Wrath
The demon lunged at Maxwell.
The violent advance ripped the floor into a frenzy of splinters. Muscle memory overtook logic and Maxwell held his sword horizontally before him, supporting the blade with his forearm. The beast punched its center, lifting him from the ground. His limbs cried as the strike reverberated throughout the blade.
But he had no time to think of the pain.
As soon as his feet brushed the ground the demon was on him, throwing a furious punch towards the knight’s head. Maxwell hurled himself downward, slamming his knee into the ground. He bit his lip as the fist harmlessly passed overhead. Ignoring the aching in his leg, Maxwell hurled his sword forward, slashing the demon’s cheek. Blood raced down its jaw.
It growled and stumbled backwards. Maxwell bolted forward and continued his onslaught. His blade dashed across the bastard’s body, creating several deep rivers. He finished a downward swing and backpedaled, taking a breath. His heart punched him, shaking his limbs. The knight took several deep breaths. He had to pace himself; any mistake would end him.
“Good job, Max! How is your knee?” She knelt before him, rubbing his knee. She then got a toothy grin and looked up to him. “This isn’t much for you. This demon stands no chance. He is, after all, just an animal controlled by desire.”
She rose, holding Her hands behind Her back. She took long, exaggerated strides as She walked beside Maxwell. “Send him to the darkness he belongs to.”
With a sigh the demon wiped blood from its face. “It seems I’ve gotten sloppy in my peace.”
“Peace?!” Maxwell spat. “Spare me.”
“I’ve killed many of you brutes. I got good at it too. The name Oglal was well known among your kind. At least, judging from the many knights I’ve slain.” It held a toothy smile.
Maxwell gave a cynical chuckle. “I’ve never heard of you.”
Oglal crossed its arms as the knight raised his blade. The stance he held had been drilled into him constantly from his father. The blade ran parallel to his head, its tip pointing towards the demon’s head.
“You sound very young, yet you remind me of an older man that was here. He actually came to this town the same time as me, preaching about your Great One and all sorts of nonsense. In fact he was the last man I killed.” Oglal pointed its thumb over its shoulder, towards the building’s rear. “I threw him off the mountain there.”
Maxwell remained still, waiting.
The demon grinned and the two dash at each other.
Maxwell hurled his blade down, but Oglal grabbed it with unflinching confidence. Blood oozed from its hand, but it showed no signs of discomfort.
“Max! Watch out!”
Oglal threw a punch at Maxwell, who released his blade and ducked below the blow.
“Fight, Max! Fight! Kill him!”
An excitement swelled within the knight. He detached his scabbard and thrust it into the demon’s throat. Oglal’s eyes bulged and it stumbled as air failed to calm its gasping. Maxwell grabbed his sword and tugged it free, sawing many of Oglal’s fingers.
The creature growled and rubbed its throat. Oglal looked to its mangled fingers and back to the knight.
“You don’t fight like your predecessors.”
Maxwell narrowed his eyes. Despite the wounds, Oglal showed no concern. The demon tilted its head. “I just realized; you’re well kept. Last I checked knights are not welcomed with open arms. Someone taking care of you?”
The knight squeezed his weapon as his eyes grew sharper.
Oglal’s human-like teeth bent and sharpened, and burrowed into its lips as its smile curled. “Oh… I think I get it now. The man and the woman that came from the west. Of course there are others out there, no matter how small!” It started laughing. “I remember her crying in her sleep one night, whispering a name. Abigail I think? Perhaps her sister or daughter? She was beautiful, so I imagine they must be-”
The vulgar statement hung unfinished. A sharp pain struck Oglal. It looked down, seeing a small knife protruding from its crotch. It looked back to the knight, who’s hand was outstretched. Maxwell smiled. The knife had been a gift from Abigail, included in her basket. No doubt she wanted him using the clean blade for the food. He’d have to apologize for ruining it, but given the use she probably wouldn’t mind.
In a staggering rage the demon howled and tore the blade free. It hurled the knife at Maxwell, who swung his shoulder in a narrow dodge. It burrowed into the wooden pillar behind him.
“AS YOU LAY DYING, KNIGHT, KNOW THAT I WILL MOVE WEST AND TAKE WHAT BELONGS TO ME!”
Oglal stomped after Maxwell, shaking the ground. He stumbled, leaning on his sword. The demon’s shoulder found the knight before he could correct himself. With a roar it kicked off the ground and hurled through the wooden wall, using Maxwell as his shield. The structure was gorged apart in a mess of splinters as cold air enveloped the two warriors. Oglal ran Maxwell into the neighboring building, popping the logs like twigs.
Screams of its inhabitants filled the air as the two warriors crashed through. Maxwell heard the crunching of bone as many were caught under foot. The demon slid to a stop and the knight flew away. His body screamed as his limbs bounced along the wooden floor. His rolling finally halted, and the knight’s gasps for air squeezed his lungs.
Everything hurt.
His limbs screamed.
His heart pounded.
Blood roared in his ears.
He couldn’t breathe.
He was dying.
“My lord!” The inhabitants yelled. They sounded so far away to Maxwell. The ceiling above him was a blur. He tried to focus, but he found himself falling farther away.
“Max!”
…
“Max!”
…
“Look at me, Max!”
…
“Max! Please!”
Her cracking voice pierced his heart. Maxwell strained himself, fighting his screaming body and growing exhaustion. He focused more and more on that ceiling.
Then…
There She was, on Her hands and knees beside him, tears streaming from Her eyes. That warm smile he loved so much formed on Her face. She ran her hand along his helmet, rubbing his cheek.
“It’s not going to end here. You can’t stop yet, my brave knight.”
She leaned Her head above his, blonde hair hanging around his vision like a curtain. She lowered Her beautiful face to his helmet and kissed him. He felt Her soft warmth envelop his lips.
...
Oglal smiled as the people prostrated themselves. They lined the sides of the building, forming a perfect audience for it and the dying knight. Blood ran from the boy’s body, soaking his chainmail and cloth. The demon had succeeded. Excitement filled its body as it remembered that red haired woman.
Then the knight stood up.
It was an inhuman motion, silent and smooth. Showing no signs of injury, the boy once again held the blade parallel to his head, pointing it towards the demon. His eyes, narrow and sharp as his blade, glowing a frigid blue. The demon’s gut twisted as that feeling entered it again. The same nauseating feeling it had when the knight entered its lair. There was something with the knight, or rather within him. Oglal could not figure it out, and it had taken out that frustration on Cleo.
With shocking speed the knight charged him. The movement was swift, loose, nothing like what he had seen from the boy earlier.
But…
It was predictable. The demon hurled a kick, directed at the knight’s torso.
But its foot touched nothing.
Oglal’s eyes widened as the sight registered. The knight caught its foot and hugged it to his waist. He hurled his blade down into the demon’s thigh. Oglal saw red as his thigh burst into a bloodied mess. The knight released its mangled leg and pressed forward, covering the helpless demon in a series of strikes. Desiring reprieve, Oglal grabbed a woman next to him and hurled her towards the knight.
Unflinching the boy brought his blade down, cleaving the woman in two and continuing his onslaught. In a desperate move the demon swung its fist, but the knight ducked under it and carved Oglal’s stomach open. Blood hurled from the opening and it staggered in shock.
But the knight was not done.
He twirled the blade and hurled it into the demon’s stomach, plowing through guts until it finally cracked Oglal’s spine with a deafening pop. The beast threw up blood on the boy’s shoulder. Unflinching, the knight dug his feet into the floor and began marching, pushing Oglal towards the building’s back wall. The two gained inhuman momentum and the knight leapt, burst through the building’s back.
The two soared into the night. Oglal caught sight of the moon and stars as the pair hurled away from the mountain top. The knight pulled himself closer, squeezing his sword and placing his boots on the demon’s stomach. Vertigo engulfed Oglal for a unbearable amount of time.
Finally, the pain of impact came.
Rocks and twigs tore the demon’s back as it slid down the mountain. The knight kept his balance, gripping his blade and standing on its stomach.
The cold scraped and clawed Oglal as much as the foliage. Their progress was recorded by a trail of red and flesh. The journey felt forever, and even as Oglal slowed the pain only grew. Finally, the demon felt the earth level as its descent concluded. The knight pulled his sword free and stepped off the demon. Oglal weakly tilted its head, following the knight. He pressed his back to a tree and slid down to the earth. Placing the sword’s hilt against his shoulder, the knight rested his head against it.
Coughing bile and blood Oglal looked back to the cold moon above.
The demon was dying.
It did not know why.
How had the battle shifted so dramatically?
What had even happened?
The events ran through its head over and over, each recollection flowing away like his blood into the dirt.
Then it saw something.
A blur.
Oglal strained its eyes, fighting the coming darkness.
The blur grew closer, and its details became refined.
It was a woman. A woman of staggering beauty. Her blonde hair bright and healthy. Her pale, smooth skin glowed of life. She leaned over it, looking down at the demon with glowing blue eyes, filled with joy. She gave it a toothy smile as she watched the light leave its eyes.
“Return to the pit.”
