Chapter 8 Horn

Fuko–

As I looked up at this or what was left a man. All I could think about was his notable feature. This man stood before me, seven feet or even taller, his muscles were unreasonable. Vain constantly popped out of his skin whatever showed. wearing a knight's helmet, probably was too small for him. He carried a large war hammer, with engraving on the base of the hammer and a leather stitch handle. At the end was a large red gem Property for noble or rich sums. He was wearing a helmet,  It wraps around his head, the helmet squeezing his head like a tin can ready to burst open. His eyes, a red color with black iris eyeing me down internally, I couldn’t tell if they were ready to pop out of his head because of the helmet or how angry he was.  But the most notable part is his horn.

His horn poked out of the side of the helmet, showing that it was forced on him. His horn grew up and then judged forward. I unconsciously touch my own head. Gliding my hand across until I reach the end feels the point. 

“My name is—- johnnnn…..” it said. With a harsh rusty voice like someone was choking while trying to talk. 

“Congrats, you remember your name” is all i retorted .

“Befo–re killll.. you, was is…. name?” John said

I simply looked at him in surprise not because of what he asked me but more of why. Why is this thing asking for my name?  There is no pride or reason to ask besides It's no longer human. Then I answered my question, my hand still rubbing against the horn sprouting out of my forehead. “Yeah no longer human,” I thought. 

My finger ran down the black horn and then rubbed my left eye.

Shacking my head to escape from my thoughts, I grabbed my blades in front of my waste and took a battle stand readying myself for what was to come.

“Why the fuck would I tell someone who lost himself in the drunk of power.” I pointed my blades at the giant monster that stood before me. As my other hand pulled out a second blade, now resting on my shoulder. 

This giant monster, also named John and I just stopped there. He was twitching slightly. The Both of us standing in the hallway, dearing not to move.

I simply stare at the man, I know he can not a single sentence but it’s not stupid. He was a warrior or even a soldier judging by the last sentence. He takes pride in fighting, so I shouldn’t take this recklessly or see him as an animal that can talk. If one of us takes the first attack and fails. That will put either one of us at a disadvantage. 

Tighten my grab on my blade so hard that my fist turns white, daring not to let go of them or scared of letting them go. 

Without a warning, John who was standing there. Eye me like a hawk staring down his prey. Roar a deep, thunderous sound that reverberates through the hallway, sending shivers down my spine at first, more like catching me off guard. A guttural, primal noise rises from the man's chest, filled with power and raw emotion, John raises his war hammer over his head while launching forward toward me.

I dodge the attack sidestepping to the left. The hammer hit the ground of the hallway so hard, that it cracked and left a massive indent on the floor. John darted his eyes red at me and quickly retreated his hammer from the ground. It moved but it was still stuck in the ground. 

Noticing this and not missing a beat, I forward. Launching and grabbing the map's giant frame like claiming a tree, I pulled out my blade and Struck toward the man's neck. Wear there was some exposed skin. With all my force, my blade landed with the point of the blade aiming straight for the neck.

then, nothing. No blood, no feeling of metal cutting into flesh. My blades just stop at the base of the skin, not even piercing it. No, I couldn’t pierce into the skin. 

“Shit” I spoke aloud.

For a Moment I was stuck, Failing to fall back or pulling a blade to prepare another attack. John grabbed me from my leg, yanking me off them and throwing me away like a child throwing a toy across the room. 

In that short moment, all I saw was a spinning room, every became distorted. Almost regurgitating the meal I had earlier, I hit the wall and bounced off, slowing my Rapid Twirl. When I saw the floor or short frame of the floor I quickly dug my hand into the floor Halting and made myself stable once again. My vision was so bitter and confusing. Even though i was still, i still see everything spinning. 

Rubbing my eyes, hoping it would clear my vision. Giant loud footsteps headed towards me, i pulled my hand away from my eyes once i did all i saw was a giant hammer inches from my face. 

I didn’t even felt the impact of the hammer, but before I could even register what happened I was sent spilling into the wall, breaking through a couple several walls. Leave a giant hole in the wall. Landed myself in a shelf of books, now broken, brooks and paper in the air. Maids and servants screaming, running around, asking what happened. When one of the maids, a girl with brown hair, saw me and asked if I was ok? I said nothing, just stared at her. The site of me, she leapt back and ran. Brushing away the odd situation, I pulled myself up from the now destroyed book shelf. Once I was on my two feet again, I looked around the room. 

“A library?” I spoke to myself. 

A sharpe pain was coming from my lower abdomen. I looked down, a wooden spike was sticking out of me. 

“King… will reward …me.”  A familiar voice was coming from the hole where i was sent out of. He stepped into the room where I was. 

“Weakkk… easy” he said. 

Pulling out the wooden stick from my abdomen, a trail of blood leak out, grunted from the pain that came with, “weak?” I said looking down at my hand at the spike with my blood on it. Then my red and green eyes stare at the man with horns  staining in front of the hole in the wall “Come here and prove it.”

A loud noise came from inside the castle, then another. 

Two kight wearing shiny metal armor walking down the hallway. 

another loud explosion can be felt, vibrating the floors and walls. The knight quaked from where they stood. 

“What was that?” one of the knights said.” A man with blonde hair, wearing a red cape along his back. 

“I do not know, we feel similar quakes down from the basement but was told not to worry about it. But this feels more visceral.” The other man said 

“But I'm not sticking around to find out, let's get out of here?” 

As they started to walk away, to leave the castle for good, a man dressed in black, holding two blades past them almost leaping form floor to wall in a blur. 

the knight thought “What was that?”. The man with blonde hair turned to look at this companion to see if got to see the pasting figure, once he looked over all he saw was a large metal base staring beside him. He look down at the floor to see a red liquid leaking from the floor, and at the base of the hammer. ‘Huh?” Is all what was said form the man. Turning around even further, regretting instantly he saw a giant looming over him, breathing like a wild animal. Horns protruding out of his head.

“What the fu-“

A hand slammed the knight against the wall, like a person swatting away a fly. 

“he fast, despite his size And swaying the weapon with no problem” is all i though. Leaping and bouncing around without trying to get hit by hammer is harder than i thought.

Once again the man swings the destructive war hammer randomly.

“AUUHHHHAA!!” The man screams in frustration.

”You sound like a dying pig” I commented. 

If this continues, i'll run out of stamina and get hit with that, thinking to myself. I consider my options. Then i realize, there was a scar running down his right hit. I didn’t notice before because of the small helmet he was wearing. 

His right eyes is blind, taking in this face. I jump now, leaping next to the wall. Then I waited. When the man saw this opportunity I gave him, he raised his hammer to his side like a bat then with all his force hurled towards me. 

I need to dodge at the last moment, so he won’t recoil and strike again. A gamble I thought. 

As if everything was in slow motion, seeing the hammer inch, no centimeter from my head. If I don't time this just right. My head will splatter against the wall. 

Dead

No, i can not die here. Not yet.

with the flat base of the hammer badly touching my nose, i gave out my knees, my whole body drop to the ground in an instant. I saw the war hammer hit the wall, where I was just standing. Pulling myself out of the grip of death, remaining myself of this small opening that was already slipping away. I quickly crawled out beneath the hammer, I tightened the grip of my blade, then I cleared the distance between me and john. 

That man had no idea what was going on just now. I was in the air, holding my blade in my hand. 

Like a blur, a hand swiped grabbing me in mid air. John grabbed me, with his giant hands wrapping around me, one of my hands free but I couldn't move. John tightened his gib, I grunted in the pain. John pulled me closer, face to face.

”weak…” is all he said before hardening his grab around my ribs and waste. Tighter and tighter, I can feel my ribs cracking and breaking. The bone piercing my lungs, My organs forcefully cling together. Acidic blood rose up from my throat and out of my mouth. 

My eyes felt heavy, but I could feel myself moving. John pulled me closer, almost inspecting his work. With my remaining strength I grabbed his right horn and yanked with all my might. Understand, he was surprised to know I was still conscious, let alone breathing. 

Inches from his face, and with a mouth filled with blood. I regurgitated what was left in my mouth into his eyes, blinding the man. Letting his of hand that was binding me, i fell onto the ground. On my hands and knees then coughing up the remain blood. I can feel my body lose. I can feel my organ shaking out of place like someone shaking a bag filled with water. No Structure. 

But I had no time to think like this. I looked up to see John trying to wipe away the blood from his eyes. I’m not letting this go. Trying to stand up, feeling my whole body trying to give out, refusing to listen, but I pushed through the pain that was spreading through my body. Lunging myself upward, the man tried to swap away me but i dodge and got closer. Taking my blade, i impaled it into the man right eyes, where i first notice the scar. The feeling of metal piece against raw flesh was so femailar. A smile grew on my face think i won think little fight. 

oh how i could be so wrong.

Once again, the man grabbed me from my clothes, ripping me away from his face. Then slamming me into the ground. 

My air left my body as soon as I hit the ground, my vision turned to black to back to reality. Quickly trying to regain myself but failing knowing everything could end right here. With my blurry vision, all I see is a man holding a hammer above his head. Then black.

All I saw black. A shape ringing came from my head but still, I tried opening my eyes but nothing. I’m not sure if I'm opening my eyes or not. For that moment I didn't feel anything. It felt like sleeping, but I was awake? I tried moving my arms or legs but I didn't feel anything. 

“This isn’t so bad” i spoke to no one in particular. “I could finally sleep”

”hey fuko”

A voice brought me back but I was still seeing darkness around. I tried or I thought I was turning my head to see who was speaking. 

“Do you still remember our promise right?”

The voice sounded so familiar, yet so foreign. No, it was a voice that I hadn't heard for a very long time. Why was I hearing her now?

”because. Umm… your me matches my me. Hehe”

The voice sounds embarrassing? Yet happy. Happy to finally said it.i waited for a moment, waited for her to speak again. But things came. Just my thoughts in this void. 

Promise…

Oh yeah, I remember.

my eyes open wide, finally seeing where i was instead of the black void. I was laying on my back on the floor. My eyes was stairing at the a ceiling with a hole in the center. My first thought was to

breath.

I couldn't breathe, shooting up now on my knees. Clenching my chest, then a tank of fresh air entered my lungs. 

Never have I felt so glad to take in the air again. After my breathing returning to normal, I placed my hand over my mouth, something from my throat was urging to come out. I couldn't control it, I was coughing uncontrollably. Then a surge of blood escaped from my mouth. 

Pulling my hand away from my face, looking at my paw. Blood stained my hand.  A shape pain when I throw my head. Rubbing my head with my other hand. Fleeing something warm and fluid. Pulling my hand away form my head, now both of my hands side by side. Both covered in blood. I simply looked at it with unease.

With blood running down my head, I placed my hand rubbing it trying to ease the pain. 

BANG, BANG!!!

I looked around the room to see where the noise was coming from. Then a small bit of rock started to fall from above. 

Looking up, I could see the ceiling starting to crack, and grow from there. Then another loud noise came from the ceiling. I could see the whole ceiling and the chandelier shaking and vibrating. It almost sound like someone hitting a floor with a hammer—- fuck.

With the loud sound, the ceiling finally collapsed. I leap back to avoid the falling rumble. I shielded myself from the smoke and falling rocks. Looking up, a previous hole that was once on the ceiling now five times its size, and looking ahead of what was in front of me. A man kneeling on one knee, supporting himself with a hammer with a long staff. Still the smoke hadn't settled yet but I knew who it was. 

Taking the opportunity to look around the room to see what my options. A large circle-like room, in front of me layed a large wooden door with gold pillars on each side, and on each side of the door are giant statues. Like angels, one was holding a shield and the other holding a sword. 

I need to end this, my blade still at my side. I stood up.

“Not D…dead?” The man with horns said. Slowly standing up, eye me curiously. 

“I hate using these, it makes me feel like shit at the end”.  pulling out two bracelets with a chain connected to it. I put on the bracelet now worn on my upper arm, grabbing one end of the chain, I connected it to one of my blades. I did the same to the other side as well. Swing the blades like a ball to a sting. A smile forms on my face. 

“I am ready to end this.” Is all I said, reading myself, swinging two of my blades at my side. The blades scratch and quickly drag the ground. 

End of Chapter 8