The Skirmisher: Upheaval

Chapter 2 - Aimon

"Blood! More blood!" Aimon growled as he thrust his dagger on the eye of a scout. He was on bloodlust. He stabs his victim's head with his dagger, butchering and dismembering its guts and satisfies himself with their brutal deaths.

For fifteen years, he roamed around the forest to drive away the people and sometimes murdering them and feasting their flesh and blood. Running and hunting travelers in the depths of the Forest of Valdarac like a wild animal preying on people.

The Capital has been sending scouts to investigate the forest since the disappearance of two hundred Vanguards. They were the first troops sent by the Capital to investigate the abandoned village. Weeks after they receive a report of mass genocide. Some reports said the troops were killed and devoured by wolves. Some report points the killing to the madman, or the infamously known Aimon Qyzer.

It was the brightest night of the forest when Aimon smelled a familiar scent, from somewhere he cannot figure out. A fish, a distinct smell of a fish. He followed the smell until he saw a light. It was fire, a torch. He leered as he approached his way to the light. Slowly and quietly. He saw a man sitting under a tree with a sack on the side and a torch pinned on the ground. Peacefully resting, tired and worn out embracing the heat of the fire. The man was alone, defenseless and vulnerable.

Aimon crawled, like a predator nearing its prey. Silently and carefully. As he was near enough, he drew his dagger and vaulted at the man. But the fire on the torch vanished together with the light. Aimon startled and sprang backwards, confused and disoriented.

"A trickster!" He jumped again at the man, clenching tightly on his dagger aiming the man's eyes. Yet the fire, again vanished. "Exceptional!" the man appeared before Aimon's eyes. "Yet, unforgivable" the man scoffed clenching his hand. "Look at what they have done to you." the man added.

Aimon inspected the man, the words struck inside his head. A familiar feeling, a voice he could barely recognize. And it was for him, a remembrance. He felt as if he was electrified by the voice of the man. "Moon Bane." Aimon called then his long and dirty hair started to discolor, slowly becoming white and gray on the left side. Like the man's hair. He smirked and grinned. His body started to overflow with horrid aura of terror. "Blink!" he threw his dagger on the ground and a form of shadow enveloped the surface. He appeared in front of the man in a second, thrust his dagger on the man's chest. "Die!" Aimon shouted at the man's face, he tightened his grip on the dagger pulling it upward, tearing the man's chest and breaking its ribs.

"You have gone too far." Zokk's body blazed to ashes, Aimon backed off but a warm and rough hand slid through his shoulders. He turned around and swung his dagger. He made a clean cut on Zokk's cheeks, yet again it blazes itself and became another ashes. He escaped Aimon's vision "So you don't remember." Zokk appeared on the same tree where he was sitting as he catch another bite of his dried fish. "You scoundrel!" Aimon croaked in anger. "Such disappointment" Zokk interjected, he was laid back and confident. "How d-" before Aimon could finish his words, Zokk stood up and threw his torch on the ground. He stretched his right hand and snapped his finger. The fire on the torch grew bigger.

Aimon watched the growing fire as images of his past illuminated inside. "Such nonsense!" The great beast, the Night Lord of Valdarac growled as he jumped at Zokk. "The Morning Lord shall not be disturbed!" The beast added. Zokk's arms were pinned down by the beast's strong and heavy claws. "Morning Lord, disturbed?" Zokk said intriguingly.

"Enough!" A strong wind pushed the Night Lord to the side, meters away from Zokk while Aimon was knocked back. The winds did not stopped until the fire created by Zokk died. But it was slowly becoming calm as a woman descends from the thin air. Her eyes were like the waters of the sea, a reflection of the great blue sky. Her long and beautiful hair reminded them as of that embers, like a sunset. And in a shining silk her body of a goddess was covered. "I've forgiven your resilience, Lords. But who do we have here?" The Night Lord bowed his head and so did the Morning Lord. Zokk stood up "I am but only a passerby, resting until the beak of the sun uncovers the darkness. Until then I shall be on my way." He said. "Are you aware of what could happen to you tonight?" The woman replied. The Lords kept their silence as the woman approaches Zokk. "I can see every inch of you." The woman inhaled, she caressed the warm and dirty face of Zokk. "I thought I put you to sleep." She fretted.

Zokk looked at Aimon bowing down to the woman, he turned his eyes to the beast bowing as well. He was mesmerized by the beauty of the woman. "To the Cave I will go." He said. The grasses emanated a soft glowing light, like the moon when it is covered with clouds. The glowing grasses were lined as if it's pointing a path. "Follow the grasses, and leave." The woman simpered, looking pleased. "My deepest regret for such disturbance." He said bowing down to the woman. "Ysl!" He added.

The woman screamed, sharp and deafening. The Lords disappeared. Zokk felt a pointy metal on his neck and his hands were grappled by Aimon. His feet being snatched by the beast's fangs. She laughed in hysteria as her eyes turned to darkness, the blue sea eaten by the dark. Her dress of silk fell off the ground revealing her naked body. A body of the goddess with the smell of all the flowers combined. Zokk mumbled in excitement.

Zokk's body blazed with fire and became another form of ashes. The Lords backed Ysl, to prepare for another trick of his. He ran off following the glowing grass. "Queen!" The Lords lookup for the Queen's command "Leave him be, he'll never get out of that cave." the woman replied. She grabbed Aimon's face and his long white hair turn black as it originally was. The Night Lord turned his eyes to the Queen and followed a weak growl. "Dispose him!" He whispered, where only Ysl can hear. A communication between the Night Lord and Ysl.

Ysl touched Aimon's lips with her own, she closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers on his muddy neck as she softly scratch her black and sharp nails against his cheeks. "Bring me his head." she whispered on his ears.

Aimon's eyes reflected the thirst for blood, he licked his weary lips with his tongue "Of course" he replied as his blood boiled all over his body. A shadow emerged on his feet and he began submerging in it like he's being swallowed. "I will give what you desire from me, after you bring me his head." Ysl added. A morbid smirk drawn on Aimon's face as he's slowly disappearing.

"He's a threat!" the Night Lord said as he shifted his form to an old man. His fur sunk inside his skin as he transform, and his claws turned into human nails. The wolves fetched him his garments. "He know who I am!" Ysl retorted. "Of course he would know, he forged the Helm of Koryl" he replied "The Sithyl Overlord?" she said "Without a doubt." he interrupted as he stretched his tongue, but it's not of those humans nor wolves. It's like a dead and rotting worm, a size of a baby's arm, the tip of his tongue split into two and in the middle came out a snake. A grotesquely black snake with more than a dozen of tiny little eyes all over its body. "You need to rest, the Crimson Peak is near" he said as it crawled into Ysl's foot. Slowly and leisurely clamber it's way to her. "Loqus-" Ysl fell down on her knees grappling on to the grasses as the snake coils her legs "Soon when the moon devours the sun and the lands will see no light for days. We will give birth to a new god." He assured. "Make it quick!" She cried as she try to fight the uneasiness she felt as the snake crawled over her soft and pale body. The snake crept its way between her legs. It burrowed into her precious hole as its slick and sticky body wiggles, trying to fit the tight opening of her flower. Adrenaline and excitement were drawn on her face as it slide inside her. Her hair all over her body stood up as she grasp the mix of pain and pleasure. "I will inform the King about the presence of Zokk." he said "Close the Cave when they arrive." Loqus, the Night Lord shifted into a white crow, flapped his wings and took flight to the South.