Stand

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William's Perspective

Staring up towards the cavern entrance, panting from exhaustion, a massive wyrm erupted into view. Its appearance was that of a towering snake of immense proportions, crushing down on any unfortunate fiends to get in its way. It looked identical to that of the dragons in Hearthglen; two massive dull horns protruded out, spikes ran down its spine, and scales were dark grey due to decay and age but lack of limbs. Pieces of its flesh were missing and replaced with black tendrils, its eyes lifeless and pale.

It snarled at me, steam radiating out of its mouth as whatever body fluids remained in its mouth trickled onto the floor. Watching it move its head jerk back and forth was eerie, as its head fidgeted unnaturally every so often.

Struggling to get onto my feet, I grasped my sword tightly. Exhaling loudly, I look up at the Wyrm's Blight Rider. It donned decayed and tattered black armor while covering its face in a black cloth.

I already killed a few Blight Riders once, along with their dragons; this shouldn't be any different.

I hope.

Misfortune comes as a Blight Dragon enters the room. It lacked any wings, but its size was almost comparable to the Wyrm, trampling and flinging the fiends in its way.

Anxiety surged in my gut, twisting painfully. Soon, the Dragon pushed the Wyrm aside, charging toward me.

"Oh shit!" I yelled out. Gritting my teeth, my eyes widened in shock. Dashing forward in desperation, I kicked my feet up, sliding across the ground as the Dragon tried to bite down at me. Entering its shadow, I stood back up to run toward its hind legs, slicing at them.

The beast roared in pain, falling to the ground, then going silent with a loud thud, following a sound of glass cracking. Turning back around, I saw a massive ice pillar sticking out of its head. I didn't know what had happened until Azrael came running towards me.

"Don't run off alone, you idiot," Azrael yelled, out of breath and covered in black stains. The once indecisive princess looked battle-hardened. I was actually scared of what happened to her. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

The noble she was protecting, Sanguine, I think, emerged from the side. "I'll support you all as much as I can." I don't know how he will, but I ain't arguing. "Move!"

Without thinking, Azrael and I leaped away from where we stood as the Wyrm slammed its head down at us. Debris kicked up as it slither away, its massive body being the only thing we could make out.

Turning towards the Wyrm, its maw opens wide to hiss at us, saliva dripping onto the ground. Gripping my sword, the Wyrm dashed past me, slithering across the cavern until its whole body was in. It was a lot longer than I thought it was.

"Azrael, can you freeze it in place?" I yelled at her, moving towards the Wyrm's moving body, slashing at it. My sword glided across its scales, not even denting it. It's more durable than the Dragon.

Looking at Azrael, I can see she was annoyed and exhausted. "Don't tell me what to do!" She yelled, her voice strained.

"Are we seriously doing this now?" I growled back, the Wyrm circling around us. Sanguine was out of sight. Where the hell did he go?

It was just me and Azrael. She was very cooperative earlier. What the hell is her problem now? She let out a loud, annoyed grunt. "I don't have much mana left for powerful attacks."

"Here it comes!" Sanguine yelled somewhere behind me.

Preparing myself, I spotted the Wyrm's head diving over its large body. The undead fiend circled us entirely and then wrapped around us like a snake trying to constrict its prey. We didn't have much time, so I quickly grabbed Azrael and flung her over the Wyrm's body, allowing her to escape.

As the Wyrm's body surrounded me, I leaped off the ground, hoping to escape its attack. I didn't escape, soon being completely wrapped up. I was able to kick my foot out so I could keep it from squishing me to death.

Holding it back with my leg, I pressed as hard as possible. My body ached in pain. My leg spasmed, cracking and shaking as pain shot up. Looking up at the looming Wyrm, its teeth were bared with a gut-wrenching stench.

Every second, the Wyrm squeezed tighter. Clenching my teeth, I channeled as much magic as possible into my legs. It was to no avail.

Another loud crack went off my leg, making me yelp. "A little help?"

To my luck, a shard of ice shot out at the Wyrm's eye, piercing its lifeless eyes. But like a living thing, it responds with a horrendous roar like-hiss. It releases me from its grasp, thrashing around in pain. Gravity pulled me down, making me hit the ground rough. Rolling out of the way, I avoided as much of the Wyrm's thrashing as possible.

Azrael came to my side and holstered me up, my leg practically begging for rest. "You could've done that earlier?" I groaned out.

"Shut up, I landed on my head," Azrael retorted.

Our attention was drawn to the Wyrm as it returned to face us, hissing loudly, but this time it was angry for losing its eye. The Wyrm started to twitch, contorting its eerie neck and head as the spikes from its body hurled down onto the floor where we were. My arms tensed, swinging my sword at each spike that came down towards me, leaving a loud cling with each hit. The ground barely held up. Each impact tore apart the cavern's surface.

Azrael cast a spell of ice magic, creating a shield of pure white ice that almost blinded me. The incoming spikes struck the shield but did not pierce it. I could see that Azrael was exhausted, her breathing heavy, and sweat dripping down. But the look on her face told me she hadn't given up yet.

Being cautious where I stepped, I approached the Wyrm, hoping it would try to attack. "Azrael…" I yelled, looking back at her. She was still fine, making her way towards me.

"Shut up," Azrael answered, glaring at me with annoyance.

I hope she knew what I was going for.

The Wyrm did what I wanted as it dived towards me. Pouring whatever magic into my legs, I dived at the last second, letting Azrael face the Wyrm. Tumbling on the floor, I saw a pillar of ice rise to meet the Wyrm, slamming into its hard scales. The sound of shattering ice bloomed over my ears as the Wyrm roared out in struggle.

Ice protruded from the Wyrm's decayed flesh but didn't die. It struggled to break free, thrashing its body around. The cavern shook from all the thrashing, making me worried if this place could hold up.

"The rider!" Sanguine said, making me look up to see the blight rider was still alive.

It rose up with its worn sword. I got to my feet as fast as I could. "Azrael, kill the rider!" I yelled.

Azrael wasn't in great shape as the rider dropped from the Wyrm's back. It was trying to destroy the ice that held its undead friend, but Azrael was already on the rider. They clashed swords, but she was far more skilled, keeping it on the defensive.

However, the Wyrm's eye was glued on Azrael, swinging its tail at her, not caring about its rider. She was ready, making a wall of ice that stopped the attack. It was impressive to see her almost shine next to the wall. The rider took advantage and went on the offensive, pushing her back.

Standing by the Wyrm's head, I started to channel magic into my sword. The ground beneath me shook from the thrashing, making me stumble slightly. I soon noticed Sanguine was running towards Azrael. She was doing well against the rider. Azrael countered one of the riders' attacks, but the rider caught her sword with its wrist, plunging into its arm. The rider quickly grabbed her neck, taking her by surprise. The rider throws her to the ground, causing her to grunt sharply from the impact.

As Lord Dimmal told her when sparring with me, the Blight ain't going to fight fair.

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Luckily, before the rider could do anything, Sanguine was there to tackle the rider off of her. And I was at the Wyrm's neck.

Leaping off the ground towards its neck. I tried to use the magic attack from earlier, but this time, instead of channeling it through my arms, I channeled it through my sword. I imagined and recreated the sensation of electricity, the lightning. Golden sparks flew from my sword as the blade elongated into a golden blade of electric energy. Bringing it over my head, I slash my sword at its neck. Thunder roared as dust and debris flew up off the ground.

Landing on Wyrm's body, I took note that it stopped moving. Apparently, my attack went straight through the whole neck, surprising me. I could see its flesh charred up as golden sparks scattered in the air, blipping in and out occasionally.

That attack was similar to what Azrael did when we sparred. Being able to replicate her magic attack made me grin with glee.

Panting loudly, I struggled to move my body. It refused to move as I wanted. I was slower. Could it have something to do with how I was using my magic?

Looking over to Sanguine and Azrael, the rider they fought died, lying on top of Sanguine. Jumping off the dead Wyrm, I made my way over to them as Sanguine pushed the dead corpse off. His red hair was covered with black grim and god knows what. I offered my hand to him, helping him up.

"Thanks," Sanguine said, leaning over to hold himself on his knees. "Would've been dead if it wasn't for you all."

Panting hard, I responded, "No worries." Chuckling in disbelief, the screeching sounds were gone and replaced with the eerie silence of a cavern's water drops that echoed; I said, "I can't believe we got out of that."

Azrael drops to the ground, exhausted and tired, her breathing irregularly. "Ya… Goddess, I thought we were done for." I noticed her shocked expression soon turned into a creepy smile as she laughed.

I couldn't blame her as I dropped my sword and fell to the floor, laughing. Whatever had just happened, I couldn't process it. Whatever despair had filled our hearts and minds was now replaced with hope.

"Are you two good? Or just crazy?" Sanguine asked with a crooked smile.

A warming feeling rose in my body, and I let out one final exhale. I was finally done laughing. "I'm fine." Grabbing my sword and sliding it into the holster on my back, I stood back up. "As glad as I am that we got out alive, we should leave."

Reaching over to Azrael as she finished with her delirium, I pulled her up off the ground. "As much as I hate being ordered by you, you're not wrong. Besides, I have questions for you. After we leave."

We left without a second to waste, not wanting to wait for more fiends. This was the best and only time to find a way out. The longer we wait, the more likely we will encounter more fiends. We still need to meet up with Lord Dimmal and my father.

However, as soon as my heart started to calm down from the constant battle, my body became incredibly exhausted. It was as if someone decided to jump onto my back and pull me down to the floor. While painfully massaging every joint and muscle. I couldn't feel my hand, the same hand that I'm pretty sure I broke. Even my leg, which used to keep me from behind squeezed to death, was in pain. So much, in fact, that I started to limp.

Sanguine came to my side when I started limping and threw my arm over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I got you." I was fine, but I did appreciate his help. Soon, Azrael came to my other arm and threw it over her shoulder.

"How did you break your hand?" Azrael asked.

I grunted out slightly, mainly from feeling the pain in my abused hand that I had neglected throughout our fight. "Your bodyguard's helmet didn't appreciate a love tap. Sorry that I put him down." I said bluntly. A part of me felt guilty. I only hope I didn't say it too harshly.

Her grip on my arm tightened as she looked ahead. "I know you didn't have a choice. Let's just focus on escaping."

I nodded in agreement. So did Sanguine.

Our feet were the only thing we could hear. The eerie shrieks that once plagued the Blight Nest were gone. Only the sounds of dripping water and tumbling rocks remained. Soon, we went up an incline, a good sign since we had fallen.

The silence ended as we soon spotted a fiend in another open cavern. White light beaming down from an unknown source. Readying ourselves, I took note that it never charged at us. But it instead pointed at us. Pointing its sharpened bone finger at us.

We were left confused and concerned. Azrael's face shows that she is even more confusing. She had the most experience with the Blight or access to more knowledge.

My heartbeat rapidly as I held my sword. Staring at the fiend, it started walking backward into the shadow, never looking away from us. It sent chills down my back. Words couldn't describe it. We stood silently, vanishing out of sight, expecting something to happen.

Nothing did. Except blood running down my nose.

I wiped my nose clean of blood. "Hey," I whispered. "How long are we going to stand here for?"

My answer was met with silence as we walked slowly towards the cavern's center. Soon, we made it to the center, and the sound of metal boots filled the air. My hair stood on the ends as it grew louder and louder.

"Another fiend?" Azrael whispered, breaking our silence.

"Don't know," I answered, exhaling slowly as the air shifted into a dark, cold stillness. I could feel... Anger. Rage. Hate.

Soon, the source of the noise emerged from the shadows. Metal-tipped boots struck the ground with deliberate force, each step heavy like a predator encased in steel. The legs were clad in dark gray, battle-scarred plates with jagged tassets hanging from the thighs. A thick belt secured a dark purple fur mantle that draped over the armor.

An overlapping breastplate protected the torso, chest, stomach, and ribs. Massive pauldrons covered the shoulders, extending toward the elbows, while claw-like vambraces and gauntlets ended in deadly points. Each elbow featured wicked spikes to deter close contact.

As my gaze moved to the helmet, I faltered. The armored figure was both regal and monstrous—a sleek design with sharp horns rising from the sides. The T-shaped faceplate had narrow slits for eyes, and below, a snout-like structure carved with horizontal grooves suggested a feral predator. Long, wild violet hair flowed from the back, complemented by purple fur beneath the neck and shoulders.

In the knight's hand was a long, thick, massive sword etched with a wolf design on the hilt. My breath was heavy, and I felt uneasy. It was as if the temperature in the room had dropped, but I couldn't see my foggy breath.

"Oh no," Azrael mumbled, stepping back behind me. "It's a Wolf Knight. They are enemies to Drakelene."

Gritting my teeth and sword, I moved forward. Fighting back the pain in my leg and hand, I charged at this "Wolf Knight." If it was an enemy of Drakelene and was infected by the Blight, it must be killed now.

Swallowing the rising pain, I ran towards the knight. "William, wait!" Azrael cried out as I sliced at the knight.

The knight countered with his massive sword. I didn't know he moved it until my sword pathetically bounced off his. Not letting up, I continued my assault on the knight, our swords clashing against each other. Despite being the attacker, I couldn't push him back; if anything, I was the one on the losing end.

Before I knew it, my sword went straight into the air as a short sword formed in the knight's open hand. Quickly jumping back, putting distance between us, the knight slams his massive sword into the ground. I watched in wonder and horror as the knight leaped forward, his once great massive sword morphing into what appeared to be a bo staff. Pushing off the staff, the knight used it as leverage to push himself towards me.

I haven't even landed yet.

The knight connected his boot with my stomach, and my gut kicked inward. Stars entered my eyes while my back slammed into the ground, my sword flying out of my hand. Tumbling around, I ended up on my back, stomach reeling in pain as I let out a rasp, quick breaths.

"William!" Azrael screamed out in concern while my stomach churned with nausea. "You ok!"

Holding my stomach, I turn over to look up at her. "No," I groaned out in pain, my voice deep and hoarse. I keeled over, my stomach starting to rearrange from the kick. "Going to be fucking sick."

Swallowing whatever was trying to get up, Azrael yelled at me, "Get up." Looking up to see why, my vision went black as the knight kicked my head up, lifting me back to my feet.

Stumbling on my feet in utter confusion, sounds of sword clashing rang into my ears. I opened my eyes to see Azrael and the knight in combat, Azrael thrusting her sword with quick splendor. However, the knight held his own and pushed her back while she was on defense.

Azrael was exhausted as the knight avoided her attacks, getting a counterattack with almost every thrust or slash she threw at them. Azrael wasn't letting up, though. Even if she had fatigue or was low on mana, she wasn't backing down.

Taking a step forward, the knight swung his staff around at me, the tip now having a blade at the end. Ducking under the blade, Azrael took a blow to the face, tumbling onto the floor. Pushing off the ground, I dived at the knight, but they leap over me in perfect form, shoving my face into the floor like the Heraraptor did to me months ago.

My face was now covered in dirt and grime; I watched as Azrael, just like me, got kicked off the ground and back onto her feet. The sound of a gun being shot off boomed over my breathing as Azrael was sent flying back like a doll. She wasn't dead due to her rolling back onto her feet, but her stomach wasn't looking great, being charred up.

Sanguine engages the knight with dual swords. The knight simply evaded each attack, sidestepping with such precision that it was almost like they were predicting the attacks. The staff in the knight's hand morphs into a single-handed long sword, still with a wolf design. The knight quickly overwhelmed Sanguine in strength, but how he countered and dodged was eerie and unnatural. Bending and turning their body in ways that felt unimaginable.

Standing back up, I widen my eyes in horror as I watch the knight cut straight down Sanguine, but his body turns into mist, moving with the attack. I was confused. Sanguine can use illusion magic?

The knight looked at their own sword in confusion, hesitant even. I gawked as they leaned over, sniffing the air like a dog. With a quick jerk to their side, the knight dashed forward, grabbing the air as the sound of someone gasping for air blared out. Soon, Sanguine form appears, trying to pry the knight's hands off his throat.

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my sword and lunged at the knight, forcing them to release Sanguine. The knight countered me with his precise, quick blocks. But I didn't let up. Forcing my strength onto the knight, they fell back slightly, giving me a chance to deliver a punch. My fist made contact with their helmet.

The knight spun around, following the motion of my punch, as they morphed the sword into a massive great axe. Quickly bringing my sword up to block, I knew I wasn't ready. The raw impact of their attack sent me flying back, tumbling onto the ground as dust picked up.

Rolling back onto my feet, the knight held their massive great sword again, charging me. I planned to meet them head-on, bringing my sword up. Wind rushes past me as our swords swing at each other.

I should be stronger than the knight. I should be able to fight off his sword with my own.

Next Chapter Twenty-Six Regret