'How much time has passed? Hours? Days? Weeks? What was the point of all of this? What was the meaning of the suffering they had to endure?'
Kaelira looked down at the steady figure carrying her on his back. He moved forward with determination and grit, but she could see the truth beneath his resolve—the subtle trembling of his muscles, the quick, uneven gasps of breath, the weariness on his brow that seemed like a dark cloud. Beneath his feet lay the corpse of a strange beast. It appeared to be a wolf, but the aura and energy it exuded were more sinister than anything they had ever experienced—ominous and foreign.
Gathering his composure once again, he stood to his feet, taking shaky steps toward her. Once again, he lifted her from the tree he had placed her on and onto his back.
'He can't keep going like this. I have to help.'
Kaelira's complex gaze hardened as she began to move down from Vairon's back—only to feel his grip tighten once again, as it had so many times before when she had tried to help.
"Don't… you need to rest and heal. I'm not at the end of my rope yet."
His stubborn voice betrayed the strain he was putting himself through. Kaelira bit her lip hard.
"You're the one who told me that now is not the time to be a hero. Are you going back on your word now? You're just a few steps from collapsing!"
Hearing the frustration in her voice, Vairon's steps briefly paused before continuing forward. His steps were steady despite the state his body was in.
"No. You need to recover as much as possible for us to have the best chance at getting out of this. The dangers here in the outer area aren't so lethal that I need your help yet. The inner ring will most certainly be a different story."
Kaelira's words died in her throat. Deep down, she knew he was right. As she was now, she had barely recovered even half of her qi reserves—not to mention the still ailing state of her body. Kaelira shook her head, snapping out of her dark thoughts.
'Who cares if he's right?! I'm a warrior first and foremost. Regardless of my body's state, I must fight if I'm going to survive! Also, I'm a woman—who says I have to be rational, humph. Screw his logic, this princess does what she wants.'
Making up her mind, she was about to rebuke him when he spoke again, once more silencing her words.
"Plus, I don't believe for a second that we've seen the last of our pursuers. They're definitely going to be on our heels soon."
Saying this, Vairon's expression became grim. With how resourceful their enemies were, he knew they would find a way to reach this place. Thinking up to this point, his pace quickened once again. Kaelira was speechless before grumbling in a low voice,
"Men and their stupid pride… whatever."
Vairon let out a small smile. Since they had appeared in this small world through that strange portal, they had been bombarded with beast attacks at every moment. There was no rhyme or rhythm to the attacks—just wave after wave, slowly wearing down their stamina. Even after walking for a seemingly endless distance, Vairon had not had a single moment of respite. The beasts grew stronger the deeper they went. The only hope they could cling to was the now visible city-like structure in the depths of the forest.
"Still, these beasts feel… wrong. Like something is missing from them."
Kaelira shivered as she glanced back at the corpse of the wolf behind them, its body already beginning to rot and decompose. A black, ominous energy still clung to its frame like a curse.
"I know, but we have bigger things to worry about right now—like how we're gonna reach that city before being overwhelmed by the endless hordes of these abominations."
Vairon was thinking the same thoughts as Kaelira. But for him, as long as something could bleed, it could be killed. The real problem was the distance between them and their supposed salvation—if it could even be considered such. For all they knew, they could be walking toward the epicenter of their current bombardment. Contending with a nest of these monstrosities was not on either of their lists.
As his thoughts wandered, his instincts began to scream. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He reacted on pure instinct, throwing himself to the side along with his passenger.
He noticed something sleek and swift flash past in his peripheral vision before feeling a strong blast of wind rush by them. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet, placing his body between that of his dazed partner and the black figure coiled before them.
"Arghh, dammit! What now?!"
Kaelira shrieked before her furious silver pupils locked on the enemy before them.
"...well shit… that's bad, isn't it."
Vairon didn't respond. All his senses locked onto the beast glaring at them like prey. Its black scales reflected a cold light, gleaming like polished obsidian. Two red pupils, burning with hellish fury, fixed them in its gaze. It bore a crown of horns above its eyes that jutted out like sinister thorns.
"I don't like snakes. I really, really don't like snakes…"
Kaelira's face paled slightly. Her eyes locked on the terrifying serpentine beast before her. Vairon's back was slick with cold sweat. His pupils shrank as his heart thumped wildly.
'If I had dodged any later, we would both be dead. This thing isn't normal.'
Recognizing the grave danger they were in, Vairon moved back slowly toward Kaelira, his back straightening as he focused all his senses on the enemy before them. His voice was low and stern.
"It seems your break time is over. I can't handle this thing alone."
Kaelira flinched at his words and turned to face the snake beast ahead. Taking a deep breath, she gathered herself and stood up with a shaky breath.
"...I won't be of much use here. I've recovered a little over half of my reserves, and if I push myself too far, my wounds may reopen." She spoke in a clear, steady voice. "I have a way to help, but you'll only get one shot. It's up to you to keep me safe."
Hearing the grim resolve in her voice, Vairon didn't respond immediately. The snake rose from its coiled stance, its hood flaring as it swayed. In its eyes, a faint flicker of emotion could be seen—mockery. The beast was mocking them for their inaction, for their fear.
Vairon's pupils constricted. His flowing green hair stilled, then bristled like a wild beast's fur.
'It's… mocking me. That damn snake is looking down on me?!'
As the realization sank in, his previously calm aura began to morph into a cold, biting void. He closed his eyes, as if making a serious decision, then reopened them. A flash of resolve flickered in his verdant eyes. He placed his sword back into his spatial pouch and slowly stood up straight.
"What are you—"
Seeing his odd movements, Kaelira began to speak before her voice fell silent. Watching the broad back standing before her, she felt a strange stir in her heart she couldn't place. Then a voice cut through the silence, and the world around them seemed to lose its color.
"The battlefield remembers every scream… now remember me—Incarnate: War's Grave!"