The Night Of The Crimson-Eyed Wraiths

22 Shraavana, 1637 (August 16, 1570), En Route to Prayagraj, Near Chacha Empire Border

Siddharth!!!!!!" Aisha yelled as she blocked a nasty attack aimed right at Siddharth's head. The air was filled with the sound of clashing metal and the growls of their creepy enemies, the wraiths.

Siddharth was panting, trying to match Aisha's smooth and powerful moves. Despite practicing a lot lately, he still felt clumsy, his movements not as quick as they needed to be. Each time he missed a step, it left an opening.

A wraith lunged at this opening and swiped its deadly claws at his side. Siddharth managed to evade some of the swipes, but the claws left a nasty gash at his side. He winced in pain as the blood started to seep through his clothes.

"These things are weird and scary!" Siddharth muttered as he backed away from the wraiths. The wraiths looked like deformed messes of many things. Their ghostly and pale skin reminded him of snow, and those scarlet eyes gleamed bright in the silver night.

"Just focus, Siddharth! Watch how they move!" Aisha shouted over the noise. Her voice was firm, almost angry, but he knew she was just trying to help.

They were surrounded by the wraiths, some big ones standing at the back, holding crossbows and firing bolts with scary accuracy. But suddenly, the monsters seemed unsure, their creepy red eyes flickering with uncertainty. Some of the wraiths backed away in hesitation.

This didn't go unnoticed by Aisha, who quickly commanded, "Keep up the rhythm! They're hesitating, Siddharth! Don't let up now!"

Despite trembling in fear, Siddharth took his stance. His legs were shaking as if he was frozen in a cold desert, but his swords moved faster, feeling as if his body had a surge of energy. Aisha was right beside him, her blade smooth and precise as she slashed at the wraiths. They disappeared like jet black ashes floating away in the midnight wind.

But it wasn't easy. A wraith had caught him off guard, slicing his arm. That blow made him back away in pain. It hurt, blood slowly soaking into his clothes as if it was dyed in scarlet. But this blow didn't deter Siddharth. His body was filled with energy as his survival instinct kicked in. Each block and strike required focus and precision. Aisha led with her practiced movements, expertly parrying attacks and landing powerful blows on the wraiths.

"Finish them off, Siddharth! Now!" Aisha's voice cut through the chaos. Together, they unleashed a relentless array of attacks.

Siddharth lunged at a wraith, impaling both his swords into its heart and planting a strong kick to its stomach, killing it in an instant. The giant had a crown-like thing adorned with small skulls on its head. Its face was pitch black with dark red gleaming eyes, and its claws had a tinge of glowing scarlet. It was holding a giant sword. The wraith dragged the huge sword on the cold hard earth as it made its way to them.

"Siddharth, stay close," Aisha said, her voice tense. "This one's big. Be careful."

Siddharth nodded, gripping his swords tightly. The giant wraith moved towards them, each step shaking the ground. The wraith swung the giant sword in an arc, slicing a tree clean off the middle. Splinters flew everywhere as the tree crashed down with a thundering thud. The strike didn't hit Aisha or Siddharth as the wraith had missed them by a hair's breadth.

Aisha composed herself quickly from the shockwave of the swing. "Go for its legs!" Aisha instructed as she charged forward.

Siddharth snapped back, trying his best to keep up. The giant swung its sword, nearly slicing Siddharth into two. He dodged, feeling the heavy wind of the blade on his body.

"Aisha, I can't—" he started to say, but Aisha cut him off.

"You can! Just stay focused!" She was right beside him, deflecting a deadly swing that could have hurt Siddharth badly.

The fight was tough. The giant was slow but very strong. They kept targeting its legs for a long time, trying to slow it down even more. The skin of the wraith was hard for Aisha to cut through in a single strike. She tried her best to cut the leg, but it was left with black blood dripping and hissing on the grass. As she landed a solid strike, her sword shattered into pieces.

"Aisha!" Siddharth yelled, eyes wide in shock.

"I'm fine!" Aisha shouted back, dodging another swing from the giant wraith. "But I need a weapon!"

Without hesitation, Siddharth threw one of his butterfly swords to her. Aisha caught it mid-air, seamlessly transitioning back into combat.

With a new vigor, they resumed their assault. The giant wraith swung its massive sword again, narrowly missing Siddharth, who rolled out of the way and sliced at one of its legs. Aisha was right there, her movements precise and deadly as she struck again and again.

The giant wraith roared in pain, stumbling as lothey continued their attack. Siddharth could see the black blood pouring from the wounds they had inflicted. He slashed at its other leg, feeling the impact of each strike reverberate through his arms.

Finally, Aisha landed a powerful strike to the back of the wraith's knee, causing it to buckle. Seizing the opportunity, Siddharth drove his remaining sword into the giant wraith's heart.

The creature let out a final, earsplitting scream, its red eyes dimming and its body collapsing into a smoky black mist that the breeze carried away into the night.

Finally, with a last, desperate surge, they dispatched the remaining wraiths. The battlefield fell silent, the only sound their heavy breathing.

"We did it," Siddharth said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aisha nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "We did."

They stood there for a moment, savoring their hard-fought victory.

"We need to go back and alert them ," Aisha said after a while. "There could be more of them."

Siddharth agreed. "Right. Let's go."

As they walked away from the battlefield, Siddharth felt a renewed sense of purpose. He had faced his fears and emerged stronger. With Aisha by his side, he knew he could face challenges lay ahead.

"You know," Siddharth said, breaking the silence, "you make this look easy."

Aisha chuckled, a rare sound that made Siddharth smile. "Trust me, Sid, it's never easy. But that's what makes it worth it."

Siddharth nodded, understanding. "Thanks for believing in me, Aisha."

"Always," she replied, giving him a reassuring look. "We'll get through this, Sid. Together."

And with that, they continued their journey, ready to face whatever dangers awaited them, confident in their abilities and in each other.