CLANG!

My dual saber slammed hard on the monster’s sword, its blade edging in closer and closer towards the beast’s head. I saw its biceps flex and I relaxed my body as it launched me backwards, my feet sliding through the dirt as bent low to the ground. My gaze flicked over towards my fellow villagemen fighting for their lives against the monsters that had plagued our lands for years now. They were faring about as well as I was and pushing the enemy back, but I was honestly so, very, tired. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take.

“Haven’t you had enough yet?”

It was like it had read my mind, and that was a bit disorienting, not to mention disturbing and slightly disgusting. The last thing I needed was being able to identify with it.

Grimacing, I assumed an aggressive stance, holding my dual saber parallel to the ground as I lowered my center of gravity. The beast, with its red eyes flickering with some semblance of intelligence, glared over at me, its sword held high in the air as it faced me with its left arm outreached. The two of us stood there, staring each other down. I could feel the beads of sweat roll down the back of my neck and I tightened my grip on my weapon subconsciously.

It just continued staring at me -- for a second, I thought I would have to make the first move. I gritted my teeth.

Then, out of nowhere, the beast burst into action, its large nostrils flaring as it charged at me, almost flying across the ground at me. It slammed down its sword and I wasn’t prepared for the sheer amount of force that bore down on me. Gasping, I tried to hold strong, but felt my back leg start giving out on me. My muscles screamed at me, with every part of my body starting to tremble as I fought back.

I saw it lift its giant leg and I readied myself to brunt the oncoming kick, but we called them “monsters” for a reason.

Its foot caught my side and sent me flying feet away, my weapon spinning far out of my grasp. I hissed in pain as rocks and dirt scraped against my skin until friction kicked in and I lay on my back, breathing hard. Groaning, I blearily saw the monster coming for me and I patted the ground around me for some kind of weapon -- anything to kill this thing. I grasped something hard and looked at it with squinted eyes.

The rock looked as stupid as I felt at that moment.

I tossed it just as the beast slashed down at where I was, my body kicking into action as I pushed off the ground, sliding in the dirt on one knee. The sword slashed through the air towards my neck and my eyes followed it as it barely cleared over my lowering body in almost slow motion.

Using the momentum in my favor, I slipped into a full backwards flip to regain a better fighting position and immediately ducked down again as it slashed through the air at my head again. My fingers clawed through the dirt and launched a spray of dust and dirt at its eyes, taking a bit of glee in the roar of pain it gave in return.

Catching a glint of something metal from the crystal moonlight, I raced around the brute and dove for my weapon, sliding back onto my feet as I used both hands to whirl it around.

“AHHHH!”

My feet propelled me forward while I belted out a war cry of my own, my weapon an edged disc with how quickly I spun it around. It turned just as I was coming upon it, my dual saber with a dangerous blue sheen as I swung it around towards its body. The monster barely brought up its sword to parry, our metal clanging hard against each other. I rocked back, spinning backwards as I swung my weapon around again to try to stab one of its blades into the creature. The blade sliced through part of its arm, making it bellow loud and clear for all to hear.

I knew this was my chance.

My sword following my every command, its nearest blade slashed across its thigh, leaving a large gash as the beast cried out and fell to the ground. I raised my weapon high into the air, both hands holding onto its grip and I slammed a blade straight into its stomach, making it scream.

“IT HURTS! AHHH! MERCY!”

Its pathetic cries, quite frankly, pissed me off.

“Mercy?” I asked hoarsely, completely full of disbelief. “You-... You want mercy?”

I swung my left hand out at the dead land surrounding my village where not a single piece of vegetation would ever grow again.

“My people died...because of you-- you things!” I yelled at it. “You brought this war to us, and you act as if you’re the victims? How dare you!”

It closed its eyes in pain, its breathing labored. The monster looked at me with some… Was that anguish?

“Why do you blame us,” it breathed out, “when you killed us first?”

“Wrong!” I yelled back, pointing my saber down at it. “You invaded our lands! Drove us back to the edge of the beyond! Stole our people, and left us to rot with nothing!”

The beast seemed almost as if to smile, blood trailing out of its mouth as it stared up at me. “...Did Rasthath… Teach you...that, too?”

My blood immediately boiled upon hearing that name. “How the fuck do you--!”

It lifted its beefy arm, its fingers tracing out the figure of a sun and a moon joined together. With a deep, harsh breath in, it whispered,

“May the...light of gods...yield to my--”

I slammed my dual saber into its throat, and its screams bubbled out as orange blood shot out like a geyser. The beast flailed and struggled, its eyes wide with fear and pain as it reached out towards me again, almost begging me to end its misery. I watched on, my left hand clenching into a fist as I struggled inwardly to force away my anger and...confusion. I turned away, my breath sliding out slowly as I ignored its plight and headed back towards my village.

I felt…

Dirty.