When Lightning Strikes

Haldric coughed as his throat burned from the ash. Glaring at the knights surrounding him. The ground around his feet was littered with bodies. They seemed hesitant to approach him.

He looked around grimly. Still surprised at the size of the force his foe had brought with him. 'Doesn't matter, they'll be dead soon.' he thought. He braced himself as he dashed towards the nearest soldier, thrusting his spear towards his chest.

The man immediately reacted and brandished his shield in a sweeping motion thinking to counter it. He was left surprised though as he missed the mark. At the last moment the spear had changed back into a sword leaving him wide open. Haldric did not miss the opportunity though and immediately sliced his throat. Blood spurting all over the place as the man grasped at his wound collapsing.

Before this moment had even passed anotger had thought to lunge at Haldric's back. Unfortunately for him Haldric at already scattered a number of his Runestones on the ground to serve as traps. As the knight came into range of one a thick vine immediately sprouted from the ground. Wrapping itself around the man's leg it lifted him I to the air.

The soldier squealed in terror as the vine swung him though the air launching him at a nearby tree. Blood exploded from his mouth as his ribs cracked piercing his lungs.

Haldric chuckled. These idiots had no idea of the difference between them. He quickly cut down another two. This seemed to be the breaking point as several of the remaining knights quickly cast aside their weapons and attempted to make a run for it.

Unfortunately for them the vine their comrade had unwittingly spawned seemed to be in a playful mood. As it tripped them up before juggling them in the air. Letting them fall into the hard ground the melody of breaking bones and cries of agony was music to Haldric's ears.

He finished off the last of them that were still putting up a resistance. They just could not get to grips with his strange, aggressive fighting style. As his weapon switched between forms to catch them off guard. He clearly had more experience than they did.

Now that he had no opponents left he surveyed the scene. The village was in complete ruins and not a soul was left alive. The emerald fires were still spreading throughout the woods.

'Where did that blasted man go!' he yelled in his mind. Deeply saddened by the loss of his kinsmens lives.

Excited howling could be heard from the depths of the forest breaking his train of thought.

'Wardogs huh! Seems their hunting survivors.' Malice entered his already dark mood as an electrifying aura overtook his body. Arcs of lightning danced around him as he felt the mana in his blood become lively. A soft blue glow was escaping from his veins. Although the explosive energy was welcome this was a double edged sword. As it would burn out his body from the inside. The scar carved into a rune on his chest ached in defiance. He was getting too old for this.

With the sound of a thunderclap he exploded into the forest, blade in hand. A mad grin appearing on his face.

He dashed between the trees, zig zagging towards the racket the hounds were making. He knew the slightest mistake at this speed could turn him into a mess. Much like how when a bird's shit hits something. He certainly did not want to end up looking like that.

It did not take long for the treeline to start thinning out. However what he saw stoked his fury. Alinorr was before him sadistically laughing as a young boy went over the edge of cliff. Even worse, the hounds he had heard earlier were now ripping apart a young girl.

He unconsciously poured a vast amount of his remaining mana into his body rune. Calling forth greater power. The lightning mana turned his eyes white as sparks flew from them. This was his complete thunder god form. Something he had not used since he was still young.

A deep crater was left in his wake as like a lightning bolt he shot towards Alinorr. Aiming to pierce him in a single move. However before making contact with his outstretched spear his opponent had sensed the danger. Although avoided the spear tip he still came into contact with Haldric's shoulder. Catapulting him into the forest puking blood.

The knights that accompanied Alinorr stood shell shocked as this calamity now stood before them. They could feel the unbridled wrath of a storm emanating from him. One poor soul felt the release of his bowels. That is right. With a single look from Haldric this poor knight had literally shat himself.

Pressure emanated into Haldric's surroundings. These small fries had to be dealt with swiftly and viciously. He pulled a runestone from the leather cord around his neck. This was his unique rune. The culmination of his own life's work. Stormbringer. All the mana he was circulating in his body swiftly left him. Charging the rune in his fist.

He slammed it into the ground turning himself into the eye of the storm. Lightning rained down in the immediate area. Blasting dirt and rock all over the place. Trees were blasted to cinders and fires broke out.

The poor knights never stood a chance as the cooked away in their armour as they were struck. The smoke of their charred flesh escaping from the gaps as the fell to the ground. Never to move again.

A pained voice came from the forest as Alinorr limped into sight.

"Haldric Stormbringer. What an honour to see you again!" he laughed.

"Alinorr, you're a fool who thinks too highly of himself. Since you dared to crawl out of your hole shall I finish the job from seven years ago?"

Alinorr rubber his scarred face, a grim look in his eyes. The memories from that fight were painful for him. He had thought the distance from here to the fort would be enough that he could avoid Haldric. It seems fate did not favour him today. Although as he remembered that the children were dead he could not help but smile. He had accomplished his goal here.

"Maybe next time." He retorted as he waved his hand. Haldric had given him enough time to channel his mana. A sea of emerald fire spread between them creating a barrier to allow Alinorr to escape into the forest.

Haldric yelled in fury. He had hoped to bait Alinorr into waiting around untill the backlash from his Thunder God form had worn off. He had lost his chance.

'The kid!'

He stumbled to the edge of the cliff ignoring the remains of the girl. After all there was nothing that could be done for her. He knelt at the edge and peered out from his hood. He despaired as he realised the nature of the drop. The kid was certainly a goner.

At this moment an unnatural movement caught his eye and there from a jagged outcrop of the cliff the boy dangled. His shirt snagged on the edge. Unfortunately it seemed like he was either already dead or knocked out.

'Screw it.'

He grabbed a rune from his bag and charged it with the shallow remnants of his mana pool. The magic took the form of transforming the cliff face into a narrow staircase leading down to the boy.

His feet were unsteady as he leaned on the rocky surface of the cliff for support. Slowly making his way down. As he came into contact with the boys body it was not clear if he was still alive. He held out his blade underneath the boys nose. A slight fog clouded the shiny metal.

'Lucky devil.' Haldric chuckled to himself as he heaved the boy over his shoulder. When their skin came into contact a slight shock ran through Haldric's mana lines. 'Hmm, looks like it was more than luck.'

He let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the stars in the night sky. Ash still falling like dirty snow. He found himself longing for home. Grunting he climbed back up the stairs. Feeling even more unsteady with the added weight of the boy on his shoulder. As he lay him down on the ground he looked to the girls remains.

'Should have been someone important to him.' he guessed. Using the last of his mana he cast his runes to entomb the body. As a final touch he forced a sapling of an oak to sprout on top of it. A show of respect for one who sacrificed their own chance of survival in the hopes of saving another. In time this tree would flourish and perhaps the boy could return one day.

He could not afford to wait around for the boy to waken and say his goodbyes. After all Alinorr could still be hovering around. He lifted the child up once again and bowed his head to the brave, unknown girl in fairwell. Turning his back to the lonely oak he set off. This was when the clouds in the sky parted. Allowing their tears in the form of rain to wash over the forest.

'Even the gods lament the loss of this girl. She must have been something special.' With one foot in front of the other he carried the boy one step at a time away from his sister's grave.