Leaving the village behind us the only noise in the air was the sound of our horses, as the galloped towards our next destination.

    "We have to get to the School before nightfall. We can rest and gather any information from there." Stretching, I hear Lonán's back pop before leaning forward and snapping the reigns. The horse bolting forward a good bit before I raced to keep up.

    'The School? What school?' The question sits in my head as we round a sharp bend the overgrowth around us growing thicker and thicker till we could only see what lay inches in front of our faces.

    "Asterin! Wh— ever you do k— movi—g forward!" His shout dipped into almost a foggy distortion.That for a moment, I couldn't really understand but with another snap of my reigns I let my intuition ride me through.

    With eyes closed the only noise around us was that of the hooves pounding into the dirt, the feeling of warm air against our faces, and the leather that kept us afloat.

    That was, until a loud bang tore through the air, and with it the horse beneath my seat. The harsh ground catching my fall as I slide a good few feet.

    "Asterin?! Asterin what happened?!" Lonán's voice dripped with worry as the sound of his horse came to a stop.

    "You truly think you can stop the inevitable?"

    A deep throaty chuckle comes inches from my face, now with eyes open, I could only see the deep crimson orbs, wide, bloodshot, angry.

    "You are nothing but insects to my master... why fight them? When you can live. You can rule!"

    'Rule? What in the hell is this thing talking about...' Lifting my arm, I strike the creature. Watching as its eyes closed and reopened a foot or so away. Confusion, tracing them until a low blood-curdling growl foamed forth.

    "We don't want what your having! Now leave before I burn whatever this is!"

    Blinking rapidly the sudden flare of light pools around Lonán. Then and only then could I see his face, pale, slightly crooked-nosed, a busted lip, and deep freckles as though someone had thrown dirt at him. Not taking any notice he flings the light source at the creature whose eyes widen.

    "You could be powerful! Why waste your time for a Kingdom that will never help you!"

    The creatures body steps into the light, a werewolf, dark black fur, scared with previous kill, blood stained claws digging into dirt as the darkness around us pulled behind him to reveal the thick forest once more as though we had never moved. The only difference being that my horse now lay dead behind him. 

    "You ask to many questions. Be gone with you before I truly mean to hurt you!" Lonán shouts, and the beast only seems to laugh, a guttural animalistic laugh that no man should have to hear.

    "You truly are no different..." 

    Confusion crosses my face as I look from the beast to Lonán whose gloved hand sparks anew, seeming to tempt the creature before it stepped back. Retreating into the thicket.

    Magic seemed to pulse from his very being as he pulls his hood closer around his head and turns away.

    "This will make things difficult... Necro-croma..." The word like a whisper drifts through the air and before I knew it my horses corpse all but hops to its feet.

    "Your no mage..." The words fall from my chapped lips, years of underuse making me sound as though I had just woken up. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I storm forward and grab his shoulder. "What are you?!"

    "Can we not do this here... we are still to far from the School for my liking." Lonán snaps, releasing his reigns and stepping over to my horse. Pulling himself onto the saddle and motions towards the one he had been riding. 

    "Let's get a move on."