The rush of blood pounded in my ears as we tore through the forest, branches whipping at my arms and legs. The horn's low, urgent call echoed behind us, spurring me forward even as my muscles screamed in protest. The vision of the man, the power he exuded, clung to me, as raw and vivid as if he were still watching. I needed to find that strength within myself—now.
The village erupted into view, and the sight made my heart clench. Smoke billowed from the thatched rooftops of the outer cottages, flames licking skyward like hungry spirits. Pale-eyed creatures with twisted limbs skittered across the streets, snarling and lunging at defenders who struggled to hold them back. Shouts mingled with the clash of steel, a desperate symphony of chaos.
Krael didn't break stride, charging into the fray with his blade already flashing. The first creature fell before it realized he was upon it, a wet thud marking its end. Lyra was at my side, her sword gleaming in the firelight. With a deft slash, she dispatched a creature, its inhuman shriek silenced as a pulse of light flared from the blade's edge.
Magic crackled at her fingertips as she moved, the air around her charged with energy. She spun, one hand releasing a whip of blue flame that coiled around another creature's legs, yanking it off balance before she drove her sword into its chest. Her gaze met mine briefly, fierce and unwavering.
I gripped my own sword tighter, the pendant pulsing at my chest, its warmth a constant reminder of what I had seen and what I needed to become. A creature lunged at me, its jaw unhinged to reveal rows of needle-like teeth. I pivoted, raising my blade to meet its charge. The impact jarred my arm, but I pushed back, slicing cleanly through its side. It screeched, the sound cut short as it fell lifeless at my feet.
"To your right!" Lyra shouted, parrying another creature's strike before thrusting her sword through its chest. The precision in her movements was unmatched, a testament to years of training that made her as formidable as she was strategic.
I turned just in time to block the strike of another creature, feeling the impact reverberate up my arm. But something else caught my attention—the faint glow now emanating from my blade. My heart stuttered as I took a second glance. Runes, intricate and shimmering, appeared along the steel, trailing light like embers in the night.
"What—?" I whispered, my voice lost in the chaos. The creatures faltered, their eyes wide and wary as they took in the strange glow. Lyra's eyes darted to my sword, the confusion mirrored in her expression.
"Aric, your sword... it's changing!" she shouted, disbelief mingling with urgency. Her eyes flicked back to mine, a question lingering there that I couldn't answer.
I barely had time to react before a shriek unlike any other split the air. The ground beneath us trembled, and a towering figure lumbered into view at the end of the main street. It was larger than the others, its limbs gnarled like the branches of a cursed tree, with eyes that burned an unnatural white. The other creatures fell back as it advanced, their postures almost reverent.
Lyra's eyes widened. "A Juggernaut," she said, the words barely audible over the din. "They're not supposed to come this close to the village."
But there it was, and there was no time to question why. The creature bellowed, the sound reverberating in my chest, and then it charged. Its massive arms swept aside a barricade, sending splinters and defenders flying.
"Aric!" Krael's shout cut through the panic, and I felt the heat of the pendant surge to a fever pitch, a heartbeat away from burning. I stepped forward, pulse thundering, raising my glowing sword as the creature bore down.
Time seemed to slow as the distance between us closed. The memory of the man in the hall, his eyes full of command and certainty, surged up inside me. Remember who you are. The words rang out clear as a bell, and something inside me snapped into place. Power rushed through me, bright and fierce, trailing sparks that raced down the runes etched into the blade.
The Juggernaut's arm swept toward me, but I sidestepped with a speed that felt almost foreign. My sword met its side with a strike so powerful that light burst from the runes, bathing the street in an otherworldly glow. The Juggernaut roared, limbs flailing as it staggered back and collapsed, shaking the ground with its fall.
Silence fell over the village, punctuated only by the crackle of fire and the ragged breathing of the defenders. The remaining creatures retreated, chittering into the safety of the woods. I stood there, breathing hard, the echoes of the power I'd summoned still buzzing under my skin.
Lyra stepped closer, her eyes wide and wary, focused on my blade. "Aric... how did you—?" Her voice trailed off as she met my gaze, searching for answers I didn't have.
I looked down at the sword in my hand, its glow fading but the runes still visible, as if seared into the steel. "I don't know," I said, the words tight in my throat. The blade, this power—it was all connected to the man from the vision, to who I used to be. But how had I come by this sword? And why had its true nature only now revealed itself?
Krael approached, eyes flicking between the blade and me. He nodded once, a silent acknowledgment that carried weight. "Whatever just happened," he said, "it's only the beginning."
The pendant cooled against my chest, but the questions it sparked burned hotter than ever. The vision, the man's voice, the power I barely understood—it was clear now that this was no ordinary sword, and my past held more secrets than I'd imagined.
And whatever lay ahead, I would need to uncover them to face what was coming.