Soon the wastelands began to feel crowded: Mutant harpies, white bears, wolves and even a few Chimeras. Who all begun to stalk the group. An outside observer could have guessed that it was a moving circus, sadly it was not.

Thrallex health didn’t improve. Their supplies begun to dwindled, soon suspicious looks became common.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Do you think that I can’t do it? Do you think that this black flame can’t be dominated? I tell you t-th-tha…” Thrallex eyes went white. Flames kindle up and burst into the surrounding snow, “you are wrong! I can dominate it! See how you can melt snow and boil water! See how we can cook with it! We survive thanks to it!” he took his jacket “I am still...still…” he grabbed his head and looked in the horizon “I don’t feel good.” he collapsed to the ground bleeding. Old injuries and scars re-open like they were freshly cut, his flesh had mutated beyond recognition.

As with everything, things always tend to follow similar patterns. First the enthusiasm, then the doubts, then the scars and then...dead. It was always the same pattern with mages.

“Give me that book!” he screamed in blind rage as he tried gasping it, “why you stole it from me?!?” several demons took him from behind and put him on the table. He was sedated and inspected from top to bottom in a tent. After some time the doctor came out of the tent with a grim expression and head down.

“Eagle, how is he?” one of the demons in the group asked

He looked at him “The...muscles...you...must…” he paused “there is no way around it. Most muscles show signs of necrosis. The tendons of the left arm are burned. The color in his pupil is fading away, and the whole of his body appears to be undergoing...decomposition.”

All demons stood silent waiting for him to say something else “I only skimmed through the book, so we can’t be sure but…” all looked at him “but it might be that he was using magic well beyond his abilities. Until we don’t reach a city, Thrallex must not use magic again”

When Thrallex woke up, his eyes were tired. The rage was gone. He started walking without asking questions. The rest of the party did the same. The following days weren’t kinder. Confidence was at an all-time low, and the animals came closer and closer. They knew better than to charge a Minotaur.

“Erik” eagle said, “take the book” he offered him a black tome.

“Why?”

“Because you are the only one who can’t and wouldn’t use the magic”

“Are you sure about that?” Erik smiled, and his face twisted into that of a raven.

“I am sure. I can’t keep it. Too much temptation.”

Erik took the book.

“Erik, on another matter, where are the animals?”

“I thought that they hide?”

“No. I can’t see them even with those eyes. They are gone.”

After a few minutes, they found a huge white boar impaled with a huge bolt, over two meters long.

“Isn’t that a ballista bolt?”

“Yes. That is the problem.”

Soon they saw two figures on the horizon, climbing on a tree. One huge ogre-like creature, and the other a humanoid.

“They want to hunt us?” one of them said before the wolves began screaming behind him. An arrow had penetrated the skull of one and had enough strength to cut two more down.

“Let’s not ask questions, will we?” The two hunters always kept at a distance.

Already all hope seemed lost when a plate knight followed by hundreds of foot soldiers came into view.

“Halt!” screamed a plated knight on his horse, “who are you?”

Eagle came forward, “we are the pawns of noble Thrallex, we have the permission to walk in those-”

“Demons can’t enter the city.”

Eagle blinked “W-what? Since when?”

“Since two crazy demons butchered half the marketplace. The duke has revoked all permissions. I can’t permit to come near the city. Leave at once or else I will be forced to take action.”

To make matters worse, they didn’t get paid. Thrallex was in no condition to speak or manipulate. They didn’t have a contract or protection now. All enthusiasm died down in the group. Each picking his own things, they separate into tiny groups. Each pursuing their own goal and directions.

Erik stayed with the eagle. After a brief walk, he met an injured wolf. An arrow had pierced, from side to side, his leg.

The wolf eyes were tired, his leg was injured, his teeth were badly damaged. He looked in his eyes for a few seconds. Erik came near the wolf and using a few bandages and alcohol patched up the wolf.

The eagle looked at him in silence

"Why Erik" the raven cried inside him

"If I can't stop my suffering, at least I can alleviate that of those who deserve"

“Hypocrite”

​The wolf followed Erik for a bit, seeing him still walk with half a leg reminded Erik of painful memories. Certain times his tender side took the upper hand, at other the brutal and cunning side. He knew that the wolf would attack him if he wasn’t injured. Yet, it pierced his heart to see an animal in those conditions.

-------

Erik brushed off the vomit pouring from his mouth, it had been three full days since the last time he had slept well and the results were clear, both physically and mentally. The cold wind was crushing him more than usual, and he felt so very weak. The eagle had to carry him for most of the way, his fever was rising.

​

"Damn you!" he said screaming at the wind, "damn you" why I am here! , screaming and screaming, At least he did the best he could, at least he did the best he could. At least he did the best he could. Those were the words that ran across his mind like an endless mantra, endlessly chanted by thousands of voices. When you are this broken, you need something to hold you upright. For Erik, it was his curse, for Thrallex it was money, for Iliac it was being respected.

​

When a small shelter was spotted, Erik couldn’t walk alone. It was a lone house made of wood and stone. It was completely covered in snow and was evidently abandoned by many years, when he first forced the door he found many rats dead, probably they ran inside when the temperature dropped, only to remain trapped. All in all it was a good place.

He closed his eyes and hoped that tomorrow would have been better, tomorrow would have been a better day when he could have found a better home and a warm campfire.

“That wolf is stalking us. He is hungry.”

“We don’t have food to give him”

“We are food for him.”

A brief silence followed

“Eagle​, what drives you forward when you are broken?”

Eagle paused for a few seconds before responding, “transcendence. Erik, you know how old I am?”

“Sixty years?”

Eagle laughed “In the journals of Diogini the pious, he meets a strange-looking eagle demon who debated with him. It was me”

Erik blinked a few times, “that is...over four hundred years old!”

“Two hundred, Erik, not all sacred scriptures are that ancient. I have seen many men die, pray to their foolishness. I saw many men die in hopes of an afterlife. Me? I just hope to transcend this cycle of suffering and be free from all lies”

“Like my lies?”“Yes, Erik, like your lies” this being said, Eagle placed a blanket on Erik body, and he waited a few hours, next to a campfire. Before long the shadow began moving, and strange voices could be heard, but at that point, Erik was already asleep.