"haah haah"
How long have I been running? The glow of the fire that burned down my home has long since disappeared. Now I am stumbling through the dark forest, the moon's light not bright enough to show me the path ahead. I can feel that my stamina is reaching its limits. I'm out of breath, and my sword has grown heavy in my hands. But is it safe to stop? Have I gone far enough?Â
"ahhh!" I trip over a rock or root, it's too dark to tell, and fall down a hill I didn't see, hitting plants and rocks as I go.
"Shit.... gah... ough..."
When I finally reach the bottom I sit up, wincing in pain. The stab wound on my side has gotten worse now, I can feel more blood begin to ooze out from inside. Gods it hurts. I was stabbed by those shit-eating sons of bitches when I went to open the door, they got me right in the liver. I look up to the sky, barely able to see the moon through the foliage.
"SHIT, my sword." Panic sets in as I realize I no longer have my weapon. I begin to feel around, searching desperately for my sword. It has to be here somewhere, buried under the dirt and fallen leaves.
"oh thank the gods." I take a sigh of relief as I feel the cold metal of my blade against my hand. I grab it and hold it close to my chest. My master gave me it for my 16th birthday, which was over a week ago. He had said that since I was finally a man I needed a real blade.
I take a moment to catch my breath, my mind wandering to the events that led to me running for my life. It's the fault of those bastards from the Leonine kingdom. They feared my master, even in his old age and being abandoned by the sword god, he is still considered by many to be the sword saint. They feared the influence that title gave him, especially since he openly did not approve of many things in the Leonine kingdom. So they sent assassins after him.
My master, gave his life to protect me. Fighting off many to let me escape, but I know better than any that he can't win. He is far past his prime, his bones grew more fragile, and his body more sickly as he aged. Weak he is not, however, there is no possible way he'd be victorious, not against that many who have been blessed.
Tears begin to slide down my cheeks as the realization sets in. He's dead. There is no doubt about it. My master is dead. I'm so angry, so unbelievably angry. Angry both at those in the power of the Leonine Kingdom and at myself. Angry that I wasn't strong enough.
"I will kill those Leonine Kingdom fuckers! I'll kill all those in the five great families, and their king too!" yell to the night.
"And how do you plan to do that"
I hear a delicate, and yet unnerving, voice next to me. I look to the speaker and what I see shocks me. Sitting on a fallen log, so very out of place and with the light of the moon shining down on her, is a beautiful woman. With blood-red hair, and an elegant red dress, it's not too frilly and dramatic, like something from a royal ball, but it's not humble either. Her eyes are a dark red hue, and her gaze is piercing. She is easily the most angelic woman I've ever seen, and yet there is something about her that fills me with unease.
"Well? How do you plan to get this revenge of yours?"
"..."
"You can't, and I'm sure you are well aware. The five great family heads, as well as the king, are all consorts. And you are not."
She's right. They all have the blessings of Gods, Extremely powerful gods at that. A godless fool like myself wouldn't be able to fight them. I would be dead before I make it to the first of the family heads. And that's assuming I even survive this nasty wound.
"But I can help"
I look back up to the woman, a slight smirk now on her face. I meet her gaze, staring into her eyes. Ah, that's it, I see why I got that feeling of unease. She, like me, has an impossible amount of anger and hate in her eyes. "What do you mean"
"I am Beatrice, Goddess of Blood. And the daughter of the God of Death"
Is that true? Yes, she has a strange aura, but still, it's hard to believe. My skepticism must have been obvious. She snaps her fingers and the blood that had pooled around me begins to float up and form various shapes. So she was speaking the truth.
"Like you I want vengeance. My father was killed by the Gods of the Leonine kingdom. And for hundreds of years I have searched for a worthy consort, and you, you seem perfect"
"..."
I can't believe what I'm hearing. The God of Death is dead? Is such a thing even possible? And why me? Why choose someone like me, someone who is of no renown and is on death's door, to help with her revenge?
"Why choose me? Surely there were others in the past who were much stronger, so why me?"
"Because only your hate for the Kingdom is as large as mine. No sane human wants to go up against the Leonine Kingdom, no matter how much they hate it, but you are different. You would gladly fight against them. And that is why you were chosen. So tell me, will you accept my offer?"
Really? That's it? Surely more people hate the Leonine kingdom. She must be hiding something, the real reason to choose me. And yet I get the sense that whatever her reasoning is, she is keeping it silent for a good reason.
In any case, do I even want her? Yes, being a consort brings power, but it also brings chains. A consort is not much more than a slave to their god. Do I truly want such a lack of freedom? Is my revenge worth it? I wipe away the stay tears as I come to my decision.
"You said your name was Beatrice, yes?"
"I did"
I stand and stumble my way towards her, wincing and clutching my side. I get down on my knee as I get to her. She smiles and holds out her hand.
"I, Ryuma, Disciple of the Sword Saint Rayleigh, vow to give both my body and soul to Lady Beatrice, the Goddess of Blood."
She holds out her hand and I grab it and a strange power begins coursing through me. A searing pain appears in my heart. A pain unlike anything I've ever felt. I want to let go, to scream and run away, but I can't, I must endure. Soon the pain subsides, all the pain. The wound which had once threatened to kill me is now gone, healed in an instant. A strange and unknown power begins to surge through me, it feels so foreign and yet so wonderful. Any doubt I had in her is gone, she is a god and I am her consort.Â