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" At the mention of the one-armed arcanist, the Sorrowweaver let out a scornful laugh.
"You think one armed human can defeat me?"
it asked, its voice dripping with derision. But Maro wasn't fazed. He knew that the arcanist was their only hope. "He may have only one arm, but he's more powerful than you could ever imagine,
Maro replied, his voice unwavering. The Sorrowweaver snarled, sensing no fear from these two warriors. It leaped forward with a fierce determination to end them both but was met with a powerful hex from the arcanist. The spell hit the Sorrowweaver with a blast of energy that shook the ground, causing the creature to stagger.
Zellrid and Maro seized the opportunity and charged forward, their blades were drawn. Zellrid's speed and quick strikes were no match for the Sorrowweaver's size, as he darted in and out of its reach, slicing at the creature's legs and arms. Maro's powerful sword strikes landed heavy blows on the monster's back,
shoulders, and neck The Sorrowweaver fought back with ferocity, using its long fingers to grab Zellrid and toss him aside. But Maro was quick to retaliate, thrusting his sword at the beast's heart. The Sorrowweaver let out a deafening howl as it stumbled backward, its massive form crashing to the ground.
Zellrid quickly regained his footing and joined Maro in their last charge. With swords poised high above their heads, Zellrid froze when he went to make the finishing blow: he noticed a hand with a ring that belonged to his mother. He was reminded of the time when he hadn't been able to find her body. Maro yelled out,
"Zellrid, what are you waiting for? Take him out!"
It was when Maro said those words that the Sorrowweaver screamed and unleashed its true power. Their blades cut through the air, as glowing blue energy burst from the Sorrrowweaver's body. The force shuddered through Zellrid and Maro, making them drop their swords in shock. Then the sorrowweaver uttered some ancient words, casting a spell on Maro that made him feel overwhelmed by sadness and regret for not being able to save his king earlier he was wanting to end his life
Zellrid felt as if he was unable to move like a great weight was pushing him down and making it almost impossible to take a step. He shouted out,
"Maro, "Don't let them control you!"
Maro's eyes were blank as if he couldn't hear anything. He was lost in his thoughts. the sorroweaver" Talked to Zellrid in a calm voice,
"Why do you fight? What do you hope to gain?"
Zellrid gritted his teeth and replied,
"I fight for those that cannot fight for themselves. I hope to gain a world where everyone can live without fear."
The Sorrowweaver chuckled,
"How naive. Your hopes are just illusions, boy. There will always be fear, always be fighting."
Zellrid couldn't disagree more. He refused to let the Sorrowweaver's words bring him down. He could see Maro slowly raising the sword to his chest. Zellrid knew he had to act quickly.
He shouted,
"Maaaaarrro, don't you dare die on me!"
Suddenly, a swift and powerful motion stunned the monster. It happened so quickly that it didn't even realize what had occurred until it was too late and had lost its balance, Serena glared at Maro and Zellrid, her voice dripping with contempt. "Pathetic and useless, aren't you two?" she sneered. Zellrid was delighted to see her; he asked,
"Why didn't you come earlier?"
But before they could continue their conversation, the monster interrupted them with a deafening roar of rage.
Zellrid and Serana readied their weapons, their eyes locked onto the Sorrowweaver as it charged toward them, its claws bared and ready to strike. Zellrid felt a surge of adrenaline rush through his body, his grip tightening around his sword as he prepared to strike. He knew he had to be careful and not let his anger get the best of him, for that was what the Sorrowweaver wanted.
The monster lunged forward, aiming a sharp claw at Zellrid's face. He easily dodged it and, with a swift swing of his sword, sliced off one of the Sorrowweaver's arms. The creature screamed in agony as bright green ichor trickled from its injury, releasing a noxious toxic gas that set the nearby trees alight.
Seana acted quickly and pushed Zellrid aside before he melted away in the acid rain. When she attempted to dodge the attack, she realized that one of the arms was still attached to the monster's body and was reaching out to grab her foot, preventing her from escaping She was badly burned in the accident and crumpled to the ground, injured.
Zellrid looked on, shocked, as he heard Maro cry out, "Not now!" He then watched him cut his own arm to break free from the monster's illusion Maro rose to his feet, wielding his sword and taking off the armor that had protected him: his eyes were ablaze with anger.
"The thrill of fear is what invigorates you, isn't it? You can feel it coursing through your veins?"
He swiveled around to address Zellrid.
"Grab her quickly and take her to camp. Get the soldiers to bandage her up. Leave this bastard for me.
Zellrid didn't hesitate to say
"Maro, I trust you to stay alive until I come back. Don't die!"
Then, he grabbed Serana and started running at lightning speed, his body emanating an electric aura At that moment, Maro realized he was nothing in comparison to the monster before him, Despite his desire to die with honor, he also wanted to help zellrid the sorrowweaver start mocking him
Maro yelled back
"You think you have won? You may win this battle, but not the war! I will protect my friends and defeat any monster that stands in our way!"
Maro ran towards the Sorrowweaver with rage and determination. He blocked every one of its attacks with precision; retaliating each strike with a powerful blow from his sword. The Sorrowweaver was surprised by Maro's sudden burst of strength and ferocity, unable to keep up with the warrior. Maro could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he fought, each strike landing with deadly accuracy.
His eyes gleamed as he watched the Sorrowweaver stumble back, weakened from his attacks. He could see the fear in its eyes; this was what he had been waiting for. With a final roar, Maro swung his sword down with all of the strength that he possessed. The blade connected with the monster's body
As Zellrid finally arrived at the camp, he bellowed at the top of his lungs for the soldiers to take action.
"Come on, you good-for-nothing slackers! Help her now!"
The urgency in his voice was palpable, and it spurred the soldiers into action As one of the soldiers sprinted towards him, they shouted at Zellrid:
"Where is Commander Maro, sir?"
Instantly, he responded:
"He's fighting the monster by himself. Unlike you lot who are just trying to survive! Now let me go and help him. Take care of Serana!"
Then, Zellrid harnessed the full force of his lightning powers to speed up so quickly that he became the lightning itself When he arrived at the scene, he felt as if time had slowed. He saw Maro on the ground, his sword broken and discarded nearby. The monster was about to consume him. Suddenly, lightning shot from his fingertips and struck the creature.
He felt a familiar rage coursing through his veins, much like the one he experienced during the accident of his past. His lightning morphed to a deep purple hue as he removed his coat and became topless, revealing scars from countless battles. The sorrowweaver felt something peculiar stirring inside him, different from any other opponent he had fought before the Sorrowweaver let out a taunting laugh,
"Do you think your magic is enough to scare me, mortal? You have no idea what I'm capable of."
But Zellrid didn't answer him; instead, he quietly approached the body of Maro, walking slowly toward it.
"Wait, what do you think you're doing?"
inquired the monster.
"I'm going to save him," Zellrid responded quickly. "In fact, I'll do more than that. I'll put you through an agony you can't even imagine, and I'll make you suffer for everything you did."
Once Zellrid arrived to Maro, he checked his breathing. It was shallow but at least Maro was still breathing The sorrowweaver's knuckles whitened as he looked upon Zellrid, and he thought of casting a spell to gain revenge. But then he saw the transformation in Zellrid's eyes - the fiery rage, the intimidating stature. He knew that if he were to make a move, it would be his last. Instead, he slowly backed away feeling a chill of death wash over him, Zellrid grabbed his friend's body and placed it beneath a tree away from the battlefield.
Once it switched from sorrow to wrath, Zellrid said to him
"Let's get out of here. I want to battle without limits. Come with me."
The sorrowweaver knew he had to obey the orders of Zellrid, no matter how difficult they were. He was walking with the glowing figure of Zellrid, far into a wooded area where there was no life or signs of life. But at the same time, he was scared of incurring the wrath of Zellrid if he didn't comply.
He felt like a lamb being led to slaughter. Zellrid then turned to Sorrowweaver and started letting his aura of purple lightning encompass his body, its power was immense enough that the trees and environment around him shuddered in response
"You will now face the consequences of your actions, but before you die, where did you find the corpse that was wearing the silver ring?"
The sorrowweaver replied,
"I took it from a destroyed village. She was delicate. Do you believe your strength can frighten me? Let me demonstrate my true power."
At that moment, Zellrid remembered all the anguish he had endured during that fateful night. His eyes changed to match the hue of lightning and a thunderous scream escaped his lips.
" I will kill you I will destroy you and I will give you fear"
The sorrowweaver cast a spell to freeze Zellrid's body. But before the magic could take effect, rapidly moving dots obscured the sorrowweaver's vision, and before he knew it, his vision cleared up to view a blur of dark steel coming toward him. It was Zellrid, one-armed and vibrating with energy so powerful that the sword in his hand glowed brightly from within as it descended upon its target - The sorrowweaver!
He shielded himself to protect against the blow but at this point, everything happened so quickly he could not predict the outcome. Luck seemed to be on Zellrid's side, as even with one arm his swordsmanship was so precise that he landed a critical hit directly upon the sorrowweaver with such power and accuracy that it penetrated through his magical shielding like rainwater pours down from the sky.
As if by the will of fate But Zellrid was livid and wanted Sorrowweaver to suffer before his death. He started slashing at anything in his reach with astonishing speed. A cry for help from Sorrowweaver attracted the attention of the Zolabnyk, and more than two hundred of them responded to aid him against zellrid fought theme all by himself he managed to single-handedly defeat them all and in the end, his sword was icy cold due to the amount of blood splattered on it. Finally when there were no enemies left standing Sorrowweaver pleaded for leniency, but Zellrid's response was firm:
"Mercy? Did you show mercy to those you killed and forced to suffer? No, I cannot show it to you. You deserve only suffering."
At that moment, the sorrowweaver felt a chill of terror run through his bones as he beheld the shimmering eye of Zellrid
" Please, I will be your pet, I will be your servant. Let my life-,"
Zellrid replied.
"Didn't you say earlier we-?"
He then dropped his sword and reached for the eyes of the Sorrowweaver, grabbing them and taking the ring from the hand he was holding away from his body. Once more, he thrust his hands into the sockets of his eyes and unleashed a powerful lightning bolt that rushed through the Sorrowweaver's body.
Within seconds, it disintegrated into ash. He snatched the ring and gazed at the image of Sorroweaver with contempt, muttering, “What an ugly bitch.”
As soon as the words passed his lips, the purple lightning faded away at that He recalled Maro and dashed towards his destination to rescue him. As he arrived at Maro Place, one of his soldiers had already taken hold of him and was attempting to bring him to the camp. Zellrid aided the soldier in bringing Maro back to camp and made sure to take his armor for him so he wouldn't be cold. The glow of his yellow eyes dimmed as they went along. Eventually,
they made it to the camp and placed Maro on the bed. They rushed to treat his wound, as the soldiers were in shock from seeing Maro's severed arm. One of the soldiers informed Zellrid that Commander Maro had lost a lot of blood and that Serana also needed blood to recover.
They were both in danger. Zellrid nodded in understanding and stared at Maro before turning to the soldier, asking his name
"Johan, sir," Johan replied.
Zellrid nodded grimly before he turned to the remaining soldier and commanded:
"I am going to venture into the forest and collect some medicinal herbs; I have the knowledge to make a potion, so do not disappoint me again. Have my orders been understood?"
The soldier nodded in acknowledgment and answered,
"Yes, sir."
Zellrid then took off into the forest to seek out his desired herbs. After some time he emerged from the shadows with a handful of medicinal plants. The glow of his yellow eyes had returned while he was gone, which illuminated him like a beacon in the darkness As he got closer to Maro, he began to mix the herbs together, humming softly as he worked.
After about ten minutes of stirring and whisking, the potion was ready. Zellrid tenderly raised Maro’s head and poured the potion down his throat. He then shifted his attention to Serana, who was quivering in agony nearby. Delicately, Zellrid lifted her up and drew his sword against his own skin to draw blood. Then he allowed Serana to drink from his arm. The soldier watching shouted that she would drain all of Zellrid’s blood. The arcanist smiled faintly and whispered into Serena's ear,
“Drink until you feel better.”
Zellrid watched as Serana drank his blood, her body starting to relax and show signs of relief. Zellrid was aware of the risks associated with providing his own life force, but he felt it was a risk worth taking for a friend. He held Commander Maro in his arms and gave him water to drink, feeling light-headed from the effort.
Nevertheless, Zellrid was determined to do whatever he could to aid them, so he ordered the soldiers to watch for them while he went to get food for the camp As Zellrid made his way into the forest once again, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The darkness seemed to have deepened and there was an eerie silence that surrounded him. His instincts were on high alert as he searched for anything edible to bring back to the camp.
Suddenly, he heard a deer in the distance, crunching on leaves and twigs Zellrid drew his sword from its sheath and slowly stalked towards the noise As he came closer to the source of sound, Zellrid was frozen in place when a large wolf emerged from the shadows. He observed its eyes, filled with sorrow and grief, As he stood there, a smirk on his face, he finally spoke.
"What's wrong, buddy? What's going on?"
the wolf let out a loud howl as if he was trying to give Zellrid a hint to follow him Zellrid noticed him and followed him into the forest, grumbling about why he never got a reset Suddenly, The wolf was crouching defensively in front of four hunters who were attempting to take his pups. Zellrid stepped forward and shouted out,
"Hey, stop!"
He then approached the animal and began stroking its fur, reassuring it that he could be trusted. Miraculously, the wolf seemed to understand, as it calmed down and sat obediently beside him Zellrid turned to the Hunters, and they were shocked by his unusual appearance - his black coat was so different from their clothing, and his eyes matched those of a wolf. It almost looked like he had become one himself. After a short while, one of the hunters spoke up
"You should know better than to interfere in our hunt, stranger. These wolves are a nuisance and need to be dealt with,"
the hunter said, his hand grasping tightly on his weapon zellrid respond
"I am an arcanist what kind of difficulties have the wolves caused you? and Is there a village located close by?"
The hunter snarled at Zellrid.
"We don't need to justify ourselves to the likes of you,"
he spat out, his eyes narrowing with anger But Zellrid didn't budge. He knew that these hunters were up to no good and he needed answers if ever there was a chance for peace between the humans and the wolves. He stepped forward, his hand still on the wolf's fur.
"Listen to me,"
he said in a calm yet firm voice,
"The wolves are not responsible for the deaths of people in your village; it was a creature called a sorrowweaver. I took care of him, and if you want proof, his body is near here. Go take a look and you'll see that I'm telling the truth"
The hunters looked at each other doubtfully, but Zellrid could sense their hesitation. He continued to speak with the confidence of a man who knew he had done the right thing. He attempted to explain,
"The wolves are only trying to safeguard their young, just like any parent would if their children were threatened."
Then he added,
"We have an injured man near here who defended you all and we require a doctor urgently. I am willing to pay for the service."
The hunters exchanged another glance and, after a moment's silence, the leader spoke up.
"Very well,"
he said,
"we will check out your claim about the sorrowweaver. And we do have a healer in our village who can tend to your injured man. Follow us."
Zellrid smiled, relieved that they had agreed to his terms. He followed the hunters through the forest, still holding onto the wolf's fur. As they walked, Zellrid couldn't help but feel a connection with the animal. He had always been able to communicate with creatures of the wild, but this wolf seemed especially drawn to him.
At last, they arrived at the scene and saw what remained of the zolabnyk and the boons of sorrowweaver. They were horrified by the ghastly sight and smell of the fallen zolabnyks and sorrowweaver corpses Zellrid watched as the hunters examined the bodies and nodded in agreement.
"You were telling the truth,"
the leader said grudgingly.
"We owe you and your wolf a debt of gratitude for protecting our village."
Zellrid nodded humbly, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He wondered about the strange connection he felt with the wolf, and why it had followed him. It wasn't normal for a wolf to act this way with a human, but he brushed it aside for now, focusing on the task at hand.
"Thank you, “I thank you for your assistance,”
he told the hunters.
“I will go with you and then return to my people to lead them"
The hunters nodded and led Zellrid to their village, which was nestled in a clearing surrounded by trees. As they entered the village, Zellrid was struck by the beauty of its architecture. The quaint cottages with sloping roofs, adorned with intricate wooden carvings and whimsical details, blended seamlessly with the natural surroundings. It was like a dream come to life, and Zellrid couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.
They passed by various cottages until they reached the healer's hut. The healer, an elderly woman with kind eyes, greeted them warmly and invited them inside But the hunters respectfully declined and informed the healer woman that they had only just accompanied Zellrid to her hut, and were now on their way to their own dwellings, leaving Zellrid in the care of the woman she gasped and said,
"Oh boy, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?"
As she spoke, her eyes were glued to Zellrid's amputated arm. Zellrid quickly told the woman he wasn't the one that needed to be healed, but instead, his friend, Maro, who had been injured and was having the same issue with his arm The woman eyed Zellrid with confusion before finally introducing herself.
"My name is Helena Mazur,"
she said warmly, her features softening a bit at the sight of Zellrid's arm
“Now tell me more about this wolf and why it followed you?”
Zellrid told her that the wolf his pet and companion Helena then told zellrid that she hope that the wolf won't enter her healer hut Zellrid assured her that the wolf was well-trained and obedient, and would not enter her healer hut unless given permission.
Helena gave a satisfied nod and Zellrid informed her that he was leaving to retrieve his people from camp so they could be healed in her hut and then, they continued on their journey. Zellrid took the wolf to its den, along with its pups, Zellrid halted and began to pet each of the little pups. He then spun around to face the wolf, addressing him directly.
“Our journey is over now, my friend. I wish you safety,”
he said solemnly. As Zellrid prepared to depart, a female wolf emerged from the cave, struggling to move due to an injured paw. Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a vial of potion that he had crafted earlier. Gently pouring the concoction onto the wound, he uttered in caring tones,
“Take care of yourself and your family, Wolfy”
. The creature seemed to understand as Zellrid sadly walked He trudged for a time until he finally arrived at his campground. Serana was there, alone by the fire, whilst a few soldiers stared in awe at her loveliness and her healing powers When Serana saw Zellrid, she ran over enthusiastically and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He was embarrassed,
as he had never felt someone's love or care for him before. Serana pulled away from the hug and looked Zellrid in the eyes, her gaze warm and comforting.
“How did it go?”
she asked, concern lacing her tone. Zellrid took a deep breath and looked around at the soldiers who were still staring at Serana.
“Can we talk in private?”
Serena's expression changed, and she nodded understandingly. Together, they walked away from the soldiers and towards the edge of the campsite. Zellrid recounted his encounter with Helena, the healer, and how he had left his wolf companion with its pups in the den. He also told Serana about the injured female wolf he had treated with his potion.
Serana listened intently to every word and when he finished, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“You have such a kind heart,” she said, admiration shining in her eyes. “Not only did you help those wolves but you also took care of all of us”
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Zellrid then coughed nervously, stammering
"Ahh, no it's not my job."
Serana tilted her head to the side, a small smile playing on her lips.
"But you chose to do it anyway,"
she countered. Zellrid shrugged, feeling his cheeks grow warm.
“I suppose an arcanist must help others, not just for gold but because it is the right thing to do,”
he replied gently. Serena's hand squeezed his shoulder gently before She gave him a light kiss on his cheek. Zellrid, blushing, muttered in surprise,
"Aah, look at this beautiful moon!"
then she said to him
"Perhaps it's not such a bad thing that I decided to come with you. At least now I don't have nightmares."
Zellrid smiled and said,
"I'm glad too."
He then handed Serana the ring he had taken from Sorrowweaver's body. With a shy tongue, he said,
"Take this ring, I think you'll like it."
Serana's eyes widened as she looked down at the ring in her palm. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry, crafted from silver and adorned with a sparkling amethyst stone that shimmered in the moonlight. Serana held up her hand, looking in awe at the ring on her finger.
"Zellrid, it's beautiful,"
she said quietly. "Thank you." Then, Zellrid stood and told her not to mention it before heading off to check in on Maro and prepare for their journey to the village where he could get healed words Then he spotted one of the soldiers following them, and he became furious.
"Hey, why don't you come over here and give me a kiss too!"
Serana giggled as she watched Zellrid scold the soldier while they walked towards Maro's tent As they arrived at Maro's tent, Zellrid knocked on the entrance before peeking inside.
"Maro, how are you feeling?"Maro lay on a bed, his face contorted in pain.
"I've been better,"
he groaned, wincing as he tried to shift his position. Zellrid walked into the tent and made his way to Maro's bed. He spoke in a reassuring tone:
"We can reach a village by nightfall, and you'll get the help you need. We should depart at sunrise."
Serana stood by the entrance, watching Zellrid and Maro converse. She couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for them all. They had been through so much already, with Sorrowweaver
Serana stared out the tent, mesmerized by the glistening stars and glowing moon. Suddenly, she heard a shuffling sound behind her. She spun around to find a wolf standing tall with its pack close behind. Her eyes widening in fear, she turned to Zellrid who was nearby.
"We may want to check outside the camp,"
she said, voice trembling slightly. Zellrid nodded his agreement and silently made his way toward the entrance of the tent. As he stepped outside, he saw the wolf standing a few feet away from him, its eyes locked onto his. Zellrid's heart raced as he realized that this was the same wolf he had confronted before The wolf pounced on Zellrid as if he was trying to devour him. But Serana noticed that the wolf was only playing with him and his cubs alongside Zellrid couldn't help but laugh as the wolf and his cubs nuzzled him,
their tongues lolling out of their mouths. It was a rare moment of joy in a journey fraught with danger and uncertainty. As he played with the wolf, a sudden thought entered his mind.
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"I think I'll change your name from wolfy to meat-wolf,"
Zellrid said, grinning.
"After all, you did bring us dinner."
Serana chuckled at the new name Zellrid had given the wolf, Meatwolf. She had to admit, it was fitting considering the circumstances. She observed Zellrid and the wolf frolicking together, soldiers doing a celebratory dance called the victory cry , after they spotted the deer that the wolf dragged They rarely had the chance to enjoy a delicious dinner like this one The rest of the night passed without incident, and as the first light of dawn broke through the trees,
Zellrid and Serana packed up their camp. Meatwolf and her pups watched curiously as they worked, but didn't interfere. Zellrid couldn't help but feel a sense of attachment to the wolf.
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