Trial and Error

The heavy air wore Tony down to his knees while he caught his breath. The trek through the humid forest took a great tole on his overworked body. On top of that, the voice of Serius within his head didn't help the splitting headache, on top of the heat. Her constant advice and ability to talk within his mind really frustrated him sometimes. She would talk about the ancient civilization and how they found a way to harness the Vitai with their machines. Serius explained how before that time, similar to the present, only those who could see the Vitai could wield them. Human-Vitai connections depended on both the Vitai and Human's personalities and personas. She explained how, just like humans, there are different kinds of Vitai, and not all of them are sane.
"Sancti," Serius claims as they walk through the dense forest. "That is what i am called. There are others, too. We call them Nocti, because of their dark personas. Nocti are stronger than most us Sancti, due to their ruthless drive and willpower. We have been fighting against them for what seems like eternity. I cant remember the last time i has a legitimate conversation with Nocti. Ee used to live together in perfect harmony, as it should be. Without this harmony, we are only half of life, missing the sadness, sorrow, and anger that Nocti are driven from. Individual Sancti and Nocti are striving, but our Race as a whole is growing feeble. The Vitai children you saw come out of the log in the forest when we first met were a result of dying Vitai, breaking up unto multiple smaller half-lives"
"That's all interesting Serius, but my mind is much more focused on the life threatening trial we were sent on. Details would be nice," Tony questions.
 His trial was beginning to be quite the pain; never did he expect this day to be so hot and unforgiving on such a day. Serius seemed troubled before giving him the test, due to the danger of the men who he was hunting down. Given Serius' strange behavior, Tony had a feeling he had to be more than prepared. His test was to hunt down one of the five Yahnic Harbingers, corrupted and controlled by the Cardinal Crayne himself. A Harbinger was reported to be last seen in the dense Akekri Forest, a region of mysticism hidden within the outer forest region, near the walls of Jarik. Tony was told to find him, preferably alone, and slaughter him. Easier said than done. Their agility and intelligence prove to be a more trouble together than alone. On top of that, it is rumored that when together, they act as a whole. Communication is irrelevant.
"To be completely honest with you Tony, it would be a miracle  if we killed off one of them. These men were trained by Renee Vusirius." She says with a shake in her voice.
"What?" Tony exclaims instantly. "Why didn't you-"
"Shhhh I hear someone," Serius, barely visible at this point, she searches for the source of the rustling bushes. Just a moment after, Tony quickly turns around to be greeted by a blind folded man with a smile stretching from ear to ear. His teeth were far from perfect while his tongue licked his teeth constantly. What seemed like an instant later, the man raised his arm as a serrated blade lunged out his sleeve into his hand.