Guardians of Innistrad

...Boom!

A significantly sized energy blast, right next to Kyiers and the male soldier blew them on their backsides! The horses went flying back! The female guard, even at her distance from the blast was pushed back enough to need to brace herself from falling, yet still went down. Moments afterward, after shaking their heads of the dizziness, the three travelers looked up and saw a figure standing in the dust of the blast, which is still settling. Realizing that this could turn bad, all three quickly came to and got back on their feet ready for this... this... 'Thing’ to act upon them! The dust began to clear and there stood a large, beastly man wielding a rather large axe. This creature was looking about in a very confused manner. His motions indicated that even he is surprised at his new situation.

"Kyiers?" The male guard shouted.

"Yes?" Snapped Kyiers.

"Quickly! Get to your blade, now! This is no ordinary man! This is Garruk!"

Before Kyiers made it over to his sword, which was still in the holster attached to his unconscious horse, Garruk was already there! He had swung his axe up and over landing it just between Kyiers and Kyiers' jet-black quarter horse!

"Whoa! Big guy!" Kyiers' hands went up in a bit of a surrendering gesture.

Garruk only grunted, but with such a low tone it was felt in Kyiers' chest. Their eyes made contact for a brief moment. Kyiers could see this walker's glowing pale-blue eyes through the mask-helmet combo Garruk was wearing. At once Kyiers knew this force of nature was after him. Garruk lifted once again and swung horizontally at Kyiers! He was so quick, Kyiers barely had time to react, but was able to jump backwards without getting sliced in half at the waist.

"Odric! Do something!" Shrieked the female guard.

"Odric?" hollered Kyiers, while still ducking and dodging constant swings by Garruk. "Odric?" this time stepping backwards over a felled tree's large trunk. Kyiers is now realizing why this soldier's voice was so familiar. "Commander Odric?"

"Yes, Kyiers! Of course! And this is Thalia riding with me!" Odric shouted while running with her towards them.

"Can you get this brut off me?" Kyiers still not wanting to unveil any dark energy to the Riders of Gavony, though if this chase continues, he will be forced to fight back.

Once close enough, Odric pulled some darts from a pouch on his waist. He threw the first one and it landed in the side of Garruk's neck. Garruk's swings became slower. He eventually stopped swinging and he himself came to a stop. He stood in one place for a moment. Then turned only his head to Odric, who was close to him again by now. "Odric!" Garruk grunted in his low, beastly voice. "Don't... kill..." At that moment another dart went into Garruk's shoulder and he fell over. “…Me.” He was out cold!

Kyiers dropped to his knees, exhausted!

Thalia caught up to Odric, finally!

Odric sat on a rather large rock and tried to make sense of this new situation.

"We need rope!" Odric commanded.

"Who was that beast?" Kyiers sputtered, still catching his breath.

"That was Garruk! Better known as... 'The Relentless'!”

"Well, he is that." Kyiers said, now standing up and turning his head side-to-side popping his neck. "Let's get that rope before he wakes back up. Oh! And where can I find some of your amazing little darts?"

“Garruk does not take well to being drugged. It is a weakness of his that I stumbled upon many moons before today. We will have time for small talk after we get a camp set up." Odric said gently. "I will tell you all about the darts as well as Thalia and me."

"Yes Sir!" Kyiers said with conviction.

Back by the river, the three travelers and the tied-up, unconscious Garruk sit around a large fire. Each horse awake and resting in the background tied to some trees. Darkness has settled in, exposing the many stars in the night sky. Odric, while turning one of the three rabbits that they captured earlier broke the awkward silence…

"Telim'Tor!"

Thalia and Kyiers did not respond, but did look his direction through the flames of the fire.

"Telim'Tor developed these darts many, many years ago. The secret to making these darts have been passed down to me through military servicemen. Now, Telim’Tor is dead. The generals that passed the secret are dead as well, thus leaving me to be the only one who knows how to make them." Odric said.

Kyiers, understanding the uniqueness of Odric's amazing little weapons only nodded and then spoke. "What about the Helvault? We never got a chance to settle that business due to you-know-who." Using his head to point towards Garruk.

"Kyiers the daydreamer, I only told you that story about the Helvault so that you would stay with us this entire journey back to Thraben. And for misleading you like that, I apologize." Odric said in a very sincere voice.

Now Kyiers is up and turning a second hare over, which is nearly charred on one side. "Now that we are up to speed on darts and the Helvault, why did you conceal your identities?" He asked of Odric.

"Well, Daydreamer, I am a bit of a jokester." Odric replied. "But, jokes aside, I... We, felt it safer to conceal that, because we did not know whom you were, especially after seeing your chapel being built by your woods. And now that you know who we are, will you please inform us of who you are now?" Odric said while turning the third rabbit over.

"He is on Liliana's side!" Garruk said, surprising everyone! Surprising to them that he is even awake.

Odric jumped through the fire over to Kyiers. He jumped so quickly that the hare, he was tending to, went flying up and over Thalia's head and landed in front of the horses. Odric's sword is quickly drawn and at Kyiers' throat. "Is it true what my nature-boy friend here says? Are you on the side of darkness?"

Not able to move his head, Kyiers got out a convincing, "NO!"

Garruk spoke up again and said, "I have been tracking Liliana, I felt her energy here, so I blinked in. I sensed only him bearing this dark energy. No Liliana… just him."

"Is this true Kyiers of Estwald?" Odric presses harder until a small drop of blood sprang from underneath the pale glow of Odric’s sword and ran down Kyiers' neck.

"No!" Kyiers said again. "Let me explain, please?"

"Very well then. Thalia, untie 'Rukkie' here and then you two tie up Kyiers. Afterwards we eat while he explains away." Laughing with a sinister laugh.

"He is secure sir." Thalia said to Odric.

"Now then!" Odric said, pulling the blade away. "Garruk, you get Kyiers' rabbit. He is now the prisoner."