Broken bones and promises

Cool bent over to take a good look at a fallen Cercatori minion and he felt his stomach churn. Every single one of the dark creatures somewhat looked alike. They all had skeletal bodies that seemed to have been burnt to charcoal black; they had long, elongated limbs and razor-sharp claws; their eyes were empty sockets but somehow emitted an eerie glow; their torso represented of that a human ribcage that was forcefully torn apart; and they emit a foul odor, like that of rotting corpses, so putrid that it made the jester’s nose twitch.

 

“It’s not over yet” the dark wizard muttered under his breath as he looked upwards to the skies above, which was turning black above Root forest.

“What’s happening?” Keira asked them both.

“Cercatori magic. The worst kind of black magic. I think some wizard is attempting to destroy Root fores, in search of us.” Cool said. His voice was again serious, like the one when they left Root forest.

“Fool. You know nothing.” Vangz said in his most sadistic voice. Cool flinched. The assassin Keira felt again the hatred for his sarcasm, but when he looked at the wizard’s face, she saw the despair on Vangz’ face, and she knew that he had more experience about dark creatures that she only knew in books and stories. His knowledge about them was absolute.

“The real cercatori. . .They are the worst creatures that ever set foot in Lesallia.” Came the dark wizard’s cold voice.

“As far as I knew, they were supposed to be four of them that existed. But there could be thousands of them. . .and each cercatorus represent man’s sins; man’s oppression against the gods that watched over this land. They represent the evil that men do; their crimes; their wrongdoings. . .” Vangz continued as he stared at the dark cloud ahead.

“So how should we stop them?” Keira asked quickly, her blades still in her hands.

At this, the dark wizard looked straight at her eyes, a mixture of hatred, agony and despair shot at Keira’s heart as the dark wizard’s eyes bored through hers.

“Wha- “ the assassin felt limp. She felt weak, as though she had done something terrible. Then the dark wizard shifted his view from her to the jester’s pocket, where he kept the blood-red stone that burned his hand.

“Give it to me.” Vangz ordered the jester.

Then Cool felt weak too. The aura of the dark wizard was overwhelming. As though in a trance, he raised his hand, put it in his pocket, grabbed the stone and pulled it out. Then he placed it in the outstretched hand of the wizard.

Then Keira noticed something. Unlike her and Vangz, Cool held the stone without flinching. But when she held it, she felt that it would melt her hand if she held on, and vangz’s hand was badly burnt when he gripped it in his gnarled hands.

“Why didn’t it burn your skin?” Keira rushed to the jester, taking a closer look to his hand. Not even a blister.

“It’s because this stone. . .This is an incomplete philosopher’s stone. And this one is still fresh. It could have been made not long ago. He never told you, did he? He was still working on it. That’s my theory why Kiev abducted him.” Vangz uttered.

Silence.

“No.” Keira whispered to herself. The weight in her chest dragged her down inside. This cant be real. He promised me.

Vangz held it tighter with his already-burnt hand. If it wasn’t for the cloth wrapped around it, the burn in his hand would surely be beyond healing. His hand was shaking as his eyes stayed transfixed on the stone that was smoking in his grip.

Then in that instance, it shattered in his hand. Fragments of it fell to the forest floor.

Vangz put the largest fragment inside his pocket and picked up another one. Keira and Cool just stared at him; they had no idea what he was up to.

Finally, he looked up at them. “Keep the other parts.” He said. “We’ll need it later.” Cool obliged; he picked up the broken fragments and kept them safe in his pocket.

Keira, on the other hand was pale. She could not believe the stone was being rebuilt. Why? Why did he lied to her? This cant be happening. She thought that he abandoned it a long time ago. She thought he never completed it and got over it. She thought that he swore not to continue this work, so they could live happy. Is that the reason why Leon just disappears every now and then? Is that the reason why he was shaking when he returns? Is that the reason why sometimes, he cant look at her straight in the eyes for an answer?

Then in a puff of black smoke, the wizard disappeared from view, and Keira didn’t even cared.

Silence.

. . .

Vangz reappeared at the foot of the mountain, just a few miles from Root forest. He just knew that this was the right place. Something inside him tells him so. And he felt he was expecting to see an old friend.

“I thought it was you.” A voice of unexplainable evil spoke to him.

“Who- -“ he started, terror gripping him. He knew his magic was still no match for a cercatori of the highest rank.

Then he fell to his knees, a powerful force inside him forcing him to witness something; something terrible. His whole body was rigid, he was shaking, he cannot move his body. He could see a dark silhouette of a huge creature, about ten feet tall, just a few steps ahead of him, the source of the cercatori magic seemed to be emanating from here. He could do nothing but see and hear what was happening, for something controlled him inside out.

“So it was you, all along.” The evil voice spoke with malice.”Watch what I am about to do here.”

The silhouette raised its massive arms and the sound of reverberating dark magic filled the air. And the sound of an incantation echoed in the dark wizard’s ears.

“Acerbus Eversio Ineritus!” the dark figure shouted in the forest air, and the skies growled with anger, flashes of lightning slashed in the heavens. Then, flaming rocks started to descend upon the clouds like rain, demonic winds started to yank the peaceful trees. A hole formed itself right in the middle of the dark cloud, expelling massive thunderbolts that set the treetops ablaze. The root forest seemed to be wailing, begging not to be destroyed.

Vangz can only witness the destruction of such a wonderful place. . .

Silence.

Her sweet eyes looked straight at him, her soft skin touched his, as they laid on the warm grass and watched the perfectly blue clouds for hours and hours. . .

Her memories, they all exist in this beautiful forest.

“STOP. . .THAT!” the dark wizard yelled, as he recovered a fraction of himself.

The silhouette was ignoring him. It seemed to be continuing its deed of destruction.

“Finally, you are conscious of my powers. Let me introduce myself.” The deep, dark voice of the silhouette spoke again as it lowered its hand and slowly approached Vangz.

As it came closer, it’s demonic form became clearer, but the dark wizard stared at the empty sockets that were its eyes that seemed to illuminate with such energy. It looked down upon him. It’s gargantuan body stood like a solid black wall.

It stood there as though he was mocking the wizard of how puny he was. Then once again, it spoke slowly,

“I represent man’s desire for conquest and war. I am the evil in the battlefield, the terror in the battalions and the iron fist in each warrior’s hatred. I am called Genocide, the cercatori of destruction.”