627 years ago

"So you understand?" The king asked, his head down, his eyes glowing with a vicious lust for blood. Vander moved to him and opened his hand. The kind dropped the coin pouch into his hand. Vander didn't check it. If it wasn't what was agreed upon, he'd be back.
The king laughed as Vander turned away, turning a deep blue and glowing amulet in his hand. "Show no mercy."
Vander took those orders to heart.

He stepped outside--it was raining, but the water didn't seem to touch him. He walked to the neighboring kingdom. He walked to the gates. Two guards approached him quickly. "Name and business."
Vander stopped. He stood there.
He finally lifted his chin, they eyes under his hood were sharp blue. A smile slipped gently into across his face.

*

Vander stood over the rival king. He waved his hand, watching the body slowly freeze. The king screamed and tried to writhe but there was no hope. He froze to death, his eyes wide open.
Vander had slaughtered three hundred people in the castle that night, and the Queen was all that was left. Vander approached her. She was with child, and crying.
Vander hesitated...studying her. "Go." He said softly, breaking the vow he made to the King that had his amulet. The Queen sniffed and looked to the plane-called. She stood up and moved to him. She swallowed and kissed him on the lips before grabbing her coat and running out the door. Vander stood there, frozen himself. He felt...love. In an instant. He'd never forget it.
When he returned to the enemy King, the King was none the wiser.

He returned to the amulet, waiting to be summoned again. But over the years, the amulet had stumbled from hand to hand, the ritual forgotten.
The significance lost. Vander would not be summoned for over 600 years, when by accident, and also by fate, he would return to the physical plane.

***

The amulet lay half buried in the trunk of an ordinary tree. There was the faintest glow that no one noticed. No one explored this deep into the Farcrest Forest.

Eryn laughed softly, sitting in the grass with a few of her friends. They had blankets laid out, some food laid on top of them. The girls all laughed and giggled as two of the boys put on a silly little skit, rolling around and play fighting one another with mildly vulgar line and insults thrown back and forth.
But suddenly, a shadow fell over the girls as they sat there watching. "If ya wanna see some real fightin' why don't you ask real men?"
They all turned and one of them gasped. A group of large men, gruff, dirty and well armed had come up behind them, and they chuckled at the girl that gasped.
"Oh come on now. We just wanna join in your fun..."

Eryn had managed to get away and she practically flew into the nearby forest. It was too far to town, she knew, and... that was the way the others had run. She felt horrible abandoning them but... she didn't want to die.
Soon, she was lost among the trees. She kept moving, but it was getting late. She'd lost her cloak at their picnic. It had been warm in the spring sun. But now, she hugged her arms around herself, shivering in the shadows under the tall trees. And it was getting darker...
Eryn frowned a little, pausing to look around. There was no use stumbling through the forest in the dark. She knew if she fell and hurt herself, she'd be that much more likely to be found by some hunting creature. She swallowed and found a large tree, moving over to it. She slowly sat down, leaning back against it. At least if she could keep her back to it...

It wasn't until night fell that she spotted the light near by. She frowned a bit and shifted, trying to get a better look at it. The light wasn't flickering... it wasn't someone with a torch... She slowly rose, wondering what it could be, and moved towards it.
She frowned a little, confused, when she realized it was coming from the trunk of the tree. She carefully ran her fingers over the spot the light came from, and felt the cold of the metal.
"What?" she breathed, surprised. Curious to find out what it was, she gently tried to peel the bark back to get the thing out.

Vander awoke. He felt the touch to his amulet. It had been so long! Someone had found him.
The amulet glowed brighter at her caress.
"What do you desire?" A voice called out. It was masculine, firm. Not threatening though.

Eryn jumped and stepped back, instantly breathing hard. She looked around, a little confused. No one was here though... She looked back to the amulet as it glowed brighter and slowly approached it again. She didn't know how to answer, but she gently ran her fingers over it again, wondering if it would speak again.

Vander frowned a bit, staring back at her. "I can give it to you. Whatever you might wish. Summon me. Call my name."

Eryn slowly licked her lips. "You have a name?" she whispered.
But suddenly a twig snapped behind her and she spun. A deep chuckle came from the shadows before the large man came out from behind another tree. "I knew I'd find you, if I kept looking, my pretty."
Eryn took a step back, terrified, her heart in her throat. She pressed against the tree for a moment, but then slipped to the side, her fingers brushing the amulet again, as she took another step back.

Vander frowned deeply, watching the man. "Vander." He said firmly---urgently. The bandit couldn't hear him.

Eryn swallowed hard, barely registering the name as the man approached her.
"Come on, pet," the bandit said, maliciously playful. "Don't run, and it'll be nice." But he quickly rushed her then and slammed her into a tree, his thick hand around her throat, pinning her there.
Eryn gasped and tried to struggle, tears quickly coming to her eyes. "Please..." she breathed.
The man chuckled. "Only if you're asking for what I want," he taunted.
Eryn closed her eyes, tears dripping down her cheeks. But she glanced back to the glow behind him. "Vander," she whispered. "Help me..."
The bandit laughed, pressing close to her. "Your love, hmm? Well he's not here to save you..."

The amulet flashed and there was a loud metallic SHING. A swirling ice cold wind swirled around and a figure appeared. His robes were extraordinary, glowing blue. He was tall and terrifying and the wind died down quickly. He stood behind the man, his visible mouth glowering at the pig holding her to the tree.

The bandit turned at the sudden sound and the light, frowning. "What the hell? Who are you?" He still held onto Eryn, keeping her pinned though.
Eryn stared at him, her pretty green eyes wide. Her cheeks shown in the light he seemed to come with from her tears.

Vander flicked his fingers that glowed with blue light. He swing his arm around as if holding a sword, making a rough figure eight. The light cut through the man faster then any sword was, freezing the cuts easily. The bandit fell to the leaves in a heap, and in clean chunks. It was over faster then it began.
Vander studied the girl against the tree and frowned, the glowing dimmed completely, so he appeared to be just a man.

Eryn slowly looked to the bandit, her eyes still wide, her heart still racing. But after a moment, she quickly moved away from the body, retreating towards Vander. She didn't really know... what to say though. She was too stunned for words.

Vander turned around and looked to her as she retreated behind him. "My payment is due." He told her slowly. "Perhaps if you remove my amulet from the bark, we will be even."

Eryn frowned, looking to him. "Payment?" she whispered. "I..." She couldn't help glancing back to the dismembered body. "Who are you?"

"Vander." He answered simply. He studied her and cocked his head. "Of the Plane-called. It is the agreement of the summoner and the summoned that payment is appropriate after a task is completed."