Shaan waited for the man to make the first move. He began to channel energy into his body, tensing and relaxing in sharp bursts. There had been plenty of opportunity to experiment with its use in this world and he hoped to find the most efficient method to sustain his efforts.

  The man removed his cape and gripped his weapon with a crushing force, the muscles on his sleeveless arms bulging. His jaw was clenched tight and his face grew slightly red from the strain, but he appeared to fill with an unnatural power that Shaan was beginning to recognize.

  Suddenly, the man charged.

  Shaan raised his swords in time to block a blow from the left and immediately had to give ground as the man swung relentlessly and with more speed than he’d expected.

  He focused on his footwork, taking advantage of the reckless attack and exploiting the open spaces, but the man was frighteningly quick. If not for his own time spent training in this world, he would not have been a match for this brute.

  They remained on the path as they exchanged blows, occasionally getting caught between low-hanging branches and leafy shrubs. The only relief he gathered was that the visibility proved just as poor for his opponent. He felt entirely too constrained and had to work hard to refrain from clanging into an abundance of foliage.

  Shaan took advantage of both swords, blocking and then splitting his arms to slice with the left. His opponent was too quick. He turned and ducked and the fight continued.

  He let the rage build, unleashing a fury of assaults upon the man. The mace dropped from his hand as the man leapt and spun back near his companions, landing on one knee. He’d managed to slice the man’s back, the leather halves hanging limply and exposing a dripping red wound.

  Shaan could clearly see the markings on the man’s neck, running down to the wound along his spine. They radiated in pulses with an odd luminescence, confounding him.

  What magic is this?

  “Haddaz, shield!” The man cried.

  The younger one hurried to his friend and handed over the shield. “Let me help! We’ll finish him together!”

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  “No! You cannot risk it!” He took a few deep breaths and rose to his feet.

  Shaan wanted nothing more than to press the attack, but he didn’t want to risk the others stepping in to help the man. Alone, he would stand a chance in this fight.

  With another unnatural burst of speed, the man charged and drove the shield straight at his torso. Shaan sidestepped and swung both arms at his opponent’s back but he immediately leapt and rolled, the momentum carrying him to his feet once more.

  He turned to face Shaan and this time, he had his mace in hand. Surprisingly, he charged with renewed stamina and paid no heed to his exposed and bleeding back.

  Despite the shock, Shaan met his blows and began to retreat. He approached a vine-laden tree and chose to dive into its sparse covering. His opponent pressed on, swinging the bulky mace overhead with a sharp cry. Shaan stepped to the right, knocking the blow aside with his left sword and gutting his opponent in the side with the other.

  The man growled and just as quickly, was on the attack once more. He swung wildly, slashing vines and stripping the trunks of trees. Shaan ducked out of range, dumbfounded at what was occurring.

  He should be on the ground!

  After several slow and strained attempts at combat, the man finally fell to his knees. There wasn’t so much as a whimper of pain nor a look of defeat upon his expression. He simply looked out of breath, sweat dripping down his soggy face. A stark contrast from the blood soaking the ground around him.

  Shaan’s gaze was fixed to the man’s face. “What magic is this?” He demanded.

  The man fell onto his hands. Once more, Shaan witnessed the strange markings on the back of his neck, trailing down his spine. They glowed fervently, like stars at midnight. Then, all at once, the man collapsed. The glow from the markings began to fade and he remained still.

  Shaan turned and approached the others, still burning with fury. “You!” He pointed to the cloaked creature with the tip of a blade. It stood frozen with fear. “You will give me answers or so help me—“

  All of a sudden, an aching pain consumed him. He screamed in agony and dropped his weapons, falling to a knee as the searing ache rose sharply. Within moments, it had disappeared and he felt oddly renewed as though the weariness from the fight had dissipated ever so slightly.

  He blinked until the daze had cleared from his eyes and found that he was staring at withered leaves upon the forest floor. When he glanced upwards, the creature was attempting to flee, while the one called Haddaz had disappeared altogether.

  He rose to his feet and retrieved his swords. There was entirely too much strangeness at work here and it frustrated him greatly. He watched the creature as it seemed to hobble away as quick as it could.

  The time for answers has come.

  Before he launched his pursuit, he glanced behind him at the man he’d killed. His clothing and weapons remained. The body had vanished without a trace.