My vision was blurred. I was merely able to see my hands shaking. I could feel droplets of sweat gliding down my forehead. The torture I have seen the past few days was only just the beginning. They were as cruel to me as a hurricane was to a sailing ship. Waves and waves of pain, one after the other with no rest or stopping. They even had shifts as to not let me sleep, but all that wasn’t why my balance and vision were partially gone. I’m thrown into what I recognise as an arena. My hands quickly find their way to cover my eyes, for the light was too much after being locked up in that dark dungeon for so long. Slowly, I start to sight and study the surroundings. An old coliseum, one which had been abandoned for over a century. I’m standing between two guards, facing a woman I could swear I saw before, but last time we were at a different place. She wore that same exact smile, and gestured at one of the guards. I feel a burning sting in left shoulder, and rapidly turn, pulling the guards arm and striking upwards at his elbow. He lost consciousness due to the pain. A spear was now aimed at my throat. It was shaking violently, for the soldier’s fear had surfaced and took over.
“Lower your spear, soldier. We don’t want him dead, just yet.” said the woman.
The soldier slowly backed away.
“Now, you do know why you’re here, don’t you ?”
A disgusted look with a smirk is my only reply.
“Suit yourself.”
Shortly after she takes a seat, I fall to my knees. I look at the unconscious soldiers only to see an oddly shaped device. It’s some blade with a small container.
“You’ve been injected with venom,” giggled the woman, “It will slowly weaken you, deplete your energy, and if you’re lucky, it will kill you eventually. Of course, that’s not just it. That wouldn’t be fun now, would it ? What creature would you prefer fighting ? All is available at you command !”
Gasping for air, I try to look up at her, but again I can barely see.
The guard returns with a sword which he drops at my hands. “It might just save your life.” He said. He seemed to sympathised with me. I did not need pity, I only needed a miracle.
“Give me the best you’ve got.” I murmured just enough for her to hear.
“You’re one brave man ! Summon the Shadow Golem.”
Awkward noises began to echo. I did not know whether it was real or was it just the venom’s effect. Dense black fumes began to gather up. Black ribbons were formed and were shaped into a large figure. Some of the fumes began to take the shape of some armour which settled over the body. A two-horned helmet was formed which only made its dark violet eyes glow enough to be seen.
The golem held its right arm stretched before it, with its hand open.
Enough already. I thought.
More dense vapour huddled up to assemble its weapon, a black war axe. The hilt and blade were black. The bottom of the hilt represented the source of the beautiful violet carvings which made their way all the way up to the razor sharp end of the axe. In its left hand, it had its shield. Just like the axe it had the same darkness and ferocity of colour, but with its centre as the source of the carvings. The body, which was floating in mid-air, was finally formed and fell to the ground, shaking the surroundings. The same carvings flushed in violet over its armour. The colour faded every now and then and glowed again.
I slowly get up to my feet, eying the golem, desperately scanning for any weakness. I pick up the two-handed sword the soldier had left me. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. A silver hilt, which had a golden rose-shaped bottom, made the sword like some classy blade. The shoot of the rose continued up all the way to the blade, in circles. ‘Hope’ was carved into one side of the blade in a bright cyan colour and ‘Faith’ was carved on the other side similarly. This wasn’t just some sword. It had some ability which I had yet to discover.
“Golem, do your job, sweetie”
The golem started walking towards me, with slow thundering steps. The creature was clumsy, but I too had a weakness, the venom. The golem stood eight feet tall. The muscular figure it had made impossible to somehow pin down. It stood still for a few moments before it raised its axe high above. I give a long warcry and with the two-handed sword stab at its abdomen, then quickly turn around allowing the blade to strike at its left thigh with the full speed of my turn and the swords weight. The blade went through like the creature wasn’t even there. It didn’t even budge nor show any signs of pain. The axe falls to strike, and I jump and roll over to the side. One moment late and I’d have lost a leg. The golem’s movement may have been slow, but his strike was faster than any other I’d had fought. I dared not come close again, for I had misjudged it. Who knows what else it may be capable of doing. My legs were shaking violently, my heart racing, and my vision blurring every now and then. Panting and struggling for air, I felt a strong blow to my left cheekbone. I open my eyes, finding myself lying halfway across the arena, with the golem raising its axe high above once more. Without thinking, summoning every bit of energy stored within me, I roll to one side and stand quickly, barely balanced. The axe had landed right were my chest was.
The golem turns rapidly, and before I could dodge, it smashes its shield against my face, hurling me a few meters into the air. The impact causes my lower lip to rip open and bleed vigorously. Again, I stand to fight. Surrender was not a choice, even if it led to death. I pace towards the creature, dragging the blade behind me, since I could barely carry my own weight. As I walk I wonder what got me here.
Why am I fighting ? Why am I suffering through all this ?
I recall her face, as if she were right there, in front of me. I couldn’t give up. I couldn’t let them separate us apart. I couldn’t let weakness take over and take her away. With every thought, I regain a portion of my energy. With every thought I had hope. Partially recovered, I raise my sword to rest it on my shoulders. Awkwardly the metal of the blade was warm unlike any other sword I’ve used.
As I approached the creature seemed to slightly back away. I was perplexed.
What did it fear ? It could just try and knock me down again. What changed ?
I muster my energy and clear my mind, and charge at it again. At full speed, I slide between its legs, then jump, using its armour as sustenance to reach its head. My blade is raised high, ready to stab the creature at the back of its neck. As the blade dived to kill it, the golem sent out a shock of violet waves, at contact with blade. I blackout due to the shock. As regain consciousness, I find my neck in the hand of the golem. My energy is depleted, and the venom was slowly killing me.
Its grip started to tighten up around my neck. It tried to suffocate me and it succeeded. I couldn’t breathe. My heart felt heavy, and my grip around the two-handed sword began to weaken. I struggled to keep the grip, but had no idea if I’d succeed. As my vision faded, the same images replayed. That same face I fought for. The same reason. I fought for what I believed in. I fought for salvation, with faith and hope as my motives. With every thought, I regain a large portion of my energy, and the sword glowed brighter and brighter. Not long after, my energy had fully replenished and the blade seemed to be flaming, with ‘Hope’ and ‘Faith’ turning red with heat. The golem began to growl and for the first time, I saw fear in its eyes. It glared at my blade, with agony and fear. No longer exhausted, I swing my sword striking at it the arm holding me. A long high pitched screech, followed by a sudden relief around my neck was my ‘go’ sign. The blade had cut off the golem’s arm right below the elbow. The amputated arm soon evaporated into the air with no remnant left behind.
The usual smirk settles on. The creature was clumsy, since to blade was meant to harm it, therefore there was no need to dodge anything, but this blade was different, and the golem had no escape from it. A turn rising blow cuts its thigh and throws it off balance. Its attempt to parry the strike failed.
“Guess things have changed.” I smile.
Standing right over its head, I pull its helmet off, and with the glimmering sword stab it right between its eyes. The whole body starts to vanish with air, carried by the wind, until nothing was left but its helmet and axe.
I try to sustain my balance using the sword but fail, and fall to my knees. The toxin’s effect wasn’t gone. I didn’t survive to be killed by this. I had to live. I had to make through, but the poison had every part of my body throb with agony. I had no idea if I’d survive the battle with this venom, but I did my best to ensure my triumph.
“It’s only the beginning.” The woman laughed, as she walked away.
* * * * * *
