Daewin

Chapter 1

Darkness shrouds a seemingly flat floor and a thick, dark mist crawls across it. I can feel the cold, hard, stone-like ground on my face and my ears ring relentlessly; I'm unable to hear anything. The dark grey mist is the only thing visible and the air reeks of death. A moment of silence passes. A low pitched thump can be heard in the distance in front of me. I must've been unconscious for quite a while. Another, it sounds like a large object being dropped onto the ground. My mind begins to clear and I can start to analyse the situation. Again, this time accompanied by a dull blue flash through the mist. I start to piece together what happened. A fight, many dead. Perhaps the approaching object is involved. More sounds and flashes follow while getting louder and brighter. The ground begins to shake as the thuds get louder and louder. My eyes adjust and I can see a little more. The moon and the clouds are just visible through the mist.

The thuds stop for a moment. I don't know what this means but I feel terror throughout my entire body. I examine what I'm wearing. Between rapid blinks and my still unclear vision I can make out a ragged, grey cloak with bloodstains all over it, probably damaged and stained from whatever fight happened here before and I assume it used to be black, and beneath it I appear to be armoured with silver metal leggings and chestplate but my blonde, shoulder length hair hangs free. My sword sheath is at my side. My sword sheath? I must have quite a fondness to this blade if I think of it like that. I begin to wonder, if I have the sword sheath, where's the sword? I leap up onto my feet. My armour clunks as I do so. This is incredibly light. After a moment I hear a deep, menacing huff, like a bull. I hear that thud again and see the blue flash, louder and brighter than before. I see a reflection of the flash on some object on the ground. I find it unimportant. A second thud sounds much sooner than I expected. The reflection lights up again with the flash. I turn to look and see a sword on the ground with an untainted steel blade. Golden runes follow the tip of the blade down to the also golden hilt which spikes at either end and leather is wrapped around the handle of the hilt. I feel a strong connection with this blade. It clearly means something to me. I dive for it as the third thud and flash appear. The fourth and fifth in quick succession before I reach out my hand and grab the handle. As I land and roll to face the source of the noise and light the sword silently scrapes and leaves the ground. I imagine it'd make a satisfying ringing sound if my ears weren't still ringing.

The approaching thuds and flashes get louder and louder until they seem to be right in front of me. The mist warps slightly for only a split second before it is pierced by the single most terrifying sight that could possibly awaited me. Two bright blue yet seemingly evil dots of light, joined to a helmet of the darkest black with bright blue trim racing up the sides and around the edges of the eyes which hold the most evil stare I've ever laid my eyes on. The rest of its heavy, bulky armour has the same design, the darkest black with thin, bright blue trim. It's entire body is turned to its side and its hands are tightly wrapped around a huge black warhammer with a head of lightning blue. There seems to be a huge amount of effort and power behind it. It's in mid swing... at me.

The head of the hammer emits sparks of blue lightning as it's motion registers in my mind. Simultaneously, I feel a spark igniting a raging flame inside of me as if my entire body has exploded into readiness. I am instantly alert and energised; "Fight or flight" is not even a question.

I'm off of the ground and on my feet in a crouching position as the muscles within my legs tense and are filled with the flaming energy racing through me. I leap over the swinging hammer with my sword in hand watching the sparks flying off the head of the hammer as I flip upside down and upright again on my way over. The armoured figure is just behind me when I land. In a single instance we are back to back before I spring into action. Every inch of my being fills with the feeling of fire and for just a moment, I catch a glimpse of my sword in my hand. My arm and hand are hugely tensed and filled with pulsing energy. The sword seems to be ... resonating with the energy flowing through me. Its distorting the air around it and the runes glow an even more brilliant gold it as if it too is filled with masses of energy. As I observe it I innately encourage my fire to flow down my forearm and directly into the hilt of the blade through the palm of my hand. The distorting air doubles its intensity and I can feel the energy coming off of it in my hand and on my body as if it's warming me. The distortion and glow increases and increases until the very blade of the sword bursts into divine looking golden flames.

I've no time to be shocked or amazed at these new-found or, more like, rediscovered capabilities. I push down hard with my right foot and raise my right hand with my sword ready to swing. As the push from my foot swings me around I twist my waist and bring my arm down fiercely to deliver a diagonal strike. I focus all of my inner fire down my arm and into my sword as it slashes through the air. In response the flames of the sword extend off the tip of the blade forming an extension of solid light and the whole sword including the extended flames glow even brighter for the duration of the swing. I let out a powerful cry as the sword comes down with unbelievable force on the armoured brute.

In a singular moment just before the sword hits the armoured brute, my sword impacts with a protective electrical aura. Angry sparks fly off of it and an instant later, the sword powers through it causing it to release a violent shockwave as it breaks and my sword cracks its armour. The glow on my sword fades and turns to normal as I jump back, landing a few meters away from my enemy. The brute slowly turns to fixate on me with a deadly stare. It raises its hammer above its head and swings it towards me. It's tensing hugely and clearly putting everything it has into this. I stand my ground and reignite my sword's golden flames. My face is calm but stern. As the hammer hastefully descends upon me, I arc my sword above my head extending the flames into their solid form and as the sword glows it's momentary brilliant white I knock the hammer out of the brutes hands and onto the ground beside him. I smirk. The brute stares at me menacingly. My sword slashes through the air between myself and the brute once again. The sword ignites, glows and extends and leaves a bright trail of light behind it. The sword obliterates the brute's armour letting out bright sparks of electricity and carries on diagonally through it's body searing all the flesh it touches. My sword leaves through the other side of the brute's body and it's remains hit the floor silently; my ears are still ringing. All that is left is two halves of a suit of armour both filled with cauterized, steaming flesh.

"Okay, okay," I begin to myself, dropping my sword and putting my hands on my head, "What ... the ... fuck?"