"And the struggle will continue and so it will proceed until the seventh generation. Evil will know no bounds and the chosen one and that one's helper will be. A sacrifice will be made and the chosen one will be revealed, but no one will see. Because the world will be dead, the world and all in it.

But the chosen one will slay it that is death and the helper will be lifted by the jewel.

The helper will be - 

A Phythoness."

             -   Tsunitzca

"It doesn't matter how many times you quote that Holy book Hidei, it didn't make sense when you told it to me as a boy and it doesn't make sense now." Valeros pushed his drunk friend out of his personal space and drowned the last of his own beaver. "What is more, I plan to prove the prophet a liar, by making sure that the world and everyone in it does not die." Damn! There was no more beer in dear skin bottle. He turned it upside down and watched a lone honey colored droplet fall to the dusty ground which absorbed it eagerly as if it too was parched for the aged libation.

"Oh mother earth!" Hidei called out boisterously. "She too is thirsty." This he followed with a deep thunderous laughter that shook his whole body and the wood log on which he sat and his Katana sword, shield and travel sack. The clink and clatter of wood and metal as they fell was an unwelcome rhapsody to Valeros' ears. He stood up.

"Then I will bring her drink - refresh her parched throat, eh?" With that, he stretched and began to untie the tediousness which was the layers of cloth he wore as he took a few steps away from the fire. When the thick slightly sweet lure of the beer made him feel too sure, he was likely to extinguish the fire for not caring where he aimed his relief. The men chorused Hidei's laughter as he took the girth of his penis in hand and halfheartedly aimed his spray as if he were watering a carefully planted garden, to the left then to the right and back to the left again arching his hips in satisfaction at the rush of urine emptying his bladder. And as it slowed from a gush to a trickle arched them as if this helped to extrapolate the last of the pungent fluid from his body. "Ahhhhh."

"You enjoy holding yourself too much Valeros! Me thinks he needs a woman!" One of his troop bellowed. "How about that redhead in the mountain village of Alia, eh?" 

"Now she was a beauty." Another called. 

Valeros shrugged off their teasing easily. When it came to women he cared very little of their opinions. He re-situated himself loosely and walked away from their noise, but not too far. They were approaching the region of Lajsier and everything about Lajsier reeked of danger.

He breathed in the heavy humid heady air and was reminded of home. Their simple cluster of wood buildings, doing chores, working with his father, selling their goods in the market. Mostly it reminded him of Hidei. Hidei was a warrior. He was born a warrior, lived as a warrior and would die a warrior. It was he who would drop by his family's humble home and spin tales of liberation, justice and valor. He made fighting on the side of  Thyrus seam the noblest thing in the world. It had ignited in him a determination that fueled him to win the argument with his father who wished instead for him to take over as head of their klan, bare up under the weight of rising early to do his chores and practicing until late hours to be ready when the call came for potential warriors to train at the military encampment. The same fire enabled him to put one tired foot in front of the other after his bones and muscles ached to the point of being ripped apart by the grueling training schedule. It kept him honed for battle - eager for it, until this day, this hour, this night. 

Valeros peered up at the double crescent moons gracing the inky night sky and rested his weight against a tree. Hidei had not let him down in his  animated praise of being a warrior, of the adrenaline felt when taking down an opponent - slashing through the evil that stood before you sometimes three and four times your size. Freeing the families, the women and the children, the towns burdened by the cruelty of their oppressors gave him a feeling of manumission and gratification that he was sure milling around his ancestral home would never provide.

He had learned along the way though that it wasn't as carefree a life as Hedei had made it seam. There were evils that he had never imagined existed wondering about, always watching, always waiting, always scheming - not always beaten with gory casualties and loss of life.

He heard footsteps from the camp and turned his head to see Monk come up behind him. 

"It's always good to have you around Monk, you have no love of mead and can always keep watch until we sleep ours off." Valeros clasped Monk on the shoulder jovially, however, Monk was his usual quiet self and nodded before surveying his surroundings to choose the best spot. "Very well." Valeros yawned and headed back to camp.

:::::::

Valeros was grappling with a redhead. She was being frisky rubbing his length before pushing his head between her legs arching up offering herself to his lips. He was a patient man. He could wait until she was pleasured, it was why she kept coming back. But this was strange, it was daylight and they were by the sea. He could smell the salt in the air. The breeze whisked her flaming auburn hair around her face as arched her back in ecstasy. He wasn't suppose to be this near the sea and she was suppose to be in the mountains. He stirred from his position and she moaned in frustration.

A sudden cry snapped him out of his dream and before his head could clear, Monk's body came crashing to the ground beside him. He instinctively grasped his Falchion sword quickly pulling it from its leather hold. Monk turned to him blood streaming down his face as she struggled to get to his feet. At the same moment a pexiton beast burst from the darkness, its nostrils flared at the sent of blood, its yellow eyes like flames. It gaped its enormous mouth open and roared exposing razor sharp teeth. It smelt of death and rotting flesh. It liked out its tongue at the sent of live meat,  clenching and unclenching its claws. Its enormous chest heaved as it took in the smorgasbord of possibilities. Valeros stepped in front of Monk and twirled his enormous double edged sword in his hand. 

Pexitons were not very quick but what they lacked speed, they maid up for in strength. He himself had witnessed one tear two men in half at the same time. They were active mostly in the night, but if you stumbled across one during the day, it would more than likely try to make a meal of you. Just as he was about to attack, another one appeared. 

This was bad. 

It got worse. 

Two more came forward bringing the total to four. The small band of men in the camp barely outnumbered the beast when calculations were made comparing size, weight and weapons. They stood their ground.

"Monk! Are you okay?" Hidei called not taking his eyes of the beasts as they towered above them stalking one immense foot then the other.

"Yes!"

"Then men, I'm in no mood to be a meal!" Hidei brandished his sword. "AAHHHHHHHHHH!" 

Valeros swung his sword at the enormous beast who moved so that it sliced through part of his arm, but did no real damage. He managed to push it back from Monk who was regaining his wits. Another pexiton countered Valeros making him turn awkwardly and he felt the other grab his arm from behind. He was being pulled toward the beast and turned to see it, mouth open closing in on him. With all his might he swung his sword upward the beast dodged causing his grip to falter. Valeros spun out of it wincing as it's claws ripped through his flesh and spun slicing it through the abdomen. It screamed and stepped back. He took a moment to see a revived Monk on the back of one plunging his kilij saber into it's back repeatedly as it held the head of one of his comrades in its hands.

Another had a man hanging by his feet in the air while Hidei swung carefully at the monster, his power limited for not wanting to kill one of his men. Another comrade was sent flying through the air as the pexiton countered the remaining fighter. Valeros became angry just as he felt his opponent come up behind him, he lifted his sword above his head and the beast grabbed him around his torso. He could feel its hot putrid breath on his neck, but he would not be eaten, not today. He scissored open his legs and buried his sword into the beast through them once, then again with all his might twisting the sword as it went in with a ferocious growl. He pulled it out as the beast started to fall and pushing from its grasp then jumped over its dying corpse to slice the leg off another in two swings before splitting its head open down the middle. 

Monk slipped his saber through the throat of another opening his gullet, its blood gushing down the front of his comrade. Then there was only one. They circled it as it held onto the foot of  the still dangling warrior. It moved to take the other foot and rip him in two but Valeros pierced it in the side as did his comrade the other side, Monk through the back then another and another. It dropped to its knees and Hidei buried his huge cleaver like sword in its chest to the the hilt before doing it once more. Its blood bubbling out over his fingers, it let out a final agonizing cry and then slumped over - dead.

The men all stood quietly, breathing heavily still feeling the adrenaline from their near death experience. Hidei pulled his Kanata from the pexiton's body and wiped its blood off on its head before walking toward Monk.

"How are you my boy?" he lifted Monks head to check on the wound.

"Fine I think." he allowed Hidei to investigate.

"Hummph, lets clean it up and get a better look anyway." He walked away. The men patted each other on the shoulder in commendation and gratitude as the adrenaline wore off and the gravity of the situation set in.

"It is unusual for pexitons to be in this area Hidei." Valeros noted as he walked up beside his friend and squatted.

"Yes, the evil is getting worse." He looked up at Valeros, "just as the prophesy said."

"But there is no such thing as a Phythoness. Everyone knows women are incapable of that kind of power, nor are they allowed to be taught it." He looked at his friend who only smiled.

"Now do you begin to believe little townsman?" Hidei had not called him that in a long time and as always as followed the affectionate nickname, he rumpled Valeros' hair.

:::::::::::>

Little brightly colored sparkles of light flew through the large trees swirling and dodging one another - azure vermilion chartreuse flax amaranth celadon xanadu jasper olivine peridot and tangelo. They careened around, over and below branches, trunks and knobby roots protruding above ground. A sliver of sunlight piercing through the thick foliage above brought them to a halt. Here their coruscating became more intense pulsating rhythmically, they were pixies. On closer inspection their little appendages stretched out their wings iridescent membranes soaking up the sun's energy. They became alarmed at a faint noise and flew into a thicket of ferns, peeking around the slim green leaves. Their little expressions relaxed as the form stepped into the light and lifted its hand as if reaching out to touch the face of the sun.

The pixies flittered around the form and spun in blithesome circles around the hand, little broad smiles lifting their visages. The form crooked a finger and a pixie slowed the beat of its wings as it sat down.

"Hello little olivine. Why do you run in fear, there is nothing to be afraid of here." Seoni nudged the little pixie gently with her nose and blew light puffs of air at the others as they neared her face. She continued to coo at them as they became playful, fluttering through her butterscotch colored hair - a rarity for someone of her mocha skin tone, and  tugged at her signature braids - she had them from infancy. She was of mixed heritage, which exactly she wasn't sure, but one of them had to be Bösherŏ. Most of the peoples of Matralia ranged from an olive complexion to something short of transparent. Bösherians were all darker in skin tone. Little was known about Bösherians as their lands were much further south and they keep to it.

She was correct in her assurance of the pixies safety even though they lived within Lajsier's north east boundary, for Wizard had cast a spell warning off evil. As long as they stayed within his realm, they were safe. Wizard was her guardian and mentor, she had known him all her life. Truth be told, she did't know much of anyone else. She had always stayed within his realm even when he left it. That is what he demanded of her and that is what she did.

Seoni often walked through his realm. She was familiar with every nook, every stream, every plant, every rock. One of Wizard's spell maintained it easily. It was always fresh, clean and well groomed. Every flower in Matrailia grew within his territory, there was plenty of fresh water and food. She approached a very old looking tree draped with vines and pulled one from it. After picking the leaves off she carefully rolled it into a coil and inserted it in her woolen bag. It was good for headaches. As she walked the pixies stopped  playing and looked around frowning before flying away. 

Yes she felt it too, a presence. She didn't fear it for nothing could harm her here, but it was uncomfortable. The wind began to pick up tossing her hair and the light material of her cream silk gown. It felt intimate, like fingers stroking through her hair. Hands caressing the shape of her breasts and hips. She stood for a moment sending a spell to communicate her displeasure at the presence and its advances before striking off toward home.

::::::::::

"It is back Wizard, the presence." Seoni closed the door softly as she entered their home dug out in the hollow of an mammoth jupiter tree.

"Yes, I felt is as well." Wizard was pondering over two of the many thick leather bound magic books of yore he possessed. He didn't look up at her entrance. "You must practice your three category six water spells Seoni. I will call you when you are to stop." He lifted his hand and a blue blaze appeared instantly, then he extinguished it and turned the page. Even to himself his words sounded harsh. He heard her quietly walk into the depths of the home before looking after her. This was how he had to be with her. He could never let her know how much she meant to him - how much he cared for her. It was a protection for him as well as her. His eyes slid to the window.

Drow, be gone

He put his hands together then rapidly slapped his right arm and thrust it out spreading his fingers wide. The presence ceased. 

Drow was an Amphid, a unscrupulous twisted amoral being that corrupted spirits. She was also quick and impressive in battle and endowed with the ability to entice any being with supernatural qualities. He was immune to her as his mind was stronger than her ‘gift.' Seoni was not immune yet, though she resisted it. Drow was constantly evolving her ability to try and break his spell that kept her out. He knew she would take great pleasure in corrupting Seoni in more ways than one. 

Once she had managed to find a chink in his spell. He awoke to a soft murmur and found Seoni moving restlessly almost sensually in her bed. He immediately sent a stinging message to Drow and reworked his spell. She had hitherto been unable to break it, but it didn't stop her from coming back on occasion. 

Seoni was his responsibility. He carefully taught her how to use her witchery, to reign in the forces under her control. She was a witch and she was destined to fight on the side of Thyrus against evil. He would have to be sure to talk with her again about the dangers connected with Drow. There was no room for error.

::::::::::>

"Where have you been? Playing with your little wood witch again?" Seltyiel sneered at Drow as she walked into his rooms with a slight pout. "Just except that you can not have her and move on Drow." Seltyiel too was examining a book, the Tsunitzca.

"You say that because you have not seen her Seltyiel." her lips curved into a smile and she concentrated on his body a moment.

"I do not desire you Drow." He rebuffed her intentions and her smile faded slightly. She remembered the days when he did want her. The way he threw her against the wall with his spell and stalked toward her as if to rip her apart. His sex was violent and delicious. She never could control him, his mind was too strong, but he did like the sport. It happened but rarely now and only when he called her to him. She fingered his frock, the leather was tough under her fingers. He turned to her and caught her wrist in his hand, the blue huge of her skin constantly changed shades and glistened, it often mesmerized beings. "Besides, I didn't think you had seen her either. The Wizard cast a spell did he not?"

"I don't have to physically see her to know she is scrumptious. I've felt her, I've heard her spells telling me to go away to desist. I've even heard her moans. She is ripe - and I want to pick her." Her white pupil-less eyes blinked and she slowly pulled her wrist from his hands.

"You lascivious little lecher." He almost snarled it before turning from her.

Drow moved around him to see the object of his examinations and frowned. Seltyiel and his master plans. He was always in the throws of one. He mainly used her as a means to his ends. She had little missions - assassinate this one, corrupt that one, steal this or that, bring him something or another. Yes, she sounded like his minion, but she wasn't. She enjoyed the work. She was free to play her own games during her missions, partake of her favorite debaucheries. She even ran across fresh victims to toy with and torture in one form or another. All of this brought her great joy.

She jumped up on the cool stone of the table and crossed her legs. "For how long will you study that absurd holy book. Ever since I've known you, your head has been stuck in it. Does it make you wise? Does it tell you what to do?"

"No my little vacuous Amphid." he began to search for something and then pushed her over roughly and pulled his quill from under her thigh. She laughed at his brutality. "It gives clues as to the future. And through a careful study of those clues and new revelations of other students of the Tsunitzca, one can figure out precisely when something is about to happen..." he drew on his parchment paper and made notations, "...and step in to change it." He rolled up his parchment and tucked it under his arm. "If you will excuse me?" With that, he flicked his wrist and she was outside his rooms.

Drow looked about her bored. Seltyiel always thought he knew everything. Granted, he did have the annoying habit of being right many times, but he didn't know everything. For instance, he always took for granted that Drow was his loyal acolyte, which she wasn't. She sold some of his secrets for an opportunity with an alchemist's sister. She twirled her white hair remembering the liaison with a smile. What she wanted always came first and what she did for him was because she wanted to.

She walked through the halls of Seltyiel's labyrinth in thought. If the world really was going to come to an end, she didn't think Seltyiel could do anything to stop it, but he would probably die trying. The solution was to have as much fun as one could before it came. Let us eat and drink today, for tomorrow we shall die. And drink Seoni she would before she died, if it was the last thing she every did. 

She stopped abruptly, but first...

Drow slowly opened a door and her eye feasted on Allavrah. She had smelt her as she was about to pass. Allavrah was one her latest conquests. She had been a loyal fighter for Thyrus until Drow had seduced her one night. A few days later Allavrah abandoned her post and sided with Drow. She was unable to resist Drow. Even the few times when she wanted to. Drow relished in her power over Allavrah and the things she could get her to do.

Allavrah stood polishing her armor as Drow stepped over to her and kissed her neck. She stopped. Drow turned her around pulled her into a kiss. Allavrah's arms wrapped around her almost desperately.

"My chest," was all Drow said and Allavrah pull her bodice down to lick and tease her blue breasts. She pushed Allavrah's head lower who unbuckled her girdle belt and pushing the material of her skirt aside flicked her tongue over the nub of her sex until Drow pushed her face into her groin tilting her head back. 

Allavrah would have to do, for now.