A Story Of Sword And Shield, Book one. by Chance c Barrett (that summer book .txt) 📖

until I pulled the blade across, swiftly coloring the wall in front a bright crimson, I examined my work and put the knife back, then I checked to make sure he was dead and looked at silver. “Is there anything we have to do while we are here, or is killing the only proof we need?” I asked, emotionlessly. “I will prove, to spirits.” Silver said, she raised the staff--the very same one I saw her with the first time we met—above her head and began chanting. I watched for several minutes until the chant was complete then walked outside, I was already on the path to the second sacrifice, too easy I thought as I walked out into the forest again, this time toward the north, to find an uncle of mine who was known by the name of steel.
Chapter 8: the two last sacrifices.
Date: February 15th 1471.
It took many weeks to travel to the north, but we managed to make it successfully and without being spotted by patrols, I slipped inside the temple with silver and we both searched for steel, I cannot say he was too hard to find though, as he was, to put it gently, the loudest person I ever knew. He was proclaiming how great he was in the halls when I found him, I walked up to him and challenged him to a duel, to test the skills he so boasts, he of course accepted, and moments later we both arrived in the main hall, drawing our weapons, he was quick but had none of the skills he so claimed, I easily disarmed him and put the sword to where his heart was lightly. “You win, you win, and you have managed by luck to beat my legendary skill!” he said and laughed nervously. “Not yet I am afraid” I replied and quickly stabbed the sword into him, then ripped it out, sheathing the sword. “The second sacrifice is ready” I said under my breath. Of course killing in a duel is frowned upon and I was quickly given chase, though I managed to out run and outwit them with the help of silver, yet I still had to carry the body as the ritual was not completed on this one and it would be pointless to have killed him if the ritual was not completed. We reached a small tree-covered area and I laid the body down by silver “finish the ritual on his part, I will be back to complete it after I take care of our “guests” that have been following us. Then I left, standing in plain sight for the warriors, they stopped in front of me and drew their weapons, I saw their hands shaking and I grinned. “what is wrong, are you scared?” then I laughed – which must have made me sound and look like a mad man – then I approached them slowly, I drew my battle-sword – which was a twenty-inch blade with a hilt made of gold which had archaic symbols covering it, the same symbols covered some of the blade, which was now covered with blood – they ran at me as I expected and I quickly dispatched one with a ‘x’ shaped series of slashes, then stabbed the other one in the back – he had missed me and went past me slightly – then I examined them for a moment, left, and returned to silver “I am ready…” I said calmly, sheathing my sword. “You do know you will never be the same after this, do you not? This will – if it does not kill you – will change your mind, and soul, the ritual taking half your soul and half your sanity.” Silver said, a serious stare fixed upon me. I nodded, “I am sure.” I said quickly, but surely. Silver then proceeded to draw a large circle out of the blood from the two bodies, the circle had various symbols in it including an eye, the roman numeral for three and a picture of the sun, then I was instructed to stand in the middle of this circle and that I would know when the ritual was complete.
I did as I was instructed and stood, watching silver raise the staff once more, begin chanting, then tapped it against the ground as a sharp spike came from one end of the staff, I knew that meant trouble, but before I could react the spike was in my chest, I was lowered slowly to the ground and the last thing I saw was silver staring at me and whispering something I could not make out. It felt so strange being unconscious, there was nothing, yet I could feel everything, I could not move, yet I felt strangely free, thinking of this gave me comfort for some odd reason, and I was happy for the feeling. I struggled to keep my mind about me, I was jumping from thought to thought, hearing the whispered unintelligible words of silver over, and over in my mind, it was driving me slowly away from sanity, though it did not matter to me, I was dead, or at least that is what it felt like in this dark void of nothingness. But that was when I saw the image of Draco and Rex, I forced myself to look through the nothingness and found a small light, I followed it, and that was when I awoke.
I gasped, feeling for the wound the spike had left, but it was healed, just a scar remained, the blood on me had gone as well, I stood and saw silver standing in the distance, conversing with two people I swore I recognized, and then it dawned on me, could the ritual have worked? I approached the three slowly looking as if I was in a trance “did—did it work?” I asked shakily. Silver looked at me “Yes, everything has been set in motion, remember though, you will never be the same anymore, but I am happily surprised that you survived it at all, to be honest I did not expect you to.” Silver said. “Thank – thank you so much… I said. “It is my duty to help those in need in this forest, and I have accomplished that.” Silver said, literally as if the whole ordeal was nothing. At a loss for words gave a quick embrace, hugging silver then letting go “sorry… I just wanted to show my gratitude, at least some of it, please understand” I said. “I understand how you feel, you have lost so much, then gained it back, you must be wanting to speak to them, please, feel free” silver said, smiling. “Thank you,” I said one last time, then went to Draco and Rex; we were all reunited once more.
I looked at silver again for a second, it was then it finally dawned on me who silver was, silver was that stranger I met in the town before, silver had been the one helping me all along…
Epilogue: The New Order
Date: February 16th 1471.
Darkflame sat in the fog-town church, which was now covered in demonic symbols and blood, he laughed as another sacrifice was killed in his name, he would shape this land soon, he would become its God! “Ah, those poor fools, they do not know that I am coming, and that soon, there will be a New Order!” Darkflame said, grinning at Star. “Yes sir, the New order shall begin, and when it does, this world will be ours, they shall all hail us as their gods, we will change the world in our image!” star said eagerly.
They finished the ritual and left the church as they did, newfound power gained, and with this, the mortals would not stand a chance, they would fall effortlessly at their feet, they would all obey. Or die. The fog town had given its secrets to Darkflame, and in return he had given it blood, this, in Darkflames mind was a fair trade. Star though, did not feel the same, yet did not dare say so, she felt that it was pointless to kill all these people for this so-called power, but arguing with Lord Darkflame was not wise, and so these feelings were kept untold.
As the two wandered the lands, the sky got darker as they went, the temple warriors noticed this but could not understand why it was happening, but they knew it was not good, so they sent a patrol toward where the shadow was coming from. The warriors sent there were not in luck, for as soon as they reached the two figures, they were killed by seemingly nothing but darkness, then they were consumed by it, brought back as demons to aid the Order in their quest.
The temple fell quickly, darkness consumed it, consumed the people inside it, and Darkflame gained more strength from them, even though it was a small amount. The rest of the sky was covered by the shadow, causing an endless night.
Soon the rest of the mortal world would fall, and Darkflame would become its leader…
Meanwhile, as the shadow grow larger, I repeated once more. “And as I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
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Publication Date: 08-10-2011

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