9: The Ghost Of Godshollow (Patreon)

Terror fueled Vir’s breaths. Blood surged through his legs.

Together with  Maiya, he tore through the Godshollow faster than he ever had. Gone were  any thoughts of exhaustion. What remained was a deep-seated desire to  live. To survive.

Barking, Neel  leaped to intercept the bandy that had pounced upon his master. Vir  didn’t even have the luxury to turn around and stop. He just ran. Vir  had no idea where he was going, or even what direction he was headed,  but that didn’t matter. He just had to gain as much distance from that  knight as possible.

“Vir. Vir!” Maiya yelled.

He finally looked back. Five bandies had beset Neel. He was fighting for his life.

Vir’s heart  clenched. He hesitated. To turn back meant throwing himself into danger.  To flee meant abandoning his precious friend.

The answer was obvious. He turned back. What use was surviving if he couldn’t live with himself after?

Neel occupied the bandies’ attention, giving Vir and Maiya the element of surprise.

Hold on, Neel. We’re coming!

Vir grasped his knife with both hands and ran, intending to plunge the blade into the unprotected back of one of the bandies.

But the beast  had sharp instincts. The bandy turned away at the last moment and Vir’s  blade grazed the beast, drawing blood but doing no actual damage.

Arooo! An enemy bandy whimpered. Maiya’s blade had struck true, sinking into her target.

With the  attacking bandies temporarily distracted, Neel leaped through their  encirclement, taking his spot beside Vir and Maiya. The blood-soaked  bandy did not look well. Slash marks covered the beast and one of his  eyelids was glued shut. The poor animal whimpered, gasping for breath.

Vir took stock  of the situation. The bandy Maiya had hit was down, but not out. The  other four were in top condition. And not far behind was the real  threat: the knight. If he fled now, the bandies would just catch up again. He couldn’t risk Neel anymore than he already had.

The only  option was to put the four bandies out of commission, then flee with  Maiya. That might give them a chance to avoid the knight. Or they could  hunker down and wait for him to leave. But all routes to success hinged  on eliminating the bandies.

His thoughts  were cut short by two bandies who leaped at him simultaneously. Vir  ducked and guarded with his left arm, while he stabbed the incoming  bandy with his right.

This time, his  knife pierced the animal’s soft underbelly, scoring a deep wound. But  he’d taken a hit in return. The left bandy gouged his guarding arm,  blinding him with pain. The right bandy crashed into him, disarming him  and sending him tumbling to the ground. His back collided with a rock  and his vision swam.

His body throbbed all over and it suddenly became hard to move.

This is bad, he thought, hazily. He looked around. There were fewer bandies than he remembered.

Something was off.

He looked around and found Maiya missing. He was alone in the woods.

“Maiya!” He yelled. No response.

The bandies had all disappeared, including Neel.

Stumbling, Vir  retrieved his knife and made his way through the forest, shouting  Maiya’s name despite the danger. The knight was surely nearby.  Announcing his position like this was a terrible idea. He knew that. But  he could barely walk straight, let alone track Maiya’s trail. He had no  choice. Getting separated was the worst thing that could’ve happened to  them.

Everyone who  was dear to him was being plucked away by the goddess of death, one by  one. He’d been unable to save Rudvik. Would Maiya and Neel perish, too?

A flash of red, nearby. Red hair.

Vir doubled his pace, nearly tripping over an enormous root.

Thank Haymi, he breathed. Maiya was ten paces away, fighting off several bandies, and the knight was nowhere in sight.

Vir’s relief was short-lived. When he saw what Maiya was up against, the blood in his face drained.

They’re going to kill her!

Maiya raised her knife in defense. A pair of bandies leaped into the air, their hungry eyes locked onto her throat.

Vir sprinted. But he was too far. He wasn’t going to make it.

No. NO! I refuse to accept that! Maiya!!

Something. He needed something. His skills were insufficient. He needed to improve his combat skills, but not gradually. Now!

In desperation, Vir reached out with his will. With his soul. Begging for the means to save his dearest friend.

And something answered.

The world  faded away. The trees disappeared, and the bandies’ barks muted. He was  no longer in the Godshollow. He now stood in a blighted realm where ash  fell eternally. His arms were gangly long things, and sickly gray.

He was no longer Ekavir. Random memories flooded into him. A vast underground city. Scenes of battle. His anger flared: The  gall of those Gargans. Invading Jallak Kallol on the eve of my  coronation!? The Iksana will not stand for this! Only death awaits those  who defy the Akh Nara.

Vir didn’t recognize the names. The memories made no sense to him.

Along with the  memories came a torrent of emotions: the smug satisfaction of  conquering one’s foes. The overwhelming confidence of one who had fought  a thousand battles and won them all.

He was no longer Ekavir. He was Ekanai. The Reaper.

The white tattoo on his chest pulsed.  Vir’s vision burst with colors he’d never seen. Strange motes of light  swirled and coursed through the bandies who sprung for Maiya.

A  transformation came upon Vir. He moved without effort or thought, his  injuries forgotten. He knew exactly where the bandies would be. As if  executing the steps of a well-rehearsed dance, he lunged at the  attackers, twirling through the air with his knife.

A slice, a  twist, a thrust. Within his enemies’ bodies, he saw lines of glowing  light, and each of his strikes penetrated precisely where those lights  shone brightest. Throat, chest, eyes.

He landed softly on his toes. The two bandies crashed in front of Maiya—dead. They never even saw what had hit them.

Maiya stood stock still. “V-Vir…?” She whispered in disbelief.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, hatred flowed through Vir when he looked at Maiya.

‘Dead  weight. A weakness the Fates will undoubtedly exploit. Weakness we  cannot afford. She is a hindrance to our mission. End her now, before  she becomes a problem.’

Vir slowly  approached Maiya, one part of him dead set on killing her, and another  part desperately fighting against it. It was as if his mind had broken  in two.

His steps slowed and slowed, until he stopped himself.

‘She will only bring us pain and suffering,’ the voice said, confused.

“Maiya… Is… My… Friend!” Vir belched through clenched teeth.

He stumbled,  finally returning to his senses, blessedly alone within his head once  again. Then he retched into the dirt, clutching his tattoo, which felt  like it had burned a hole through his chest.

What was that? He thought, trembling. He’d experienced nothing like it. It was as if…

“As if I was possessed,” he whispered.

Vir never believed the tales of demons and possession, but now he wondered if he’d been wrong to dismiss them. Was it possession, though? That feeling of overwhelming, absolute confidence… The power!

Wasn’t this  exactly the strength he’d longed for so badly? With it, Rudvik would  still be alive. With that kind of power, he could protect Maiya.

Protect… Maiya?

Vir shivered. The voice wanted to kill her! Guilt wracked his body, and he found himself unable to look his friend in the eye.

I almost hurt her! The thought sent him puking once again. How could he have even thought that? It was shameful. It was despicable! What use was power if he lost himself in the process?

Awooooo!

There was no time for introspection—enemies were still out there.

The two  remaining bandies howled at Neel, who’d leaped into the fray. Two-on-one  wasn’t great odds for his friend, but Maiya had already stepped in to  help, evening the fight. She swung her knife wildly, only grazing the  bandies, but her actions were enough to keep them distracted while Neel  attacked.

Vir found his  feet again before immediately stumbling. The strange colors from his  vision had abated, but hadn’t yet disappeared. Everything looked so  alien to his eyes that he could hardly walk. Even worse—his usual  strength had left him. His legs felt like they would give out at any  moment.

I’m useless like this, he realized.

“V-Vir!” Maiya shrieked. Vir froze, thinking that the bandies had gotten to her.

The reality was much, much worse.

The knight had arrived. And his polearm’s ax head was pressed against Maiya’s neck.

“Move, and you die,” the scout said, recalling his bandies to his side.

Neel stood by Maiya, growling at the new threat despite his many injuries. He needed immediate medical attention.

“Y-you’re a mejai?” Maiya said bravely, despite the blade on her throat.

The knight  held up a fiery red orb that glowed with power. “Don’t have to be a  mejai to use a precharged orb, do I? If you resist, I’ll just burn your  friend with this Ember spell. Though I hope you don’t. C Grade magic is wasted on the likes of you.”

He turned to address Vir. “Now, Ashborn. It  seems your father’s death wasn’t enough to cow you. My orders are to  bring you in alive, but the others are expendable. Obey me, and she  lives. Will you cooperate? Or will you really make me kill your  girlfriend here? It is your decision, Ashborn.”

Vir ground his teeth. Think! What can you do?

Scenarios  raced through his mind. What if he grabbed Maiya and fled? What if he  threw his knife as a distraction? But he was merely deluding himself.  There was nothing he could do. He could barely even stand, let alone  run. Unless…

“Run, Vir!  Save yourself!” Maiya shouted. Vir couldn’t understand how she was so  brave when she was but a hair’s breadth from death.

He had run  once, and he’d lost Rudvik. He wasn’t about to lose Maiya, too. Falling  to his knees, Vir discreetly rummaging around for a pebble.

“I’ll come,” he said. “But only if you swear you won’t harm Maiya. And that you’ll heal Neel.”

The knight chuckled. “You are in no position to make demands, Ashborn. Come with me or she dies. That’s the long and the short of it.”

“No, Vir! Don’t!”

“Maiya, it’s the only way! I—I’m sorry,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

Vir took a few hesitant steps toward the knight. To his relief, the knight removed his poleax from Maiya’s throat.

“Now, put down that knife and let me bind you,” the knight said, producing a stretch of rope.

Vir crouched as if to comply.

He mustered  every last ounce of strength he had, and lunged for the nearest bandy,  aiming for the spot that blazed brightest in his new vision. It was the  only trick he had left.

The Bandy  jerked away at that last instant, but failed to dodge entirely. Vir’s  knife sunk deep into its shoulder. The animal’s survival instinct kicked  in, and it bolted away before he could retrieve his knife.

Without  missing a beat, Vir whirled and flung his pebble at the man’s helm. The  lingering nausea degraded his accuracy, but his endless hours of  practice prevailed; the pebble clanged against the knight’s armor,  startling him for a brief moment.

Vir spun and  grabbed Maiya’s arm. But as he turned to flee, the knight discharged his  orb. He may have been targeting the ground, or Maiya, but Vir's strike  threw off The knight’s aim.

Ember leaped out of the orb and barreled towards Vir, smashing into his back.

“AAAAAAGH!” He  screamed, crumpling to the ground. He’d never felt pain like this in  his entire life. It was all-consuming, as if melting his very soul.

He rolled in a desperate attempt to douse the flames, but the magic fire spread, setting the ground ablaze.

“Vir! Vir!!” Maiya screamed, fumbling around for anything to help put out the fire.

Neel bravely  seized the opportunity to attack the knight, but was sent flying by his  poleax’s hammer. The bandy crashed into a tree and slumped to the  ground, unmoving.

No! Can’t… let it end… like this, Vir thought through the veil of his fading consciousness.

The knight  readied his weapon for another swing. Vir didn’t need to be an expert to  know that the man intended to decapitate Maiya. She wasn’t even aware,  her attention too fixed on Vir.

Not like this…

Vir didn’t even have the strength left to warn his friend.

He watched as  the gleaming ax head picked up speed, approaching Maiya’s neck with the  promise of death. Vir’s mind went into overdrive.

Think! What can you do!? How can you overcome this?

Yet no matter  what plans he came up with, his body simply refused to obey his  commands. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch his dearest friend  meet her end.

Clang!

The sound of  the impact wasn’t what he expected. It was the sound of metal on metal.  Vir’s eyes shot open. He fought through the haze that plagued his mind  and pieced together what he was seeing.

A seric talwar  had stopped the devastating poleax in its tracks. The beautiful curved  blade was gripped by a tall, broad figure clad in pure white, resisting  the knight’s massive weapon with his left arm.

“The Ghost of Godshollow,” Vir whispered. “Why? How?” So Maiya was right. He was real, after all.

The knight aborted his swing and thrust his polearm at the stranger in white, but the Ghost blurred and vanished entirely.

Vir blinked. Were his eyes failing him? Or did the Ghost actually disappear?

But no, he saw  true. The new stranger closed the distance in an instant, leaving no  time for the knight to react. The warrior lunged and tackled the armored  scout, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

What followed  was a frantic ground grapple that Vir could barely follow, with the  Ghost of Godshollow eventually gaining the upper hand. The powerfully  built man mounted the knight and pinned him down. Vir could feel the  knight’s desperation as he wriggled uselessly under his opponent’s  immense weight.

The man in  white casually drew a seric knife out of his robe and slid it into the  gap between the knight’s helm and breastplate. He stopped squirming soon  after.

The Ghost of Godshollow’s actions were so elegant and effortless that Vir’s mind took some time to process what had transpired.

The man who had trivially murdered his father had himself been easily dispatched by someone even more powerful.

What kinds of monsters existed in this world?

Maiya kneeled beside Vir and held his head, her tears falling onto his face. “Vir. Don’t die. Please…”

Her efforts  had doused the flames on Vir’s back, but that still left him badly  burned and dying. The only positive was that the searing pain had faded  away to blissful numbness, easing his suffering.

The  broad-shouldered, black bearded stranger fixed an eagle-like gaze upon  him. Vir felt as if the towering man was peering into the depths of his  soul, evaluating him. Judging him.

“Struggle. Endure,” the Ghost of Godshollow bellowed in a rich baritone, “In enduring, grow strong…

“Tell me, Ashborn. Do you desire strength?”

Vir’s lips moved, but they carried no sound. Having spent the last of his strength, Vir slipped into darkness.