Eliminate every good thing

The tattered and torn clothes were irritating. Keira could feel the rough surface of the cloth scratching her skin. As they continue the trail to Root Forest, she looked for a similar expression from her comrades. Cool the jester was scratching as though he was possessed by a poltergeist, making random noises and cursing the farmer clothing, while Vangz the dark wizard was looking grim, as though we was struggling not to react but was having a hard time hiding his irritation.

 

This is his magic, anyway, Keira thought. But I’d have to give him some credit. His ways are effective and smart. Although he is sarcastic and all, he is an essential part of this group. Hmm. Hmm. He would be difficult to kill. First I have to slice open the - - What am I thinking??

Keira found herself stunned and perplexed by her own thoughts and her eyes remained transfixed at the cold dark eyes of the dark wizard.

“What?!” snarled Vangz.

“Nothing.”

“Then keep moving then!”

I have to keep my composure. I have to keep my composure. Keira’s mind seemed to twirl. The dream that she had was gripping her.

. . .

It was almost midday when they reached the warming aura of an undefiled forest. Flowers that ease every tension lay before them. Meadows of lush green grass stretch on like oceans. The wave of the soothing forest air blanketed them. Trees with the warmest shade shelter them from the cruel heat. A healing aura mysteriously seeped through their bruised skin. Root forest was a wonder from nature, a gift of the gods, unharmed and undefiled from the growing evil.

“So . . . peaceful.” whispered the assassin, and for a moment she would want to throw away the knives from her belt. She wants to stay in the forest forever, with her Leon. This was the perfect place for happiness.

The jester leapt up and down happily at the sight of such heart-warming place. He embraced a tree, smelled a flower, patted a mossy boulder and then finally laid his back on the relaxing green grass, watching the perfectly blue skies above him.

“Your memories . . . our memories . . . here. . .” the dark wizard also said under his breath. Unfortunately for him, the assassin heard him.

Keira cannot believe her ears. She turned around to see for herself, she wouldn’t let this pass her by. Vangz the dark wizard, saying things like those??

She didn’t believe her ears from what she heard and as she took a good look at the dark wizard, she can’t believe her eyes as well.

The dark wizard was crouched at the ground. He was holding a white flower and circling his fingers around it, like a little innocent child. And Keira cannot believe her eyes as he looked at the dark wizard’s.

His eyes were full of happiness that seemed long-forgotten to him. His eyes showed despair, of wanting something; something powerful than incantations and spells. He was looking for a magic that he seemed to have once but lost it. A magic called love. His eyes project a hunger for that magic.

But just as suddenly, he clenched his fist and the flower in his hand, withered. Now he had vengeance in his eyes. He stood up and dropped the now mutilated flower on the forest floor.

“Ahoy there!” a loud voice said suddenly and the three of them saw two men approaching them.

One of the men was riding a healthy-looking horse. He was wearing a simple set of clothes and a pair of boots with spurs and a whip on his hand. He was obviously a skilled horseman. The other man was obviously a farm boy; wearing almost the same clothes as the three of them did.

“Ahoy, y’all having a good time, eh? Me name’s Zizlaf.” The man on the horse introduced himself very casually.

“Call me Esteban. Now what ye’ doing here in the forest?” asked the farm boy.

“We’re um, we’re peasants. We just. . .wanted to see the forest” Kiera lied. She didn’t want to blow their cover. She can’t trust anyone else than her comrades.

Zizlaf smiled wryly and examined her from head to toe. His smile widened into a grin as though he was pleased with what he was seeing.

What a pervert. Keira said to herself. She felt she was being scanned.

Then Zizlaf got down from his steed, walked towards her and offered his hand in formality. As Keira grabbed it, she could feel his hands are grasping her too tight. She pulled hers immediately in a defensive manner as Zizlaf continued to smile at her.

“I’m a local here. Let me show you the place, my lady.” Zizlaf offered.

“Oooooh!! I’ll go!” Cool the jester shouted with great excitement. He rushed toward Zizlaf like a small child. “Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?” he begged Keira for a yes.

“If you go, then we have to go too, right Va- -“ as she turned to ask the dark wizard, he was gone. A faint black smoke now appeared from where he was last seen.

“Huh? He couldn’t have apparat- -“ but Cool was pulling her arm like a child who just saw an interesting toy. She had no choice. She could not reveal that she didn’t want to. But refusing would start a lot of questions and the careless jester might blow their cover. She obliged to the continuous yelling of Cool. A nice little tour wouldn’t hurt.

“Oh, leave your things with me assistant, Esteban. He’s a good man.” Zizlaf said, still looking at Keira with those malicious eyes. Cool threw away his satchel, almost exposing the vials and rations on his bag. Keira did the same but with less clumsiness. Esteban the farm boy sat down at the mossy boulder to start guarding their bags. He was looking a little nervous.

“But our other companion. . .we should wait for him.” Keira told the horse man to wait for Vangz.

“What other companion? I just saw two of you. You and this umm. . .brat.” replied Zizlaf.

Vangz apparated from view the moment he saw Zizlaf and Esteban. Good thing he wasn’t noticed. But running so suddenly like that. . .

“Now, shall we?” Zizlaf started.

Arguing could start more questions and so Keira chose not to. This was her worst cover-up yet.

“Yaaaay!!!” shouted Cool.

Keira knew her most important things are safe. Her knife belt was hidden behind the farmer’s clothing. She never takes them off, not in this hostile world, at least. Zizlaf mounted his horse and then started trotting in the forest floor. He beckoned the two to follow him and they did.

“Now this is Root forest herself. Right here is her entrance, or what we locals call, heaven’s door. HAHAHA. Heaven? Is there such place? Well now, I feel like heaven.”. Zizlaf continued the tour inside the magnificent forest.

His eyes are still fixed at Keira.

. . .

With a puff of black smoke, the dark wizard reappeared deep inside the forest. Before he did, he saw the image of two men approaching them. Then a faint smell of something peculiar, something familiar reached his nose, at the same moment, he apparated from view. Now he was back with his eerie black robes. Obviously, he had been inside the forest. And obviously, he knew where the smell came from, but he cannot remember how to get there anymore.

As he walked the familiar tracks looking for familiar signs that lead to somewhere, he came by the meadows that he used to love. He stared to the beautiful meadows and the innocent flowers. Then he felt a surge inside him, as he fell to his knees.

Laughter was filling him. Not the evil laughter that was always laughing with him. This time, it was soft laughter. It belonged to a lady, a very familiar lady.

Her eyes were the eyes of someone who cares. Her clothes were that of a wizard as well. Her aura felt that of intelligence, of simplicity of life and love.

The sight on the dark wizard’s mind was like watching somebody, and being there at the same time. The flashes on his mind were short but for him it felt like finding a lost part of him. . .

She ran around in circles among the meadows. . .

She picked a white flower and put it on top of her ear. . .

She sat there in front of him, smiling with joy. . .

She ran once more among the grass. . .

And then she lay to the warm grass on a perfectly blue sky. . .

She asked him to lay with her. . .

He could see her face through the light of the moon. . .

Darkness, as he closed his eyes. . .

Then a soft kiss from her touched his lips. . .

Her eyes looked at his with extreme sincerity, as he re-opened his eyes. . .

And the sensation was unexplainable. . .

Like he felt it once and was longing for it again. . .

“STOP IT!!” Vangz shouted to himself with a very dry voice and it echoed to the presently empty meadow. He was on all-fours and he was grasping his head, his vision was blurring. The flashbacks kept appearing before his eyes. The lady in his dreams. The memories on this meadow. They were all coming back.

“MAKE IT STOP!!!!” He shouted desperately to an invisible face. He wanted it to stop. Not the flashbacks, but the evil inside him that was pulling him back. Then suddenly, and even without him knowing, he vanished in a puff of black smoke for the second time.

He opened his eyes and found himself to another place. He was in some sort of laboratory. Broken jars, scattered papers and books and splattered chemicals that were starting to corrode the wooden floor first caught his sight. He knew this place. This was Leon Seneca’s hidden laboratory. The smell from earlier came here. Familiar writings and notes lay from the floor. Formulae and strange sketches lay everywhere. It was like coming back to a place he never visited anymore. Leon Seneca was his colleague.

A huge container, used for storing important materials caught his eye. It was placed against the wall, but even if you look closely, you wouldn’t see it, unless you look for the right thing.

Amiculus Fidelis

Two words meaning dear friend and faithful friend were engraved at the wall, which was the container itself. As the dark wizard pronounced the words, a hole in the wall opened itself, revealing a peculiar object.

“No, Leon. You won’t do this. . .”

. . .

“And this, you could see the Vativoute I, a glorious empire herself.” Zizlaf the tour guide continued to talk for what it felt like an eternity, as they stood at a cliff in the forest, revealing the vast land of Lesallia.

Keira was getting bored and bored with every second and wished they could continue on their quest. Cool was still interested listening to the horse man as though he was learning a very crucial lesson in life.

“Oh, wait here, will ye?” Zizlaf said in a hurry and he looked as though he was up to something. “I’m just gonna check on me’ assistant, Esteban.” Then without another word, he whipped his steed and was gone.

Keira shifted her attention to the vast majority of Lesallia. . .her husband is out there somewhere. Miles separate them. But she kept him in her heart. Why does this have to happen? They were living a perfect life. Why?

Then suddenly, a sort of firework shot to the sky and floated there, like a beacon, just in top of them.

No. We’ve been betrayed. This was Keira’s first instinct. She rushed back to their bags but it was too late. . . .

By the time she reached the entrance of the forest, all was left were hoof tracks and the faint sound of a galloping horse. There’s no point in running after them, they were riding on horseback. Their bags were gone. Rations for a long adventure were gone. Flasks of potions, curatives, and different sorts of liquid were gone that easy.

How could she be so careless?

Then the sound of thunder cracked the silence of her regret, and as she looked up the skies, the perfect clouds were gone. The soothing aura was gone. Instead, a swirling black cloud was circling above them.

As the second cracking sound made its presence, a puff of black smoke appeared beside her. Vangz the dark wizard reappeared, looking as though he was in a rage. Dark, black eyes stared at hers with rage she didn’t understand.

“Seneca” he said in his coldest voice ever.

“Why didn’t you tell me, huh?” now his voice was shaking. In his hand he held a blood-red crystal and it was burning his hand as he clenched it tight, but he didn’t seem to mind. His rage was too uncontrollable.

Keira didn’t recognize the stone, nor she knew why Vangz came back storming at her. She wanted answers as well as the dark wizard does. But she just cant. Why is he so angry? What is that crystal? Why is there a black cloud above us? Why haven’t I thought that we will be mugged?

Cool reappeared and the childish smirk was gone. The annoying aura was gone. In his face was an expression of a mature man about to say something grim.

“Let’s get out of here.” His voice was manly. He looked at the black cloud. “Cercatori magic. They found us.” Obviously, the two men were working for their enemy. And now, they were spotted. Disguises don’t work on them. They have powerful magic.

He walked towards them and into another clearing that was heading outside the beautiful land of Root forest. He looked back and said the saddest thing he has ever said before. As he stared at the forest, a tear dropped from his serious eyes.

“They are going to destroy the whole forest just to kill us. The magic they use are the inevitable ones. And . . . we could only save ourselves. ” He said in a mature tone.