An echo of wheezing sighs echoed through the dark, moss-covered brick corridors. Right behind it, a red-haired, thin young man hurried.
[Last survivor follows your steps.]
“If you'd rather help me,” he scolded his Patron as a golden inscription on a black background appeared in front of Akally's eyes, “just wait, a few more meters and I'll be there. I have to make it."
Dum, dum. It pounded in the young man's head. Dum, dum. He was running out of time before disaster struck.
Another message appeared: [Last survivor shakes his head in disappointment.]
"I can do it!" the redhead cheered as he saw a light at the end of the corridor.
Golden rays illuminated the dusty stone slabs that made up the floor. With the last of his strength, Akally raised his head to look into the lighted room ahead. He stopped abruptly and gazed around.
Compared to the narrow corridors, the room was significantly larger. Pedestals of blazing fire shone around the perimeter of its circular shape. A huge figure swayed in the middle, whose outline the young man's eyes, unaccustomed to the light, gradually focused on. However, it wasn't the figure causing anxiety and nausea in the redhead. This was caused by the carnage around: bloodied limbs strewn haphazardly across the room, the air soaked with fresh blood, red smears resembling quick brushstrokes, a painting of entrails, limbs, flesh and blood.
The young man remained petrified on the spot unable to speak. The monster's pained squeals freed him from his brief hideous trance. The expression on the redhead's face alternated between anger and joy: “Jerro! I'm here!” he called out in relief at the armoured man with a short sword in each hand.
The giant figure standing with its back to the young man turned to face him. As if with a wave of a wand, all strength and hope left the redhead again as he looked into two yellow eyes resembling festering wounds embedded in a wrinkled pale face. With a heavy exhalation, death bared its blackened teeth at him, which at first glance were not sharp, but the broken bones of previous victims stuck between them marked a crushing bite that even strong armour could not resist.
As one of the four long bony claws reached out to palm the pesky insect disrupting the feast, two swords dug into the monster's massive leg.
"What are you doing here? Why did you come back?” Jerro yelled as he twisted the blades in the wound with all his might.
"I couldn't leave you here," Akally said firmly.
The angry monster caught Jerro in an unguarded moment. It gripped him with its pale hand until the armour plates began to crack, ribs breaking and piercing Jerro's lungs. The man was choking on his own blood.
"Save… them," Jerro's weak voice croaked through the coughing up blood. With the rest of the strength in his arm, he pointed a finger at the body lying nearby.
Wiping away his tears, Akally nodded and ran, ignoring the danger, to the nearest fallen man. The dead person's face was almost unrecognizable. The broken nose was tilted to the side, the torn lip was covered with already dried blood, and deep cuts and bruises stretched over the whole body. Still, the young man could tell by the light short hair and light leather gear that it was Corvus, Jerro's younger brother.
The saint clasped his fingers together in a prayer gesture: “It is not your time yet.” [Rise] spoke the name of his ability out loud.
Corvus' body was covered in a golden-white glow, the wounds healed and colour returned to his reconstructed face. He opened his green eyes and sat up in a flash: “Watch out!” he shouted at the invisible figure. As the redhead's happy expression smiled in front of him, he understood that he was back among the living. But his relief didn't last long as the creature was crushing his older brother in front of him.
He put his hand on the young man's shoulder: “You know what to do, boy. I'll buy you some time.”
“Wait a little longer,” the redhead extended his hand in front of himself and used another incantation: [Strengthening] Both monster hunters were hit by a white wave of energy.
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Corvus got to his feet nimbly: "Feeling better now, thanks Akally."
Before the redhead could say anything, the strengthened blond grabbed his dagger and dashed off towards the snowy slaughterhouse. The fire-haired man wiped his sweaty forehead exhausted. He had used his skills several times in the time they had spent in the alter fighting monsters. His mana reserves, which served as the energy source for the hunters' abilities, were nearing their minimum.
As soon as he rested for a moment, he was already looking for another fallen hunter. He headed for the nearest body in steel crimson armour. He sat down next to the body and laced his fingers together again. [Rise] A golden-white glow covered the entire armour, the gloved fingers moved slightly, and the person in the armour slowly rose to sit down.
Pluvia took off her helmet, which made an echo of a bell as it hit the ground, to take a deep breath. Returning to the living wasn't that shocking to her, but it was still unexpected. Long raven hair spilt over her shoulders, red eyes burning like living fire again as she looked intently at Akally.
“Sure,” he breathed out heavily, “here you go.” [Strengthening] The wave of energy charged the warrior with more power. Without a single word, she picked up her shield from the ground, which could cover her entire figure even with armour, and a spiked mace that could crush the skulls of enemies as easily as a hammer breaking eggshell. She rushed into battle to help Corvus.
Before Akally could remind her that she didn't have a helmet, all he heard was her [War Roar], Pluvia's special ability that drew the monster's attention to her. The pale creature had been kept busy by the nimble Corvus with his dagger until then. Although not an agile hunter at his best, he cut through the pale flesh of monsters like a rabid beast. He wanted to rather hit it with a number of blows because he didn't have the destructive power to end the fight with a single attack. Jerro was still clinging to the last remnants of his life when the monster dropped his broken body in pain. His little brother wasn't going to give up on his family easily. With a warrior like Pluvia, the battle was slightly tilted in their favour. Akally's return turned things around, but they were still far from victory.
The remaining strength left the red-haired youth a few meters from the last body. It was getting dark before his eyes. He stumbled with each longer step. At one point he lost his balance completely and fell. Fortunately, he used his hands to cover his head at the last moment. The whole world stopped around him. The cruel pain burned him from the inside, in his head, he could not keep a single thought, which dissipated like smoke. His stomach was turning upside down and his tired muscles were not listening. Still, he pushed himself forward by the force of will, crawling like a worm through the dust and blood.
As the last drop of consciousness was fading away, he saw another message in front of him written in gold letters on a black background: [Last survivor is disappointed.]
Every movement required maximum concentration. Bitter tears of despair began to run down his face as he realized exhaustion had taken over. She was the last dead person he had to bring back. The only person who could deliver the final blow.
"Is this where it ends?" he asked himself, "Sorry, Dea."
[Last survivor sends his final regards.]
“I've seen you die so many times. I never thought one day it would be the last time," sadness and anger mixed together in Akally, not noticing the message from the Patron.
[Last survivor wonders if you have any regrets.]
"But don't worry, we'll see each other again soon," he consoled himself with the thought of a posthumous reunion.
[Last survivor feels insulted that you ignore him.]
Akally bit his lip in anger until it started to bleed, “So you won't be silent. It's a fucked-up game for you Patrons, huh? You can't even let me say goodbye?! This is not the end. It can't be the end!” he screamed in his head, despite not being able to make a sound. By sheer force of will, he convinced his body to obey one last time. He stretched out his hand in front of him and touched the tip of two toes on Dea's foot.
[Rise]
Nothing.
[Rise]
No glow.
[Rise]
Her motionless body remained unchanged.
[Rise] [Rise] [Rise] [Rise] [Rise] Akally continued, but the cooling body did not wake up. [Status] he said resignedly. A golden listing of his attributes and abilities on a black background appeared in front of the hunter in the same manner as messages from the Patron.
Name: Akally
Title: Saint
Patronus: Last Survivor
Health: 25/120
Mana: 0/370
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Swiftness: 23
Endurance: 12
Magic power: 37
Abilities:
[Rise] Level A – Resurrects the dead person and heals all injuries.
[Healing] Level E – Heals small injuries.
[Strengthening] Level D – Increases attributes of allies.
Akally eased his outstretched hand. Although he felt that his mana reserves were empty since Pluvia's revival, he believed that he could make everything right. He hoped that he would find another drop of strength in himself to save Dea. Mana depletion is one possible cause of death for hunters. Once a person wastes their mana, they exhaust their life force. A quick rescue in such cases is a very expensive mana elixir or healing magic that transfers part of the user's mana to the person being healed. However, Akally is the only member in this group capable of healing and the young hunter could not afford expensive potions. No monster, no trap, but a simple lack of mana got him.
[Last survivor congratulates you for realizing your mistake.]
"Sorry Dea, I couldn't leave you here," he touched her leg one last time, "so take mine."
[Last survivor requests clarification.]
Akally smiles, "Mine for hers."
[Last survivor requests clarification.]
"My life for hers." [Rise]