Boots rustled in the leaves. The trodding footfalls were loud as the dead leaves crunched in defeat. Gunther knew that the squirrels and those strange blue squirrels that could surround themselves with arcs of electricity would not be around. The footfalls were too loud. Yet no birds? It was so strange. Then again, the feet trodding were also strange ones. A foreigner indeed, but not a different race. Those facts almost made him sympathetic to the fellow. He deserved an honorable death. Perhaps he could even keep him alive, for he had seen it done before.
He shook his head, and whispered the words to cast out demons: "By the power of the light, begone demon of wrath"
His mind, no longer pulled away by thoughts of killing, could now focus on what his mission was: watch this patch of ground and pass on any knowledge of intruders through birdcalls. He was nervous to do so. He hadn't seen or heard a bird all morning and he had a hunch this trespasser would know a thing or two about the wilderness. Still, orders were orders.
Holding his hand up to his face, he blew a quiet shrill repeating 4 times. He had to be very careful not to go to 5, for that would mean his whole squad would be near. Light forbid he go to 6. He still didn't quite know what 6 would do, but his squad leader, Johan, told him total death would befall anyone in the area within 10 seconds of the call being received.
The stranger, oddly dressed in a bright red suit with black boots and a red-orange cape that matched his red hair, turned green eyes right towards where Gunther sat, on a tree branch 30 yards away. Gunther sat stock still, remembering his training.
The stranger's eyes seemed to narrow, and for a moment Gunther panicked. He wasn't sure the sweat bead rolling down his face wouldn't wipe off his face paint, revealing skin as near-fair and ruddy as the stranger's.
The stranger looked away, then suddenly looked straight back at Gunther again. Gunther couldn't even think. He was transfixed by this man. His face had hard lines and a focus. His eyes, well Gunther couldn't quite tell specifically from this distance in spite of his supremely excellent eyesight, but his gut was screaming that this man was dangerous. When the stranger relaxed, if it could be called relaxing, he silently blessed the camouflaged green and brown shirt and cloak he wore, covering everything but his face. Then he heard it.
A return bird call, one chirp, a pause, four to match the call Gunther sent, then a, two?
That confused Gunther. Two meant the highest in the chain of the command would be coming over. Why would the Captain come over? It made no sense.
The stranger turned now to look where the other bird call came from. A moment later, a man walked out from behind a tree. He was dressed in a plain, dark green coat with silver buttons and trousers, with brown boots and two silver bars on each side of the collar that was tight to his neck. The hat, it was called a cover, was green also with a box shape and a flat square bill, it too had the two silver bars. His hands were behind his back as he regarded the stranger with those brilliant blue eyes of his. One could say many things about Captain Donjjar, and many did, but you couldn't say he was an idiot.
"Greetings stranger" Captain Donjjar said with his thick Western accent that seemed to slant every word with a lilt of the tongue. "What business have ye here? Ye no look like a Sininor. Are ye one of the Aesaemen, come across the sea? If so, ye'are far from the shore stranger."
The stranger focused on Captain Donjjar, and held up his hand "Greetings Captain," He spoke in a slow and deliberate tone. Not in the way of a lowly peasant, but rather an aristocrat who had all the time in the world. "I come mostly in peace, though that depends upon how this meeting will turn out. I have heard tell in this land there are beasts. Beasts who have miraculous powers. I simply wish to see one for myself, and if permitted, acquire a few to take back to my homeland, not the Aesae Islands as you suppose, but Kantorr. This area in particular has been placed by multiple sources I trust as a prime location to find such creatures. So tell me, Captain, what say you to that?"
Gunther raised an eyebrow at that. What was this stranger talking about? Sure, there were fables of creatures like he described, and his friends all claimed to see squirrels with arcs of electricity, but he had never seen any in his 13 years.
The Captain replied "I say ye'are an ambitious man sir. May I know the name of such a gentleman?"
"Manald" the stranger replied, "and could you do the courtesy of telling me your name?"
"I am Prunter Donjjar. I am captain in charge of watching this section of our Kingdom's borders. I shall have to ask ye to leave, lest I have no guarantee of yer safety. Ye may be struck down by six mighty thunders or six powerful winds. A total death that. However, that is only if ye do not turn to leave by the time I count to 5."
Gunther's heart began to pick up speed. What was the Captain doing? Why all of a sudden a desire to destroy this Manald? He was confused, but did put his hands up in preparation.
"One"
Manald the stranger simply stood, frowning.
"Two"
He now crossed his arms, still looking at Captain Donjjar
"Three"
Manald the stranger blinked, and uncrossed his arms.
"Four"
Manald the stranger reached to his side, pulling back his cloak in the process.
"Five"
Gunther gave out those six bird chirps. He sat still, and watched as the Captain began to ran in the other direction, shouting with a head half turned as he ran "I did warn ye, now ye shall face the consequences"
Gunther's heart beat at the speed of a fast wind and without thinking he broke cover and jumped from tree to tree, going as fast as he could. He heard whistling repeating back to him but he didn't count or pay attention, he knew he would need to be as fast as possible.
He had progressed 12 yards when he heard a great screech. It was like a bird, yet it was large, and there was a strange depth to the screech. Gunther stopped and looked up where he had been to see something that made his jaw drop and his heart sound like a thousand runners racing on dirt.
A giant orange beast with a whitish middle flew with wings akin to that a giant bat would, only orange to match. Gunther could barely make out relatively small arms with claws and stumpy legs that also had claws. Its face was terrifying though. It was like a goat's, only longer with terrifying curved and jagged teeth. Its maw was open now, and its eyes glowed a bright orange as its maw opened further to reveal a bright glow.
The beast let out a screech again and an enormous downward geyser of pure fire engulfed the ground. As the beast moved, so too did the fire. The beast covered what must have been a 20 yard diameter circle. As the moving tower of flames rushed past within a couple of yards of Gunther, he could no longer see anything, the fire was so bright, and the heat was closed his eyes and now only heard and smelled. The wind rush of flames sounded as agonizing smoke now filled his nostrils. He jumped off the tree and tried to move, but the smoke was blocking his breath completely. He couldn't even breathe anymore and collapsed on the ground, blacking out.
When Gunther finally awoke, he sat up and saw something that dropped his jaw again. There was a flat black circle, with no trees or grass or shrubs or anything. Nothing, except a lone figure in the center. Gunther wasn't sure he believed his eyes, so he walked up a little closer, using the smoke as cover.
A few yards in, he saw it clearer and stood stock still. The stranger, Manald, not only lived, but wasn't even darkened or singed anywhere on his clothes or body. He stood looking up at the sky, and, was that a rod he held in his right hand against his chest? Manald the stranger looked up at the sky with, oddly, a smile. The smile opened to a grin, then a full throated, mad laugh.
It abruptly ended, and the stranger shouted "I have found it at last!"
Gunther shuddered as he barely heard the stranger whisper again "They will all burn like these trees"