4 A Fiery Temperament

The loud clang, made by the executioner's ax, resonated throughout the town square. Everyone held their breath, even me. And though it seemed that it should have been excruciating, I felt absolutely nothing. The knight, holding me down, suddenly gasped as he almost jumped in surprise. Strangely, I found that I could stand, and as I did, everyone was eerily silent. I raised my hands to my face and noticed they were fully armored.

I didn't die. Weird. Pretty creepy and puzzling if you think about it, but I was still alive, somehow. I could clearly see the large executioner's ax, sitting there on the chopping block they had me rested against. There wasn't any blood on it and the blade seemed to be faintly scorched. The awestruck crowd and knights just continued to stare at me. They didn't look curious though. They all had a tinge of fear in them as they continued to observe my movements.

Bluish silver gauntlets covered my hands, each of them were intricately designed, and the familiar insignia of the burning shield and ax were upon them. They seemed thick but weighed like nothing at all as I moved easily in them. It all felt so strange, like I was somehow a different person all together.

What was stranger was the gaze of everyone around me. Their eyes all devoid of anger, their faces formed shocked expressions, like they had seen something so horrifyingly fearful they could only stare at it. I stepped back and noticed I was clothed in the same bluish white armor as my gauntlets. A wide plate was placed across my chest, and silver plated boots glistened as I watched the sunset bounce off them. In a wild gamble I moved my hand closer to my face. The gauntlet reflected a bright orange glow. And I instantly knew what had happened.

What was once my face was now a bright orange flame. It somehow traced my facial features as it glowed and burned erratically. What was stranger was that it even emulated my hair. Separate flames, jumping and twisting in the air, were mimicking the mess I called a hairstyle. Tongues of fire detailed each and every contour as they faded in and out of the reflection. I am the Dullahan now. The Oath, it's real, and I get to see it's power, first hand.

"Monster..." I heard someone in the crowd say in a hushed voice. Whispers began among them, and slowly, the people in front retreated a few steps. The knights surrounding the platform, straightened themselves as they drew their swords. Some of them trembled as they fixed their eyes on me. But, in each face I could only see fear. It gripped them, and it would seem that this was the first time any of them had seen an Oath Taker in action.

"You scum!" A distinct voice had suddenly broken the tension. I turned quickly and saw ferocious grey eyes staring at me. The Ace looked at me with rage and disgust, and her crimson armor was glowing wildly as her strides took her past the executioner. "You will die today, aberration." She spat out as her glare radiated hatred towards me.

"I have no plans of losing my life today, Circle dogs!" I answered back. Flames were jumping out of my mouth as my voice echoed loudly. I reached back instinctively and gripped the handle of something slung behind me. Pulling a large silver ax fee, I swung it in front of me. A show of strength that I hoped would avert them from trying to engage me, yet I miscalculated and saw too late the strength of the Dullahan.

A wide arc of flame trailed behind it, scorching the air, and it seemingly reached someone in front of me on the platform. The executioner had fallen. His body, neatly sliced in two, was cauterized by the flames from my ax. No blood from him had been spilled on the wooden flooring. Seeing this, the knights around me panicked and hurriedly left the platform, pushing and shoving each other away.

But their leader did not move an inch. She whipped out her blade quickly out of its sheathe as she took an offensive stance.

"Monster, you shall taste my sword!" She charged straight at me, recklessly aiming for my chest.

I caught her blade with my free hand as I swung my ax again. Nimbly, she jumped backwards, flipping away from my attack. Still crouched down, she looked at me, eyes filled with fury. I threw her sword right at her, hoping it would end this battle. 'Poetic isn't it, to be killed by your own blade?', I thought as I watched the sword spin midair. But she was too fast. A split second before it hit her, she managed to roll to her left.

An unlucky knight, standing some meters behind her, found the sword sticking out of his chest. The others beside him escaped into different directions as they averted their eyes from the bloody sight, holding back screams and whimpering for a call of retreat. Dark red liquid poured out of him as he tried to extract the sword. Succumbing to the fatal wound, he fell to his knees as he spat out blood. His eyes were vacant and dead as he crumpled to the floor, the sword still embedded in him.

The Ace did not give up, however, she raced towards me once more as her left hand formed a spiked fist.

"Don't under estimate me, abomination!" screaming loudly she readied her attack.

Ah, the spikes on her armor WERE useful. I caught her hand before it could even be extended towards me.

"Pitiful," I said in monstrous voice. "Today is a day you will never forget, poor soul."

Pulling her violently by the hand, I lifted her from the platform. Like a doll, she couldn't fight my strength as I swung her over me. Before she could slip from my grip, I readied my left leg. Her cold grey eyes widened as she realized what I was about to do, and I strongly kicked her in the chest. Though she stiffened her body before the blow came, she flew uncontrollably towards the crowd. She crashed unto the pavement, and I let out a wide flaming smile, pleased that my only opponent among the rabble of the Circle is down for the count.

Everyone ran and screamed in disarray as the chaos I started spread throughout the town. I hopped down the platform onto the marble street, cracking the pavement as I landed. A group of knights eyed me as they readied to attack. They sprinted towards me; swords raised and poised to strike. Instinctively, I didn't raise my weapon. Something inside me wanted them to get really close. As soon as they reached striking distance, their blades inches from me, I let out a fiery roar.

And it wasn't only loud, oh no. It was literally fiery. A wave of flames emerged from my mouth, instantly disintegrating the knights in front of me. Their ashes collapsed on the pavement where they stood, forming small blackish-grey piles of dust. Witnesses of this act of mine screamed and panicked even more. "Demon!" an old woman screamed as she hobbled away from me fast as she could.

"Listen well, beings without honor!" The monstrous voice had emerged from me once more.

The townspeople froze in fear of my voice. The surviving knights cowering as they looked at the remains of their brethren.

"You will not find me on your own will after today. Those who dare hunt for me shall find themselves as ashes on a forgotten plane." I eyed my surroundings and saw the Ace get back to her feet. Trying to maintain her balance, she stared at me furiously. "Dishonor shall be your demise, dogs of the Circle. And betrayal shall be your end." She started to sprint towards me, holding back the pain of my kick.

As I finished my statement, flames surrounded my body, and my vision blurred. The faces of terrified people, confused and bewildered knights still cautious if they should try and attack me, and the Ace with her red spiked armor as she tried once more to stop me were all I could see.

"Stop it, you cowards! STOP IT!" The Ace screamed furiously at the petrified knights as she picked up speed, panic and anger contorting her face as she watched the aura of fire surround me.

The fire devoured my body slowly, and everything started to disappear. The last thing I remembered seeing was the scorned visage of the furious Ace as her hands were mere inches away from the flames that formed my face.