Warriors of light cuaght in a dark world.

the spirit of light tried to ease her worries "he wont lose. Thks creature has no place in any realm. If it exists in any workd that world will end. The will of The Almighty will show him victory." She looled at the spirit of light with surprise. The almighty wasnt just some name to be thrown around. Even by spirits. Indeed, calling upon that name brings attention to the one who does both good and evil attention.

She didnt ask any questions and the hisdious voice black as the unlight it spun grated on her ears as the wounded outsider spoke. "You cannot win, strike me down another will come in my place" it said with an echo that if it was allowed to use its real voice would destroy the world.

"Then ill beat that one too. You have no place here in creation, begone or be destoryed" he said and he seems to grow in strength and stature. Some force of light life love and mihht filled him and the creature grew afraid. Its attacks became more desperate and wild or so precocely calculated it seemed wild.

He fought until his strength was depelete. Her heart ached to help but it was forbidden. A s finally in a last effort he focused that unique power that settled over this place even created this place and spoke. His voice was magnkfied in authority and will beyond anything anywhere.

"BEGONE AND TROUBLE THIS PAIR NO MORE. IN TJE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY ---- " the name was impossible to pronounce or comprehend and the will coursing through him did the pronounciation for him. It did nkt come from him but used him as its instrument to commmand yhis being to depart.

Assailed by the strange but familliar will the outsider diminished and was cast away from reality back into the void between worlds.

The barrier dissolved. She was set free and what she saw and heard or couldnt hear baffled her. It was a name she ws certain but such a name cannot be altered or uttered. The seige was over. No enemy forces remakned after yhe summining and she rished to help him as he fell weakened and his power unstable.

He was aware of what happened but something about this almighty made his brain fuzzy. His heart and soul were restored but he was so peaceful. "Never again... will i have to fight one of those creatures."

"What was it exactly?" She had to know.

"It was something beyond anything demon or spirit if the universe was a body that thing was a sickness trying to kill it. If not for that holy spirit that entered me it would have. As it left it said that this realm was protected from auch creatures from now on. It also told me that it took advantage lf the ruined summoning to manifest as an entiry that devours light."

He hoped he explained it if not she would ask

"That...was insane. I never expected something like that. I could be wrong about it but that leaves me more worried of thought. Maybe I was wrong about it and this just grew to be more of a unknown I guess I still need to remember more of this..later on down the road." she wanted to learn more about the whole thing so it was a possible thought for both her and him.

The spirit of light was syill workin to help her. "That should not happen again if they were to try they wpuld be destroyed." The spirit of light said he was tired and resting.but watching her.
"Are you okay?" He asks her and he was worried because of that happened tl hee.

"................."

"Margeret?" He didn't hear her say anything from how she seems to be lost in thought. Even if it wouldn't happen again, that didn't stop the possible thoughts to go into her mind. She was worried about it later on that it just tells him she still is effected by it. Knowing the possible outcome only becomes more worried later on. His possible outcome just leaves him thinking Mageret need more time.

"........*Sighs* I'm fine....I guess."

"...A..are you sure?" he said worried.

"Yes. We better head back..and tell them everything is alright now, Andrew.."

Ooc: well i got a new car. Well new-ish 2001 toyota echo. We went to that lot to see a hundai eleantra and i was drawn to this car. Its smaller than my camry, its green it has plenty of head room. It is lighter and has better gas mileage. When i noticed it they told me it hasnt even been advertised yet. I got it for a real bargain. 68k miles on it so it will last a long time if i take care of it. Im told it will get 41 miles to gallon of gas on a highway. Mana windiws and locks 2 doors and its shorter than my camry. I dont have to do as much math to manuver it and itis deceptively powerful.

Bic: the touch of that creature marked her it made her more noticed by montsers and creatures. It gave her an jde tity to them "i survived an outsider" is what such a mark said and made monsters and creatures more likely to notice her mark and grow fearful of her.

His mark was like hers a spiritual mark.his said i defeated an outsider. It woukd draw monsrers to attack him mkre often for a chance at glory. He knew about such things and she did a little. She was going to be in time but her body was achjng in heat from qhere she qas touched.

"Okay. Lets go back maggie ill let you do the talking. Im very tired." He said with a smile

ooc:Congrats to you

bic: "*Sighs* if you wish.....Lets head on back. I know you will be knocked out from over doing it.." she mutters to him.

"Not quite... something has changed... like... like i can do things longer without getting as tired" he told her and her senses told her he was telling the truth. The spirit of light left them and she felt something different inside het similar. The battle and the encounter had made them grow in strangth endurance speed and magical power. After theu rwsted she guessed they would feel like new people fae stronger than the two they were before.

"Seems the light you felt has helped you a lot more than you think. Which is good for you Andrew. I know you done a lot so far and that explains a lot." she said looking at him that Andrew gives a nod agreeing with her. Margeret knew that things will be better now but she only wonders how this will help them later down the road. Maybe in another time? she's not sure.

"Either way; we better head on back. That way we should be okay.." she sees him nod and they head on back to the city seeing the result of everything but at least whatever the monster was is gone. The feeling or mark on her still lingers in her but she learns to bear with it for now.

When they reach the war room the leader splittered seeing their altered auras and refused to explain to his generals about what he knew. He showed real backbone and didnt bring it up again. Thw generals let it drop.

"The enemy forces are routed. The montsers and altered monsters are destoryed. They tried to summon a demon and failed wiping most of them out. Wer were blessed to get out alive. " andrew said and she took he rtime foring her report.

"Even so, that proves that things will grow more intense later down the road." the general said looking at her while it was explained even more now. Andrew sighed knowing their thought but this made Margert think about it later on too. With the monsters roaming this world, she worries about it.

Andrew looks at the generals. "We arent stayinf here. The sooner we take down the demon lord the better but we need to move on eithwr way." He said and she agreed. They needed to learn more aboit thw workd and its trpubles to fix them.

"Do what you need to do my friends. You have to figure out what is needed down the road while you go through that. Maybe you will see what is happening later on..." the general explains this to them but Margert and Andrew nods to agree with him. With this going on, that is possible maybe later down the road.

It took a day to gather their possesions. Many of them were lost during battles or broken in the initial panic. Her tools which she made herself were in a storage silo. His belongings were destroyed trampled by the look of them. So when they set out she had her tools a portble forge *magical item forge * a horse a cart hks armor and sword and of course food. And raw matierials for her to refine. She even had a small kiln for making metal ingots. Which she kept hot with a heros fire spell.

They set out that next evening after the battle to head to a sister city to the one theybwere in. Its walls werent as thick or tall buy any means but their peoples were flosely related and businesses were to. They were told even with the horse and cart it would take a week to reach this city. They woukd be alone for kost of that time.

Both Margert and Andrew were ready and trying to make sure things were kept close with another one. They were not sure where or how far they will go but this will leave her thinking of what's ahead. Maybe things will happen down or during that time. Or it's something else she's unsure with.

The first day was uneventful she spent her time stoking her kiln and adding coals to it to keep it hot while hee ingot was being cast.

"What are you making?" He asks her looking back every time she put a shovel in and closed it.

"I dont know yet its not even the metal i need yet." She answered and he asks a gain rephrasing his words.

"Okay... what kind of metal are you making?" He was a little harsh but it was because he waant good at talking soft.

"Hmm? Oh *giggle* steel i noticed most blacksmiths use iron to forge either melting it down or folding it steel is much stronger lighter and flexible." She loved to talk about the metal as it heats up it was alnost like the fire inside when she sees a man who fits her type to look at.

"I remember steel. I had a steel sword once. It cut through the demon lords minon armor like butter sometimes and onky got nicked instead of breaking it still retains its fairy banishing properties too." He was reminicing and that made her look up.

"You did? You mean you killed your demon lord with steel?" She asks thinking it wasnt possible and he confirmed that thought.

"No actually i found a sword i heard legends about in his treasury it was a holy blade. I found it after he shattered my steel sword by hitting ne through the wall." She winced to get hit hard enough to go through the wall of a demon lords treasure vualt meant he was hit hard enough to shatter most metals.

"Well i use steel because its powerful uncommon and when forged it bends not breaks. So it is easiky fixed unkess the core is broken." Most weapons here werr iron even the royal guards so a steel weapon was still new and un known here. She also added hee power to the steel as it was being made to make it magical so she could add a virtue to her work.

"Seems like you did enough during your journey.." she said to him that Margert was over thinking about it. Her expressions of thought looking at Andrew thinking about it. He seems to really gone though a lot over time.

He wamted to hear more aboit hee work in smithing and about magisteel and what sort of virtues she could add to her crafts.

Let me explain. Virtue is an old word. In todays language the virtue" wuld be something that makes it magical or poweful more so than a normal craft. A virtue can give a weapon an effect that transfers to the weilder or to the foe. Or in some cases both. I hope this helps.

"What sort of virtues can your crafts imbibe while you forge them?" He asks her keeping his eyes on the road and the surroundings.

"Depends on the work and the material honesty. If I can work on the material and maybe something else, that can work towards it. Maybe more if that's the case. However, that just leaves me pondering about it later on. Maybe the thought of the material is just as good when trying to forge something." She said to Andrew.

"Soo, basically youre still figuring it out... interesting. If we need to srop for you to work on it we will. I think this will help us if we can make our own magic equipment.

"If we must then I guess if that works..." Margert explains but looks silent wondering about that thought or idea.

They didnt speak for a while as the day rolls by. Their road led them up and down and inbetween grassy hills. On their right some miles away they could see the forest and how green and full of life if was until the point whwre they were fighting during the seige. On their left a little river following the same path (more or less) as the road. The water looked fresh and clean and soemtimes when the road was right next ti it she could look down and see fish under the surface.

Several miles later the forest curved around and they needed to go into it following the road. The river flowed out of rhe forest bubbling and splashinf happily in the sunlight. The forest looked floomy inside and some shadow seemed to have fallen over it when they entered.

Here the power of nature was potent and plants moved in their own. Some were beautiful others reminded her of monsters. Some trees were old some were very new. The ildest had strange splits shaped like faces twisted in evil laughter.

The vines growing in those boughs moved without aid from the wind since there waa none. She could almost swear that they were eying their cart and them but she guessed it was her imagination.

He liked the river and the sun bit this forest made his guard go up the evil looking trees to him had fruit on them but they didnt appeal to him at all. The vines made him think they were fping to be cuaght and restrained. As they travel a mile into this place trees begin to cover the road and many more evil looking ones line it. Their vines trailing.

She was the ine who noticed the first sign that these were monsters. She saw an old skeleton trapped in vines before a curtain of vines seemingly was draped iver the bones. "Did you see that tree move?" She asks touhhinf his should to steel her heart.

"I did. And i notice many of these trees are the same ines we saw when we came in... they even seem to have changed the direction of the path i cant follow the river without a crowd of them turning to watch us." He had noticed too.

Her powers over nature told her to avoid the vines as they coil like snakes gropong for them slowly. Hus instinct told him to stop and burn each evil tree but that could cause problems. They hadnt attacked but they did alter the route taking thwm away from the river and towards the heart of the forest. It was getting darker even with the sun still high in the sky. The trees were getting thicker, older, closer together.

It felt scary seeing this sort of thing in this strange forest but Margret was nervous either way. She didn't want those trees to get a hold of them because it wouldn't be pleasant. She just hope they can get through the forest and out of here to their new location. Andrew felt the same because he didn't wish to be in this place either but knowing the possible outcome can make one worry about it later on. He just keeps going while seeing the horses heading forward deeper into the forest that they seem uneasy too.

This strange forest leaves a disturbing feeling in them that they only want to get out of here. The trees were still showing those evil faces. The vines swirling like snakes seeing the new travelers going through their forest. They never seen them before in this life time but that is what they do mostly during new faces that come here. Bring valuables and other things that was good to take after their death. They just keep an eye on both Andrew and Margret that they were looking ahead still heading deeper into the forest.

"......."

"Something wrong, Margret?" he noticed her rubbing her arm feeling tense but the sight of this place was upsetting her. She just wanted to get through and leave. This place was already upsetting her and she hated it.

"N...No. Nothing is wrong Andrew. I just wish we can get out of here. I hate being in this evil place...It feels disturbing..and wrong to me. The way the trees are is just upsetting to me..." she said looking down at her lap that he feels she was really anxious right now.

"Well this is a dark forest and it was recently burned buly people and there is a demon lord on the loose making dark olaces evil places. I get how you feel. "

"Does this mean that the trees... became monsters?" She asks and he answers with a nod. They were surrounded and the path behind them disappeard. They came to teh center of the forest and their horse refuesed to go further. It was a poisoned swamp. Demon energy was coning from it and the evil trees were drinking it not just from their roots but their mouths as well. In the center of the swamp was a broken willow with a demon tree growing out of it. It laughed and the others laughed too. A hollow booming sound like drums or wood horns mixed. The broken willow had died and the poison was coming from the demon trees sap as it sucked pure water from a spring and poisoned it. It looked like a willow as well but the purple vines were thick and pulsing itchung to wrap around "a young maiden ooh yes dear i can hear your thoughts. Youve been tainted by a demon captured havent you?" Hus voice sounded in her head as well as from the tree and the evil trees laughed again. They wouldnt strike without a command.

Andrew didnt hear the voice in his head like she did he silenced the voice with fire from his mind. He hadnt been trapped and broken before loke she had been. "We wont destroy you or harm this forest we just want to" he began but the demon tree finsihed his scentence too.

"Just want to pass through yes? NO!" All laughter died replaced by rage greed and a lust for blood and suffering. "These are my woods now they obey ME! and i would not wish to deny this pretty young thing my special touch TAKE THEM!" the demon tree cried out and the whole gathering began to swarm them. The trees whoes hearts were black before drinking the poisoned swamp became monsters. Good trees were killed by it and left to rot. One such tree bulged and burst as demon worms hatched from a dead woman trapped inside cone forth.

He was expecting this or something loke it when the oath turned from the river. He build up his power for a spell he learned fighting and defeating the metalslimes "BURN!" was his trigger and the fireball hit the worms and bearest trees engulfing them before an explosion spread the flames throughout the evil gathering. He poured a great deal of his power into thw spell and because it was the first time he used a spell he wasnt used to how much thwy drained his magic nor hiw long it would take to breathe normal again.

His spell damaged all the trees and killed the worms but not badly enough to make fighting much easier. She knew by his wnwegy level he could only do that one more time but the demon tree couldnt be hurt by such a thing.

Some eviltrees run. Others were stunned by the spell leaving a third of them able to attack.

"It did some damage but some were still not harm by it, Andrew. We need to retreat or find any spell that's stronger than this." Margret was about to say to him but sees a few vines reaching but not getting too close without the command. More evil laughter swarms the area that it leaves her nervous and afraid. This same feeling was only going to make her feel a panic but tries calming herself down. Andrew held up his sword building up another big gain of magic even if it's going to take some time to build it.

"What's wrong? Can't gather enough to strike again? HA! This will be fun to see the humans suffer under the branches of our trees. Come now; show us your weaknesses! Let the fear of the evil one flow through this land and it's people.." She heard the tree boom out that she sees more about to grab them. She was about to do something but Andrew hits it away or slices the branch with his sword. A screech was heard that it started to move back or regrow it.

Yhe yhick vines caught her as she stumbles on a tree root. They surge around her binding her but not killing her. They were going to use her for their enjoyment. He turned and stsrted to cast the spell only to get hit by thw yrees while the demon yreepulls her over to it across the swamp. Yhe vines yravel under her clothes and armor as the dark energy touches her she blushed hard and was aroused against her will. Her body remembered being in a tight grip and knew what possible outcome was going to happen.

The vines rub and squeeze her body paying special attention to her most sensitive areas. Her magic was being sucked out and used to hold her body and replaced with inkections of some thin fluid that made her heat she fet for andrew seem like a cold snow by comparison. This overheayed feeling was what she feared would happen again and this time she might not break free before her first time was ripped away from her.

Andrew cut down tree after tree one blow each they died and piles of treasure and that famiiar light rushed into them both.