XX

Herokelus’ trail wasn’t hard to find. His path led Yoreno through thick underbrush, around large rocks and even up a tree where he must have jumped and taken hold of a steep incline of rock and moss.

Yoreno followed, sometimes losing the trail because he was forced to take alternate paths. But nothing had stopped him from his pursuit. After tracking Herokelus for over two hours, Yoreno found himself in a forested lagoon.

With his sword in his hands, he stalked across a bed of river rocks to a clear pool of water. Magical taint must have been strong here, because the plants were decidedly more green and tropical compared to the dry, almost arid state of most of the island.

Yoreno walked along the pool’s edge as he followed the trail. Herokelus’ path took him around an obelisk rock covered in vines and plants. He came up short when he spotted the monster on his knees, a wild pig in his grasp, its body split open and its entrails spilled.

Herokelus turned to see what was behind him and met Yoreno’s gaze. The would-be-knight narrowed his eyes at the desperate, horrifying sight. Herokelus was bleeding from his forearm where one of his bones was protruding through the muscle and skin, its edge jagged and sharp.

The very sight made Yoreno wince even though his quarry was a monster.

As Herokelus stared at Yoreno a piece of the entrails he had been devouring fell from his vile mouth. His teeth spread and a hoarse-sounding hiss came out.

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Yoreno stalked forward close enough that Herokelus was now only two strides from him. It was clear to Yoreno that the monster no longer had any fight left. He was eating—probably regenerating his own life force by devouring the life of another. But the monster guardian hadn’t had time to recover.

This whole battle had been nothing more than a test. Nothing Yoreno did right now would end Herokelus for good. As Dantera had told him before, he would regenerate and be sent back by the dark magicks surrounding this place.

Yoreno made a face, feeling disgusted. Perhaps Herokelus was a necessary evil, because he would attack even dark mages who came to steal the magic in this place.

Yoreno raised his sword and a thought came to him.

Dantera had done a similar thing as he now was doing.

“Perhaps we will meet again one day, Herokelus.”

The monster narrowed his green-slit eyes and Yoreno struck him down, his sword passing through the monsters neck and severing his head which rolled across the river rocks and gouted blood in a spiral pattern.

It was done.

Yoreno was to be a knight now.

He regarded the monster’s body. Something was happening. Was he… melting? His flesh was disintegrating. It only took moments, but then Herokelus was nowhere to be seen, as if Yoreno hadn’t just killed him here next to this pool of water, save for the little crystal that remained.

It was a black gem with a gold glow coming from within, a smok-like swirling of dark energy within. He picked it up and pocketed the crystal.

Yoreno glanced about the rocky beach and the pools. The obelisk rocks with their thick vines and large-leafed plants an amazing sight on such an island in the middle of winter. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

It was time to return to the beach where Dantera and his friends would be awaiting him. Dantera would want to return as quickly as possible to get necessary magical attention for the wounded sailors of their guild.

“Our guild,” he muttered to himself as he began to walk back.

What an odd thought.