The flame became bigger and bigger, eventually settling at the Knights height. Then it began to take shape, unfurling a pair of arms and a head. Soon the figure had become a flaming replica of the Knight. The boundaries were still flaming, and the insides barely had form. The general figure and details were there, but the flame wanted to burst, as is its nature.
Then the flame picked up the spear it was made from. Usually the wielder wields a weapon, but this was the weapon wielding a wielder. The Knight is always surrounded by a dark aura, but this was brilliant light form refreshing the Knights own visage. The Knight then summoned the [Undone Hammer]. It had an obsidian shaft and an ethereal head. It was made for smashing into elementals, ghosts and spirits.
The Knight and its duplicate moved around the platform slowly, circling around each other. In a bright flash the copy moved to impale the Knight. The Knight ignored the spear tip, sliding slightly to the right, then held onto the shaft. The Knight had dedicated its mind, which is a lot, to making the copy as autonomous as possible, and for it to not know its moves in advance – which was harder because it still had to maintain its form.
The infernal jumped back leaving the spear. However, the spear just teleported back into its hand, which is the spears' primary ability. The Knight was going to avoid using the skills of the followers and its own powers. This was a battle to sharpen its instincts and trying to test the limits of the copy, without destroying it.
A spear to hammer battle is strange to watch. The closer the Knight got, the more endangered the duplicate was, since the spear is made for long range. The flame held the spear closer to the blade. The shaft just phased through its body, it did not have a need for solid body constructs in its battle style. Then the battle became drawn out. The flame could increase or shorten the reach of its blade at a moment's notice, too fast to dodge.
The hits from the hammer to the body were not effective. The flame restored its form quickly. And for a few hours this is how the battle was. Fire shot out like blood, but the Knight had not paid it much attention, continuing to go for the last blow. Then suddenly the Knight was bound by the chains that arose from the flame blood splatters. Then the flame used the opportunity to plunge the spear into the breastplate. The Knight lowered itself to loosen the chains, then rose and kicked the shaft.
One arm was loose, so the Knight was about to punch the side of the fire. But then from the liver area, came a third flaming hand holding the Knights fist. The parring sent out a big inferno, stirring the fire as if a massive gust of oxygen just swept through the grounds. The Knight had shifted its chest away from the descending spear when the fourth hand shot out of the abdomen, about to impale the Knight with nothing but the guantet. That's when the princess shouted, interrupting their battle.
"The escort has arrived."
With that the battle was over. The flame shrank and eventually vanished, and the spear teleported into the Knights hand, who then proceeded to put it back into the inventory. Then walked towards the princess. They walked through the corridors reaching the lower floors of the castle.
You have encountered a level 79 forest folk, Helim. Type-Guide.
There the Knight was introduced to Helim, a guide. She was going to guide the Knight until it was near enough to the battle front but not reach it herself. The Knight had considered teleporting there, but even with a map, it might not make it, the woods are too vast and massive to make any sense of the place. The growths are also unnatural, so it is not advised to try and use the maps to track around.
They were on their way, she was riding a beast, a horse that had unleashed and reached level 34. The Knight had 'politely' refused a ride. The castle is huge, but the sheer size of the trees is so big that within a few minutes the whole castle was out of view.
The ride was silent, as the Knight is not one for much talk. The sounds of metal were low, since the Knight had an incredible synchronicity with its body and armour. So, the only noise came from the hooves of the horse hitting the roots and paths along the branches, and the shifting of the guide in her saddle. The ancient bark was strange. It looked aged, but it was more like it had orders to look aged? The Knight could tell of its might and was not fooled by its appearance.
They did not rest much. Beings that have unleashed all live over hundreds of years, even thousands. But even amongst them, the forest folk are a step beyond, this is how they have managed to survive, even with their diminished birth rate. They need not sleep much, only once or twice a week. As such they did not take rest brakes, making good time on the journey.
A few weeks had passed in this manner, when they took a stop. She took out a book and looked around as she paged through it.
"We're nearby. The only problem is that a tree is missing somehow?"
"Does that happen often?"
"The tree isn't gone; it moved."
"Moved?"
"Well, some of the trees have spirits dwelling in them, some even having colonies of pixies or ferries. I'm sure they sensed the danger and just moved. I am just not sure how and where they moved."
She kept analysing the scene. Apparently, the souls in trees have not much mind, as humans, as such they need conscience half souls, or someone like the queen to move them. This made it that much easier to track their movements. It sure must be a sight to behold. Seeing a tree wider than most mountain ranges move at such speeds. This must be why there are always guides for those foreign to the woods of Elleria.
"I found it, it moved slightly north, there was not much on the other sides. That means we'll have to keep marching forward (west of the castle)."
They soon reached their separation point.
"This is where we part."
Then she put her book back into pack. Even for a guide she was dressed in neat robes, almost looking too good for travel. While looking ahead the Knight responded with a question.
"Are you headed back to the castle?"
"Not yet, first I have to fetch someone from the south side. They are set to arrive a few days after my predicted arrival."
She looked into the furthest point and pointed for the Knight and added.
"Make sure to keep to this line. Should you encounter any spirits… just try avoiding them. I have to give it to you, you're one strange soul, they might mistake you for an invader, the disaster on your plume isn't helping the situation either. The good thing is that most of them have cleared out."
'Hear that Mugaw, even you're a problem.'
They split. The Knight marched forwards, but as soon as seeing the path forward, it teleported. In a few leaps the Knight arrived at camp.
A grave feeling filled its empty heart. The Knight had never seen a void territory that was not its own. Which was strange. It felt foreign and… dangerous.
The Knight knew protocol and did not enter. For safety reasons, it is stipulated in the knight rules, to not enter active battle grounds without orders especially if there is a coordinated army inside. This place was a ways off from the border of the forest, but it was a bit too close for comfort. Now begins the conundrum – should the Knight even be fighting against creatures of the void? Sure, it had become a human knight, but that was to be able to search and locate the sword which it will need in the future.
The Knight is no human, why should it fight on their side? If not anything this will cause it more problems when it returns to the void. Avarice has made her peace, but the Knight was not sure it was willing to risk it all for humans, even if it is an act. Making enemies of those in the void is not wise. The Knight still has to go back one day, and after the fight with Avarice it learned just how powerless it would be in the face of their strength.
The Knight hasn't even unleashed its second seal. Its army is not as powerful as it can be. The other powers are still sealed. On top of everything, its main advantage of using the void to augment itself is not enough, as the void lords and their generals have more void than the Knight. After all the knight has only ever conquered one dungeon. And as the Knight has learned from the humans, monsters, and dragons, facing another void beings in battle is near impossible.
The Knight had noticed it when battling Avarice, void creatures are way more powerful. The only reason they don't go all out is because they still have a need for pure souls. Breeding them in farms is not as efficient – as the Knight had seen. The Knight is sure of their power; it was just a spawn not so long ago. Competing with void dwellers might be worse than the fights with disaster type beings. Actually, this is another reason the Knight really wanted the sword by its side.
Even scum like the Yirils have knowledge stats well over 400. After all void being were all manufactured for the destruction of all that is. The only strange one is the Knight. The only void being in existence that is not made from a mock soul. The powers, skills, and strengths of void beings are on another level. This brings the Knight back to its main point – is it worth being with the humans for the sword, if it means making enemies out of the void armies?
'No! it isn't!'
This is why the Knight had to come up with a plan really quick, before daylight hits.
The light of day washed over. The Knight watched over the familiar scene as it unfolded. Its void used to vanish as well before the Knight absorbed it into its soul. The desert like area was filled with the blood of the fallen. Bodies lying sprawled across the battlefield. With wounds so horrid, it made it hard to picture just what could have caused them. The dry desert sand absorbed the red blood like a sponge. Making it seem like a bloody storm had just passed.
The was a blood haze, a thick red mist, absorbing and reflecting, the orange morning rays. The scene drew upon the feelings of happiness, but the bodies on the floor would have made the innocent lose their meals. The Knights always welcomed this bloody morning.