Everlasting: Ardemon's Revenge.

The aftermath of the raid was as disheartening as it was watching the families recovering their lost ones that were slaughter in the streets. Ardemon helped as much as he could gather the remaining women and children, the men helped bury the dead while Ardemon switched tasks charting trails and paths to Livga. there were plenty battalions at the ready in case of enemy invasion. the smoke and fog clearing as daybreak peaked on the horizon. It soon became undeniable that they would be back, so he would have to take the remaining villagers to safety and that meant on foot.

The dead buried and put to rest, the villagers packed up what little belongings they could with carts of food and possessions they could grab. anything that was left was burned along with the homes.
The small convoy began on their way east to Ardemons birthplace, Livga. As they set out the two men that helped him up as he came to in the street of Fort Galewind. They introduced themselves. Bisco Kildon and Hide Komatsu. Hide was from a distant land but was brought here as a blacksmith to promote his family as they made the best swords in his region. He explained that his name was a means to disgrace him as he was a weak child, Ardemon didn't really understand it but what he could make out of it is that Komatsu meant something about a small tree and how his father believed he would die at a young age. So he distanced himself, as his mother picked his first name (Hide) meaning Long life or flourish? Ardemon wasn't sure but Hide was quite the talkative guy.

Bisco was a Merchant of grains and rice, His family owned a settlement back west of Fort Galewind. it was far west of Fort Galewind but he had heard that the people of Galewind were suffering due to all of their fields were bad causing some people to get sick or starve, so he brought seven wagons of food and supplies to aid the dying village. Hide wasn't a large man but nor did he look weak, from the story he told he had come a long way to become as fit as he was. His arms had veins popping out from his bicep down to his forearms. he had long black hair that was tied in a knot on the top of his head. He had light blue eyes that didn't fit his appearance, his bangs and sideburns hung down in his face. he had a silk blue gi robe that was embodied with lavish gold and silver. his pants were thick brown leather with pants. he said the traditional armored he used was years old but he would use it anyways as they walked with the wagons hide busy putting on his armor which looked funny, He called it kendo but it didn't look like it would last long in battle as it was worn.

Bisco was a dark-skinned man with short brown hair, brown eyes. He was a big man with huge muscles, he wielded a large ax which in Ardemons opinion wasn't as effective as Hide's Masamune. He said it was his fathers but in fact, he had been given a replica of his father's sword. he found out later when he found it in his fathers room, enraged he left to prove his worth of his family name by becoming a man. he vowed to bring fame to his family's technique of making quality swords and armor. Bisco had run into him on the road from his home and they stuck together ever since. "Hide! How long do you think we've been traveling together?" Hide shrugged. "Many days, I can't count how long it's been since I met Bisco here on the road. but I am grateful he took me aboard his caravan." Bisco laughed. "He is being modest, I couldn't leave anyone like that. it took months to teach him our language. he had no food or water, he was surviving on some kind of paste and black pellets he called food.

He continued to rant about the good times and bad times they encountered as a team but as sure as the sun will set the next day they were back on the road to Bisco's home, there Hide had a place of his own, he became a member of the Kildon family. but it didn't end there, not only was Fort Galewind suffering but Tatmid, Salin Bridge and many other small towns were losing crops, so it was up to Bisco and other combined merchants to pull together and deliver food all over the kingdom but mainly over the course of six months they had been to Galewind three times. So it took them about a month to travel from Bisco's home town of Kolderby to Fort Galewind. Ardemon sighed as he thought about the tough forest that was going to be an in sight soon as they marched onwards.

A man Blue haired man named Turner walked up from behind Ardemon and asked what the plan was, Ardemon said in a whisper to Turner, Well first we walk up this way for about a league and then we cross into GreyMour woods and after we walk through the Staelon Ruins. and then instead of going through Blaylan Providence which as you know is part of the bandit lawless region we will cut left and head into a more wooded area. We want to keep away from the main paths as much as possible. Turner whispers to Ardemon. "I did a head count, we have about 362 villagers, That's not counting Hide and Bisco and ourselves." This is gonna get messy if we can't get more people as experienced to help guard the wagons. It takes four people to pull one wagon, that's twenty-eight people unable to fight if we get into a sticky situation." Ardemon stops and faces Turner. "You really have thought this through huh. Alright let's hang back for a second and wait on Bisco and Hide and see what they think." Soon they are able to see the tops of the tree tops of the forest they need to cross through in order to get where they need to be.

The company of villagers and Ardemon soon found the path that leads through to the infamous forest of no return. The two kept talking about strategy in case of any run-in, should it be scattered monsters or pillagers. they needed to be ready to protect the villagers at any cost and also keep themselves out of harm's way as much as possible as they needed to walk at least a league a day in order to make it to livga by a week's time. Bisco and Hide kept a look out as Ardemon and his new Strategist spoke. He then begun passing the word on to everyone but he looked calmer then anyone, the villagers that got the information looked panicked, one man asked loudly. "Enough of us have died today! are you plotting to keep us safe or march us to our deaths! Greymour is toxic! no one has ever come out alive!!" Ardemon held up his hand for the man to stop screaming. He looked more afraid as he saw more frightening things than orcs and goblins joining forces.

Before anyone could have time to really unwind from the horrors that took place no more than a few hours. The sounds of cracking and dirt being disturbed could be heard in the distance. A digestively familiar sound. Hide spoke yelled quickly. "Arachne!!! Places everyone! no one really understanding but the few that could immediately lite up torches and begun to swing as the Arachne ran around the wagons, everyone jumped on the wagons as the big spiders leap over the small company of Ardemon and the people of Fort Galewind. tiny spiders sped underneath like water running wildly down a hill, some splashing up and then continuing to crawl away. "It's like they are running from something!" a female villager screamed, then an older male villager yelled in fear "NO you are right!! they are scared for their lives!! but what.." and before he could finish his sentence the Air chilled as the Arachne all crossed without even touching anyone of the wagons. The harsh painful wind hit everyone, the air became thick, enough to have everyone choking, out of the thick canopy of trees a shadow figure shot through and standing right in front of Ardemon. Hide who was now standing behind Ardemon whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Shadow Men... No one speaks, don't even breathe.." the creature stared down Ardemon but he stood his ground and continued to look back, He reached out and grabbed him by the neck, Ardemon felt sick, his eyes shut as he wanted this feeling to end but he felt something stir inside of his need to live, his bloodlust awakening just as it had done in the village of Galewind. He opened his eyes with the same overpowering feeling. The robed figure started becoming irritated but the villagers could see the red shine, the overwhelming pressure, the bloody color of his Aura.

The Hooded man let go or Ardemon and sprang forward and hot on the trail of the Arachne. It felt like what seemed like an eternity since the Shadow man sprang out of sight but unable to hold their breaths any longer everyone let out sighs and gasped for air. moments later high pitched screams and scapes against tree bark. Bisco whispers to Hide. "That sounds like the nasty spiders are being massacred!" but without any hesitation, Hide grabbed the arm of a man and pushed him down and grabbed the wagons handle, and began to pull it. Another man followed his lead and then all the villagers have begun to move before something else popped out of the trees.

It wasn't very long before they were on a steady pace back to making their way to the Forest of Greymour. The villagers whispered to one another, many put their torches out to keep a few in case of another swarm of Arachne. they spoke of what had happened, calming discussing what they should do about where to live, how they were going to survive a week on the road. so at some point, they needed to sleep and it was probably gonna be shortly after they made it through the forest of Greymour but preferably not anywhere near the ruins of Staelon ruins as people often said it was haunted by the many wars that area has seen. somehow some of the most major battles ended right there leaving bodies upon bodies stacked. it's not uncommon for someone to accidentally lose their way and pass by the ruins and the first person they see they tell them what they had seen there.

It had been a little over three hour's since they saw the spiders, no one knew how long it would be until they would sleep but they all prepared for the forest, everyone evening the children had weapons of some kind, ready to deal with anything, torches were in almost every hand but something caught a villagers eye, her name is Charlotte, she was a short lady with brown hair and greens eyes. her eye color was rare for a brunette and everyone seemed to gravitate towards the rather pretty woman, she was charismatic lean, she had a very seducing figure, it even distracted Ardemon. she snapped a finger in his face as she caught him staring at her. "There.. that looks like a caravan! I wonder what happened." It took him a moment to see what she was pointing at but finally as they got close enough for their torches to light up the area around where she had pointed. Light poured on a sick scene of slaughtered people, a caravan wagon leaned over as it was close to falling from having lost a wheel. Charlotte exclaimed quietly "it looks like these people weren't so lucky to get away from something. these bites... I recognize them." She continued to look around at the blood bath that was so grotesque. "At first glance, you would think wolves got them but you see the jaws are wider and the prints are farther apart then a mere wolf or dire wolf. But it is a Lycan. there's no mistaking.".

Ardemon made his way up to the front of the line, stepping over bodies as they trail was barely wide enough for a wagon, anyone not in a wagon had to step through puddles of blood and guts, dismembered bodies. he stopped in front of them and held up his hand to stop them. "Listen I don't want to be here anymore then you do, but we gotta think about us... grab what you can from them, maybe there is food and water. also, grab those reins and horse equipment, it looks like the horses got away so we may be able to find them." he said loud enough for everyone to hear but quiet enough to not give away their position. The villagers look confused, some angry at his suggestion but others agreeing. Hide's voice breaks the hushed murmurs as he speaks loudly. "I'm not afraid to admit that im close to shittin my pants! think bout it tis way! you are afraid of the monsters! id be more afraid of bein left in back Galewind! les get the goods an scram!" without a second thought the better half of one hundred an ninety people got off with one torch to a group of three.

Not more then half a hour goes by as the villagers scour the caravan graveyard for anything useful and then someone a man named Talon hurries up to Ardemon tapping on his arm. Ardemon having been talking to Charlotte turns around to see what the rush was. "Sire! we found something! these people are from Galewind! no one ever wondered why we had no wagons or horses.. these are them.. they left before the attack!" he said loudly. "Calm down, let me take a look.." Ardemon said in a whisper as to not spook anyone. "Okay follow me Sire." Ardemon followed as the man sprinted off down a small trail that was broken off from the trail. There was drops of blood as it looks like someone tried to break apart from the rest of the Caravan but didn't make it very far. Not more then one hundred yards away from the main path. the drips of blood becoming large thick drips and then small puddles and then Ardemon walks passed an Arm and some fingers, but as he continues on to the overturned Caravan wagon he notices the blood now in a large pool around a half-eaten torso and not further away about a yard or two the head of a pretty blonde lady, her laying on its side facing towards him with a frightened expression, Tears still trailing from her beautiful Hazel eyes. "What a waste Ardemon says to himself.." He walks away from the corpse feeling numb.

The man that he had been following was in a circle of a group of two others. Ardemon walk's up to them and they move aside, A woman name Cristy points to a book by an woman who had been torn to shreads, the bottom of the Wagon had been ripped off as it looks like it broke the door off and got inside and then bite her necks and ripped off half of her side along with her arm. He peekd inside blood still dripping from the floor that was now half of a ceiling. he looked at what Cristy pointed at, it was a brown leather book covered in fur and blood, a huge Slash from claws at ripped at it like the woman had used it as a shield until she took a bite, then she lycan finished her off and couldn't get out so he burst through the roof and fled. Talon walked around and then leaned through the upside window. "Sire. there is a paths in the grass where it seems there was a large pack of Lycans that must have either fled or saw another prey. they went towards Greymour.. What should we do?"

Ardemon thought for a second and picked up the womans book, he skimmed through the tatters of blood soaked pages, he found a section of what appeared to be her diary. "We saw the smoke and the mayor decided to get as many people as he could as quietly as he could, all the nobles and the imporant elders, i feel bad as my father is the mayor of Galewind. He took all the horses an wagons.. i dont feel good about this." he keeps looking as the rest of it is covered and smudged with blood. a part he is able to make out says "Howling, not far away.. I don't have a good feelin about this. We are leaving the others. if you read this we didn't make it." Ardemon put his hand on his head to take in what he had read. "It looks like they knew they was being followed and tried to make a break for it and go unnoticed." then he turns away and tosses the book next to the body. "You should have stayed in Galewind, you might have even lived" He grinned at the body as he watched the rest of the book soak in the puddle of blood, his eyes began to gleam a light red. The group of people feeling uneasy ran away from him and joined the others back at the wagons.

It wasn't long before he joined the others. He saw Talon and the other man, he asked in whisper. "Where is Cristy?" he turned around and saw he staring at him with a terrified look on her face.. a small line of red appeared on her neckline.. blood begin to seep down onto her chest, her head falling straight off and on the ground in front of her.. her mouth still moving as if she was screaming. but silently. Behind her a hyrbid lycan stood on two feet and howled as it lunged towards Ardemon. He dodged the first swing and rolled behind it and within a second the creature turned around and lifted it larger arm with razor sharp claws above Ardemon, it swung and inches from Ardemons face. A glint simmered through the air as he pulled his weapon free and slashed vertically straight through the Giant Lycan.. blood and gore spilled as he fell in two clattering to the ground like a soaked towel. All the villagers facing him, his eyes burning with the fires of Hades.

Howls could be heard from what sounded like league away but in reality, they were at least one thousand yards away and closing in fast, with haste they all got in the wagons and rushed through the horrific slaughter. stepping in blood up to the calves they quickly hurried along, the sounds of the howels getting closer. Ardemon shouted. "Not much further! cut into the forest! " another man shouted back. "We should stick to the path! they say if you stray from the path you will be surely lost!" Ardemon pointed and everyone cut through the field heading into Greymour. They quickly rushed into the grass that was at first at around the waist and then raising above chest levels and then over their heads. A woman screamed at the top of her lungs. "WE WILL NEVER MAKE IT!! Turner yell loudly. "If anyone knows any spells then you best speak up! No matter what you heard, Magic isn't bad. It's we defend ourselves or we die!" The howels we're no more than three hundred yards away as some of the villagers picked up bows and some using projectile magic to hurl at the wolves. the sky lite up as the third of the villagers began to shoot in the direction of the lycan force that closed the gap in under minutes.

The rustling grass could be heard along multiple paws stomping the ground. The sky lite up as magic was hurled at the direction behind them at the paths cutting through the grass. Some hitting and most missing catching the grass on fire or disintegrating the small area altogether. blue and green, Bright yellow and Red could be seen from leagues away as the flashes from projectiles illuminated everything. One man stuck out from the rest as he had a bow. the cart he was protecting a child fell, in mid air he caught the small girl with one hand, he quickly placed her safely into her mothers arms and pushes them down and covered them with a blanket. "Stay under the blanket! ill keep protect you!" Ardemon running beside the wagon behind The hooded man. "Can you use that bow?" he responded by giving Ardemon a smirk and pointed the bow at him and within a second he nocked an arrow an released it. Ardemon grinned back at the blond hooded man as the arrow flew passed and hit a large lycan behind him.

Ardemon turned around and swung slicing through the neck of the one that had been hit in the head with an arrow. He turned as two more leap through the thick pasture. He swung again up cleaving the first one in two as it was mid vault. the second one in almost on top of him, as it connected hitting Ardemon in the chest, his right arm with the sword over his chest, the other arm catching the lycan by the throat. An arrow pierced it right through the skull, Ardemon tossed it's body off him and sprinted off to catch up with the wagon, Ardemon turned around as someone screaming "Archne!!!" within a moment they were on another path within forty yards from entering Greymour. Arachne in front of them and lycans behind them. things were not looking good, all of the wagons gathered in a circle with everyone's back to the wagons, they were surrounded.

Within seconds a fight broke out as the Lycans sprang forward but without a second spared the archne was ready popping up from traps within the grass pulling some of them to their deaths, Spiders jumping from trees landing on top of the Lycans biting and shooting webs at them, the horde. in a short span, they turned tail and fled away. but now there was a bigger question. "One of the people whispered. "Why are we not dead??" the Arachne leader approached towering over Ardemon. it's younglings surrounding the wagons and all of the villagers.