Iron Maiden
My body felt like it was on fire…
The world around me was like a fleshy cell. My arms and lower body sunk into the pulpy mass. Keeping me immobile. The only window to the outside I had was tinted red and covered with red-blooded veins. It felt like I was watching a first-person movie.
The camera spun and shook violently as bodies were sent flying. The terrified screams and faces of the soldiers before they were ripped into unidentifiable pieces made my heart feel serene… No… Not my heart. It was the beast inside of me. Each kill quelled a bit of its boiling anger.
I sat and watched. The rage inside me calmed more and more. Finally, the camera stopped shaking. It slowly rose toward the blue sky—a sharp contrast to the pools of red ladden around it.
The red window slowly moved closer and closer before engulfing me whole.
***
My eyes shoot open as I stare up into the midday sun. Around me were small bits and pieces of clothing and guts. I absentmindedly stepped forward, still in a daze.
Mangled human bodies were impaled on rock ledges in seemingly impossible ways. The air was thick with the smell of blood. It was overpowering.
*Squelch*
I step on something, almost slipping. I take a deep breath before lifting my boot to inspect the source of this noise.
A human head. His face was petrified in an anguished expression. The tears in his eyes were still fresh, but his eyes were dull. In this moment, it was like he was perpetually stuck in time. In the time when a monster slaughtered him.
When I lifted my foot, the brain matter stuck to my boots like pink bubble gum. Causing a thick trail of brain matter connecting my boot to the brain.
My knees shook, and I felt weak. I threatened to crash to my knees. But I didn’t. I swallowed my remaining emotions.
“I gotta meet up with the rest of the group.”
Those words snap me out of my daydream.
I examine myself. As always, I have no injuries. And any injuries I had sustained before had healed. Despite the supposed blood bath, my skin—unlike my clothing didn’t have a speck of blood. I reach for my shield.
“It’s still there.”
I’m still in optimal fighting condition. As I thought… I should regroup with Torleif and the others.
With that thought, I began marching. Though once more, I’m impeded.
A silver spherical object rolls across the floor.
“Where did this—?”
In a moment, the object glows a bright white as it explodes. I only had a few milliseconds to put my shield between me and the explosion. Luckily, my lightning-quick reflexes didn’t let me down.
I roll backward from the dust plume with only a few light burns. Having my shield taken the majority of the damage. A part of the shield was stained black and had melted slightly.
On top of a ledge, a short-haired girl stood atop. She was casting a looming shadow. On her arms were thick metal gauntlets with the armor running up her arms. The hue of the metal was kind of yellow. Could they be made of gold? No, that’d be a dumb move for even the dumbest of dumbasses. Everything is an unknown; I wouldn’t say I like it.
“Oh~ duo de hao!”
She says something with a mocking tone. I’m starting to debate if I should start learning the Hasian Language.
Her short hair flowed with the wind. And the moving sun reaches a point where her gauntlets reflect sunlight into my eyes—causing me to squint and turn away.
Using that opportunity, she jumps off the ledge. Falling toward me at incredible velocity.
“Ni bu yao ba muguang yi kai! Ni yao zhao si ma?”
Once again, she shouts something in the Hasian language.
“Is she trying to die?!”
While she was in freefall, I caught a glance at her face. It was full of determination. I readied my shield to fight.
***
She lands with an incredible *UMFPH!* where I once stood. I avoided her attack by doing a double cartwheel backward before slamming my hand into the sandy soil, killing my momentum. I sprint forward, purposely picking up a handful of soil as I unplanted my hands.
Now that I can see her entire body unobstructed, I notice she wore armor on her legs. And her pants were incredibly short. Her clothing was strange. It was made from a material I didn't recognize. It wasn't made out of pelt that was sure. Her pants were blue and had a rough texture. She had white fluff on the cuff of here leg holes. And she wore a black jacket with her sleeves scrunched up to make way for her huge guantlets. She didn't have the jacket closed, which revealed a white shirt that displayed the entirety of her cleavage.
“Ha!”
With a determined cry, I chuck the soil at her face. Which she promptly deflects with her massive gauntlets. But that window was all I needed. With my shield, I struck her gauntlet out of the way and threw a left hook at her face.
She dodged my attack by bending backward and landing on her hands before trying to kick my jaw as she did a back handspring. I also narrowly avoided her attack by leaning backward. But since I’m not as agile, I fall on my back.
“Si!”
She jumps forward, slamming the earth where my head once was. Again, I barely dodged by rolling on my side and springing back to my feet.
I quickly glance at the spot she struck before ducking another one of her fists.
She managed to concave the ground… An unpleasant tingle runs up my spine. Every cell in my body was telling me she was bad news.
I dodge a flurry of strikes, occasionally using my shield to deflect her attacks. Each strike carried so much strength that gusts of wind blew past my face. She’d break my arms if I were to try and block her.
Whatever the case is, by the looks of it, I’ll get tired of dodging before she gets tired of attacking. This battle of attrition isn’t something I will win.
“ORA”
I struck her gauntlet to the side with as much strength as possible. Before dashing to the side, reaching along the ground, I picked up a bastard sword as I ran. Eventually, coming to a halt with a sizable distance between the two of us.
She wasn’t an opponent I could use my fists to strike with. Whatever material she has for her gauntlets, I can’t break with my fists. Usually, I could concave a steel helmet with little effort.
This time, I’ll be on the offensive. I began swinging my sword at any opening I could find. To which she’d always dodge.
After several minutes of unsuccessful blows, our arduous fight had brought us to a cliffside. Below was a raging river; even from up here, I could tell the torrent would sweep anybody away no matter how strong.
Perfect.
I position myself so I’m no longer the closest one to the cliff’s edge.
I upped my ante, working tirelessly, slowly pushing her toward the cliff edge. Her face visibly twitches as she catches on.
“Tsk.”
She clicked her tongue as she started pushing back.
Instead of blocking, both of us only focused on deflection. Her fists increased in velocity. I could see droplets of sweat flying off with each strike.
She was getting tired!
However, just as that thought crossed my mind, a smile flashed across her face.
A circular slot opened in her gauntlet as a loud *BANG!* rang through the air.
I felt a burning sensation in my right shoulder. Warm blood gushed out the opening.
Norgian warriors have a strong constitution. A hole or two in my body wasn’t going to kill me. The bleeding had already begun to stop.
She swung at me. Stunned, I couldn’t evade or deflect. I put my shield between me and her fist. Ignoring the searing pain of moving my right arm.
“Erling!”
A familiar, sonorous voice comes from beside us—Torleif- as her fist strikes my shield.
A shockwave of pain shot through my body as I went flying backward, landing on my back and slamming my head.
For a brief moment, my eyes rolled up, and everything went black.
