remember, she had not seen nor heard any traces of life. The forest was still ; absent of the birds’ songs or the rustle of the leaves from the flowing wind. Her crossbow guided her as she walked, primed to fire at anything that proved itself a potential threat. For some time now she had been hearing something; a faint whisper calling for her, guiding her deeper into the forest. The voice was unfamiliar, subtle, and as if it were coming from within.
“Huh?” A twig broke not too far from where she stood. She quickly swiveled her body, directing her crossbow in the direction of the sudden sound.
“Who’s there?” Her breaths raced as she steadily strummed her fingers along the grip of her bow. “I heard you!” She remained still, waiting for an answer. But no one replied. “Hello?” she called out nervously as she gripped her bow tighter, her finger weighing heavily on the trigger. With her eyes looking down her sights, she approached the site of the foreign sound at a snail’s pace. In the dead silence, her heart beat boomed in her ears. Her face tinged with adrenaline as she found it within herself to speak once more. “E-Emil?” She pressed further on until she stood directly where the sound originated. With her bow leading the way, she scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of life.
“Ma-rona, is that… you?” a frail voice echoed from the mist. Marona turned and peered deep into the haze. “Marona, it’s me!”
Uncle? She cautiously walked into the fog, unsure of what to believe. “Where are you?” she asked as she waved the bow around, in fear of ambush. “I can’t see anything in this fog.”
“Marona , just follow my voice.”
“Are you hurt?” Marona called out into the mist.
“My legs are, but I’ll live. I can’t make it too far on my own.”
“Ok ay, stay put. I’m coming for you,” Marona said as she scoped out her surroundings through the sights of her bow. There’s no way that he is alive. Emil said he saw him die with his own eyes. For some time she traveled until she saw a lame man in the distance hugging the forest floor.
“Ma-Marona… over here!” her uncle weakly cried out.
“Uncle!” Lowering her weapon, she ran closer to the grounded man. “Uncle! I can’t believe it’s you!” Her already clouded vision grew worse from the water welling in her eyes. “I-I thought you were dead!”
The specter that resembled her uncle reached out to her with an outstretched arm, beckoning her to come to its aid. As Marona came closer , the specter shifted its hidden arm into a blade, ready to incapacitate her at a moment’s notice. Before she was in striking distance, a figure dove in from the sky and shattered the specter, dispersing its shards throughout the area. From the cloud of smoke, a man emerged. He wore all black, his complexion only a few shades lighter. His clothing was frayed as if he had seen many hard times. The gold cross that hung from his wrist closely resembled the color of his short fine hair. Faint traces of black and purple energy crackled around him as he stood with a quiet strong stature.
“Are you the one who bears light?”
Chapter 9: Stained
“Like hell, I’ll submit to you!” Emil yelled as he stood , attempting to slice through the beast that lunged towards him. Before his blade connected, the specter vanished. Emil flinched at the after image that still traveled in the specter’s original path. He shielded himself with his sword as the image phased through him. Another illusion! Momentarily distracted, he left himself open to the beast’s true attack. Charging in at full speed, the specter lashed at Emil. The crystal scythe met his blade, halting the blow but knocking him off balance.
Damn it!
Before he could recover, another specter rushed in on him from his left side, connecting with a slice against his exposed ribs. Following up, the other specter launched him across the forest with a swift kick from its
“Huh?” A twig broke not too far from where she stood. She quickly swiveled her body, directing her crossbow in the direction of the sudden sound.
“Who’s there?” Her breaths raced as she steadily strummed her fingers along the grip of her bow. “I heard you!” She remained still, waiting for an answer. But no one replied. “Hello?” she called out nervously as she gripped her bow tighter, her finger weighing heavily on the trigger. With her eyes looking down her sights, she approached the site of the foreign sound at a snail’s pace. In the dead silence, her heart beat boomed in her ears. Her face tinged with adrenaline as she found it within herself to speak once more. “E-Emil?” She pressed further on until she stood directly where the sound originated. With her bow leading the way, she scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of life.
“Ma-rona, is that… you?” a frail voice echoed from the mist. Marona turned and peered deep into the haze. “Marona, it’s me!”
Uncle? She cautiously walked into the fog, unsure of what to believe. “Where are you?” she asked as she waved the bow around, in fear of ambush. “I can’t see anything in this fog.”
“Marona , just follow my voice.”
“Are you hurt?” Marona called out into the mist.
“My legs are, but I’ll live. I can’t make it too far on my own.”
“Ok ay, stay put. I’m coming for you,” Marona said as she scoped out her surroundings through the sights of her bow. There’s no way that he is alive. Emil said he saw him die with his own eyes. For some time she traveled until she saw a lame man in the distance hugging the forest floor.
“Ma-Marona… over here!” her uncle weakly cried out.
“Uncle!” Lowering her weapon, she ran closer to the grounded man. “Uncle! I can’t believe it’s you!” Her already clouded vision grew worse from the water welling in her eyes. “I-I thought you were dead!”
The specter that resembled her uncle reached out to her with an outstretched arm, beckoning her to come to its aid. As Marona came closer , the specter shifted its hidden arm into a blade, ready to incapacitate her at a moment’s notice. Before she was in striking distance, a figure dove in from the sky and shattered the specter, dispersing its shards throughout the area. From the cloud of smoke, a man emerged. He wore all black, his complexion only a few shades lighter. His clothing was frayed as if he had seen many hard times. The gold cross that hung from his wrist closely resembled the color of his short fine hair. Faint traces of black and purple energy crackled around him as he stood with a quiet strong stature.
“Are you the one who bears light?”
Chapter 9: Stained
“Like hell, I’ll submit to you!” Emil yelled as he stood , attempting to slice through the beast that lunged towards him. Before his blade connected, the specter vanished. Emil flinched at the after image that still traveled in the specter’s original path. He shielded himself with his sword as the image phased through him. Another illusion! Momentarily distracted, he left himself open to the beast’s true attack. Charging in at full speed, the specter lashed at Emil. The crystal scythe met his blade, halting the blow but knocking him off balance.
Damn it!
Before he could recover, another specter rushed in on him from his left side, connecting with a slice against his exposed ribs. Following up, the other specter launched him across the forest with a swift kick from its
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