NOVEL NEXT XLVII. Melancholy Monster
Unprepared for their comrades to turn on them and still recovering from their battle injuries, several citizens go down without so much as being able to defend themselves. Leveraging the chaos brought about by the ongoing skirmish, Cabdan was ready to retreat. Unfortunately for him, escaping wouldn't be so easy.
Tyssa: Running with your tail between your legs?! You're too predictable!
Panting, Tyssa raised her sword in his direction. After having made her way through the mob, dodging and hastily moving as fast as she could to reach him, she was almost out of breath. Still, now that there was nobody between her and Cabdan, there was no way for his overweight body to manage to outrun her. He stops in his tracks, his back still facing away from her.
Cabdan: Sweetheart, you don't want to do this...
She clenches her teeth, grasping her blade tighter.
Tyssa: STOP CALLING ME THAT! You're dying here today, so start taking this seriously. Do you want to go down as a clown...? At least make an effort to be a decent person in death!
He turns around, seeing a breathless Tyssa.
Cabdan: You're out of your depth, girl. You're no killer. You're a defenceless little girl, all alone in this cold, uncaring world... Again. Back to square one.
With a furious verve, she begins to stride in his direction.
Tyssa: Alone or not, I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not out to become a killer -- but there are people who just don't deserve to live. Unlike you, Cabdan, I'm no coward. Someone needs to stop you, and I'm more glad to be the one to do it.
He pulls his jacket away, revealing a hidden sabre sheathed in his lower back.
Cabdan: You think I don't know you, girl? You don't scare me.
As she approaches him, he unsheathes his weapon, ready to strike. In the distance, Rel, Jargen and Punjo bear witness to what was about to unfold.
Rel: WE HAVE TO MOVE! They're about to clash blades!
Pinned down by the traitors surrounding them, the trio were barely able to cover any ground. Tyssa's slender and unimposing figure may have allowed her to slip past the attackers, but there was no way three armored men were pushing their way through.
Punjo: There's just no way, lad...!
Punjo deflects an incoming blow with his left gauntlet, countering by swinging the warhammer in his right hand against the side of his enemy's head. The man's skull shatters, as his lifeless body is sent crashing towards the ground.
Jargen: We'll stay and hold them off, Punjo. Rel -- get to her. Let me give you a push!
Grabbing Rel by the back of his leather cuirass, Jargen swings his warhammer wide, briefly creating an opening in the encroaching circle of opponents. Using the momentum from his strike, he tosses Rel through the gap, as the young man braces for landing. With a well-timed roll just as he hit the ground, he quickly gets back on his feet while maintaining most of the speed from Jargen's throw. With this helpful speed boost, Rel was rapidly closed in on her position.
Rel: Faster, faster...!
Crouching, dodging and jumping over Cabdan's men, Rel moved like a gazelle through the battlefield. There was only one last obstacle in his path -- a barrier of men, anticipating his attempt to reach Cabdan. Far too tall to jump over, with no openings below... And much too wide to circle around. His only hope was to bash through... But of course they knew this. They were prepared, bracing for impact.
Rel: Damn... Wish you could just get out of the damn way...!
A sudden rumbling -- the sound of thunder echoed through the slums, as the very ground beneath him shook violently. Rel instinctively drops to the ground, sliding across the quaking dirt. Then, in the blink of an eye, the row of men before him were beheaded by a cloud of darkness, one that had seemingly emerged from behind him and had rapidly passed him overhead. Its overwhelming force ripped more than just their heads from their bodies, it also pushed them away. The path ahead was clear... Although it seemed like a new variable had joined the battle.
Cabdan: Is... Is he back...?
Struggling to keep himself upright, Cabdan manages to see the dark cloud in the distance, killing his own men. It seemed to come straight for him.
Tyssa: What is going on?!
As Tyssa looks behind her, all she sees is the oncoming darkness approaching at an astounding speed. Before she could dodge, it was there. She saw it, peered into it. In the blink of an eye, she could swear she saw someone amidst the black smoke... Someone familiar. The clouds swerve around her, leaving her untouched and targeting Cabdan.
Cabdan: YOU COME FOR ME NOW, LUNALUS?! IF YOU WANTED TO SEE ME DEAD YOURSELF, YOU COULD HAVE SAVED US ALL SOME TIME AND KILLED ME AS YOU TOOK MY RING...!
I̸̩͌T̴̺̔'̴̭͝S̵̪̚ ̶̫̔M̶̮̈́E̸̱̚,̶̰̓ ̵̠̈C̶̟͝Ä̶̧́B̴̝̕D̵͖̐Ą̸͒Ǹ̴͔.̷̧͑.̴͍̒.̵͉̀
He could hear something... They seemed like words, although they could not have been produced by a human tongue. A cold hand materializes around his neck, holding him upward. The rest of the cloud also gains material shape, revealing a humanoid figure little by little...
Cabdan: You...! You-
Barr: D̸i̵e̵,̵ ̷p̸i̶g.̵
As the entity beings to crush Cabdan's throat, something aggressively tugs at him from behind, attempting to pull him away from Cabdan.
Tyssa: STOP, HE'S MINE...!
It pays Tyssa no mind, continuing to strangle him.
Tyssa: IT'S NOT FAIR, I'M THE ONE WHO DESERVES TO KILL HIM, BARR...!
Barr. It knew his name. Its head turns 90 degrees, as his right eye locks onto her.
Tyssa: Please... Please... I need this...!
Tyssa's eyes start welling up with tears. As if in a trance, Barr drops Cabdan, hyper-focusing on Tyssa instead.
Barr: D̶o̶n̵'̴t̸ ̵s̶u̴f̸f̷e̶r̶...̶
His cold hand grips her throat instead, although he didn't seem to want it. He was fighting his body for control yet again... Barr wanted to make Cabdan pay, but doing so would cause Tyssa far too much distress... To the voice inside him, the solution was simple: she just had to die first. That way, she wouldn't have to endure seeing him die by the hand of another. Despite this, Barr struggled against it -- he wanted Tyssa to live.
Cabdan: M-monster, abomination...!
Terrified out of his mind, Cabdan crawled away in fear, witnessing how Barr was about to put an end to Tyssa's life.
Rel: BARR, LET GO OF HER!
Sprinting towards them, Rel attempted to somehow divert Barr's attention, but he paid him no mind. Tyssa drops her sword, as the strength to hold onto it escapes her. She seemed to be struggling less and less, as death's clutches got ever nearer.
Tyssa: Barr... W-why...
Barr's hand gripped onto her neck, but all of a sudden, there was no force applied anymore. Black tar spurt out from his elbow -- something had managed to dismember his forearm. Barr's coal eyes shift to the side, looking at a figure who had just manifested beside him.
Lunalus: So, it is you the cause of all this ruckus... No wonder I felt a presence so strong. You're... Beautiful.
Lunalus grabs Barr's head with his right hand, bringing it close to his chest. Tears of joy streamed down his face, not unlike a father who pridefully held onto his son.
Lunalus: You wish to put an end to that man's life, more than anything... Do you not?
Lunalus' gaze locks onto Tyssa's, as he pulls away Barr's severed hand from her neck, releasing it painlessly. Upon holding it up to his elbow, it rapidly reconnects, with the flesh healing with inhuman velocity.
Lunalus: So did he... But, not anymore. He wants you to have him.
Barr was looking at Tyssa, his expression riddled with a deep sorrow.
Barr: T̴y̷s̷s̷a̶.̴.̸.̶ ̶I̵'̶m̶ ̷s̵o̶r̴r̷y̵.̶.̵.̸ ̴I̷'̶m̸ ̷s̶o̸r̶r̵y̸,̷ ̵T̷y̴s̷s̷a̷.̴.̴.̶ ̸I̷'̶m̸ ̸s̸o̴r̶r̷y̷.̶.̴.̵
Lunalus: Your deceased brother... He regrets the pain his death has caused you. Please, understand that his intention was not to cast his life aside simply at the whims of Cabdan. Barr wanted to save him from a life of loneliness... Of pain... Of torment. He did not want Yiel to have to go through what he himself did. That is the truth.
Barr sobs uncontrollably, his already difficult speech becoming utterly incomprehensible.
Lunalus: What has transpired here today is an exception. The next time we meet... It will be the last.
Lunalus makes Tyssa's sword float toward his hand, blade-first. As he holds onto it, it pierces his skin, drawing blood. He offers the handle to her.
Lunalus: Do what your heart tells you to, but be warned -- the wounds of your past cannot be healed by revenge.
She grabs onto the handle, fearlessly.
Tyssa: But I can prevent the wounds of somebody else's future altogether.
Lunalus shows her an empathetic smile, as he opens a dark portal using his left hand. In the meantime, Rel had finally caught up, although he was unsure what was transpiring. Tyssa did not seem to be in danger, although he recognized the man talking to her -- he was the very same who had killed Virno's mother not long ago.
Rel: You... You're that murderer! Why did you kill miss Anya?!
Joining Tyssa at her side, Rel pulled her away from the mysterious man clad in dark armor.
Lunalus: I killed her for the same reason I kill anybody else...
He guides Barr, who now seemed docile, into the portal.
Lunalus: Freedom... Absolute, perfect freedom...!
He steps inside. The portal dissipates, leaving Cabdan's defenceless sorry figure on the ground, with Tyssa and Rel looking down on him... His men had been slaughtered by Barr. The battlefield was eerily silent.