BLADES AND BONES

Chapter 10: Vengeance

Howls and shrieks of various monsters washed out the silence and heightened the growing tension between two forces. Zao smirked. The horrible beasts were awakened. His fatal wound must have brought them to life. Automatically summoning forth the monsters he created would have been part of his sorcery. That's what Kesk thought. Now, he saw the sleipner for the second time. He was still scared of it, added by a pair of large bloodhounds in the size of a full grown horse, making the situation morbid for the brunet and the farmer. Having the monsters by his side, the necromancer commanded them to attack Ashven at once. For the first time, Kesk worried on Ashven. It wasn't safe to say that a Blackheart member could eliminate all three of the beasts and the necromancer alone. This was a fight of strength after all.

One of the hounds lunged towards its prey with its mouth wide open, ready to bite. Ashven rolled over to dodge in time but the sleipner kicked him just when he was about to stand up. He was thrown away, landing on his belly. Then the other hound leaped and tried to bite his head off. Good thing he was sufficiently equipped with fast reflexes. He punched the face of the dog between the eyes in which the force was so strong, the beast had its skull cracked open. The canine whimpered, then it fell flat on the ground.

"One down.", Ashven spoke confidently. Kesk crawled with caution, attempting to go and kill the conjurer while he was focused on healing his wound. He was holding his stick along the way which will serve a dual purpose of being an assistive device and weapon.

The necromancer chanted words in unfamiliar language as his palms direct a dark matter on his open-wide wound, his eyes were closed. "Oh, Imperus, damari, ga murin,... "

Kesk slowly stood up, getting a dagger on his pocket from the right side of his coat. It was the first time he would kill someone. The mere idea was unacceptable to his principle but he must not hesitate for their lives depend upon survival at the moment. He knows he will regret it later. The feeling of guilt shall take over soon but not today. He gripped firm on the handle feeling heavy and sweaty. The farmer raised his blade, ready to stab Zao in the back.

"You, human...", the conjurer paused his chanting and spoke to the albino without turning his back. Kesk stops, surprised at how the magician discovered he was behind him. It might have something to do with the floating black dust particles that seemed part of the conjurer's body. Whatever it touched, the necromancer would be able to feel it, like the blade that's about to be stabbed on his back. "You are with Ashven. I could smell. Are you sure you're going to help that man?" The farmer was not really sure what to answer. Zao may be the one who killed the knights and mercilessly experimented on animals but Ashven was no good man either. The question bothered him. Kesk stayed on the offensive stance with the blade held up. "What do you mean?", the farmer asked.

Zao replied, "Ashven is the most evil person you will meet in your whole life."

"You are bad as well. You abducted knights and horses then experiment on them here in the forest. What's the difference here?!", Kesk answered with an angry voice.

The black man laughed. "You think I abducted all the knights in here? I only took horses and animals from any place I set foot but I never kidnapped humans. Why don't you ask that friend of yours? He is a gluttonous man with unquenchable lust for blood and flesh."

"I know that."

"Then why are you helping him win against me?", he turned to face the human. Despite his blind state, the man could feel where the blond was.

The albino saw the man's eyes. 'He's blind?!' He shook his head, "No, I'm not really helping that man. I'm just...", he puts his hand down with the dagger, "I'm lost in this forest. I don't even know how I got here in the first place."

Zao felt upset. He looked down and closed his eyes. "As I said, I wasn't the one who abducted the knights and humans. You may have eyes but you've been blinded by that man." Kesk frowned and said, "That's not true... " He was more confused than before. Limping, he staggered farther from the black man. A person could not simply juggle his trust to one person to another especially if he just met them. Now, he learned he can't trust anyone in the forest yet he needed a protector in his vulnerable condition until he finds his way back to San Tima. His time was drawing close to the end.

The wound of the necromancer has almost closed. He could feel the human step away. "If you're in doubt or confused, let me end your agony, human." Kesk's eyes widened as the dark magician raised his hands up while the black smoke that came out from the pores of his skin took shape of a big sword with the pointed part towards the farmer. "Final words?"

"I think you should be the one to say your final words.", the blond set a fierce look upon the conjurer. "What?", Zao was puzzled, then his chest was suddenly pierced from the back. It was Ashven's right hand. He targeted the heart. Holding the beating organ at his palm. "N-no..! ", the necromancer begged but the brunet crushed his heart, bursting into a pulp. And in that moment, Zao was lifeless. Ashven took the heart and left the body to fall on the ground. A pool of dark red blood marked his tragic death.