Armor of Deceit

Chapter 7

It feels as if my heart was being weighed down by an anchor as I drag myself out of the small village. I'm leaving the night before, pretending that it never happened.

But I can't push the moment away, it replays in my head like a glitch. I feel silly for feeling like this about someone I just meet, but somehow, I took a little piece of him.

I will myself to go forward without looking back, a habit too natural for me. I try to clear the fog in my head; I have one goal, and that's to get to the castle and kill the king to end the everlasting war. I'm doing this for the right reasons, right?

The soil is wet and the air humid, making the day seem slow and sad. Max senses my despondency and stays quiet and obedient. The village is now out of sight behind us and in front of us is a meadow that will stretch to another small town.

I fetch my memory of the map of the kingdom; There are 4 more villages to encounter before the castle. The number makes me want to quit right then and there but I couldn't.

I subconsciously touch the sword on my waist and let my mind wander to the dreadful thoughts of it's capabilities. I'm thankful that the walk to my next destination isn't a lengthy one; I'd hate to be left alone with my thoughts, I'll drown in them.

I hear a voice that snaps me out of my contemplation and I draw my sword. I wait to hear it again but it doesn't come. Once I've decided that's it's just a wandering villager, I continue hesitantly, my sword still drawn.

An hour has passed and nothing in the meadow has stirred so I place my sword back in the sheath. But as soon as I do that I hear a different voice, a low grumble. It speaks a little louder, "sword..."

I've recognized that voice by now, it's an ogre. I take the sword out again and yell at it,"You mean this?"

"Sword!" The voice comes from behind me and Max turns us around to face the beast. "Give me..." The large creature is breathing heavily, it's covered in dried blood and the stench is horrid.

"Come get it then, beast," I wave the sword and he comes charging at me. I swing but it catches the sword in it's hands. It pushes the sword back towards me as blood trickles down from it's palm.

Disappear, c'mon.

It pushes the sword until it meets my wounded shoulder, piercing it. I let out a yell and Max steps back, faltering the steps of the ogre and I take that chance to regain the control of the sword and swing it again.

But I miss. I never miss.

The beast strikes at me, causing me to topple off of Max. As I fall, I watch as an arrow penetrates through the beast and it collapses to the ground just like me.