Reist was an apparition a shadow that moved through the night in complete and utter silence. Every foot fall blended with the rolling waves of mist blanketing the wasted lands. He carried no torch. His path ahead illuminated solely by the faint glow of runes scripted into his weapons, and around his eyes. These contained the ladies blessing, nothing in these Godforsaken lands could be killed without them. As these were the lands inhabited by the formless.

He was coming to the outskirts of what was left of the forest. The trees mostly dead woods gnarled and bent. He ducked into their cover removing the long bow from his shoulder. He stabbed a handful of arrows into the dirt.

 “Lei mer don bela crusch.”

As the command left his lips from the lost language, his vision abruptly changed. The mists no longer hid anything from him. Stark outlines of figures were now visible. Trees, hills or even mountains no longer obscured his view for a thousand paces. Demons only strong enough to take animal hosts would lack the mental capacity to give him the kind of knowledge he required.  Nothing inhabiting these lands was here naturally as there was so little about it that could sustain life. Only those fool enough to needlessly wander here drunken or otherwise served as the only prey the demons received.

 Something twisted and vile moved his direction, not terribly tall for a man though at one time it looked to have been rippling with muscle. Flesh had rotted away leaving the more resilient tissue and bone.  It stumbled closer Reist could see its head was twisted backwards. In fact it was walking towards him shoulders first. Its entire surface glowed iridescent green. This is why the Lady had not come here in his place, her power was strong they would sense her in a moment. Her life was too important to risk even in this. Now something had sensed him.

He pulled the quad folding shield from his hip locking its hinges in place, driving its spade like point in the hard ground ahead of his arrows. He knelt behind it nocking an arrow, pulling the bow string taut, aiming through the shields narrow murder hole. This thing was much stronger than what he had in mind, but it was too late to do anything about that now. He counted the steps, controlling his breathing to insure the shot would be clean, he would wait another eleven steps.

Two steps…

The arrow flew free from his finger tips streaking through the air cutting the fog like a miniature comet. He missed the things left eye hitting just above the cheek, below the socket.  The blast was incredible knocking the thing from its feet filling the air with the smell of rotten singed flesh.  Reist emerged from behind the shield two arrows nocked, aimed at the things head. It laughed with no visible explanation as to why, it had no bottom jaw. Still it spoke.

“Ahh… another fool come to die and this time one of Bardrissa’s fool chosen.”

“Silence monster you are not given the privilege of speaking the ladies name.”

Reist would kill it right now for this sacrilege, no one spoke the ladies name. He wasn’t even given that privilege.

 “Im going to ask you a question monster, and you are going to answer quickly or I will take your other eye. Blind in these lands your brethren will devour you…

Reist cast a glance over his shoulder nervously as the hollow rattle of a laugh escaped the things throat once more.

 “Little lost sheep, I smell your fear it’s intoxicating.” Half the flesh of the things face was burned away leaving stark white bone. The muscle left below the eye socket raised in an attempted smile. “I will volunteer that which you wish to know. Since you will never make it out of here alive. Who knows? Maybe we will take your body next.”

 “I have no time who is this man who has been meeting with your ilk. Whom walks between your lands and the lands outside.”

“So Bardrissa has sensed his presence.” A strange sense of satisfaction crossed the things face. “Tell her the outside worlds blasphemy of serving false idols has come to an end. Our hour of return is near and not even she can stand against he who shall remain nameless.” The hollow rattle resounded low in the demons throat. It matters not if you believe what I say. You will learn soon enough…”

An eerie howl split the air sending an icy chill down Reist’s back demon wolves were close his welcome had been worn out. His time had run out. He loosed both arrows taking both of the things eyes. Backing away he pulled the shield from the ground folding it haphazardly. The thing thrashed with cries of rage swinging blindly in all directions attempting to strike a fleet of foot Riest.

 The thing’s voice echoed after him in a shrill call he could not outrun.

“You Bastard !!! We will see your kind exterminated from existence we will butcher your  families. We will eat your children fresh from the womb. The rivers will run red with your   blood!”