After extensive studying and no one to chat with, Akatosh felt his armor the one he bought and upgraded from Barry, couldn't sustain him from the decreasing temperature. Knowing the fire couldn't keep him warm for the time being. Pausing his studies, he brought out a scarf and a blanket adding warmth from the cold night. And for safety features, Akatosh unsheathed his kriegsmesser gripping the handle and embracing the blade, and with only a minute to pass sleep welcomes him.
Following an hour of his slumber, Akatosh awoke but was in a world of darkness. Before he could fathom the situation a sharp pain like a burning needle stabbed to where Chifya gave him the mark. Without giving him the time to scream out the pain, he suddenly stood in front of his physical form. There he felt something, he felt the trees that surrounded him were watching him.
Keeping his composure while he stares through the forest, out of sudden a large single eye opens gazing at him eye to eye.
Only sixty seconds of pure eying, Akatosh arouses in a bitter way to which he stares through the tree just as he did in his dream or so he thought it was a dream. Quickly moving up his feet, he then starts slashing the trees hoping to trigger what lurks beneath. Just when he's about to swing for the fortieth time, he then realizes...
"What the heck am I doing. Stupid!" He implores returning to his campfire.
While feeding the fire, his mind is in an argument about whether to continue his sleep or resume his studies.
"Fuck it!" He exclaimed returning his position and bringing out the sleeping potion but when he brought it out, all he could do was stare at it. Stepping to another conclusion, to stay awake or risk being mauled while sleeping.
"Whelp... I haven't got any good sleep these past few days. But what the hell I'm in for a surprise." He continues taking a sip of the potion slowly sending him back to his sleep diving for a risk.
Five hours later early in the morning--
"WAKE UP YOU BASTARD!!" The stillmage shouts, "WE GOT A FUCK UP PROBLEM!!"
"Urgh..." Akatosh groaned too lazy to heed his partner's morning thunder. "Can we wait until morning arrives..." He implores curling up to resume his slumber.
Taking no hesitation Amaragnum dives in, possessing Akatosh, and begins prepping their things.
"What's your problem grandpa, can you at least tell me why you got a hot pepper on your ass?"
"Karangax evil god shit of the dead sniff us out and--" Just when they finished packing their belongings, time suddenly stops, and there came two powerful servants of Karangax. "Shiiiit-- we're in a dimensional hold."
It was an unlikely dimension they encounter where it mirrors the real world. But what shows is a freezing time trap, the leaves that would fall from the ground stay frozen in the air. The dying campfire wouldn't dance or budge for all was at rest. And when Akatosh tries to touch nor disrupt the frozen things, his hand merely passthrough.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Taking only ten seconds, two liches came out from the darkness. A dried-up flesh but blurry to see, wrapped in a dark smoky fire that clothes them. But the most riveting from the two was a split balancer they're holding from the left carries what's made of flesh, while the other holds a spirit one.
"Why does it have to be those two." Amaragnum timidly implores trembling in fear and despair.
"So, what now?" Replies Akatosh who felt his partner's dread emanating through his senses.
The two liches stood still as they deadlock their eyes towards the two in one, judging them. Amaragnum tries to conjure his magic only to no avail.
Frozen in time they wait for what's to come, interestingly the two servants of Karangax didn't emit any assailants from the travelers.
"He who carries..." The lich says holding the flesh balancer--
"He who weights..." Continues the one that holds the spirit balancer
"He who judges--" Both simultaneously implore before fading away.
Following their departure, the world returns in motion still the travelers are left in concussion. From there Akatosh for the third time saw the great Amaragnum, an ancient of wisdom and knowledge, powerful like a god but now trembling like a cowering dog. Seconds pass their instincts and adrenaline kick in, sending them running away from the bonfire.
After their fleet of fear, and nearly running two miles to who knows what direction to follow. Then without a warning, Akatosh's left leg sprained, leaving him stumbling down.
"MY foot!" Akatosh groans looking for a position hoping to ease the pain. "Fuck my foot!" He screams followed by watery eyes.
"QUIT YOUR WHINING BITCH!" Amaragnum anxiously shouts at his partner. And like always, the stillmage hurriedly concentrating some of his energy helping in reinforced his partner's injury. "NOW FUCKING RUN!"
Just as Akatosh would resume their track a hound dashes out from the trees going for a pounce.
The hound's assault was as swift as a tiger but not as fast from the combination and refined reflexes of the travelers. The enemy Akatosh face is new to his bestiary. It was putrid, and rotten where some of its body parts are decaying and wrapped in greyish smoke it was like an undead wolf burning in grey flames. And with its crystal blue eyes the hound lashes for another attack. But Akatosh retort back and with the use of his sharp weapon, the hound was decapitated. It didn't end there when the hound's head still thrashing going to attack Akatosh's feet. There the travelers’ resort to chopping the whole hound. The end, however, with its sickening smell curses Akatosh's stomach forcing him to vomit on his slayed enemy.
"We need to move--" Akatosh implores but was cut off by a sudden voice coming from the chopped hound.
"Many will come for you deceiver and my lord shall be the one who will take what's not been taken--" Halting the hound's speech through stomping the head the travelers quickly rove carrying with them the pungent smell.
"Can you just teleport us?! Away from this motherfucking shit!" Akatosh angrily shouts at his partner.
"You think this is some walk-in-the-park you dickhead! I need time to sever my link before we teleport. But if you want an endless undead chasing us across this shit land then be my guest. Although we still have your untapped hidden trump card-- do we not?"
"You want to go back to what had happened on that day...? Fuck you!"
"Still, if we're going to be taken by that shit god, might as well drag him down with us."
"Hey!... I just got here bitch and I won't quickly waste my second wind!"
Still, on the wheel of running the travelers would soon slowly faces more and more undead creatures forcing Amaragnum to use his stock-up energy.