Enter Dimitri

Zeke had decided for the group, that they needed to stop for the day, and they moved off of the road and set up a make shift camp. A fire was crackling by the time he had returned with more wood. After laying it down and sitting on a stump near the fire he lost himself deep in thought. 1

“What’cha thinking about?” asked Sonyia. 2

“What?” said Zeke, apparently snapping out of his daze. 3

“I said wha-” 4

“I heard you. I was thinking about this whole ordeal that we are going on with. What is our next move Raphael?” He looked up at Raphael who was out near a small cluster of trees. His back to the fire. He had his black robes, and his cloak up. He was nearly invisible, except for the little illumination from the fire on his back. 5

“Well we are going to have to reach Droaan first. As you know Nibilia is  the farthest away from the king, and then after Droaan is L’yew. They are set up in a somewhat overlapping layout, but if I am correct, then we are almost in the outskirts of Droaan. Then we reach the province of Detria. When we get there we will lay low, until the king begins to think he is safe, and then we strike.”6

“I see, but what if we run into anymore bands of soldiers like the last one?” 7

“We will only battle if we have to.”8

Zeke threw more wood on the fire and then sat down on the stump. They had found a very comfy campsite that had many fallen trees, which made good use for seats and firewood. The fire was going well, but it was not to a full roar, which Zeke knew that he could have done easily. The crackling of the wood and the sounds of the forest lulled him into a relaxed state. He had not been this relaxed since when he was young and would sit by the river and read books. 9

As he was getting ready for bed, Sonyia came over to him and sat down by him watching. 10

“Tired already? Wow your lame.”11

“Thanks,” Zeke said as he laid down and turned over. He thought that he had feelings for her, but just didn’t know how to tell her, and he didn’t know if he could take the rejection.  12

“Are you afraid of anything?” asked Sonyia. “I mean you have fought in all of these battles and well I kind of figure you would be afraid of blood or something.”13

“Well I am not afraid of much, but I can say that I am afraid of death, and losing my loved ones.”14

“Well, that’s really sweet.”15

“And you?” asked Zeke. 16

“I don’t like being  betrayed. I had a couple of friends who took me out one night and then turned me into the enforcers. They made up some story about how I stole a couple of things, a few knives,  and they turned me in to get money. I never stole anything.”17

“That is very unfortunate. I am sorry about that, but I won’t betray you.”18

“Thanks,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek. Zeke blushed furiously and rolled over. After goodnight was said Raphael was on the first watch. After his time was up he woke Zeke. 19

“Boy, do not fall into a woman’s grasp, when the time comes you will have to choose between her or another object of your desire.” 20

“It’s ok she means nothing to me.”21

“Right.”22

Zeke stood off into the night, after rebuilding the fire. An hour into his watch, the sun started to peak over the mountains, and Zeke could begin to see the majesty of the forest. The light illuminated every one the trees. In the distance he could see a figure dart from tree to tree. He squinted and could see that it was a man, in a gray cloak, and he also noticed that he wasn’t darting, but actually transporting himself instantaneously from place to place. Zeke ran back to Raphael and woke he and Sonyia. 23

Raphael told Sonyia to help and fight, but she was gone when they went to tell her. The figure began to come into view. When Zeke could make out his features, he saw that this man resembled Raphael. When he looked over he saw that Raphael was tense, obviously something was distressing him.24

“Stand back Zeke, this man is not what you want to fight.” 25

“What? It is only one man. How can he be so hard.”26

“That is Dimitri. He will kill you certainly.” 27

It was too late, by the time Zeke went to leave Dimitri had already come up to them. 28

“Ah, my old friend, and master,” said Dimitri with a sly grin on his face. “I figured that you would be in that crummy old sh-” 29

“Enough!” snapped Raphael. “you know nothing about that. Why are you here?”30

“To kill you two of course. Why else would I be here.”31

“I can’t let that happen, you know that I have to kill Judas.”32

“That is why I am precisely here. To stop you from doing that.”33

“What!? You sided with him? Why?”34

“Because I follow the teachings of the great Shi’look Tatarraan. I believe your companion would know all about that.”35

“What!? My father?” Zeke said with a look of disbelief on his face.36

“You have said enough,” said Raphael. He had pulled his hood back and let his silver hair fall down. He made the magical sword he had used in the previous battle appear, and he held it out and ready. Dimitri had done the same, only his sword was a magical gold color.  Raphael’s was a deep purple. A look of surprise entered his face. 37

“What wrong?” asked Zeke. 38

“You have grown strong Dimitri, and it seems by the color of your blade that you have surpassed me.” 39

“I know I have, I do not need you to tell me that.” 40

With that, Raphael leaped forward is a chance to bum rush Dimitri. Dimitri blocked easily, almost lazily, as if Raphael were an easy foe. Raphael swung around and struck again, but Dimitri blocked again. Dimitri swung low, in blinding speed sweeping Raphael’s leg out. Upon closer inspection, Zeke saw that his leg was almost cut off. It was hanging on by a small thread of skin. Blood shot out of Raphael’s stump as if it were a balloon that had been stabbed. His leg just exploded. 41

Zeke pulled out his saber in an attempt to go for Dimitri’s head, but Raphael screamed “No, I must take care of him myself.”42

“Give up old man, you know that a demon can only be killed by a more powerful demon, and I am the more powerful demon.”43

Demons!? Thought Zeke, I didn’t think that they would align with the king. Does that mean Raphael is a demon also?44

Raphael floated into the air, going to do his choke spell. He lifted Dimitri off of the ground, and started clutching. 45

“ A new trick I see. Easy enough.”46

Dimitri began to glow, and then reversed the spell, but then released it. Raphael fell to the ground, the life was running out of him. Dimitri closed the gap between themselves and lifted his sword. Raphael blocked the strike, and swung down, then up, hitting Dimitri in the abdomen. He lurched forward, and then back. The sword exited, and blood ran down Dimitri’s stomach, staining the gray cloak red. The wound was open and Raphael could see Dimitri’s organs pumping, and trying to send blood to the wound to help heal it.  Dimitri swung at Raphael hitting him in the chest. Raphael flung back into the ground hitting it hard, and making dust fly up into the air. Dimitri chortled and stood over Raphael’s body. Fear welled up in Raphael’s eyes, and Zeke could see ribs, from where the sword had cut open Raphael’s chest, a lung could be seen and it was pumping up and down.47

The wound was starting to close up on Raphael, and Zeke knew that he was using a healing spell, but Dimitri was over him and getting ready to finish him off.  Zeke moved in behind Dimitri and drew his saber. Raising it high he brought it down hard, slicing Dimitri in half from the right side of his neck down to the left side of his abdomen. Dimitri’s body fell in two directions. Leaving blood spilt everywhere, Zeke could smell the familiar copper scent. 48

Sonyia returned moments later with a couple of hares in hand, but stopped cold when she saw the site of Dimitri’s body on the ground. She threw up. 49

“I see you left when the first sign of danger approached,” Raphael said. His leg and chest had healed, and he stood up, his sword fizzled out. 50

“I went hunting, hoping to surprise you two, but I see you have already been surprised.”51

“I took care of it,” said Zeke. 52

Raphael looked at Zeke with a hint of fear, and quickly pushed that away. “you just better not run off when the next battle occurs.”53

“Who was that guy?”54

“He was an apprentice of mine, in the use of magic,” stated Raphael.55

“Oh my Goodness,” said Sonyia. She pointed behind them. Zeke and Raphael turned to see a floating torso of Dimitri, sword in hand. 56

"Haha... you thought you could kill me so easily did you? I think not." From his body hung skin, and cloth that often looked as if is were skin also. He was so bloodied that they both looked the same. He raised his only hand and his sword fizzled out. "I never thought anyone could be stronger than me, but I will show you!" a hint of hysteria entered his voice. A red ball of fire began to shine in his hand and he threw it out at Zeke. He dodged, and the fireball hit the two hares that Sonyia was holding. She dropped them, and they were nicely cooked.57

Raphael was already at work conjuring his own speel, and he launched a fireballof his own at Dimitri. It caught the fabric of his now partial cloak on fire, and it spread up his body burning him until he finally hit the ground and moved no more. When Zeke looked at the body he found that the hair on his head had been burnt off, and the whites of his eyes, had been boiled, and were still bubbling when he was inspecting him. Dimitri's jaw had been twisted into an everlasting scream of horror that would make grown women scream, and babies cry. Zeke threw up on the twisted remain of Dimitri's body. 58

Sonyia had begun crying, and Zeke had comforted her after he had wiped the last few chunks off of his chin. When she finally finished crying at the fact that she had almost been killed, they picked up camp and moved on leaving the body on the ground. With questions in his mind and thoughts floating around, the group began walking. Droaan was only a couple of hours walk north, and it was already getting close to noon.59