”Home..or so I would Like to say before me is nothing but a hellscape.

Zanar said as he stood upon on of the hills that lined the horizon of the Boharan Plains. The once bright lands now covered in an eerie darkness, the sun hidden behind dark otherworldly clouds. Along with the all of that, a dark haze filled the lands that prevent plains-dwellers from seeing too far out on the horizon. ”So this is what your pathetic bickering has wrought, damnation to the people once again. Have they not had enough of our interference with their lives?”

It was as if the dark magic in the air had heard his complaints and pools of shadows started to gather a few feet ahead of him, rising up and starting to take a humanoid shape. Dark-robed figures with glowing yellow eyes appeared before him, wearing mage robes. The one closest to him raised its hand and a dark light magic gathered in its palm before it shot out at the god. Quickly Zanar’s blade flashed out and cleaved the beam of light in two dispersing the mana into the air. ”So that is my nightmare, the manifestation of what haunts the back of my mind eh?” He blinked over to the morph who had attacked him and with a rising horizontal slash he bisected the creature, who just broke apart into shadows when his blade made its way through.

The second mage fell just the same, and Zanar resheathed Vox into its scabbard. He looked back to see a few of his clergy and the rangers who guided them out as bodyguards. ”Start setting up the wards, even if the tribes do not want your presence do it! Make sanctuaries for those who can not fight. We will not allow Xunatar’s darkness to be a damnation to these lands anymore.” The nodded and the groups split up and made their ways to various settlements, while the god stood and watched upon his perch.

He had more reason to do this than most, as people who were dear to him still lived on these lands. In a settlement near the Virens, his parents still resided and he was going to make sure that they were going to be safe. He had already sent a group of his priests that way to ward off the darkness. He let out a loud, high pitched whistle and a few seconds later the sounds of hoofs could be heard as a dark brown horse came up next to him. He mounted and looked in the direction of where the settlement was. ”They are still alive, and I’m sure the old man can handle himself. I guess it’s time for the fallen son to return.”

The dark clouds that shrouded the sky above darkened the already grim atmosphere. The plains were stained with innocent blood as nightmares run wild. With the plains being so open and wide causilities were high with nothing to deter the nightmares. Bohar was one of the more dangerous areas that Xunatar claimed, thus Serci head strait over. Offering healing and escorting people to Naota safe spaces. The moments in Naota's influnce were short but intoxicating. The warm and save vibes wrapping around Serci were persuasive, but fleeting. He was of no help to Naota in his own areas. No. Serci's duty lay here, in the blood stained plains. Serci wandered the plains, searching for anyway he could be of help to the god of light. His travels often led escorting small groups, while others brought him to Boharian nomadic tribes. He offered them safe passage but was met with polite defiance. Serci understood, though. The need to protect one's home. If Adeluna was claimed by Xunatar, Serci wasnt sure what he would do. In the moral dilemma, would he abandon his Champion duty and save his city, or would he bear the death of more innconcet lives in the name of the Divine Artificer. Regardless, he offered his abilities as a healer, rather than an escort, which to he was met with thanks and gifts in the forms of food, mind altering substances and brotherhood. Though the gifts were thoughtful, he refused most. Being a help to Naota was reward enough for Serci. Even now, as he spent time in a tribe situated mostly north, he was huddled in a roomy ger, filled with wounded. His grey and white robes were dotted with the stains of unneeded innocent blood. A bloody detailed hand print marred his chest as a dying man grasped at his robes. The death rate was rising further and further with every second passed.the good news, if one could call it that, was one more tribe's wounded were healed to the point where death was no longer a concern. Exiting into the chilling air outside, he plotted his next course, intterupted by the sound of galloping horses and barking orders. *gods. Not more wounded* he thought, an edge of concern and disbelief to his thoughts.Inspecting the scene, a familar face was among the newcomers. His eyes grew wide with horror as he laid eyes on Zanar. Serci's eyes frantically searching for his wife, Kaylani. A sense of ease washed over him as she was no where in sight. Making his way over to the diety, he threw his hands over his hand shook them from side to side to signal his attention. He walked up to the muscular horse, raising his voice so Zanar could hear him. "Thank gods, a familiar face." He had heard from Angela, Zanar was a Boharian nomad. It made sense to meet him here considering the circumstances. "I assume you are up to speed. Bohar is wrapped up in Xunatar's influence. Ive been doing my best to keep things at bay, but unfortunately my skill in creating multiple barriers are sub par. You were smart to  bring your clergy. You have my thanks." A femeine hand untucking his flowing blonde hair from his robes, a hand extended out to him in an effort to help him off his horse. "It is good to see you again, old friend."

The ride through the plains showed Zanar exactly what Xunatar’s dark influence could do to the realm. The once gentle plains now lie with blood as people were attacked relentlessly by creatures of darkness and shades born of shadow. He could feel a rage build up inside him as, the need to punch both of the gods that he had never once met before. Doing something such as that would not help, and would probably throw the world into more chaos than what it was now. Shaking the thought out of his head his eyes looked forward again as he rode, his course back on point or so he thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like someone signaling him. It was strange to him, as no one would have known that he was in the area. He shifted the course to head to the stranger who was waving him down, and as he approached he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Out of all people in this world, didn’t expect him to be here The god thought. The only man that he had actually seen Kalyani kill, and miraculously come back to life. Of course, that was expected of the Champion of Life and Love.

Zanar accepted Serci’s assistance down from horseback. ”Well met my friend, if only it was during more peaceful times.” Zanar greeted the paladin, for the last time they had met they had crossed blade due to Kalyani’s actions. At the end of the day, they had both came to an understanding. ”I should have expected you of all people to be providing aid to these people. I’m sure they were stubborn about it, but the aid is appreciated in the end.”

”Xunatar’s and Naoto’s feud sadly is the cause of this despair, and it seems that Xunatar’s grip has come down on this land. How petty my brother’s of the conclave can be. The people already have had enough to deal with and now more despair to top it all with,” Zanar hissed out, his frustrations clearly shown in his voice as he spoke. ”Forgive my ramblings, Not only is my homelands under attack but my parents are still alive within these lands, so it strikes home to me more than most.”

As he spoke, he could sense the shadows shift not too far off. Once again starting to take form, drawn to Zanar’s rage at what was happening to the world. Quickly he undid the bow that was strapped to the horses sadly and pulled out an arrow from the quiver. The arrowhead was a lit with light magic and the god quickly nocked and released it into the mass of darkness before it fully formed. The arrow erupted in a blind array of light as it struck the shadow, causing it to fade away back to the aether it spewed from.

”These shades…bring forth your nightmares. What nightmares do my parents have? For all this time they thought of me as dead..”