John Silverstein's Story

The next day Anton woke up calmly and took a few seconds to recognize if the last day was a dream or reality.
Particullary he felt bad about the idea to siege Hell: it was a suicide mission,not only....it was useless,to pass ten circles of sins and then the last to be punished.
He took a long breath,and then got dressed.He passed all the morning writing notes,and in a secret tome the results of the secret meeting.
Impatient,he decided to visit the market,particullary the shop of Medea.
This shop was known to alchemist,but also mages: Medea is one of the most mysterious member of the Ancient Crusaders.
For more than one time she refused to join battles.
Despite all of this,she is a mage with excellent elemental knowledge and also a pretty good brewer.
Walking around Anton noticed various stalls: from vegetable to crossbows.
The market was,usually a place where to meet old friends or even business meeting in the various taverns.
However in that young afternoon he noticed more silence than the other days.
The Shop of Medea,called "The Forest of Runes" is situated at the end of the Market,near the castle of the Blade master.
When he arrived he looked up,at the towers of the Castle.
"I wonder if our knight is passing some time with the Blade Master Anton was thinking by looking at the gates.
Here was the "Forest of Runes": He wondered if Medea was in the shop.
There was no door,but a veil of stones that separates the jungle of the shop from the lands of the Crusaders.
He looked inside...without his suprise he saw trees,flowers and even heard some screams of monkeys ahead.
He smiled and searched for Medea.
"Medea? Medea! I need some oils!" Anton actually screamed.
From nowhere a voice answered:"Anton! Since when you didn't visited me?".It was Medea,somewhere in that magic forest.
"Which kind of oils my dear?" Medea asked.
"Cooking oils....you didn't hear the news?"
Suddenly a thin arrow broke the immobility.Just before it could hit Anton's right shoulder his arcane forces stopped it.
Medea laughed.From a nearby tree Anton saw a figure moving: He laughed."Medea are you going to lose the habit to kill your customers or..." Just before he could finish the sentence anothen thin arrow passed the air,and again got blocked by the Arcanic aura.
"...go on?" Another arrow searched to pass Anton.This time it succeeded,hitting Anton's leg.
He took a breath,impassible....the arrow are so thin that a simple spell is enough to heal the wound.
"I guess you will go on" Anton removed the arrow from his leg and Medea came out from the camouflage.
She was smiling.
Medea is thin,tall and she never loses her smile: her irony surpasses Anton's and her hairs are black.
"Ah well....the news? The presumed "Apocalypse","Ragnarok","Armageddon" and so on?" Medea said walking with a Machete,made to cut down plants.
Anton was following her:"Yes....and I need some herbs to enchant my armour....better if you have the oils".
Medea looked back."Name the list Lorekeeper!"
Anton named his vast quantity of herbs' oils and wondered if John,the Alchemist,needed something.
"Ah...do you have Boom daisies? A friend of mine might need them.
"Boom daisies....Hmmmm....here!" Medea guided the way.
Medea's shop was worse than the Labyrint of the Minotaur.After an half hours of walking Anton said:"That's why they say to don't judge a book from the first page....Medea your shop is bigger than I thought!"
Medea smiled,while chopping down the unlucky trees."Neither I know how big is this shop...." She said laughing.
Ten minutes later they found these "Boom Daisies":"Here!"
"How much is all this timeless list?"
"Well let's see...." After minutes of calculating "It's free....gratis..."
"Meh....I can't accept Mede...".
"Oh wait...if you can do me the favor to tell me what do you think of the incoming invasion...."
Anton sighed....He forgot that Medea doesn't accept classic cash.
"This might be more digestive with...some tea..."
After an hour af talking Medea freed Anton
"Thank you "Illuminated"! For the company!"
Anton smiled as he was heading to the Alchemy room.

Anton was walking to the Alchemy room,searching for John.
He knew that it was "dangerous",especially if John was making burn potions.
That's why Anton decided to get for his fellow alchemist some Boom daisies.
When he arrived he knocked at the door awaiting to the alchemist to open.

Awaiting for more than thirty minutes Anton grew tired of waiting.....timing was one of the thing he lacks: he also,often,ignore the persons in front of his door.
Only when he finishes to archieve everything he opens it,seeing the visitor a figure that barely stands.
So he decided to take a page from his notebook and wrote with blue ink:

Dear John,
The Lorekeeper gives to you these "Boom Daisies" for your glorious researches in the field of explosives.
Stay well!
PS: By STAY WELL I mean do not blow yourself,and the laboratory.
PSS: Also DO NOTICE that you should install what the human calls "Door Ring": So you will not let me stand in front of your door for more than half-an-hour

"Now....I wonder where's Dante....probably in D'Canith Manor....Lovely" Anton was thinking while leaving the Alchemist room and the flowers.
Anton finds in Dante....a little arrogance,common in thus who wields great powers.
He remembers that he drops himself in the demonic frontlines and decimated them.Alway Dante was a lonely-skirmisher,also before joining the Crusaders.
He slaughtered the demons and is in the Order for vengeance.
As he walked past the Archivies he took a shortcut,arriving in the Manor in thirty minutes.
He arrived at the great front door of the Manor.
How big was the Manor? Much more more and more bigger than his apartment.
He never saw such buildings in all the camp.Maybe it was bigger than the Church of the Arch Angels....He knocked at the door awaiting to the duelist to open.

The screams of the demon filled dungeon as the white hot metal seared its unnatural oaken flesh. The Lord of D'Canith Manor pulled the blade away from the creatures chest and casually placed it on the table behind him. In the tiny dark room deep within the bowels of his magnificently extravagant home Dante had himself a captured demon. It's name was unimportant, its knowledge... now that's what had gotten this poor fellow ensnared by the brilliant duelist. Now tied to a chair in the bottom of the dungeon, he was at Dante's mercy. Dante sighed leisurely as he ran his hand through his golden hair as the demon groaned in pain, his eyes glancing to the array of wicked looking torture tools splayed out on the table behind him. His gaze rested for a moment on the fire pit heating a few of the weapons, including Dante's rapier.

"This is the thing I truly love about your breed. You Forest demons... More plant than creature. That fascinating little healing factor of yours means I get the luxury of hurting you for days, weeks... months."

The shining blue, crystalline eyes of Dante Edmond D'Canith locked onto the soulless black pearls of the demons and could see the fear brewing. A sly smile slowly worked its way onto Dante's handsome features as he turned around and grabbed a nasty looking dagger off the table. He turned around and placed the tip on the demons thigh.

"You see friend, I've fought enough of you to know that while you do in fact heal, you feel everything. Heal all you like but an axe to the face will most certainly ruin any ones day."

The demon growled in pain, rage and fear as it shook from the hours of torment it had received thus far.

"I'm not telling you nothing Crusader!"

A confident and arrogant chuckle rolled out of Dante's throat as he slowly pressed the dagger point into the creatures thigh making it whine in pain.

"Oh my dear fellow, I think you will. You know of me... I know you do. You know what I can do, what I am capable of. You are well aware I can kill you in the blink of an eye or let you suffer. The choice is yours. Like any over grown weed I can purge you with fire and let you burn or... I can end your life with a flick of my wrist..."

The blade sunk deeper as the beasts teeth gnashed in agony.

"I know your lovely band of merry men are planning something... and I know it must be rather exciting if you little rats are running around this much. Now you're going to tell me every juicy little dirty secret you know or I am going to turn your world inside out..."

The shadowy black eyes stared into the eyes of the unyielding master of the manor. The demon broke first.

"...Fine...J-Just take... this...damned...thing...out...of..my...leg."

Dante grinned as he rose, pulling the dagger out of the demons thigh. He turned and set the blade down just before the ropes snapped. The beast roared to its feet, its black blood oozing out of its countless wounds. Pure fury tearing from its lungs.

"NOW YOU DIE CRUSADER!"

In the next instant both of the demons arms were severed from its torso by tempered red hot metal before the fine sword point of Dante's rapier sunk deep into the skull of the beast. Dante's form was impeccable,, his speed was dizzying, his aim true as always. A regretful sigh escaped Dante's throat before he pulled the blade free allowing the body to drop.

"What a waste..."

It was not more than a few seconds later that a whispy figure appeared and its spectral voice spoke.

"Master Wardenvaln is at the door sir."

Dante's eyebrow arched curiously before a cool smile broke out onto his face.

"Is he now?... Put something one ice for us will you? I'm feeling something... French."

It was minutes later that Dante was at the front door. He opened it to see the enigmatic yet friendly mage Anton Wardenvaln. Dante and Anton had a unique friendship. While the two had little in common beside their hatred for demons they got along quite well. Dante was drawn to his confidence in his chosen field. Being extremely gifted in his own particular skill set he respected the mans trust in his own abilities that most people took for simple arrogance. With the cavalcade of character flaws Dante possessed he was hardly one to fault the man for a bit of a superiority complex, especially when it was rightly earned.

"Ah Anton, a pleasure as always. My apologies for the delay, I was predisposed with prior company. Please tell me this is a social call, I could use a glass of something aged."