((Closed to Lexxum Vordic))
Trees rushed past him as he ran. The red leaves surrounding him melted into a crimson blur, staining his world in blood. Sweat fell from his face, his hair, as he pushed onward, deeper and deeper into the forest. His right hand clenched around his sword, muscles straining with effort as he fought to keep going. His breath was deep as his lungs sucked in precious air that fueled his body as it plunged onward. At the sounds of the bloodthirsty howls of the undead behind him, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes catching a brief glint of the afternoon sun. He urged his legs to run faster.
Flying over a fallen tree, his eyes, mirroring the color of the surrounding forest, searched for something that could aid him. Suddenly, he slowed, then veered his course. He came to a halt in front of a large rowan tree. However, he didn’t get closer than eight feet. For it was the teeth that erupted from it’s base that caught his attention in the first place. Careful not to get any nearer, he jogged around the tree once, before taking off into the forest once again, away from his previous trail. His scent should be enough to guide the undead to his trap. He just hoped that it would be enough.
Kryos grinned a minute later, when the undead flew past the trunk of the Dur’Taigen. The tree appeared to burst apart into at least fifteen wolves, each intent on killing their unlucky victims. Sounds of fighting and roars of pain issued from behind him, yet he did not slow. It would be wise for Kryos to put as much distance between himself, and the fighting monsters.
~ / | \ ~
Dropping his muandrian to the ground, Kryos leaned against a tree, utterly spent. His fingers shook from fatigue, and he dropped to his knees. He had run at least five kilometers from the place where he had first seen the Dur’Taigen, and he hoped it would be enough for a brief pause. He blindly reached for his waterskin, and uncapped the container. Drinking deeply, he paused to take a breath of air, then continued drinking, feeling strength slow flow back into his limbs. He let out his breath, and returned his waterskin to his small pack. He closed his eyes, trying to recover from his arduous trek.
Movement. Something was clumsily moving about twenty feet to his right. Kryos’ head snapped up, surprised that the sun had set, and the moon well on its journey. Time had passed. Quickly, summoning some energy, he activated his Lumneye. Checking the area near him, he confirmed that there was only one presence near. And it was growling. Letting his eyes readjust to their normal appearance, Kryos rose slowly, grabbing his sword. His muscles were stiff and sore from his flight, and he winced as they protested. Slowly, he moved into some shadows. The creature was approaching.
Stumbling into view, the undead raised its head, picking up on his scent. It appeared to be a human male. Or at least, that’s what it was. Its clothes were dirty and bloodstained from combat, and his limbs bore many fresh wound from its encounter with the wolves. Kryos’ eyes narrowed. It looked like at least one undead escaped. Hopefully it was the only one, since the rowan was sizable. The creature snarled, and took a step forward. Kryos noticed that it walked with a limp. The Dur’Taigen must have done a good job. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Kryos prepared to take the only option that was left to him. He slowly stepped into the moonlight that filtered to the ground.
The undead, upon seeing its target, roared. It rushed forward, intent on killing. Kryos, meanwhile, held his ground, sword raised, ready. As the zombie got closer, it leaped to his left with incredible speed. Kryos tried to dodge the incoming blow, but being as tired as he was, received a powerful strike to his shoulder. He fell back, spinning, landing on his hands and knees. Remarkably, his blade was still clenched in his hand. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the monster rushing forward for the kill. Gritting his teeth, Kryos rose to his feet, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade, loaded with centripetal force, whistled through the air, and connected with the creature’s neck. The corpse bulled into him, nonetheless, forcing his breath from his lungs. Throwing the body off him, he rose. But the threat was gone. Separated from its command center, the lifeless body was just that, lifeless. The head, meanwhile, was face down on the leafy ground. It would die, or rather, return to being dead, after a few minutes of an energy devoid system. Kryos wiped his muandrian on some leaves, sheathed it, then turned and left the grotesque scene.
Kryos’ vision was growing dim as he stumbled through the dark forest. Trees became shadows, and the little light there was soon blended into grey. He was aware of dropping to the ground by the trunk of an oak tree, and settling into a giant fold of its roots. Bark obscured him from view, except that of directly in front of him, but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes, and slipped into oblivion.
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