The Devil's Blade

𝟷𝟻 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙺𝚊𝚢𝚛𝚊: 𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗

We follow the path in ahead of us, with the sun's warmth bathing our faces. Kai takes the lead, navigating through the woods with a confidence that suggests familiarity. Zhena and I exchange wary glances, our unease noticable as we step cautiously over the sandy terrain. Kai's back is facing us the entire time as we follow behind him. Only the soft sound of our footsteps echoed through the air, the deafening silence serving as a reminder of the tension from earlier. 

As we start to closen up on a sign of life, a blurry image of houses in the distance comes into view. A moment like this should fill me with joy, knowing that the endless journey we've made would finally come to an end, however, I'm afraid. Ever since our encounter with Kai, my uncertainty in the safety of the North have increased rapidly, and the feeling grows with each step.

After a long travel, we stumble across a harrowing scene in the distance: a small village, infested with creatures, marked by body remains and blood trails. Zhena instinctively draws her dagger, and I follow her action by readying my sword for the lurking dangers. Adrenaline surges through us as we cautiously enter the village.

"It's like a ghost town..." I murmur softly as we traverse the grounds.

"Yeah, they left nothing untouched." Zhena responds.

"Stay focused, if my suspicions are correct, then this village is Kayra, and that would mean nothing good." Kai warns, his voice tinged with urgency.

With heightened senses, we press on through the village until we encounter a group of creatures, all forcefully tearing at a man's body, dressed in the same uniform as those Northern swordsmen.

Backing away slowly, I accidentally step against some fallen debris making a scene, alerting all the creatures of our presence. Before we can react, they pounce, appearing from behind the debris and from the body. Zhena and I fend off the creatures, our attention consumed by the sudden threat. Then suddenly, the sound of a monsterous screech echoes through the air and a towering beast emerges from behind a destroyed house. It's presence is remarkable, as it walks on two feet, stumbling like a zombie while growling in a way that sounds strangely mundane. Its claws and teeth were bigger than the usual creatures we fought, not to mention that it also appeared to have long horns adorned on the top of it's head. The menacing appearance sends chills down our spines.

Cornered and overwhelmed, we desperately to defend ourselves. On one side, a monsterous beast and on the other, the countless creatures crawling around us. The ground trembles as the slow moving beast approaches, it's big claws slowly preparing to strike when the attack catches Zhena, causing her to collapse to the ground.

I quickly fight off the creature occupying me, and rush over to her side. "Zhena!"

Zhena struggles to get up, her weight trembling under her arms. "Look out!"

Turning, I find myself face-to-face with the colossal beast. I swallow, as the creature growls and lurches at me. With a quick twist of my wrist, I block the incoming strike, pushing its claws back with all my power. It's strength against strength as the monster pushes me back against my sword, my feet skidding over the ground. I groan as my blade starts to bend and the beast seems to overpower me. I squeeze my eyes shut, ready to embrace my strength giving in, as Kai appears, seemingly out of nowhere and intervenes just in time.

With swift and skilled movements, Kai takes out the beast like it's nothing, allowing me to catch my breath. Relief washes over me as I realize that Kai's timely intervention had just saved our lives. Yet, as I observe Kai's altered appearance, my hand twitches, settling uneasy pictures of my own monsterous appearance inside my head.

Then, I blinked, just once, before more chaos erupts. The unmistakable sound of metal meeting metal echoes through the air, followed by a grunt that pierces through the air like a sharp knife. My eyes snap up to see Kai, struggling against a formidable opponent, dressed in the familiar Northern uniform.

Kai, is easily overpowered by the swordsman's skilled movements. He wields his blades with a skill that left me breathless. With each strike, he seemed to command the very air around him, slicing through it with a precision that spoke of years of training.

Kai groans when crimson blossoms across his chest after he got struck by one of the swordsman's blades. I hesitate for a fraction of a second, then lunge forward, my own blade flashing in the dim light. The clash of steel reverberates through my bones as I block the attacker's blow, barely managing to hold my ground against his relentless assault.

I take a moment to study my opponent. He is not much older than us; attempting to intimidate me with his pitch black eyes, as he carries two swords in both his hands. I jump backwards, when he swings the sword from his free hand towards me.

We circle each other warily, the chaos of the previous battles swirling around us like a violent storm. Zhena watches from the sidelines, her expression a mixture of fear and determination, while Kai struggles to regain his footing.

I fought with all the skill I possessed, parrying and dodging as best I could, but it was clear that I was no match for this mysterious swordsman. His attacks were relentless, each one aimed with deadly precision, and I found myself pushed to the limits of my abilities. I breathe heavily, noticing the faint tracks of black veins snaking on his arms. There's an undeniable aura of danger that surrounds him, a sense that he's more than just a skilled fighter.

As our blades clash once more, he locks eyes with me, a question burning in his gaze. "Why are you protecting him?" he asks, presumably talking about Kai.

"I could ask you the same. Didn't you see he took down that monster? So why attack him?" I respond.

For a moment, there was silence between us, the only sound the rasp of steel against steel as we continue to duel. But his eyes hold no answers, only a fierce determination that send a shiver down my spine.

With a sudden burst of strength, he drives me back. I stumble, off balance, and in that moment of vulnerability, he strikes, the hilt of his sword crashing against the side of my neck with brutal force.

Darkness closes in around me, swallowing me whole as I crumple to the ground, my world fading to black.