Rain strikes the ground in a blur of motion as her vision fades in and out of focus. Screams could be heard in the distance. All breath seemed to be drawn out of her as she collapses to the ground. The fog itself seemed to work against her as she couldn't see more than twenty to thirty feet in any direction.
A voice calls out and she looked reflexively towards the sound as she recognizes the figure as her father. "Adelia, get up, hurry." No sooner than those words left his mouth, blood could be seen trickling from his lips as a blade protruded through his abdomen.
Grunts were followed by the deafening shrieks of her mother. Her mother fell, slumped over like a puppet that had its strings cut. This revelation from the corner of her eye sent even more tears as she tries to grasp the dirt beneath her screaming for anyone to come save her. However, these cries for help are only met by the cold chuckles of one the three men who ran her family down and slaughtered them like animals.
He pulls his blade from her father and wipes the blood off using his clothes, "Don't tear up girl, you guys were the ones that ran from us." Looking her in the eyes as he finishes wiping the blade to his standards. Another one of the men looks around and slowly opens his mouth to speak.
"By the gods!" as he quickly scrambles to his feet and points his blade in the direction he was shouting. Adelia looked up to see the figures of six people in front of her appearing from the fog.
She wiped her eyes of tears as she sees four skeletons of human shape moving towards her followed by a young man in a black raiment. Additionally, a gaunt man who appeared to be paler than normal also followed alongside the others.
The brigand continued to scream towards the new arrivals to back off, however, he would dart glances to both of his companions as their breathing becomes ragged. Suddenly, only being fifteen feet away a voice comes out from the man in the black raiment as he held his hand up.
"Don't run, I need something from you."
The man barked back, "Don't make a fucking move, cultist. Go back the way you came."
With this the man in black didn't move for a second before the gaunt man leaned into his ear and started to make his way up towards the brigands.
The brigands instinctively prepared for combat and the man in black spoke in a calm voice, "There is no cultist here and I belong to no coven or guild. Surrender and I will allow you a quick, painless death."
No words were required after that moment as the brigands charged the skeletons that were blocking the path to this man. The gaunt man moved with uncanny speed as he shredded the throat of the man who was still near Adelia.
Blood from him immediately spurting out as his parry was pointless compared to the speed of this man. As she looked beyond the two next to her, three skeletons pinned one of the men down and was tearing off his armor and clawing into him as the last skeleton was blocking the strikes from the brigand. One by one, the brigands fell until there was silence at last.
The rattling of bones settled as the man in black drew closer. There the man stood, looking down at Adelia as he then glanced over to the gaunt man. "You were right, again, Lucas. You have served me well once more."
A deep bow came from the gaunt figure, "No, my lord. You honor me too much, I simply heard and observed what I believed to be ill-gotten activity."
The man in black looked towards the bodies of the slain parents on the floor and back towards Adelia. "What about her?"
A brief pause fell over the group as all that could be heard was the breathing from Adelia as she looked up towards this man.
Suddenly, the gaunt figure seemed to become grandiose as he placed his arms facing outwards. "My lord," he stated, "I believe this is a blessing in disguise no doubt. As your father would've wanted you to be as whole as you could be and the only thing that is stopping you to fulfilling your destiny is your lack of interaction with the common folk. Disgusting as it may be, perhaps you could come to like the company of the living. Before you say anything, my lord, let me remind you that your mental stability is paramount to fulfilling the wishes of your father."
The man in black seemed to stare at the gaunt figure blankly for a brief moment before gazing back towards Adelia and speaking in a cold manner, "What's your name?"
Thoughts race through her mind as she stumbles through her words, "Adelia". She breathes deeply for a second before responding once more, "Adelia Sornellus, s-sir."
He stared past her, "I see."
Lucas intrudes into the conversation as he extends his hand towards Adelia, "Take my hand dear if you accept the master's most generous offer." Lucas leans his head near her own as he whispers, "It would be best if you don't decline the master."
A flurry of emotions and ideas well up within Adelia as she looks toward the man in black, "Okay. I will do whatever you wanted me to do. But, please, can you bury my parents. They don't deserve this, please. I beg- "
Before she could even finish her sentence, the man in black raised his hand to her, "I will have them buried. I don't need them. I have learned from Lucas the value of punishing those without virtue, not those who were innocent." This sentence is spoken blandly as the man in black grabs at the back of his neck and opens his mouth.
Lucas looks towards the man in black, "Master, it is time we leave. We may not have gotten what we came here for, but we certainly don't need more unneeded attention. Let us leave at once while the screams are still distant."
The man nods towards Lucas and gestures for the skeletons to carry the bodies. Adelia, still slightly trembling, gets to her feet and stumbles for the first few steps as she follows suit. The skeletons, still wet from the blood of these men, walked past her with seemingly no issue in their task.