3 Warm Embrace of Death

The rain has stopped just before the sun closes its eye. The sky reddened by the sunset returning towards the horizon.

Edward groans as his eyes slowly fluttered open meeting his gaze a beautiful pale woman glances back. Her long black hair flows down from her. She slowly adjusts her silky hair with her left arm behind her ear. Her cold silver eyes steered warmly upon him, watching silently from above with a gentle smile.

"You're awake...," she softy says.

Edward discovering that his head has been resting on her thigh he quickly rolls off the stranger's lap. Staggering to his feet he tries to reach for his sword only to find it missing from his side.

He stares down the woman that rests before him, though she does not appear to be a threat. He can't shake the urge that she is someone he met before.

Covered in the mud of the battlefield the goddess takes her stand.

"How are you feeling?" she speaks softly her words finds its way to Edward putting him into a small trance. "Were you hurt?"

However, he somehow managed to resist her charm. "What magic is this!? A charm spell!? Mind control? hypnosis!? It won't work on me!"

"Apologies," she says. "I only wanted to calm your nerves perhaps my method was... rash. I sense your distress. I only meant to ease them, forgive me."

Edward takes another good look at the pale lady. Thinking to himself, "What would a lady like her be doing at a place like this? She's obviously no fighter nor would a noble dirty themselves in this mud. And where are her shoes? Did she travel so far without attire for her feet?"

The sun disappears revealing a bright full moon in the night sky. As come night also comes the creatures of the darkness, Edward knows this far too well. Years of experience as a Northerner soldier sharpen his senses.

Death tries to speak again but he cuts her off. "We need to leave." He says.

Confused she asks why but he only grabs her arm guiding her away.

"Quickly! We're in the middle of a field of corpses. The ghouls will make quick work of us if we stay here any longer. They tend to become active at night when the sun is down."

Already they could be heard in the darkness. Their inhuman barks are heard echoing through the air. Sending terror throughout thoses with a mortal soul. Though it's a full moon, it's far from bright enough to see properly. Suddenly Edward stops walking causing Death to walk face-first into his back.

"Oof!?" Rubbing her forehead she blankly looks up at him for a reason why he stopped so suddenly.

"One moment, please," he says. Bending down, he begins to check a fallen soldier. "Don't think badly of me...It's awful to plunder the dead but we need this gear to survive the night."

Death is an understanding Goddess and knows he doing what he must to survive.

"I see no fault in you're actions," She reassures him.

He quickly clasps his hands together closing his eyes before taking the soldier sack then moving on to his sword tightly gripped in his hands. Death scrunched her dark thin brows as he does.

The sword however it won't budge. Rigamortis has taken place and dead soldier grip is stuff as stone.

"Blessed Gods, 9forgive me," he holds onto the fallen soldier wrist and with his other arm he forces the digits backbreaking them in the process. Like a tree branch as each finger reaches its threshold it gives way with a rigid snap.

"All is forgiven," Death says watching over him silently.

"How big are your feet?" he asks. She says nothing wondering why he is asking such a thing.

"Here… quickly." he hands her a pair of dark brown muddy boots. "I know its too big but it beats walking barefooted."

She doesn't show it but she appreciates the gesture. She quickly slips on each boot on her feet.

Edward instantly hushes her to be quiet. Her brows furrowed even more since she wasn't talking in the first place.

"Sorry but we must be quiet. The last thing we want is to be spotted by…" he doesn't have to an opportunity to finish his sentence before he sees four pairs of beany red eyes in the darkness. It brings a grim expression across his tired face.

He contemplates if this rusty dull sword would even make a clean cut against these creatures. Though they are the size of an overgrown dog but their hides are thick and rigid and to make matters worse they can regenerate at an insanely fast-paced.

His eyes dots around trying pinpoint their numbers and locations. Though he can't see them clear but he knows that there are more hiding where his eyes can't see. The only thing ghouls love more than feasting on dead bodies is the chance to devour a warm one.

Taking a wide stance he steads his boots into the ground and grips his rusty sword. He stands in front of the woman ready for their attack.

"Stay behind me!" he shouts. "I'll keep you safe."

"Safe?" she slowly backs behind his protection peeking over his broad shoulders.

From the side, a ghoul blitz forward twisting and contorting its body unnaturally reaching out with its vile claws. It jaws opens out with a disgust hungry growl, looking for a chunk of flesh to rip apart.

Edward shifts into the direction of the threat stepping forward thrusting his blade. It connects cutting through the ghoul's neck. The creature ragdolls to the ground however the cut was too shallow. The flesh begins to close up in moments completely healed together.

The creature stands once again growlng in the darkness. Drool drips from its rotten festering lips.

"Cursed blade is useless!" he bawls in frustration. Knowing that his attack was basically useless. If only if he could see better in this darkness.

"Look out!" Death shouts out as another ghoul rushes behind him biting into his shoulder. He howls out in searing pain and its fang-like teeth seep into his flesh. He tries to shake it off but the ghoul won't budge.

He turns slamming his back into a nearby tree forcing the creature to release its jaws from him. He takes this moment of weakness to grab it by the neck throwing it to the ground. Without hesitation he lifts his foot slamming down with all his might crushing its skull in.

He briefly falls to his knees. He calls forth strength from his rune before he completely collapse, standing back to his feet.

"M-my b-body? It f-feels heavy… damn it!"

"Edward!?" she sees that he is fatigued. She then spots his shoulder. The wound has been infected by the ghouls' toxic saliva."

"Poison... How did I forget these things possess toxic saliva?" he says already out of breath. "If only we had some source of light. It would buy us some time at least."

"Light? Would fire do?" Simultaneously she opens her palms calling forth fire shining it brightly waving off the flesh-hungry beast. They back off just out of reach of the fire's light, only watching from a distance.

"T-thank the heavens…" Without notice Edward collapses to the ground. He's on the verge of passing out but before he does he see the woman whispering a word under her breath.