The once calm mind of the swordsman was gone; the only thing that remained in its place was a primal rage. Teneberius had finally found the two of them, and while he was out training had capture Kalyani right out from underneath him. He had noticed the impact marks of the dark light magic they used within the wagon’s interior. They were fools to think that he couldn’t track the aether signature of their damn accursed light magic.

He had traced it to an area in the middle of the Virens. At first glance, people would just see the woods around, but he could see the spatial magic that was being used in the area to hide something. He easily dispelled the barrier with Vox as the blade distorted the mana being used to generate and the barrier fell in seconds.  A large manor stood before him and he scoffed, they were in plain sight all along. He cared not for the finer details, for in his mind there would be no quarter for anyone within.
They had forfeited their lives as soon as they took Kaylani from him.

Screams rang out through the forest as he moved from room to room, merciless cutting down any mage that stood in his way. The blood soaking through his normal attire and coat, along with the wounds he received from the magic they were using against him. He was taking far too much damage than he normally would, and his swordsmanship was filled with rage. His strikes were no longer true and filled only with the desire to kill. He would find her, no matter the cost.

He entered the grand hall of the manor, sitting in the center under the domed glass window was Kalyani chained to a large wooden chair. She was battered, probably from the struggle, she put up with the Teneberius members that kidnapped her from the wagon, but still breathing.  The room was empty other than that, but he still took a step forward and without thinking. A barrage of concentrated dark light beams struck the swordsman, and he fell to his knees coughing up blood. His body shook from the wounds, he looked up and mages appear from their invisibility spell.

With his eyes filled with bloodlust, he didn’t notice the aether in the air; he fell right into their web.

”So we have finally caught you, Azelas” The front most one spoke. He wore highly decorative robes and carried with him and jeweled staff. Zanar recognized him, he was the one who requested the Ravens to help him and the leader of Teneberius Lux. ”No longer will you run, both you and this woman are done for. You have caused far too much damage to me. I do not know how you managed to escape on the night we took care of your pathetic band, but it matters not for we have clipped the wings of the last raven at last.”

Zanar tried to call out for Kalyani, as the mages approached him, but no sound escaped his lips as his body had already started to shut down from the wounds of the ambush. He had ended both of their lives because he couldn’t control his emotions. No…She can’t die… he thought to himself and grabbed his blade and started to stand up. His legs were shaking, and he barely remained conscious as he held out his sword.

”Stubborn to the very end, I respect that, but it matters not.”

As the Leader took a step forward, a wave of energy pulsed from Zanar’s body, and the mages surrounding him took a step back at the force of it. The sound of steel rang out as Vox was dropped to the floor and Zanar fell to his knees grasping onto his head. He screamed out in a pain that he had never felt before, it felt like his whole body was going to burst. This pain quickly dispersed as soon as it came and Zanar’s hands fell down to his side.

”Rise up hunter and take your blade. You have been chosen to lead the endless hunt and be the protector of the wilds. Guide your blade to be true, for you know what it is to be hunted and to hunt. Both sides of the coin are yours. Now raise your head God of the Endless Hunts and Boundless Wilds!”

He grabbed his blade and, with eyes still closed and using the shock of the events that transpired took out the small fry mages before anyone could react to what happened. He appeared before the Teneberius leader and grabbed him by the throat opening his eyes to stare into the mages own. The mage struggled to beat on Zanar’s arm as he slowly tightened his grip on the throat.  “You are right it matters not. Your reign ends, both you and your tainted magic.” He watched the mage struggle gasping for air before his eyes finally rolled back into his skull. Zanar easily tossed the mage aside and walked to where Kalyani was chained up too.

Cutting the chains with a quick slash of his blade, he knelt down before her and placed Vox down on the ground before bringing his one hand up to brush away the hair in her face and cup her cheek. She stirred and little and he smiled a little. “No more do we have to run, its finished..” His blue eyes now had a ring of silver around as he waited for her to awake fully.

Kalyani had been taking care of his clothes when the door started to bust in. She leaned over the corner and grabbed the skillet off the wall. It was really her only defense. That was the last rational thought she had before the fight started. She managed to beat down and probably kill a dozen of them by herself before they restrained her. Even then when the commander of the group came to her to insult Zanar she let him get close to enough to not only head butt him as hard as she could but also spit on him. His nose was bleeding everywhere. “You will regret the day you think you can make Zanar bow.” Kalyani spit once again before she was knocked unconscious. They deemed her too dangerous to be left awake.

The next thing Kalyani knew she was stirring to a pair of eerie blue eyes that she didn’t know. The rest of the man didn’t come into focus yet but she thought she knew the touch. However, in true Kalyani fashion, she reacted with a right hook right into the man’s face. “You thought you could just knock me out and have your way with me. THINK AGAIN!” She went for another punch with a headbutt and stopped herself dead when she got close to him. “Zanar… ZANAR!” She flung herself on him. “You are bleeding… Why do you let yourself get this hurt… Hm?” She immediately demanded as she looked around him. “Where are we? Also running? I didn’t consider what we did running. I consider it fighting to eventually kill them.” She gave him a smile and dusted off the cheek she had punched.

“What do we do now?” It was an odd question that would come to be answered in the next few days. A change that not even Kalyani would have predicted coming but Zanar would explain it… Kalyani would accept his answer in time.