Mark of the Witch [TEXT]

[Vancho1]

show spoiler

hide spoiler

What happened to my other adventure, Abandoned? Well, it's on hold right now. I have notes and stuff, but really, with only one reader, and me writing huge walls of text each update, it's not really a big priority for me now. As for Space Exploration.... that's on double-hold. I might bring it back, but not soon. I definitely don't have the time for it right now.

The old church bell strikes midnight, in the dark of the town.

One. Two.

Something's wrong. I'm not sure what, but something's wrong. I can't remember...

Three. Four.

This room. It seems familiar. It's so dark though. All I see are dark shapes. Tall. Unmoving. Standing against the wall.

Five. Six.

I can't move. My hands are tied together? Yes, they are. I can see a little better now. Large shapes, the size of a tall man.

Seven. Eight.

I have a knife somewhere. I know. Where did I put it? My belt? I can almost reach it. Almost cut myself loose.

Nine. Ten.

It's in my hands. The threads of the rope fray slowly. Too slowly. I have to get out of here. I see coffins. This is a place of death.

Eleven.

Almost there. Please, I have to get out of here. I have to get out. I'm free! The door is in front of me, and I run. A gust of wind blows it open.

Twelve.

I fall out into the moonlight. I remember where I am now. The old church on the hill. Below is the town, but as I gaze upon it, I'm glad that I was up here. A bright red light licks at the thatched roofs of the houses, as the fire spreads. In the cold light of the moon, I can see the bodies stretched out on the ground, dark pools spread underneath them. My palm itches. I look at it, and shudder.

Etched in blood on my hand is the symbol of the Dark One, He Who Stalks the Night, The Eater of Souls. It is a mark given by His witches, to those doomed to die. In the center of the mark is the number seven. The meaning is clear enough.

Seven days. I have seven days left to live, or at least find a way to get rid of the mark.

I have seven days, and yet I remember nothing of who I am.

Maybe it's best that I don't. I'll have no regrets.

But for now, I need a name. Who am I?

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Alright. That's it for now. I'll try to update as regularly as I can, with a planned hiatus (due to family vacation) from the 5th of June to the 23rd, and spotty internet access until the 13th of July.

If you so choose, you can also suggest a gender and appearance.

[Whimbrel]

Tristan Tailor, male, middle aged. Puts one in mind of an accountant, appearance-wise.

[Vancho1]

Hmm...

A name comes to mind. Tristan Tailor. It's not the most interesting of names, but, I guess I'd rather be inconspicuous. It's better for me, anyway. If I want to even have a chance of living, I have to be smart.

Of course, there is the problem of my body. I'm not exactly in the prime of my life. A quick look at my hair in a puddle near the church lets me know that my hair is already graying. I'd better be even more careful. A younger man might be able to fight whatever burned the town, but I certainly won't.

I wonder, what I was before. Probably a historian, scribe, or accountant. I remember a lot of really boring, practical stuff, like the weight of a bushel of grain, the distance from most cities to the capital of the Kingdom, and the history of river commerce.

This church, though I don't know where it is, is in the style of the old Bavar religion. It fell out of fashion some two hundred years ago, around the invasions.

Oh, that's right. The invasions from the West. It's where the witches and the other worshipers of the Dark One come from. Now that I think of it, the town looks like it was raided by one of their parties. It's probably when I was marked. The western border is a five days' journey, by the roads, from the Capital. Damn, I don't have much time.

Well, enough thinking about history. I have to do something. There are probably supplies in town, though the raiders could still be there, and there's no guarantee that I'll find anything unburnt. The church might have something, but probably not, since it was abandoned a long time ago. I need a plan of action, though.

[Jetroid]

>Skirt from one shelter to another until you reach the western border. The witches won't expect you to be where they come from.

>Check in Church first. You may find other survivors.

[Vancho1]

The church looms right here next to me. Perhaps it's best to check it first, as it's the closest building to me.

I push against the solid wood doors, feeling the intricate carvings of the saints of Bavar under my fingers. Soon, I manage to open the heavy portal and step inside.

The lofty ceilings and large windows create an airy feeling, even though it's the middle of the night. The light of the moon and the glow of the fire diffuse through the delicate crystal, creating a shifting pattern on the floor. The place seems warm and inviting, the only thing that suggests that it's been abandoned is the dust settled on everything. As I walk alongside the stone pews, with cushions long ago looted or decayed to nothing, I wonder what made this religion collapse. Was it that the Saints could not save the kingdom from the onslaught of the Westerners?

As I move forward, I see, to my disappointment, that the church is mostly empty. There is only an extremely dusty book on the altar, probably a prayer book or something to that effect, and a silver chalice. While the chalice might fetch some money, I have no place to really sell it. I look around a little more, but there's not really much else in the main building. Near the altar, the steps to the crypt beckon. I wander down, but quickly am met by a solid stone wall. It seems like this church's crypt was sealed when it was abandoned, just like all of the other Bavar crypts. Their religion prevented infidels from seeing their dead, or some custom of that sort.

As I turn to ascend the stairs, I notice all of the guardian statues, save one, have empty hands. The last statue still holds its sword. The Bavar were particular about their Guardians' swords. I think they're all made of cold iron, instead of steel. Not that it helped much. Their tales of iron stopping magic was untrue. Still, any sword is better than no weapon at all. I take the sword, making sure not to damage the statue. After I have it secured on my belt, which conveniently had an empty scabbard, I move back upstairs.

I walk slowly down the center aisle, relaxing in the atmosphere of serenity the church exudes. Before I leave, I stop and sit down on the steps, leaving the door open behind me. I wonder whether it'll be worth taking the chalice or the book.

As for where I'll go next, I can see the whole town from up here. It looks like the quarter nearest to me is mostly unburnt, though it is catching aflame. I can make out five possible places to visit for more supplies: The New Church, a tavern, a townhouse, a wine-shop, or a Store. The store, tavern, and Wine-shop are closer to the fire.

I think, and wonder. Which place should I go from here? And should I take the chalice and book from the Bavar church before I go?

[Jetroid]

>Go to the closest location.
>Keep to the shadows.
>Take the book. Burned knowledge is lost.

[Askia]

> take book, learn long lost magic

[Whimbrel]

Take the chalice- you may get lucky and find a place to sell it.

[Vancho1]

On a second thought, I'd better take everything from the Old Church. The tome feels surprisingly light for a book its size. I open it, only to find that it's totally incomprehensible to me. Oh well. I'd better take it along in case I find someone who can read it. The chalice conveniently fits into my belt, so I take it as well.

I then slowly walk down the hill to the burning town. As I approach, I can feel the heat of the fire on my skin. A sudden gust of wind blows some ash into my hair, and I brush it out while continuing to walk.

I reach the square, looking at the buildings around me. Ahead is the New Church, built in an ugly fashion out of plain stone. It'll probably have some religious items, but not much else. The General Store is next to it, with its roof on fire. It'll probably have been looted, but there's always the chance that something's left to take. Of the houses in the area, the safest to enter is probably that of a richer person. There's one here with the bottom floor made of stone, and finer roof tiles. It looks the least burnt out of all of them. Near the houses is a building with a sign, proclaiming, "Defarge's Fine Wines". While I don't need wine, something may have been hidden in the cellar. Of course, next to the wine-shop is a tavern. The top floor is, unfortunately, burning magnificently, but the bottom still looks intact. I may be able to find food in there, for my journey ahead. The other buildings are either burning, collapsed, or in danger of collapsing sooner rather than later.

Where should I go?

[Jetroid]

>Avoid Bar/Wine Shop - Alcohol is Flammable!
>Head for General Store, but be quick about it.
>Take whatever you can find - at this point even Stale Bread would be useful.

[Whimbrel]

>Check out Deforge's Fine Wine

[Vancho1]

Instantly, two of the choices stand out to me. The General Store and Defarge's wine-shop both seem promising. The store could contain valuable supplies, though it's probably been looted by now. On the other hand, the wine-shop has a cellar, which could hide a number of things, most certainly wine. A thought flashes through my mind: isn't alcohol flammable? My fears are quickly dissuaded by the memory that wine doesn't contain enough alcohol to be lit on fire, especially when inside a strong oak cask. I make up my mind, and step into Defarge's Fine Wines.

The scene inside, like outside, is one of total chaos. There are chairs and tables scattered around, most of them in pieces, with bodies lying in pools of blood around the shop. The people here were probably well-armed, as I can see blood that doesn't have bodies around it on the floor. The bastards took away their own dead, and left the townspeople here to rot, or more likely, to burn. As I step around the debris, I notice two things off about the shop.

The first is the presence of a single rose, perfectly blood-red and in bloom, upon the counter. Its stalk rests delicately in a small crystal vase, and the thorns seem to only enhance the flower's beauty. Near it are two bodies, one of a strong-looking man in an apron, and the other of a woman with her knitting. The both seem to have been clutching something in their hands before the died, but the raiders had taken away any weapons from the scene. They were obviously leaders, as there are several smashed wine-casks arranged in a semicircle around the counter.

One other thing seems strange. While everyone seems to be protecting the counter, the cellar door is shielded by several more wine-casks. There were no people there, as there is no blood around the casks, and nobody went over there during the battle. It seems strange to me, so I walk over and climb over the oaken barrels. I land on clean stone steps, and see that the door is slightly ajar before me. I step forward and cautiously push the door. It seems that the hinge was recently oiled, as the cellar door slides open without a sound. I look in, and see only more barrels. Disappointed, I turn to leave. Suddenly, I feel as if someone is watching me. Before I can turn around, I'm caught in a choke-hold from behind. I can't reach my sword, and I can feel the arm around my neck tightening. I manage to hoarsely cry out a plea.

"Stop! I'm not an enemy!"

My attacker stops, and I can feel the arm pressing against my neck loosen as my sword is drawn out of its sheath. With a rough shove, I'm thrown to the floor. I turn over to find a tall, fiery-haired woman pointing a sword at my neck.

"Give me a reason not to kill you here and now."

I manage a weak smile.

"I'm Tristan Tailor, pleased to meet you. I'm sure I can think of one, but first, I'd like to know your name, if you don't mind. I wouldn't like dying without knowing my killer's name."

I have a minute at most to think of a reason for her not to kill me. What do I say?

show spoiler

hide spoiler

I'm also accepting names and more details for the description of Tristan's attacker.

[Jetroid]

>Ratan Dagridge

>You have to use this ancient holy book here in a ritual to destroy the witches. Look, they even marked you!

[Whimbrel]

>Rosalie Defarge

>Offer the chalice as payment for your life

[Vancho1]

"Stop, please, I'm a friend. I've been marked to die anyway, so I'm not with them. If it's money you want, I have a book and a chalice you could..."

She cuts me off, looking at me coldly.

"Disgusting. At least one of them wouldn't beg for his life. Still, I suppose you're no threat to me. You could even be useful."

The woman lifts the sword from my throat, removing the immediate threat to my life. I stand unsteadily, clutching the walls for support, before stepping towards her with an outstretched hand.

"If you don't mind, I'd like my sword back. I'll be a little less helpless that way."

She looks at you for a moment, before handing the sword to me. The iron weapon feels heavy in my hand, its weight oddly reassuring. As I sheathe the sword, the woman steps back into the cellar, soon emerging with a small sack and a traveler's coat. She looks prepared for a journey, unlike me. Actually, I'm dressed in traveler's clothes as well; I'm wearing a cloak and light clothing, though mine looks fancier than hers, being embroidered with a familiar pattern. I can't quite place it, but the insignia on my belt seems to be some symbol of who I was. The woman hasn't noticed it, or doesn't know about it, though, as she walks past me up the stairs and into the grisly scene beyond. She calls back to me without turning.

"Come on, I left some things back in the Clueless Weasel. I'm Rosalie Dagridge, by the way. We'll be traveling together, so it's best you know my name. We can talk later; right now, I have to get what's left of my gear and get out of here. The buildings won't hold forever, not with this fire."

I follow her up to the main area of the wine-shop. Rosalie steps unfazed through the carnage, looking only ahead, and quickly exits the building. I move more slowly, making sure not to step on any bodies or tread in too many puddles of blood. By the time I get out, she's already at the door of the tavern. The bright light of the fire makes her hair glow, turning the already brilliant woman into a bright torch, before she disappears into the building.

Right now, I have a choice. Do I leave her, and try to find my own way out, or should I trust this woman?

show spoiler

hide spoiler

And so, my dear readers, Mark of the Witch is now on hiatus. Commands are still welcome, of course, but don't expect any updates from me until I get back. Thanks to all who've been reading this!

[Jetroid]

>Trust the woman, but be cautious. At this point, any help you can get will be useful.

[Whimbrel]

>Trust her. More than that, help her. Start with getting her things out of the Clueless Weasel

[goggleman64]

Justine Baine! She has coal-black eyes and a long scar down the side of her head.

> Nah, go it alone. This lady probably isn't gonna be amenable to getting side-tracked on whatever her quest is so you can visit healing temples for your Mark.

[Vancho1]

I ponder the possibilities as I stand outside of the tavern door. Will this woman really help me? Whatever part of my survival instinct that still exists urges me to go with her, but I am doubtful if she will turn out to be a friend or foe once the situation gets bad. A stray thought about temples curing curses crosses my mind, but I soon remember that, at least to my limited memories and knowledge, no healing temples have existed for many years. They were an arm of the Old Church, and stopped existing once the last of the Bavar clerics were hunted down. What a shame.

I finally decide to trust her and walk in. Much to my surprise, she is standing inside, waiting for me.

“I was wondering when you’d finally man up and step in. Come on! My things are upstairs, and I need your help moving a beam that’s blocking the way.”

She walks purposely to the other end of the room, and starts climbing up the stairs. As I follow her, I glance around the room, taking in my surroundings. The tavern, like the wine-shop, is an utter mess, with smashed tables and chairs strewn about. Here, it seems like the bodies were taken away on both sides, which means that there were survivors. Probably. They could have just retreated to the wine-shop to die there.

After looking around, I continue to the stairs. Rosalie is straining at a large piece of wood blocking the stairs. I briefly look up to see a hole in the roof, with fire licking at the timbers. The tavern hasn’t much time left before it too is consumed by the fury of the fire. She looks over her shoulder and beckons for me to help her. I quickly add my meager strength to hers, and soon the wood blocking our way is slowly pushed out of the way. As soon as there is enough room for one to pass, she is gone, running upstairs to take her belongings. In only a few moments, she returns, carrying a backpack and with a sword of her own on her belt.

“There’s nothing else left up there, and I doubt there’s anything left in the rest of this town either. Let’s raid the tavern’s stores and go.”

With that, she pushes downstairs past me. I turn around and follow her, going back into the tavern’s common room. She walks through another door to a room I presume was the kitchen, emerging in a few moments with two loaves of bread under one arm. She stashes them in the backpack, and enters again to check if there’s anything left. I survey the common room again, and, to my delight, I spot a full skin on the wall. I grab it, and feel the reassuring weight of the liquid. A quick sip confirms that it contains water.
Rosalie emerges from the kitchen once again, and heads to the door. I quietly follow her outside into the burning town. The other places I noticed earlier, the store and the townhouse, are both blazing merrily, and I can tell it is suicide to go in. Only the New Church stands untouched, due to its sturdy stone construction. I can see her heading away from town, but the interior of the church intrigues me.

“Wait! I’m just going in there a moment to see if there’s anything worth taking.”

She calls over her shoulder to me.

“Fine, just don’t take too long!”

I slip inside, taking stock of my surroundings as I go. The church looks abandoned, despite its status as a place of safety. Inside, it is dark, with only the soft glow of the fire outside the door illuminating the interior. It surprises me that such a gloomy religion could follow the bright and lofty churches of the Bavar. I instantly spot the ceremonial dagger and wineskin on the altar, used during services to represent the sacrifice that the First King made when he united the land after the fall of the Bavar.

It’s a rather morbid religion, really, and it’s only purpose is to maintain the Kingdom. Still, I could use another knife. I take the ceremonial dagger, in its sheath, and hide it in my boot. It’s such a shame that the New Church doesn’t enchant its items. Actually, now that I think about it, the Cold Iron sword and the chalice I took probably have some magic in them, especially to keep the sword from rusting and the chalice from tarnishing. The wine is less useful, but I take in anyway. It could be used to bribe someone, and in the worst case, I could empty the skin and use it for water.

Rosalie is waiting impatiently for me outside.

”What took you so long? Come on, let’s leave. “

She starts walking off, and I follow her. A little ways out of the town there’s a hill with an old oak; we stop under it and watch the buildings burn from above.

“I have some ideas about where to go. I have a friend who’s hiding in a swamp around the West Border who might be able to help with that Mark of yours. It’s pretty far, though, and the terrain’s rough. You’ll have to push yourself, but you might make it. Alternatively, I know some people towards the Capital that could also help, though they’re not as... experienced. I have to get to one of these groups either way. There’s an important message I have to convey.”

Her slip intrigues me.

“How could you deliver a message from the middle of the swamp? There’s no way you could communicate that quickly, even with the Capital Magi. Those people’s sending spells take ages, and are extremely unreliable.”

She looks at me with a look of surprise.

“How do you know about sending spells? And more importantly, about the Capital Magi? I thought that was a well-kept secret among those in power.

I search my mind, but cannot find the answer.

“I really don’t know…”

She sighs.

“Memory loss, right. Well, my friends have an older, more reliable magic in their possession. Trust me. Either way will work for me.”

Here, I’m presented with a choice. Which ‘friend’ of hers should we head for? The one in the swamps is supposedly more knowledgeable, but I might not get there alive. On the other hand, the other group is closer, but, according to Rosalie, they’re not as good at magic. Also, there’s something in the back of my mind that I just can’t place that makes me think going towards the Capital is also dangerous, perhaps even more so than the domain of the Witches.

It’s a hard choice to make.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Hey, everybody, I’m back! My time in California gave me an opportunity to sit back and think about plot a little more, so I have more material typed up on my computer. Hopefully, this’ll make updating a little faster and easier. Thanks for reading so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest!

[Jetroid]

>The Swamp.

>Heading for Civilisation does not seem like a good idea right now. What if the Witches got to them, too?

[Vancho1]

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Sorry for not updating. My laziness, combined with the EVIL of school starting August 1, have conspired to make me utterly reluctant to update. However, I now have defeated my lazy summer attitude(hopefully), and expect to update weekly, probably during the weekends. If I'm late, don't hesitate to poke me. I may have succumbed to procrastination and laziness again.

"I think it's best not to head towards civilization. Let's see what this friend of yours in the swamps can do."

Rosalie glances at me in surprise.

"You're sure you can handle the swamps? It's pretty rugged terrain."

I shrug.

"I have nothing to lose. No memories, no belongings, and seven days to live to boot."

She sighs, then starts walking downhill. I get on my feet and go after her. We walk for around an hour, moving along a deserted road under the stars. At a crossroads with a sign long gone, she turns off the road and into a forest. I struggle to keep up through the thick undergrowth, but she stops soon at a towering tree. She walks around it, disappearing behind its great trunk. I stop, unsure if I should follow her. She appears from behind the tree and beckons.

"Come on, this is where we're sleeping tonight. This is the end of the easy part of our journey, so you'd better get some rest. We'll be walking through this wood until we reach the swamps, and then a little farther to my friend. I'll wake you at dawn."

I slowly follow her behind the tree. To my surprise, it's hollow, with a human-sized hole on the other side. Inside, there's a little more room, as the area under the trunk has been hollowed out, leaving a cave. Rosalie's already prepared her bedroll, which reminds me that I don't have anything save the sword, the chalice, the tome, two knives, and my clothes. I pick a softer patch of dirt and lie down. Tomorrow morning begins a race against time...

And the world fades slowly to black as I nod off to sleep.

Images float in front of my eyes. They blur into the darkness as I try to see what they are. I think they're my memories, my past. It's all gone now. My vision is dark. There's something there, some presence blocking my sight, a presence locked and chained to my mind. There's a part of me behind it, I know. As I reach out to touch the presence, a cold chill runs down my spine. Something feels... wrong. Unnatural.

I try to see what the presence is, but I hear a voice calling me. The dream fades from my vision as sunlight streams into the tree. It seems to fade from my memory, as if I can't, or don't want to remember what happened.

"Wake up, or I'm leaving you here to die!"

"I'm awake, I'm awake! Let's go."

Whatever the dream meant, it's lost to me now. All I remember is a feeling of dread. Well, no matter. We have to go.

I get up, dust myself off, and climb out of the tree. Rosalie is there, waiting for me. Without a word, she heads off into the trees, her sword ready. We push through the trees, hacking a path where the vegetation is too thick to pass. The forest is seemingly never-ending. I can't tell if it's been one hour or five, but suddenly, Rosalie stops. She crouches down, examining the shrubs ahead of us. I begin to ask what's wrong, but she sends me a death-glare, which shuts me up. After a few minutes of looking at the plants, she walks over and whispers into my ear.

"We're not alone. Can't tell if it's human or not. If human, probably dark witch. If not, monster."

I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand. Something is watching me, I'm sure. I notice that the birds have stopped singing, and I can't even see the rustling of squirrels and snakes through the underbrush.

I ponder. What is the safest course of action?

[Jetroid]

>Draw Sword; advance cautiously.

[Vancho1]

I nod and draw my sword, stepping forward carefully. Ahead is a clearing. I move quietly behind a tree and slowly peer out into it. In the center, muzzling at a carcass, can't tell what animal, is a wolf. Something looks wrong about it. There's a sort of shadow around, blurring it slightly. I notice the corpse again, and realize it's a human, bandit by the looks of the clothing and large club lying nearby. The wolf looks unhurt, and it's feasting on the fresh kill.

I draw back, and even though I'm sure I made no sound, I can swear the beast looked at me, through the trees. Well, it's not pursuing, so I hastily retreat farther to talk with Rosalie.

"What is it?"

She sits down, frowning and thinking for a few moments.

"I didn't think they'd get this far. We could be in terrible danger by pressing on, though going back is certainly risky."

"Yes, but what is it?"

Gesturing with a hand, she explains.

"It looks like an ordinary animal, but I think it's a spawn."

Her words only confuse me more.

"Spawn? What's that?"

She sighs, shaking her head at my ignorance. Slowly, she tells me.

"A Demon, when it enters this world, is usually weak. It corrupts animals around it to serve, by attacking outsiders and reporting back when there's someone coming. That wolf didn't seem very corrupted, so it's probably a weak demon, maybe an imp, that was sent to survey this forest. A powerful demon's spawn are terrifying. They can kill a whole group of soldiers, I've seen it."

Somehow, I don't doubt her. It's as if I already know what she just said, but she's just reminding me. A question pops into my mind.

"What should we do then?"

At this, she furrows her brow once more and sits down. She draws her sword and looks at it.

"Strong Spawn are hard to kill, unless you can banish the taint. A Demon Lord's spawn is nearly impervious to regular weaponry, though I guess a thousand cuts could kill it. This one looks weak, but it could be deception. On the other hand, if we try to avoid it, it could report back to its master, or maybe try to attack us off-guard. The safest thing to do is to kill it, but I'm not sure whether it's weak enough to only be a slightly harder foe than a regular wolf."

I think over the choices in my head.

"So it's either try and kill it, or avoid it and hope it doesn't notice us?"

She nods. I have to choose one. Both are risky, but I feel like there's one right answer to this problem.

[Jetroid]

>Observe it more to help make your decision easier.

[Vancho1]

My caution gets the better of me. I get a good grip on my sword and move forward again, beckoning for Rosalie to follow. The wolf's still there, though the corpse is almost completely eaten now.

Suddenly, my leg brushes against a branch. The leaves rustle softly. The wolf instantly lifts its head, turns towards me, and leaps!

The next few seconds feel slow to me. I barely dodge the beast's attack, falling backwards and making a hard landing on the ground. It approaches, and I swing my sword in a feeble attempt to chase it away. I clip its ear with the point of my sword, but the wolf seems more annoyed than hurt. It advances towards me, growling.

From behind, Rosalie jumps and stabs the beast in the neck. It roars in pain, and tries to swat at her with its paws. I take this chance to stand up and attack myself. The wolf yelps each time my blade hits its flesh. Rosalie has dislodged her sword, and in a single strike, takes out the wolf's eye. The fight is all but over. The wolf thrashes about, but we pull back, leaving it to its death throes. It stops moving soon, and I can feel the darkness being lifted from the body. All there is now is the bloody corpse of a larger than average wolf, nothing too strange.

As soon as it's dead, Rosalie slaps me across the face.

"How could you be so stupid? It already knew we were here, and you decided that you wanted to look at it some more? At least if we had circled around, we could have confused it, and maybe shaken it if it wasn't too interested! You're lucky you're still alive after it jumped you."

I can only manage a mumbled apology. She sighs and cleans her sword, waving with one hand at yours.

"You'd better clean that. It isn't good for corrupted blood to stay on anything."

I lift the weapon, and prepare to wipe it with a leaf, but the blood slides off. The iron glows faintly, as if the sword itself were repelling the corruption. Rosalie manages a half-smile.

"That's a Balvar sword, isn't it? They were known for enchanting everything they could get their hands on. I guess there was some sort of purification spell on that sword, probably to keep it from rusting. You're lucky. Now, let's go. We shouldn't waste time, whatever corrupted that wolf could be coming here."

I nod, and sheathe the sword. We set off again, moving carefully for the first hour as to not leave an easy trail. After that, we continue at a faster pace, making up for the lost time. As the wood darkens, Rosalie stops me.

"This's a good spot to sleep."

She begins unpacking her bedroll, and offers me some bread and dried meat. I take it gratefully, along with a swig from my waterskin. She then starts making something.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting traps. Half will alert us if something comes by, the other half are snares. Hopefully, we'll catch some animals. This bread and our provisions won't last much longer."

I nod and prepare a spot to sleep. Before I fall asleep, is there anything I want to do? Also, is there anything I should do in the morning before we leave?