Underneath the fog of heldaroth, the black rider hovers by the body of very tall tree. catching his breath, he reaches for his horns, he feels the edges, they're sharp from the cuts.

He had me there, he says, he lured me in ,all the while hiding a blade of nox behind, he chuckles. how couldn't I see it coming,he almost killed me with that and yet I, I've never felt more alive, he laughs some more.

He looks down at his dragon, sees the wound on the shrouders head, he places his hand on it, rubbing the large cut between the scales, the beast shrieks a bit.

He won't hurt you anymore,I promise.

The dark rider looks up, into the fog, he watches a the winds howl, pushing the fog gently against the trees top,

Then he looks down to the bottom of the forest ,but the view fades into darkness.

Heldoroth is no place to take refuge mandrake, they are monsters bigger than you lurking here, we must leave soon

The air felt stiff, and heavy. He could smell strong stench of rotten flesh all around him. Every breath he took felt borrow, stolen from the monsters here.

I wonder,he puts his hand to his chin, thinking, just how many burst does he have left,there's no telling how evolved his Killbill is…hmmm…if he really has for as many as he said then… wait.. he's used three so far, he should be running away. But why? Why stay? , was it a bluff, is he bluffin.. Just how many.

A tremor echoes through the deepest moors of the forest, the black rider feels, chills run through his beast, he looks to the direction of the sounds, into the thick mangrove, it's dimly lit, as it's late in the evening.

He looks keenly into the distance wondering what that was, an even bigger tremor hits and the trees about him shake, his beast starts to thrash wild, in distress, he tries to calm it down.

What going on, mandrake, hold, hold!

The a black dragon large than the shrouder, shoot out of the mangrove in a blur, past them

What in the world, was that

Another tremor hits, The trees shake heavily, and various birds fly past them in distress. Another one hits sounding even closer than before, then he realizes

These aren't aren't just tremors , these are footsteps, he quickly pulls up the dragon and makes it for the exit. Large deep primal red eyes glow from deep in forest, he sees them from the shrouders eye, the shrouder trembles, turning them invisible

.

What's this, to act without my command, does your fear out out ways my influence

He makes it out the fog, he sees the blue eyed rider fly past him,

He screams at him, don't go in there! It's coming! Then he realizes

Wait he's the enemy

The blue rider dives into the forest, dividing the fog with his speed.The tremors gets louder and louder, an the intervals between them seems to vanish,

It's on the moves, the black rider says, what's he doing there he can't hope to outrun that on a Bill,

The blue rider flies swiftly, weaving past trees, each veer testing his balance, he

keeps his vision sharp, his focus unyielding, as one tree after another blurs past him. The tremors get closer and closer, large trees break in half at the approaching beast , cloud dust fills the air chasing the rider, leaves fall all around him.

He looks into the distance, there's a body on a branch, it looks unconscious. He pulls his handle back, propelling the best forwards, he gets closer and closer, having it dodge multiple trees in splits of seconds, it nicks one and gets a bit bruised, but its rider pulls through pushing it even further.

The bill hits another on the side, peeling it's barks off. The rider see he's close enough to the body, the Bill stretches out its legs with its razor sharp claws, to grab the body. He has to be delicate with this, if he grabs too fast or grip with the wrong intensity then he'll gravely injure the body.

Keeping the intensity in mind he leans, the bill in, the tremors reverberate around them, the body on the branch begins to slip off, seeing this he urges the bill further, the dust cloud catches up with him. A thundering roar echo from within the cloud, silencing even the tremor, he feels the bill tremble.

Then in an instant there's complete darkness, he looks around, releases he's in the jaws of the beast, a cavern of dagger-like teeth, twice his size bearing down on the sides. He gears back, causing Bill to use a burst, propelling him out of the jaws and across the terrain. The body slips off the branch and is now falling.

The beast pokes out of the dust, its scales gleam like molten bronze, each on as large as a man's shield, its wings cutting through the trees around them, the terrain barely slowing it down.

The rider pitches downwards, gliding past trees, he gets close. He goes in for the grab, the body is now falling head first. The Bills razor sharp claws extend out, the closer he gets to the body, the more he feels the heat from the beast on his back.

Cold sweat runs down his back, he tilts the bill on its side then it grabs the body by the thorso, quick, light and nimble barely grazing it. He pulls upwards and releases a burst to escape the forest, the beast snaps its jaws at him, but he sprints past its reach, just in time.

The black rider looks down into the forest, wondering about his rival, will make it and why he'd even gone in the first place.. He sense something approaching, he looks out, it's the rider with the ice dragon,

Has he come to die? , he points at him

Hey! You there, I'm after your friend, not you.

The injured rider, holds arm, keeping pressure on the wounds,

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You killed my friends, he yells at him, I'm won't let you leave here

The black rider drops his head, he seems a bit disappointed.

People like you think loyalty to the cause means dropping you life away for something as meaningless as vengeance,

idiot! You should live as long as you can and serve your cause, a longer life will serve your cause all the better. The injured rider simmers with anger.

So what will it be, life or death? Says the black rider

The injured rider pants heavily, barely keeping him self conscious

I can't face em like this, not like this, I'm a noble I can't die here, and yet, and yet I can't run, I won't run from him.

I rather die here, he yells at the black rider

The black rider laughs maniacally, okay caper, your call. He pulls his lance.

The injured rider is barely able to control his nox, he struggles to form it into a spear, he tries but, he can't concentrate well enough to hold it together, it's falls apart, he drops his arm from the pain and the nox falls down into the forest, he screams in anger

The black rider chuckles, is this the famed Aridian spirit, you're a disgrace, I feel I'll skip out on the good place if I laid my hands on you, you're through.

Screw you, he yells at the black rider

The black rider laughs, don't get in my way, I'll have a duel with your friend right here, he's formidable, if I kill him then my succession is guaranteed. But as for you, if you wish for death then I advise you to plunge into the Heldaroth, the curses down there will make good use of you.

Shut up

You may finally be worth something

I'm a noble you retch

Look around, nobody cares

Shut up, shut up, he screams,his dragon spews ice at the black rider he returns with fire.

You're trying too hard caper, are you sure you want to die?

Who cares if I die! The injured rider yells as he charges at him, there's a loud crashing sound from the forest, they turn to its direction, they see a large orange cloud of fire expanding out of the forest, burning the trees to embers, smoke rising from the bottom. Out the fire bursts out a spinning fiery ball, the killbill flaps it's great wings, putting out the fire on its over it's body,it's feathers fall around it, the blue eyed rider raises his head fro the back of the bill,he looks around, a bit in disbelief then

I'm gonna liiiiiiiiiiiivvvveee!, he screams raising his hands triumphantly,

I didn't know it could breathe fire

Then from under him the colossal jaws of the beast peers out through the smoke,his ghost escapes his body, he jolts up chilled to the bone, he sprints the Bill out of there and the jaws clash together just below them, the impact of the jaws, thunders through the forest, creating a gust of wind that brushes through the Bill's feathers. He flies to the others.

He really survived, he chuckles, that brats really something. injured rider is anger by this, the black rider turn to fly away

Hey!, he yells at the black rider, the black rider turns back to him and gives him a stern glare, he is a bit shaken by his glare but resolves.

Fight me!

You'll die if I do and die soon regardless. I've already won. the black rider turns to leave, Then frostror gears up to shoot him down, ice forming in its mouth. He reacts, jolting the shrouder back preparing to fire.

Hey!, the blue eyed rider yells at them, don't you dare hurt Marco, they turn to him, he arrives at the scene.

your battle is with me, let him be

Good you made it, I was about to come kill you

You've killed enough today, just let him go

I've got no business with him, it's you I want, we never finished our duel

You let me go first. They glare at each other, the black rider's hands tremble with excitement, he can barely hold himself back, he pulls away giving them enough space.

Hey, don't treat me like that. Marco yells

Shut up! , the black rider yells at him.

The blue eyed rider flies to Marco keeping his eyes on the black rider.

Marco, take him back to the base, he hands him the body, placing it on the back of the beast

It's yale, I, I thought, he died

His gear was damaged , but I got to him just on time,but his dragon went berserk. It tried to eat him, I killed it, but tell the captain we lost okay or he'll be on my ass.

What!, you me you really killed that thing!

Hmm… black rider wonders as he overhears them.

All by yourself?

He relishes the moment a bit, reviling in his own ego, he even blushed.

I really really did, it was easy

Then he gets serious. Never mind that..you dope. Your friends hurt, you've got to hurry back.

Thank you, thank you,Marco holds back his tears, thank you for saving yale.

Just doing my job, he replies using a different tone, trying to sound cool

It's what heroes do.

who are you?, I can't tell behind the mask, but your voice, it sounds so familiar, the blue eyed rider gets jittery. Are you in my core?

That doesn't matter to you.. You idiot! .. He explodes at him. Just get back to base already, your friend's dying! and you're here disturbing this hero, he strikes pose, with your silly questions

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Marco pleads as he turns to leave

Begone! Fool!

Okay, okay I'm going, Marco darts out of the scene.

Pheew, glad that's over. He places his hand on his mask and it comes off, he holds it on his palm. It has what look like six red insect legs, three on either side,they even seemed to twitch every now and then.The dlegs help by holding on to the back of his head, keeping the mask fixed tightly in place.

The cord is still wrapped around his neck, he looks up as the black rider approaches , his snow white hair blowing in the wind.

Do you think it's wise to show your face to an enemy?

He chuckles lightly, then grins

Don't worry you, you won't live to see me again, he replies sounding a little too casual.His blue eyes glow, but the dark circles around them, dampen whatever beauty they had.

The two riders glare at each other, reading each other keenly, then the breaks black rider chuckles, he follow suit but with a loader laughing, drowning the black rider, the black rider retort increasing his pitch, he increase his own, laughs even louder, not willing to be out done the blue eyed rider yelps hysterically laughing, the black rider goes even higher but breaks into a cough, the blue eyed rider laughs at him loudly for real this time, a loud roar thunders through from the forest

Haaa! His laughter breaks into a light terror scream

Looks like we have a winner, the black rider says coldly.

Loud thundering crash echo through the forest, the beast is thrashing around

The blue rider looks at his Killbill, it's panting heavily, with its tongue out the side of its beak

That thing won't go any further, you've pushed it too far, he says. You can't fight like this, not while it's in that state. It'll be no fun to kill you without a fight but I don't have time to wait around.

They glare at each other, the blue eyed rider puts his masks back on. He takes something out from a pouch by the side of the saddle, it's a glass tube with a cork in it, inside it is a glowing green substance, the black rider looks on

.

What that?, he asks him

He says nothing, he pulls out the core and tips the tube over the Bill's head, pouring the substance all over it. The bills feathers give of a faint glow, it's bruises fade away and it's heavy panting stops

Don't tell me!.... You moron, pushing it like that…That could kill it

You wanna fight right!, he yells. Well you know I won't let you leave like this, not while you've killed many of us

And you've killed many of us too, it's war, it happens

No I haven't, he yells, this is my first ride

That's not what I…wait really!... He looks at him in disbelief, then he realizes he's telling the truth, he drops his head, a bit ashamed.

His first time and he bested me, he says to himself, well it's all the same to me,he speaks to him, do you know how many times I've seen that mask, do you know how many times that's been the last thing my friends saw. the blue eyed rider is a bit taken aback. So don't go preaching vengeance, there's more to the cause than our pettiness

There's no shame in being scared

What?

Yeah you're scared

Alright let's go, he growls in anger

The blue rider chuckles and gears his bill, the black rider prepares to charge then an ear shattering roar cuts through, stopping them in their tracks

I'm more worried about this than you, the black rider says, shiney brown skin, large reptile, breath fire, it could be a Terrazor, in which case it would be coming for the cores in our curse.

Yeah, it may have just woken up.

Heavy gusts of wind begin pushing through the forest, from either side. It gets heavier and heavier as the constant winds break tall trees, tossing beasts in the air. They can't see a thing from the dust being raised, then the black rider realizes.

It's trying to fly!

The Terrazor flaps it's giant wings, faster and faster, it's giant feet slowly lifts off the earth, it's hovers just few feets over the ground. It's hovers up and down, trying to carry its mass.

I've heard of this, it must have be hibernating, this must be it's first flight, which would only mean…. No.

The beast beats it's wings harder and harder, pushing at almost a hurricane, there half eaten remains of carcasses all around it,

We have to get out of here

How about our duel, the black rider glares at him, that's a Terrazor, it's the most vicious thing in this world at this very moment, all it wants is something powerful to eat, I won't let it eat my curse.

You're running away?

You should too, he turns to leave

There's a thundering roar, the forest trees reverberates with terror, the smoke and dust begin to part as the fires around it die of almost instantly. Out of the fog the specter of large glowing eyes shine through, they could see it from their great distance, as though it's was mare feet's aways from them.

The bill squawks, ruffling its feather, it tries to flee but the blue eyed rider holds it's back, the shrouder growls wagging its tail fiercely. Out of smoke the colossus emerges, jagged teeth the size of full grown men, the stench of burning flesh fills the air, the beast stops the, it could hear their beating heart despite the great distance great distance.

It flies out of the fog complete, chasing the two rider down,they turn and quickly flee

The back rider leaves him behind in no time.

The beast gets closer and closer, the blue eyed feels the air get hotter, he turns back, the beast's jaws fill his view. He pushes the bill for more speed, darting faster and faster but he still feels the monsters breathe on his back and it's stench in his nose. The black ride looks at him for a second, then propels it's beast forwards, increasing their gap even further.

The sun slowly sets, as the evening dims. The blue eyed rider notices all around him is glowing red, bills feathers are brightly illuminated by the red light, even in the deepening darkness, his hands trembles, grasp tightly at his handle, as realizes why? He turns back just to be sure, the blinding red hits his face,it's the monster's eyes.