My body skidded to a stop, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. My hand shook with strain and fatigue, the sword, powerful but taking its toll on my strength. Like daggers, my eyes pierced through the thin air from behind strands of dark, tangled hair.
The figure opposite straightened himself up, flexing his shoulders and fingers. Under the dark hood, I could hear him grinning, as if he was enjoying the encounter.
I gritted my teeth. My right hand was threatening to drop the weapon altogether. Now shaking violently, I swiftly switched hands. It landed heavily in my left, making no noise but a soft muffle against the padded gauntlet.
In the dead of night, the silver moon shone softly through the paned windows, sending distorted shadows dancing across the cold stone floor. Faded colours streamed outwards into the stone hall, eventually fading into the darkness.
As if the light was somehow afraid, it shattered as it met the back of the man before me, his dark aura devouring the light that dared touch him. He was a mere silhouette in the dim chapel light.
And then he was gone, leaving a floating ring of dust where he once stood. It seemed to hang there for a moment, then fell.
I whirled round, bringing my weapon before me as a body appeared and slammed into me with tremendous strength. We were skidding backwards, sparks flashing from our parrying swords. I glared and leant inwards; our intense faces mere centimetres away. He returned my snarl. My hair whipped around me as I was forced back at frightening speeds, skidding across the room and sending dust and small stones flying in all directions.
A dull pain struck me in my side as a fist plunged into my ribs. Crying out, I was pushed out from the battle of strength and found myself ramming into one of the support pillars. There was a huge crash, followed by the soft skittering of loose stones as they fell from the hole I'd just created. I grunted, slouching forwards. The pain was immense, shuddering through my body, as if I was being repeatedly hit by a stone giant.
I had no time to recover and gather my senses before he was striding forwards and wrapping a cold gauntlet round my exposed throat. I was pulled slowly to my feet, and higher. The sword clattered to the ground as my hands immediately attended to the distress at my neck, legs thrashing wildly. They scratched and tore at my enemy's hands, but to no avail.
He smirked wickedly, eyes piercing mine, as if they were weapons alone.
"Weak..." He said. His face seemed to sadden somewhat, sarcastically pitying me in this dreadful state, and my inevitable fate.
I tried to answer, but with no air to carry my words, I was left to dangle helplessly. My lungs started to sting, crying out for oxygen.
The thrashing grew weaker and less frequent due to lack of energy, and I found my vision blurring, his evil face spreading apart left and right like a ghostly image.
He dropped me to the floor with a loud thud.
All I could do was lay there, gasping desperately for air like a fish with no water. Sprawled across the floor, I tried to pull myself up. I was weak. I was tired. I was going to die.
With rough aggression, he kicked me back down, pressing his plate feet into my back, sending a stabbing pain flowing through my battered spine. I cried out again.
And then finally, I heard the soft whine of metal, shortly pressing against the back of my neck. The cold metal seemed strangely comforting.
"And so it ends." The blade pushed sharply at my neck and I felt a familiar trickle run down my neck.
"Don't you... dare..." My back heaved as I coughed roughly, a dark liquid spattering the floor by me.
He remained silent, but he didn't press further.
Grimacing, I croaked, "What would Drakel say now..."
I heard him sneer. "Why should I-"
"He is... your father!" I coughed again, the pain in my throat nearly driving me to tears.
That made him angry, although he withdrew the sword and bent down towards me. "That doesn't change anything!" He spat, fury consuming his dark face. "He never cared! He never cared about anyone or anything! That's why he's dead!"
My head turned away from him, ignoring the stabbing pain at my neck. "He didn't... have to die, Ross..."
He hissed spitefully through clenched teeth, "Don't call me that!"
"It's your name!" Anger bared its terrible fangs inside me, but my pained body betrayed no such thing. "How... can you leave behind... your past... your family... me!"
He kicked me hard, sending my beaten body skidding shortly across the floor, smearing my clothes in my own blood. "You wouldn't dare... I had no choice-"
"You... bloody well did... have a choice. Maybe you shouldn't have kil-"
"I had no choice in that either!" He spat at the floor. "You were all in danger. I saved your fucking lives and this is how you speak to me. That man was threatening to kill us all!"
"You had no right... to take his life." My chest stung sharply and a few seconds passed before I could continue, "Why didn't you... just call for help?" I turned my head to face him again, but wished I hadn't. His eyes burned with fury, his chest heaving with frustration.
"I am no coward!"
"So that's why... You did it... For mere pride?" My face saddened, looking up at him almost pleadingly.
"You wouldn't understand-"
"No I don't. I never will."
"That makes two of us." He glared fiercely down at my limp body.
"What do you-?"
"They sent you here to kill me!"
"Ross-"
"They ruined everything!"
"Ross, plea-"
"It's ALL THEIR FAULT!" A powerful arm threw the sword to the floor, crashing noisily before it clattered to a stop.
"I came here to bring you home!" I cried out to him, tears stinging my sky-blue eyes.
This made him stop. And for a short, sweet moment I felt the rage inside him calm a little. But to my dismay it rose even higher.
"You lying bit-"
"Why would I lie to you?" Tears streamed down my anguished face, and I sobbed hopelessly into the cold, dead floor. "I..."
"Yes?" He said scornfully.
"I... I love you..." I admitted sorrowfully and my heart ached.
He seemed taken aback at this, and for a while, a bitter silence fell upon us, upon the tainted chapel.
"That's why... why I married you, Ross."
"Good bloody reason that makes now..." He said gruffly.
"It could make a difference..." My hurt eyes looked up at his, and strangely his eyes no longer reflected the hatred there was previously, but a similar, hollow sadness.
"You... want me to return?" I could hear a small tone of disbelief in the question.
"I pleaded with them... They decided to let you off... You have a chance, Ross. We're all expecting you. Robert... Marie... Everyone."
"They... They really want me back?"And under that hood, I saw a glint of light reflected on the tear that formed beneath his eye, and dripped to the stone floor at his feet. With the tears, he dropped to his knees and gazed at me. "What have I done to you..."
I closed my eyes and breathed softly.
"I can't go back, Kelle..."
My heart skipped a beat. What was he saying?
"What... Why?" I asked desperately.
He turned his head, "Look what I've done! I was prepared to kill you! My own wife..." His voice cracked and disgust painted his face.
"You're coming home, Ross... It doesn't matter! Let's just go home together, and be happy again!"
"I can never be happy after today, Kelle... I could never live with myself..."
No. No not again. He's leaving me again. He's doing it again!
"Ross, my love, please don't do this to me..."
And then he lost it. He paced the floor, howling and slurring out angry words and curses, even clawing at his face till it bleed. Unrest filled the chapel, and filled me with unease. His anguish became mine as I realised everything was going wrong. This was not my husband before me... this was a madman.
His wails haunted me and I found myself crying out, begging him to stop. But it got worse.
Ross (as I once knew him) charged towards the altar, standing proud and golden in the fading moonlight. Upon the tabletop sat a huge book, the holy book the priests kept so lovingly. It was this book that my husband took up in his huge, muscular arms, and hurled it through the air. Dread overcame me, seconds before there was a horrific series of smashes. The grand window shattered, shards of coloured glass glinting as it fell. That moment seemed to last forever. That scene of a dark church, coloured sparks shimmering magically all around the man who stood screaming before the altar. It looked beautiful, even godlike. But reality returned, and it turned into something of a nightmare as everything came crashing down to the floor, shards of glass turning into a fine powder.
And then there was silence. The silence pierced the air, almost as much as the previous shattering. But nothing could pierce anything as much as anguish pierced my aching heart. My bloodied hand clutched at my chest as I curled in on myself, sobbing despairingly at what my wretched life. And as I watched weakly at my screaming husband, I wondered if it would hurt less to just... end it.
"What's going on here?" The huge wooden double-doors swung open as a group of men entered, a priest followed by a few soldiers, hurrying inside, blades at the ready.
Ross spun round, screaming at these newcomers and charged forwards, a relentless beast out for the kill, except I doubt that he even knew what he was doing anymore, as if a demon had invaded his body and soul.
I was expecting the priest to be horrified, even furious at the devastation that had occurred. But he stood there passively, an aura of calm sadness and understanding radiating from him.
One of the soldiers reached my husband and swung the blunt of his sword into his side. Ross grunted and slipped to the side, clutching his arm. He cried out again and charged, head butting the soldier to the ground clumsily.
Another soldier advanced, surprisingly female, and hit Ross on the head with the pommel of her sword. He grunted, swayed, then toppled to the ground.
"Men like him make me sick," the first soldier spat, an arm wrapped around his stomach.
The priest stepped forward, face calm. "He has been driven by sadness... He has not found comfort from the Light." Kneeling down, he placed a pale hand over the fallen man's forehead, fingers radiating a soft, golden light.
I did not know what he did, but I had a feeling it would be a good thing, if only temporary.
He looked up and saw me lying there, staring back at him. I saw his mouth mutter something as he hurried over to me.
"What happened?" He asked softly, kneeling again beside me, eyes filled with sadness and concern.
I moaned softly, my body aching all over. My throat still stung from my suffocation, ringed with purple scars. "I... I tried to bring him home... But it's been years. He is overcome with sorrow... I-" I explained, but found myself lost for words.
"Can you walk, my child?"
"With help..."
Immediately two of the guards, the woman and another, rushed to my aid. Gently, they pulled me up to my feet, pulling my arms over their shoulders and supporting me.
"We need to take her to the hospital, Father." Stated the woman. "I don't think we can carry her all the way."
The priest nodded. "Let's take her outside first," he said before looking to the soldier on his left, "Please take the man outside. I don't think we'll have to worry about him for a while."
A cold but refreshing breeze blew softly against my skin. I inhaled slowly, and my being calmed. The ocean lay before me, dyed black with specs of white from the full, round moon.
Then I found I could walk, and it didn't hurt.
"Miss?"
I wanted to see the ocean closer, breathe in the coastal air by the cliffs. The soft grass muffled my footsteps as I shuffled forwards, a little unstable.
I reached the edge and looked down. The waters were dark, but calm. Even welcoming. And then I saw him. I saw his beautiful face in the water, beaming up at me and calling me home.
"Miss, don't go too close to the edge!"
Then there was nothing. Air rushed past me furiously and I felt like I was flying. Flying free, away from everything! From my past, from my troubles, from my life. They would all go away.
"I love you, Ross..." I smiled.