Trevor liked to sing. He wasn't the most loquacious of people. When Zyrell asked questions he tended to give one word answers, if he gave any answers at all. However he absolutely loved to sing. Especially early in the morning before Zyrell or God had even awoke yet.

I Once met a man who love his wife!

He made her bread and took a slice!

When she found more dough with another man

He laid the woman down low!

Hey-OH! Her World did spin!

The black of world is ten-times ten!

"Can you stop!? The suns not even up yet." Zyrell suddenly shouted. He wasn't able to take anymore. They had left Huntsville two days ago and Zyrell was already thinking about running away mostly to get away from Trevor's singing.

"What's wrong boy? Don't like my singing?"

"Can you at least sing a different song? I kinda hearing a song about a man beating his wife."

"That's not what the song is about."

"Are you kidding me? I think 'He laid the woman down low' is a clear sign that it is."

"Hmm..." Trevor said pensively. "I guess I never thought about it."

I'm in the hands of an idiot, Zyrell thought.

"Why don't you tell me where we are headed?"

"Fort Kenshin. Named for one of the first generals of the Kingdom." Trevor was silent for the next couple of minuets.

"Why are we going to Fort Kenshin?"

"The other trainees are there."

"What other trainees?

"The other's who have received a mark. It's a two week journey."

"Two weeks?! Wait? How'd you get here so fast?"

"I was in a bar when your Sheriff's message bird found me. All birds are magic'd to find the person they are delivering a message to. So it was easy to find me. I teleported the rest of the way."

"Teleported?"

"A type of magic. But I can only use it once. So we travel the rest of the way by wagon. In the meantime--" Trevor threw Zyrell a wooden sword. "--We train."

Zyrell caught the sword in mid air. "I ready have a sword."

"You're not ready for a real sword yet,"

Zyrell felt it was too early to argue so he picked up the sword and began practicing. Trevor led him in the most basic of forms and drills. Basic blocks and basic thrusts.

This continued for the next few days. The days were cold. The nights were worse. And Trevor's singing was by far the worse. Trevor would wake Zyrell up with some stupid song, they would train until the sun arose and then eat and travel. Trevor also went over some bow and arrow techniques with Zyrell. Most of which Zyrell already knew. You don't come from a town called Huntsville without learning how to hunt.

Trevor seemed to be avoiding the subject of magic and the sword entirely. Every time Zyrell would ask he would say something cryptic or avoid the question all together. There was so sense in avoiding the conversation. Zyrell could feel it. Something had changed inside him. The first few days it was a minor feeling. As the days went by however he began to get sudden bursts of strange emotions.

Zyrell swung his sword back and forth. Trevor would give him tips as he cleaned up. "Do five hundred thrusts today." He commanded.

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Trevor was jabbing his imaginary enemy with the sword when he felt a wave of hot air breathe down his back. DANGER! A little voice screamed in his head. The image of a large predator flashed through his brain. A wolf? A bear? Something else? He whirled with his wood sword ready to face whatever was hounding him.

Nothing. The road was silent. They were the only ones on the road this morning. The feeling didn't abandon him. Something was stalking him. A flash of something large and hairy passed through his brain. Not an animal. But not a human being either. Zy stumbled back trying to defend against the beast. Tripping over his own feet he hit the ground with a thud.

Again there was nothing.

"What wrong?"

"There something following us." Zyrell yelled. Trevor just watched bemusedly. "Why are you starring at me like that? There's something following us."

Trevor began to kick dirt on the flame. Whatever was happening he didn't seem worried. He wrapped his big black jacket around himself.

"Carter, the last person to have the mark of the Azure Sword, could talk to animals. He was always hearing strange things in the dark of the woods."

Zyrell paused. So this was all some sort of magic power he was developing. That didn't seem right. Trevor said that Carter heard things. This wasn't hearing things. This was a feeling. A certainty. There was something out there.

"The suns coming up, let's go." Trevor announced.

***

The feeling didn't go away for the entire day. A nervous paranoia was present the entire trip. The feeling persisted for the next day. And the Next day. And the next. Something was out there waiting for its chance to attack. It got to the point they were not to far from Fort Kenshin and the feeling was all zy could think about.

Zy rode along side Trevor in the wagon. The sun was setting and it was almost time to make camp. At this point he was shaking and could barely focus.

"Get a grip boy," Trevor growled.

"I'm telling you there is something out there." Zy said. He was annoyed and scared. It was like everything was hitting him all at once.

"If you're too much of a coward you wont be that great of a night. I told you you're probably just hearing--"

A high pitched screeched echoed from the darkness. It sounded like a woman's scream. There was something bestial bout it. Something inhuman. Trevor drew the wagon to a halt. He turned his ear to the side and listened. The last rays of the sun fell behind the horizon. They sat there in dark. In complete silence for a long while. Zy nervously lit the magic'd lantern they had brought with them. He hung it from a hook above his head.

"SHEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Another bestial cry cut through the cold night air. Far off in the distance a shadowed figure stepped into the road. Zyrell could make out who it was, but he could tell be her shape that she was a woman.

"Zyrell," Trevor said. "I owe you an apology. I think you were right."

There was a final bestial scream and the woman made a dash toward the wagon. Zyrell felt a rush of anger flood through him. The fear and anticipation he had felt earlier was gone. Replace by pure FIRE that burnt in his chest.

"YAH!" Trevor cried pushing the wagon forward. From his side he took out a knife and tossed it forward. It flew past the horses and stuck the woman dead on. Amazing aim! He hit her while also driving the wagon.

Trevor drove the horses faster and Zyrell felt the bump as the wagon ran over the body. She screeched as the wagon plodded over her body.

"What the fuck you killed her?!" Zyrell said angrily. He didn't know what the hell was going on. He didn't know if she was friend or foe. All he knew is that Trevor just knifed a woman and ran over her body.

"Shut up boy!"

"What was that?"

"If it makes you feel better she's not dead!"

As if on cue a hand raked across Zy's face grabbing him by the shirt. the hand pulled at him. Zy pulled back and brought the creature into the light of the magic'd lantern. Zy was face to face with a ugly abused face. It had scars all across its face. Each scar was enhanced by metal piercing.

Zy couldn't make out anymore details. Once the creature was brougt into the light it screamed. Wings sprouted from its back and fled back into the darkness.

"The fuck was that?"

"A Hollow Witch."

"What?" Zy once again felt fire burning in his chest. Trevor never explained anything. now he'd put them both in danger cause he hadn't listened. his singing probably attracted the creature. Next time Zy got the chance he would throat slit Trevor's throat in his sleep.

Whoa, Zy thought. Where did that come from? He shook away the rage and dismissed it as an intrusive thought.

"Grab your bow boy! grab your bow! We have to get to Fort Kenshin tonight!"

Zy reached in the back and grabbed his bow and a hand full of arrows. There on the back of the wagon was the shadow. It had landed in the back of the wagon. The entire vehicle lurched. The creature screamed with fury!

To Zy's credit he didn't hesitate. He nocked an arrow aimed in one fluid motion and let loose.

The arrow struck the creature right shoulder. It rolled out the back of the wagon. Zyrell cheered. Although something told him the creature wasn't even close to being dead. Zyrell had just seen it take a knife to the chest and get run over by two horses and a wagon. There was no way it was dead from a luckily placed arrow.

"Zyrell! Up front!" Trevor called.

"How do we kill it?"

"We don't! We make it to For Kenshin!"

"Aren't you one of the Four Swords? Isn't killing this thing your job?"

"I'm retired!" Trevor spat.

The creature screeched from the darkness. Then there was another screech. And another!

"Holy shit!" Trevor said. "There's more than one."