Dark Branches

I decided to walk to The Sleeping Bog instead of taking my horse there. I didn't know if the cloud spirit thing could knock out animals too, and I wasn't about to risk it to find out. I considered leaving my horse outside of the bog and coming back for him, but I wasn't confident I'd survive this. If I died, Kai would be stuck there. I didn't want him to starve to death alone, I told Jocham if I didn't return the horse was his. Before leaving Thorneglade I spent a few hours brewing a couple recipes I'd need for this mission, but I only had enough for two of the tonics that would help resist the sleeping effect. I needed two because Alistair's horse Soteria was my escape plan, especially if things get dicey. I needed her awake for that to work.

Having a horse is an extra living expense, but an invaluable one for the time saved and the toll on your body spared from walking everywhere. There's a lot of assumptions people have about 'adventurers', our lifestyle is glamorized and so many young men try to live like us. If they're sensible, they'll realize it's more exhausting and monotonous than it is exciting and go home to their families. The crazy ones keep going, until either a monster kills them, or sickness does. I'm one of the crazy ones, and I would've been dead a long time ago if not for that fateful night six years ago.

I usually try to forget what happened that night, but everything looked all too familiar, I couldn't help but be reminded of it. The night sky, tree branches swaying in the wind, a cold breeze enough to give you chills. The memories of that incident played in my head like the time it first happened. I was about seventeen years old and I was traveling in Stonewolf, a country that borders Knightbreak. 'Runner's Land' was a region where no lord ruled over, towns and villages were independently governed (usually by a church or a charismatic gang leader). Runner's Land was a lot like The Sleeping Bog; filled with small critters, trees which bent in jagged shapes at the trunk, and wetlands where a wrong step could have your lower leg consumed by water.

I was much younger and far less experienced than I am now, it was close to dark and I had yet another night with no success at getting a contract or something to kill. I was itching for a fight, and like divine luck I found one. I heard shouting and chanting coming from the village outskirts, so I rode over to see what was going on. Lo and behold a crowd had gathered for the burning of a witch, who was tied to a wooden post with a pyre at her feet ready to be lit. She wore a bloodied nightgown, her red hair was tangled and caked in dirt. I contemplated just riding off, but then a 'Night Hunter' stepped forward with a torch. Night Hunters persecuted witches and mages alike, a job for violent people with archaic beliefs. The kind of people that forced Celeste to pose as a gimmicky fortune teller. The hunter gave a young girl a torch to do the honors, she hesitated but with the crowd egging her on she tossed it in limply. It was just barely enough to catch the pyre and light a blaze, in moments the witch's feet were burning.

I kept telling myself to just grab the reins and gallop out of here, I didn't know the woman personally, I figured she was the local healer I was told about. There was no point in watching a woman die, but something made me stay. She had a strong will about her - she didn't scream. It was like she refused to give these people what they wanted: the satisfaction of knowing they were hurting her. Eventually she broke and let out an agonizing wail, my body shuttered from the sound of it and something inside me snapped. Before I knew what I was doing, I lept off my horse and was charging towards the pyre.

There were two Night Hunters, the first was the easiest to kill. He didn't see me coming, so I ran into him and drove my knife into his throat from behind. We both fell to the ground, I landed on top of him with a hard thud. Before I realized what I had done, everyone was in a panic. I got up and took the chance to get up and slam the pyre with my shoulder. The force was enough to knock the witch to the ground and away from the fire, but she was still bound to the post that held her.

"You're fucking dead." A Night Hunter screamed at me, as he charged with a woodcutter's axe.

I barely had time to unsheath my sword, I leapt back to avoid the axe taking my head off and returned a swing of my blade. I didn't have good balance though, my sword went right over the man's head and before I knew it my back was on the ground again. He stood over me and smiled, raising his axe to finish me off. I thought quickly, pulled out my crossbow and got a lucky shot to the forehead.

As the last Night Hunter dropped to his knees, I got up and ran over to the witch and used my dagger to try and cut the rope. It was thick, and took longer than I expected it to. Before I could finish I felt a knife plunge into my side. There was a third Night Hunter I hadn't noticed. I was distracted trying to save this woman and he got the drop on me, stabbed a dagger deep into my lower abdomen. I felt like I was going to throw up my guts. My knees shook, and I desperately tried to keep my strength. With the dagger still inside me I instinctively took a swing like a wild animal to kill my attacker, but he stepped back and blocked it with his club. With my guard down he struck me in the face, and then he did it again. I could taste blood, I could feel chunks of my face mangled and hanging from my chin. I yelped in pain, tears rushed down my face. 'I'm going to die here.' I thought to myself as the club struck my face again, taking me down. I couldn't move, my mind went blank from pain. I knew this was it.

I had never killed anyone before, or even been in real combat. I wasn't ready for it, and I would pay the price - except the witch had bailed me out. She used the dagger I dropped to free herself and killed the distracted Night Hunter.

Sometime later I woke up in a small hut, animal pelts, herbs and alchemy ingredients hung on the walls. There was a fire lit beside me, keeping me warm. The witch sat beside me checking my wounds. My body was aching and my face was wrapped in bandages, I could only see from one eye. I could finally get a good look at the witch. She was older than me, in her late thirties. She had red hair and green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the light of the fire. She was skinny, there were birthmark spots all over her shoulders and her face. Her clothes were bloody and tattered, she looked like she had been through hell. I'm sure I looked worse.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you." She spoke softly.

I nodded my head, not sure if I could speak or not.

"I tried my best to save your life, as you did mine, but there's not much else I can do. I'm sorry."

Panic came over me, the implications of what I've done became strikingly clear. I made a horrible mistake and I was going to pay the ultimate price for it. There was nothing I could do but beg and plead for my life. I fought the pain and forced words out of my mouth.

"Please, y-you're a witch right? You have to know some k-kind magic." My mouth felt like I was chewing on glass, I couldn't force back my tears anymore. "I can't die like this!"

She sighed, "Nothing short of black magic will help you. You don't want that. I'm sorry, this is for the better."

All hope left me, my mind drifted. I saw the image of my mother in front of me. She wore a blue and red sailors jacket, brown boots and a white buttoned shirt. Scimitar at her side. I could see her giving that confident smile I knew so well, the smile I wanted to see just one more time with my own eyes. Ever since I could walk and talk, I went to mom when I was lost, afraid or needed help. She'd been dead for years, but my mind was weak and I could see her. I called her, "Mom." I said. "Please help me." Over and over.

"I know a way to help you kid." The witch said, my attention went back to her. "It'll work, but it's risky. The last time I tried this, it was a mistake."

"I don't want to die weak. I still have to prove myself, I don't care what it costs me." I told her.

She relented and gathered ingredients for some kind of spell, at the time I had no idea what she was doing but now I know it was a ritual to contact a primordial spirit. She drew blood from her hand and traced a circle in the dirt around me.. She grabbed an item wrapped in cloth, a two handed claymore, and kneeled beside me clutching the sword in her tiny hands.

"One that rules over violence, destruction, and wrath I call upon you once more. In all your benevolence, I ask you to intervene and save this dying boy. He has a warrior's spirit inside him, like he who came to you before." She chanted. "I offer you a gift; my son's sword, the weapon he used to fight in your name. It's my last possession I have to remember him by. Take it and save this dying child from death. In his salvation, he will serve you."

Suddenly the candles flickered, and a shadow appeared on the wall. I was terrified, but too weak to move. What could I do anyways? I had made my choice already. The witch presented the sword in both hands as an offering. I watched shadows envelop her hands, and when the light touched them again the sword was gone. I quietly gasped, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Maybe this was just some hallucination and I was still dying. I watched the wall again, the shadow held the shape of a large sword. Then it disappeared, the candles went back to normal.

Immediately after he left my body began to burn like hot coals, I writhed in pain and screamed through the bandages until my body gave out and I lost consciousness. I couldn't bear to take anymore, all my strength had left me.

I woke up again in the same place. The light of day peered through the windows of the witch's hut. I was alone, I figured I wouldn't be able to move but that's when I noticed I felt no aches or pains from the night before. I moved my arm and again, no pain. I stood up, I was surprised I even could. I looked myself over, the witch had taken off all the bandages that covered my wounds. The wounds were gone, there were no scars left behind either.

Beside me were some spare clothes, I put them on and walked outside. The witch was walking up the trail that led to her home, she had two horses following her with a lead.

"I didn't think you'd wake up before I got back." She remarked.

"What happened?"

"You saved my life, and I saved yours in return. That's all."

"Ah. What're the horses for?"

"We're going our separate ways, leaving here for good."

"You want me to go now? I just got back on my feet."

"You can wait here for the Night Hunters to show up, it won't take long for them to learn you killed their men and come looking for you." She grabbed her belongings and stuffed them into the horse's saddle. "But I won't be here when that happens."

"Okay, point taken." I acknowledged. "Where will you go?"

"West. To Knightbreak. They don't like witches much either but they don't have Night Hunters to worry about. Not yet at least."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Reason tells me no, but we're linked now. My blood was used to save you, we're connected. I think you'll find me again."

"My name is Cassian."

"I'm Helena."

I got on my horse, which I named Kai, and left shortly after. I never saw her again, but as time went on I realized that whatever was done to me had changed me permanently. I was strong enough to contend with beasts twice my size, fast enough to dodge arrows, and perceptive enough to see the cloud spirit's ambush coming in the present day.

The fog was more difficult to see in person, almost transparent with the foliage around it. I jumped out of the way just in time to avoid its attack. I quickly downed the first of two tonic bottles and stared the spirit down.

"Oh you're a fucking bold one! It was a mistake coming back here." It belted out like it had already won.

"Maybe, but I came prepared." I taunted back at it.

When I brewed the tonics, I had the ingredients on me for one last trick up my sleeve. A cocktail of toxins, acids and grinded up Nullstone that I used to create a nerve gas. It's not strong enough to kill a man, but it renders magic useless for a short duration. All I had to do was trap him in it. I wasn't skilled with magic, but I consider myself a damn good alchemist.

The misty figure took the bait and lunged at me, but I threw the bomb into a tree next to me and took a dive out of the way. As the mist went for an attack, the gas erupted from the broken bottle and covered it. It yelled out in pain, and disappeared.

I didn't have long before that spirit would be back and this time I wouldn't have another bomb to rely on but I did have a plan. I needed to act fast, I searched for the horse prints in the mud, and followed them to find the thieves.