The old red house with paint chipped off everywhere. It was my father's house. I hope he was doing well in Remus City. For a moment, I forgot about my goal and slept in the living room, on my old brown-leather couch. I wrapped myself in a big blanket and fell asleep. I was awoken suddenly by fear and anxiety when I thought about John. Heart Stone has fallen. I didn't have enough time to ride off to Heart Stone, to him. Hopefully he survived and made it out of the village.
After resting, I wandered the destroyed village. Reminiscing about the past. Everything that once was. I stumbled across some ravens still alive. I decided to write letters to Thomas, Joseph, Kevin, and Hunter. Hoping the war has not reached them yet. I remembered where they were stationed and sent the ravens to them. Explaining what had happened to our home, to Remus, and to Kyle. I sulked in sorrow after writing. I felt even worse than I already have. I reached to my right side and grabbed the phantom pain I felt. It felt as though I was being stabbed with a lance. I clutched my shirt.
The black smith wasn't too far from my home, although I thought the Vikings would've taken everything of value. I entered the torn-down building. Water leaked from the holes in the roof. The wooden floorboards had become rotten, and many were broken. Rusted tools were scattered, and the inside of the forge was ruined, barely working. I walked to the back, where the storage was and found an armor set of pure black metal. Seems like it was fitted to my exact size and build. The armor was heavy, but also light and easy to move in. Lying next to it was a sword made of the same dark metal. I put on the suit and swapped swords. I swung the sword, and I couldn't feel the weight of it.
I heard whistling from outside and I peeked out of the window and saw a man. He was wearing a leather jacket and a cattleman hat. His facial hair was light but still noticeable. He had a sword holstered on his waist. He was constantly scanning his surroundings. Then our eyes met. A wide smile formed on his face.
"Rowan Niron." the man said.
I cautiously exited the forge.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked, getting ready to unsheathe my sword.
"My name is Hunter Ryse. A certain someone wants you dead." Hunter said
"A mercenary?" I asked
"Yeah, sword for hire." he said
"Who?" I asked
"A powerful man that would kill me if I let you walk out alive." he said
"If he's so powerful, why did he send you?" I asked
"He's a busy man. Running all over this damned country." he said
"What makes you so certain that you can kill me?" I asked
"Assuming that you are Rowan Niron, and that you killed all these people, I'm fairly confident that... I'll win." he said with a smirk.
"I see..." I said drawing my sword.
"Any last words, Rowan?" he said.
Before saying another word, I blitzed him. His reflexes were fast, but I still nicked him on the neck. His movement was so fluid; however, I could read him like a book. Although he was tough. He definitely was a mercenary. Our swords clashed again and again. His sword play was different from that of a knight. When our swords locked, I could feel him slowly overpowering me. We drew very little blood. I barely managed to block his attacks. It was getting very difficult to remain on the defensive. My speed was the only thing saving me right now.
He pushed forward and kicked me in the chest. I landed on my knees. He swung his sword in the air. I jumped back and barely dodged his attack. Hunter quickly closed the gap I so desperately tried to make. With one sword, he could only strike with one hand, limiting the number of swings he could make. Our swords clashed again. He stepped forward and struck. A strong blow on my cheek. My vision blurred. A trickle of blood began to drip down. If only the suit of armor came with a helm. I rolled back and regained my sight. Our swords collided and the second they did, his sword cracked. If I don't end it soon, I'll run out of stamina.
I gathered my remaining strength. I focused all my feelings into the next strike. All the anger and loneliness that destroyed me over these past few days. I concentrated all the emotions within my heart. Then, the moment came, my eyes began to burn, and time slowed. I felt hot. Hunter raised his sword in the air, thinking he had the edge, not knowing he was heading for his death. His eyes were full of confidence, arrogance. I swung as I should. I realized, at that very moment, I had won. The black sword cut through him like a hot knife through butter. His top half fell backwards, and his lower half stood standing. No words were spoken. I sheathed my sword and bowed my head in respect.
"That's him! The demon who killed War Lord Godwin!" a Viking said from behind.
I turned around and saw ten more Vikings ready to die. Among them was a beautiful woman with a bow. I unsheathed my sword and faced them.
"Where is Roman Salazar?" I asked
"Why would we tell you, Black Knight?" she replied
"If you tell me, then I'll make your death a quick one." I said
"I am Erika Adelaide. A War Lord of Rune Blade. Daughter of Fredrick Adelaide, Huntress of Man. What is your name, sir?" she said
"Rowan Niron." I simply said
"Shall we get on with this?" she asked
"Yeah, I'm ready." I said
"Good." she said
She pointed the tip of her arrow in my direction and pulled back. The others charged in with axes and swords. Dodging arrows and melee weapons were no easy feat. I quickly cut down as many of them as I could. Before long, it was just her and I. She could predict my movements and shoot multiple arrows at once. Forcing me to keep a distance.
We danced around in a circle, until she ran out of arrows. Once they were spent, I didn't stop. I closed the gap at lightning speed and thrust my sword at her chest. She quickly rolled out of the way and picked up an axe from one of her comrades. Swinging it back and forth. Her movements were very clumsy. She had yet to attack, just ran around and taunted. With each swing, she became faster and more accurate.
Getting tired, I missed a swing, and she kicked me in the chest. Her agility amazed me. I quickly got back up and faced her. Her swings had a lot more force than I predicted. Her smile quickly faded as she focused on the fight. She wasn't a threat, but she may require more energy that I can afford to use. She quickly spun around and kicked me in the gut. If we play around any longer, she'll strike back, and she may win.
"Are you tired, Black Knight?" Erika asked
I didn't respond.
We continued our fight. Each time she attacked, I countered. When I did, she dodged. We both took a few steps back to catch our breaths.
"Hmmm... Now I see why Marius was felled by you. Your strength is incredible." she said
"Thank you. You are strong too." I said
"It's time to get serious." she said
"I was thinking the same thing." I said
I closed my eyes for a brief moment and had total control. My eyes didn't burn, but my legs did. We dashed at each other, and we both swung. Blood spilled, but not from my body. I turned around and saw her arm that was holding the axe on the ground.
"Rowan... Niron... the man you seek... is far north. Beyond Remus City." she said before collapsing.
"Thank you, Erika Adelaide." I said holstering my sword.
The messenger was covered in fear as he rode off.