The pursuit through the woods proved slower for the two than they had anticipated. Trails still muddy from the weather caused the horses hooves to sink deeper in the muck. After the third instance where Ray's farm horse was stuck, Nimer pulled them off the road to travel through the trees and over the fallen canopy of leaves on the ground. They did not know where to begin their search for their lost companion.
"He could be anywhere," Nimer muttered, his eyes shifting from side to side. He had to be on the lookout. They could not risk another ambush.
"I remember you saying though you can sense the shards," Ray commented, watching both her guide and the barren tree line. She kept her voice at a dull roar upon Nimer's request. Reluctant as she was, she would play as a team this time around.
Nimer nodded, "I can but the aura is faint at this range. It is rather difficult to pinpoint the direction." The man rubbed his head. A dull throb lurked in the back of his mind but he would not let it bother him.
His eyes narrowed as a small white flake drifted aimlessly through the sky followed by a few more surrounding them in the general area. His blue eyes turned upwards towards the heavens as several fell shortly after. Extending a hand, the flakes settled on his pale hand and melted slowly into tiny droplets of water.
"We need to hurry. If the weather gets worse, we'll leave a trail and it will be easier to get followed," he warned, trying to push them forward.
Ray was mesmerized by the frozen condensation drifting from the sky. Snow was never this early back in Aldoak. The flakes clung to her clothing and settled in her hair. She batted the snowflakes out of her eyes before they could settle on her lashes. The frigid air caused her to pull her cloak tighter around her shoulders to keep warm. With a few more miles of travel, the ground had already been covered with a light dusting of snow.
"Are we going to find shelter?" Ray asked. Cherry red kissed her soft features, for the cold was hard at work calling out her misery.
"We don't have time to seek shelter. Not only that, we are roaming in the middle of the forest. Let the trees be your shelter," the guide answered. Much like before, the cold was not getting to him like it did his companion. He then stopped, his head turning toward a specific direction. "The gem auras are getting stronger."
Ray perked up, her eyes growing brighter than their dull white surroundings. "Which way?" she uttered with haste.
"This way," he said and turned their horses in said direction toward the north.
Nimer slowed his steed and turned his head left and right. The aura felt weak, even still. He was acting on a hunch, nothing more. He then lost the trail feeling the aura weaken. "I've lost the trail," he admitted. "Forgive me, I haven't tracked shards in some time."
Ray seemed more sympathetic towards the man, finding he was less certain of his abilities in the situation they had been faced with, always being led to believe that perfection was no trait for humanity. Though the need to find Jex was all that led her to follow Nimer through the thick of the woods. She had no choice but to trust him.
"How long has it been?" Ray drilled him with curiosity.
Nimer was silent a moment before answering, "Some years if not many," he answered. "People don't tend to get their hands on the shards of the key that easily. I forgot to ask, were you able to retrieve my swords?"
"No," Ray admitted, her eyebrows knitted together and spoke with plumes of frozen breath training from her mouth. "Did they take your swords then? How will we fight them?"
"I have a plan."
"What plan? Don't ignore my question, Nimer," Ray frowned.
"Just trust me, Ray," Nimer scowled. "I'll be able to fight them."
Ray rolled her eyes. "Who were those men anyways?"
Nimer brushed a branch out of the way with his hand, a frown settling on his lips. "They were servants of Ravathor. Not many cults are blessed with the ability to wield the dark magic element. Only followers of Ravathor and Myrkatha can, and the gods themselves."
Nimer suddenly raised his hand, his eyes dead set ahead through the thick of the trees like a predator with their eyes glued to their prey. Ray's head swiveled in the same direction searching for the source that Nimer had found more interesting than her simple questions she uttered. She squinted only to find exposed limbs of the trees.
"Nime-"
"Sh! Don't move," Nimer whispered harshly.
Eerie silence fell upon the forest as snowflakes fell from the sky and settled on the ground. Only light sounds from the horses snorting and their tail's tossing drew Ray's attention. The horses became restless the longer they stood there, Ray becoming confused. She could see nothing from her standpoint. Her blue orbs shifted towards Nimer, wondering what he could be waiting for.
The figure emerged from the wood some minutes later several feet out, their eyes glowing deep violet over the scarf on their mouth. Static surrounded their hand in light wisps. They stared deep into Ray's eyes almost as if to devour her very soul. A sharp pain rippled through her skull and she let out a light yelp before threading her fingers into her hair and applying pressure on her scalp.
"What's happening?" she muttered.
"Try and fight it," Nimer hissed, his face twisting in a grimace and slid off his horse, flexing his fingers in a nervous manner. "Ready your bow," he commanded.
"What? Nimer! What are you doing?" Ray panicked while fumbling for her weapon. She winced at each shocking pulse that rippled through her mind.
"I may be weak, but I may have a chance. I'm fighting," Nimer answered, pushing up his sleeves.
Ray blinked in disbelief. "You have no weapons! What are you going to use? A god's power??"
"No," he answered and turned back to her with a grin. "Magic."
Ray cried out his name as dark lightning rippled through the trees towards the man. With a mere wave of Nimer's hand the tree nearest to him animated, creaking and cracking while coming alive in an instant. Much like an extended hand it was a provided shield against the oncoming attack. Splinters and branches of the tree sprayed about and Ray ducked as a large piece of the tree flew past her head and collided with the tree behind her. Shaken by the sudden animation, she now looked at her guide with fear.
"So he does use magic after all," she whispered in triumph, trying to control her trembling hands.
With a quick whistle from Nimer, his horse took off weaving through the trees with ease and disappeared into the underbrush. The man's eyes shone with a wild, illuminated, blue glow. With light twitches of his fingers, small sparks ignited into blue flame surrounding his palm. He raised his hand, flame hovering and reflecting on the creases on his skin. Thrusting his hand forward a long streak of fire erupted from it striking the tree near the cultist and setting it ablaze.
The hiding man leaped from the tree, shock in his purple orbs as they locked with Nimer's. He responded violently as purple bolts shot from his fingertips but Nimer grabbed a nearby tree with a simple motion of his hand and blocked it once more. The horse that Ray was perched on reared up bucking her off. The girl fell to the unforgiving forest floor releasing an exasperated cry from her lips. The rigid roots below racked her back and she rolled over groaning. She could only reach out so far before watching her horse flee into the forest.
The sound distracted Nimer and he turned for a brief moment to check on her.
"Get up and help me out!" he commanded.
Ray pouted, scrambling to her feet and readying her bow. She drew back the string releasing an arrow. Her arms wavered and so did her shot, the arrow flying wide.
The violet magic rippled through the air and the guide pushed them both out of the way as the tree behind them was set aflame.
"Run Ray!" Nimer yelled and burst into action. He waved his hand once more, snow flying from the ground and transforming into a wave of water, blinding his target. Nimer's breath turned to light heaves spilling from his mouth causing his lips to twitch. The dull thudding in his head increased to a low throb. Both of them trudged through the snow, Nimer turning back for brief seconds to cast an element in the bandit's direction.
Ray ran beside him pushing faster and faster. With the snow covered in snow obstacles became hard to avoid. By now she knew the meaning of running and she would not stop. It was after several minutes, however, she noticed her guide slowing down, a heavy pant escaping his mouth in heaves till he stopped completely. Ray stopped a few feet ahead and looked back at him with fear.
"Nimer run!" It then dawned on her, something could be wrong. She approached him. "What's wrong? I thought we were escaping!"
Nimer's vision had doubled and he stumbled over to the nearest tree before falling to his knees beneath it. "Run… get... out of here…" he barely muttered before falling over face first in the snow.
Ray rushed to his side, shaking him.
"Get up! Get up, please!" she cried. "Nimer! Don't do this to me! You have to get up!"
His body felt feverish beneath her hands and frustration strangled her insides. She looked around frantically, her eyes settling on the cultist several yards out. Taking hold of ther bow and an arrow once more, she aimed at the man and released doing all she could to keep it together. She stood protectively in front of Nimer's passed out frame and held her weapon with a tight grasp.
"I have to fend for myself then," she insisted and released an arrow striking a tree nearby the man.
The figure was hobbling about and could barely react to her shooting an arrow at him. Nimer had done tremendous damage to him. Burns on exposed skin bled, blood dripping soiling the white snow. His scarf hung away from his face revealing the straggly five o'clock shadow the man had and a bleeding cracked lip. The magic still danced around his hand as his smile grew into a crazed grin.
"I see ya there lass! You and that mage aren't getting away this time!" he called, spitting blood on the ground.
Ray's eyes filled with fury as she glanced down to Nimer. Mage or not, he had tried to save her life. She would refuse to run away. Pulling another arrow from her quiver, fear dared to sneak up on her when she realized she had used a third of her arrows she had brought with her. She insisted that she had to stop missing. She could not figure out why she had been missing each shot, though half of her could not deny it was the mere feeling of shooting at a human causing her to panic and miss.
She knocked the arrow, her line of sight straight, dead ahead on her target. She drew back, the wood of her bow straining. A sudden rush of warmth filled her chilled body as a spark ignited in her eyes. As she released, flame burst from the tip of her arrow as it sailed through the air striking the man straight in the chest. The man wailed and fell to the ground clutching the arrow.
Taken back by the fire arrow Ray looked around frantically and glanced down finding her guide still lifeless in the snow.
"What did...I do?" she thought, only able to examine her bow for a moment before a bolt of dark magic hit her square in the chest. Her whole body seized as she was dropped to her knees, discharge dripping from her mouth. Her bow slipped from her grasp and landed in the white snow.
"No," was her final thought as a second bolt brought her down to the snow covered forest floor.