What a stormy wind.

The incident with Maria and Arla is now two weeks ago and the late autumn wind slowly changed into a stormy and freezing gale.

I got finally rid of Marias black mana inside my body.

The road under my feet is muddy and with every step I sink down in dirt up to my ankles.

I may be a magician, but even the great I is powerless in front of mother nature.

About half a month of travel time I have still to go, until i´ll reach my monastery.

Currently I am heading towards the fiery-forest, it got its name because of the red and orange glowing gas bubbles. They apparently emerge from the swamps within the forest.

It is a dangerous place, but also one of the fastest routes I could have chosen. If one is not careful enough the Ignis fatuus will mislead traveler into deeper parts of the swamp and they will die a horrifying death.

I fight my way through the slippy mud and find shelter beneath a great oak tree.

This tree marked the entrance to this forest already for a hundred of decades and it is one of a kind.

Its height is about 300 meters tall and the trunk is so broad that there could cover a small wagon behind it.

This tree really is a sight for its own. Pity that it holds no leaves to this season, but its thick branches still do a good job in sheltering me from the wind.

And unfortunately now even from the rain...

A heavy storm arises above me and the rain gushes down as if it wants to drown the world.

Great I am wet up to the bones.

Ah, it´s getting dark. The days bear only a faint sunlight in this time of the year, which makes it quite hard to see. If not for my small tricks with a little light manipulation, I could only walk for about 1-2 hours per day.

But when the night arrives, that is a darkness in which you can´t even recognize your own hand.

In addition, the times have become more dangerous outside at night. The King and the high priest pretty much abandoned the area around my monastery. This has a frightening consequence, the monstrous beasts are showing up more frequently and some strange occurrences disturb the peaceful pace of the villages around this area.

Traveler and merchants report of strange noises and tremendous screams out of the dark. Some of them speak of a large, dark silhouette creeping around their night camps.

To be honest there is also another reason why I chose to take this path, through the fiery forest.

Last week as I stopped by a small farm nearby, the owner told me of a gruesome scene on the side road leading here.

He told me that he discovered the remains of a caravan. I stumbled into the same scenery as I followed his way directions.

The caravan were once merchants, they came with seven people and a fully loaded pulled wagon.

As I found them they were, as reported, all dead... but the way they died...

that was no ordinary death, to be honest I am not even sure what had killed them in such a manner.

As I inspected their remains for any clues, It was as if I had to clear a puzzle, a puzzle of limbs and guts.

To describe the scenery, I can only say whatever killed them has literally lacerated them into many...many pieces.

Not an easy task to differ between human parts and that of the horse...

But the even stranger thing was, that nor the goods on the wagon or the bodies were devoured or stolen. Whatever killed them, it´s done it for the sole purpose of slaughtering.

I cannot allow such a creature to wander the lands... So I spontaneously decided to take a tour through the fiery forest.

For today I think i´ll call it a day. The rain becomes even stronger, buckets of water gush down from the cloudy and darkening sky.

I turn a ring on my right index finger around, about two times.

With a sudden “swoosh” a small tent appears under the oak tree. It finishes itself building and as it finishes, stone after stone was spit out of it. In a circling levitation dance eight stones float around and place themselves in a camp fire formation before the tent.

“SWOOSH” a large stinging flame and the campfire incinerates itself. 

Who needs firewood if you have magic. Hehe

As the fire starts, the large oak tree seems to tremble and some of its huge and heavy branches give a small shiver form them.

“It´s alright old friend, I will not harm you. Take it easy and sleep again. Winter is coming and you need to rest.”

I pat the sturdy bark of the oak tree and reassure him.

My voice carries a deep and magical meaning in it and the tree calms down. Not moving an inch anymore, only the wind whistles between the boughs.

Thank goodness, the area around the tent seems dry and not to uncomfortable. I sit down in a tailor fit and warm my hands at the fire.

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The fires pace of burning is peaceful and repeating. Some here and then a dim rustle is send of from it. The darkness begins to swallow the surroundings, first the far away trees and slowly the road around me.

But as restful as it seems, I can´t get rid of a slowly increasing malaise... I cannot define it, but something feels off.

It is too peaceful... 

the fire is still burning and I sit here already a few hours, the night is showing its true colors already.

No stars, no moon only the light of the fire and the restless dripping sound from the rain.

Finally I cannot bear it any longer, with a snap of my fingers a shortly flashing sphere spreads around me and becomes invisible again.

I cast a barrier, just for safety.

Then, with slow moves I crawl in my tent and slip into my sleeping bag. it´s comfortable warm and within no seconds I come to rest.

Fully forgetting about my previous malaise... I start sleeping

“CREAHHHHH”

It´s in the middle of the night and suddenly I shriek up...

as a death wailing scream with ear piercing volume echoes through the night.

What for the gods sake was that...!?

with hasty steps I wiggle out of my tent and step outside, the fire is still keeping its heat and light up, nothing else expected from my magic fire.

With sleepy eyes I observe my surroundings. The result is not very satisfying, due to the bright light from the fire my eyes got blinded...

But the sensation of my barrier is still intact, so it wasn´t too nearby.

That scream was something else though...

I have absolutely no clue what kind of creature would scream like that.

Shit... I am tired.

I yawn a few times and decide to fortify my barrier with another one. My staff brightens up in a golden light and a glowing and brightly shining orb floats around the barrier circle. A good 100 meter radius around my tent.

The orb entered a circulatory, it follows the line of my first barrier and circles around that, while brightening and lighting the areas it passes.

One round, another round... and a third round. Nothing to see..

I decide to turn back to the tent and............

“Wuaaaaahhhhh!”

In panic I stumble a few steps backwards.

I am no two meters apart form my tent, but directly in front of me is a giant and very horrifying face .

Right behind my tent bows a gigantically creature and inspects the fireplace.

At my scream it shrieks up and stares at me.

This thing it must be around 20 meters tall... what the heck is that?!!

Two dark covered, large round eyes stare right through me. Slit pupils and red layered iris.

I have no more time to observe that Thing.

I feel how a change in the wind takes place and with no ado a huge disgusting claw-hand swings after me.

“Not so easy you monster!”

seemingly, that thing has underestimated me. With a heavy swinger of my staff I leach its disgusting claw-hand. With a bone shaking thunder sound, it bounced against an invisible wall.

“CRUCH...” And it seems to have shattered some of its bones.

“Haha, take that you monster... do not mess with m~eugh...!

I couldn´t finish my sentence

I feel how a strong force, inflicted into my left side, pushes me away and drives the air out of my lungs.

I spin around for a countless times and finally impact into the giant oak tree.

The huge thing has wasted no time, it directly punished my arrogance with a fine and accurate kick.

If my gown wouldn´t have been fortified multiple times...

“Blough....”

Nope, even with the multiple fortification... I blurt out a huge puddle of blood.

But I have no time to recover, I hear ground shivering foot steps. To be precise only one...

one step and before me appears a giant bloody, black colored and seemingly rotten foot...

Shit!

“Ahh you beast! You think you are the only monster around here?! Let me teach you better.”

for the gods sake I had enough, since the incident with the Schaden and Maria... I got frustrated.

At first this crappy second rate Assassin dares to challenge me and now even rotten bastard giants dare to mock me?? what have I become.

For a short moment the thing before me seems to have realized that something was off, it stopped shortly and looked at me in a questioning demeanor.

But no time for you anymore...

A bulge on my body symbolized the first change, my huge 2 meter tall body straightened up and my aged appearance vanished within blinks. A white and silver glowing fur spreads on my skin and my height grows up to 4 meters. I grow a long and silver shining tail, resembling that of a tiger.

With immense cracking sounds accompanied by the voluminous increase of my arm and leg muscle , my limbs grow into that of a monstrous beast.

After a few seconds, my whole body transformed into my beast appearance.

With my imposing demeanor of a 4 meter tall bear-like creature, I emit an aura of doom.

My true form is not that of a simple demi-human...

I am Ezakiel aka the silver beast. And a mythical creature called “Kamuy”

(Authors note: A Kamuy is a bear-god with neutral affiliation. It appears in the Japanese mythology and is said to be handled with care and better being avoided, due to its light headed temperament. If once angered it will only come to rest when its enemies are vaporized or he would be calmed with a sacrifice... mostly something sweet in combination with sake (Japanese alcohol))

(Ezakiels true form ,One of my favorite games and this is how I eventually imagine Ezakiel in his beast form.)

I shine in a bright silver moon-like light. And my aura is fully emitting. The sudden rupture of spacial surrounding, due to my aura caused the air to implode.

And a fast and strong tornado staggers from my body.

The tornado is sharp as knives and strong as hundred bulls, without mercy it catches the rotten giant and slices his skin deep and fine.

Howling noises arise, from where I think its face should be, but the raging wind knows no holds and bounds. With an immense forth come it pressures the giant.

Rotten flesh parts and a very disgusting and reeking fluid splashes around and creates a corrosive substance wherever it impacts.

“Hmp. Still not enough huh?”

I wave my furry hand and the tornado immediately calms. But I have no mercy either, with a high jump I leap up in the air.

I use my palm area and with a flat hand gesture towards the giant´s face, an unbearable force impacts on him and he receives an unavoidable slap.

I didn´t even touch him, but my hand print carved its undeniable mark into his flesh. But that was not all, after my imprint sparkled as his new received tattoo, the large head of his decided to separate from its lower body.

A strong cracking and ripping sound accompanies the gory and bloody scene. Tendons, neck bones and a lot of black and smelly blood gets blown all over the place.

A few hundred meters away the large head impacts into a puddle of swamp water.

A last squirt of blood and a swaying and vibrating ground, signals the incoming impact of the remaining lower half.

Everything returns to a silent and calmed night. I transform back into my human appearance and examine the fallen giants lower half.

God, this thing is ugly...

But what the heck is that..

I have no clue what this creature could be, but for sure this thing does not belong in this area...

I was right with my estimation, that thing is exactly 20 meters tall. At least if I dont count its head together with the lower half...

what a monstrous thing. The places where its blood and guts impacted still emit a dangerously corrosive gas. I think this thing is something very evil.

And how could it appear at my tent..

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