The Raven Knight stood on the edge of the precipice, sensing the danger below.

Although his eyes were of no use, he could sense his greatsword in the dark. It was jutting out of the far side of the cavern straight ahead of him. The Raven Knight could sense it and the creature below, but he could not utilize his dark sense to reveal rock or stone. He had no way of knowing how far the ledge he stood on went, or if there was any way to safely reach his weapon. So, he bent into a crouched position, ready to face the trials ahead, and leaped across the chasm. He hit the other side feet first, grabbing his blade. Now holding onto it, he pulled it free, dropping himself down towards the creature. He fell hard and fast, orienting himself to approach the beast head first. He grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands at his side, with the blade protruding past his head, leading the charge. He thought this might end the beast with one blow. But it too had dark senses, just like The Raven Knight.

Just as he was about to claim victory, he sensed a part of the creature move with great speed. Something crashed into him, hard. He was sent flying across the cavern, smashing hard against the rocky wall. He clumped and fell to the ground, which was still quite a long way. This creature was truly massive in size. And it's power far exceeded that of The Raven Knight's. He did not rise immediately. He lay there, slumped against the cave wall, his armor now dented in several places. This had never happened before. Thankfully the creature did not seize this opportunity to attack. The Raven Knight knew that what hit him must've been the creatures hand. He still could not see the beast, though he could sense it with ease, looming in the near distance of the cave, waiting.

The Raven Knight stirred, slowly picking himself up. He stood once more, no fault in his posture. It mattered not what he faced. It was of the darkness, and so it would fall. He would not stray from his path. Utilizing the dark power within him would steal from the time he had left. But he was no fool. He knew that the creature would make quick work of him if he did not take hold of the darkness within him, therefore it must be used. He felt deep within his well of shadow, the swirling vortex of evil that gave home strength. Out of it, a power slowly came. It was one he had not used before, a new power to aid him in his impending battle. He could feel the shadows were reluctant to release it to him. But he grabbed hold and pulled it forth.

His body slowly began to light. Dark flames ignited from within him, creeping through his armor and up the blade of his greatsword, transferring to it from his body. His sword, now wreathed in dark flames, cast a dim light before him. Though it was dim it reached quite far. And in that dim light, he saw it. The creature loomed in the shadows, its massive, sinuous body winding through the dark cavern like a grotesque serpent. Its flesh was smooth and segmented, a dark, glistening surface that seemed to drink in the sparse light around it, making it look more like a living shadow than flesh and bone. But it was not merely a giant serpent. Just below the head sat a humanoid torso. One that was gaunt and boney. It's shoulders round and protruding, with two long arms that seemed disproportionately thin. And at the end of each arm were hands that bore very long, sharp claws. Each one would rip through steel with ease.

It's head was a thing of nightmares. It's cavernous mouth gaped wide, lined with row upon row of razor-sharp teeth, each one serrated, gleaming faintly in the dim light. The maw seemed endless, an abyss of hunger and cruelty. Above it, two enormous, unblinking black eyes stared out, cold and watchful, as if sizing up its prey. And below those two, dark portals were countless other small eyes. It was a creature born from the deepest dungeons, where the darkness truly dwells in its full power. The creature towered over the lone knight, its every feature a testament to relentless, unyielding malice.

The two entities of darkness stood there, neither moving. If The Raven Knight were to have ever felt fear, it would have been now. But no, he truly did not feel fear, for better or worse. He felt nothing but a sense of duty, and even that feeling had started to fade. The brief pause ended when the large, serpent-like creature rushed towards him. It was down close to the ground now, running on its hands instead of slithering like a snake. It dragged its long serpentine body behind it as it crawled like a ravenous nightmare towards The Raven Knight. It was on him in seconds, but he reacted without hesitation, leaping into the air just as the creature dove for his position, closing it's maw where he once stood. The jaw snapped shut with a loud, sharp sound. The Raven Knight, now falling back down, was positioned right above the creature's head. He once again held his now flaming blade out as he fell, intending to pierce the beast's giant skull.

But before his blow landed, with jarring speed and it's hands still firmly planted on the ground, the beast's head spun around and opened it's mouth yet again. The Raven Knight too acted fast, however, and held out his palm towards the beast. Just as he was entering the threshold of the creature's maw, dark flames burst forth from his hand, instantly engulfing the beast's head and filling it's mouth. The creature let out a deafening screech as The Raven Knight fell into it's mouth. The screech kept it's mouth open in agony, and The Raven Knight was able to jump out of the beast's mouth, untouched by the flames. Just as he did, it lashed out, limbs and tail whipping in every direction. As The Raven Knight leaped from the jaws of the beast, he was struck by one of the beast's large hands once again. However, this time he was more prepared.

He hit the wall of the cave, but did so feet first, creating a divot where he landed. He then allowed himself to drop, head over heel, before landing once more on his feet. He looked up, his flaming greatsword casting a dim light upon the cave. He could see the giant creature with it's face and palms on the ground. It seemed to be recovering, or perhaps just seething while it regained it's composure. The flames upon it's face died down, but as his own flames lit up the area just enough to see, The Raven Knight took in the visage of the beast.

The creature was truly gargantuan, and like no other creature The Raven Knight had yet faced. He knew what the darkness was capable of, however, and this terrifying beast did not instil fear in him. He looked on for only a moment before walking towards the beast with cold intent. As he approached, the beast slowly lifted its front half back up. The beast, now sitting on it's coiled body, slowly turned to face the approaching knight.

The Raven Knight now faced the beast's giant maw once more. As it opened, it let out a terrifying cry. It seemed to be in distress now, the black flames seeming to have taken their toll. The Raven Knight, ready to finally slay his foe, stopped and held his sword out in front of him towards the beast. He then stoked the flames on his blade even more, causing them to grow in an instant. They started to lash out in front of him, like whips of pure darkness. He had assessed the beast's strength, and was ready to end this.

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The Raven Knight lunged at the beast with great speed. It cried out and slashed it's claws at him. But he spun in the air, avoiding the blow. He was not slowed, and finally hit his mark. He crashed into the beast, plunging his greatsword into it's largest right eye. Flames began to spread rapidly as the creature reared it's head up in pain. In an instant, it's arms came crashing down upon it's face, pinning The Raven Knight there. He flared his flames once again, and the arms recoiled, allowing him his next move.

The Raven Knight twisted his blade within the creature's eye, dark flames scorching deeply into the sensitive, slick orb. The creature's scream filled the cavern, a sound that would have curdled the blood of any lesser being, but The Raven Knight took no notice. He could feel the vibrations of the creature's agonized cries coursing through his sword, up his arms, as the flames spread in dark tendrils across the eye’s surface.

With a forceful wrench, he pulled his greatsword free, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, slick and oily, landing in hot splashes across The Raven Knight's armor. But he did not register the heat or the acrid smell. He took several quick steps back, adjusting his stance. The creature staggered, its coiled body thrashing, smashing violently against the walls of the cavern in blind rage and agony. But it wasn't done yet. The colossal creature was a being born of the deepest darkness, and its pain only seemed to drive it to new levels of ferocity.

The beast reared up again, shaking its head to rid itself of the smoldering remnants of its eye, then turned its remaining eyes toward The Raven Knight with a baleful, murderous glare. In a display of terrifying agility, it lunged forward, its long, clawed arms reaching out like talons, fingers splayed wide as if to encase him within its grasp. The Raven Knight sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a swipe that shattered the stone floor where he’d stood. Without hesitation he brought his sword down in an arc against the creature's arm, cleaving deep into the smooth surface, his flames licking up the creature’s forearm.

The beast screeched and lunged with it's whole body, swinging it's other hand toward him, but The Raven Knight ducked low, the claws whistling just above his helm. He used the momentum to drive himself forward towards the beast, stepping into a spinning slash and cutting into the creature's torso as he pivoted. His blade connected with a sickening crunch, and more black ichor sprayed forth, igniting in brief, dark bursts. Still, the creature fought on, twisting its torso upward and swinging its tail. The Raven Knight raised his sword in a defensive arc, but the force of the tail struck him like a battering ram, sending him skidding backward across the cavern floor. He dug his heels in, grinding to a halt just before he hit the far wall.

His senses dimmed slightly. His body felt the exhaustion from the battle beginning to press down on it, the dark power within him waning with each heavy breath. But his mind was still sharp. He forced himself to rise, his greatsword held steady before him. This creature was beyond formidable, a pure manifestation of darkness, nearly immune to the flames that wreathed his weapon. But The Raven Knight was undeterred. He would end this creature's offensive existence, and he would do so right then and there.

The creature snarled, exposing rows of teeth, slicked with its own blood, and lunged once more. This time, however, it was faster, its body a blur of inky blackness as it closed the distance. Even The Raven Knight's dark senses could barely keep up. It lashed out with both hands, claws gleaming, but The Raven Knight was ready. He sidestepped again, delivering a powerful upward slash across one of its outstretched arms, severing several fingers in a spray of ichor. The creature roared in pain, momentarily staggering back, but only for an instant. It was relentless.

Now enraged beyond reason, the creature brought its tail down like a hammer, intending to crush The Raven Knight beneath it. With both hands outstretched, he raised his sword just in time, bracing against the impact. The force drove him down to one knee, the ground beneath him cracking, but he held his stance, refusing to yield. With a surge of strength, he shunted the creature’s tail aside and sprung to his feet. He had had enough. He leapt into the air, his blade raised high, flames trailing behind him like a dark comet. As he reached the creature's head, The Raven Knight slammed the hilt of his greatsword into it's face, knocking it out of the way. He then came down upon the creature’s back, driving his greatsword deep between two segments of its armor-like scales, igniting it from within.

The beast convulsed, its entire body writhing in agony. It twisted around, claws flailing, desperately trying to dislodge him. The Raven Knight clung tightly to the hilt of his sword, digging his heels into the creature’s back as the dark flames from his blade spread across its body, searing it from within. The creature's struggles became frantic, its movements erratic and violent. He felt the strength in his arms waning, but he refused to release his hold, his resolve as unbreakable as the steel in his hands.

With a final, furious screech, the creature bucked violently, throwing The Raven Knight from its back. He hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet and looking up at the beats, its body smoking and blackened from his flames. He inspected his hands, and found that he no longer held his greatsword. Looking up at the creature's back, he saw it was still lodged within it. The giant, serpentine abomination slowly turned to face The Raven Knight. Both combatants paused, each sizing the other up one final time.

This was the end, and both of them knew it.

The creature opened it's giant maw wider than it had before to let out one final, deafening cry. And as it did, The Raven Knight raised his hand up towards the beast, showing his palm. And with a final surge of dark energy, flames engulfed the blade once more, brighter and more furious than ever before. The creature screamed in absolute fury as it lunged for The Raven Knight. But the flames were not all that he called forth from the dark energy he utilized. As the creature neared at blinding speed, the greatsword still lodged in its back moved faster. It shot forth twords it's master, slicing through the creatures chest, severing it's heart in two and reaching The Raven Knight first.

He reacted fast and caught the blade in his gauntleted hand as the massive creature hit the ground, sliding to a stop just at The Raven Knight's feet, leaving a long, deep crater in its wake. He stood there, watching the lifeless corps. He knew the outcome of this fight, even before he had fallen down beneath the earth. He set out on a path to slay the darkness long ago, and he had walked that path true ever since. He knew he would not falter. To him, this monstrosity was like all the others; born of the darkness, and therefore condemned by the darkness. This was his duty, his path. And he would walk it until the end.

The Raven Knight still felt nothing. His mind was clear, and so was his path. So he turned, and surveyed the cave, noticing an opening not far to his left. In the heat of battle he hadn't realized it was there, even though it was rather large. The sense of darkness had begun to leave the place he now stood. And he could sense less of it through the large opening. So that is where he would go. Away from the darkness now, for he knew that he would be led back to the darkness soon enough. His body was tired, but his mind sharper than ever. If he had any feelings at all, he would relish the kill. But all he had was duty. So, he started walking, intent on fulfilling said duty. Intent on destroying the darkness.