Page 15 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

His body collided with the hard surface next to Jonathan, the impact sending shockwaves through the air; the noise echoed with a deafening thud that seemed to resonate in the very walls of the village home.

The soul-eater bent down, his long, bony fingers retrieving his cloak from the dusty ground. With a fluid movement, he wrapped the tattered cloak around his slender frame, the fabric billowing around him like a dark shroud. As he slipped his arms through the worn sleeves, his piercing gaze fixed once more on Airella, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity.

He picked up his scythe from the ground; the metal gleamed in the dim light of the abandoned building. With a firm grip, he raised it high and brought it down against the creaking wooden floor. The once-lifeless soldier stirred, the hollow sockets of his eyes fixating on the dazed Airella with a menacing growl.

As the men gathered outside to confer, Airella found herself alone, facing the daunting challenge of the undead Marcus.

“No. Them.” The soul-eater’s voice rasped, pointing a bony finger toward the figures outside the window.

Taking a last glance at Airella, who remained on the floor against the cracked wall, the reaper rested momentarily, his spectral form flickering with a dim ethereal light.

He needed answers, but wasn’t used to exerting this much energy in such a short amount of time. It had been a very long time since he had last encountered a formidable foe. He would leave and replenish his energy for now and then would return to uncover more truths about these venturing humans once he had fully regained his strength.

Just as he made his way towards the window, Airella’s sudden charge caught him off guard. With a swift motion, she propelled both of them through the shattered window, their forms tumbling onto the rooftop of the adjacent building.

The soul-eater, with his menacing golden eyes gleaming in the darkness, swiftly intercepted the dual-bladed axe aimed directly at his face, skillfully deflecting the lethal strike with the handle of his scythe. The clash of metal rang out in the air’s stillness, echoing through the ancient village as the battle between light and darkness unfolded under the watchful gaze of the gloomy sky above.

“Who are you?” Airella said, her voice trembling in the struggle as she looked into Sirius’s piercing eyes.

“Sirius,” spoke the soul-eater in a voice that sent shivers down her spine as he wrapped his hand around her throat. With a swift motion, he flung her across the roof, yet to his surprise, she pulled him along in her desperate attempt to break free.

As they landed in an unexpected entanglement, Sirius found himself sprawled on top of her, his arms outstretched to steady their fall.

Airella’s mind raced with confusion and fear. What had transpired to lead them to this precarious moment? It felt like just moments ago when they were peacefully scouting a deserted village, only to be thrown into this chaotic encounter. With no escape in sight, she locked eyes with Sirius, her cheeks flushing with a mix of emotions she couldn’t comprehend.

Airella’s heart raced as she processed the chaotic scene unfolding before her. Was this some kind of sick joke? She wondered, her mind struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she mustered the courage to push the assailant away, her movements a mix of fear and determination.

As she regained her footing on the precarious rooftop, Airella’s eyes darted around, taking in the grim reality of the undead soldier wreaking havoc on Duran. Despite his valiant efforts, Duran’s armor was no match for the relentless onslaught. The other soldiers stood frozen in fear, unable to muster the courage to intervene. A pang of worry shot through Airella as she spotted Jonathan still lying motionless on the ground, a reminder of the dire circumstances they were facing.

The urgent need to help him tugged at Airella’s consciousness, yet she grappled with her own internal turmoil. Amidst the chaos and danger that surrounded her, she knew that finding a way out of this predicament would require all the strength and resilience she could muster.

She turned around slowly, her heart thudding in her chest as she braced herself for what she thought would be a flash of silver hair charging at her. However, to her surprise, she found him standing still, his gaze fixed upon her from a distance.

“What are you? What do you want from us?” Her fingers tightened around Dawnbreaker, her knuckles turning white with tension. Despite her efforts, her face remained flushed, betraying the intensity of the moment.

Questions swirled in her mind—what transpired between them? She attempted to decipher his intentions, his thoughts, but his inscrutable expression offered no clues. Yet, amidst the blankness, his eyes stood out—those familiar yellow eyes capable of penetrating through the toughest exterior with a mere glance.

Airella’s mind raced with thoughts. Uncertain of his motives, she knew she couldn’t allow whatever he planned to come to fruition. With one of their comrades already fallen and more at risk, she lunged towards him once more, poised for a last strike with Dawnbreaker. Defiance surged through her as she readied herself—she couldn’t afford to let him escape.

“Souls,” she heard him whisper, the word barely audible. Or so she thought she heard before he leaped off the building, narrowly avoiding her attack.

Chapter 10

Airella recovered swiftly, peering over the rooftop’s edge to trace Sirius’s descent, only to find he had vanished. How had he disappeared so swiftly? She had almost captured him. Frustration bubbled within her, compelling her to drive Dawnbreaker’s hilt forcefully into the rooftop in her vexation.

“Ugh!” Airella called out in frustration, slamming Dawnbreaker into the rooftop.

A deafening rumble filled the air, followed by the ominous cracking of stone and wood. With wide eyes, she watched in horror as the once sturdy roof below her began to splinter and give way.

In a split second, the structure groaned under the strain, then succumbed to the force of gravity. Airella plummeted through the collapsing floor, the sensation of free fall gripping her stomach in a vice-like hold. The impact of each level she crashed through was jarring, the weight of debris and shattered beams pressing down on her with unrelenting force.

Finally, as the descent came to an abrupt halt, Airella lay still amidst the chaos, a mixture of shock and disbelief clouding her thoughts. Slowly, she pushed herself upright, wincing as she coughed up a cloud of dust and dirt that hung thick in the surrounding air.

Had she truly just brought down an entire structure with her strength? The incredulous thought lingered in her mind as she surveyed the wreckage surrounding her. Despite her prowess in battle, the scale of destruction before her still caught her off guard.

Her eyes stung from the lingering dust, making it difficult to see clearly as she fumbled through the debris, searching for Dawnbreaker amidst the ruins of the once-grand building.

---