The Dragon's Gift

Chapter 24

"I let you disarm me," he replies.

"Nonsense," I retort.

"Maybe, but I deny it ever happened," he says childishly.

"Uh huh," I say sarcastically, punching his arm. We walk back to town in a deep conversation about how we could improve each other's fighting. We had just arrived at the gates to the city when Kai spoke again.

"I smell smoke," he said, bringing it to my attention. Having already recovered from my bout with my back, I run ahead and listen, Kai on my heels. Right outside the gate, we can hear the clanging of swords and the screaming of children.

"What's going on?" I ask, a growing suspicion taking root.

"Elves," Kai uttered.

"Attacking the capital?" I asked.

"No the buildings are just burning and people are screaming for fun," came his sarcastic reply.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" I ask.

"I don't know, can we just kill some elves already?" The excitement was plain in his voice. I took off running. Almost immediately, Kai grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Oh no, you're not leaving my side with that back injury of yours," he said.

"I appreciate it," I say honestly. Drawing my swords, I run through the gates with Kai at my side. We charge through the streets, meeting no opposition until we got closer to The Tower. We turn a corner and a scene of horror greets us. Men and women lying on the cobblestone road, dead. Worst of all, children were left clinging to their dead mothers or fathers, sobbing. Every tear fueled my rage. Whoever had done this was going to face my wrath. I marched through the weeping children, towards the sounds of battle. Something was wrong, I felt an unfamiliar presence in my head, but it wasn't intrusive. It felt like a missing part of me was rejoining the whole. I dismissed it as nothing. Kai was right behind me. My swords were ablaze, casting blue light down the alleys. Soon, I turn another corner and find a sword pointed right at my face. Instinctively, I knock it aside and point my sword at my opponents throat.

"Wha- what are you?" said the person. What am I?  What a stupid question.

"What do you think?" I say, making no effort to hide my rage. Before I could say anything else, a sword protruded from the man's chest. As the figure fell to the ground, a new one stood before me. Masked. As soon as his arm came up, I kick him in the stomach. An audible grunt is forced from him as I slam the hilt of my sword into his skull just before I run him through, the blue flames lingering on his armor. Kai runs ahead and I undoubtedly follow. We find ourselves in the middle of town square, and a battle is raging in the center of it. It was easy to discern friend and foe, every soldier from Alstrein was wearing a bright red and silver uniform. I charge right beside Kai, cutting through their ranks with unmatched ease. Dodge here, slash there. This presence. Guiding me? With the Alstrein Guard behind me, I didn't stop until every last one of my enemies was dead. Someone tapped my shoulder. I spun. Kai.

"What was that?" he asks, clearly bewildered.

"What?" I say, confused.

"Your eyes went from dark blue to a brilliant glowing green, and you moved faster than humanly possible. What happened?" he asked.

The presence was gone, leaving me feeling empty, as if something was missing. Perhaps something was. "What? All I recall was fighting, not glowing eyes or inhuman speed."

"Well whatever happened, I'm glad. Not one person was injured after you got here," said another voice. Spinning to face the man, I see a member of the Alstrein Guard. The Alstrein Guard is Alstrein's best fighters, a group of combat elites. They fight in the front lines of any war, alongside the other city's Guards. The fact that they were overwhelmed is terrifying. I'm walking back to find Kai, who seems to have disappeared, when I notice something. Looking down at the face of a dead enemy, I realize his ears are round. Not pointed. These were humans! Frantically, I take off running. Tears in my eyes, I run, stopping for no one. I begin to feel nauseous, disgusted at the fact that I killed so many humans. I ran, and I ran. I didn't stop until I reached the gates, and I just slumped down.

Out of nowhere, a strangely familiar voice. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out."

"Who are you?! I don't want to fight, but I will if I must!" I shout.

"Relax, I'm not here to fight. Just to watch you break down as you realize you just slaughtered about 50 people. Great job by the way, amazing efficiency," says the cruel, calculating voice.

"Where are you? I will torch this entire area!" I say.

"Don't waste your energy, it won't help, I'm no elf."

"Then show yourself, coward." Just as I say it, a shadowed figure moves ever so slightly.

"And ruin the surprise? No, that just wouldn't be fun." And with that, the figure leaves.

Walking back to the city, I notice a sword lying on the ground. Kai's. Frantically searching, I find him standing around, doing nothing.

"Missing something?" I ask, wondering how he misplaced his sword.

"No? Should I be?" he says, a look of sheer confusion plastered on his face.

"No, not unless you need this," I say while tossing the sword to him. "How did you manage to lose that?"

"Beats me," he says exhaustedly. A look of extreme confusion flickers across his face. I never would've noticed it if I didn't know him as well as I do. Something's off about him, I can feel it. I just can't quite put my finger on it.
"Kai? You know those weren't elves right?" I say, still revolted at the fact that I murdered those people.
"Haha, very funny," he replied.
"It's not a joke. That was at least fifty people I killed. I'm disgusted."
"Well why are you upset if they were they found with their weapons drawn, in a town full of slaughtered people and crying children?" he shoots back, with an air of contempt and malice.
"I have no idea Kai, but something's not right," I say, a deep sense of suspicion quickly mounting. "This whole thing feels staged, as if I was supposed to find it and slaughter people in a blind rage. Doesn't this feel the least bit weird to you?" Waiting on a response, I turn to find Kai has just up and disappeared. I swear, keeping up with him is like chasing chickens.