Prologue
Her eyes closed, sleeping, unaware of the threat of death looming over. In her small stature was a delicate nature and fragility of a newborn. Her pearl white skin was drenched in water, nearly fluorescent, like porcelain in the moonlight. An almost holy radiance, an innocent glow. Such a child, untarnished by the world, should have no burdens in life. Yet from the very moment she was born, the very moment she existed, the weight of the world was placed on her shoulders.
He held her in his left underarm, her body wrapped in the most exquisite white silk. Drawn in his right, a sword beyond compare. The thin blade, almost too beautiful to be a weapon, yet a harbinger of death. The blue-tinted steel glimmered as rainfall pattered against it. A silver cross guard graced the armament, both of its edges split into three. Two splits of each side protruded out and curved inwards, like metal ribbons towards the blade; the other two curled to the grip. Each held a small blue gemstone at the point. The hilt of the sword was wrapped with smooth blue leather. In the middle of the handle a large dark sapphire, another as the pommel. Engraved on either side of the fuller were runes of power that flickered white as the sword was swung.
The moonlight taper over the forest and the man flickered through its dark patches. Shadowed figures chased in pursuit, their numbers many but spread. It didn’t matter if he would hide, it would not be long before they found him. Exhaustion riddled his body, every effort bore pain that only grew worse. While his pursuers only increased, no matter how many he killed or lost. How many times had he almost died, times where he wanted to give up? How long had he been on the run? Days, weeks, months? He’d forgotten a long time ago. It all seemed pointless, all that kept him going was survival. Yet, not of his own but of the child he carried.
The baby glowed like a gemstone, an angelic radiance, bright and dazzling. Her hair was a phantom blue, eyes sapphire. She seemed delicate, her skin smooth and soft to the touch as if a simple gust of wind could blemish it. The hooded man cradled her tightly in his underarm, she was the only thing he had left, and he wasn’t going to let her come to harm. Whenever his pain became unbearable, he would look at her sleeping face as he did now. That mere glance bringing light to darkness, a smile to his face and renewed resolve. Running even faster, each step a massive lunge forward. Yet, even then he couldn’t lose his pursuers, the assassins of the night only creeping closer. It wouldn’t take much longer for them to reach him. But he was smiling happily, happy that he had finally reached his destination. A small worn cabin house in the distance. Seeing it, he pushed his speed to the max, using everything he had left. An invisible barrier surrounded the area around the cabin. However, the hooded man and the assassins passed through it unfazed. Unknown to both, alerting the person inside the cabin to their presence. The hooded man landed just in front of its doors, coming to a full stop before he was quickly surrounded.
He turned to the assassins holding the blue sword in his hands up. It flared with light as magic built up inside. Roaring loudly whilst emitting bright divine light. It seemed as if he was trying to make as much noise as possible. One assassin stood at the forefront of the others. He took off his mask to reveal the face of a bald old man with a blinded left eye, tattooed markings of a pointed sun encompassing it.
“This is as far as you run. Hand over the sword and the child. Then maybe we’ll leave your corpse intact” the old man croaked sinisterly.
The hooded man merely chuckled, whipping his head back and causing the hood to fall off. Underneath revealing the face of a young man worn with travelling. He stuck the blue sword in the ground and turned round to place the child on the cabin’s doorstep.
“Good” the old man smiled nodding for his assassins to attack. Nothing hindering him any longer, he suddenly grabbed the blue sword. Injecting all the magic he had left into it. A blinding light extended from it once again and he slammed it into the ground. A massive shockwave was sent forth. Sending the assassins, that pounced, flying back. The noise was deafening, echoing throughout the forest and startling the nearby birds and animals. The old man looked displeased, but as he finally drew his own blade to fight, a voice rang from the cabin.
“Hmph, I heard you the first time boy” the voice cried.
The young man laughed as relief filled his whole body, dropping him to his knees. The old man wasn’t sure what was going on. He wasn’t sure who was in the cabin that would make the young man so happy.
“I ask that the voice from before not interfere between this man and us,” he asked humbly.
However, rather than a response, he got a disdainful grunt. The old man’s face went ugly, clearly whoever was in the cabin looked down on him. He wouldn’t simply take it. He commanded all the assassins to attack the cabin together, every one of them lunging at it.
“You would dare!!!” The voice rang out again, and a strong pressured emanated from the cabin. It descended onto every assassin, pressing them down onto the ground. The old man’s face distorted even more, just what powerful existence had he provoked. Yet, he couldn’t simply leave at this point. Magic seeped into his old bones as a dark power coursed through his veins. He clutched his blade tighter and released a sword slash with all his strength. Darkness encompassed the slash as it went straight for the cabin, cutting anything in its path.
“Too noisy.”
The cabin door finally opened as the slash was about to reach it. It suddenly stopped then disappeared altogether. The old man lost all colour in his face at the sight. An old lady suddenly appeared in front of him. “Learn some manners brat.” With one hand on her cane, she slapped him with the other free hand. The old man was smacked into several trees as he was flung away. After dealing with him, she turned to the others still being crushed unto the earth. With a tap of her cane, the power keeping all the assassins down disappeared.
“Leave,”
They all fiercely retreated, valuing after their lives and escaping as far as they could. The old woman then appeared before the young man on his knees, her speed astonishing. She raised her hand, and the sound of a crisp smack filled the air. The weather grew restless, dark clouds began appearing and causing rainfall at that moment. A red mark appeared on the left side of the young man’s face. However, it was clear that the old woman was holding back. Tears welled up in her eyes, tears of indignation and anger.
“I knew she should have never have left with you. I knew you couldn’t protect her.” The old woman voiced in grief. The young man said nothing, unable to look the woman in the eyes. She stared at him, wanting to hate him with everything she had but she couldn’t. At the very least her daughter died protecting what she loved most, even if it was for this such of a man.
“Leave” she finally said and walked past him. He fell forward onto his knees, his body now drenched from the rain.
“I can’t protect her either...” he said, admitting his weakness.
“I know” she coldly retorted as she bent down to pick up the baby at her doorstep.
“Thank you” the young man finally had the gall to say as a weight lifted from his shoulders.
“Save your thanks, I’m not doing this for you,” she retorted, picking up the child and entering her cabin.
After a while the young man stood up, rain dripping from his body and face. He looked at the cabin a final time.
“I’m sorry,” he said under his breath, tears forming in the corners of his eyes but lost in the rain. And with that, he left, never to be seen again.
