Carson lay unconscious on a bed of clovers and soft grass. Sitting vigilantly by his side, Shinera reminisced about the good days when she and Carson had been young, getting into all sorts of mischief around her father's estate. A smile crossed her face despite the seriousness of the moment. However, a twig snapping pulled her back to the present. Anxiety settled in as she frantically looked toward the noise source, scanning the dark tree line for any signs of danger.
Noticing the decorative dagger at Carson's waist, she quickly grabbed the jeweled hilt and unsheathed the short blade, holding it out toward the trees, unsure what to expect next. Just then, a doe and her fawn emerged from the underbrush, drawn to the cool, refreshing water of the nearby river.
Feeling foolish, she couldn't help but laugh at herself, still clutching the blade. Suddenly, she heard a deep voice join in her laughter. About two paces away, leaning against a tree and doubled over in amusement, stood Lord Nevelle. With a broad smile, he said, "I'm sorry, Lady Shinera, but that was either the bravest or the funniest thing I have ever witnessed. I'm still trying to decide." He held his stomach, realizing he hadn't laughed like this in years.
Seeing that he was enjoying her predicament a little too much, Shinera threw a pinecone at him, exclaiming, "Urrrghhh! You big ogre! How long have you been standing there?"
"About thirty minutes now, my lady," he replied, dodging the flying pinecone effortlessly. "What amazes me is how easily you could have put that harmless mother and her fawn in your crosshairs, yet completely missed the 250-pound armor-clad warrior standing right next to you for almost an hour." Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, he added, "Couldn't have paid for a better performance. "I'm glad I could amuse you," she said, her tone a mix of disdain and exasperation. "Now, if you are quite done, you could assist me in helping figure out what type of poisoning Carson suffers from," she said, pointing her finger at her best friend as he lay lifeless on the ground. "I'm sorry, my lady," said Lord Nevelle, regaining his regal composure. "But I am not a healer. I'm not at all familiar with mundane healing." "He was placed under a spell," interrupted Timitheous as he stepped into the clearing, startling Lady Shinera yet again. Taking notice of the young warrior seemingly appearing out of thin air, Lord Nevelle stepped in between him and his charge. "And who by the dragon's beard are you?" he said, unsheathing his sword from his waist. Timitheous didn't blink an eye; he tilted his head slightly to the left, carefully weighing out the gravity of his next move. Keeping his eyes locked with those of Lord Nevelle's, he said stoically," I am the person who did your job for you, my Lord," trailing off his last words as if to give someone a chance to fill in the name he didn't know. When no one spoke up and the silence thickened, he continued," My name is too difficult to pronounce in your tongue, but you may call me Timitheous." Not taking his eyes off the newcomer, nor lowering his blade, Lord Nevelle countered. "Alright, Timitheous, and is it Lord, Count, or Sir? And from which house do you hail?" "No titles, and no house name."Retorted the young stranger."I am just, Timitheous.""What man from which land hails no house name? Or no titles for that matter. Even if you are born mud blood or an orphan, the matriarch of your house should have bestowed their family name on you," countered Lord Nevelle. "And yet I stand before you an enigma," said Timitheous."There was no matriarch of my house, and I do not know my parents or their family name. I simply am," he finished with a low bow, ignoring the presence of the outstretched blade suspended inches from his neck. "This kid has the fortitude of a giant." Lord Nevelle commented, eyes still locked on the young man's neck. "If you are referring to the fact that I am not concerned with you striking me down. The truth of the matter is simply that I have seen you wield a warhammer with expert proficiency. But I wasn't made aware of your skills with a sword. It is a chance that you are exploiting my ignorance of the matter, and you," Finishing his bow, he stood upright once again to face his opponent eye to eye as he spoke the last words. "Could be lacking sufficient mastery of the blade you wield."Allowing a sinister grin to form around the corners of his lips. The audacious young man took a step forward, permitting the tip of the blade against his neck as if beckoning the brute to end him. A small trickle of blood could be seen falling from the spot the sword touched.Lord Nevelle had had his fill of this arrogant young vagrant. He growled as he held the sword true and reached for his battle hammer from its place on his back with his free hand. Lifting the indomitable two-handed weapon to the side of Timitheous's head, he held the sword and the hammer in deadly readiness. "Oh, so you wish to meet Bonnie. She doesn't like to come out and play unless some heads are going to be rolling," said Lord Nevelle, indicating that his axe's name was Bonnie.Feeling the tension rising yet showing no concern for his safety, Timitheous's grin turned into a full-on smile as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "Bonnie, is it? Well, let me introduce you both to Daemon's blood." With that, he stepped back fluidly and flawlessly and pulled his sword from his waist, hitting the sword away and clanging against Bonnie in the same movement. The two faced off in a contest of strength. Lord Nevelle lowered the short sword and held Bonnie fiercely against Daemon's Blood. Neither backed down, and the crackling sparks from their weapons illuminated the darkness like fireworks as they surged against each other with fierce determination. "Stop! This madness ends NOW!" Shinera shouted, her voice ringing with authority, as if she were a frustrated mother trying to break up a fierce sibling brawl. Timitheous withdrew his sword and spun out of the way no sooner than the words sprang from her mouth. Lord Nevelle was still pushing forward relentlessly, only missing the warrior by a hair as he maneuvered to safety. "Thank you!" Shinera said, calming herself back down. "Apologies, my lady," I didn't know he was a student of the Arkane." Lord Nevelle huffed. "As was I equally surprised to discover that he was learned in the blessed arts," Timitheous said with a hint of esteem. "The what and the what?" Shinera said, her eyes indicating her confusion. Timitheous spoke up before Lord Nevelle had a chance."Each of the known ancient gods manipulates a different type of energy. The energy types vary depending on the deity. Nature, Shadow, Blessed, Arkane, to name a few." " You can't say known Ancient gods, it implies that more haven't been discovered. That's blasphemy," interrupted Lord Nevelle, with contempt."Of course, you would say that, Blessed one, but I have learned that there are archives even older than the ones in the great temples. I've studied them myself," retorted Timitheous matter-of-factly. "Hogwash!" snarled Lord Nevelle. "Okay, alright! You don't have to agree. Forget I asked." Shinera interrupted before an eventual argument could ensue. "Okay, last question, then we drop the topic. Why were they glowing and sparkling so brightly?" Shinera added before either of them could speak.Timitheous leaned in, his voice dripping with intrigue. "You see, some energies are like fierce rivals, forever at odds, while others dance together in perfect harmony—much like their creators. There are energies that can blend seamlessly, creating breathtaking wonders. But beware! Some are so volatile that anything longer than a brief encounter can unleash an explosion of power so tremendous that mages have dubbed it the wrath of the elder gods!" as if to answer, Lord Carson sat up his eyes snapped wide open glowing with an unnatural shifting light. Then he spoke but the voice that came from him was not his own.