Alana Garden sat on her knees, the Light of Hysh coursing through her as she contemplated the dark forest around.

A malign, corrupting force was twisting and changing the animals inside, and the men that wandered too close.

Beastmen, they were called, as they turned cruel and savage beyond belief. Worshiping Chaos and in particular the Dark God of Change, which granted them mutations and horns or hooves and all manner of beastly parts. The Enlightenment spell ran its course, but no solution appeared. It was never that easy.

"Grant me strength, and show me the way to Salvation!" Alana whispered while invoking the Winds of Hysh to light her way.

"Ehem. Something more concise, if you can? Do you need a spell, or an army? Maybe a strong warrior?" an amused voice commented slightly above her.

Her magic shield sprang out by instinct as she opened her eyes.

A Wizard no doubt, flying a meter above the ground while wearing a strange collection of leather and metal clothes, and a huge club at his hip. And yet she felt no spell being active.

A Magister rank then, so powerful to hide his magic even from her Light. His eyes measured her with amusement, and perhaps interest?

She just rose and bowed slightly. "Who are you, Magister?" Alana asked in a cautious voice.

"Oh! I oversee this province, and all the East. I am Pef, Warden of the East. Also a Wizard." the man spoke with a casual voice.

Alana nodded politely. There were rumours that Baltazar Gelt was to be named Warden of the South, if and when the Emperor choose a worthy candidate. As for this Warden, he was known to be extremely strong, but not much else. And supposed to be far off, dealing with Vampires.

"Vampires dealt with?" she asked to make sure. Maybe they were.

"Hah. Only Templehof for now. Took quite a spell to cleanse the corruption there. Maybe you felt it too?" the Warden asked in a curious tone.

Alana had felt that spell, as would any Wizard worth their title, anywhere in the world. And the Light of Hysh had shifted too. "You can use Hysh?" she asked in surprise.

The Warden held a hand out and wobbled it a little. "Mostly no. Only if my Dragon guides me. But now he's brooding some place, since we had to kill a Zombie Dragon at Templehof and well... Dragons are sensible beings."

Alana coughed in surprise. Some things were clear now, but others much less. "Why did you come for me?" she asked more to the point.

"Right! A Bright Wizard called Rolan recommended you for my Wild Guard. Were also doing what you're trying to do, but more effectively, I suppose. You'll love it!" the Warden explained in a dubious manner.

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"But why me? I am not strong..." she muttered a bit suspicious.

The man sighed and flew down at her side. "The Dragon and I have the strength part covered. Let's go to the nearest Warherd and you'll see for yourself." He added while holding her in his arms, then flying off at an incredible speed, taking 5 seconds to cross the mountain range in the distance and land in the midst of a thousand Beastmen.

A death sentence, without several Imperial regiments and a few good Battle Wizards. Normally, that is.

A few seconds later, the entire Warherd was wiped out and shredded to blood mist, as the Warden waved his runic club and the Beastmen just exploded.

Not even a single spell! Just brute force and speed, and that crazy rune club.

"See? Strength, I got it covered. Now do your spells and cleanse the corruption." the Warden spoke in a mild voice, while rummaging through the Beastmen' belongings for gold coins, gems and metal items.

Alana could only nod, a bit overwhelmed. Got it covered? The man was an army onto himself! And he also had a Dragon?

She drew on the Light to cast Banishment, and the Chaos corruption fought back, resisting her meager strength.

"Keep at it! I can see it now!" the Warden demanded while ripping out some stone pillars to extract warpstone crystals, with his bare hands, then throw them right at the sky.

As more and more warpstones were hurled away, the spell became easier and eventually ended with a clean forest glade, without any corruption at all!

Now she could see what her use would be, and why this Warden looked specifically for her. Her self-imposed task of clearing the Forest of Shadows wasn't a dream anymore.

The light of Hysh had answered her prayer, if not exactly the way she had hoped.

"...I understand now, Lord Warden. Together, we can indeed clean up corruption quite efficiently. Let me see your hands now!" she exclaimed in a wary voice, as the man had touched foul warpstone bare-handed.

The Warden placed his palms into hers with a careless shrug. "A bit early for holding hands, but what can I do? A pretty woman and a Wizard? I am conquered already..." the man joked in a light tone, while Alana examined him for corruption. There was nothing, not even a speck of dust or blood. His hands were hard like marble, and...coursing with Ghur. Somehow he had imbued his hands with Amber Magic, making them immune to damage. Thus breaking stone pillars with his hands.

"Amber Wizard!" she realized with a gasp. The shamans were normally dressed in furs and leathers, so no wonder she never suspected. But if he tamed a Dragon...

"For now, yes. Now, there is another Wizard we can collect. Rivia from Jade Order. I think you know her." The Warden said in a modest voice, then once more held her in his arms and flew up and away at crazy speed, for less than a minute, then landed near the coast of the Sea of Claws, while a Norscan raid was ongoing.

The Jade Wizard was fighting alongside the villagers, throwing spells and healing the wounded, and then they landed and the raid ended in a second.

The Warden simply waved his club a bit, and the Norscan raiders just ... vanished.

Alana ran out and began casting healing spells as well, while Rivia nodded and sat down to rest. She looked drained already.

The Warden just stared around for a few seconds, taking stock of the loses, and flew away. A minute later he returned with a large tuna fish the size of cow.

"I guess we can stay the night and feed these people. I mean you two. I'll go find the Norscan port where these guys come from and...you know. Seal clubbing?" the Warden offered with a cold voice, and flew away once more.

Alana sighed and went to look after Rivia.