The next morning, Trent kept his word and met me in the tavern at 8’o clock. Last night, I had met my roommate. He was a tall Azuran, a species that had large, bat-like wings and a pair of bull horns on their forehead. The rest of his body was totally humanoid, save the hooked talons on the tips of their fingers. Saalion had a really a serious face that made him look like a demon from hell. His eyes were pure black and creepy, no pupils or a sclera. The long sharp fangs that stuck out of his mouth when he smiled really did a number on his relatively handsome features. I wonder what I looked like when I smiled. Hopefully as intimidating as him. When standing next to each other, the two of us together looked like the devil's henchmen according to our neighbor, Vladimir.

Though he was Damphir, he’d look totally human if it wasn’t for the pointed ears and unnaturally pale skin. He was skinny and looked to be in his twenties. Unlike Vampires, Damphirs didn’t need to consume solely blood and could survive of regular food. They weren’t as physically strong as their higher brethren but had much higher potential for magic. They weren’t all that rare since Vampires had the habit of interracial crossbreeding. The fact they could pass as any other human made it easy to infiltrate settlements. Needless to say, not many liked them.

Sitting at a table with a mug of mead, I sipped it as Trent took a seat and ordered breakfast. The whole atmosphere livened up as soon as he arrived, the others constantly shouting greetings and jokes this way. Trent accepted it in good humor, much to my surprise. Glancing at my breakfast he gave me a disapproving look, “Atkozott... There is no way that measly cup of mead will hold you through the morning training. Are you sure you can’t eat anything? I know I never saw you eat during the trip here. Is your diet specific?” he asked and ate his eggs and sausage, drowning it with warm milk.

I chuckled, “It’s not that I don’t want to eat, I can’t.” making a thoughtful face, I grimaced when recalling how my attempt at eating some of Kala’s meat went. We were on the side so he didn’t see but I couldn’t swallow it. It was like my esophagus closed off, my own body rebelling against the action. By now, I just presume it knows best.

Shaking my head, I waited for him to finish, “So, how is your roommate? I put you in with Saal since I figured the two of you might get along. He’s a bit of a basket case, but a decent guy all things considered. Azurans tend to be real battle junkies and thrill seekers. You two have a lot of synergy.” he said with a chuckle. The rough looking overseer was shockingly lighthearted and easygoing. At first, I thought he was going to have a stick stuck up his ass forever. It was a pleasant surprise he was easy to talk to and didn’t have a haughty personality.

Honestly, I didn’t know this roommate of mine all that well. We met last night when he was wasted. Though we made the introductions and I also met Vlad who dropped him off, I had no opinion on the matter so far. He dropped on his bed soon after and I left before he could wake up. Shrugging, I finished my drink, “As long as he’s not obnoxious, I don’t care.”

As Trent finished his food, he took the plate to the counter and thanked Humphrey, one of the permanent members of the camp who ran the tavern. I felt bad for the Gargoyle, his nickname was Humps. He said he was used to it. He wasn’t a typical Gargoyle though, but seemed to be a crossbreed. The man was humanoid and had small, stunted wings on his back. I doubted he could fly with them. His skin was pure gray like stone and had slightly pointed fingernails but all in all, had average features. I asked him earlier if all Gargoyles were like him since I read they were beasts that lived in caves and dark habitats. The descriptions were nothing like the man I saw behind the counter.

I didn’t get any answers beyond a deep frown. He had averted his eyes and said he doesn’t like to talk about it. Though he didn’t seem to hold a grudge for the question, I could tell I ruined his mood. Taking a hint, I had just gone to a table to wait for Trent.

At this point, we were half way past the training fields, heading in the direction of Trent’s house. Once there, he showed me the many different training tools and how to properly use them first. Afterwards, he guided me through the warm up, instructing I was to do it every day in the morning and was supposed to increase the difficulty every three days. Hours slowly passed until we were done with the pure physical training. I tried my best to memorize all the forms correctly, it was the first time I was exercising in my life. It was decently paced, making each series more intense with speed. At first, I doubted this sort of exercise would affect me much, but by the 10th series, I was dripping with sweat. Trent was holding his own.

After we were done, he began teaching me basic footwork in combat and martial arts forms. Considering I fought hand to hand, I was skeptical at learning basic sword wielding but Trent insisted, saying every warrior worth their salt would know how to use at least one weapon. I opted for a spear instead, figuring it would be more useful than a sword. Its reach could give me an actual advantage, more so than a sword. Not that I had any plans on using it, it felt wrong on an instinctual level. This trend continued for two weeks until I totally memorized the things he was teaching and got a hold of the basics.

Now, at the end of the second week, Trent gave a nod and stared with satisfaction, “You’ve done well. Decent learning pace and I have taught you all that you need. The next course of action is up to you. I will leave you with clear instructions. For the next couple of months you have to adjust everything I’ve taught you. Try to find your own style and build from there. If you ever need advice, do not hesitate to ask me or any of the other elites. As for your spear skills, I can tell your heart isn’t in it but I’m satisfied for now. Do not neglect some practice with it here and there, you’d be surprised how fast one grows rusty. On another note, never forget the basics.”

Cracking my neck, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and shrugged, “I just prefer hand to hand combat. Weapons give me the wrong feeling.” I mutter. He stared at me for a while and sighed, “I see... Then use this time to get familiar with the other trainees. Observe, absorb and integrate. That is the unspoken rule for unique body types like yourself. By the end of the month, find yourself a decent ranged offense, you are too far in disadvantage as is. Your fighting style requires you to get close and personal, against certain foes, it would be difficult for you to do much without a ranged option. Figure it out on your own.”

Saying that, he wished me luck and told me he would be checking in here and there to see my progress. He had other work to do that he couldn’t put off anymore. I was even more determined to work on myself now. I saw the improvement from just using the footwork he taught me, let alone the combat techniques. I had picked up a book on humanoid anatomy, learning in painful detail as much as I could about less obvious weaknesses a body could hold. From that day, I trained every day and, when I wasn’t training, I was reading or meditating. As soon as I woke up I would do the warm up, doing around 50 series at this point. Every time I reached a limit, I would persist past it and go beyond, landing myself in the infirmary in the process oftentimes.

The guys around the dorm began calling me a masochist, which wasn’t true but also wasn’t too far off from what I was doing. I could feel my regeneration work overtime to heal the damage I often did to myself with unnatural movements. I was making some headway to creating my own style, basing it mostly on unpredictable behavior and movement. It was meant to be flexible and adjustable while utilizing all of my limbs effectively. The difficult part was coordinating my tail with the rest of my body.

I had taken Trent’s words to heart, knowing full well he was more than right about range. If I had had any ranged options back in the Pits, that mage would have died before she blew me up. I had recalled the Kavar from the Pits during that time and picked up knife throwing. My roommate, Saal, was an extremely good archer and used both arrows and knives in ranged combat. He was exhilarated when I asked for lessons, his love for sharp, throwable weaponry making itself clear. It was an embarrassing couple of weeks. I couldn’t throw for shit, my claws making it difficult to grip the damn things correctly. The chitin was too hard to properly adjust my hold and aim, taking me nearly two weeks to even hit the target. Saal was at wits end with me, nearly giving up and telling me to try something else.

I had persisted though and it paid off. It took a while, but I finally figured it out. I just needed a different kind of knife. After trying out multiple sorts, I finally found one I could work with. It was the one that had a hole at the hilt, the knife itself pointed and sharp along both edges. After some work, I got a hang of it. I would spin the thing with my forefinger and thumb. With the correct flick of the wrist and the right angle, it flew at the target and held enough force from the momentum to impale itself hilt deep. It probably wasn’t the correct way to use it, but it worked well enough. All that was left to work on was my aim.

This was how I spent my last three months. However, by the middle of the third month something went terribly wrong. I had woken up feeling like a stiff and sore statue. There hadn’t been any muscle fever so far so I figured my regeneration would do its job. Boy, was I wrong, this was hell. My whole body was aching and rigid. The first week I started to feel this way, I thought it was nothing serious, that it was just the result of pushing myself too hard in training. I thought, with my regeneration it would pass quickly so I spent a few days to rest. But nothing changed, in fact, it got worse. The pain graduated from soreness to agony, making even getting out of bed a chore.

I knew it wasn't the start of my next change, this wasn’t natural or correct. It was a different kind of pain and I had no idea how to make it stop. Attempting to ignore it and continue my training was an even worse idea. Every move I made hurt, even my tail was in pain. This was not a situation where fighting fire with fire would work in my favor. I had to halt training all together.

Though I could tell I got great improvements from the training and was considerably stronger and faster, the pain basically crippled me at this point. It hurt even when I breathe. I've been enduring it unable to do anything about it. Nobody knew about the condition I was in. Even my roommate, Saal, didn’t know. He wasn’t dense, he gave me odd looks here and there, asking if I was okay. I would keep up a facade, saying I was just tired from the work out.

Right now, he was out training and I couldn't even get out of bed. My body hasn't changed despite me getting stronger. My skin felt tight and stretched taut. It was like I was trapped in a glass box that was my own body and it just wouldn't break. I felt squashed. Even my bones were creaking under the pressure of my increased weight that had nowhere to go. Cutting my skin open would make the pressure recede slightly, squirting out blood and making my flesh bulge out. It was disgusting to be honest, but the regeneration worked against me in this aspect. It would mend me too quickly to do a difference, pushing the muscle back inside. I really wasn’t up to skinning myself alive.

This was getting out of control. Shit. What the hell was wrong with my body? I suffered silently, lying in bed without daring to move. I wanted to break something in my frustration. Resolving myself to get out of bed, I groaned and slowly sat up. One heavy step after the other, I made my way downstairs, gritting my teeth as I walked with the pace of a snail. On the outside, I seemed fine, only getting weird looks from the more perceptive members. I was as stiff as a plank, keeping my poker face up and acting like all was good.

One thing was for certain, I only had myself to blame. Training so hard was a bad idea. Sure, I got stronger and faster, but what use was it if I could barely move. I was happy with the progress I made, the feeling of going past your limits was irreplaceable. As a result, I felt like a rusted robot, my body protesting to every move I made. I knew now for certain this body had its own set of rules. I didn't need food and my body remained unchanged no matter what I did. But, that didn't necessarily mean that the insides were the same.

I sighed heavily and moved my hands to rub my face. I was so tired of this. I couldn't even move my tail properly, it just dragged behind me like dead weight. I don’t know what that entity in the darkness did to me, but it really had a way of picking a body. I made a humorless expression as I glanced around the field and noticed Trent coming my way.

Flinching, I inhaled sharply and lifted my tail off the ground. The agony of that simple motion sent a sharp wave of pain through me. Walking over, he regarded me with a deep frown, looking me up and down, "Atko, I heard from Saal you stopped training and have been acting strange. Is there a problem?” he asked with slight worry. Lifting a brow, I refrained from flinching and stood still, “Uh, just been feeling a bit sore.” I downgraded the issue by a huge margin, not wanting to show my own weakness at the moment. Despite respecting most people here, I trusted no one. You never know when they’ll stab you in the back.

He was looking at me with clear suspicion in his eyes, clearly getting angry, "I want you to tell me what's wrong with you. You suddenly stopped training, avoid everyone and you just disappear for long periods of time. Even I haven't talked to you for over a week since you always avoid me. I want to know what's going on and I don’t want lame excuses." he glared intensely.

I stared at him with a tired expression. Should I tell him? He has treated me decently so far and didn't obstruct me in any way. I had a lot of freedom here, even went out with Kala a couple of times to hunt in the forest. I’d visited a village nearby, taking a few subjugation request from the board. The forest was infested with Zain Wolves that came out to hunt during nights and attacked the cattle from the villagers. I had helped in reducing their population a bit. They were mostly smaller than an average wolf and looked more like coyotes.

I let out a long sigh, I decided not to tell him the condition of my body, "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. I just wanted some peace and quiet to meditate. I read that it was a good method for increasing the maturity of my core and to make it develop more efficiently." That was actually true, but the reason that I've been meditating was also because it decreased the pressure within my body. If I hadn't started meditating more often, I would most likely be bedridden and completely unable to move. It was only thanks to meditation that I hadn't fallen beneath my bottom line of endurance yet.

Trent looked surprised by that as if he didn't expect me to even know about it, "Meditation? You are actually capable of such a thing?"

I felt slightly offended by the remark, "What? Is it that strange for me to meditate?"

Trent shook his head and gave wry smile, "No, no. It's not that. I just didn't think you had the patience for such delicate methods of training. No offense, but I figured you were all about physical combat, I didn't think you'd be interested in magic. I am aware that meditation is a long and tiresome process that rarely bears any fruit. People often just give up on it altogether. I didn't expect that you, out of all people, would actually be so diligent about it."

I nod slightly at Trent and abstain from cringing at the motion. He looked in the direction of the estate entrance and then back at me, "Atko, there is another reason I came to find you." he seemed worried as he kept glancing at the entrance gates. I remain still and silent, expecting him to continue.

"The Earl of Harlheim will be paying a visit today. He and the young master are coming to assess some beasts our tamers have been training. The young master wishes to contract a familiar so the Lord will naturally give his son the freedom of choosing.” ruffling his hair in frustration, Trent looked very serious about the matter, “I don’t know how, but he found out about you. Because of the Colosseum, you’ve actually become quite a bit famous in Terra Silva. How he knew you were here is beyond me, we tried to keep it under wraps.”

Letting me digest the new information, I was surprised to say the least. Looking at me apologetically, he sighed, “The Lord wishes to evaluate you personally. There is no way I can deny him as the guild is under his territory. The letter he sent left no room for dodging. He is bringing along his combat slave and many of his elite soldiers as an escort, he wants to test the slave against you, the Ripper. I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be a show of power to put us in our place.” he trailed off as he looked at me severely, “We cannot afford to lose or he will use this opportunity to cut our funds and smear our reputation. Lord Evergreen and Earl Ashbrun have a bad relationship, it would be safe to say they have it out for each other.” he spat, clear loathing in his eyes.

I knew Trent wasn’t nobility but still held a great status as an overseer of one of the stronger guilds in Terra Silva. Unfortunately, he had to bow his head to actual nobles. My face was ugly to behold. I was bitterly laughing inside. Worst. Possible. Timing. How the hell was I supposed to fight and win in this condition?! Motherfucker!

I kept cursing inwardly in a rage, glancing at Trent who had clear expectations in his eyes. Shit. I didn't dare to open my mouth right now because I just might explode with curses and break something. Seeing I wasn’t talking, he narrowed his eyes and began talking but was cut off by a loud bell. Glancing at the gates that slowly opened, I saw a huge convoy enter past it. Groomed horses were being ridden by full-plated knights, colorful feathers on top of their helmets. The first one held the pole of a flag, showing a symbol of a griffon. The convoy stretched for a few meters until a luxurious carriage came into view, pulled by two magnificent Warhorses.

Trent gave me a look, “Go and prepare for the challenge. I need you in top condition. I have no doubt he brought his champion. His prized slave is S ranked in the Colosseum, an Azuran highly skilled in combat. He uses dark magic, more specifically, he specializes in shadows. If he gets a drop on you, you will have a hard time. It’s time to see what you can do after so much time.” with that, he no longer stuck around and went to officially greet the noble with the other overseers.

Standing there in shock, I glared at the convoy. Suddenly, I heard a loud horn in the distance. Snapping out of it, I slowly turn to go to a quiet spot and try and get my shit together.

"Announcing his lordship, Earl Godfrey Ashbrun and his son, young lord Leon Vedro Ashbrun!" I heard from behind me. Making my way to the forest nearby, I reached my usual spot for meditations. It was a very peaceful location near a creek. I sat under a large willow tree that completely hid me with its long branches. I tried focusing, but my mind was still in too much turmoil. I sighed in frustration after some time passed. I still couldn't enter my meditative state. My body was hurting and now I even had a headache. Perfect!

I look at a little creek that was flowing near the forest and spilling into the lake further downstream. As I lean against the trunk I close my eyes and try again. Breathe in and out. In. Out. In. Out. IN! OUT! FOR FUCK SAKE! IN! OUT! I growl in anger and smash a rock next to me into pieces with a fist. Flinching in pain, I gasp from the strong throb in my arm. I open my palm and stare at it, feeling completely discouraged. How am I supposed to win? There was no way I could fight with my body like this. At this rate, there will be a shit-show waiting for everyone.

I breathe out and calm myself. Calm. Think. Managing to finally enter a tranquil state, I suddenly open my eyes in shock then close them again to check whether or not I saw wrong. Looking within myself I could see my core. The little, jet black sphere was giving out a strong, dark violet glow, pulsing with a slow pace. It grew quite large in my time here, reaching the diameter of 3 cm. My mana capacity had grown as well, making my control of sensing it much better. How did I not notice this before? The gland had little violet veins spread across the entire surface of the core, some minuscule cracks visible on its surface. I could tell it was near maturing. I was so excited, nearly forgetting my predicament. Attempting to probe at it made my mind scream danger. I couldn't crack it open by force, it really needed to happen naturally.

Opening my eyes, I hiss in frustration. Dammit! This was my only hope in coping with the fight. Meditating for a while, I managed to lightly suppress the pressure in my body. I knew this relief would be short lived. Figuring it was high time to greet the guests, I stand and make my way back.

Following the foreign scent of the convoy, it was impossible to miss. The small army stood straight in front of the Lodge. Their eyes were pointed forward, not even looking at me as I entered. Going to the special lounge, I saw Saal was fidgeting in front of the doors. Seeing me, his eyes flashed in relief, “You’re finally here! The Lord is getting impatient and wants to meet you! Go in! Hurry!” he said, and nervously knocked on the door. Entering, the people inside came into view. The Earl was easy to recognize, sitting next to his son on the large sofa with tea in front of him and a platter of exotic fruits. He was visibly old, maybe in his forties. He had long blond hair, laced with gray and tied in a neat manner. His face looked stern with thick, sharp eyebrows and ice cold eyes. He was neither smiling nor frowning, his lips were set in a straight, indifferent line. He seemed to have the strong build of a warrior and was holding himself with the dignity of a king. Wearing a set of silver robes laced with dark violet lines, the man had a clear air of superiority about him.

He certainly knew how to leave an impression. Unlike the Earl, his son looked like a complete and utter disgrace. He had the posture of an arrogant weakling, a complete brat. He seemed to be in his teens. It was hard to tell because of the fat that hid any resemblance he might have had to his father. The chubby cheeks were red and he was sweating like a pig, gasping for every breath while stuffing his face with the fruits. His blond hair was tied in the same manner as his father and, even though they had the same eyes, there was absolutely nothing but pure arrogance in them, staring at me with clear contempt. His golden inlaid clothes were stretched taut on his bulging body.

It was quite a sight to behold, the contrast between father and son like night and day. Arriving next to Trent who was standing in a respectable pose, I shared a glance with him. It was clear I was late judging by the look he gave me.

The Earl suddenly smiled as he crossed his legs with poise. He laughed loudly before giving me a calculating look, "Well, it would appear the famous Ripper decided to grace us with his presence.” his eyes narrowed dangerously, the fat boy copied him and squinted his beady eyes at me. I almost laughed, but had enough self-control by now to know it would not end well.

“I do hope you have the power to back that arrogant attitude of yours. I have not received disrespect like this for a long time. The last man who dared to make me wait got his head and the heads of his family members impaled on spikes in his back yard. I do hope you will not be as disappointing.” he muttered leisurely as if it was totally normal. The Earl’s aura was imposing, making me grit my teeth in anger.

I hated lowering my head, but wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t someone I could talk to carelessly. Though he wasn’t comparable to Evergreen, the man clearly had strength and authority to back his status. If I act too recklessly there will be consequences for everyone here. It could jeopardize the deal I have with Evergreen. Biting my tongue to stifle the clear hatred I felt for nobles and humans alike, I took a deep breath and tilted my head forward, “I apologize for making you wait, Lord.” I said calmly but very nearly hissed the words out. The Earl nodded in approval, "Well then, I will accept the apology only this time. Do it again and you will learn hell boy.” saying his threat, he looked at Trent, “We shall take a rest from the journey for now. First thing tomorrow morning you will prepare the best beasts and monsters for my son to choose from. After that, we shall have a good old fashioned fight to the death. My champion versus your little Ripper." his eyes gleamed with malice but the look was quickly hidden.

Widening his eyes, Trent seemed infuriated, “Lord, with all due respect, the agreement only referred to beasts. Monsters are off limits, they are free men and members of the guild. Not to mention, a fight to the death in unreasonable. Need I remind you on whose property you are?” he growled with far more backbone than he showed before, pulling out the Evergreen card.

The Earl narrowed his eyes, animosity clear in them, and snorted, “That elven fool best not involve himself with Harlheim business.” standing up, fury was evident on his expression, “I was the one who served in the war 30 years ago! I was the one who helped take the head of that rotten Orc King, protecting Terra Silva borders from the menace! And for what?! The Council appoints me mere Earl while that wannabe elf shows up a mere 10 years ago and gains access to the Council within the decade! They gave him the Colosseum! Don’t you mention that ass-licking piece of trash in front of me or I will send him your heads on a platter!” he shouted in rage, vanity and arrogance clear in his voice.

The lounge was dead silent. Glaring around the room, the Earl took a deep breath and straightened his hair, the air of nobility retuning, “I will compromise this once. Bring me the tamed beasts then, however, the fight to the death is nonnegotiable.” he said with eerily calm voice in a ‘matter-of-fact’ way. Grabbing the fat boy under his arm, he hauled him up with surprising ease and they all left the room.

Trent’s expression was dark beyond belief as he glared after the noble, his clenched fists shaking in anger. Turning on his heel, he left without saying another word. I stayed back and watched as the room quickly became empty. I stood there, lost in thought until it got dark. Afterward, I returned to the willow to prepare myself for tomorrow.

***

The gland felt like it was on the bare edge of maturing yet stubbornly remained dormant, raising my frustration beyond belief. I stayed by the creek for the whole night. It was early morning and I knew I needed to see Trent before the fight. Maybe I should come clean? It will be painfully obvious something wasn’t right once the fight begins.

Sighing, I walked back to the camp. On one of the training fields, Trent was pulling out beast after beast and lining them up next to one another, his expression clearly tired. It was obvious the man didn’t get any sleep last night. Glancing at the magnificent showcase of different beasts, I felt it was a pity one of them would be wasted on that worthless brat. After waiting for a few minutes, Trent approached me while the noble brat was pretending to evaluate the creatures.

Staring at me for a few seconds, he grimaced, "Atko, I know something's wrong with your body. You might have fooled Saal, but you can't fool me. I can see that you are in severe pain. Your whole body is as stiff as a boulder. Can you even fight?" he asked, his voice carrying a bit of helplessness in it.

I look away and stop smiling. I really underestimated Trent, "Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose we'll find out soon enough. I doubt we can avoid it." I say with a growl, annoyed at the revelation that I might not come out of this alive. Trent remained silent, worry clear in his eyes as he stared at the Earl who stood in the distance. He was affectionately watching his son while speaking to an Azuran that stood beside him. My pupils narrowed dangerously, this was the man that might end me today. The though pissed me off far more than anything else right now. Defeat was unacceptable!

The kid finally picked out a large Direwolf. The mages bound the creature to the boy with contract magic and the other beasts were taken back to their cages. Everyone was slowly gathering to the arena. Trent and I walked in dead silence. Seeing the small, familiar arena around the size of the Ring, I felt tension in my shoulders increase, the pain that came with it went completely ignored. If there was anything I was really good at, it was taking pain. This was the moment that would show just how much though.

The crowd consisted mostly of the Earl’s convoy and the members of the camp. The nobles were seated in a separate section, elevated above the rest of the spectators. Trent gave me one last look, shaking his head with a sigh, he went and sat amongst his men. He seemed resigned that I would die here today and was mentally preparing himself for what would follow. All eyes were on me. I saw the tall Azuran in the arena and walked towards him.

He was taller than me and his ice blue eyes were glowing like neon lights. His pupils were tightly constricted as he stared at me with an intense gaze. Two horns curved up from his forehead to the sides, much larger than Saal’s. His hair was short and spiky, the color a deep, almost crimson, violet. His face was incredibly pale yet it looked flawless. Just like a doll. His lips were pressed together and his sharp eyebrows stood in a frown. The simple, black armor looked sturdy and gave him strange elegance. His sharp fingernails were slightly hooked, meant for rending more than slicing. There were two swords strapped to his hips, the metal showing a reddish hue.

He didn’t have wings though. Seeing me staring at his back where they should have been, his eyes narrowed. His face split with a vicious grin, “Looking for my wings are you? Don’t bother, he cut them off.” I could see slight insanity in his gaze. Like a tortured beast, the man howled in rage, unsheathing his weapons and twitching with desire to murder.

Silence surrounded us and I could feel the eyes of the crowd. The arena bell chimed. I was about to move as I saw him sink into his own shadow. He disappeared without a sign. Using my own mana to sense for his whereabouts, I position my tail painfully above my own shadow, ready for him. In a flash, the Azuran jumped out, skillfully avoiding my tail and slashed at me from the side. I couldn’t even attempt to use my new fighting style in this condition. The most I was capable of right now, was attempting to toss myself to the side.

I was too slow though. I could feel his bloodthirst surround me, his shadow moving to ensnare my leg. I was forced to block directly. Lifting my arms that felt like they weighted a ton, sparks flew as his swords pushed me back with great force. I grunted as pain spread from my arms to my shoulders, clattering my teeth. His attack was merciless and strong, aiming directly at my vitals. The simple collision was pure agony.

Snarling back at him, there was nothing I could do but guard and defend. He kept attacking me with his swords aiming for my vitals and blind spots. I was too stiff to try and catch him. I couldn't dodge so I kept blocking with my arms and tail, bearing the agony that came with it. I had managed to dislodge the shadow that bound my leg by using my own mana, but he was relentless. I already had a decent collection of wounds. Clearly annoyed at the constant back and forth, he narrowed his gaze and a dark blue aura started to glow around the swords, giving them violet shine.

I blocked his next attack, in too much pain to focus on trying to use my mana the same way. The force of the blow was incredible and sent me flying back. Grimacing, I twisted in the air and landed on my feet, sliding backwards. Despite my condition, I kept my arms and head tucked in, making it easier to defend, my tail protecting my lower body. He was having trouble landing a clean hit, but I couldn't keep it up for much longer. The fruits of my labor were on clear display as I carefully followed the flow his fighting pattern, defending with minimal and effective movements. If this was months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do this much, not in this condition anyway.

As he slowly fell into a repetitive pace, I knew I needed to act now. Unleashing all the pent up bloodlust I managed to stun him. Freezing for a second was all the opening I needed as his face became slightly fearful. Before he could snap out of it, I was near enough to grab him. He focused as soon as he noticed me closing in, but it was too late. I attacked his vitals and, as he dodged to the side, I mustered all my strength to utilize my fledgling combat style. Twisting my arm in an unnatural angle, I couldn’t help but scream in agony but got a hold of his arm. It didn’t dislocate with the movement, but the sharp pain lacing my muscles nearly made me let him go. Blood drained from his already pale face, as a vein popped out on my forehead from the stress. With a snarl, I pulled him over, returning my arm into a normal position and slapping the sword in his free hand away with my tail. Infuriated and in pain, I directly opened my mouth and bit into his wide open neck.

I felt blood pouring down my throat, it was lucky liquids could pass unlike solids. Without holding back, I tore it out. My vision was becoming spotty, the pain making me sway as I spit out the piece of his jugular. I dropped to my knees, gasping as I fell into a light seizure. I felt like the cold grip of death was approaching. As bloodied foam dripped from my lips, I managed to glance up. A sense of desperation came over me when I saw the Azuran was alive. He was gripping his throat, blood flowing from his lips and between his fingers as he glared at me with hatred. He knew he was dying, the blood loss too much even for a strong creature like him to survive long. He had enough time to finish me off though.

He walked towards me while giving me a chilling look, sword in hand. My rage boiled, the primal pride in my blood refusing to surrender. Drowning out the pain, my rage burst out with a strange power. With the sound of a crack coming from my chest, everything went black.