The demons continued to surround Zvire, he had allready told Raiguarde and the others to leave, all hope appeared to be lost. Zvire continued to slash away at the demons, frantically with no real direction. His actions were those of a desperate man. Zvire managed to fight off the demons for a few seconds longer when he heard something which puzzled him. “I'm not leaving until I see a body”. he heard Orscyar say. Zvire raised his eyebrows and attempted to contemplate what this meant, but the relentless demon attacks prevented this. Suddenly in the corner of his eye, Zvire saw Raiguarde grab Orscyar and pull him through the tear which sealed behind them and the moment the tear closed with it all the demons disappeared, leaving Zvire alone in the darkness. Zvire felt something hit him from behind and he was then knocked unconscious. Orscyar had taken him there in the first place, he had taken Raiguarde and Imunzo too. `Only Orscyar could have known they would disappear once they left the tear`. Orscyar, unsure whether Zvire was alive or not, planned to have Zvire spend out the rest of his days as a slave, if he was actually still alive. When Zvire awoke the next morning, he was the nameless man. “Nameless no more” said Zvire, looking into a mirror and finally being able to recognise the face staring back at him. Once Zvire had made it through the chamber of nightmares and found his way back to Legia, he rushed back to Bheliez forest. Zvire returned to the place he had once called his temple, now it was desolate. Zvire sighed as he walked through the now uninhabited temple and contemplated how he could lead all the people he had come to live with over the years to their deaths. Zvire made his way back to his room and found a spare set of battle armour, he then suited himself up. Zvire could see that there was something missing as he looked in the mirror. “My axe” he eventually said to himself, he then looked down at the sword Malak had given him. The hilt of the sword was ivory white, with a small golden dragon crest on it. Zvire then accepted that the sword should be his weapon, he owed Malak everything and taking this was the least he could do. Zvire made his way out of the temple and looked around outside. There was no way Zvire could find Orscyar on foot so he would need a horse. Looking around outside, Zvire could see that all the horses were gone, this proved no problem for a man of the wild. Zvire called out into the depths of the forest, at first there was nothing but suddenly a hoard of animals came heading around Zvire. He greeted them all with delight, smiling and gently stroking some of the gentler ones. Getting up from his bending down position, Zvire heard the gallop of horse’s hooves and he then stared at the stallion that faced him. The horse looked back at Zvire, who could see that its eyes were like a wildfire. Zvire looked at the horse in awe at its majestic prowess and wondered if he could ever control such a beast. Zvire went back into the temple and fetched a saddle and put it on the horse’s back. The horse flinched at first but soothed at Zvire’s touch. He mounted the horse and began to pat its neck, reassuring it. Zvire rode out with only one thought in his mind, Orscyar. Zvire figured if he could find a place of intense chaos and suffering, there he would find Orscyar. Zvire rode into the town of Thyad, the closest town to the huge forests of Bheliez and attempted to find out any information he could. It was only as Zvire entered the town of Thyad that it occurred to him how long he had been gone. He could not have been a slave for much longer than a week so Zvire guessed that it was a week after he had attempted to take Legia castle. Zvire’s later found out that his deductions were correct as he heard stories of the invasion, now embellished to the point of the ridiculous. It was in Thyad that Zvire had heard about Shadow. Zvire had almost forgotten about the strange masked warrior that he had once fought with. Zvire found himself stunned to learn that Shadow had killed Raiguarde. Zvire had always believed that Shadow was capable of such a deed but always thought that he was a better person than that. Zvire shook off the one-sided hearsay he heard about his old friend, knowing that there was more too it than the gossipmongers proclaimed. Once Zvire found out what Shadow’s last reported location was he rode out in the direction of Aaouron castle, where the arrest warrant for him was directed. It took Zvire most of the day to ride out to Aaouron, the sun was setting as he reached the huge castle only to find that Shadow was not in fact there. And it was there that Zvire stood when a familiar face greeted him for the first time. “I knew you‘d be back” said Imunzo, who was atop a horse, causing Zvire to turn around.
“I had help..” Zvire was about to continue when Imunzo cut in.
“How is Malak anyway ?” Imunzo asked, casually.
“You know Malak ?” Zvire said, clearly amazed.
“I know of Malak” Imunzo sighed “I wish I could know him, he is one of my ancestors. I am of his bloodline. He was the disciple of Paix that sealed Goreoth beneath the earth. Kaiazal then cursed him to spend all eternity in the slave desert, he cannot exist anywhere else”
“My apologies” said Zvire sincerely “we need to find Orscyar” Zvire said changing the subject urgently.
“That is correct” Imunzo said “I will take you to him”. Imunzo turned the horse and galloped of into the distance, with Zvire right behind him. The two approached the camp and dismounted without making their presence felt by Lord Enzaghe‘s troops. “The wild man returns” came a voice as Zvire and Imunzo dismounted, Kaiazal’s. Both Zvire and Imunzo looked at Kaiazal with disgust as he stood before them. “Do not worry, I have little time to waste with you two so I will be brief. Enjoy your death” Kaiazal snapped his finger and disappeared into nothingness. Imunzo and Zvire stood alert, waiting for something to happen. Seconds seemed to linger, moments dwindling before thundering footsteps could be heard. The footsteps grew closer and a huge figure stepped out into the small clearing, that of Kreul. Zvire’s pupils began to dilate as he set his eyes on the monstrous figure of Kreul and then something more spectacular broke his concentration. Hundreds of screams could be heard and Zvire turned to see a blinding light, turning to flame the soldiers only meters away. Kreul raised his behemoth like arms and picked up Imunzo and Zvire with them, he then slammed both them against a tree. Zvire struggled to his feet and drew his sword, he then turned to Imunzo. “You help Shadow, ill take care of him” Zvire said, pointing at Kreul. Imunzo nodded and made his exit. Zvire turned his attention to the huge figure of Kreul, whom he thought he had allready killed once. Kreul seemed more anxious than Zvire had ever previously seen, he was almost reluctant to fight Zvire. Kreul gave Zvire no warning and charged at him, moving relatively fast for such a large body. Zvire attempted to dodge the huge figure of Kreul, but there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre and Kreul tackled Zvire to the ground, knocking Zvire’s sword out of his grasp as he did. Kreul got back up quickly, picking up Zvire and throwing him hard against the large trunk of a tree. Zvire felt his back almost snap into two as he crashed into the tree, he bit his lip to avoid shouting out in pain, not wanting to register any. Zvire turned back around to face Kreul and was met with the huge fist of Kreul, knocking him back against the tree once more. Zvire dropped to the ground and then dived under the legs of Kreul, looking through the leafy blanket of the forest floor for his sword. Zvire saw the sword in the corner of his eye and dived for it, rolling on the ground, collecting it and then coming back to his feet. As Zvire got back to his feet, he noticed a scar on Kreul’s body which had not been there before. A scar that Zvire had given him. Zvire began to swipe the sword through the air aimlessly and gain some ground on Kreul. Zvire managed to push Kreul back up against a tree trunk and the reach of the sword drew closer to Kreul’s body. Zvire slashed the sword through the air, looking to hit anywhere on Kreul’s colossal chest but Kreul managed to grab the sword and stop it effortlessly. Reacting quickly, Zvire kicked Kreul hard on the wrist, keeping sure to maintain his balance and releasing his sword from Kreul's intense grasp. Zvire then, giving Kreul no time to react went to push the blade into the scar on Kreul’s chest. Zvire did not have the time to find the power to pierce Kreul’s hard skin as Kreul grew furious with pain and kicked Zvire hard, making him fly into the air some meters. Zvire was sure to keep hold of his sword as he flew through the air and then managed to land on his feet. Zvire looked at Kreul once more, his anger was boiling over however now, Zvire had a plan. Kreul raised both of his hands and put them together and came for Zvire. Zvire stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. The ground shook as Kreul came running for Zvire, then he made his move, raising his sword and using all his might pushing it deep into Kreul’s neck. Kreul immediately responded by knocking Zvire off his feet once more. Kreul hit him heavy and hard in the stomach, winding Zvire. Zvire got on his hands and knees and attempted to catch his breath as Kreul fumbled about trying to remove the sword from his neck. Zvire heard the sword drop to the floor and got to his feet alertly however Kreul was no-where to be seen. A puzzled Zvire walked over to where his sword lay and picked it up, looking at the blade he could see that it was stained with the green blood of Kreul. Zvire wiped his sword clean with a leaf and put it back in his belt, he then looked over into the clearing which Shadow had previously been in. Zvire could see Shadow and Imunzo on one side, Imunzo with his arm around Shadow for support with Kaiazal and Orscyar on the other. “Halt!” shouted Zvire, wanting to make an important entrance. Zvire looked into Orscyar's eyes, he looked frightened, like a young child would be afraid of the dark. “I should have known you were evil from the moment I met you” Zvire shouted. He then began to make his way into the clearing, from behind Shadow. The look on Orscyar’s face was one of horror as Zvire made his way into the partial light, cast by the moon. “What's wrong ? seen a ghost?” Zvire heard Shadow ridiculing Orscyar.
“Something like that” Zvire replied, to which Shadow turned around instantly and fell to the floor through shock.
“Zvire!” Shadow exclaimed.
“I hate to brake up this reunion, but we must be on our way now” Kaiazal said moments before he disappeared, refusing to fight under even odds. Zvire leapt for Orscyar but it was too late, he too had disappeared. There was an awkward silence as Zvire got to his feet. Imunzo searched the ground for his, picking it up and securing it in his belt once he had recovered it. The three warriors studied each other intensely when they regrouped. “Where to now ” said Zvire after a series of silent moments.
“Hazajaro” Shadow replied instantly, to which Zvire nodded acceptance.
“I will get the horses” said Imunzo moments before he disappeared into the bushes.
“So what really happened then?” Zvire said, keenly.
“What do you mean?” Shadow replied
“With Raiguarde” Zvire responded. Shadow took a deep breath and went to answer but a noise in the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing broke their conversation. Two figures on horseback emerged from the distance, the darkness making it very difficult to make them out. As they came into the clearing Zvire could make out their faces but still did not recognise them. Shadow did. The figures of Lord Enzaghe and Calandria dismounted and drew their blades. “I don‘t quite know what sorcery you used here Shadow, but you are still under arrest. No more foolishness. We continue on our way immediately” Enzaghe ordered, he then turned to Calandria and gave him a signal. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way” said Enzaghe as Calandria came closer to Zvire and Shadow. Zvire was ready to draw his sword once more but Shadow nodded toward the trees, which Zvire took to mean a signal against it. Calandria came up to Zvire and collected Zvire’s sword and tucked it in his sword belt. Zvire felt enraged at the taking of the sword which he had now grown quite attached, but he heeded Shadow’s words and made no movements. Calandria then had Zvire and Shadow put their hands behind their backs and then he tied their hands up. Calandria pointed his sword at Zvire’s back and motioned them toward the horses. Shadow was forced to ride with Enzaghe, both of them on the same horse while Zvire mounted Calandria’s and was to ride with him. As the two horses rode off into the distance, Imunzo came back into the clearing. He had seen Enzaghe’s return and was ready to step in and make Enzaghe go away but Shadow saw Imunzo and signalled against it. Imunzo then walked over to the tree which the sword of Drakahor was embedded in and pulled it out, just as Shadow had signalled.
Imunzo then walked over to where Calandria and Enzaghe had made their exit and watched at he could just about see their horses speeding off into the distance. Imunzo sighed and walked over to the two horses. Imunzo mounted one of the horses and made his way to the dirt track that led to Hazajaro. “I don't know why I‘m going to rescue you again Shadow, but I am” Imunzo said out loud. Imunzo then took a look at the stars and the night sky, a vain attempt at being able to appreciate the beauty of it before he kicked the horse gently with his heels, the horse then galloped off in the direction of Hazajaro castle.