The banshee focuses on the well, I don’t know much about the body language of ghosts but I can at least tell it isn’t paying attention to anything else. A swoop in, aiming directly to the well, I have to do something. It’s ridiculous but I have no other way, I jump onto the well side and block the entrance with my body, but more importantly with my sword. Did my slash connect? It felt like a heavy wind blew my sword away and me as well. I lose my balance, my heart jumps as I fall, but I hit the ground instead of falling into the well. The banshee… Did it make it through? no, it was knocked back.

“Whaaaaaa, eeerrggghhhhh” it makes an angry hissing sound floating close to the ground. It looks at me for a moment and dashes, or rather floats quickly, to the well. I run again to intersect her and my sword swings through her. Another heavy wind impact, It’s different from hitting an object, but at the same time I ‘connect’ the swing she fades out slightly and loses control. She ends up overshooting the well by a lot and after a moment regains her composure, or at least her opacity. Then she hisses at me again.

She tries again to charge at the well and I charge again with my sword. AARRHHH she hit me! just below my armpit I can feel it… I look back and she was also hurt… or something. ow, arrhh, I feel wet at the wound, am I bleeding? I move my off hand over the wound and it’s bleeding alright, and hurts just to touch, but my armor is pretty much alright. Her face looks like a static rotten horrific face so it’s hard to tell, but I get the feeling she’s angry at me. She actually charges again, but this time straight at me instead. It catches me by surprise and I end up panic swinging in front of me.

AARRRHHHH she got me again, not to say that I didn’t get her but this time it’s below my chest, I can feel where her ghost fingers hurt me, it feels like claws. It’s shallow but hurts. She goes for it again and this time I manage to upswing my sword and take a step sideways and hit her early, she vanishes like before in front of me and reappears above with a scream.

Again, and again still, some interactions I manage, some not. My shoulder, my back, the side of my chest, I take hits over and over. I don’t know how long I can hold on, I can’t run away either, she will surely go for the well instead and that means it’s over for Grey. How long does the exorcism take? The shadows lengthen as well, the moon is halfway under the horizon, It’s hard to see as it is.

She suddenly stops, and rises into the air. Is she planning a big attack again?

“WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

I can see them now, the undead are coming from the distance, between the building, they’re so close when I just start seeing them, and they are running at me too. I can’t let my guard down, or stop defending the well. On top of that it’s getting darker as I think. It takes a short minute before I am surrounded by undead.

I do manage to slice a few, but it’s a lot more shallow than I can do, I’m exhausted. At least the banshee isn’t moving much, she’s just coordinating the attack. Time to give it my all! I remember the “magic” trick to enhance my swings, I can actually slice off one’s head clean off. and anothers arm. I can feel it in my armor too, A wide swing to one side to stop three of them, and a quick jump to the other side and a punch shoves the undead to the ground with an audible thud. The moon is now almost completely down, It’s light only hits the tops of the buildings and I can barely see the undead next to me. The banshee must really hate me because some of the attakcs are clearly meant for me instead of passing through to the well.

I can hardly move my body, let alond swing my sword, whenever I try to use the magic trick again it feels like it’s taxing a part of me.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I can see from a distance packs of undead falling one after the other, and a sphere of light advancing toward me. The paladin arrived, but it’s too late, I'm afraid. An undead tries to pass me while three of his buddies clearly aim at me, I shouldn’t turn my back to them but I must, I did my job, even a little more time, even if it’s all I can give Grey. I turn my away from the undead clawing at my back and swing my sword at the undead passer, I put what I can but I know it isn’t enough to knock him down. Or at least it shouldn’t be enough. He falls flat down. He tries to lif himself with both hands but he cant. wait... I can clearly see him, and his allies behind me arn’t gnawing at me as hard as I thought they will. The sky has a dark tint of blue… the dawn struck.

I fall forward and turn to face the undead behind me, they’re not moving, the banshee fades away slowly while screaming as usual, but her cry is muffled and sure enough she’s no longer there, the undead drop to the ground like… well ironically…

“I think it’s over! Fren, are you there?” I hear Grey screaming from the well. “Can you lift me back up now?”

“Yes…” I say, or try to, I doubt anyone could hear it, I just can’t bring my volume high enough. I also try to get up, but I can’t move, not even sluggishly, I can’t move at all.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.” I can hear the female paladin talking to me. and I can see her armor above me. She’s holding a bottle, or glass phial with red liquid. “Drink, warrior, you did very well.” She put’s the phial to my lips, it’s cold and sweet, tastes like honey but also has a hidden bitterness. I finish it and breathe heavily. It feels like every muscle and bone in my body is screaming in pain.

“You did very well, You should tell me your name.” She says with a caring tone and leaves me there. I can hear her pulling the rope, and after a while I even hear Greys nervous screaming coming up on the bucket and rope. By the time I hear him coming out from the well I’m no longer in pain, I actually feel pretty good. I do try to get up but I can’t trip over myself and fall down again. I don’t feel pain but I can’t breathe right.

“Fren!” Grey rushes over to me. “Fren! are you hurt?” he tries to heal me with prayer but it doesn’t make me feel better.

“I gave him a potion, a very potent one, he should be up on his feet by now.” The paladin says worriedly, she gets in closer and removes her helmet, a long straight black hair falls down and swirls around her head with a shake of her head. She looks like a girl, I mean I knew she was a girl, but she looks young, probably just a couple of years older than Dan… than Dan was.

“The prayer doesn’t work, why? What can we do?” Grey sounds in distress.

“I don’t know, I think it’s mana sickness… or worse. There’s… not much we can do… he’ll probably die soon…” The paladin looks regretful, she has a sour face. Grey… is shocked, and his eyes are teary… mine too.

Sorry, Dan, I let you down. Your sacrifice was short lived, I’m so sorry! I can feel the wet tears swell in my eyes and roll down. I can’t stop them.

“If only I made it sooner. no one had to die! again!” The paladin throws her helmet down to the ground in anger.

“It’s my fault he’s… *sniff* I asked him to come. *sniff* I asked him… if he didn’t.”

That’s right, Grey’s right, if I hadn’t come… he’d have died instead. All three of them probably. They wouldn’t have stood a chance. I didn’t die for nothing, and I’m not sure I regret dying if it really meant I saved them. I’m sorry Dan, I’m not so sad anymore. Someone else from the village will probably sacrifice themselves… I don’t know if I want that… I don’t know if it’s the right thing.

“I let people die again for my incompetence! I should've told you not to help. I… I’m sorry, Fren, was it? Thank you for protecting this priest. You… thank you.”

My eyes close, my mind is blank, I feel, at ease.