“There are many different kinds of demons, however we only really have two categories for them. Blightdrawn, those that survive the necronization process become something entirely made to adapt flesh, and Ikaerii, Those first born of the Fallen former celestials. Blightdrawn can be avoided, they are essentially hungry flesh carver that can be destroyed the same way any kind of life can be destroyed just be careful. They can consume all organic matter, they can have a preference for living flesh but given the opportunity ensure that every miniscule piece of the Blightdrawn is destroyed otherwise it’ll find new ways to adapt.” Professor Dignaby Scrouch, 1655 Demonology 110

1509.04.10 Y’vesstar, Varsh

Nico was lying on a bed alone, he felt confused. He couldn’t feel the rocking of the boat nor the smell of the other people aboard the ship. The mage opened his eyes, he could see nothing really much other than the darkened confines of his family shack. Nico shook his head, why was he here now? He sat up, there were no smells of food and warmth here, it felt cold and empty. Nico’s desk was looted and emptied and that felt familiar to him but the man standing by the fireplace didn’t seem familiar to Nico at all. Black hair, tanned from many days in the hot sun.

“Hello Nico,”

“Dad? I hard-”

“I am not your father, I am just visiting.” The man looked sorrowfully outside. As cold and dark as the house was there was some light from outside Nico could see. Outside the window was Atalar, bright and sunny a usual well tempered day for spring.

“Who are you?”

“You’ll get to know me” The man stated, there was something he was holding back emotionally that Nico couldn’t detect. Looking the man up and down he wore black robes with silver elven filigree and some gold, and that hideous symbol.

“How can you even wear that?”

“It protects me” The man barely spoke, his eyes bled tears of blood and then Nico turned to look outside his little window. The village was burning, his mother and friends were being rounded up by Slavers!

“I have to stop them!”

“Don’t!” The man screamed but it was too late and Nico dashed out the door only to have it be nightfall outside and the village dead and empty. Reminiscent of that strange other realm he’d once been too. Soot and ashes covered everything, the houses that still stood in spite of their structural integrity being called into question. Merely wooden pillars of rectangular destituation with most of the rooves burnt to a crisp. The old tavern having take a particularly violent interest in whomever burnt this place to the ground. Skeletal bodies blacked by fire and char were hanging out of the various windows and other holes made by the fire and those desperate enough to try and escape it.

“They locked up the entire town, locked them in there…” Nico’s voice echoed, it was so empty here now. The man was in front of the tavern on his hands and knees, solemnly punching the ground.

“Why am I always too late.”

“I mean the Elantrans are too close, that's why we left.”

“They needed to leave.”

“Some folk are stubborn.” There was a myriad of voices swirling around and Nico said nothing.

“WHY COULDN'T YOU SAVE THEM!”

Nico woke up with a cold sweat, The gentle rocking of the boat telling him he had indeed been dreaming.

“You alright?” Vick’s hammock above him rocked as Vick’s head popped over the side, they were tired and groggy. Nico had given up trying to sleep in his room alone, electing to stay in the darkened common area where most of the crew slept.

“I had a weird dream.”

“You two shut it! I am trying fucking sleeping.” There was a cacophony of groans at the shouting that prompted one of the human sailors to look, jump out of his hammock and march over to the offending party.

“Let’s talk on the deck.” Vick then hopped out as well and helped the young mage to his feet. It didn’t take long to get to the ship’s surface level where they met no one in particular.

I’ll watch for when it calms down again master.

Of course thank you Sal.

“So what did you dream about?”

“My village was destroyed, they burned all the people up ”

“Well that's probably just a dream.” Nico’s heart could stop pounding, something deeply awful was happening and he knew it.

“I think something had to have happened!” Vick could see Nico was starting to shake, like a beaver dam that's taken on too much water and starts to overflow and get pushed out of it’s anchors and structure. The mage began crying, tears that couldn't stop flowing though he knew not the exact origin.

“I feel like the world is closing in, so much has happened in such a short period that this back to daily monotony keeps me wondering about my mum and my home. I wonder if the group made it out of those tunnels unscathed.” Vick just held Nico and said nothing. The mage continued to sob and bury his face into his friend’s shoulder.

“Why would my master send me away without saying anything, I feel tricked and betrayed. Those kids we saved looked like they went through hell and back. Why couldn't they have gone with me? What makes me so important?”

“You are a mage.” Vick’s words had a tone of offence though Vick still held the young boy.

“They knew some magic though. Wouldn’t that make them just as special as me?”

“Then whoever they were running from wanted you as well, perhaps more than the other kids they had taken from them?”

“It just seemed so strange, I only ever wanted to learn magic ever since my Dad left.”

“You haven’t talked about him yet?”

“He left to give us some kind of future, I guess I am left to give my mom and town some kind of future. My mum always spoke about the parallels between me leaving and how he left ” There was a silence for a time, a few moments spent in a comforting embrace. Nico pulled away after a time longer, the boy happy to have a friend.

“There are only two things I really remember about my dad, he loved sailing and he loved… Well I always remember cleaning his sword. He had sort of an intense look to him all the time, always staring at the door. We didn’t have much then either. Both my parents worked with farmer Took, my father always talked about money.” Nico was holding on to something in his pocket, small bits of the white flower petals of elfleaf.

“Where’d ya that?”

“Sally and I used to pick these leaves and flowers in the forest, its called elfleaf they are supposed to have medicinal properties.”

“Yeah I know what it is, its quite popular in the east, you can smoke it to hallucinate as well those some people should avoid it.”

“My master smokes this often, says it helps him study.” Vick chuckled

“Well what medicinal properties do the flowers have, Nico?”

“We cast a first aid spell with them to prevent infection. Couple it with the catalyst of the bandage and you can stop most wounds from bleeding. Aids the body's natural healing process. I always believed my master when he said it was good for his mind.” Nico had an exhausted stare as he made his way over to his favourite spot near the front of the ship. The starboard bannister right next to the starboard side harpoon.

“Yeah that would be very useful.” Vick joined the mageling

“Well if this is the worst it gets Nico then the rest of this boat ride will be easy.” Vick then drew Nico’s attention to ships cargo door where they had been sleeping previously, it sounded like things calmed down.

“Come on, let's go.” Nico nodded, then followed along, Vick wrapped an arm around Nico’s shoulder pulling them into the stocky young human.

“Look we can’t do anything about anything for the next two weeks anyways so you might as well just keep your head down.”

“I imagine Oakarn has something for me when I get there, he said there’d be money to start my schooling.”

“I mean Red Rock you gotta pay into the city as well. Not really much anywhere to go for certain folks though.”

“You get to see the Fog in the next few days.”

“The fog?” Nico hesitantly started to keep his voice down as Vick continued unabated.

“There is this fog that permeates past the island chain we are going to pass tomorrow, covers the mysterious continent of Odyssey. Ships come into the fog but nothing returns but the odd bits of wreckage. More than likely they are stuck there or maybe some sea monster is eating them!” Vick attempted to quiet their enthusiasm, Nick tried to wave his hands in an attempt to get the dark elf to quiet down. The two talked for some time in the night until one of the other sailors finally had enough. Glares in the fire light were given before the two friends drifted off to sleep.