Survivors

20 minutes before the massacre.

In the courtyard of the local church, Arthur recounts the recent events in monotone, sitting across the garden table is Onyxia listening to him silently.

"..." Arthur finally fell silent after rambling about his family; the shock of their death and the monster he encountered.

"Are you okay?" Onyxia questions Arthur.

"Huh? I'm fine, You healed my injuries so I don't think there will be any problem."

"Are you okay?" Onyxia questions Arthur again.

"Like I said I'm fin-"

"Are you okay?" Onyxia cuts Arthur's attempt on reassuring her short.

Arthur now looking straight at Onyxia, even though their vision are block by a veil, they know they are locking eyes.

"Of course I'm okay... huh?"

Arthur's vision blurs. Suddenly, there is surge of questions pouring out of his aching heart, yet there are no words. Onyxia questions Arthur once more, her voice echoes in his ears, waiting for his answer.

"What do you understand?" seething anger could be felt in his words.

"Does it hurt?" Onyxia changes her question.

"It hurts... no, it does not hurt. It actually hurts more because it does not hurt."

"Why?" another new question from Onyxia.

"... Ma and Pa betray us, I saw them receiving a lot money from this outsider, and I told priestess Sarah. That's why they lose their protection, that's why I am still alive; And now the paladin is here to take you away from us."

"Yet everyone staring at me with those pitying eyes!" Arthur finally explodes.

"... am I wrong, am I wrong to feel relieved that Pa and Ma are dead?"

Silence once again fell upon the garden. No one speaks, not Arthur, not Onyxia, not Katerin who is listening into their conversation.

"----------"

Onyxia stand up steadily staring blankly towards east, her veil blown away revealing her expressionless face. At in front of Arthur's eyes Onyxia body starts to contort and deform like clay, black needles sprouts from her back, her stature grew and tails sprout from her rear.

"Stay down and don't look into its eyes!" Katerin quickly push Arthur face down into the ground, not before Arthur catching a glimpse of the monster that killed his parents forming before him.

When the sound of snapping bones finally stops the only thing left are the Onyxia's ripped cassock and footprints of the monster.

*****

On the battle field littered with countless bodies, clashing of metal rings on again and again, each blow heavier than the previous. Each of Onyxia's attacks could have fatally wound Arsha, yet they were all skillfully parried by Arsha's trusted long sword, the difference of their battle experience is as clear as day.

The frustrated Onyxia comes in with a wide swipe from the right, Arsha not missing her opportunity to attack dive straight in front of Onyxia and drive her holy sword into Onyxia's stomach; not stopping there Arsha makes a large swing tearing her holy sword across Onyxias's stomach while retreating to the flanks, it was first decisive landed in their exchange.

Onyxia's aching wail can be heard across the plains, none of previous clashes leave a mark on her thick hide, yet that holy sword slices through her flesh like burning knife against butter.

Arsha seemingly satisfied Onyxia's reaction remarks,

"Do you like it? My formless holy sword can cut through any demon's skin with no resistance, no matter what kind of defense they put up."

'In return, it does not have a physical form, thus I cannot defend myself with my holy sword, not that I will ever let this weakness expose.'

"Let's end this now, before things get messier."

What comes next was swift, Onyxia tries to keep Arsha away with her extendable tails, yet Arsha systematically tears through her facade, each swing of Arsha's holy sword reveals a part of the petite girl under the wolf's skin.

First to go were the tails, next her left arm and left leg, head, torso, right arm and right leg, finally leaving Onyxia on the grass field gasping with Arsha's foot on her neck.

"This is the end." Asha whispers as she push her long sword through Onyxia's rib cage into the heart, putting this long night to rest.

None of Arsha's missing subordinates return.

*****

Of all villagers volunteer the ambush none survive, their bodies arrange side by side, it was the hard work of Paul, widows and orphans woe for their deceased love ones, some sent vengeful glares at Paul but no one dared to attack him, fearing the bloody retribution awaits.

"Was all the massacre necessary." Paul's voice is weak, he is afraid of the answer.

"It us or them, I'm pretty sure your fiancée will be sad if I bring your cold very dead body back right? Like the widow over there." Arsha pointing at the widow weeping on her husband's not beating chest.

Paul bit his lower lips at Arsha's reply.

"Plus I cannot let my favourite pretty face die in a place like this." Arsha adds on with cheeky tone.

Paul felt something within him snaps, "I did not join the knights to be a murderer."

Paul turns his back at Arsha and walks towards his tent. As he is passing by Arsha asks the one question concerning her right now.

"Are all the corpse gathered here?"

"Why do you even care?" Paul ignores Arsha's question and stomps away.

Sarah's corpse are not among the many.