∼ Codex ∼

Chapter - 027

The crackle of stone underbed, the rumble of the carriages, and the sounds of conversation at their backs - Nyx was bored. His legs dangled off the edge of the coach, watching the gravelly Iron Road go by as he absentmindedly picked his fanged teeth with one long, clawed finger. Nothing much had happened in recent days, other than doing some hunting here and there, and playing some... good-natured tricks on the stupid humans.

Oh, how easy they were to fool...

Regardless, things had taken a turn for the monotonous. Despite even with the dark figures and menacing roar of the forests, that occasionally would pass by as they stalked the caravan, and those he himself would come all-too-close to during his hunts, Nyx wanted to go explore the depths of these lands - and kill some things! Still, it wanted to leave the red-haired human even less.

Sure... pretty much all the humans were stupid, and they were little better than for amusement - but there just was something about that redhead. Out of all other creatures it had come across in this world, she was the one he felt most kin. And she treated him as such.

Nyx still wasn't sure why she as of recent had been speaking to him in whispered tones, almost as if she didn't want to be heard, but he went along with it since he was learning many new things. Things that had up until that point had made no sense to a creature like him.

Example - retrieving your own personal prompt.

"Codex!" Nyx shouted in his mind.

Status Information

Attributes Name Nyx Health 12/12 STR 7 END 2 Race Impling Stamina 5/5 DEX 4 INT 18 Level 7 - (5%) Mana 2/2 VIT 3 CHR 2 Class Main-Class Warlock Rank Apprentice Grade Rare Sub-Class None Rank None Grade None Traits Fire Resistance - (Racial), Mark of Pride - (Demonism) Titles None Skills Demon Bolt - [Inferior] Masteries Proficiencies

Techniques Demonology - [Superior], Mana Manipulation - [Inferior], Words of Power - [Inferior] None

But... that was about as much as he had learned. He still needed to figure out exactly what it was trying to explain to him, other than it was just a display of himself - his strengths, and such.

She was even teaching him easier ways to conjure his might, his purple flames of utter destruction and annihilation, as he had taken to remember them as. But more than that, she had taught him something called... meditation. The impling hated it, but Aria said that it would make him more powerful, one of the only ways he could with his magic. She called it; expanding one's mind. So Nyx kept at it - even though he fell asleep most of the time.

True enough, Aria had not been lying, as a week later, of frustratingly sitting still, Nyx had gotten a notification!

[Through dedication and hard work, your mind has expanded, and your reservoir with it]

[+1 to mana]

With this, Nyx was now sure, indubitably that; Aria was the smartest, stupid-human he had ever met.

She knew so much, and Nyx came to realize that just maybe, sticking with this human would prove to be the most key for his rise to power. She had already proven herself with her knowledge, and even more so with the fact she was an exalted food magician. But after an unlucky encounter with some of the more frightening beasts of the wilds, Nyx also came to know her powers as a healer.

Wounds that would have taken days, weeks to nurture, took but minutes to heal with her powers. Nyx almost tried to get hurt on purpose once, just to see her use that magic again - but he quickly learned that she apparently could not always heal him. Whether that be a limitation of her powers or some other reason, he had yet to figure out as she just kept trying to explain that he shouldn't be talking too loudly or to any of the other humans.

But that was nonsense. What would he achieve by speaking with stupid humans? A waste of time is what it was.

At least the smartest of them was worth speaking to...

Giving the impling a side-long glance, Eric groaned, trying his best to readjust on his saddle.

"What's wrong lad, not used to riding a horse?" Boram called from the side, giving Eric a wry look.

"Not exactly... at least, not for an entire week straight. I swear, I feel like I don't have a lower half anymore - pretty sure my legs are just dead weight at this point..."

Boram guffawed, much to the mirth of some of the other men. All of whom seemed to have gone through the same ringer more than a couple of times.

Eric sighed as he got some blood back into his lower body, sitting a little more comfortably. "How long until the next settlement?"

"This the Dead Stretch - no towns nor cities anywhere near. We should be as far from Mayne as we are Boreas just about now." The large man grumbled.

Eric nodded, realizing what Boram was saying. Despite not having any real education or experience of the outside world to speak of, Eric knew that where almost all settlements were built gravitated to the vicinity of the major cities, that being like Mayne and Boreas for the Kingdom of Moravia.

Mayne was the capital, and without their support to fend off walking calamities and festering monster dens, Baronies, abyss - even Counties would be wiped off the map. Just like Aemsburg, as they had just recently called for aid from Mayne to take care of a nest of arachnids that had been growing in the Heartweald.

Without the support of major settlements, small towns and cities would die off on their lonesome, laid to waste by the ever-encroaching spawn of monsters.

Riding through the day, the caravan trodded on with its slow but steady cadence, but just on the fall of dusk, something in the distance caused great stir amongst everyone. In the middle of the endlessly grey road, the ruins of wagons, carriages, and other wheeled contraptions were laid strewn about in a display of chaos.

Even Boram tensed - his meaty hands tight around the reins.

Handing them to Aria who had been absent-minded, nearly fumbled with them, looking positively awkward as she tried to figure out how to hold them properly, but Boram had not the spare to notice. He got off with a heavy thud and began walking against the caravan procession.

"Listen up! Everyone gather up tight, I don't want to see none stray out from where we cannot protect you. And men! Establish the perimeter, nothing - and I mean nothing, gets through. You hear me!?"

"Aye - Aye!" The guards chorussed, much to the startle of the simple merchants and travelers. But nonetheless, everyone heeded the bear-like man's words, grouping up close. Swiftly, an outer edge around the caravan had been formed, twenty armored men keeping their eyes peeled and their weapons at the ready. "We'll pass right through it, so keep ya wits fast, and your blade faster yet,"

Eric also got off his horse, handing it off to someone else, and drew his weapon - adrenaline pumping - nerves fraught - yet excited deep down. The two older guards, Dresden and Mike flanked the head of the caravan, but more so, ensured nothing came to Aria - who underneath her dark hood, was about as scared as deer surrounded by a pack of starving wolves.

She wanted to take comfort in Nyx, but he seemed about as excited as he was for dinner time, bouncing on his feet and tail swishing behind him as he could taste the tension in the atmosphere.

Drawing closer to the caravan that had been torn to asunder, the sickly odor of death lingered in the air. Some swore they could even smell the fear of the victims behind that pungent odor. Sturdy wagons had been reduced to unrecognizable wreckage, some so mangled that you did not know when one ended, and another started.

Large timber planks had snapped sheer in two, wooden boards had massive furrows carved into them, and loads of cargo had been trashed to spill its contents everywhere.

But more disconcerting than the state of the transport itself, were the remains of those who rode them. Or rather - the lack of them. A slaughter had taken place, yet no bodies were to be seen, not even that of the mounts. Blood and viscera painted the Iron Road crimson, but that was all there left of them.

Eric's face contorted, growing grim. "What could've done this?" He looked to Boram who was about as taut as a bowstring. But before he could say anything, Dresden sounded, not looking back at Eric as he spoke. "Nothing we'd want to find out,"

Boram nodded. "We need to get out of here, fast. This was recent, and-"

"Over here!" A woman suddenly called out from further down their procession.

The caravan instinctually slowed to a near halt as most wanted to see what had happened. This caused Boram's face to darken, as he very well knew that if not everyone was on board, then the caravan would go nowhere.

He stormed over to where the woman hovered over a trio of men that were trying to pull something from out under a cluster of carriages. Eric followed, and came upon the same sight.

A child.

No, not a child.

A gnome, short of stature, and thin of frame - the small man was smeared in dirt and blood, a couple of broken bones evident through even his clothes.

The carriages must've crashed on top of him. Mangling him - yet also appearing to have saved him from whatever horrors had attacked his caravan.

"Space people - space!" Boram rumbled, making the flocking crowd part way, lest they be trampled underneath the bear coming through.

He crouched before the comically miniature person in comparison, noting that he was still indeed breathing and his eyes were moving. Yet, they more so rolled around than did they signal any form of coherent thought or presence.

Boram was about to reach for his waterskin, but Eric had already extended his, to which Boram gratefully accepted, pouring some into the gnome's mouth, then emptied it on his face.

Sputtering, the gnome came to - wild-eyed for a brief moment until he caught sight of the huge man over him.

"What happened here?"

"W-we," The small man coughed, red spittle and water trickling down the corner of his bloody mouth. "We were attacked..."

"By what?" Boram pressed.

For a moment, the small person just looked at Boran, before beginning to look from side to side. "Where's Anita..? I want to see her-" The gnome droned off, slowly becoming incoherent as he spoke.

"By what - abyss-dammit, by what did you get attacked?" Boram grabbed his collar.

The gnome suddenly froze, eyes going wide and wild, horror made manifest in those brown eyes.

"R-reavers..."

Boram went pale white, as did most of the guards who overheard.

"Reavers?" Eric echoed, the name not ringing any bells.

Yet rather than answer, Boram rose to his full height, doing a full once-over of the forested enclosure at both their sides. "I want barricades! Now!"

Everyone stood still, the words still echoing in the air. Boram growled, "I said - NOW!"

Suddenly kicked into high gear, guardsmen ran about terrified merchants and travelers, beginning to pick apart the ruined caravan, erecting defenses.

"Should we not be running?!" One of the merchants called out, the man, a twitchy and nervous fellow.

Boram walked up to him close, staring down from his towering height. "We're already surrounded." He turned his head to the treeline, peering into the dark gloom. "We've been prey long before we even came here."