10th Moon of the fifth, 34 HT – The Cave

My eyes slowly and groggily opened up. Everything started off as a blur, but as they slowly focussed I realised that I was still in that cave.

Yet, I was still alive.

I could see the fire still burning but nothing else was in sight. When I tried to move I realised that I was restrained. I tried to fight it but whatever was holding onto me had me held tight. That’s when I realised I was in the air, being held against the cave walls.

“My Lord,” A human mans voice said, “The small one is awake.”

My head could just about move an inch or two to the sides, then I saw one of the hooded men stood to the side. His brown hood still covering his face, hiding his identity.

“Good.” The deep, demonic voice said.

I couldn’t see Joel, only the gods knew what these men had done to him.

Another hooded man came into view, he walked over to the one that let him know I had woken up.

I watched as the one with the demonic voice reached out, there was a jagged, shining silver dagger in his hand. He handed it over to the other hooded man.

It was strange, something I had never seen before. Once he released the dagger to the other his body seemed to freeze.

Then the first man turned to me.

“Jaymie,” He said, his voice no longer the same human mans voice, it had turned to this demonic voice, “So far from home. What are you doing here boy?”

His voice, this cave, it was all too much. What was I doing here? Did I really think I could save Sammy.

“Too afraid to speak,” The demonic voice said, “Pathetic.”

“My Lord,” Another man in a hood said and appeared from the side, “Joel is awake.”

“Bring him here.” The demonic voice ordered.

I could feel sweat pouring off of my body, my breathing became sporadic as fear totally eclipsed me.

In a minute I watched the beast that attacked the village carry Joel next to the fire. He threw him onto the floor and I heard Joel let out a whimper of pain.

Whether it was from his previous injury, of if they had hurt him more, I didn’t know.

“Now then,” The hooded man with the demonic voice said and walked in between Joel and I.

All I could do was look down from where I was held against my will, I was helpless and in no control.

“I am keeping your sister.” He said to Joel.

“No!” Joel shouted but then the beast kicked his side and Joel let out another gasp as the air escaped from his lungs.

“As I was saying,” The hooded man said, “I am keeping your sister. After the last one found a way out of this world, I am in need of another.”

I saw the hooded man’s head move to the other side of the cave, my heart stopped at what I saw.

There was clearly a woman’s naked, decaying body strung up, just like mine. Her throat was slit and it looked as though she had been malnourished.

“However, I am merciful,” The demonic voice said, “I would not wish your mother to have both of her children die.”

That was what I needed to hear, maybe, whatever it was that held us both captive was going to let us go.

One of the hooded men threw one of our swords onto the ground in front of Joel.

“However, you have disrupted me and for that… I require a sacrifice.” The demonic voice said.

“What?” Joel whimpered out, it was clearly hard for him to catch his breath.

I looked at the hooded men and then back at Joel, a sacrifice? Did they mean me?

“Take your blade and kill the small one, then you can return to Reinchurch to live out your days.” The demonic voice said.

“What?!” I shouted, speaking for the first time in front of these men.

I looked at Joel who was staring at me, for the first time I saw fear in his eyes. I honestly could not figure out what he was thinking. I feared that he was going to accept their offer.

“I….” He stuttered, “I can’t.”

I let out a sigh of relief and hung my head.

“Pick up the blade and kill the boy, or you both die.” The demonic voice said.

I wanted to speak, to beg for my life but nothing escaped my lips. I just pleaded to Joel with my eyes. He just looked at me with sadness, right then I knew he was going to do what they said.

Still lay on the ground, his right hand grabbed the handle of the sword and he used it to help himself to his feet.

“Joel,” I managed to say, “Please don’t.”

“I’m sorry Jaymie.” He whispered and slowly limped towards me.

With every limp towards me my heart skipped a beat, I couldn’t believe that I had come all this way just to be killed by the one I followed. Tears began to stream down my face like a waterfall, I wanted to scream, to fight back, but something in me had given up.

When I opened my eyes again I saw that Joel was close to me, the hooded men surrounded him and the giant beast was stood at the back.

My last sight in this world would be this, a horrible sight with a horrible experience.

Joel looked at me one last time, then he slowly brought the blade up.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered again.

I closed my eyes and waited for death.

Then I heard a swing, a thud and a gasp.

I hadn’t felt anything, there was no pain, no stabbing feeling. I opened my eyes but to my surprise there was no sword piercing through me.

Then I looked up and my mouth hung open with what I saw.

Joel had tried to attack one of the hooded men instead of killing me, but it seemed the hooded man managed to hold onto his wrist as it was in the air.

Joel was panting for air and not moving, that’s when I looked a little further down when I saw the jagged dagger was thrust all the way into his stomach.

“Fooling mortal.” The hooded man said holding the dagger.

He pulled it out and I saw blood start to pour out of Joel and onto the ground that he fell to.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“No!!” I screamed, “Bastards!”

“I guess, neither of you will leave this cave.” The demonic voice said.

With the bloodied dagger in his hands he took a step closer to me.

“No! No! No! Stop!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as he walked towards me.

Joel was on the ground clutching at the gash in his abdomen.

The man with the dagger took another step closer to me.

“Urgh!” Suddenly one of the men in the back gasped out.

I looked up and saw a spear was bursting through his chest, the wooden hand still firmly through his back.

In a matter of seconds, he fell to the ground, the tip of the spear holding him up diagonally.

I tried to look to see where this spear came from, but the restraints stopped me from seeing.

“Kill him!” The demonic voice shouted.

The other hooded man brought out a long sword from underneath his robe and marched into the direction that the spear came from.

I couldn’t see, but I heard the sound of a sword whistling through the air and then another thud.

The beast that attacked out village then started to move.

Then, I got my first ever sighting of Orion. I had no idea who this person was, what he was doing in this cave or whether he would save me or kill me himself. All I knew was that he was my best hope for survival right now.

He was a tall individual, although I was held in the air he looked to be well over 6 foot in height. His body was as thick as an oak tree with black, leather armour for protection. He wore no helmet and I could see his long, brown hair and fell to his back.

His skin was a deathly white with piercing red lips, then something I had never seen or heard of before, his eyes were completely white, there was no colour or bloodshot, simply just white.

In his hands he held a curved sword, it was a jet black blade that he held in both hands, however it was small enough that someone could also hold it in one.

On his back I saw another sword was sheathed. This one looked to be a great sword, it hung down his back and from the size of it I would’ve thought it could cut a tree in half.

I remained silent as this giant of a man approached the beast. The beast that I feared for my life from and this man didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

When the monster swiped at the man, his movements looked flawless and effortless. The best way to describe the way he moved was like writing a poem.

With ease his body swerved underneath the monster’s quick swing, without breaking an movement his curved sword sliced across the beasts arm and I saw it’s thick, sludgy blood drip onto the ground.

It let out a deathly howl and swung for the man again.

This time, he leant backward and the beasts claws went over his body. Like the last one, he easily moved back and his arm swung, as though he was painting a picture. His curved blade sliced across the beasts chest and it took a few steps back and called out in pain.

As he eyed up the injured beast I saw the last hooded man charge towards him with the jagged dagger in his hand.

“Behind you!” I shouted and without missing a beat this fighter turned. He caught the hooded mans wrist in his hand and with one quick, precise strike he cut his hand clean off.

His hand, still clutching the dagger fell to the ground and blood spurted out of his missing limb.

“Ahhhhh!” The hooded man screamed, his voice no longer demonic, now it was just a man in pain.

With one last thrust, this fighter pierced his curved blade through the hooded mans chest. When he pulled it out blood followed and the last hooded men fell to the floor.

By the time he turned around, the giant beast was back standing tall. Thick blood was still leaking out of the cut on it’s chest and mixing with its fur.

The man stuck his curved blade into the ground and I watched, as though in slow motion, as he gripped the great sword from his back and unsheathed it.

He stood there, like a death defying hero, his great sword grasped with both hands as he stared at the monster.

This sword was similar to the last, jet black but the edges look as sharp as I could imagine.

When the beast lunged for this man he easily jumped to one side and in a quick pounce he brought the great sword down and sliced off the beasts hand.

The monster fell to its knees as blood kept gushing out of it. It was whining in pain, this once horrifying monster was brought down so easily by this man.

I watched as he moved to the side of the monster, he raised his black great sword into the air and brought it crashing down. With only one swing he chopped the monsters head clean off.

This was it, I was alive. I just hoped that this man, whoever he was, was going to save me.

He turned his gaze towards me, with his white eyes I couldn’t tell if he was staring at me in anger or in kindness.

“What are you doing here?” He asked me, the first time I heard his voice.

It was deep and gritty, as though he had been smoking a green pipe for his entire life.

“I.. I… I came to find Sammy.” I stuttered out to him.

“Who’s Sammy?” He asked me.

“She’s from my village, that monster took here and we tracked it here.” I told him, “Please, can you cut me down?”

He walked over to me and sliced the bounds that held me and I fell to the ground. It was a hard hit and my hands gut on the gravel, but I was free and alive.

I quickly ran over to Joel who was still on the floor. He was breathing heavily and hard and I could see the pain in his eyes.

“Joel, it’s going to be okay, we’re safe.” I told him as I held his head in my hands.

“I… I was never going to kill you Jaymie.” He whispered to me and some blood coughed from his mouth.

“I know Joel, I know you weren’t,” I said to him and looked back at the man that saved us, “Please, can you help him?”

He walked over to me and looked at Joel.

“Move.” He grunted out.

I stepped to the side and Joel inspected the cut that was made by the jagged dagger.

“This isn’t a normal cut,” He said, “Something isn’t right.”

I looked and saw that when this man cleaned the blood from around the hole where Joel was stabbed, his skin was turning black.

“Please, is there anything you can do?” I begged.

This man reached into his black, leather satchel and I saw him pull out a small vile.

“This isn’t going to be nice.” He warned Joel.

He held Joel’s head back and poured this thick, black sludge from the vile into his mouth.

Joel instantly coughed and gagged, I wanted to tell him to stop but Joel was going to die if I did. At least this could try.

In a few seconds, Joel’s eyes closed and his head flopped back.

“Is he… is he dead?” I asked as more tears fell from my eyes.

“No,” The man grunted to me, “He’s breathing, just.”

“Thank the gods!” I shouted, maybe we were both going to get out of here I thought.

“The gods can’t help him now.” The man grunted to me and then looked in my direction, “You said there is a girl here?”

“Yes, Sammy, but I haven’t seen her.” I told him.

“Here.” The man said. He ripped off some of the hooded men’s robe and wrapped it around a stick, then set it alight using the fire pit, “Keep it lit, we will go find her.”

I took it in my hands. In all honesty I wanted to turn and run out of the cave, to just be happy to still have my life. However, I wasn’t about to say no to the man that saved me.

I followed him deeper into the cave, fearful of what other monsters we might find.

“Who are you?” I whispered to him.

“Shush!” He grunted back to me.

Something about him, I feared this man.

We kept walking through the dark cave until we saw another fire burning up ahead. As we approached it I saw a shadow moving from the flames.

“Who are you?!” I heard a voice screech. This was similar to the demonic voice coming from the hooded men, except higher pitched, more feminine.

We turned a corner and I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was Sammy. But, it also wasn’t Sammy. It was her face, her body, but something was different.

Her eyes were pure red and she was covered in blood. I couldn’t believe it but she looked to be possessed.

“This girl is not yours to take.” The man that saved us shouted.

“Everyone is mine to take!” Sammy screeched back.

Her mouth opened inhumanly wide and I saw her body run backwards and slam against the cave wall.

“What are you?!” I shouted, I went to run forward but this man held onto me.

“Shut up.” He said to me and then looked back to Sammy, “Leave her body, now. And you will live.”

“Live?!” Sammy screeched out and let out a alien laugh, “You cannot kill me!”

“Who are you?!” The man shouted back at it, holding his curved blade at Sammy’s direction.

“I am Kialcho, stand and fear me.” Sammy screamed at us.

“Kialcho?” The man questioned, obviously taken back by this thing that possessed Sammy, “You have no right to possess the living.”

“I have the right to do anything I want, now leave me or suffer my wrath!” Sammy screamed back and blood started to pour from her eyes.

“What is it doing?!” I asked the man.

“Jaymie?” Sammy said, but her voice had returned to normal, except filled with sadness, “Why didn’t you save me? Why did you let it take me?”

“Sammy?” I questioned, “I didn’t want to, I’m here to save you now!”

“This is your fault, what they have done to me, what will be done to me,” She said, with each word her voice turning back to the demonic one, “It is all your fault!”

Then I saw the man lunge at her, his sword in the air and aiming at her.

“No!” I shouted as he swung for Sammy.

Then I just head the clash of metal against stone, I couldn’t explain it, Sammy, she was gone. Disappeared.

“What? Where has she gone?!” I shouted.

“It’s taken her,” The man said to me, “I’m sorry kid, but she’s gone.”

“What?! Where?!” I shouted at him.

“I don’t know, there is no way to know.” He said to me, his voice was monotone.

“That’s it, you’re just going to let it take her like that!?” I shouted.

“There’s nothing more to do.” He said and walked past me, going back the way we came.

“That can’t be it, she can’t be gone.” I whispered to myself.

I took a minute to straighten myself up, still not believing what has happened. When I caught up to the man we were back around the fire where he slayed the beast.

“Wait, where’s Joel?” I asked realising his body wasn’t there.

“Fuck.” The man grunted, “The blade is gone.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?! Where’s Joel?” I shouted.

“The blade, it’s a way for the Paizon to communicate with mortals, to control them.” The man said to me, “If your friend touched it, he is under Kialcho’s control, as well as the girl.”

“Paizon?! What are you talking about!” I shouted, I was more confused than I had ever been in my life.

“Children of the gods, they play games with mortals for their own entertainment and it seems, your friends are under their control.” The man said to me.

None of this made any sense to me, of course it would eventually but at that time I felt like my mind was going to explode.

“Come on kid, I will help you get back to your village.” The man said to me.

I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even think. I just mindlessly followed this strange man.