The wind swept over the trees, swiping torrents of rain with it, battering the side of the fields, now nearly black from the dark clouds overhead. It had been raining since early that morning, and had since developed into a fierce thunderstorm, lightning cracking across the sky and thunder booming over the land, startling animals and terrifying children in the nearby town. Just on the fringes of the field, where wheat turned to forest, there stood a black figure, wrapped tight in sable cloak and matching hat, a crimson scarf covering its face and chin. Only the creature's eyes were visible. They were slits, but bright nonetheless, each a different color and staring into the dark field, it's hat and scarf keeping the biting, rain-laden winds from hitting its face.

The figure moved from its standing position, sliding into the dark woods behind it, and taking cover in the underbrush. Over the thunder a clawing sound could be heard, coming from the depths of the forest behind the creature. A howl echoed in response to a boom of thunder over head. The darkly dressed man turned in his hiding spot at the sound. Emerging from deeper in the forest came a large, slouched beast, with dark brown fur and a hideous face adorned with two red eyes. The man who watched it was Sartana, the demon hunter.

Wasting no time, Sartana burst from his hiding spot, coming to the side of the creature. It reacted quickly, turning and swiping at the man with enough power to rip his head off. The demon hunter ducked, his hat nearly blown off by the wind accompanying the swipe, and jumped off his spot on the ground, getting on top of the ten foot beast's back. The furry monster struggled, grabbing at the man on its back. Sartana reached a hand to the creature's head and clicked his wrist as he grabbed it. There was a quick sliding noise, and the demon hunter's arm jolted for a moment. There was a crack from the man's hand. The monster stopped struggling. It stood for a moment, took a few steps forward, and fell on it's stomach. Sartana pulled his hand off the thing's head, revealing a bloodied blade from under his wrist. He stood and cracked his neck.

“D-class... Again.” He said to himself, wiping off his blade on the edge of his black cloak. “Where are these demons coming from?” He asked, his voice deep and raspy.

“Hmm…” thought Xoco, “This one is strong.” Xoco observed the short yet lethal fight between the demon hunter and the weak demon. He titled his head to one side as he watched the man snap the beast’s thick neck with one motion, jumping on it’s back for good measure. He was certainly agile, and a very skilled fighter. His moves were precise and lethal, with no hesitation; the sign of an experienced opponent. Xoco observed all of this with a warrior's prescision, carefully noting each and every detail from behind the cover of an oak tree.

Xoco smirked slightly as he thought about the cliché implications of his quest. The hunter had become the hunted; or rather, the hunter had been the hunted from the very start. Xoco had been tracking this demon hunter for nigh on a week now, and he had yet to make his move. It had been determined that this man was a threat to those undead, and generally an ally to good. Not always, but generally. That made him the enemy as far as Xoco was concerned, and his demise would be one step closer to the glorious conquest of Ita. Of course, with a little persuasion, this man might be turned to the side of evil, but if that failed, Xoco’s sword always hungered for blood.

But first, Xoco decided to have a little bit of fun with the man. He brought one hand up, and began to move his fingers ever so slightly in various patterns. He was manipulating objects with his mind, and it was a relatively new art to him. Still, he was able to do what he set out to. Slowly, the monster apparently arose from the grave, even though it was only a corpse. Xoco manipulated the limb body of the demon with careful prescision, making it stand and begin to advance upon Sartana. An evil smirk came over Xoco’s face. This was going to be entertaining.

Merenwen was walking through the grasslands relaxed because of the rain falling on her head. Water was her element and so she loved the rain. She was wearing a green bodice, tan chemise and brown breeches. Her long blonde hair was loose and sticking to her face due to the rain. She realized that many people hated this weather and while she loved the sun, she was at peace in rainstorms.

The clouds had turned the world prematurely dark and so she was much closer to the man then she would normally be before she realized that there was anyone in front of her. From her vantage point she could see that this man was watching something but from her vantage point she could not tell what it was. She shifted to the side carefully; she did not want to disturb this man because he seemed to have an evil look about him. After she had shifted to the side she was able to see another man in the distance, one who seemed to be fighting a demon.

She saw the demon fall and cheered to herself, but stayed silent so as not to be found. Then she saw that the demon was moving again. This did not make sense as she was sure that the other man had killed the creature. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that the first man seemed to be concentrating on the demon and it seemed to move with the motion of his hand. As she watched this she couldn't help but gasp, it was obvious that this man had something against the other one and it seemed to her that this man must be evil while the other must be good. She was afraid that her gasp might have been heard but she also didn't want the second man to be hurt by the first. For the time being she was unable to do anything due to her shock so instead she merely stood and watched.

The demon hunter finished wiping off his blade and cocked it back into the mechanism on his arm, stepping away from the demon. He gave a deep sigh. How many more must I kill? The demons in my world were much stronger than these. Smarter, too. Ah, how I loved the pre-combat discussions... He smirked, letting the pictures of massive, cocky demons fill his mind. They always thought he would be an easy kill. He was only human. He wasn't terribly tall, nor was he that big. But boy could he move. If only you could be here to witness this, Victoria. I would-

Something caught his ear, and he twirled around, his black cape flaring to the side. The blood-soaked demon lie on the ground, matted with gore and rainwater. Then it moved. Slowly, the creature pushed its body off the ground, and brought itself to it's large, dead feet, standing and facing the demon hunter, slouched. Sartana raised an eyebrow, and began stepping backwards, his weapons unsheathed and ready. The situation ran through his mind. D-class demons do not have regenerative properties. Nor can they withstand such trauma to the brain. He brough his left hand up, moving it in seven intricate positions. It glew purple, and then returned to its normal state. The demon hunter didn't turn his head.

An evil being is controlling the dead body of this creature. It's the only possibility. He thought to himself as the creature stepped forward. [/I]Roughly.. he's over..[/I] The demon hunter's left hand disappeared in a fold of his shirt, and reappeared with a throwing knife between each of his knuckles. Quickly, deftly, he tumbled under the side of the slow-moving undead demon, and hurled his fist full of daggers towards the creature in the woods that he had sensed with his magic. This would at least distract it. Then, bringing his falchion up to the demon's neck he produced a wide arc, aiming to sever the creature's head. Damned necromancers. He had time to curse, as he swung.

Xoco turned around the tree, wincing as he heard the sharp whisper of throwing knives hurtling through the air, followed by the sudden thud, thud, thud of them impacting the tree. He cursed, realizing that the point of the attack was not to hit Xoco at all, but to make him lose his concentration. In this, the attack had succeeded, and now he had lost the element of surprise. The demon hunter knew approximately where he was, and Xoco had already played one of his best cards, that of his telekinetic abilities. Cursing again, Xoco turned to peer around the tree and observe once more.

He noticed that a second figure had entered the scene, observing from afar. He assumed that this elven girl was simply an innocent passer-by who had happened to stumble upon their conflict, but of course he was not certain of that. For all he knew, she could be one of the demon hunter’s allies, and he mentally noted to keep an eye on her for later. But for now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

In the short time that Xoco’s focus had been broken, the demon’s corpse had slumped over onto the ground once again, with one more sword wound adorning it’s body than before. Xoco felt nothing for the mutilated corpse of the demon, but the demon hunter’s ability to sense out the trick had ruined some of Xoco’s fun. He frowned, wishing that he might have been able to toy with the hunter’s mind a little before actually engaging him head-on. But now, that seemed like the best thing to do.

Stepping out from behind the tree, torrents of rain pelting into his back, Xoco slowly and purposefully drew his sword and began to advance upon the demon hunter.

Merenwen's shock wore off quickly and she noticed that the trick didn't seem to be working against the man that she had decided must be a demon hunter. Only a demon hunter could kill the creature that easily and know that it was a demon that wasn't of a high enough level to come back and fight. She saw the throwing knives sailing through the air and hoped that one would hit the evil creature that was before her. This did not happen and it was at this point that the man closer to her turned and she knew that he had seen her.

When he turned back without seeming to think anything of her being there she realized that he felt he had no reason to fear her. "He must think that I will do nothing, or believe that there is no reason to worry about a little elf, as he must see me," she mumbled to herself. She didn't want to fight him anyways, but if she had the chance she would do what she could to help the other man. If the fight seemed to be going in favor of this evil man then she would try to tip the scales. She watched as the first man pulled his sword and began to advance upon the other. As this happened she crept closer, no reason to let it be known that she was still watching and ready to help, and prepared herself to help the demon hunter. While she hoped that she would not be needed, she didn't want to just leave and ignore the fact that someone who fought for good was in trouble. She pulled out her shortbow and arrows and prepared to help if the need arose.

( What form or you in, Xoco? I assumed it was your wraith one. )

Sartana's sword connected with the neck of the demon, severing it's head in the process, and sending the bloody ball of fur, several meters from its body. The once alive demon, once dead demon, once undead demon, now stood dead again, and fell forward on its stomach, thumping against the ground and spewing blood form its neck. Sartana tapped the edge of his blade on the tip of his boot, and turned, facing the area where he had sensed the evil presence, and had thrown his daggers to loosen its control on the mindless demon zombie. Something caught the demon hunter's eye, though it was a subtle movement, and he turned his head slightly, scanning the foliage. There was something else in the forest besides the evil being and himself. He turned his head away from it. Whatever it was, animal or bystander, the creature was not evil.

He turned his head towards the evil creature. He could feel it getting closer. Soon, a figure appeared from the woods. It glided in a hauntingly graceful way, its form clothed by a ragged black cloak that waved and twisted around his form as the rain pelted it. The rain seemed to pass through the creature. A longsword was drawn at the creature's side. Sartana looked into its eyes. They were red, burning with the power of evil, and staring at him. He watched with his own eyes, bright and multicolored, but fierce.

The demon hunter moved his right hand forward a bit, diagonal to his body, and held his sword hand lower to the right, with his falchion tipped low towards the ground. He feet were spread out, in a two point stance as he called it. He was ready for a fight, no matter what this creature was. It was evil, and moving towards him with its weapon drawn- what else would it want from him? A hug?

Sartana grinned from underneath his crimson scarf, and his dark-rimmed eyes seemed to glow under his wide-brimmed hat. He wondered if he could learn something about this creature. “It's a nice night to die, don't you think?” He asked, perfectly pronouncing the syllables present in the demonic language.

Black Speech (Demonic): Red.

(Normally, I’m in human form, but since you said wraith form, I’ll go with that. :D )

Xoco’s brow furrowed slightly as the demon hunter spoke in the Black Speech, Xoco’s native language. He was confused slightly by this; it was quite a rarity for a human to speak the demonic language, as it was the sign of an innately evil creature to know it. Besides that, the language was composed of a series of sounds and syllables that were very hard for any human to pronounce, mostly because of the way words and phrases melded together in an evil, deep-pitched sort of whispering tone. Nonetheless, this demon hunter spoke perfectly, as well as any demon and with no defining accent. It was an interesting development.

“I suppose you will find out soon enough,” said Xoco, replying the demonic language. He examined the man’s stance, searching for any flaws or inaccuracies, but did not find any immediately. Xoco wondered exactly how he should attack first. This man did not have any particularly strong magical auras about him, so Xoco wondered if he might just smite the demon hunter with a lightning bolt or some other powerful arcane attack. But that didn’t seem like very much fun…

Xoco decided that he would at least test the man on his bladework before killing him. He needed a little combat with his sword anyway; it had been a long time since he had found a suitable opponent with the blade. Drawing closer, Xoco twirled Ice in his hand one, and then used the small amount of momentum gained from the twirl to power his first strike. It was a simple downward cut, nothing fancy, simple something to get the battle going. Xoco’s eyes burned with bloodlust in anticipation of a good fight.

(Heh, okay. ^_^)

The demon hunter watched as he approached, and noticed the figure's face change when Sartana spoke to him in his second language, Black Speech. This didn't surprise him. Not only was it a difficult language to master, especially when it was not your first language, but there were also few people of the demon hunter's nature that could speak it. The language itself was despicable, and he hated to speak it, but he wanted information from this creature. Unfortunately, the black figure's reply was short, and lead to no development. He didn't comment on what the demon hunter said about it 'being a good night to die', as Sartana had hoped, as he wasn't sure if the creature was undead or not, and if he was, it had been likely he would have returned a quip about already being dead. But he did speak Black Speech, as the demon hunter thought.

He watched carefully as the robed figure came forward, spinning his longsword in his grip, picking up speed and then striking down at the demon hunter, using the force he had acquired from his twirling. Sartana knew this creature was powerful- more so than him- but it was melee that the demon hunter excelled at. That, and he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Or, up his wrist.

As the sword came down at him, Sartana stepped deftly to left, bringing his falchion up to the side and letting the creature's blade slide down its edge. He curved his sword as to rear his opponent's weapon to the side, and reached his left hand out, at the creature's other side, where he held no weapon. He got his fist as close to the man's gut as possible, hoping he only thought that Sartana was going to punch him. As soon as he was close enough, he clicked his wrist, and a foot long dagger shot with incredible speed out from under his wrist, accompanying his fist. The dagger shot towards the robed figure's gut, and burst into flames, as it was enchanted to burn evil creatures.

At first, Xoco found himself very impressed with the man’s swordsmanship. He took a quick dodge to the side, parying and then lightly knocking Ice off to the side. It was a move that only some of the most talented bladesmen had mastered, and Xoco took into account that that man certainly had some prowess with his falchion. After all, it was a rarity that anyone could beat Xoco with a blade, particularly a human with no particular agility or renowned skill.

Next, however, the demon hunter took a punch, allowing a spring-loaded dagger to come forth from it’s hiding place on his wrist. Xoco’s eyes widened, but he reacted fast, using his power of telekinesis to stop the holy blade dead in it’s tracks. He was actually not holding the blade, but the man’s wrist. Xoco loved this power, as it had so many diverse uses that it was difficult to count them all. The spell could be used for some many evil purposes. This was only one of them.

Xoco concentrated hard, bringing one hand up in a gripping motion. It appeared as though he was clutching at the air, but after concentrating hard, he could feel the effects of the telekinesis begin to take effect. He squeezed hard with his mind, focusing on the demon hunter’s neck. Xoco intended to magically choke the man, but perhaps not kill him just yet. He smiled evily as he tightened his telekinetic grip, clutching at Sartana’s throat with increased force. An evil cackle resounded through the night air, mixing with the beating of the rain. With any luck, Sartana would not even be able to scream when Death came to collect him.

As the man closer to her moved away she quietly made her way up into the braches of a tree where she would have a better vantage point and a better shot should she need to use her bow and arrows. As she climbed she noticed that the second man seemed to be looking in her direction and hoped that her position would not be given away. She heard the men speak in a language that she didn't understand, but from the sound of it she guessed it was Black Speech. She had heard of it, of course, but it was not something she had ever thought to learn.

When she reached a sturdy branch she shifted carefully so that she could watch without being seen. She placed an arrow in her bow and held it ready to be pulled back and shot. The two men were positioned so that their profiles faced her. She had set herself in a position meant to allow this so that if her arrow shot was off the mark or the wraith dodged she would not have to worry about the other man being hit. As she watched she saw that the first man she had seen was taking the part of aggressor.

As he moved about she realized he was a wraith and this made her worry about the other man. When the wraith attacked the second man, who she took to be human, was able to parry pretty easily. She saw the human reached out like he was going to punch the wraith and didn't see how much good such an action would do. When she heard the click that comes from a spring loaded blade she realized what he had been doing and was not happy to see the plan fail.

The next thing she saw caused her to pull back on the arrow set in her bow and take aim on the wraith. He was using his telekinesis to choke the human and she knew that if the wraith was pressing on the human's carotid artery then it would not be long before the human passed out. She aimed her arrow at the wraiths head and released it. She did not expect it to hit but at least it would distract the wraith long enough for the human to fight back.

The demonhunter gasped as his hand stopped, held by some magical force. He struggled, but was not strong enough to overcome the magic. This was a strong opponent- a wizard, it seemed, with quite the proficiency in magical attacks. Sartana struggled to move, and cursed under his breath. If my hand contained half the power it did before I traveled to this world, you would be a pile of ashes, you disgusting creature! He thought to himself, snarling and pulling his arm.

The wraith brought its hand up, in a gripping motion, and Sartana growled. He knew what it was going to try to do- and he was ready for it. The moment he felt the invisible grip around his neck, the demon hunter tightened the muscles of his throat from underneath his scarf, concentrating on keeping his air way open. The demon hunter may have had lost his magical prowess and items in the blast that send him to this plane, but he still retained his incredible hardiness, and ability to withstand damage.

He grunted, tilting his head as the grip became stronger, and saw from the corner of his eye the being that had been watching him earlier- it was an elf. She looked familiar, but he had no time to contemplate who she was. There was a bow in her hands, and an arrow notched in it. She was going to help him.

With his right hand still free, Sartana flung his falchion at the creature's head, hoping that he would either duck, or step to the side. Then, reaching into his shirt, he removed his throwing daggers, all the time concentrating on his neck, and keeping his lungs moving air. He held the knives high, and posed to throw them, as an arrow was loosed from the nearby tree, aimed at the creature.

Xoco continued his onslaught happily, trying to find where the human’s vital artery was so that he could pinch it off. His eyes lit up with a bloodthirsty feeling, his entire body feeling alive with energy from the thrill of the kill. His grip on Ice was tight, as was his telekinetic hold on Sartana. Everything seemed to be going perfectly as planned. However, the human was a strong one, much stronger than most of the mortals he had encountered in this plane. Of course, that only meant that this kill would taste all the sweeter.

But then something else happened, something that Xoco had not expected. He caught a motion out of the corner of his eye, someone drawing a bow. His eyes widened, realizing it must have been the Quendi he had spotted earlier. Xoco was forced to sidestep as Sartana flung a falchion at his head, and then a whistle resounded through the air as the bow was loosed and the air flew through the air. Sartana had also produced a handful of small throwing knives. It all happened so fast, and now Xoco was under siege when two seconds ago he was completely on the upper hand. How things could change so swiftly in a battle.

Frightened slightly, Xoco clasped his hands together and was encased in swirling red energy. A split second later, he re-appeared some twenty feet away, teleported by magic away from the danger. The arrow buried itself in the wet sod, and the falchion found nothing but air. All of the attacks went to nought as their target suddenly dissapaeared. Now, however, he was very, very angry at the Quendi.

Bringing one hand up, Xoco whispered an incantation in the Black Speech. It was short, yet very effective. He brought a hand up slowly, and then down again, his palm flat. After speaking the final word of the incantation, a violent crack resounded through the air, followed by a bright flash of light. A huge lightning bolt soared down from the sky and struck the tree where the Quendi was hiding. The trunk split from the impact, and the branches instantly began to burn violently. Xoco smiled at his handiwork, hoping that the troublesome elf had perished. Of course, he was unsure at this point, but he could not do anything save for turn his attention back to the demon hunter.

“Well-met, demon hunter,” he called over the pounding of the rain, “Now, let’s see what you’re really made of!” Xoco charged forward, twirling the blade in a complex series of motions. He finished by jumping to the air and flashing his sword powerfully downward, meaning to cleave open the demon hunter’s skull.

Sartana watched the cocky being as the tides turned, and the demon hunter gained the upper hand- if for just a moment. He cursed as the creature dodged his attack, and had enough time to cast a spell- obviously teleport- and remove himself from harm's way, reappearing several meters away from the demon hunter. Damned magic... Fight me blade to blade, beast! He growled in his mind. But this was not the time for idle thoughts. He spun his wrist and flung two of his throwing daggers already between his knuckles at the creature as he made his way towards his thrown falchion, and tumbled on the ground towards it, rising with it in his hand and loosing his last throwing dagger at the wraith from another angle, as the creature chanted.

A crackle of lightning boomed from behind him, and he turned his head to witness the tree where his ally had sat get struck by a bolt of lightning, splitting the tree in two and catching it on fire. He hoped she was okay. He turned to the creature, his bright eyes regarding it calmly. To lose one's head in a battle was to put one's self at a terrible disadvantage. The key to winning a fight was to constantly scan your surroundings, looking for opportunities and advantages. That, and to always pay attention.

“Well-met, demon hunter,” the creature called out, his voice winning out over the rain and cackling fire near them. Sartana raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew that he was specifically a demon hunter. “Now, let’s see what you’re really made of!” He called, charging forward at Sartana. He brought his weapons up defensively once again, watching the man's movements. His twirling of his blade at such a distance was not an effective attack- but it was an effective distraction- and Sartana knew he was doing it on purpose. The wraith leaped, and the demon hunter crouched, and letting the man's sword come down just before the tip of his hat, moving aside at the last possible second. The creature's sword scraped against Sartana's hat and knocked it off, exposing the demon hunter's long, dark brown hair, that blew to the side as he dodged.

The man was a better swordsman- Sartana knew it. He could wield a blade better than the demon hunter. Yet, Sartana also knew that he was faster than the wraith- much faster- and needed to use his speed to his advantage. As the man continued his descent, taking the wide-brimmed hat with his sword, Sartana lunged forward with his falchion, towards the creature's side. Twisting his feet as he did, he brought his left weapon, the mechanical dagger, to the creature's sword, still falling in slow motion. There was a hole in cut into the middle of the demon hunter's dagger, and he slipped the tip of the creature's blade inside of it, twisting his arm and attempting to disarm him.

This was a dangerous move on the demon hunter's part, as it left him open to counter attacks and with little hope to parry, but he hoped his attacks would land home.

Xoco noticed almost with a sense of jocular cynicism at how foolish it was of the demon hunter to even try throwing the knives at him. Xoco put out one hand, concentrating hard and stopping them dead in the air with his telekinetic powers. Their momentum ceased immediately, with a precision that only magic could achieve. Each one simply fell to the ground with a dull thud, completely unthreatening. Xoco also noted the way that his twirling Ice like a baton was slightly intimidating to his opponent, and he enjoyed the feeling of inspiring fear into others. It was one of the greatest pleasures that doing evil provided him, and he basked in it like a warm sun ray.

Xoco smiled, almost to himself, as his blade caught the man’s hat. It seemed a small victory, but still, it provided a sort of comical relief to the entire situation. Sartana did not seem quite so threatening without the tall hat to add to his height. However, as the blade descended, Xoco noted that his sword had somehow become entwined with the demon hunter’s. It had a hole in the center, which the hunter had managed to thread with Xoco’s sword. With a twist, Xoco’s wrist bent awkwardly, causing his fingers to loosen and the blade fall from his hand.

Abandoning his efforts, Xoco left the sword behind for now and simply danced away, trying to put some distance between himself and the hunter for now. Xoco noticed a slight hotness in his side, and looked down to see a thin wound on his side. It was a light scratch, but it still felt hot and it stung when he tried to stretch too far. Xoco ran a hand over it, whispering an incantation, and allowing the healing red energy of the Dark Regeneration spell to heal the wound. After this spell had finished, he looked up and stood ready, wondering what the hunter would throw at him next.

Sartana's attacks had succeeded- but to little avail. He had disarmed his opponent, but this did little, as the creature still had its magical abilities. He had also wounded it with his falchion, though he hardly cut as deeply as he had hoped he would, as he stumbled back, his footing awkward because of his risky attack. He watched as the wraith moved back, and cast a spell on itself before the demon hunter could react. It healed the wound he had caused. Sartana picked up his hat off the ground, and plopped it back on his head, watching the creature. There was little he could do against it. Without the magical abilities that had once coursed through his left hand, his special hand, Sartana was ill-matched against such an arcane-savvy opponent. He appeared to be a wraith- undead. The demon hunter's mace came into his mind, one of his prized weapons that was lost in the magical blast. He had found the weapon in a sunken church lying in a marshy valley. The weapon was devastating against undead. One hit would disintegrate a chunk of the creature in a flash of white light, sometimes destroying the entire body in the process. But he didn't have the weapon now, and he was running out of energy, and tricks.

Sartana stared into the creature's eyes. It was a malevolent beast, disgustingly evil. Yet, it was also intelligent. The demon hunter wondered if he would be able to run away. Probably. But with its ability to grab my limbs, I wouldn't get far, unless he had used the spell too much today, and had to wait for it to recharge. No sense in risking it. He tilted his head a bit, still staring into the red, fiery orbs that were its eyes. He wished that he had been the hunter at the start, with the advantage of surprise. What he wouldn't give to grip that monster's head and activate his dagger, sending the insides of its skull spewing out the back of its head in a fiery, molten mess. He grimaced. What to do now? Ah, but what anyone would do in such a dire situation- talk.

“Don't you have more powerful adversaries to hunt?” The demon hunter asked, eyeing him from under his scarf. “I have no quarrel with you. Indeed, there is no reason for us to fight. If you're looking for a challenge, you're going to need to look elsewhere.” He said, trying not to sound terribly hostile, but hoping he could dissuade the wraith from further combat. At least for now. The demon hunter was slowly, but surely, regaining his power. In a month's time, he'd be something to reckon with.

“Hmmm…” Xoco thought, listening to the demon hunter’s words. He wondered if he might accept this man’s offer, to simply go away and find bigger fish to fry. He was certainly not proving to be the challenge that Xoco had expected. Xoco bested him with the blade and with his arcane abilities, and really, he found that this hunter was nothing more than a skilled bladesman with a thing against demons. Xoco wondered if perhaps he had a person history against such creatures, but he doubted they would able to swap life stories at the current moment.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he said, “You have built a reputation for yourself, Sartana Demon-Slayer. My kinsmen told me that you were lethal, quite a force to be reckoned with. And yet I come here, and I find no challenge in you. It is a disappointing state of affairs, one I did not expect. In fact, we might not even have gotten this far if your Quendi friend hadn’t stepped in,” Xoco motioned towards the burning tree, where he assumed the elf girl had perished.

“You would do well not to play with fire, Sartana. You might end up getting burned. Even among demons, I am only above-average. There are those of my kinsmen who are stronger than I, and you would do well to avoid them. Mark me, one day, you will engage someone too strong for your own good, and they will not be quite as merciful as I. You fight with valor and strength, and with a deadly determination. Yet you are not strong enough to face me, not even by a longshot. However, when you feel you are ready, I will be waiting for you. Hunt me, Sartana, but do not come before me again until you plan to kill me, or you will regret it. ” Xoco smiled devilishly, and then began to mutter a short incantation. A blinding flash of red light encased him, and then he was gone, nothing but the whisper of his devilish laughter left even to mark that he had been there.

After Merenwen released the arrow she knew that her current hiding place would be no good anymore. She slipped quietly out of the tree and landed softly on the ground. From there she moved quietly and swiftly away from the tree. She then climbed into another tree from which she could prepare to help the man more.

She glanced around the area and saw that he was now only a few feet from her. She had moved quickly and realized that he must have teleported to his new location. She watched as he began casting a spell and seconds later lightning struck the tree she had been in before. She was sad to see a part of her beloved world burn but she couldn't worry about that now.

The other man moved toward the wraith and she realized that she had met this man before. Before she had a chance to think about where she had met him they were back to fighting. The one she had met was able to disarm the wraith but she knew that power was what truly gave the wraith the upper hand.

As she watched, the man decided to talk to the wraith, rather then continue the fight. He made the point to the wraith that they had no quarrel with one another. He also pointed out that the wraith could find opponents more at his own level. To this the wraith replied seemed to agree and said that he did not find the man to be much of a challenge. When he made the comment that the fight probably wouldn't have gone that far if not for her she became annoyed. She had only entered into the fray because the wraith was using powers against one who was only using weapons. In the end that didn't matter though, she and the man were both still alive. The wraith gave the man a warning not to come after him again unless he was sure he would win.

With this the wraith teleported away from the scene and all that was left was the man, the fire and herself. Merenwen dropped from the tree she had moved into and prepared to walk away. The fight was over and she needed to find a way to put the fire out before any other trees caught on fire.

Sartana took note of the wraith’s body language as he spoke, and in a sense asked for the creature to leave him alone. He had never done something like this before. Of course, he had never found himself in such a weakened, item-less state, but asking to be spared, as the demon hunter was pretty much doing, was new to him. And he hated it. Still, his evil opponent seemed to sympathize with his cause, or at least understand him.

He listened as the man told him of the reputation the demon hunter had attained while staying on this plane. Sartana found this odd. He really hadn’t done much hunting during his stay here- not near the amount he did in his own land, where he had attained an almost legendary status. He frowned when the man said he had found no challenge in the demon hunter. Sartana could have beat him in a straight sword fight- there was no doubt in that. But with those magical abilities… There was little he could do against them without the magic of his hand. He turned to the tree as the man motioned to it. The elf had helped him, and he may have died without her aid. He hoped she was okay.

The rest of the man’s words fell upon dull ears that didn’t wish to hear them. He didn’t need this man explaining to him that he was weak in his present state; Sartana already knew this. The man’s last words before he disappeared stuck with the demon hunter, however. “..However, when you feel you are ready, I will be waiting for you. Hunt me, Sartana, but do not come before me again until you plan to kill me, or you will regret it.” The demon hunter nodded at this, almost respectfully. This creature would not have to wait long before Sartana sought him out, and ultimately destroyed him.

The creature was gone, but the demon hunter continued staring into the woods, behind where the man had stood. This was too much. He needed to get stronger, faster, as there was indeed evil in this world; fetid, absolute evil that needed to be vanquished. He adjusted his hat and walked forward, having noticed a figure from the side of the burning tree that had been struck with the magical assault. It was the elf.

Sartana approached her, and called out. “Wait.” He said, stopping and looking at her. “Thank you for your help.” He said, staring at her with his colorful eyes. This girl saved his life. The least he could do was thank her.

Merenwen was trying to remember a spell her mother had taught her but it was not coming to mind. She needed to put the fire out before the rest of the trees caught fire and this whole forest burned to the ground. As she was thinking about this she heard the man coming up behind her. When he asked her to wait she decided that she may as well, she couldn't really leave until she found a way to put the fire out anyways.

She began to turn towards him and thought back to the name the wraith had used, Sartana. As he got closer she realized where she knew him from, or at least she was fairly sure it was the same man. She had met him at the lake some time ago, she was sure it was the same man due to his dual colored eyes. She had to smile at the memory because it had been happy, though at some points embarrassing.

Sartana reached her and said, "Thank you for your help." She smiled at him, though the smile was weak because she needed to find a way to stop the fire. In response to his comment she said, "I will always being willing to help a friend in need. It may be true that I couldn't recognize you at first but it was easy to see that you were the one fighting for good. I am glad that the wraith didn't realize I survived because he may not have left so easily had he known. He seemed especially angered at my interference and now, if I don't find a way to put the fire out, this whole forest will burn. I was taught a spell once that would work here but I am having a hard time recalling it at this time. Hopefully it will come to me before it is too late."

As she said this she noticed that the flames were beginning to catch on the next closest tree. She continued, "We met a while back at the lake, at least I'm almost sure you are the same Sartana. There was a meal shared, and a Sileni was there with us. Do you remember that time?" As she waited for his answer she continued to search her mind for the spell she needed.

Sartana watched as she turned around, and immediately recognized her as the elf, Merenwen, that he had met sometime before on the beach by the lake. They had shared a meal together, along with a Sileni, a horse-like half-breed. He nodded at her question. “Yes, I'm glad to see that you're still doing well, Merenwen. I had wondered if you were going to leave on an adventure last time we met, as you seemed somewhat bored.” He said, turning his head to the fire, its light reflecting off his face. “Truly, I'm glad you chose to come to this forest. The wraith you saw me fight was too powerful- I'm lucky to have gotten away without injuries.” He said, somewhat grimly, through a frown.

The cracking of the fire next to him caught his attention, but he wasn't terribly worried about it. The rain was still coming down hard, and with the storm pounding against the fire's flames, the demon hunter was sure it wouldn't spread to the rest of the forest. It was just like a regular lightning strike, and not anything that the forest couldn't handle on its own.

He adjusted the scarf around his neck, and twisted it up above his nose, protecting it from the torrent of rain that was pelting the two. “Don't worry about the fire.” He said, noticing her gaze fall upon it, and the concern in her eyes. “It won't spread to the other trees, being as wet as they are. I'm surprised this one caught on fire at all, when the wraith struck it.” He said, the fire reflecting off his bright eyes.

The demon hunter turned from the fire, and began walking towards town, but stopped after a few steps. “Do you have a place to stay?” He asked, looking over his shoulder. “I'm heading to the tavern. I'll treat you to a meal, if you don't mind; it's the least I can do.” He finished, turning his head forward again and thinking of the wraith. He gritted his teeth.

((oops, I forgot it was raining))

Merenwen was glad that he remembered her and thought it was funny that he had realized that she was bored and ready for another adventure the last time they had met. She had been happy sitting on that beach with them but like always she had been wondering where she would be off to next. She wasn't sure what would have happened if she hadn't seen the fight beginning but was glad that she had been able to help a friend.

Even with the rain she had still let the fire get to her. She knew that magical fires burned hotter then natural ones and the fact that the tree caught fire in the first place made her worry that there may be a chance that it could spread. When Sartana told her not to worry about the fire and said, "It won't spread to the other trees, being as wet as they are. I'm surprised this one caught on fire at all, when the wraith struck it." She wanted to believe him and was beginning to see that he was correct.

The heat of the fires seemed to have cooled since the wraith left and now the rain was beginning to work in its natural way, putting out the fire that she had been so worried about. She had known it was stupid to worry so much but she hated to see any of her world destroyed. She was again able to pull her eyes away from the fire, no longer worried that it would spread. It was likely to be out shortly and she would have nothing to worry about.

She saw that Sartana had started to walk away when all of a sudden he stopped and looked back over his shoulder. She listened to him as he asked her if she had a place to stay and when he continued by saying, “I'm heading to the tavern. I'll treat you to a meal, if you don't mind; it's the least I can do," she thought about what her plans had been. She had thought she would sleep out here in the forest but after what had happened she didn't know that she wanted to do that anymore.

She walked to where he was standing and said, "I had been thinking of sleeping out in the forest but after what happened I'm not sure I want to do that anymore. It would be nice to spend some time in your company again and so I believe I will go to the tavern with you. You needn't worry about what is the least or best you can do, someday when I am in trouble you may be there for me and so there is never a need to worry about repaying me for my help. As a friend of mine you have gained someone who will always be willing to help and I expect that if the tables had been turned you would have helped me." With this she took one last look at the tree that had been burning and saw that the flame had all but died out. She was happy that no more then the one tree had burned but knew that every time she saw that tree it would reminder her of this night and the wraith whom she had angered.

As the demon hunter walked, Merenwen caught up beside him, walking and speaking to him at the same time. "I had been thinking of sleeping out in the forest but after what happened I'm not sure I want to do that anymore.” She starting, looking at Sartana with her golden brown eyes. “It would be nice to spend some time in your company again and so I believe I will go to the tavern with you. You needn't worry about what is the least or best you can do, someday when I am in trouble you may be there for me and so there is never a need to worry about repaying me for my help. As a friend of mine you have gained some who will always be willing to help and expect that if the tables had been turned you would have helped me." Sartana couldn't help but smile at her logic. “We're friends now, are we?” He asked, looking down at her, the rain dripping off his wide-brimmed hat. He noticed now that she was without covering for her head, her blonde hair drenched in the downpour of rain, and so he removed the wide-brimmed hat from the top of his head and plopped it on hers, taking the hood of his black cloak and throwing it over his own head. He turned to her and smiled. “It's good to have someone looking out for you. Indeed, if you ever find yourself in trouble and I am nearby, you'll have a formidable ally by your side.” He said in a deep, yet reassuring voice.

The tavern they entered was warm and dry, with only a few people sitting at the bar chatting. It was very late, after all, and most of the town was already asleep. Sartana walked to the bar and ordered some food, then sat at a table next to the large fireplace that sat on one wall of the establishment. This way they could dry off, warm up, and enjoy their food all at the same time. Sartana sat at the table and removed his hood from his head, cracking his neck. He looked distraught.

“That wraith.” He started, unfixing the soaked scarf from his neck. “Have you ever seen it before, stalking the forest or in some other part of Arda?” He asked, regarding her with his bright eyes. The demon hunter wanted to know anything he could about the creature, so that next time they fought he would be better prepared.

Merenwen was surprised when Sartana said "We're friends now are we?" Before she could reply he said, "It's good to have someone looking out for you. Indeed, if you ever find yourself in trouble and I am nearby, you'll have a formidable ally by your side." To this she gave a smile for though she had spent much of her life traveling alone she had to agree that it was good to have someone looking out for you. Though trust was something she found hard to give, she knew that she had to give it sometimes or she would never have helped when she fell into a bad situation.

To him she said, "It is and I am glad to have you as an ally. Though tonight was not the best night for you, it is only because the wraith used magic while you relied on your skill with a sword. If the wraith had fought with blades alone I believe you would have been able to best him." When he dropped his hat on her head she was a little startle, the hat was a bit big on her and fell over her eyes. She had never really worn hats herself and wasn't really bothered by the rain. In truth she couldn't get any wetter then she already was so the hat wasn't likely to make much difference. Even so she accepted the gesture and after pushing the hat back out of her eyes she continued to walk by his side.

When they reached the tavern she was happy to feel the warmth. Though she had worked hard to hide it the events of the night had sapped much of her energy and left her feeling a little bit cold. She glanced around the room and noticed that there weren't many people there, just a few men sitting at the bar. She hadn't realized how late it was but realizing this only added to the level of fatigue she felt.

She followed Sartana to the bar and food was ordered. That being done they went to a table close to a roaring fire and sat down. She relished the warmth she got from the fire but at the same time it reminded her of the lightning bolt and burning tree that could have easily included her body as well. She took of Sartana's hat and placed it across the table from herself. It was placed so that it was on his side of the table and far enough over that it would not be in his way when the food arrived. As she set it there she said, "Thank you for letting me use your hat. It is not often that I think to wear anything to cover my head and normally I love to feel the rain falling on me but tonight the hat was definitely welcome as My body seems to be colder then it normally gets."

When Sartana asked Merenwen about the wraith she wished she had something to tell him, but she didn't think she had ever met the wraith before. She replied, "I don't think I've ever actually met him before. I may have seen him before but I can not say for sure. I know I've never seen him in his wraith form and since that was the form he stayed in tonight I can not be sure if I have seen him in human form before. I wish there was something I could tell you, and I wish I knew more myself." when she finished saying this a woman walked up with their food so she stopped talking, not sure if they should let this woman hear about what happened.

Merenwen placed his hat on the table. "Thank you for letting me use your hat. It is not often that I think to wear anything to cover my head and normally I love to feel the rain falling on me but tonight the hat was definitely welcome as My body seems to be colder then it normally gets." Sartana nodded. He also enjoyed rain, and feeling soft drops of it land on his face and hair, but tonight's storm was cold and unpleasant, and he couldn't help but cover up his face from the piercing, frigid rain drops and howling winds. He took the hat and placed it next to his chair, on the floor, where it would dry off better, as it was closer to the fireplace. He undid his cloak and scarf, placing their soaked forms on another chair of the table they were sitting at. He was disappointed to hear that she hadn't met the creature before this day, and knew nothing about him. The demon hunter crossed his hands over his chest, thinking. Perhaps Luke would know something of this man. With all the information he's been receiving for his new novel, there's bound to be something mentioning such a strange, evil creature.

The demon hunter had only ordered a small amount of food, and it came a moment later in a few bowls and plates, carried by an elderly waitress. Sartana thanked her as she put down the plate, and sighed, looking at the delicious food before him. He was still troubled, though. The demon hunter had only spent a few months in this land, and the wraith was the first opponent he had lost to. In fact, it was the second opponent he had lost to in his entire life, the first being against the evil and nearly omnipotent necromancer Laraxle. He was ashamed now to have lost to such a minor opponent.

His hand reached across the table and he filled up his plate, glancing up at Merenwen. Honestly, she wasn't much for conversation, and didn't usually have interesting things to say. He wondered what exactly she did with her life, and if it was at all dull. Her being an adventurer, Sartana figured it couldn't be totally boring, but still, he wondered why she had trouble striking up a conversation with him.

“Have you spoken with our Sileni friend since the last time we saw her?” He asked, taking a bite from a buttery roll in his hand.

As the woman walked away Merenwen took the small amount of food she ordered and took a few bites. She was hoping that the food would help her in feeling better because she was still feeling a little bit shaky and low on energy. The food was welcome to her body and she immediately began to feel a little better. With the heat and the food she was getting a little sleepy but at least the overpowering fatigue was starting to back off.

After taking a few bites she looked up at Sartana and felt that with the food in her system she was more ready to talk to him. Before she had a chance to speak he said, "Have you spoken with our Sileni friend since the last time we saw her?" The truth was she had spent much of her time traveling since that day.

To him she said, "I haven't seen her, but then I've been traveling a lot. I've been in a few scrapes myself since that day and haven't taken much time to go back and see her." She paused and took another bite of her food. When she continued she said, "While it would be nice to see her again I haven't been ready to break that fully from my travels. When I've found the need for a short period of relaxation I have just found somewhere that was on my travels. I have needed to relax some and was in fact planning on doing so now until I came across you and the wraith. It wasn't long ago that I got into two scrapes within a short time of each other and so I was looking forward to a little time relaxing in the forest."

She didn't know if he would want the details of her travels so she decided to leave it at this for the time being. If he asked for more information she would give it but she didn't want to bore him. She was sure that to him her scrapes would seem minor, it's not like she was fighting demons. Her battles had been with pirates and a Kraken, and while she found them to be intense fights she didn't know if he wanted to hear all of that. "I don't wish to bore you with my tales but if you wish to hear them I will tell them. What have you been doing since that day at the Lake?" she asked.

The demon hunter took in a mouthful of warm, chunky stew, and chewed it happily, now somewhat over his near fatal encounter with the wraith. He nodded at Merenwen's answers to his questions, and was interested to hear that she had indeed been adventuring. And he liked her idea of taking time off for relaxation. He used to do it back in his realm, too. After a week or two of hunting demons and visiting the city, speaking with resistance members, the demon hunter would retreat to his woodland home and just relax. He'd sleep on his favorite tree branch overlooking the lake, snake on roasted fish and deer meat... It was quite enjoyable. These thoughts made him home-sick.

He lifted an eyebrow at what she said next. "I don't wish to bore you with my tales but if you wish to hear them I will tell them. What have you been doing since that day at the Lake?" Had he given any expressions or said anything to offend her? It was true that she often didn't have much to say, but that was just who she was. Before coming here, the demon hunter was rather terse, if not entirely unresponsive to others. He didn't think she was a terribly interesting person, but she was a friend, and a fellow adventurer. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.

“I've done nothing of particular interest.” he started, moving the food around in his plate with the tip of his fork. He looked up at her, with his multicolored eyes. “Really, I'd much rather hear what you've been up to. I see you've found yourself another sword.” He said, leaning to the side of the table and looking at the short sword she carried. He had one somewhat like it, too. “Where'd you find it?” He asked, smiling and taking another bite of his stew. It was really good.

Merenwen was surprised to hear he had done nothing that interesting but decided not to bother him about it. When he asked her where she had gotten her new sword she decided that she may as well tell him the story. He said he'd like to hear about what she had been up to so she prepared to tell the story.

"I got this sword when I was in Lomedor preparing to set out across the ocean. I had been headed down to the dock where the ship was to leave from when I was accosted by a band of pirates. They yanked me into the Wilwarin Inn and Pub and from there things got interesting. A man was standing on a table arguing with some of the men who had entered before us and telling them that if they did not leave him alone he would kill them. This distracted the pirates who had control of me so I decided to try and escape but before I got to the door one of the men turned around and grabbed me. I cast my ice grip spell and froze the man but this caused many of the others to turn in my direction," she paused to take a bite of her food.

When she her voice was a little more cautious and her regret could be heard fairly clearly. She said, "The pirates advanced on both me and the man and a fight broke out. As we fought I froze a number of the men and was forced to kill some. When it was done I saw that one of the men I had killed had this sword and I picked it up. I wasn't fond of killing the men but didn't see a reason to leave the blade behind." She wasn't sure how he would react to this, when she thought back on it she wasn't proud of what she had done but she couldn't change that now.