Page 47 of Primal Call

With a swipe of his blade, he tore a deep rent in Skarn's armor. The big hunter let out a bellow of pain, but he didn't go down — and worse, the answering swing of his poisoned blade was filled with fury, not slowed at all.

Kyral and Zee had launched their attack from the perfect angle, catching their enemies by surprise. Despite the fierce fighting, little by little, Skarn's crew were being forced away from their two opponents in the center of the clearing.

Jasper's moment had come.

He skidded down the hill and arrived at the fallen warrior. The young Borraq man was clutching at a deep wound, his face contorted in pain. Blood was seeping through his fingers, and more dripped from the wound to stain the snow.

Jasper moved with the practiced efficiency that came from years of battlefield experience. His hands were steady as he tended to the fallen warrior's wounds, swiftly staunching the bleeding.

He risked a glance towards the fight, his eyes immediately drawn to Skarn's blade as the hunter swung it in a wide arc at Kyral. Kyral had warned him about that underhanded tactic — it was how Skarn had taken out Kyral before, betraying him with a single poisoned blow.

Jasper felt a surge of protective anger. Skarn fought without honor, resorting to dirty tricks to gain an advantage.

But this time, Kyral wasn't alone.

The young Borraq warrior at Kyral's side moved with a youthful energy, his strikes fueled by a desperate determination. He fought with a raw, untamed skill that complemented Kyral's seasoned precision perfectly. Together, they formed a seamless unit, anticipating each other's movements and covering one another's weaknesses.

Vorat charged forward, her massive form barreling towards Kyral with the force of a rampaging beast. But the warrior was there, intercepting her attack with a well-timed strike that forced her back. Kyral seized the opportunity, pressing the advantage with a flurry of blows that drove Vorat further into retreat.

Jasper couldn't help but be awed by the display of martial prowess unfolding before him. Kyral and this unknown warrior, though strangers to each other, fought as one.

As Jasper tended to the fallen warrior's wounds, his gaze kept flickering back to Kyral, drawn like a moth to a flame. With each blow, Jasper's heart clenched with a mix of longing and dread.

What if this battle was the one that finally claimed Kyral? What if, after everything they had endured together, after the bond that had blossomed between them against all odds, Jasper lost him here, in this forsaken clearing?

The thought was unbearable. He had never imagined that he could find such a connection with another soul.

And now that he had tasted that joy, the mere thought of losing it was agony.

Gritting his teeth, Jasper forced himself to focus on his task, his hands working with practiced efficiency to staunch the fallen warrior's bleeding. Kyral had this.

And he truly did. Vorat was the first to fall, a roar of defiance escaping her lips as Kyral’s blade found its mark. She crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide with shock.

Next was Zorax. Zorax managed a few desperate swings before the unknown warrior's blade sliced through his defenses, ending the fight with brutal finality.

Only Skarn remained, already half-downed. Kyral advanced on him, his expression cold and unyielding.

Jasper’s heart soared with a mix of pride and relief. They had done it. They had won…

As Kyral closed in for the final blow, Skarn snarled and held up his blade. Jasper’s breath caught in his throat, expecting another desperate attack aimed at Kyral.

Instead, Skarn’s eyes locked onto Jasper’s, filled with spite.

And in a swift motion, Skarn hurled the blade directly at him.

Time seemed to slow. Jasper twisted desperately to avoid the projectile, but it wasn’t enough.

The blade sliced across his arm, leaving a searing line of pain in its wake.

Oh, fuck. Jasper clutched at the wound. A sickly sensation spread from the cut.

It was poisoned.

Kyral’s roar of fury echoed through the clearing as he finished Skarn with a single devastating blow, but Jasper barely registered it. His vision blurred as he sank to his knees, pain and fear mingling into one overwhelming tide.

I'm sorry, Kyral.

I let you down.

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