Vince and Fintan trotted through the pouring rain, their boots flinging up puddles of mud and rain that kicked up onto the backs of their cloaks as they ran. Their horses were saddled a couple miles east of where they had set up their post. Fintan led the way, his body was much older than Vince's, but it didn't stop him from leading the way. Vince followed as best he could, but he was constantly whining over the spitting rain and slippery conditions as they went. He did not even really know if Fintan could hear him, but it made it all the more bearable for himself either way.

Finally, they came upon the outskirts of a fairly built up town. Fintan knelt under the shade of the natural canopy overhead, outlooking the area before him.

"Why do you always do that?" Vince asked with the slightest of grins.

"Do what? I'm scoping the area."

"What is there to scope? It's just a town. Looks pretty straight forward to me."

Fintan could sense the sarcasm in his tone, and he managed a wry smile. He chose not to reply. Vince would have to learn to control his tongue. If a Magi Knight spoke too much, he would land himself in trouble. It was always seen as best to reveal as little about yourself as possible, so people don't ask too many questions.

Fintan pulled back the large hood from over his head, and he gazed across the vast expanse of land that stretched between the wood line they crouched by and the perimeter of the town ahead.

"This is the town of Dyahai, I believe. One of Raideth's less patrolled towns. There's a lot freer trade and dealings that go on down here."

Vince didn't look impressed as he stared down at the tall infrastructure of crowded buildings ahead. "Where are we headed now anyways? That other Magi Knight and his apprentice are in a deep hole now, aren't they Fintan?"

Fintan cringed at being called by his common name by his apprentice, but he let it go.

"If I tell you too much, you'll probably end up giving us away the second we step into town."

Fintan was about to advance forward before Vince had a chance to reply but Vince held out an arm, "You said it yourself, I'm becoming a Knight of the Order now, you have to tell me these things."

Fintan sighed; regretting having said that in the past although he knew it to be true.

"We are losing presence here south of the Raideth border. We are headed back for reinforcements. We are going to need help, and quite a bit."

"So where are we headed then?"

"Well first, I need to find out where I can find an old friend, which is why we are headed to the town of secrets, Dyahai, in order to find out."

Fintan let that sit and then trotted out across the vast expanse of open land towards Dyahai. Vince lagged behind, still with much to ask.

The two were no strangers in a crowd of travelers. Vince tried not to stare at some of the odd interactions that took place around them. Fintan gave Vince a discreet slap to the rib when he was caught staring at a man with a burned face offer a jar to a man that contained some sort of body part inside. Vince found himself staring even though his eyes wanted to look elsewhere, he was intrigued.

It was about an hour before Vince and Fintan found themselves sitting at a table at the back of an inn, surrounded by dozens of strange men in concealing cloaks having low-to-the-table conversations and exchanging odd looks with the men around them.

Fintan remained neutral but Vince wasn't as comfortable.

"Fintan, I mean, sorry, erm, master, why are we trying to meet an old friend here?"

"This is where he makes his living."

"How so? Is he strange like all of these people who keep looking at me weird?"

"Keep your head down then or else they're going to think you're in for business."

At some point, Vince noticed Fintan had been staring down a table a long way across the inn. There were three people leaned in close with their cloaks up, only the hair of the side of a man's head could be made out. Short, poky orange hair protruded from the sides of the man's head. The other two remained well hidden under cloaks and pointed hats. As the other man's face turned slightly Vince noticed a long, wispy orange beard.

"Master do you know them?"

"Quiet, Vince. Do not speak unless you wish to be found out." Fintan's eyes widened as one of the men at the table turned. White, milky eyes of the man with orange hair slowly turned towards Fintan and Vince from the table.

Vince noticed Fintan's hand go down to his side where presumably his dagger was. The three at the table all took side long glances in their direction and in an instant Fintan was up from his seat shoving his way through the crowded inn towards the back door. With no time to question, Vince was out of his seat following Fintan, his body slamming against every which person in his way. Nasty looks and shouts came at him from all directions. He managed a glance back and he didn't see the three at the table, but he didn't see them coming towards him either.

Fintan bust through the back door and Vince followed out shortly later. The two froze in their tracks as soon as they stepped outside. Standing before them were the three men? No, one was a woman. The two men had milky, white eyes without a pupil, and their skin looked fake, as if painted on. The three of them stood between their escape to the wood line of the forest from which they came. The woman spoke first, her lips were as red as cherry and her hair came down in dirty brown waves.

"You're a long way from home, Magi Knight."

Fintan gritted his teeth and showed a hint of his blade underneath his garments.

The man with the orange hair unveiled his hands from under his cloak which came out as long talons that were of blades rather than fingers.

"Look we don't want any trouble. We are looking for a man named Gerd, can you show us to him?"

The woman spoke again, "Gerd is no longer with the Order. He was taken by the necromancers."

Fintan disliked her way of talking, her words reminded him of poison. He knew she was bluffing. She didn't know who Gerd was. He made the first move. His blade extended from both ends of the narrow hilt, sharp ends extending on either side. He detached the hilt from the center and it suddenly like magic he had duel blades, both made of pure black steel with a curved appearance to the blade. The man with the wispy orange beard opened his mouth revealing a jagged set of sharp teeth, foam rolling down into his beard. His skin turned to a rubbery black texture; his eyes held their milky appearance.

Fintan looked to Vince, "Use your blade, Vince!"

Vince needed no second telling, he pulled out his longsword made of pure silver and pointed its tip towards the man with the wispy beard. His hat no longer covered most of his head and he could see the roots of his hair receding and his skin changing to its natural rubbery black substance.

Before the first attack could be made a plank of wood came shattering into Fintan's back, sending him tumbling to the ground. Vince turned and ducked just in time to avoid a catapult of shrapnel from a crudely made slingshot. It was the owner of the inn they had just been in. Vince pulled Fintan to his feet and together they ran towards down the narrow towns road. Vince didn't dare look back to see if the three odd people had followed them or not.

"Vince, jump now!" Fintan dove into an open window of a house that lined the street of the main town road. Together they landed a roll and tuck into the old house, Fintan re-attached the hilt of the two daggers, and one of the blades retracted back in. He sheathed the blade back into his scabbard. Vince was bewildered.

"What was that about?! What were those things?"

"Those are men that are followers of the evil King Steed. Their bodies have been cursed and now controlled by the works of King Steed's necromancers."

"I don't understand. They appeared as creatures I've never seen before."

"There's a lot you haven't seen before. We need to keep moving though before they find us again. They don't think for themselves; they share the intelligence of their necromancer. If we kill the necromancer, we kill them."

"How do we find the necromancer?" Vince and Fintan had made it to the top of the house, and the crouched over the ledge of the roof overlooking the incredible infrastructure of the large town.

"We can't. But that is why we are looking for someone who can."

Off again they went, Vince following in Fintan's stead. They travelled through the town, peering through windows and inns, careful this time not to catch the gaze of anyone for too long. Vince's hand remained on his hilt at all times, Fintan had to scold him multiple times saying, "That's the quickest way to alert someone that you're up to no good—you may as well shout that you're trouble. Keep your hands visible!"

By the day's end, the two had come upon one of the older, more worn-down houses of the town. It was more isolated, off down at the end of a side road from the main town's road.

"This could be it." Fintan approached the house with his eyes narrowed.

Vince was skeptical as always, and the inevitable line of questions followed.

"How do you know?"

"Why must you always ask? Sometimes just observe and see what you can learn."

Vince gave a frustrated snort and Fintan returned a look; he was not appreciative of his apprentice's disrespect.

"You know if times weren't different, you'd have been disciplined so harshly at the Magi Temple you'd have renounced yourself as a human being."

"I'm adaptable, master. I know how to push myself."

Fintan and Vince crept around the back to peer inside.

"Sometimes it is better to spy to be sure than to reveal your presence to the wrong person."

Fintan ducked smoothly, someone flashed by the window.

The Magi Knight peaked his head up slowly and got a good look. He motioned Vince to move back around to the front. The two stood before the front door and Fintan gave a firm knock. Vince's hand started to instinctively go to his hilt, but Fintan knew that would happen and he grabbed Vince's forearm, stopping him.

The door creaked open and the face of a man appeared around the side of the door. Soft, light skin melded into bright blue eyes.

"Unless you've come to offer your services to lord Vigne then turn yourself around and get lost." His voice was rich and deep. The lines on his face gave him character and his gray, receding hair was buzzed neatly.

"Who is lord Vigne? It is me my friend, Fintan Feynros."

The man returned a blank look for a moment, and Vince feared the worst. He could have sworn his eyes began to go white and then the man laughed crudely and embraced Fintan. The two laughed heartily and they were welcomed inside.

They were greeted cordially and sat down to some coffee. Vince was quiet and his presence was ignored for a while by the two veterans.

His home was filled with quill and parchment and skins of dead animals. Leather-bound books lined the walls and bottles of old wine littered the kitchen. It stunk of alcohol and expired meat. Vince wondered how long they would stay here and relax with those odd skin changer people on the prowl in town. He allowed himself to rise and wander to the window while the two men caught up. It was mainly the older man speaking of new ideas he had and old books he had been reading. Fintan would try to interject new points every once in a while, about his own interests but the man named Gerd was none too interested.

Vince listened as the conversation turned to things more presently, finally. Gerd spoke of the great Raideth army that was formed and how people believed the great leader Torval Rainblood was going to return to Raideth soon with riches and gold beyond imagination and soon take over the continent with his wealth. Gerd expressed his doubts and then spoke of the incredulousness of the war and the death of kings. Is he really clueless about what has happened in Mestrane? The cursed are freed!

Vince wondered whether Fintan would speak up soon because if not he might not be able to hold his tongue. Especially since he had not even been acknowledged yet which bugged him. Vince turned and approached Gerd. He interrupted, "Sir Gerd, the curse is broken. Mestrane is free."

Gerd and Fintan both froze and stared. Vince knew Fintan was at his wits end with that, but he wouldn't speak out now.

"I'm sorry and who is that young boy?"

"I am Vince, apprentice to master Fintan. These lands are not what they used to be. You're oblivious. Torval Rainblood will be obliterated by the armies of Mestrane. That army will never return."

"Who is this foolish boy you bring with you friend? I mean good heavens; I should have him removed from my house!"

"I must offer my most sincere apologies old friend, I'm afraid he is immature with his words and childish with his impulses. Forgive him, Gerd."

Gerd turned to Vince now, "Tell me boy, what are you speaking of."

"Well first of all, in our attempt to find you we almost got killed, by those skin changers, they're out there—in your town. Those men that are of King Steed."

"King Steed? You're crazy boy. He has been dead thousands of years. He has no men." Gerd spat out the last word like it tasted bad.

Vince looked to Fintan, "Well go on then, don't sit there like you haven't been explaining all of this to me yourself master."

Fintan rose from his chair, knocking his coffee to the ground in a crash. "Now you don't disrespect me like that boy, you have much to learn and would do well to shut your mouth more often." Tensions had risen quite high in the room. Gerd cursed about the coffee stain in his carpet.

Gerd spoke now, "If what he says is true, tell me Fintan. What is going on?"

"Let me catch you up to speed—and then we must leave Dyahai, and head north. Bad men are coming this way."