Broken World

Within the dump the shields raised in a mesmerizing purple splendor.

"You three will be my knights and fight for me and this land I have claimed, now go and do your duty!" The being spoke, slowly disappearing into the blood pool.

---

"Holy hell! That was bloody scary thingy!" His nose slightly throbbing Noku spoke shivering at how close he was to being killed.

"Explain to me exactly what it was you saw?" Foren said.

"..." While the story was told a few things of note were noticed by Foren while running through the now changed forest.

One was that the further they ran from the dump and the closer they got to society the more it felt like a true hell on earth, the sounds of screams and the smell of fire permeating the area with an eeiry silence occasionally filling the space before breaking apart into screams once more.

The tree's and ground seemed to have also gone through its own transformations since on their run several patches of grass had changed colors, this not being just the grass but the tree's as well and practically all the flora in the area around them for as far as the eye could see.

Some of the tree's had their leaves turn red and others blue, some even turning yellow, while the grass's and other flora had also changed color, the flora feeling more vibrant and the air feeling more smooth and clear to breath as time went on.

"...that's it." Reaching the nearest village where they had originally run from to reach the dump Noku finished his explanation.

"I see, then it's good that we left while we could!" Foren said, his expression gradually recovering its color, his mind a whirl with thoughts.

If what Noku said is true then that means that not only have humans received the power of evolution but it would also seem that monsters have appeared as well, and they are already that powerful, Foren thought, cold sweat forming.

"Stop!" Noku shouted, forcing Foren out of his thoughts.

"Whats wrong?" Foren said, bewildered at the sudden out burst.

"There's something here!" His eyes sharpened at the mention of company, using his previous experience in battle he chanted in a low voice, lowering his posture to let Noku of quietly, but never taking his eyes off the clearing in front of him.

"We know your there! Come out this instant!" Noku yelled to the void.

Their muscles tense they waited looking in all directions, scanning every minuscule movement in the scene before them.

It did not take long for something to answer their call, "Crack Crack Crack!" from the forest came the familiar sounds of bones shuffling, and jaws clattering.

"Ready!" Noku yelled his mouth open and ready to spew a shot of fire towards the skeleton.

"Wait! I'm friendly!" Suddenly however the skeleton began speaking like a human would.

This being to the bewilderment of the two who were now facing down this strange skeleton.

"Who are you?" Foren said, not letting his guard down, the soul blade ready to strike at a moments notice.

"I'm Amrey, this is my skeleton, I'm a summoner! Your the first person I've seen in the last few days." Amrey replied courteously, making a small bow, however though such a thing should bring ease because of the skeletal frame it was coming from it instead gave a creepy feeling.

"I see, so what is your purpose and what do you mean I'm the first person you've seen in the last few days?" Foren said, becoming more tense by the second.

It couldn't have been that we were out for several days in that dump! And even if we were it would be impossible for her not have seen anyone in several days, theres too many people around here for that to be true, so she is lying one way or a another, Foren thought.

Seemingly as though feeling Foren's unease Noku was put on even higher alert, taking a bit of distance and charging up a second fire ball.

"I see, so you are the smart type, is it?" The skeleton, Amrey, then spoke.

It's voice cold and emotionless, tilting its bony head upwards the fire in its eyes flashing dangerously.

"I haven't seen any people in the last few days because they're all dead, and my purpose is to recruit you as one of my knights." The skeletal being spoke now standing straight and tall, releasing a strand of majestic feeling.

"Knight?" Foren asked.

"Yes, Knight, you will be my knight and fight for me and in return I will give you a place to rest and recover as well as treasure, food, women and prestige." Amrey said lasciviously.

Foren however even after hearing this turned a deaf ear, not to be so easily lead by the nose, "How did the people here die?"

At this though the skeleton held no expression the air around it clearly changed to something much more sinister.

"Do not ask questions you do not want to know the answer to, boy." At this all pretense was over and the skeletal being fully let its nature show, blood lust radiating out of its body.

"So you killed them all then you beast!" Before anyone could say anything Noku shot to action and fired off a fire ball from his position in the back catching Amrey off guard.

Shit! I forgot about him! Amrey thought while trying to dodge as quickly as possible.

Pa!

Bending low Amrey dodged one of the fire balls hitting the tree behind her, but once she looked up the only thing reflecting in this cold flaming eyes was a fire ball the size of a basketball.

"Got it!" Noku yelled happily, jumping around in excitement.

"Indeed, you hit me, but that alone will not take me down!" the skeleton who's head was now burnt to ashes cackled before fully dying.

"What kind of summoner would I be if I died so easily?" Her voice echoed all around them.

Crack, crack, crack, the rhythmic beat of skeletons moving in tandem then came along with the voice.

"Get ready! More of them are coming! Around twenty!" Noku yelled, running off into the forest, leaving a wink behind.

"Got it! You run away I'll hold them!" Foren said, his soul blades having long been waiting for their masters call.

Soon enough the skeletons came into view through the colorful foliage, and behind them sitting on a moving throne of bones sat a ginger girl, glasses and a robe, the classic good girl summoner.

"If you won't be my knight by choice then i'll just make you my knight by force! Attack, I just need his body, kill him!" Her face twisting at an unnatural angle she ordered her skeletons to charge forward, causing that naturally beautiful girl to become a monster for all to see.

"You'll have to try harder if you want to take me down!" Foren yelled, the energy in his body speeding up he charged at the group of incoming skeletons, kicking up dust in his wake.

Swish, swish, the heads of the skeletons were taken, the more he fought the more died but the injuries to began to accumulate all over his body, some small cuts and others large gashes but because of his new regenerative abilities the bleeding quickly stopped, though not healing completely.

"Die for me! Guro Tekke!" It was once the skeletons had been knocked down to ten that the girl, Amrey, began chanting, and not a breath later a shot of green gas came from her hand.

Damn it! I CANT DODGE! Was all Foren could think before crossing his arms around the front of his body and pouring his remaining power into his soul blades.

Bang!

The shot slammed into him like a truck, sending him flying backwards the scenery quickly changing till finally stopping with a roll his back hitting a tree.

Snap!

Ahhh, I'm gonna feel that in the morning. He though sarcastically, feeling his now broken rib poking at his insides.

"Hehehe, foolish boy as if you could take down this grandma." Now in front of him Amrey began chanting the same spell once more, to close to dodge and Foren to weak to block.

But in the face of all this Foren just smiled a cheeky smile and whispered a single word.

"Fool."

"Die!" She said, her killing intent peaking.

"Yes, Die!" However from behind her Noku's voice entered her ears like a specter her face drained of color as she tried to chant a protective spell, but it was already too late, a barrage of fire balls slammed into her, burning every inch of her flesh, killing her instantly.

All it took was one slight moment of carelessness and the summoner who could, under normal circumstances, kill them both with ease was instead killed by them.

The moment that the summoner died a sort of change appeared within the minds of both Noku and Foren, a foreign fire entered and started struggling intensely, though quickly suppressed by the combined effort of their own profession fires.

Within but a moment the fire larger than both of theirs was torn into ten equal pieces and then began to orbit around the two fires within their consciousness like planets around the sun.

Bright flashes continuously came from within as a sort of energy began healing and building the both of their bodies.

"Upgrade!!!" They yelled together as though in one mind and in the next moment they both started laughing.

Looks like I've healed after that upgrade? Foren thought noticing that despite laughing his ribs didn't hurt only leaving a slight stinging sensation.

"Foren, you alright?" Though they laughed it did nothing to make Noku forget that he had been injured.

"I'm fine, the upgrade seems to have sped up the healing process immensely, as a matter of fact i feel much stronger now!"

"Then what do we do about them?" Noku said gesturing towards the now dead flamed skeletons, their master now gone they just stood about not moving.

"I have an idea." Foren said eyeing the skeletons with excitement and hoping he was right.

"Gather here in front of me and become one with me, Summoning: Lesser Requiem." Saying so the skeletons shook for a moment and suddenly disappeared, reappearing in front of Foren and Noku in a neat two column formation with five in each row.

"How?!?!" Noku said, feeling a bit jealous.

"I'm a shadow squire, so naturally I have the ability to summon my creatures, and I can also unsummon them to, Reverse Summon!" Saying so the energy drained from him as the skeletons one by one disappeared into nothingness.

Within their combined space the ten flames orbiting their's suddenly stopped moving and flew towards Foren's flame, combining into it harmlessly and increasing his power by a large margin.

By extension once his flame had grown, it sent over the appropriate amount to Noku's own flame and the two were once more in balance.

"Wow! I got stronger from that? Does that mean you gotta sacrifice your own strength to make those things?" Noku said.

"I have to give a piece of my soul fire to make them, after all you can't give life without losing a little."

At this point the exhaustion on the two of them started to show, though they had been lively finally after the adrenaline had warn off, the fatigue of expending so much power finally caught up to them.

"Then let's search this girl for anything and enter the village to rest." Foren said, moving through the piles of bones lying around as well as dodging the craters formed from the fire balls that missed, finally getting to the girls corpse a few meters away.

Lets see! He though happily, his hands already roaming all about looking for loot.

"Eww, Master, i didn't know you were that kind of person!" Noku said jokingly, dropping his jaw, though in his tiny form it just looked cute.

"I'm just searching for loot I swe... Speak of the devil and he shall appear!" Foren with a shout grabbed onto something within the girls robe and with a fierce pull came a book.

"OOO! I found something!"

"Lemme see, lemme seee!!!" Noku shouted running over the bones and jumping through the craters, arriving much faster than Foren had.

"Here let's check it out in the village up ahead then, something might be attracted by the battle just now." Foren said getting up and looking towards the way to the village, getting on one knee to let Noku on.

"I can run and keep up by myself! After getting the upgrade I can feel that i've become much stronger." Noku however decided against it and started running on his own towards the village with Foren helplessly following behind.

Thus the two ran through the forest arriving at the war torn looking village, several houses collapsed and blood splattered all over the place, the stench of death vibrant.

Meanwhile back at the scene of the battle, just after they had left a pair of silver eyes arrived and took the girls body in a flash, disappearing back into the forest just as fast as it came.