Markus raised his hand forward, a barrier of wind forming to split the stream of red away from himself and Lexios who stepped forward. The barrier was not all-surrounding, letting the vapor drift over it and down towards the two young men. "It's not flames, it's some kind of gas, corrosive."
"... that seems more reasonable." Markus watched his guard plant his spear down, drawing out his sword into a defensive stance.
"Are you not terrified?"
"I absolutely am, but I made a choice, as did you. I do not think either of us are the type to back down on what we promise, right?"
Markus simply watched, waving his other hand to the side. "Burn to cinders - Shrednic O' Rob" flames shot to the side, twisting their movement to hit the side of whatever sat in the shadows as the vapors descended down, turning the planted spear into melted mush behind the advancing Lexios.
...
Lexios kept his eyes on the beast, watching as the flames ignited the vapors to an inferno that preceded a scream of pain from the shadows. The beast's face illuminated in the flames, the terrible fangs and dripping venom pouring down from them. Lexios raised his sword forward as the shield dissipated, his feet stepping forward with blessings of the water to glide across the water. Practice swings cut the air silently, the gaze focused by the swordsman onto the movements of the monster before him.
In soft steps, dancing in the shadows of the encroaching darkness, the simple silver sword of Lexios flashed a brilliant hue as it met the scales of the beast. His eyes were determined even as the beast writhed to twist around, its body swinging to meet the young man. His sword cut the flesh, ripping through meat and organic armor, flung into the air in the rush of air before his feet settled to dig into the glistening scales of the great beast.
Up there, above the canopy, Lexios saw the wast forest that stretched far-off, the small dotting farmlands in the distance wandering into his gaze. His eyes focused back down towards the monster, the simple beast that threatened minds and lives of the people, of the future Markus was promising. The mage's magic could be seen glancing off the body of the beast, leaving Lexios' mind riddled with questions, but left aside in the wake of the 'swordsman's' movements. Lexios pushed his body downward against the body of the serpent whose vaporous breath billowed around it below. With a twist of his wrist, Lexios sliced at the body of the great animal as he descended. The rush of wind pacing with him as he moved.
Once more, the serpent twisted in the forest, swinging at the swordsman cutting at its body, trying to hide once more. The mage was unrelenting with his magic, forming pillars of mud and small hordes of devils to impede it. The powerful tail swung down almost all obstacles, the barriers granting a small impediment to the beast that continued to advance away. At each moment, Lexios pursued the damned animal, cutting at the bones even, not relenting or allowing it a moment of respite.
Like an erupting mountain, the 'flames' came suddenly and with force as the serpent opened its mouth. Lexios, like a stone through water, pierced the veil of erosive mist to cut at the mouth, falling to the ground against the surface of the water with the lingering effects of the mage's magic still helping him stay atop it. Lexios steadied himself, pivoting his footwork to prepare to cut at the monster. "Hold aloft the light of hope - Epo O' Git et Fola Lo" Lexios' sword was bathed in stellar radiance, his eyes meeting with those of Markus', before focusing up to the twisting head of the serpent.
The light in Lexios' hands, the sword bathed in the light of the stars, was warm - like hope made manifest. The mountains became reed, the blade a sickle and the serpent a lone blade of grass that was cut at. Even that blade of grass could move with the speed of a fly dancing the edge of a razor, merely being sliced into and letting out gushes like a piece of fresh cut grass. Still the blade roared, chasing the pitiful thing that only sought to exit, though that existence came at a cost others. Lexios stared down as after tens of cuts, the grass now lay below him, with its life ending in one last swing that illuminated the night sky.
By the time Lexios realised he was being held aloft by the magic of that wandering mage, Lexios had been staring around the now once-more fading light against the night sky. He then, once realising the moment, thanked his 'friend' and walked over to the remnants of the serpent. "I didn't expect a simple guard to be capable of that." Markus' comment was met with silence as the guard held his hand against the felled animal, his feet drenched now in bloodied water. "Come on, we need to get your out of those boots before you lose a toe or two."
The two of them made peace in the light-burnt flesh of the beast, the hardened muscle, skin and bones forming a perfect little hide-away after Markus placed a "preservation spell" on the carcass. The two cooked some meat, finding it tough and unpleasant, but feeling it a proper reward for the earlier show. "That was really impressive work, I guess its good that you came along in the end."
"Why did your spells not harm it?"
"... oh, yeah, now I'm embarrassed. I have nothing to say, I think I need to take a closer look at this thing, no way did a snake manage to get this big, not even a hydra could become this big..."
"So it was an abnormality?"
"You could say that... though I would rather call you abnormal, where the Hell did you learn to fight like that?"
"I think your meat is getting burnt."
"Fine, keep your secrets, but I do like my meat a bit burnt. I guess we can make the number of 'Unnamed Kinds' six now."
"... compare me to a beast again and I will make sure you guys eat my food for the rest of the trip."
"Relax, will you? You should be proud, I don't think I've ever even read about someone in the last century doing something like that as a guard."
"What does it matter if I am a guard? Should a guard not be a good fighter?"
"Come on, don't act dumb, most people with that kind of skill end up becoming something like an instructor or at least a guard captain, maybe even a royal knight. So, why are you a guard?"
Lexios remained quiet for some time as Markus returned to preparing the meat of the serpent, whose skeletal, charred corpse gave off a slight aroma. The guard did try to say something after a while, but held himself back from speaking. The mage on the other hand, he would try and fail to start conversations, the mood had become slightly soured, though he did not understand why. Lexios, a young man with enough skill to survive against a legendarily giant serpent with wondrous abilities, acting as nothing more than a guard who wished to follow the guidelines. Yet, that same man wished to assure the people of a small community that they would not fear the dark of the forest.
Finally, as the night shifted, with neither the mage nor guard managing to even grow tired, Markus lay a spell on the corpse to preserve it as the two made their way back to the farm. There on the way they were met with a party of half-submerged guards and farmhands holding pitchforks and torch-ends. The sight of the bloodied mage and warrior sent screams from their mouths, echoing through the forest before quickly quieting down.
The people in the various farms had seen the flares of light last night, heard the thundering roars and crashes, before cowering in the silence. They had organised this party to go search for the two hunters, expecting to either find two melted corpses or their own death. When they were then led over to the body of the giant serpent, they stared in awe of the sight, before Markus assisted them in carving out chunks meat to bring back. With just a few waves of his hand, and some cautious carriers holding onto the stinking meat, the newly expanded troupe made its way back to the larger farm where they were then met with celebration.
Lexios did not expose who had truly finished the monster, pushing most of the effort to the side of Markus, 'M'. The mage understood his guard's hesitation to show himself now, even if that understanding was half-way to even the bare-minimum. So, Markus told the people of flashy spells and daring dodges, while sprinkling in some praise of Lexios' bravery and assistance. "He managed to land a few cuts on the beast, you should have seen him, I almost thought he might just go jump at it."
Julius laughed, "no way in Hell would that twerp be so brave!" Markus could almost see a slight bit of anger form around Lexios' veins, disapproving of his comrades comments. "Next time you should have him actually do something instead of just standing back, he might actually become fun, no offense, Lexios."
"Somehow I do not believe you."
"Then you should trust him instead, we're all here together", Markus took a sip of local brew while, gifting a small nod to the guards before heading up to their bedroom. With good wishes, Markus disappeared into the upstairs. There, David waved him over to talk.
"What happened out there?"
"What do you mean?"
"No two people could just do what you did, those flashes of light could be seen from every-which-way."
"Do you not know about magic?"
"Of course I know about magic, but that was much more than anyone could ever know, who are you?"
"Just someone commissioned by the queen and prince to improve the territories they hold."
"... no, that can't be all..." David ushered Markus to follow, taking him up towards an attic hidden behind a cabinet. Though apprehensive, Markus followed closely as David took out a small glowing stone, lighting a path in the darkness, illuminating stacks of books and tomes that formed their own paths in-between the piles. Books on ancient creatures and forging, on magics lost and unrefined forms of fighting. Tomes of apocryphal nature and ravings of lunatics compiled to chapters.
After some meandering, Markus was brought over to a small casket embroidered with quality wood, dark and pale. The markings were on-par with those of the armor gifted to royalty. "Why do you have this?"
"Can farmers not have a past...? Well, at least old farmers..."
"This belonged to someone you knew?"
David remained quiet as he undid small bindings and a kind of lock with intricate pieces designed to not be bypassed by magic. Anti-mage designs... David then raised the lid, hinged onto the rest of the casket, revealing a fine silver thing. It was not a sword, or a simple rod, nor anything else.
"I'm going to beg you not to tell anyone you saw this, is that alright?"
"A bit too late for that, isn't it?"
"Not quite..." David did not stare into Markus' eyes with kindness, but with a precise, trained focus. "A lot can change in one night."
"Alright, I'm also under no obligation to tell the queen or prince anything about your personal life."
"I assume that Lexios would be quite different?"
"Maybe..."
"Good to know... now, stay still."
David raised the silver thing, holding it in his hands firmly before pointing it towards Markus, who while guarded, did not make attempts to back away. Markus could feel the presence of the thing, that silver thing that was simple in its construction, yet radiating infinite complexity. The seamless construct began to split into segments, like a cascading sculpture of ice, each part gliding against another. Then, just as silently as they had broken apart, the segments returned their positions, leaving David befuddled for a moment, before he put the thing to rest. "Thank you. Thank you for trusting me, I know this seemed strange..."
"It's alright, there are a lot of strange things in this world, and I just got to know that I should be studying a bit more... though I'm not so sure where to even start."
"I would start by us going back out the way we came, but you may take one book with you from here."
"Any?"
"Of course, though I noticed you looking at a few."
"Sorry, I am a scholar in the end."
Slowly, Markus and David left that attic, moving the cabinet over to cover the entrance while the party downstairs continued. David led Markus to the mage and his entourage's bedroom, a not-so-small room with a bed that barely fit inside, a former business for the farm it seemed, though from a few centuries ago, perhaps from the same time when that silver thing had come to the place.
That silverthing, it was beyond what Markus had seen at the academy, or anything he had read about. The day had been long, the fight with the great animal had left the mage's mind drained, so he turned in to sleep, not waiting long for his companions to quietly join him.
Traces of that thing...
It wore virtue...
You would behold it at the end of times...
You who travels with vagabonds of fate and a kingdom built on us...
You, the mage of no renown of any, who would come to reclaim a chance...
... that will tare your conscious limb from heart.
Strip your soul, or else none shall leave that place, none shall arrive here at the end.
Markus woke-up with a cold sweat, in a quiet room, with none of his companions with him. The outside was day, yet the sun did not shine nor did the leaves rustle in the soundless howls of the wind. He then, as he turned over to get up, saw before him that silver thing again, yet it vanished.
One step, out of the bed onto the cold floor.
Second step, fell through the world to arrive on his own two legs.
He twisted his body to look around, finding himself still and stiff.
Breaking free, he was bound to the outside with handless claps resounding all around him.
"Why do you?"
"Is that no?"
Markus, once more free, stared without will towards the stretching yawn of silver spires. The grass was like glass, the air as if fire and the ground nothing but water that resisted. He stared on, watching the spires stretch beyond his eyes.
Finally, as the light engulfed him and spat him out, Markus was now in a lightless room with only a mirror reflecting a young Lexios. Lexios, as young as he was, stared with lifeless eyes, past Markus, into another young child with bleached hair and eyes.
"It's pointless."