<span style="color: #FF0000">The paths through the mountains were confusing, seemingly made only by animals. Rezekiel knew that very few people came up here, except for the occasional hunter, but he thought that there would at least be some paths that led to certain destinations. The best he found were small, thin trails made by what he assumed were deer. <br/><br/>He continued up the steep and treacherous mountain paths for what seemed like hours. Eventually, he noticed a change in them. There was something up here, something strange. Something that was watching him. Slowly, he drew the sword that he always carried sheathed by his hip, treading his steps more carefully. <br/><br/>Out of the brush in front of him, two men, or at least he thought they were men, burst out, rushing him with strangely curved swords. Surprised but not completely caught off guard, he rolled to the side, letting them keep on running downhill so they would have difficulty changing directions, then quickly sprang up and ran towards them as they turned around. As he reached them both, he stabbed one in the chest while ducking under both of their blade swings. Quickly turning to face the remaining creature, for he saw now that it was not human, he parried its oncoming strike and retaliated with his own quick slash to the arm, making a cut that bled instantly. As it growled in rage, he kicked its sword hand, making it fly a few feet away, and then quickly thrust his sword arm forward in an arc to decapitate the creature's head cleanly off. A spurt of blood cascaded in a swirling motion as the head's connection to the body was severed, then fell to the snowy ground and tainting it with red.<br/><br/>Breathing heavily, Rezekiel looked further up the mountain, wondering what secrets the place held, and whether they were the kind of secrets he wanted to discover or not.</span>