The Wolf Queen (Book 2 of The Devil and the Huntsman)

Chapter 39

As the night was upon them, so were the hands of Fate surrounding them during the duel. Lagertha's punches and kicks proved to be pretty useful after being used a bunch. Mundis's vigorous attacks were useless after the Wolf Queen dodged them so many times. It looked like it would not go well for the mythical beast because Lagertha attacked him more than he ever could. She attacked him with such strength and force that would make a common demon surrender without fighting back.

Suddenly, Mundis gained enough strength to fight back against his opponent and likely win. He takes the Wolf Queen and slams her on one wall and on the floor. He bashes her body and throws her around after being humiliated by the way she moved. Lagertha did not feel the pain that a normal person would feel if they were to be thrown around and bashed on the floor. She laid there for a few seconds before lifting her head to see the fatal blow Mundis might deliver.

"I will watch you suffer. I will take pleasure in ripping out your heart. Your blood will decorate the throne of Mephiles!" Mundis shouted. Lagertha struggles to get herself up from the floor, and she tries to have enough strength to fight back.

She stumbles a bit, and she could see how many bruises are appearing on her shoulders and her face. She held her fists in the air and prepared for any kind of danger ready to take action. The mythical beast could devour her flesh before she could make another sound. Lagertha stared at Mundis and wondered if Raphael's advisor was right about her all along. Hectan truly wanted to see her fail and make the people know her for what she really is.

The Wolf Queen and the sorcerer beast stared at each other for a long while. Neither of them were expecting each other to attack with the same force. Lagertha makes one step, but Mundis stays where he is at to make his next plan. The mythical creature had no armor, yet the dark magic of the Demon Wolf protected him against human abilities. Suddenly, a large blade came flying from the shadows and was aimed at Mundis.

It was a longsword that flew out of the darkness to pierce the flesh of the one who brings death and destruction. The massive blade went out of its way and stabbed the sorcerer beast in his left eye as Lagertha stood there. She watched the monster writhe in pain with no expectations coming from a person like her. The Wolf Queen noticed it was her own longsword that pierced the eye of Mundis. Another lie from the earl's council was revealed; not every sword can be split open from the dark creature.

Lagertha watched blood splatter out of the demon's eye, and his gore stained the walls and the floor. This beast was becoming no better than the tougher demons Lagertha faced before. Then, she turned around and watched a young man run towards Mundis from the darkness. She realizes it is Brant who came from the palace to join her in this duel. She wondered why Brant would be crazy enough to join her in a fight to the death, but her answers would have to wait.

She watched the young hunter fight the magical creature with such strength that nearly rivaled her strength. Lagertha never saw Brant fight that way when he started following her, and she never saw him in such fury. The Wolf Queen started understanding that he could swing her blade much better than any mortal. She simply stood in shock and denial that would make the knights and the earl give her more answers than questions. Lagertha watched the blood fly from the dark creature and became confused and angry at the earl and his council.

They lied to her so they could get her out of the city and never make her welcomed in Clegane. Brant swung Lagertha's sword in such a way that would make the most skilled swordsman tremble at his sight. Then, Mundis uses his hand and slaps the young hunter away as he tries regaining his strength. Godbrand's servant was losing way too much blood to be moving any further, and he was becoming much weaker.

"Brant!" Lagertha shouted. He could not hear the Wolf Queen shout his name, yet he could hear her voice in the darkness.

Thankfully, he still had her sword in his possession, and he was still prepared to continue fighting the beast. He gets himself up from the floor and continues to charge after Mundis as the full moon is above the city. Lagertha also gets herself up, yet she was struggling to stay straight after being beaten so many times. The only downside about this unexpected event is that Bloodbringer is a longsword that can pierce the flesh of anybody. Anyone that was an enemy of the Wolf Queen would meet their end in a flash.

"Brant! Get away! Brant!" Lagertha shouted. But the young hunter still could not hear a single word the Wolf Queen would say to make him stop.

With all of his strength and anger, Brant uses Lagertha's longsword and stabs Mundis in the chest. The sorcerer demon did not react in a way that most creatures would react when a sword is in their bodies. Before he could use his claws to kill the young hunter, Lagertha was fast enough to charge towards Brant and save him. The Wolf Queen refused to watch her only friend die to an enemy that everyone feared. The beast was still alive, yet all of his powers were fading away from his body.

"Lagertha, are you okay?" Brant asked.

"I would ask the same question as you. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I swore an oath that I will protect you and work together to rid this nightmare from these people. I would rather die than break such a promise to you," he said.

"And I swore an oath that I will keep you out of harm's way and kill this creature before his fangs touch the throats of these people. And now there will be more problems here than I can imagine. There won't be as much rest for us than I would've hoped."

"What makes you say that?"

"My sword. You pierced the flesh of that beast. Mundis can feel the pain he wished he felt so long ago."

"I was just trying to help, that's all. You were already on the ground. Mundis was getting ready to kill you. I deserve to deliver the killing blow."

"And you did a better job than every knight in this village. I could congratulate you, but that will have to wait. What matters now is that we get our pay and finish whatever evil is left in this city."

"Lagertha, look!"

She turns around and sees a large puff of black smoke revolve around Mundis's body. The smoke was further proof that the dark creature was getting ready to show its true strength. Brant gets in front of Lagertha to see what else the giant demon has up its sleeve. A large hand started emerging from the smoke to get a hold of something; the hand looked exactly like the black smoke. The hand reaches towards Brant's body and starts dragging him all over the place.

"BRANT!!" Lagertha shouted. She watched the young hunter suffer nearly the same outcome that she did as she fought against Mundis.

The smoke's hand bashes Brant on the floor and on the buildings as Mundis evolves in his ultimate form. Lagertha runs towards the black smoke to make the creature drop Brant and leave him alone. She reaches for her longsword and pulls it out of Mundis's chest as Brant continued being attacked. The sword was sharp enough to prove earls and chieftains wrong about demons and their weaknesses. She carried this sword with her, and it never disappointed her as she walked in her journey.

Suddenly, the black smoke pushed Lagertha away as well, and the feeling was more severe than fighting a casual demon. The intensity that Mundis brought to the Wolf Queen was definitely how Earl Raphael described him. Lagertha gets up yet again and realizes that Brant was lying on the ground with so many cuts and bruises. She walks towards him to take him away from the wrath of the sorcerer beast. She knew he did well in fighting the demon, but he did not open his eyes, nor could he move by himself.

The smoke's hand tries to take a hold of both the Wolf Queen and the young hunter and deliver a finishing blow. Lagertha was too fast to be crushed by the power of darkness, and she was not afraid to give her life to save her best friend.