Blood and Redemption_Demo 1

Chapter Five: On My Word

The fire had long since died down to embers, casting the cave into a dim, reddish glow. Delore sat still, his mind awash with memories and emotions he had buried for years. Eryndor's words hung in the air, ringing with an undeniable truth. You didn't lose everything.

He couldn't shake the feeling in his chest-the gnawing, aching realization that Eryndor knew far more than he was letting on. And the way he spoke, his mannerisms... they struck too close to home. There was a connection here, one that Delore was starting to see but couldn't quite grasp.

The sound of footsteps broke through his thoughts. One of the warriors approached cautiously, standing a respectful distance away.

"Captain," the man began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Scouts report movement near the cliffs to the east. We think it might be Fenric's men."

Delore's jaw tightened. He rose slowly, his body stiff from sitting so long. "How many?"

"A dozen or so. They're watching us. Could be a scouting party."

Delore nodded. "Stay sharp. We'll move out at dawn."

Dawn came, and so did Fenric.

The clash of steel against steel echoed across the cliffs as Delore faced off against the man who had haunted his nightmares for years. The terrain was unforgiving, jagged rocks beneath their feet as they fought. Fenric, as always, was ruthless, his movements sharp and precise, but Delore was relentless, driven by a deep, burning rage.

Blood soaked the ground as the two warriors exchanged blows, neither giving an inch. Delore's body was screaming in pain, each strike from Fenric adding to the toll. But he pushed through it, determined to end this once and for all.

Fenric stepped back, raising his hand. A dark, unnatural energy began to gather in his palm-a twisted form of magic that sent chills down Delore's spine. With a flick of his wrist, Fenric unleashed it, sending a wave of force toward Delore.

Delore barely managed to block it, his body crashing against the rocks behind him. The impact knocked the wind out of him, blood seeping from wounds that refused to close. He struggled to his feet, glaring at Fenric through the haze of pain.

"I promised I'd end this," Delore spat, his voice hoarse.

"You're as stubborn as ever, Delore," Fenric said with a cruel smile, his own body battered but not broken. "But that's just common knowledge."

The fight raged on, and with every passing moment, Delore felt himself slipping. Fenric's magic was overwhelming, draining him of the last reserves of his strength. With one final surge, Fenric struck him down, sending him crashing to the ground, unable to rise.

Delore's vision blurred as he lay there, gasping for breath, his body broken. But in that moment, as he hovered on the edge of consciousness, something deep inside him ignited.

A powerful, overwhelming aura burst from Delore, pulsing out in waves. The very ground beneath him trembled, and for a fleeting moment, it was as if the air itself had grown heavy with his raw, untamed power. Fenric paused, his smirk faltering as he felt the shift.

Delore, barely able to move, reached out. His hand found Fenric's face with a sudden, brutal grip. With an inhuman strength born from pure instinct, he yanked Fenric forward and slammed his face into the ground with a force that shook the cliffside.

Fenric barely had time to react before Delore was on him, fists pounding into his body. Each blow was like thunder, crashing against Fenric with a ferocity that seemed to come from some primal part of Delore's soul. His vision was fading, his body on the verge of collapse, but he couldn't stop. His fists moved on their own, driven by sheer will and the unyielding need for vengeance.