The Wanderer's Path: Return of the Beasts

Chapter 10

Reaper stared at Kael, unable to fathom why his sword had appeared. It was fitting though, that my only true companion should greet me at the gates. Reaper trudged closer towards the infernal gates, each step draining from him another piece of his life, another long rotten piece of his existence. He reached tenderly to his only true possession. His hand grasped the familiar hilt like he were embracing and old friends arm.

Raising the sword from the ground he unleashed the blade from its resting place before Gates of Death. With their coupling came a sudden roar, like the pierced death cries from a thousand fallen souls. Reaper looked up and saw one and all of the immortals, flesh, bone and soul starting at him, reaching for him. Is that pain I see in their faces, or pity?

Reaper had no time to decide. The blade exploded with darkness so pure, it seemed to drain the very light that shone from beyond deaths gate. It covered him like a well-worn cloak, and before Reaper could react, the gate was gone.

His gut wrenched inside him as if a thousand needles had been thrust inside him, his mind swayed, and he lost control of any considered thought. Death had eluded him once more. He roared his frustration, raising Kael above his head, the darkness that now covered him began spreading all around him, it layered the ground he stood on, covered the skies above him. He noticed the elven God Liandreth’iel bathed in dim light that fought the darkness that spread around him. Yes, I’m not done yet. Death can still be mine.

As if the thought brought him back, he opened his eyes to the world once more and realised he was standing, his arm had grown back and his roar continued, muting all the elven witnesses around him.

Reaper stood weaponless, breathing like a mad beast. Kael, Kael is here.

There was no doubt in Reapers mind, he could feel his sword as if it were an extension of his body, or a piece of his soul. He glanced towards the trees and spotted Kael, buried firmly into one of the trees branches. Leaning against Kael’s hilt stood the empire’s dog, Kin Shadows. Kin gripped the hilt and with a sudden spin of his body launched the sword blade first at Reaper.

Taking a step back, Reaper let the blade piece the ground just before where he had stood, his hand instantly finding the sword’s grip as more arrows already sped past him. Liandreth’iel was now launching his imbued arrows three at a time, but it no longer mattered, not to Reaper. He rushed forward with an insatiable desire for destruction. Destruction of any enemy that dared oppose him, destruction of any thought beyond the pure joy that was the dance of death, destruction of the curse that others called life.

The elven God’s fiery arrows now did little as they struck against the cloak of darkness that wrapped itself around Reaper as if death itself shielded him. His blade roared towards Liandreth’iel with a piercing scream as if the screams of death’s gates had followed them back to this world. Shadow’s crept within the forest like an unholy mist as Reaper slashed and thrust at his opponent. Yes, more… more! Let me unleash everything I am, all of my power, then let it all finally end.

As if in answer to his thoughts, Reaper watched as Liandreth’iel’s blade began flowing with the same burning flames as the arrows that had struck against him earlier. The God vanished before his eyes leaving a strange after image in his vision. His laboured breaths were all that he could hear as he slowly turned to look at all the elven eyes focused on him. Kin had already disappeared, probably being chased by elven rangers. Kallor is breeding them smart these days. Despite realising that Kael had likely pulled him back to life, he was grateful to the Sylix Empire dog for bringing him his sword. Now he could die how he had always wished; with his sword in his hand.  

Why do they all stare in such horror? Reaper looked down to notice what they were all looking at. Thick ropes of his intestines had spilled to the ground, even as he looked, more slowly slipped to the ground from the massive slice across his stomach. More disturbing to the onlookers however, were moments where they seemed to get sucked back into his body, lengths and lengths at a time. When did that happen?