Putrid blood sprayed across the man's leather armor, another ghoul fell.
"Who's next?" He yelled, holding out his crossbow.
A zombie shambled from behind a tree, its arms outstretched and jaw gaping. The man let loose a bolt straight between its eyes, and it fell.
A sound, like the wind but distorted. He looked down, the shadows of himself and the trees began to bend and swirl. He leapt back and dug his dagger deep into a tree, hanging from it and tossing his empty crossbow aside.
The shadows coalesced into a dark figure, its fingers jagged like the shape of lightning and its face the thing of a child's nightmare. It looked up at him and cackled in a cacophony of voices as it reached itself up toward him.
The man grabbed a bottle of clear liquid from his belt, breaking the string and yanking out the cork with his teeth. He threw it at the shadow and the dark creature erupted in blue flames and screeched before disappearing entirely.
The forest grew silent, he waited a moment before letting himself down from the tree. The dagger took a few tugs before it came loose again, he wiped off the sap and stuck it back in the small sheathe on his chest. He picked up his crossbow and hung it at his hip opposite the other one. He took a look around inspecting the undead corpses, and then he heard a sound.
Clapping.
"Well done! Good job Zander, I knew you had it in you!"
In an instant Zander had the loaded crossbow pointed at the source of the voice, a bedraggled man with unkempt black hair and dressed in tattered robes.
"What are you doing here Bastion?"
"I can't say hello to an old friend?" Bastion sneered and began walking over.
Zander clutched the crossbow tighter. "Not another step forward. How did you find me?"
"Find you?" Bastion scoffed, "Just a
coincidence, nothing more."
"You mean to tell me we both left Zauberia and not only both ended up in Glade… but Merravale too? And in the exact same forest at the exact same time?"
"Yup."
"Bullshit."
Bastion looked up at the moon wistfully. "I'm tracking down a book, and it led me here."
"A book. Really?"
"Yes. Really."
Zander loosened his grip. "I take it you won't be bothering me then."
Bastion shrugged. "No promises, we may cross paths again. But I wouldn't want to get on your bad side more than I already am, so I'll try not to cause trouble."
Zander stowed his crossbow and walked away. "Fine. Bye."
"Oh by the way!" Bastion called, "I heard a rumor someone from the Lost Legion is around these parts! Better watch out!"
Zander's eyes widened. In a flash he had Bastion against a tree with a knife at his neck. "Why would you mention those fucks?"
Bastion grinned a shit eating grin.