonished at such harrowing ends to two lives.

The putrid smell of burning flesh made my stomach turn. I covered my nose with my gloved hand and took a closer look at the men, or at least what remained of them.

There was hardly anything left but embers and ashes.

To think that two full grown men burned to death...just like that...

That too without any visible flames.

This is obviously far from ordinary.

This is ....pure evil.

Dark Magic perhaps?

I quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of such sinisterness.

For a fleeting moment, I thought I sensed someone's presence near the hillock overlooking the clearing....but that lasted only a second.

Did I imagine it?

For these men to die JUST as I was about to question them...someone definitely wanted his secrets unrevealed.

I was certain, from these men recognizing me to their unfortunate death by fire... something big was at play.

Something that began at Sprohm had chased me all the way here....

But who was the one behind it all?

What motive did they have?

And how does Amara fit into all this?

Whatever is going on.... I shall see to it's end.