Chapter Two

Finally he had found the source of the scream. From his hiding place he could see now a kid laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. In front of him were four people, but one stayed in the shadows. Why the heck did this kid come into the Wilderness? He wondered.

The man in shadows spoke: "Now that didn't feel good, did it, boy?"

Kevin felt his blood run cold. It couldn't be.

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"It would be so much easier if you would just hand it over. Your pain would go away, and I wouldn't have to dirty my sword."

Ty desperately tried to rise to his feet, but it was a losing battle. So while on the ground he spat out:

"No."

Though the man did not move, Ty felt a cold anger radiating out from him.

"So be it."

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The man stepped out of the shadows. Ty gasped. The man's entire body seemed to be shifting constantly. It was nearly impossible to make out any physical features, except for a long scar beginning at his right temple and ending at the lower left hand corner of his face. His pupils, instead of being black, were a dull red. He was garbed in a black cloak that seemed to swallow light itself. In his hand was a sword that was made out of dragonite metal.

The man stepped out of the shadows. Kevin cursed and instinctively stepped back. It was him, his features even more deteriorated than when Seth had last seen him. He knew what he had to do, but there was not only the fact that he had never used this spell before, it was far above his skill level. But it was a question of the kid's life. Raising his staff he uttered the three words: Syntherio Destus Camalot!

The man moved in strode over to Ty and kicked him viciously in the side so that he fell to the ground again.

"How long do you think you'll live once my blade touches your skin?" The man asked with a maniac grin on his face. "The record is three seconds, though I have the feeling-"

A purple light suddenly illuminated the clearing and when it cleared, the man was gone.

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Kevin dropped lightly to his feet from his hiding place in one of the few trees that managed to survive in powdery dust that served as ground the wilderness. There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he said:

"Which one of you is next?"

The three men simply stood there with their mouths gaping stupidly. Then the guard with the battle ax snapped out of it and started running toward Kevin, swinging his ax.

"Setis Thur Ruko!"

The man was suddenly thrown backwards as the Kevin's wind spell hit him. He sailed 20 feet through the air and hit the ground with a thud.

Kevin sent yet another spell, this time of the fire element and charring the remaining two guards.

Ty watched the scene through a haze. Why was it so hard to focus his eyes? The places where the battle ax had cut him seemed to be on fire. Maybe it would just be easier for him to die…

Kevin ran over to the kid. He was still conscious, but fading fast.

"Come on kid, you have to stay awake!"

The kid groaned and mumbled something indistinct. Suddenly, the Wilderness seemed to darken. He lifted the kid onto his back.

"Hold on kid…hold on…"