How many more battles?
How many more times do I have to wield this damn blade?
And for what?
This world doesn't even deserve saving.
Edran's boots sank into blood-soaked mud. The heat from the flames grazed his skin and the smoke, which choked his breath, rose steadily into the red sky. Each step was calm, despite the chaos as people ran out of their homes and away from the village. The ear-splitting screams of desperate people cut short.
His breath, raspy and strained, clawed its way out of his throat. Ahead, a guttural roar mixed with a grotesque, wet clipping sound, sent a chill down his spine. His hand slowly drifted to his blade as he approached closer to the sound.
His eyes lay upon reaching the source of the sound. A black, shadowed, and monstrous creature. The beast was larger than three bears, with tendrils writhing from its back, feasting on broken corpses beneath its massive claws.
"What a foul creature," he whispered.
His blade hissed free from its scabbard. It felt light on his hand, barely registering its weight anymore.
Edran lunged with a roar. His Sword came upward in a clean arc catching beneath the beast's scally jaw as sparks sprayed into the air.
The beast screeched lightly as it turned, facing Edran. Then moved with a defiant low roar, the black tendrils whipping above its back in fury while his red eyes shone with hunger.
"Eh, still not enough?... Alright then."
With a scream, the beast came down hard. Its claws carved through the earth with every rageful stomp, crushing wood, and bodies on its path with a chilling crack.
Edran stood tall, steadying his breath and holding his sword high.
The beast's claw descended like a hammer. Edran shifted his blade with a flick of his wrist. Light flashed with Ether spores, and the blade widened forming a shield, echoing a powerful humming sound that sent a vibration through Edran's whole body.
Shield met with the claw in a powerful clash like thunder. The colossal force rocked him down. Knees buckled into the dirt. Groaning as every muscle of its body tensed.
Then, CRACK
The beast reeled back with a loud screech of agony as it clashed with some farmhouses.
A mountain of sweaty, tattooed muscles stepped beside Edran.
"Ha! Not bad for a man pushing fifty,"
"Where the hell have you been, Grock?" Edran spat.
Before Grock could answer a tendril lashed out. He deflected it with his axe and turned to the beast in the distance.
"Oh, come on, gramps. You really thought I'd let you keep all the fun for yourself?"
The beast lunged violently just as Grock did with a warcry. Grock's axe caught between the beast's jaw. One of its horns scraped across his cheek.
"COME ON, GROCK! PUSH IT OUT OF THE VILLAGE!"
Grock groaned with effort, shouting between gritted teeth.
"UGH! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK—
I'M TRYING—
TO DO!!!"
The beast's strength overwhelmed him and hurled him past Edran into a grain tower.
"Ugh... Blockhead," Edran muttered.
Smoke curled through charred beams as flames leaped skyward, swallowing homes and fields. Screams, a mix of terrified villagers and panicked animals, ricocheted off broken walls and twisted earth. A dull drum pounded in Edran's temples, and then a high-pitched whistle clawed at his ears as if chaos had lodged inside his skull.
Look at this mess.
Couldn't hold back one damn Shadow.
Of course, they screwed it up.
Toff hiding somewhere like a rodent.
Flint's flashing around like an idiot.
And Ellowyn... She's probably trying too hard again.
"He sighed. "Kids. All of them,"
"Why do I keep letting children drag me into this mess...?"
GROAN- "Uh?"
Edran turned sharply. The grain tower fell like thunder in his direction.
Planting his feet and raising his shield he braced himself meeting the debris.
From above a falcon dove. Shifting mid-air, feathers became limbs, messy purple hair tangled with leaves.
Toff's palms hit the earth. The ground rumbled and roots erupted catching the tower.
"Hehe! Gotcha! That was close!" she grinned, giving a thumbs-up.
"Thanks. About time you showed up, Toff," Edran said, looking around.
"And the other two?"
Abruptly, the beast lunged, its claws slicing the air.
Edran spun, shifting his shield back into a sword and meeting the blade against those claws. The strike raked across his forearm, tearing the skin.
"Arg... just like old times," he muttered.
He twisted, reforming the shield and slamming it into the creature's skull, pushing it back.
"CRYO~SHARDS!"
A hail of ice daggers burst from Ellowyn, and Flint followed, descending in a flash of electric talons and daggers. He landed with a backflip, to Edran's right. Ellowyn took position to his left.
"Sorry, old man! We were a bit busy, but don't worry, we'll take it from here," Flint said, smirking as they surged forward in unison.
"Ellowyn! Flint! WAIT!" Edran spat, reaching out.
"RAIKO‑TAHAL!" Ellowyn shouted.
"GLACE‑LANCE!" Flint dove, lightning dancing across his weapons, ice surging ahead.
They struck as one. Ice met lightning against the creature's chest.
But, the beast moved faster.
A tendril sliced through. Flint flew into smoke.
Ellowyn slammed into the wall, head-first, falling stiff.
"Ugh... I knew they'd screw up. All flash, no brains," Edran muttered, rubbing a hand down his face.
Flint gasped awake, a high whistle ringing in his ears. His legs refused to move. With one arm dragging through the mud, he crawled toward Ellowyn until he reached her limp form. He knelt, lifting her and brushing hair from her face.
"Hey... Ellie?"
No response.
"Come on... please... wake up!"
Still nothing.
Toff sprinted like a fox towards them. When reaching her ears dropped and froze at the sight.
"E-E-Ellow..."
The beast pressed forward, blood lusted, determined before Edran stepped in. Shield met the head of the beast once more.
"TOFF! GET THEM OUT OF HERE!"
"But... but what about—"
"NOW!" he shouted without turning back.
Toff froze, then nodded and shifted into a large, purple-furred badger. She knelt, carefully scooped up the others with her long claws, and vanished into the smoke.
Edran glanced after her. "Atta girl."
He squared his shoulders. "Just us now."
He turned back to face the beast, its snarls echoing through the rubble as it slammed him into the ground, tendrils flailing, tossing dust and sparks into the air.
"Let's finish this, you ugly bastard!" he roared, voice ragged and raw.
Etherlight poured from his shield, humming with power. The vibrations shot down his arms and into the earth. The shield glowed molten gold, expanding until it was triple its size.
He planted his boots deep in the mud and heaved the beast into a burning house. Flames burst outward. Tendrils flailed. Stone collapsed in a rain of ash and fury.
Then—a scream.
A fragile, faint voice.
Edran Froze.
"Uh?... CRAP! No no NO!"
Something in him moved before he could think. He charged toward the sound.
The house ahead burned like an oven, heat pressed against his cheeks and scorched his lungs. Walls roared with flames, shadows slithering across each other like living things.
Then—a lullaby.
Faint. Mocking.
"What the...? Why now?"
CRACK. CRACK.
A massive beam came down.
He dove, but too slow.
Pain exploded across his back, searing through bone and flesh. He hit the ground face-first. Mud mixed with ash caught in his teeth. His vision swam. Every nerve screamed.
"EDRAN!"
"E—(cough)—DRAN!—(cough cough) COME OUT!"
He lay there, listening to the voices.
Was that Flint?
That feather-brained idiot's never called me by name.
Another panicking voice shouted-
"PLEASE! SOMEONE! I NEED HELP WITH THE FIRE! HE'S UNDER HERE!"
Yep,
that was definitely Toff.
Edran tried to answer but coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. Smoke curled into his lungs.
Dammit... I knew it.
Should've stayed in my chair.
Why did I listen to them?
His gaze drifted to his hat. Then to his sword, just out of reach. He could barely read the name carved into its hilt.
A bitter smile touched his lips.
I should be finishing my brew right about now.
Not chasing ghosts.
The lullaby played on. Mocking.
Can that cursed song just—
His vision blurred. Edges dimmed.
But the voices stayed.
"Edran... Edran..."
His eyes closed slowly
as darkness came.