The axe traced arabesques of death, the speed was surprising for such a heavy weapon. Harlan jumped from left to right, rushing in and delivering quick, powerful kicks into Dhorros' body before retreating out of range of the massive weapon. The hunter's frustration grew. He let out an otherworldly scream and his whole body burst into black flames, shadow dancing in shifting, oily tendrils. The one-armed warrior called the mist; a faint pink glow pulsed within his body. The fight resumed, and Harlan gave ground, not reaching a distance where he could launch his kicks. He slowly retreated, stepping in a circle around his opponent. Feet balanced, feeling the power of the ground fueling him. His eyes glazed over and shone with white light; it looked like the sunrise through frosty windows. "At last, took you long enough," he muttered.
Harlan slowly moved to the spot until his position matched the vision perfectly. The great axe went high toward the sky, then came down like a meteor. The white-eyed warrior let the mist move his body, the wind of the blade sending ripples on his flesh as he avoided the cut by the minimum of margin. The axe embedded itself in the ground.
Harlan used the haft to propel himself and threw a powerful kick toward Dhorros' face. The impact was brutal; the hunter's head snapped back, and he shuffled two steps back. As he raised his head, a shifting second head was howling over him. Made of twisting shadow, two bright white eyes, shaped like huge almonds, leaving an afterimage in Harlan's vision. The creature was ready to charge. But Dhorros didn't move. The black flames slowly faded away. The nightmarish face drifted in smoke toward the shadow weapon. "They are far enough now," said the hunter. He took his greataxe, now solid-looking. His expression was one of focus. And the whole weapon disappeared into smoke that his body absorbed.
Harlan slowly walked toward Dhorros. They looked at each other in silence. Then clasped their arms together and squeezed. When they let go, Dhorros said, "Thank you for letting me live." Harlan shrugged, "That was just a sparring match, don't be overdramatic." The hunter's face remained serious. "Not now, back then, in the pit." The one-armed veteran sighed, "Did I save you, though? Sometimes I wonder." Dhorros gave a weary but sincere smile. "I'm grateful to be alive, even if it is not the life I wanted." Harlan pondered, "You could leave, make the life you want real." That got him a chuckle. "No one leaves the hunters, you know that." He took a deep breath. "Besides, I can't leave now, I don't like what the hunters are becoming." Harlan raised an eyebrow, "And you're sure getting your bones broken is the solution? When was the last time Chala made an example out of you?" Dhorros' smile was unrestrained this time. "Soon," he said.
Silence stretched; the birds came back to investigate. It seemed safe to be on their favorite branch again. Harlan locked eyes with the hunter. "You're losing control of your shadow beast." Dhorros shrugged, "I know, I let it, that's the only way to become strong enough to defeat Chala." The one-armed warrior shook his head. "Each time you're beaten, you strengthen his authority." The survivor smiled again, "He has their obedience, I have their heart and soul." Harlan's eyes glazed over. "Just be sure never to challenge the sphere, she doesn't play," he said. Dhorros' booming laughter sent the birds in flight again. "Why would I ever challenge the sphere, you crazy seer?" Harlan shrugged and muttered, "I don't see everything."
Dhorros grew serious and crossed his arms. "Enough about me, what did you do over there? We were sent to investigate a massive disruption in the mist." Harlan winced, "Yeah, sorry about that, we got a bit carried away." The hunter was not laughing. "You're destroying the protective layer of the world with your stunts. Weren't you supposed to be the wise one?" The one-armed man raised an eyebrow at the contained anger of the words. "Don't worry, I closed the portals." Dhorros didn't back down. "How many?" Harlan just showed three fingers. The hunter nodded, then shook his head in disapproval. "What kind of portals were they?" Harlan watched the birds' latest attempt to reclaim their territory and let out a noisy breath. "I don't know, never saw those before. Some tentacles shit. One with spikes, one with poison, one all about fear." After a while, he frowned. The silence was icy. When he looked at Dhorros, the giant seemed to have frozen solid, all color drained from his face. "No…" he whispered, "Not again…" He locked eyes with Harlan. The seer saw fear and despair. "We're not ready for this battle."
Dhorros was sitting against a tree. He had a small cup in his hand. Harlan stood, a similar cup in his hand. The hunter said, "Thank you, who would have thought milk could be this calming?" The grey-eyed man smiled, "Milk, good for your bones, and good for your soul."
Dhorros smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "What do you see? When will it be? Is it as bad as I fear?" The seer shook his head, "It doesn't work like that. I don't choose what I see." Dhorros got up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Try, please, we need all the information we can get." The seer nodded. He sat against the tree, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. The hunter stepped away and waited. When Harlan opened his eyes, they were glazed over, white as frost, with a slightly pulsing light behind them. Minutes went by. The hunter didn't move, not wanting to trouble and break the trance. When Harlan's eyes finally returned to their light grey color, he shed a single tear.
The two protectors locked eyes. "So much death," muttered Harlan. Dhorros nodded, "What did the portals look like?" The seer just looked up at the sky. The hunter's mouth was a thin line. His gaze was unfocused, looking toward the sky. He said through clenched teeth. "Just like the anomaly Alios and Garreon gave their life to." He then looked at Harlan, "You know, I'm the one who carried Garreon's body back to the base." He then let his gaze wander aimlessly around. "I didn't see the battle, but I saw the aftermath. They saved the whole world that day." Then he grabbed his head in his hand, "The hunters are a shadow of what they were back then." Harlan rose and set his hand on the hunter's shoulder. "You get the hunters ready. I'll gather warriors. It's our world, and we're fighting."
They clasped arms again, solemnly. Dhorros said with a teasing smile, "I'm going to check you didn't miss a portal." Harlan scoffed, "I'm going to recruit the healers." Then he mirrored the teasing smile, "Don't tell Chala where I am." Dhorros let out a tss sound. Then, they set off in opposing directions.