War

The first guard to follow the commander's orders dropped to the ground. Blood spurting from his eye with a kunai lodged within. 

Aldric stole a glance at Nephis. The victor was on her knees, harrowing with metaphysical agony.

'How much did she gain to not have considered saturating her core beforehand?'

He thought to himself. 

Aldric focused on his opponent. During the planning beforehand, they were assigning each other opponents. Who would fight who after Nephis won her bout? Sunny had staked a claim on Harus. Not giving a reason, however, it was obvious to Aldric. Harus, representing an inevitable future that Sunny would have to fight against. Servitude.

Aldric wanted to fight the hunters. Faction leader Gemma and his small group of experienced hunters. It would be a challenging fight and would give him more renown for the hereafter. However, he would have to hold Tessai back from killing the downed Nephis. Caster could not deal with Tessai, so he chose to hold Gemma back. With Aldric's presence changing the balance of the war, Seishan sided with Nephis immediately. Launching a surprise on the castle guards while Aldric dealt with Tessai.

The morose giant began his charge towards the Changing Star. Cleaving the sleepers in his way, his skin began to glow a blue hue. Aldric was told that his aspect related to cold. Empowering himself and producing ice that could stiffen and slow down enemy movements. 

Aldric began a dash to meet his opponent. Cutting down the brave castle guards that pushed forward in his way. His shell of darkness suppressed his presence, causing those around him to die before they even knew what killed them. 

"Sorry for the interruption, but my friend isn't available right now. You'll have to deal with me."

Aldric spoke in a mocking voice, knowing of the anger that the man was harbouring from watching his leader murdered. 

"Ah... The Dark Hunter. Let's see if you are as strong as they say."

A grin promising violence spread across his face as his frost began to spread on the head of his two-handed battle axe. He looked like a berserker. 

It was time for Aldric to prove that his presence meant something. Nephis had put on such a show. After all, what would it say about him if this war resolved itself in the same way that he read long ago? That his existence and actions did not change a thing. He would not have that. His ego could not.

'This war will end before the sun sets.'

He calmly resolved himself. Setting his intentions, at his armoured left foot, a pool of darkness began to seep onto the ground. A horrific giant of darkness arose from the pool, unveiling itself like a demonic being. 

The viscous darkness, covering the over two metre long being, began to drop of it like molten lava. Unearthing a monolith covered in black intricate armour. With a black great sword, its helmet had two curved horns that might have been wings once, but now crimson fire burnt from them. It's visor shone with black flames, a small core of red in its centre.

"My friend here will keep your minions occupied. Kill everyone wearing that badge."

He ordered. 

The castle guards surrounding Aldric shivered in fear as the ghastly wraith set his eyes on them. A red fire burning beneath his visor.

The sleepers of the outer settlement had been briefed about each other's echos, so he was not worried about cross-fire. 

SPLURT

Hearing screams of death and carnage behind him, he could feel the familiar feeling of sprites enter his soul core. Aldric focused on his opponent. The giant wasted no time in attacking, breaking into a wide lunge with his axe. 

Parrying the blow with perfect timing, the herald of darkness performed a front kick to his opponent's chest. His boot met the ice-covered torso and bounced off. A layer of frost formed around his foot. 

SHATTER

With a stomp, the frost shattered from his foot before it could spread any further. However, the chill was still present. 

'Damn. I can't afford to touch him.'

Gripping his claymore with two hands, he dashed into a front swing. Halting the movement midway, he stepped into a lunge. His feint was crudely blocked by his opponent, who barely reacted in time. Pressing his advantage, more heavy attacks chipped away at his opponent's posture. A half-step delay here, a shuffle backwards. Applying pressure allowed Aldric to systematically weaken Tessai's defence, not giving a chance to counter. 

Tessai did not expect the force of the hunters blows to be so powerful. However, a battle of attrition was his speciality. 

Layers of frost began to form on Aldric's weapon and armour. Just being near his opponent, let alone trading blows, began to stiffen his movements and slow the movement of his aspect. 

Aldric paused his offensive to take stock of the damage he accrued.

"Took you long enough, you idiot! Who told you fighting me face-to-face was a good idea?"

The giant mocked his opponent with glee. 

Aldric released a breath that misted through the air. 

He assessed the damage he had dealt to his enemy. A few cuts on his torso that began to close with frost encasing it. 

Aldric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Calming his mind. It seemed to Tessai that his opponent had lost his edge. In a battle, the worst thing that you could do was to lose your cool. His grin began to widen. 

The leader of the castle guards had a sudden shift in facial expression. 

'Why am I so cold?'

Usually the man was acclimated and resistant to his own aspect. So it had been a long time since he had felt the regular chill of coldness. With the feeling spreading from his wrists and seeping into his core, he looked down. 

Abyssal shackles chained his wrists. Looking at the ground, he could see a pool of darkness, with interlinked chains jetting out to form the shackles that covered his wrists. Following the pool to its origin, he could see it seeping across the ground from the hunter.

He could feel a small block that was inhibiting his aspect. Weakening his aspect and frost armour. 

Not wasting time to even speak, he used all his strength to break through the chains that held him down. With an initial tug that shifted his body backwards, the chain was now taut and straining under his strength. All it took was for one link to break, and his hands were free. His eyes quickly darted to his opponent as his face twisted into a look of glee. 

Tessai began to mock his opponent; however, he could not speak. 

'What the hell?!'

The tip of a black sword was lodged through his throat and exited through the back of his neck. Shattering his cervical spine. 

With the instinct of the oldest sleeper in the Forgotten Shore, he burned through his soul essence and unleashed the full power of his aspect. Attempting to bring his opponent with him in death. 

'Bastard!'

He thought in his final moments.

DANGER

Feeling the impulse of danger from his attribute, Aldric dashed backwards continuously while desummoning his blade. Getting far beyond the range of ice. The now open wound did not even drop a single ounce of blood as it froze over completely. 

A frozen winterland formed in the centre of the throne room. A statue of the castle guard leader was etched into the ground, frozen in time. The ice extended in a five metre radius, encasing debris and even corpses in its embrace. 

Noticing that the frost had stopped its advance, he began to walk towards the statue. 

It seemed as if the battle itself was frozen, as everyone in view watched the spectacle. The last moments of the commander. Gemma, Kido, Seishan, Nephis, and Caster all watched with abject attention.

"STEP"

"STEP"

"STEP"

The silent centre of the battlefield could only hear the sound of boots against ice. Approaching the statue, Aldric reeled his foot back and repeated his first attack against Tessai. His darkness-laced foot collapsed the body of ice. Falling to the ground into a myriad of pieces.

"SHATTER"

The largest faction of the Bright Castle watched their leader be murdered and his corspe defiled. Promises of death rang around the battlefield as the twenty castle guards defending Tessai's rear began their charge. 

With a smirk of challenge on his face, Aldric met their charge. 

**********

Thanks for reading. 

We hit a major millstone of 200k views!. I appreciate all the readers who return to this story each time. Was a goal of mine and I'm glad to have reached it. Much love.

Did you enjoy the fight scene? 

Notice anything different about the forsaken knight?

Enjoy y'all selves, till next time.