Lord Of The Weeping Forest

[THE ABANDONED FOREST, INNER REGION]

The interior of the forest was peculiar. As the boys walked through the ever-darkening path, the first thing the twins noticed was that the abandoned temples that had littered the outer region had disappeared and in their place, more and more Sanctum Beasts appeared, peering through openings in the tree formations. Their eyes were soulless and robotic, like they weren't really animals.

The second observation, Aleximus thought, was several layers more chilling. The thick, brown tapa-cloth trees around them had, oddly enough, been carved into with what could have only been a sharp object. There were creases around the middle, forcing the trunks to resemble anxious crying faces. 

"Creepy," Jace muttered to himself. He quickened his pace but bumped into his brother. "H-Hey–"

"—Something's wrong," Aleximus said suddenly and drew his dagger.

He instinctively pressed his back against Jacender's — a signal for his brother to watch their rear. Hidemi flinched and got as close as he could, but Aleximus wouldn't let him near their tight guard. "Look," Aleximus pointed, motioning to the animals. It had been gradual, but the beasts in the forest had begun to increase in numbers and crept closer to them. The boys tried stepping back but were alerted by a loud roar behind them; A broad, red lioness with front legs more muscular than any they'd ever seen before. Her teeth's sharpness nearly put Hatagi's dagger to shame. But what was worse was that their path of retreat had been broken and cut off by the appearance of this ferociously wild cat. 

Jace wrapped his hands around his wooden blade's grip but feared it would do no good against the beast. She'd easily snap it in two. 

"Hidemi, get close to us!" he yelled. Hidemi did as he was told and scrambled for a spot next to the white-haired boy. 

Aleximus felt a shiver of fear disorient him. Then shakes in his stomach. Damn it, what's going on here?! Even Hatagi never made me feel this way… 

His eyes darted to Hidemi, ready to lash out with blame, but he held himself back. No, by the look of his face, he didn't know this would happen. This isn't good! It's too dark to fight these things…

We have to run. That's the only way… The blade'll chip before I even get through that lion. But can we outrun it? 

His thoughts jumbled, serving only to stress him further. 

No, that lion's legs are huge. It'll catch up before we can get past the smaller animals. 

He looked down at Hatagi's dagger and stared stiffly at his reflection. Just like before at the wall, he noticed a familiar flash of green and purple appear. He knew it was the faint shadow of Hatagi's haunting smile, and hated what it meant. Aleximus tilted the blade away from his face, searching in its reflection for a path of escape behind his brother. 

"Aleximus," Jace shouted. "What are we gonna do?!"

Aleximus didn't respond. He just searched for a way out; The lion was inching ever closer and he didn't have much time. If only he could bait it somehow.

That's it! Aleximus realized. His eyes swirled darkly as they landed on Hidemi's apprehensive face. We can use him! If I can sacrifice him to that lion, me and Jace can clear a path forward... That's the only way we survive here! 

"Murder, eh?" a ghostly whisper echoed in his ears. Aleximus spun around for the source but no one was there. In fact, the lion, Jacender, Hidemi, and all the other animals had been frozen. Only he seemed to be aware of it. 

It was a familiar voice; Slightly raspy and brazen, humming with pleasure as its shadowy figure materialized out of thin air. Aleximus's heart jumped at the sight of the man's face. Memories of the Axis and the torture he suffered at his hands flooded his mind and nearly buckled his legs. Hatagi himself had appeared before him as if resurrected from the dead. 

The apparition smirked and squatted next to him. "Come on, brat!" he mocked, placing his bony fingers over Aleximus's. He forcibly tightened his grip on the dagger's handle until it cracked through his skin. "If you're gonna do something, you gotta do it one hundred percent, remember? So man up…"

Aleximus watched Hatagi's eyes morph into his in the dagger's reflection, but his pupils remained green. "...And do what needs to be done." Hatagi finished. He maniacally laughed again as he faded back into the deeper recesses of Aleximus's mind. 

Time flowed naturally again and Aleximus's breathing became quicker. After Hatagi's interference, he couldn't help but think he may have been right. He imagined throwing Hidemi to the lion and was assured without a doubt that it would be the only way to save Jace. If he did that, then dashing past the other animals would be simple.

 But can I? he asked himself. Last time — with Hatagi — I didn't know what I was doing…. Can I really take a life that easily?

He thought back to Anna and her crumbling to ash. Then, he thought about Jacender and how he'd carried him miles away from the Axis. If it's to protect Jace, he growled, resolving himself, ...then I can do anything! 

He extended his arm, ready to grab Hidemi, but—

"ALEXIMUS!" Jace roared, quickly clasping his brother's arm with an iron grip. Aleximus's eyes snapped back into focus. Jacender had been calling his name for a while. "Jace?!" he grunted, "Let go of me!"

Jacender put more pressure on Aleximus's arm and stood between him and Hidemi. 

His eyes were serious; almost angry. "Aleximus… What exactly… Were you planning on doing?!"

Aleximus breathed in hard and clicked his teeth. "Get off of me, it's the only way!"

"No, it's not!" Jace barked back. 

"And how would you know?! I've gotta protect you, idiot, so get out of—"

Jace tugged him forward as hard as he could and knocked his brother off his feet with a ferocious headbutt. "And who's gonna protect you?!" he exploded.

Aleximus reeled groggily, his arm going limp in Jace's hand. 

"Even if you think you're right," Jace huffed, "I'll knock sense into you, remember?!" He stood above his brother with an expression that rivaled the lioness's intensity.

"Open your eyes!" he screamed, waving to their surroundings.

Aleximus glanced at the lioness, waiting for it to pounce. But it didn't. The lion, now that she was closer, had taken a deep seat and a menacing perch. Its fangs were still visible, but it had become docile in that its tail stood upright in the air. Aleximus turned behind them and noticed that the other animals had also taken a seat. 

"They were never attacking us," Jace explained. "We came into their territory."

Despite that, he sweated nervously, keeping his main focus on the beasts. "But it's weird. That lioness looked like it was in charge, but even she was waiting for something. It's almost like they're bowing."

Both their eyes widened in seconds, understanding setting in. They jumped up and scrambled for a fighting position but it was too late. 

DWHOOM!

The shadows in the deepest reaches of the forest expanded and surrounded them in seconds. Even Hidemi, being the only one capable of using Sanctum Energy, couldn't see what happened. In an instant — No, even faster than that — a heavy gravity squeezed against the bodies of the trio and dropped them all to their knees. 

Aleximus shook violently and tried to raise his head. His brother followed suit, trying his best to push him off the ground. "I-I knew it!" Jace croaked, "There's someone else here!"

TAK… TAK… TAK…

They could hear it. Though it had gone unnoticed before due to the Sanctum Beasts surrounding them, the forest had been eerily silent. Not a single animal had been so keen to attack that it had made noise. Not even the fearsome lioness. It was just quiet for them to finally register that something was approaching. Footsteps.

"How curious," resounded a gravelly voice. Hidemi squirmed at the sound. Somehow, he could hear it too.

"One, two… No, three guests." the voice counted. Judging by its sound, they could only assume it belonged to a man. It felt human, and yet unhuman; Like a creature from a nightmare. 

"Two of you are void of Sanctum Energy, and the other hoards an overabundance of it. Yes, how curious indeed."

Aleximus's chest rose up and down. A frustrating sense of helplessness permeated every cell in his body. What was happening? Would they die without even seeing the face of their attacker? Would Jacender be safe?

Hidemi on the other hand was very quiet. His body was frozen with shock. Despite the presence being so overwhelming that he couldn't make out the newcomer's face, he could just barely make out his outline and aura. It was an endless pit of power like none he'd ever seen before.

"My apologies… I suppose you can barely hear me over the torrent of energy placed upon your bodies." the creature said. With a "whoo" from one of the owls perched on the branches near them, the darkness was blasted away into nothingness. Even the backgrounds which had looked like they were inked with black, had been cleared. 

Aleximus inhaled sharply. A man — or what looked like one — stood in-between two of the sobbing trees, his body half-submerged in its shade. He was enrobed in a loose and grey royal-like garb without any footwear. Hanging from his ears were two moon-shaped earrings and atop his head sat an archaic, black crown made of old wood. 

The man's eyes, however, eliminated all ideas the twins might have had of facing him in a fight. His face was like old, rubbery skin, with cracks ready to tear off if he scratched it too hard. It was what made his serpentiform eyes so scary to the boys. They bounced around in his irises as if contemplating whether or not he'd devour them.

He could not have been human.

He's… Too strong! Aleximus wheezed.

Sweat flowed down Jacender's neck. He remembered the power he felt when he touched the Codex. Something raw and primal called out to him. That's why, more than anyone else here, he could tell what kind of threat they faced. 

That's got to be him, he thought. …The Lord of the Weeping Forest…

The grey-haired lord walked past them, brushing them off to scratch the red lioness behind her ears. The beast allowed it but remained snarling angrily at Aleximus as if warning him not to try anything. 

"Do not fear Aryeh." the lord mused playfully. "She's overprotective of her cubs, is all."

Jace forced his eyes to go as far into the corner as they could and discerned two small red cubs peeking out from behind a tree. They stood beyond the lord's robes and behind their mother. A small boy and girl. 

The Lord nodded Aryeh back towards her children and turned his attention back to the boys. "What you should fear, young intruders… is me."

"No!" Aleximus cried, fearing the worst. "Don't do it!"

He understood the power gap between them all. He had gotten a taste of Sanctum Energy when Hatagi was killed, and another when Hisagi used Xastol's wall to defend himself. Whatever this dark being in front of them was, it could take their lives as easy as breathing. He couldn't let Jacender meet his end here. He wouldn't.

"Amusing," the lord said. "You speak as if you can control my actions, boy. This area — The Weeping Forest — is my domain. Not even those arrogant dwarves dare to set foot here. Anyone foolish enough to do so becomes supper for the Sanctum Beasts or another tree in my collection." 

A cold lump formed in Aleximus's throat. "Y-You mean those crying trees are people?!"

The Lord took another step forward and eyed Hidemi callously. He was the only one who could not beg for himself; He lacked the power to. But he wasn't ready to die here. Not yet.

Jace tried to rise to no avail. "We're not Dwarves!" he yelled. With an amused smile, the lord crouched next to him and put his hand on his head. "Yes, you're right. Your spirits are of different colors."

He stepped back and dug into his long sleeve, removing a small white snake. Aleximus and Hidemi watched in horror as Sanctum Energy the same shade of the reptile bore into the snake and gruesomely peeled its skin back, starting with its eyes. It's blood sprayed into the air as though it'd been pressed down by a large mallet. In the blink of an eye, the snake that had been alive just moments earlier had somehow become a glowing white knife. 

"Dwarf, human, elf, centaur… Unfortunately for you, it makes no such difference what you are." 

Chillingly, the eyes of the snake reappeared by materializing on the handle of the blade. It's expression was suffocating and beady-eyed. 

I-It's still alive..! Jace gasped. He'd never seen something so horrible before. Should they be attacked, not only would they lose their bodies, but their appearances would be altered, keeping them not only in a state of suffering but perpetual awareness. A newfound fear had been unlocked in him; As did a sense of heartbreak for the people trapped within the trees around them. 

The boy racked his brain for a way out. His heart thumped in his chest with every footstep the Lord took. "Listen, there has to be some other way! You can't kill us!" Jace screamed. His breathing quickened as he mustered up the limits of his physical strength. 

Hidemi, on the other hand, fought his own instincts. His body urged him to run, but he couldn't leave the boys by themselves. He was by no means strong enough to take on the opponent, but if he tried his hardest, escaping the pressure and running might have been possible. However, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he abandoned them. They had saved him after all.

The Lord, with an impassive look, ignored Jacender's attempts at reason and raised his blade. "My snakes haven't had dwarven meat in quite some time." 

COME ON! Aleximus screamed at himself. THINK! 

But nothing came to mind. He was at a loss for words. There was no amount of strength of begging that could save them from this situation. The time for words — he feared — was over. 

The Lord put his torn palm against Hidemi's eyes and clasped him tightly so he wouldn't run. "Close your eyes, little one. It will be over quickly."

The half-dwarf boy's chin trembled with tears and soaked his dirty shirt. He left the lord to bring his knife against his throat and resigned himself to his fate. If he would die, he would die knowing he did what was right. 

But before anything could happen, a screeching voice caught them all off guard.

"SCREW YOU!" Aleximus bellowed loudly. A hue of red and black ruptured around him and shook the surrounding trees. The lord stopped himself and stared curiously at the strange boy. "I'm afraid anger will not do you–"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK!" Aleximus interrupted. Somehow, his body was producing Sanctum Energy, if only barely. It was just enough to offset the lord's strange pressure.

 "I'm not dying here! Not until I get revenge!" 

The lord's eyes narrowed, his expression finally shifting to mild curiosity. His Sanctum Energy… It's similar to mine… 

Aleximus dug his fingers into the ground and lifted his body without a second thought. His limbs felt like they'd snap from the pressure of such intense energy. "I won't let you kill Jace either, you monster! Try that and I'll kill you myself!!"

There were no lies in his words. Though he lacked the power to do so, the lord could tell her believed every word he said. He quickly let go of Hidemi and raised Aleximus instead. "Boy… Who are you?" he asked, tightening his hold on Aleximus's collar. 

Behind him, a burst of blue energy flooded from Jacender's body. He, too, had responded to his brother's anger with a sudden materialization and managed to pull his body up. Floating above his body even though it was still closed, was the object he had bonded to back in the Axis: The Codex. 

"Impossible..!" the lord breathed. The sight of the book sent a pang of pain ringing throughout his mind. He dropped Aleximus and grabbed his head, a surge of memories flashing past his eyes. 

"You'll find him," a light voice spoke to him. "The one I've been searching for. When that time comes, you will need to guide him, Nahasch." The face of the person had long been forgotten to the annals of time, but his message had stuck with him all these eons later. "You can do it, can't you? I'll entrust you with that while I'm away, my friend. Please... don't let me down." 

The Lord reeled and sank to his knees. Aryeh and the other animals dashed in to help their master with crazed roars. 

"SILENCE!" the lord ordered, gluing them in place. "None shall move! Am I understood?!"

Through a great deal of pain, Jace pushed against the bone-shattering burden of the lord's power and yelled loud enough to send his voice thundering across the forest. He fought hard to inhale enough air, but he was finding it difficult to not collapse. But in the next moment, it didn't matter; the lord put himself face-to-face with him.

"Your spine," he faltered, as if discovering him anew. He grabbed Jace by the bangs of his hair and raised him. "My energy is exceptionally thick. So heavy, in fact, that I have to use it in percentages just to avoid massive destruction. For you, that amount was limited to two percent, but it should have been impossible for you to rise. With no Sanctum Energy, the pressure your body was under should have felt akin to the heaviest boulder grinding against your head while your neck was submerged in sand."

The Codex became translucent and faded back into Jace's bag. 

"To raise your hair without Sanctum Energy with physical force alone…" the lord chuckled to himself. He placed his hand on Jacender's neck and squeezed his nape. "You opted to shatter your own spine just to save your brother? Such dedication is marvelous... Simply marvelous."

Jace writhed in pain but refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming. The lord noticed and smiled genuinely for the first time that afternoon. "You three are the first to have piqued my interest in oh-so long." He dropped Jace and turned to Hidemi. "Half-dwarf, did you bring them here?"

Hidemi gulped anxiously and nodded. Peculiar, the lord's eyes narrowed. This time he focused on the energies coming from the boys' bodies and examined their meridians and flow of blood; but most importantly — their hearts.

The Sanctum Essence flowing throughout the natural world and into the dwarven boy's Sanctum Core is unnaturally clear. Almost like water. It's nearly comparable to my own. 

He then looked at Jacender and Aleximus and became more confused. These two, however, don't have an ounce of Sanctum energy. Their cores are still closed firmly. No, that's wrong. Around their core's… A small wisp of energy lingers.

"Black-haired boy," he intoned, retracting his vision. "Both you and your brother have a faint trace of Sanctum Energy within you. Am I to understand you're incapable of using it? Or were you interrupted in the middle of your Emergence Process? "

Aleximus had taken the time the lord's back had turned to stand before Jace protectively. "Process?" he repeated.

"You mean you don't know?" the Lord's brow raised. "Tell me, what are your names?" 

After a pause, the boy responded, "Aleximus. He's Jacender." 

A flicker of recognition flashed across the lord's face. "If memory serves me right, I believe there was once a human king by that name. The daring conqueror, Aleximus Ashfield. He was a great tactician of—"

"—The Ashton Kingdom," Jace interrupted, knowing the story. He thought back to the library of books their uncle had set up in their bedroom and the tales they had studied whenever they weren't training.

Aleximus pushed him down, muttering, "Stop moving!", in case he'd hurt himself any further. Though he knew he couldn't get up, the lord couldn't help but admire Jacender's tenacity. "How do you know this?" he asked, his interest piqued.

This time, Aleximus chose to answer. "Our uncle Matsuda used to read us bedtime stories about him. He said our father named me after him."

Matsuda? the lord thought. "You wouldn't be referring to Matsuda Onix, would you?" 

"How do you know our uncle?!" Aleximus asked, lifting Jace's head so he could see. This seemed to annoy the lord, so he raised his arm towards them and brought down his hand in a chopping motion. In the next moment, Jacender's body seized and he collapsed.

"J-Jace! What did you do to him?!" Aleximus snarled.

"No, wait!" Jace coughed. He pushed away Aleximus's hands and jumped to his feet as good as new. "I-I can move!"

A bewildered expression sat upon the faces of both Hidemi and Aleximus. "You fixed him? H-How?"

The lord shrugged. "I merely altered his color a bit. The black surrounding his shattered spine was replaced with white."

"Black? White? What are you—"

"My powers are not something that can be explained to humans. Focus. Now that your brother can stand, I expect a clear answer."

The boys could tell that he was running out of patience by the way he spoke. "Yeah," Aleximus clarified, "His name is Matsuda Onix."

Of course! the lord realized. Could they be..?

He pointed quickly at Aleximus, saying, "Answer me this boy, where did you come from? And how long were you there?" 

Hidemi watched the conversation with bated breath. 

"I don't know what it's called out here, but we called it the Axis," Aleximus explained. "As for how long… I don't know. We were raised there since we were born."

An epiphany struck the lord. They're his children. It makes sense now why I couldn't grasp their identities. That bloodline is impossible to track. 

"I take it then, that your names are Jacender and Aleximus?" he asked.

"How—"

"That doesn't matter," he cut in, "All that matters now is that the hands of destiny delivered you two to me. And for that, there has to be a reason. Tell me: Why? Why are you here?" 

Aleximus thought for a moment. He couldn't give away too much information. His uncle had told them to hide their identities for a reason. 

"We're traveling somewhere," Jace finally answered for him. He knew what to say. "We needed someone to teach us Sanctum Energy and Hidemi said you could probably teach us. It's to find someone who lives in that Xastol city."

"A guy named Ivan," Aleximus added. "Our uncle asked us to find him."

Hidemi's eyes widened at the mention of Ivan as he staggered. The lord's eyes, however, seemed to be putting the pieces in place. "Ivan?" he said. "To my knowledge, there is only one Ivan in Xastol. Ivan Murong: the former Speaker of Xastol's council, and the current fifth Paragon of the Commonwealth Coalition."

He raised his finger and brought their attention back to Hidemi.

"You referred to him as Hidemi, yes? That boy there is Ivan's son."

Jacender and Aleximus both spun with confusion. What were the chances, they asked themselves. Why was the son of a Speaker so mistreated? Why was he not allowed in the city? 

Several questions plagued them. 

The lord, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Coincidence? he wondered. No. Not in this world. For the children of the Cursed Sinner and the Paragon of Iron Forges to meet like this — on my doorstep no less… 

Another twinge of discomfort hit him. His mind was sent back to a scene of destruction from his past. Scorched earth, dead soldiers with wings, red-skinned monsters, and one, lone giant red tree that stretched into the heavens. On its branches were ripe red apples being plucked by someone's slender hands. Then, the memory ended.

In any case, he decided,  I must act now. 

"I will teach you," he said. "However, there is one condition."

Aleximus's eyes lit up with a muffled exclamation.

"The dwarven boy: Hidemi," The lord gestured. "I believe your bloodlines' paths have crossed here for a reason. His father — Ivan — was a good friend of your uncle and father. Currently, he is imprisoned in Jianyu prison: an underground center for dwarves awaiting exile. The boy wants to free him."

The boys were too stunned to speak. Each revelation brought about more questions than the next.

"So what are you proposing?" Aleximus asked suspicion in his eyes. "You want us to help him?"

"Aleximus!" Jace warned sharply. He could sense his snark.

 "No, Jace," Aleximus responded. "Why should we risk our lives for someone we don't know?"

Hidemi fiddled with his thumbs and averted his gaze. "I heard them call him a 'menark' at the wall. It's some kind of insult about his disability, right? I don't know anything about their issues, and I don't want to. We're only here to get to Pendragon."

"Do you believe that his father will assist you if you were to disregard his son?" the lord asked. "Just like all the other dwarves?" 

Aleximus failed to produce a response. "Just because something is broken, does not mean it lacks the capacity to grow." the lord continued. "When you first entered the Weeping Forest, I asked why you came here. I noticed that you didn't answer, young Aleximus. So tell me; Other than your desire for strength, what do you want? I can sense it in you. Deep where you've fostered it: the anger you carry — the contempt."

Aleximus's eyes flitted to his fallen dagger. He could see Hatagi's conniving grin in its reflection again. Like he was mocking him. 

"It's not easy to explain," he said, "But if I had to compare it to something, it'd be justice."

"How so?"

Aleximus stepped over to the weapon and pocketed it. A dark shadow came over his face. "I want justice against the people who took our home from us. I want them to suffer like we did. To pay."

He could hardly contain his anger. "I want them to look me in the eyes as every single thing they love gets eaten and crushed by my hatred. I want them to feel a fraction of what I felt when they took our home! When they took our sister!"

His face crumpled with disgust, causing Hidemi to flinch. He had a feeling Aleximus carried baggage, but he had no idea about the depths of his anger. He hardly showed emotion. 

"I heard they're called Eclipse," Aleximus spat on the ground. "I want to erase that name from the face of the earth."

The Lord's eyes were enchanted with surprise yet again. Eclipse..! He thought. This isn't simply happenchance. A generational responsibility. Or maybe something running even deeper. Either way, regardless of its end, I will oversee the start of this story.

"Though, I cannot promise you revenge," he said aloud, "Should you help this boy in his endeavor, I will assist you in acquiring the basics of Sanctum Energy."

Aleximus stifled a grunt, not yet convinced.

"This boy's powers are more than he knows," The lord continued. "As a Sanctumsmith — a dwarf with a great capacity for ingenuity and engineering — he will be more of a use than you think. If you wish to assure change in your own lives, you must be the change in his."

 He strained his eyes and saw the aura coming from Aleximus's body. A blinding red crimson swirl of negativity.

"Two boys cannot take on a new world, no matter who they are. Especially without Sanctum Energy. You must play the cards dealt to you as you build your deck. And quite fortunately for you, this boy is your ace."

Aleximus silently considered the deal. The lord's words were strikingly similar to what his uncle had told him and his brother the morning of Anna's birthday:

"And you may know how to fight… but please, don't let that delude you into taking on the world."

After a moment, he locked eyes with Jacender and they both nodded in agreement. "Alright. We'll do it."

All that was left was Hidemi. They turned their eyes to him and waited for his answer. "Don't get me wrong… We're still not friends. But you still want to prove your cousin wrong, don't you?" Aleximus asked. His eyes turned serious as if they would cut Hidemi just by thinking it. "Help us and we'll get your father out."

Hidemi was reminded of Aleximus's words at the gates of Xastol: "Show a little backbone, idiot!" he'd yelled, "Don't just sit there and be bullied! Once you let someone step on you and determine the way things are… That's when things go bad!"

Hidemi couldn't falter now. For months, he had been trying to enter the city. He'd endured the cold winter and survived off the nuts and berries he found around the forest. The opportunity he was searching for had finally arrived. It wasn't even a thought for him to pass it up now.

With a determined, "Ahn!", he clenched his fist and accepted the boys' offer, his hazel eyes shimmering with hope.

The lord hid a sly smile and laughed inwardly. Justice, eh? No matter what pretty words you dress it up with, revenge is still revenge. There's nothing just in that.

"By the way," Jace remembered. He turned to the lord with an eyebrow raised. "What are we supposed to call you? The Lord can't be your real name right?"

"I suppose you're correct," the lord responded, surprise etched onto his face. "The dwarves were the ones who gave me that name ever since they built their city here. I'm not entirely fond of it."

He remembered the voice from his past whispering softly to him in an almost childlike manner. "You can do it, can't you? I'll entrust you with that while I'm away, Nahasch. Don't let me down." 

"Nahasch," he finally breathed. "You may call me Nahasch Amon, lord of Karma."

[Lord Of The Weeping Forest]