Songbirds (FTO Fanfic)

Ori's POV (Present Day)

Is it over?

You poke your head out from the hiding place, quickly scanning the area. There was no sign of him anywhere.

You let out a sigh of relief, but you know you're not out of the woods yet. He could still be around here somewhere, waiting for others to show up. He doesn't look like the stupid type, and he surely isn't weak- seeing as how he took on fifty mages and won. You carefully stepped out into open light, surveying the battlefield more closely.

All across the harbor, the bodies of your guildmates were scattered in piles. Blood soaked through their cloaks, down to their boots and dripped onto the wood. Some bodies fell in the water, dyeing it a dark red. You hope the residents won't have too much trouble with that.

The sun was already setting, its rays reflecting off of the pools of your deceased companions. You went to walk away, but were interrupted when you heard footsteps. You turned to see him- the man, unscathed, completely devoid of all signs of murder. He stood across the way, a small smile on his face. His eyes were covered by a blindfold, but you could feel his cold gaze piercing your soul. You were too scared to move.

"Well, it seems I did miss someone," he says in a slightly surprised tone, yet you don't believe that he didn't know. You took a step back, unresponsive.

"A silent one, aren't we?" he asked, letting a small grin fill his face. His voice was odd- he didn't have a certain accent, but more of an attitude. And that attitude showed.

You reached into your pocket and un-sheathed your serrated dagger, clenching it in your shaking palm. He laughed.

"And a fighter! This should be fun. Please, do enlighten me on how you plan to take me down- give me your best shot," he said.

The wind casts a slight breeze over the bloodstained arena. You thought about what to do- you already had your dagger out, so do you fight him? He slaughtered your entire group, though, and you'd rather not end up like them. But it's not like you could escape him if you ran- your death may be less painful, and that was the only upside you saw to that situation. So fight you would.

You sprinted in his direction, shifting your dagger to prepare for attack- but as soon as you run at him, he disappears.

You stopped, wildly looking around for your opponent- but with the ensuing darkness, there was no sign of him. The only lights were that of the fading sun, oncoming stars, and dim streetlights.

Out of the corner of your eye, he appeared, sword in hand. You turned and sidestepped, dodging by an inch. He whipped back and swung again, and this time you parried with your dagger. He aimed for your side and you ducked, popping up and slashing at his neck- but he avoided it. You both continued to swing and dodge, although the attacker was the only one landing in hits. He'd occasionally graze your arm with his blade, making you stumble back.

It was only after one last parry that you two stepped back. You found it odd, however, that he showed no signs of exhaustion; not even a single drip of sweat.

"You won't go down like the others. Perhaps I should've killed you before, right when I saw you," he stated, his playful tone dialing down just a bit.

Seeing an opportunity, you charge at him again- but he's gone. Now, with the sun completely gone and the battlefield lit by the low moonlight, you couldn't see anything. You start to move, carefully walking around, until you trip over a corpse's hand and almost fall into the sea. You look to see your enemy, holding you by the wrist.

"Hello~"

He threw you back towards land, quickly following up with a kick to the gut. He barely gave you time to recover, because as soon as you looked up, he was already swinging at you with his sword. You shuffled out of the way of his attacks, trying to deflect his strikes, but he always managed to hit you. Eventually, your arms fell, unable to keep up with him. They screamed in agony, filled with pain.

As you faltered back, you fell onto the ground, tired and aching. Your opponent approached, a slight frown on his face.

"Shame. I thought you'd actually make it," he said. "You lived for much longer than the rest."

You glared at him, unable to speak. You tried to stay calm, but your heart raced- you couldn't die here.

"Hm- look at the time. I must be going. I can't keep Abraham waiting forever."

You perked up at the mention of that name, wondering who it could be. That thought didn't last long, as the next thing you knew, his blade was in your side. The sharp feeling spread throughout your body, and you felt blood leaving your body fast. He then yanked it out, letting it disappear into thin air.

As he strolled into the city, he called back to you.

"Oh, and one last thing. If you're still alive when someone finds you.."

He paused, thinking for a moment.

"Tell them Eden was here."

With that, he was gone, disintegrating into the shadows of the night.

You lay there, slowly bleeding out, staring at the starry sky above. Your hands reach to the wound in your side, clenching it tightly.

This is not your final breath.