29 Chapter 29

Aerwyn and his undead horde traveled south into the forest for close to an hour. He sat atop Rorik with a brexil cat at either side and the rest of the horde surrounding him to make sure no clever brexil cats could make a mad dash and scratch him. Throughout their march the sounds of stirring leaves could be heard from all around them.

The more they marched the louder the sounds seemed get as if more and more creatures were closing in on them. Every time one got close Aerwyn would order the tenri to attack but by the time they arrived whatever had made the noise was long gone. It was still early in the day yet under the forests dense canopy the dim light took on a greenish hue that played tricks with Aerwyn's eyes.

The emerald light bathing the forest made everything appear to blend together when he stared at any one thing for too long. It was then when the first curious brexil cat leaped out in front of them. It's black eyes surveyed the horde before landing on Aerwyn.

"KWEEEEEEE!" The creature squealed. The cry, much like when he first met Rin and Ren, caused intense pain in his head and he was forced to close his eyes. When he opened them once more like magic, dozens of brexil cats surrounded the first. Aerwyn began to sweat, he didn't forget about the brexil cats signature screech but he didn't account for what would happen to him if dozens directed that painful screech at him.

He looked around and like Rorik, his undead seemed unaffected by the screech.

'Must be nice...' He thought to himself.

"KWEEEEEEEEEEE!" The dozens of new enemies joined in this time making Aerwyn feel as though his head had been invaded by insects that were devouring his brain. He nearly dropped his staff and fell off Rorik, it took all his might just to hang on.

"ATTACK! KEEP AS MANY ALIVE AS YOU CAN!" Aerwyn roared and then buried his face in Rorik's fur. Holding onto Rorik for dear life, he constantly fought the urge to cover his ears, knowing that if he did he would fall and be helpless against the brexil cats. Little by little the pain faded and allowed him to open his eyes.

The battle was a messy melee akin to a brawl. Some of the goblins didn't even have weapons and were just throwing themselves atop the enemy brexil cats in an attempt to capture them. Most of the fights were two to one in Aerwyn's favor but it was still far too chaotic for his liking.

Having some clarity back, he took aim and began firing flame lances at the nearest enemies. It was a good thing that his flames couldn't hurt his undead because the emerald green light that filled the forest was promptly engulfed by purple as if the flames consumed the very light itself. He fired flame lance after flame lance but his accuracy wasn't nearly as good as it was with the goblins, the brexil cats were too quick for that.

After the surrounding forest began to catch fire Aerwyn halted his barrage, something interesting had caught his eyes. One of the weaponless goblins was currently consumed in purple flames and below it was a living brexil cat. The creature struggled for a moment before going limp.

Aerwyn watched as the soul exited the creatures body and enter his own before returning back. The shadowy smoke enshrouded it and a short while later it stood back up all the while still engulfed in flames. It seemed like the rules of his power were fairly vague by what it considers to have died by his hands.

'If that's the case i could resurrect the entire forest just by starting a...' The sight of the burning forest and his sudden realization made his face lose all color. His soul couldn't handle bringing back the entire forest, if he allowed it to continue burning he would die. Or worse still, he could end up trapped in the darkness forever.

"PUT OUT THE FLAMES NOW!" He screamed out and the undead obliged. They left behind the few remaining brexil cats and ran to the edges of the blaze. The launched their bodies and began rolling around in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The brexil cats attempted to flee but this little patch of forest was like a personal hell and the purple inferno let none escape.

The undead did the best they could but it was clear to Aerwyn that it wasn't enough. The wild conflagration was already spreading further and further away causing him to panic. A dozen brexil cats appeared at the edge of the blaze, seeming to have come as a response to their brethren's cry for help. One strayed too close and was instantly engulfed.

The inferno seemed to have a mind of its own as it reacted to any life that came near it, quickly engulfing whatever it caught in its fiery embrace. Aerwyn's mind was racing, attempting to find a solution as he searched around for anything that may help. The pain of resurrection was getting worse and worse every moment this went on only adding to his stress.

He thought back to the time in Tylin's guest room when he first lost control of his flames. Closing his eyes he began to search for any connection he had to the wild blaze in front of him. The only connection he could feel was to the darkness and since he was lacking a better option he opted to go in.

Once inside the darkness, his minds eye was met with the sight of the purple blaze appearing to be propped up by the darkness as if it was guiding it. He screamed and pleaded for the flames to return to him which caused the ever looming darkness to halt the flames advance. It appeared as though the darkness was unsure whether it heard him correctly or not so he pleaded once more to have the flames return to him.

This time the darkness obliged and like a reverse supernova the blazing inferno was sucked back into him as if being devoured by his soul. Taking a deep breath or whatever the equivalent was in a place where there was no air, Aerwyn left the darkness.

Outside the view was a world painted in ash and smoke. The flames had consumed nearly everything in a fifty meter radius around him with only his undead left standing in it's wake. Aerwyn brought his hands to his head as he took in what very well could've been the scene of his death. He slapped his cheeks and took a headcount of the new additions to his army, thirty four brexil cats.

"Let's... not ever speak about this, right? Good. Time to go home."

"Heh..." Rorik let out a quiet cackle under his breath.

"Since it's so funny then you can carry me back like a good doggo."

"AWOOOOOO!"

The sun was nearing the horizon when they approached the small mountain and Aerwyn noticed that Velk kept looking towards the eastern forest.

"What's wrong?"

"...Someone... following us..." Velk grunted.

"Really? Wait... Someone? As in a person?" Aerwyn asked in disbelief to which Velk lifted his head and took in a deep breath as if smelling the wind.

"..Smells... like goblin... or hobgoblin... there..." Velk pointed in a discrete manner towards the forest a hundred meters to their east.

"Rorik, take the hunting group and the new brexil cats, go capture whatever is over there. Make sure it lives, i'm curious about it." Aerwyn commanded as he hopped off his back.

"..." Rorik stayed silent and began to charge with the hunting group. When they were halfway to the edge of the forest Aerwyn could've sworn he heard 'yes master' travelling on the winds. Aerwyn followed in a light jog with the rest of the undead when he heard a scream.

"AHHHHH! WAIT! Wait! Don't eat me! I promise won't taste good! I promise! I PROMISE! I said wait!!!" The foreign voice called out. A short time later Rorik and the rest appeared from within the forest, a dark green skinned hobgoblin in cloth rags hung from his mouth. Rorik plopped him down a few meters away from Aerwyn while the brexil cats surrounded him in case he made a move.

"You speak well for a hobgoblin. Who are you and why are you following us?"

"O'great one, this humble hobgoblins name is Frakki. I am but a harmless lok on your glorious path nothing more, please show mercy." Frakki's speech was even more articulate than Bon and far more flowery as if he were a bard.

"O'Great One? What makes me so great?" Aerwyn put on a coy smile and decided to play along. This was the first hobgoblin who's tried to have a conversation with him while it was still living so if nothing else it would be a good learning experience.

"Y-you are truly great O'Great One. I-This humble Frakki saw your power and... and... it was glorious?" Frakki bumbled his words making his statement seem like a question.

"Oh? Are you questioning this great one's glory Frakki?" Aerwyn did his best to stifle his laughter and put on a serious face as if he was angry.

"NO! No! This humble, lowly Frakki would never question one so great as yourself! I swear!" Frakki went to kowtow but he moved to quickly and the surrounding brexil cats motioned as if they were going to pounce if he continued, so he froze in place. Aerwyn nearly lost it and was forced to cover his face and let out a quiet laugh before speaking.

"Pfft...ahem. Enough! Lie to me again and lose your life. Why were you following us and which goblin settlement do you lead?"

"I-i lead... a settlement to the west of here O'Great One. I was on my way to convince the goblin village you... destroyed to join me to take out Grik, the leader of a larger settlement that is trying to absorb us. When i saw your great power i grew curious and... followed you."

"Very good Frakki, i'm pleased with your honesty. Hmm... Velk come here, and you." Aerwyn pointed to a random goblin standing near him.

"Watch and see my true power. Velk cut off this goblins arm-" Before he could finish the poor goblins arm was already on the floor while Velk was displaying a satisfied look.

Instantly tenebrous tendrils pour out from the goblin and his arm as if they were reaching out to each other. After a moment the arm tendrils began to retract, lifting it back into place and healing it as if nothing had ever happened. The showy display seemed to hit the mark as Frakki watched on in amazement.

"I can give you and your settlement immortality like them, and together we can destroy... Blik was it? Anyway, what say you?" Aerwyn figured that if he could convince them to join willingly he might as well. Winning a battle without ever fighting is always the most ideal outcome. Frakki stayed quiet for a moment before speaking carefully.

"W-what will it cost?"

"You will serve me like them." Aerwyn pointed to his undead.

"B-but they're undead..."

"Ah, so you know of undead do you? Tell me, can undead speak?"

"No... Elder Gon taught me undead were mindless."

"Very good, Rorik speak to Frakki and show him you're not mindless."

"AWOOOOO!"

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"Damn it Rorik! Use your words, you know damn well what i meant... Ahem, as you can see the bastard DOG even has mind enough to resent me for killing it after it lost to me in a FAIR DUEL."

"I DIDN'T LOSE HUMAN! You won by luck! By luck!" Rorik howled.

"KWEEEEEEE!" Rin jumped in between Rorik and Aerwyn ready to pounce on Rorik but he just scoffed and stormed off. Aerwyn smiled, picking her up and cuddling her as he spoke.

"There you have it. Think it over and i shall come to your village in a weeks time for your answer."

"I await your return O'Great One." Frakki slowly kowtowed this time at a speed that wouldn't rile up the brexil cats.

"Ah! One more thing. Make no mistake, if you decline my offer i will go to Plix and give him the same offer, so think carefully."

"...Glik.. master..." Velk corrected him after noticing his failure to say the name right twice.

"Glik! Right, that's it. Let's head out, it's getting late." Aerwyn found this aloof 'great one' character he was playing fit a little too well and he rather enjoyed it.