Aodh - Battle For Life

Pressing on through the eerie forest, Aurelia looked down upon her wrist towards the Sigil of that appeared, "Anima, where is it? Belmooth is about to set."

"What is that?" asked Clara to her side, "We were all wondering?"

Capturing the attention of everyone, Aurelia shrugged, "Dumb-Dumb gave it to me, but I do not know what it is."

"You have arrived," Anima announced, bringing everyone to a halt.

Baffled, Aurelia surveyed the ground, not finding anything but various grass. Growing pale, a gentle hand pressed upon her shoulder.

"Relax, unless you have magical eyes, you have to wait till the sun falls just a little more. That is when Ravens Grass comes into view." Said Clara giving a sense of comfort to the young girl. " They should come into view within the hour."

"Thank the Star!" Aurelia shouted, wrapping her arms around Clara. "Thanks, Aunty!"

Returning the hug, Clara's ears twitched, and her body tensed. Shooting her head towards the bushes, she drew her bow, firing off three arrows without a second thought. Piercing through the skies, the sounds of wind spiting resounded when the rings of metal clashing against one another echoed.

"Hold your fire!" A childlike voice echoed from the bushes.

Shooting Clara a deep stare to not drop her guard, Leif nodded, stepping forward, "Who are you! Show yourself."

Narrowing his eyes towards the rustle of the bushes, the sight of flame-like hair appeared within the gaze of everyone startling them. Noticing a child around Aurelia's age but with the clothing of a nobleman, Clara lowered her bow.

With ruby-red eyes, the young boy snorted, his palm upon the owl shape pommel of his longsword attached to his waist. "Is it your policy to fire first before knowing your target?"

"A child?" said Kerr in disbelief, "and a noble one at that."

Bowing like one should before a noble, Clara shouted, "Forgive me, your grace! I was merely startled."

Narrowing his cold firey gaze, Clara's bow grew deeper. However, no words were spoken as the young boy turned his sights upon everyone, especially the girl around his age.

"Hello, I am Aurelia Morningstar!"

Noticing the innocence, the young boy rolled his eyes, arrogantly scuffing, "I have not heard of the House of Morningstar, yet you appear to be from a noble house. I am Aodh; as for my surname, it shall not be given."

Lowering his blade, Lief frowned for a second before a magical grin appeared in its place, "I am Lief, the man over there is Kerr, the older woman is my fiance Clara, and we are her escorts back to the city of Yrinas."

"Oh, I see," Said Aodh with a casual expression. "From your appearance, you are certainly not knights nor bandits, yet you are escorting a noblewoman? Surely that girl is either stupid or was never trained properly."

"Are your really a child?" Kerr whispered, baffled by the way the young boy spoke.

"Aurelia is not stupid!" The young girl bellowed, glaring at Aodh with defiance.

"Oh, so you know of them? Or did they approach you? Spouting nonsense of helping you get back to the city? While we are young, I am no fool and based upon the staff you hold. You are not one neither. Tell me, can you use Arcana?"

"Enough!" Lief shouted, his gaze slowly turning icy, "Young Master, please leave. We are in the..."

"I am in search of Ravens Glass. A mission bestowed upon me by my house. So I shall not be going anywhere." said Aodh, not backing down. "It is customary for those within our clan to make a pilgrimage to the Hallow Marches as a test. This ground you step upon is ours, yet you ask me to leave! Insolence If I had ever seen it. I shall not Leave!"

"Than Aurelia will defeat you!"

Arching his head high, an air of superiority showered the young boy, "You!? A hostage dears to challenge me! Girl, I stand upon the peak of my generation! My first words were spoken when I was only three days. How can you, the daughter of a simple noble, challenge me?"

Turning to Clara, Aurelia pointed towards the young boy, "Is he ok? Did a donkey kick him in the head?"

Snorting at her crude words, Aodh gripped his hilt when a chilling black entity appeared whin his sights behind both Aurelia and Clara. Its septs soundless and its gaze empty like the reapers.

"Behind you, DODGE!" Aodh bellowed

"Eh?"

Twisting her head, Clara's eyes widened as an audible piercing noise gripped the heart of Aurelia by her side. Opening her mouth wide, Clara's lips began to tremble as a deep crimson slipped down her lips.

"CLARA!!!" Screamed both Kerr and Lief, gazing upon the Greatsword within the depts of her chest.

Unable to understand what she was seeing, Aurelia slowly turned towards the giant Skeleton covered in a heavy armor set. Twisting his Greatsword within Clara's hollow chest, the sounds of rupturing organs and shattered bones exploded within Aurelia's ears as the Greatsword from within Clara severed her in two by the chest flying towards Aurelia at a breathtaking speed.

"I said dodge!" Aodh shouted, arriving his sword clashing against the great sword in a skillful upwards sweep.

DING!

Bellowing, a powerful vibration fell upon the boy's bones, causing his arms to shake. However, his efforts proved helpful as the Greatsword missed its mark.

Leaping away with Aurelia in hand, Kerr and Lief stabbed their blade into the Skeleton's chest with the flames of vengeance gripping their hearts. With tears streaming down their cheeks, they joined the battle.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH" Screaming in rage, Lief bastard sword slammed against the plate armor of the Skeleton, blasting it away. Turing to Clara, whose eyes were still wide open, filled with a little life, he could see her chest still twitching. Her mouth was still opening and closing as if to speak.

"Clara!" he squealed, crashing to his knees, his arms caressing the warm body of his lover.

"Why, Why, why is a Skeleton Knight here!" Screamed Kerr glaring towards the Skeleton, slowly rising off the ground. "no, it cannot be; where is the specter!"

"Auntie Clara... No!" Aurelia suddenly shouted out, trying to rush towards her body only to be pulled away by Aodh.

"Get it together. She is dead, and if you don't want to be like that, focus! Do you see any flames within the Skeleton?" Shouted Aodh sending a ruthless slap onto the young girl's cheek.

Feeling the heat of his strike upon her cheek, Aurelia's tears only grew. Turning her gaze away from the still Clara a few meters away, Aurelia golden eyes studied the hollow sights of the Skeleton in heavy armor. Noticing nothing, she turned to Aodh.

"If there is no flame within its eyes, answer me this? how can a Skeleton move? It's the specter. It's here, and we need to watch out for more skeletons. The hollow marsh is a graveyard, and we are in its territory." said Aodh gripping his longsword within his palms. "Can you fight?"

Nodding her small head, Aurelia wiped the tears overflowing from her eyes. Sending the Skeleton slowly walking towards Kerr and the weeping Lief a chilling glare.

"Good, let's go!"