Prologue

             The night air was cool but not biting and the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves gave Marie a sense of foreboding as if she could turn any corner and find instant death. She knew that traveling at night was more dangerous than fighting a mage worm, but this was one of those times when she had no other choice in the matter. Scouting for Jofus and ensuring that the package was delivered was the single most important thing she could do. Grandma had told her as such and she wasn’t going to upset Grandma.

Smells of cedar and white ash filled her nostrils as she moved and the dew that was beginning to form gave a slight sheen to some of the leaves and parts of the ground. The woods seemed more her home than any inn or house, though she did prefer snuggling up next to a good fire at night. She moved through the trees as if they were nothing more than twigs moving this way and that. It was beautiful at night and she loved walking the woods but hadn’t done it in years. “These trees are beautiful. Too bad we don’t have more time to look around. Grumpy Mr. D.”

Her tall ears peaked through her hood and caught the slightest of sounds. She could hear a few animals, but the crickets had stopped over three minutes ago, as if there were a thousand creatures rushing through the trees. Her night vision left the world around her a pale grayish green with little details but easily enough to see movement, her amazing imagination filled in the rest. Even with her excellent vision in the night, though, she could see no reason for the crickets to stop their continuous song. Worse than that, she couldn’t hear them within ear shot at all and she could hear nearly a mile away. Whatever it was, that stopped them was affecting a great area. Nothing that would bother her, though, as she wasn’t there to listen to music. She was there to ensure safe passage of Jofus and the package. 

“Marie Gwen, reporting in.” She spoke over the psionic link the two of them had, she was chipper so far, as they had run into only a few things that needed to be avoided, but nothing truly bad, or evil. Though the  patch of mendrigan grass was disgusting and she’d narrowly avoided it. “So glad I didn’t put my paw in the middle of that stupid grass. It leaves stains on the skin that can grow mold for months, not to mention its flesh eating tendencies.”

“Marie, you don’t have to report unless something is going wrong or something is needed to be reported. I know you are there, I can hear your thoughts. Also, please get off the grass. You didn’t step on it and you are not going to step on it, so there is no reason to continue bringing it up. It’s just gross grass.” Jofus’ thoughts sprang to her mind like a flood. It wasn’t like carrying on a conversation, but more like remembering an event from beginning to end all at the same time. Sometimes the words would actually get jumbled in her mind and she would have to ask him to repeat his thoughts because she wouldn’t understand what he was thinking. That usually annoyed him.

“It was gross grass.” Marie agreed as she sprang up the side of a tree to get a better look at the road. Nothing seemed to move save for a couple small creatures which she had already seen from the floor. She had hoped to see something big, something that would explain the crickets, something that would explain the quiet, but there was nothing there. Nothing at all. “I am reporting because I am not hearing anything. No crickets, no night birds, I passed a few nests a moment ago and nothing. There are a few creatures here and there, but all of them are either being as quiet as possible, or they are scurrying to hide. Also, that grass is an odd color. I don’t like that stuff at all. We should simply remove it from the face of the probe. Ooooo, can you do that? Can you remove something from the face of the probe? I would really like to see that.”

“Please get off the grass.” Jofus followed up as she could hear him pondering over their next move.

“I’m in a tree, not on the grass. She corrected.

“Good. Stay there.”

“There is a lamp on the road ahead, but they can’t see me. My night vision gives me great ability to see great distance. I like night vision, and sometimes prefer the night to the day. We should go out and play at night more often.”  The light on the trail was coming closer, but it was faint and was more than likely just a mortal making their way between cities. Not smart of them as the night was no place for gods, much less mortals. No one liked to be out at night for fear of running into…

“Death Stalker!” Jofus cut off her thoughts.

“I wouldn’t invite him, that would be odd and dangerous. Also, his friends all seem to smell.” Marie countered, curious why he would go there.

“No, the crickets are not making noise, that is their job. There is only one thing on the entire probe that can stop them from their noises in such a vast area. Death Stalker is here.” Jofus was more than concerned. She could feel magic light up around him and she heard three separate spells being cast, but couldn’t make out what they were. “We need to move. Now!”

“Wait, I don’t get it. Just because the crickets aren’t making any noise here, doesn’t mean that the meanest, most powerful, Supernatural creature on the probe is anywhere near us. How do you figure?” Marie asked as she looked around the base of the tree and through the surrounding forest as closely as possible. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary in the area. There wasn’t anything in the area for that matter. Something was wrong, but she wasn’t understanding what it might be.

“I am nearly three miles behind you.”

“So.”

“The crickets stopped making noise over ten minutes ago. I noticed but didn’t think anything of it, until you told me of the same situation.” 

“Oh. Then, then…then we are screwed.”

“Pretty much. We must move as quickly as possible now and hope we don’t run into anything along the way.” Jofus followed up as she could feel him start moving, fast, very fast. 

“You using magic to speed?”

“I am. It will last a few minutes and I should be next to you in less than a minute. Get ready to jump on and we will get there in no time.” 

“But I thought we had to get there quietly?”

“If we die, or worse, the package will never get to its destination. We have to ensure that it gets delivered or this entire trip is for nothing. Besides, I don’t want to run into werewolves or vampires out here.” Jofus explained as he shot through the forest and moved just to the side of the road to move more quickly. His movements were fluid but his hooves could be heard easily by those with hearing like herself. She hoped that there were not a lot of others like herself in the area.

The night seemed to become darker around her and she could feel the air thin slightly as a cold fell over her bones. Instinctively she reached for Jimmy, but stopped herself before drawing the weapon as its glow would have destroyed her night vision for a few minutes. She could have reached for Greg, but bringing a weapon out that absorbs sound in a given area to augment its own strength wouldn’t do a whole lot of good in this situation. Not to mention it would give away her position instantly. Instead, she reached into her right sheath and pulled one of her daggers and held it at the ready. A moment passed and nothing happened. Nothing came out at her. Nothing parted the darkness to get her. Nothing moved at all. She sheathed the dagger, slowly. Eyes open wide.

She watched the road and the lone lamp light that was moving toward them but still rather slowly. She couldn’t make out any details of the holder or holders of the lamp because the light killed her night vision for nearly seven feet around it. She looked up the road behind them and then in front to ensure that the light wasn’t a ruse for night beings to trap mortals, but she didn’t see anything. There was nothing else moving in the woods around her save for a small squirrel only a football field away. It was strange and frightening that nothing was moving in the…

“There is something near the path. It’s not moving or breathing, but it is near the path.” Marie explained as she focused on the clearing and started scanning for movement. She couldn’t see anyone. She could smell the faint hint of death. She could tell that something was using darkness to cloak their body but she couldn’t see who, or what it might be. Watching intently, she could hear Jofus coming closer. She was going to have to jump on the nine footer’s back and ride him like a horse, which most Toolarians hated but all were more than capable since they were built exactly like horses on two legs. 

The thundering hooves were within three hundred feet and her quick mind scrambled over the numbers to ensure that she would land just perfectly. A single jump would send her at great speed toward Jofus and if she bounced just perfectly she would land on his back rather than his face. She just had to ensure that she didn’t put out her claws at the last minute and have him cut to shreds with her weight. It was a natural reaction to falling and very hard for her to keep them from just popping out. She would have to concentrate deeply to keep them…Jump!

Her body leapt from the tree and bulleted toward the unyielding ground below. She watched as his body shot just beneath her and her body twisted and turned in mid-air as she kept her eyes directly on the place she wanted to land. As her paws touched his leather tunic her claws shot out on instinct and she had to focus to real them back in. It was less than a second but enough for Jofus to notice and become annoyed. Her movement was so quick that as she grasped the tunic her body seemed to flow backward like some type of cape. She pulled hard and brought her feet into the center of his back and held on for dear life.

“Not the best landing. This is an expensive tunic.” Jofus barked in their mind as he swaddled the package and kept moving.

“Sorry. I was trying to land without claws, but it’s a natural reaction to falling to one’s death. Ooo, what is this tunic made of? It is very nice. And smells great, even after this long journey. Have you washed it in something or is that the natural smell?” She countered as she settled into the position and got a better grip.

“It’s baggett skin. It is very costly and you just put claw marks in the lightest part of it.” Jofus scolded.

“Baggett! I didn’t know you had that kind of Brik.” 

“I don’t. It was a gift from King Charles. I love this tunic.” 

“Well it is very nice, save for the claw marks in the back. They are about three inches long and…. Oh, sorry.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Jofus was more annoyed than she had seen him and she was hoping that he wasn’t going to hold a grudge.

They were moving at a tremendous pace and would make a mile and a half a minute. Which was good since they still had well over twenty miles to go and it was getting toward the worst part of the night. That and the fact that they both figured Death Stalker to be in the area meant that great haste was well needed. She only hoped that they would…Jofus came to a full stop, rather abruptly. It took less than twenty steps..

“What’s going on?” 

“There is something directly in front of us, but I can’t see them, even with my magic.” Jofus stated, starting to step backward. 

Marie leaned over his shoulder and looked at the void in front of them. It was a void. A true void that she could not see through at all. Her night vision wouldn’t even pierce the thinnest portions of it. The cloud that swept out from that void was blotting out portions of the landscape as well. 

“Don’t walk from me.” A voice that boomed through the trees, through their bones and even through their mental connection seemed to rattle her very teeth as Jofus froze in place. “I would have words.” 

“Mr. D?” Marie asked as she leapt down from Jofus’ back and stepped around him.

There was virtually nothing in front of Jofus save for the slight outline of the top half of a humanoid. The rest of what should have been a body was nothing more than wisps of outlines. Suddenly there were two green glowing eyes, but those eyes glowed so faintly that she almost missed them. She figured that a being which took damage from the slightest light would only be using “glowing anything” for their benefit.

“You are being followed.” Death Stalker explained, as if he were there to help. “It can not be. There is a trap before you..”

“Why would you help us?” Jofus asked, his magic now pouring into his body. He was readying for anything that might come at them.

“He’s a very good man, even though his reputation would say otherwise. Besides, he has a vested interest in getting this package to the destination intact. Right, Mr. D? Oooo, can I draw you?” She asked as she reached back for her pencil and was about to take out her tablet when the night around them grew even darker. Even her night vision was dimming ever further.

“Do not call me that.” He responded and she knew he was growing angry, but then when your only emotion in all reality is anger, it is common for a being like himself to grow angry easily. She wasn’t trying to make him mad, but at the same time, she had to be her. Also, she owed him a few bumps from their last encounter.

“We are not here to fight you. She’s sorry for calling you anything that isn’t respectful. We only want to get the package to where it should be as quickly as possible. If there is a trap ahead of us, how might we get around it?” Jofus asked as he pressed his long fingers against Marie’s mouth and pressed her whiskers back, which was annoying but she understood his meaning as she pulled back from his fingers and he didn’t persist.

“Those are Master Vampires that work for Vincent Augomoto. Following is a Cardamon. He is mine.” Death Stalker stated as he started moving slowly backward. The two began following him but kept their distance. “Vincent is involved. Enough for me.”

“Does he know of the Prophecy?” Jofus asked.

“Only of Mara, not Xantor.” Death Stalker’s anger grew with the simple mention of Vincent and with his anger the darker the surroundings became. A being with the ability to control darkness as though it were playdough in his hands and the ability to create that same darkness on command makes for a very scary being. Add to that the fact that this particular being has been on the planet nearly as long as the planet has been here, and the result is one of the most feared beings in all reality. Then you have the fact that he can actually bring back the dead on command and no one wants to be near him. Marie liked him, but was smart enough to keep her distance at the same time. She knew him from a long time ago, but most of that time she can’t completely remember. Him calling her a cat and stepping on her tail, that she will remember for all time. 

“Then he has only half the story. He won’t believe that the package is worth anything and will probably leave it be if it looks like it won’t pan out. Oooo how about we give one of them a package and let them believe that it is “the package” and they will leave it alone. If they think that they got it too easily, however, that will make it suspicious and Vincent will start searching. If we can, however, make him believe that he gained the package at great loss to both sides, then he will spend a few years trying to crack the meaning of it. Hopefully enough time for us to keep the package completely out of his grasp. And you still owe me for stepping on my tail. Until you are paid up, I will continue to call you Mr. D. Mr. D.”  Marie stated as she stepped in front of Jofus. She was ready to fight, even though she knew she could not win directly. She could, however, defend the package from being stolen. She figured Death Stalker was going to steal it and run off. She was not going to let that happen. Well, not without a fight anyway.

“Good plan.” Death Stalker agreed as his body all but vanished. She stood there, her bottom jaw on the floor and her mind whirling with questions. She needed to ask him about their last encounter. Wanted to know why he was helping them now and was completely confused on why he wasn’t going to try and take the package. She was dumbfounded and lost her concentration.

“Wait!” Marie exclaimed out loud, realizing afterward that it was a stupid mistake. That concentration was what kept her from making strange or stupid mistakes and once it was lost she had a hard time getting back on track. She looked at Jofus and his thoughts were not pleasant toward her. She looked back at the lamp on the path and saw that it had stopped.  “Damn. Sorry.”

“Great, well, if they didn’t know before, they definitely know where we are now.” Jofus stated, he was staring into the abyss that was Death Stalker’s aftermath. “We need to move.”

“Agreed.” She agreed, completely in her head this time. She started off and Jofus followed. They needed to move, but with their location given away, they needed to move quietly which was not something a Toolarian was very good at. Their hooves made traveling on the beaten path noisy and running in the woods would be evident to any vampires or werewolves in the area. “Ooo, how about we jump in the trees and move from top to top?”

“Hooves.” Jofus reminded her. 

“Oh, sorry, I thought about them but wasn’t certain if you could actually move through the trees. Besides, don’t you have some type of magic that you can use to get us there?” She asked, not certain of the Viziers abilities. Jofus was the most powerful healer of the land of Zerror and the fourth most powerful magic user of the continent. With his abilities, many things were possible. She hoped this would be one of those things.

“Nope. If I could have swung through the trees, why would I have taken the long road through instead? I am not a monkey. Trees will break if I jump in them and my hooves make for poor gripping of anything.” He stated, annoyed.

“So, no magic?” Marie was confused. She thought that magic could solve most problems. Why not this one?. 

“No.” Jofus followed up and was far more annoyed. “We have to move on the ground just as before.”

“Okay, but my plan would have worked better.” She agreed, confused on why he wouldn’t even consider magic. “In that case, I say we go around the small light on the road and try to keep out in the trees as much as possible. You follow close behind me and I will scout as much as I can without stopping. That way I can at least inform you of danger before you get into it.”

“You mean, keep doing exactly what we were doing before the interruption?” His voice was odd and she was certain there was something she should have gleaned from that, but she had no idea what. Instead she simply darted off with him following close behind. She put a bit of space between them just to ensure they wouldn’t run into anything without Jofus getting a heads up ahead of time. 

She shot through the night with her eyes wide and the darkness giving way to her sight. Since Death Stalker had apparently left, the void was all but dissipated. She watched carefully at every tree and every brush to ensure nothing was lurking there. She was glancing at the lamp light but it was slowly moving again as if the holders of the light were ignoring their earlier noise and the threat of something moving through the night. That was not a good sign as nothing moved through the night without giving thought to what might be lurking within. Especially when that night is within the territory of Death Stalker himself.

They had at least another twenty minutes of travel left at top speed, though they were unable to move at true top speed. She knew that Jofus could run faster, but the sounds he was making already were enough for her to pinpoint him with little effort. She didn’t want others to do the same. 

“Are the two of you going to continue this way all night, or can we get on with killing you?” A voice came out of the darkness to her left. Marie hadn’t heard or seen anything, but when the Cardamon stepped into view, she realized they were in trouble. “Please, run, I would like that.”

“Oooo, Jofus, it’s a Cardamon. I think that we should run away, but I know that he will easily outrun us. What should we do?” Marie pushed back to Jofus and pulled two daggers. She put her body between Jofus and the Cardamon. This was worse than bad. Cardamon’s were so powerful that they could destroy Malds and Gods alike. They were going to have a long fight on their hands and she wasn’t sure they could even scratch this guy, much less get away from him. “Would you be willing to walk away? I have a ham sandwich. At least I think its ham. Either way, its all yours.”