Not Seeing The Wood For The Trees

So I finally get to find this werewolf demon. It should be fun. Keira was never the best of the Paladins, she was always the weakest and most pathetic magic wise. Her potion craft though, was good. She was top of her class, and they were always confused by that as it matched some of the Mages skills, yet her soul and magic were tied to the Paladins. Still, from the map I’m looking at, we need to go to Ramstad, whose mill she set fire to, then work our way back to trace her back to where she’s been hiding.

As she must have been there for a very long time but it will be some days to travel to get out of Rein Strand. Three in total, then a few days to move to the place in Moss Tempest where she was spotted, then we need to go anywhere she has been. He was looking forward now to pulling that stone from her chest and also forcing her to tell him where the bat thing was. As clearly more than one of these abominations had been created and lived.

He was genuinely interested to know how Keira had escaped everyone’s notice for so long. She had a massive scar on her face, it wasn’t like she could blend in since it was a magic scar and those never healed unlike regular weapon scars, magic ones remained with you until death, even normal potions to change your appearance couldn’t get rid of them. He watched as the servants finished packing the final part of their gear onto the raptor mounts. He watched as Odessa got on her mount putting her mace and round shield away then adjusted her armour which had white and blue symbols.

“You better bring that abomination and its counterpart here dead or alive!”

He turned, seeing the big black Minotaur with a long mane of white hair come towards them, who was dressed in the elite mages gold and red robes. “Lady Lucina, it is so kind for you to grace us with your magnificent presence.” The elderly black furred female Minotaur eyed him. “Quit with your sucking up Romulus, you let that demon werewolf escape all those seasons ago.” Odessa looked up slightly. “It was not my partner's fault; the magical chains were badly made.”

The old Minotaur eyed her. “Your opinion is not required right now Odessa, your job is to guard and heal your partner.” She turned, seeing Titus and the frogman Cepos coming towards them on their raptors. “Along with your two elite Paladin guards.” Titus raised his head fin. “It is our duty to protect him, my lady. Even from the scummy little peasants and ills off this world.”

The frogman opposite him looked down slightly but said nothing as he smiled. “I hope that pleases you lady.” Valerius snorted, eyeing them. “Anyone who helped those abominations is to be punished, is that understood?” Romulus nodded. “As they should be, great lord, we will see to it.” Lucina raised her staff. “Be sure you do this time and you kill the other one too, these things should not exist… they go against what we stand for on the council.”

Romulus took the reins. “It shall be done my lady.” He felt the raptor start to move fast, as its clawed feet hit the dirt and they all started moving through the huge front gates that opened as they left the central palace of the elite Mages. Where you got to stay if you made the elite, you got to live was the biggest place in the entire city. A lot of Mages wanted it as it meant being treated like a ruler of the ancient age. Still he and Odessa could enjoy that once he had Kiera’s head on platter and had punishing anyone who had been helping her.

8

We have to leave Trognath, like everyone else, as the gates have been reopened and people are leaving. I’m sad to go as I love this place. I know people here but it’s for their safety it's best we go as they need to move the village's location, but not without mounts, as we are now heading to the stables which have just come into view. It’s filled with different types of mounts including things I’ve not seen before.

They have horses that have magic hooves and can run fast but these are for farming. There are raptor mounts, boars and what looks like a strange lizard though it looks more amphibious, and it has eyes, a wide mouth and fins on its back along with strange finned legs with clawed toes. There are also some strange looking birds there, which are the same size as a raptor with long strong feathered legs but with beautiful plums and feathers and long parrot-like beak.

The yellow skinned demon woman seller turns to us her long jaws forming a smile as she opens her wings and raising her tail. “Here for a mount? I have the best anywhere.” Elysande moved forward. “Yes we all are.” Agomais eyed them all, as he had never owned a mount. “What do we need to feed them after buying them?” The demon woman moved raised a clawed hand. “The boars, birds and the amphibious mounts eat grass and fruit, nuts; the raptors, dead insects. You will need about two to three feeds a day.”

Bastian eyed the mounts. “Are they all fit to go into the frozen regions?” The yellow demon smirked. “Yes they can go anywhere, all can grow winter coats and feathers, and the new amphibious mounts grow temporary bone plates to keep in the heat.” Elysande moved over to the strange flat amphibious mount with its fins and long tail. “Never seen one of these before, what is it?”

The demon woman smiled. “Oh that is a new unit that the frogmen and women have only brought to us last season, it can slither over anything, even dive into any earth or water and skim on it or walk, they are really fast and low to the ground, they call them Axolius.” She paused. “The frogmen and women want to sell these all over and make a new market, since raptors seem to be everyone’s choice. Despite that they are harder to look after.”

Elysande moved rubbing the creature's head watching as its tongue came out clearly showing that it enjoyed being scratched. It wasn't wet skinned, but hard. “I like it, how much?” The demon woman smirked. “Two silver and he’s yours, he is deeply loyal and well-mannered as they train them really well up in the rain forests.” She paused and eyed the Minotaur and white furred Ratman. “What takes both your fancy, other than me?”

Bastian smiled while Agomais rolled his eyes. “Something sturdy.” The demon woman moved along the line. “I have a few really nice boars here.” She paused. “They also come with gold and brown fur now, not just black, as the orcs are now breeding more colours into them.” Bastian pointed. “Can I have the smaller brown furred one?” The demon woman smiled. “Of course he’s one silver, one copper.”

She eyed the huge Minotaur. “You?” Agomais pointed. “The big black boar.” The demon woman smiled. “She’s the same price as your friends.” She turned eyeing the werewolf Paladin who was moving closer to one of the big birds. “Be careful with that one, they are my newest stock but that one is a little temperamental.” Keira moved towards the beautifully colourful bird with green and blue plumes and multi-coloured feathers and a parrot-like beak.

She eased up her hand, watching as the big bird moved forward, pushing its head against her hand, seeing the demon woman’s face turn to surprise. “What is this called?” The demon woman moved forward. “That’s a female Kakopa. They live in the swamp regions of Morgue Ragnar, the zombie race there has been training them, both alive and undead they are very hardy and they can go fast with enough training.”

She paused, moving a step closer. “That one must really like you since they're picky and tend to go for the face of people they dislike…” Keira eyed the bird. “How much?” The demon woman raised a clawed hand. “Normally two silver but since that one tried to take my eyes out unlike its friends, one silver, one copper.” Keira eased out the coins. “Does all this include saddles?” The demon woman turned to them all. “No, that's extra. The cost is two silver for your saddle and reins, along with your saddle soap.”

She watched as they all eyed her annoyance but pulled out the money handing it to her. “I’ll get your saddles and reins ready and placed along with your mounts.” Agomais watched as she left and he eyed Keira. “Trust you to pick out the seven foot walking turkey bird.” Keira eyed him. “They repaired your horn, so stop giving me shit.” Agomais sneered. “That still doesn’t change the fact you wouldn’t share your magic or potions with me and Bastian all these years.”

He snorted. “In the Cleric’s guild, not sharing potions with others in need is considered highly offensive, as healing and helpful magic should always be shared among the group for the greater good.” Keira eyed him. “You don’t get it, I can’t control my magic!” Agomais felt a sneer form. “You can still make potions, and like I said before your book shows you’re good as you have loads of side notes on it.” Keira eyed him in disgust. “What makes you think I can even control my magic?”

“When you are both done quarrying, our mounts are ready to go!”

They turned seeing that Bastian was behind them smiling while all their mounts were now lined up. Elysande got on hers taking the reins as she spoke calmly. “Yes we do need to leave now. As this place is about to vanish and the gates are open.” Keira breathed in, moving over to her bird carefully getting on, watching as the others did the same. “Let’s go.” Agomais eyed her. “Yes, let's leave, the light is fading and it’s a long trip to camp.”

8

Titus breathed in, as he sat down in the Tavern room where they were staying tonight. He breathed in pulling out his tools as he started to tighten the magical bolts on his gold and red dwarfen prosthetic leg and tail. They had made good time but they still had some towns to go through, not to mention leaving the capital was always slow, he eyed the frog man who had reflective skin and scales as well as magical tattoos over all over his body, his skin was not wet. it had always been slightly scaly.

Cepos was busy adjusting his silver armour and cleaning it, his reflective red eyes checking everything as he looked at him smiling kindly. “Well at least we made good time here.” Titus smirked as he carried on working with his tools. “Yeah and Romulus and Odessa are far away from us so we can talk about whatever we want for a change.” Cepos finished his cleaning putting the chest plate down. “So you knew Keira?”

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Titus breathed in deeply; he knew this question was coming. “Yes we trained together with a female half elf Liliana, I really liked her but she died when the mines blew up. She was burnt down to nothing but bones and I found what was left of her.” He paused. “Keira slept with her though, she was never much to look at for a human but she had great charisma and always got what she wanted.”

He looked down slightly. “She was fun though, like we always had a good time, she told me she was forced into the school of Paladins young, like thirteen, she said though she was happy to get away from her family, they weren’t kind to her. It meant that she spent three years cleaning and cooking in the magic school kitchens until she could join the ranks as she was too young to join the Paladins, which was hard for her.”

He raised a clawed hand. “I didn’t meet her though till she was twenty, when we both got our magic tattoos at the ceremony.” He shrugged, finishing his work. “Sad that she made a choice to become the abomination as the dark Mage granted her his gifts at the cost of his own life.” He put his tools away. “She had potential.” Cepos breathed in deeply. “I heard one of the villages close by was almost destroyed though they got everyone out and rebuilt it. The other the shock wave hit, but no one was hurt outside of some injuries.”

Titus shook his head. “No, the explosion killed at least thirty people and another twenty died in the other village. Romulus told me that, I believe in his word.” Cepos looked down slightly; he didn't trust that obnoxious old beast man, he seemed cruel and spiteful to him along with his human lover Odessa. He looked at his hands which had special groves so he could climb trees. Maybe he didn’t understand how things worked here, he was new to the elite and had only come in nine months ago.

Their relationship had started four months ago, but he hated all the bravado talk about smashing other races underfoot and being mean to the most weak. It was so common among the elite Paladins and Mages back in Rein Strand. His parents though were from the rainforest region before they’d moved to the capital and they believed strongly that other races should be protected, as it was the order of the great jungles and the great elder dragon Merranyth that lived there.

Titus was not from there but had been born in Moss Tempest, his family were third generation and used to be miners, so he wasn’t connected to his roots in the same way he did. Saying that so many races in the capital felt disconnected from their roots… It was hard to explain but it felt like there was something affecting people there and making them crueller than normal. Maybe he just wasn’t used to it and he never would be.

The thing that made no sense to him was these people were some of the richest there were and yet they were still miserable nasty assholes. He breathed in lying back on the bed watching as Titus did the same. “Well by tomorrow night we should be out of the region.” Titus pulled the map up as Cepos cuddled up against him. “Yes the first destination on the map is Merrygot, never been there personally but it’s the first town at the edge of Moss Tempest, I think they had a war with Dawn Star in the past.”

He leaned against Cepos. “Once we find Keira we’ll get a bigger home, everything will be better, the reward will be so high, it will change our lives forever.” Cepos looked up slightly but said nothing, it was the other thing he didn’t understand… by elite Paladin status they were already very well off. They had a whole house of their own when they weren’t on the job. It was in one of the nicest areas of the capital. Why was that not enough for Titus? The place they had was huge, it was two floors.

It was also well out of the affordability of the normal person or the lower classes. They had servants who cooked and cleaned, their job was just to guard Romulus and Odessa with other lower rank Paladins at night. Why was the coin never enough? Maybe he was just naïve; his parents had lived in a humble home and farmed special fish to sell as food. He had never wanted for much as he had always been happy. He'd even been devastated when his magic had shown and he’d had to leave for magic training, and he only got to visit them again even now, and enjoy the moments with his eleven brothers and sisters who tended the capital farm.

8

Flying through the air, high over the forest below in the darkness, I’m not in control… I am aware but not there. I can feel the fur off my body and the air on my wings yet I am a slave who can’t make them do as I wish. I feel myself smash the floor hard as I catch sight of the huge bug bear nearby, using its huge claws to shovel the floor as its mandibles chew the leaves.

It’s not aware of me, as I start to stalk it slowly, and yet I don’t want to stalk it or hurt it. I can’t stop myself as much as scream in my own mind and much as I will it I can’t change the course of what is to come. The huge tail raises high above my head. I can see it out of the corner of my eye which I don’t control as it readies itself and the demonic werewolf body moves forward on its own.

It’s too late, as the horrible nightmare happens and I can’t change it or stop it, as the tail comes back slamming into the huge hairy back, as the animal screams in pain and purple blood splatters the ground, only for the tail to keep coming down. I now see a zombie who was hiding up in a tree maybe to get away from the bugbear, but who is now staring down, their white eyes glowing in shock as the bloody tail pulls back.

The tail suddenly comes forward with the killing blow, as my body moves without my consent going over the huge being and it starts to rip it apart. I’m eating it from the inside out, guts and all, all as the zombie watches quietly. I want to wake up. I hate it here please let me wake up! I’m just a vile disgusting monster that eats people and wildlife. Why do I have no self-control in this form it’s been two years why can’t I wake from this?

Keira felt herself snap awake sharply; she could feel the cold sweat dripping down her face, and her breathing as her heart hammered against her rib cage. She eased up her hand, looking at, realising it was a dream, and yet that made her feel no better. She sat up, seeing that the others were fast asleep in the tent she needed to get some air. She eased herself up, slowly moving outside, taking in deep long breaths as the cold air hit her and she moved over leaning against one of the trees.

“Can you not sleep?”

She turned sharply seeing that Elysande was behind her, she had not even heard her but then the woman was a strange vampire hybrid, she had the abilities of both a vampire and ghoul. “No I can’t sleep, I have bad dreams. I’ve been having them for ages, always hunting, killing something, tearing it to ribbons. Never people, just wild life or I have dreams where I change for the first time when I flee.” Elysande looked at her sadly. “They are not dreams, they are memories… When you repress what you truly are, they still come through in your dreams.”

Keira looked at her for a long moment. “That’s even less of a comfort to hear… do they ever go away?” Elysande raised her hand. “Only when you truly embrace what you truly are do they go away forever.” Keira looked down sadly. “I don’t want to embrace that… I’m an abomination and a monster.” Elysande moved to stand opposite her. “What the Mages told you is wrong, you're not those things you’re just a different type of magic which they can’t comprehend, so they showed fear and branded you as such.”

She paused. “You just can’t see that right now as the things you took have been clouding your vision.” Keira felt her teeth grind together as she spoke coldly. “I just want to sleep and not have bad dreams.” Elysande eased the cloth package out of her armour. “Take this it will help, it may not stop the bad dreams fully, but it will sooth your mind and soul somewhat just until we get to Trius Amaya.” Kira took the wrapped cloth. “What is it?”

Elysande watched as the other woman unwrapped the metal sphere, looking at it with deep curiosity. “It’s called a serenity sphere, it helps with emotions, call it a thank you for saving my life in the mines.” She felt a smile form. “Just take it, channel your magic through it and it will bind to you forever and it show you what you need.” Keira raised her hand towards the sphere which was made of steel and copper. “What will I see?”

Elysande looked up slightly. “It’s different for everyone and perfectly safe, it can be jarring the first time though.” Keira eased off her armoured glove, she wouldn’t normally take something like this but she was desperate for sleep and calm or anything in life that resembled normality. She took hold of the steel and copper sphere, raising it, looking at the details. “So I just channel right?” Elysande turned walking away. “Yes, but limit it to once a day.”

Keira eyed the steel and copper sphere again as she slowly gripped it, it had been years since she had channelled, it almost felt strange to her now. She had gotten so used to doing everything without magic or with very limited magic. She closed her eyes slightly, gripping harder, watching as the blue and red light started to come out of her hand as she began to channel, feeling her body buzz like lightning. It was such a forgotten feeling and almost comforting.

She opened her hand, seeing the sphere's colour slowly change to black with a purple hue, as it started to rise in her hand as its sections started to move and spin. Only for it to snap back together landing in her palm as the visions hit her with such force. She could see images of flying over the huge forests of Moss Tempest at speed, seeing their rainbow colours shine, only for the vision to change to a huge river as if she was skimming its surface and putting a huge red clawed hand into its water causing them to splash outwards.

She blinked as the vision changed to ice Mountains and tundra but flying over the top in the hot sun. Feeling totally free, unencumbered by anything and in complete control which was strange as she had not felt any true sense of control in years. She breathed in, hearing the strings of a harp playing as the vision changed to a beautiful fireplace in a warm room of some kind of tavern or house with a person in shadow, who was playing like the claws of the elder dragons and hitting every divine note.

Her focus stayed on that vision for a long time. She had no memory of anyone playing a harp in her life, her parents weren’t artistic. Wait… yes now she remembered, it was one of the servants in the school of magic, despite being a cook there for three years as she had been sent too young to join the other children, the male and female servants were always very kind to her there, and treated her well and had been better to her than her family had ever been.

She used to watch one of them playing; she was a kindly old orc woman. She had always been happy there; she even missed the school when she left to become a Paladin; strange it was that she had forgotten how nice those memories of sitting by the fire watching her play had been. The woman had tucked her in bed and told her stories of the great elder dragons. She breathed in feeling the memories fade as her channelling ended and the visions faded and she realised she was alone in the darkness again.

Yet now she didn’t feel as bad about it as she looked at all the mounts which were sleeping opposite, she looked up slowly at the stars realising that because she was part werewolf she could now see them in the great sky in vivid detail due to her night vision coming back. When she was a child she used to wonder if other world’s existed beyond her own, and what was in that great beyond, as it was still so unknown and no one truly knew as magic had broken that great frontier yet.

Maybe none ever would in her lifetime. She breathed in very deeply, suddenly feeling the deep exhaustion hit in, and the deep need for sleep took over as she put the sphere away safe in a special pocket in her armour, before making her way back inside the tent seeing that Elysande was sleeping. She carefully stepped over the others once again, not seeing that she was being watched very closely by a pair of yellow eyes of a Mogwai, as she settled down pulling her glove back on. She pulled the cover back over herself feeling herself fall into a very deep sleep.

End of part 11

Silvermoonlight