The Cemetery of Kael

The sky was overcast as Elliot trudged into a small, desolate village on the edge of a dark forest. His body ached from the storm, his clothes damp and clinging to him. The streets were eerily quiet, and the once-vibrant fields nearby had turned barren.

Inside his mind, Etreuf stirred. "There's something here, boy. I can feel it. Keep moving."

Elliot ignored the demon, focusing on the faint flicker of light coming from a barn at the far edge of the village. The structure leaned precariously, its roof sagging under the weight of time. Voices drifted from within, faint but distinct.

As Elliot approached, he peered through a gap in the wooden boards. Inside, several men were gathered around a young woman tied to a wooden post. Her dark hair fell over her face, but even in the dim light, her beauty was striking. Her green eyes burned with defiance, and though her wrists were bound, her presence seemed anything but weak.

One of the men sneered, leaning in close to her. "Why so quiet, girl? Cat got your tongue?"

Another laughed. "She's lucky Kael wants her alive. If it were up to me—"

"Shut it," a third man growled. "We're not paid to talk. Just guard her until the boss gets here."

Elliot clenched his fists. The sight of her helpless state stirred something in him, a mix of anger and resolve.

"Let it go," Etreuf whispered. "She's not your problem. Move on."

Elliot's jaw tightened. "I can't."

Elliot crept into the barn through a side door, keeping low to avoid detection. He counted four men, two near the woman and two closer to the entrance. Grabbing a wooden plank from the ground, he took a deep breath and struck.

The first man crumpled silently under the blow. The second turned, but Elliot was already moving, landing a punch that knocked him unconscious.

The noise alerted the other two guards. "What's going on back there?" one of them shouted.

Elliot stepped into the light, the wooden plank in his hands. "Let her go," he said firmly.

The guards laughed. "And what are you going to do about it?" one sneered, drawing a knife.

As the man lunged, Elliot sidestepped and struck him in the ribs, sending him sprawling. The final guard hesitated, his confidence wavering.

"You're too soft," Etreuf growled in Elliot's mind. "Let me handle this."

Elliot ignored him, disarming the guard with a swift kick and knocking him unconscious with a solid punch.

Elliot turned to the woman, who watched him with cautious eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling to untie her.

She didn't answer immediately, her green eyes scanning him. "Who are you?" she finally asked, her tone sharp.

"Just someone who couldn't walk away," Elliot replied, untying the ropes that bound her wrists.

As the bindings fell away, she rubbed her wrists, her movements graceful despite her exhaustion. "You shouldn't have done that," she said, standing unsteadily.

"Why not?" Elliot asked.

"Because now you've made yourself Kael's enemy," she replied. "And Kael doesn't forgive."

Before Elliot could respond, the barn door burst open, and more of Kael's men stormed in. Lyssara reached into her boot and pulled out a small dagger, her grip steady.

"You can fight?" Elliot asked, surprised.

She smirked. "You think I got this far without knowing how?"

The two stood back-to-back as the men charged. Lyssara moved with precision, her dagger flashing in the dim light as she disarmed one opponent and sent him sprawling. Elliot, with Etreuf's strength amplifying his movements, held his own, countering blows with speed and precision.

As the last of the men fell, Elliot caught sight of something through the barn's back window—a faint glow in the distance. It called to him, pulling at his very being.

"We need to leave," Lyssara said, her voice urgent. "Kael will be back soon."

Elliot nodded but couldn't tear his eyes from the light. "There's something out there," he murmured.

Lyssara followed his gaze, her expression darkening. "That's the cemetery," she said. "If you value your life, you'll stay away."

Elliot shook his head. "I have to go."

The forest gave way to a sprawling cemetery, its iron gates creaking as Elliot and Lyssara entered. The fog thickened, clinging to the ground as though alive. Gravestones leaned at odd angles, and in the distance, a mausoleum glowed faintly.

"Turn back," Lyssara warned. "This place isn't safe."

"I don't have a choice," Elliot replied, stepping forward.

From the fog, a figure emerged—a tall man draped in tattered black robes, his face obscured by a cracked mask. Around him floated coffins, their lids snapping open and shut like hungry mouths.

"I knew you would come," the man said, his voice gravelly and cold. "The daggers called to you."

The man raised a hand, and the coffins lunged forward. Elliot dodged, narrowly avoiding one that slammed into the ground where he'd stood. Lyssara moved beside him, her dagger flashing as she tried to defend herself.

"They're too strong!" she shouted. "We need a plan!"

"Let me take over," Etreuf snarled. "You're outmatched."

Elliot hesitated, then relented. "Fine. But no killing."

Etreuf surged forward, his dark fire igniting around them. The man's gray eyes narrowed. "Ah, now I see. You are not one, but two."

The battle raged on, the coffins attacking relentlessly. Etreuf's fire burned brightly, but the coffins remained unscathed.

"There's no beating them!" Lyssara called.

Elliot's eyes caught the mausoleum. "That's where the power is coming from," he said. "We need to get there."

Inside the mausoleum, the air was thick with power. At the center of the room, two daggers floated above an altar, their blades glowing faintly. Elliot reached for them, but the robed figure appeared behind him.

"Those are not for you," the man said.

Etreuf spun, his fire blazing. "They are now."

The figure lunged, his power colliding with Etreuf's in a burst of light and shadow. In the chaos, Elliot seized the daggers. A surge of energy rippled through him, merging with the power of the Coins.

The robed man faltered, his coffins crashing to the ground. "You are more dangerous than I imagined," he murmured before vanishing into the fog.

As dawn broke, Elliot and Lyssara emerged from the cemetery, the daggers glowing faintly in Elliot's hands.

"What are those?" Lyssara asked, her voice wary.

"Power," Elliot replied. "The kind we'll need for what's coming."

Lyssara frowned but didn't argue. Together, they disappeared into the forest, their paths now intertwined.