Integrity

Waterfall was truly beautiful. The cascading pillars of water from the distant cavern ceiling, embraced by darkness less sparkling teal gems and scattered lanterns. spoke wonderful calmness. The stream beside her glowed a soft blue as she hopped quietly from rock to rock, barely making a sound as she moved. Ever since she had left the Ruins she had kept to herself, watching the monsters from the distance, avoiding their sight. The odd creature who did strike up a fight with her was left untouched and confounded as she leapt nimbly around their attacks, never considering striking back.

She had been raised right, and she sure as hell wasn't going to change that now.

A long, flat room panned out in front of the child. A stream meandered lazily through it's centre, casting an eerie light upon the cave. Plumes of grass rose from the floor, tall enough to serve as a hiding spot she mused, still prancing softly across the stones. She peeked inside one of the taller thickets, pushing fronds covered with small beetles and spiders aside, a worn flyer fluttering past her leg. For a moment, the rustling of the grass in her hands, combined with the seemingly unearthly ambience of the cavern pulsed a wonderful serenity into the girl, and her situation didn't seem so bad. For a moment.

"Human...don't you dare move...a muscle." A raspy, claustrophobic voice called out from behind her.

She froze, an icy breeze flowing up her back, her breath running shallow. This monster was different, she could feel it.

"Good...you at least know how to follow orders….Now….turn around….slowly."

She released her grasp on the fronds, and gently turned on her heel. Before her stood a lightly armoured knight, red robes flowing from a hood down to below his knees. In each hand sat a glowing orange rapier. Their eyes met, his cold stare holding no semblance of mercy.

"Human...I am a member of the Royal Guard….King ASGOREs personal human hunting force."

Her lip quivered, mind racing as the man before her took a step forward, a hunch making each step unpredictable. Her hand reached behind her, feeling the grass once more, praying that they be her escape.

"My….orders are clear...you are the real enemy."

Beneath his hood, she began to notice the grim semblance of a smile forming, a smile that breathed pure malice.

"So...stand still while I…"

And she was gone. the grass gave a slight crinkle as she pushed, kicked and forced her way through it, becoming entangled, and escaping each and every time. Her elegance of movement had disappeared, this was survival. Her heart beat fast, mouth ran dry, tormented by the sounds of the guards laughter, laughter that seemed to come from all around her. Finally she was free of the thicket, sprinting towards a cave mouth, beyond which glowing crystals called.

Three steps away.

Two steps away.

One step away.

The cavern glowed a deep orange for a moment as the guards rapiers appeared in the opening, interlocking into a large 'X', blocking the passage. She ground to a halt, tripping and falling backwards less she touch the blades. The guard emerged from the grass, still roaring with stilted, grating laughter.

"Well wasn't that….exciting?" He taunted. "Sadly, all good things….must come to an end. Goodbye human….you will not be missed."

The rapiers appeared back in his hands, as he brought them in a large curving arc towards her. She rolled desperately out of the way, and was back on her feet...cornered.

She stopped, thinking about hitting back, thought about striking down this truly evil creature. She thought about why she was here now, and shook her head. Arms outstretched, she posed herself elegantly back onto the tips of her shoes, staring him down.

His smile only became more hateful.

So it continued. He would attack, putting all of his hate, all of his frustration into each blow, and she would simply avoid it, prancing out of the way at the last moment, before striking back with only a pose. The symphony of the cavern was all the music she needed, the calming stream and gems far above her audience, her Integrity her guide.

Blow after blow missed its mark. Try as he might, he could never quite strike her. He tried feinting, out stepping, charging, but each and every time she could avoid him. His fury only grew, his face twisting into a grim facade of wrath, his stamina...dropping.

She could see him getting tired. His swings began losing power, his face ran with sweat, his steps shorter and his breathing shallower. But still she managed to outmaneuver everything, no hint of fatigue playing upon her mind.

Then it happened. He missed a final sweep, and fell upon the ground, his body wrought with exertion. His breathing became hoarse.

"Do it then human…..finish me….I have failed...have you any mercy...end my wretched life."

She stood there for a moment, staring down at the shaking form of the monster who had been trying to rid her of life for the entirety of the battle. The creature who, a moment ago, would have liked nothing more than to cut her down relentlessly. The sad, alone entity which had made this his life, who was willing to lose his life in failure, who had poured his hopes and dreams into contributing to his people's freedom, and who had failed. Slowly, she extended a hand.

"Wha...what are you...doing? Kill...me."

She remained still, hand extended.

"After all...of this...you would still…"

The room was quiet.

He extended a hand to meet hers, pulling himself up into a kneeling position. Their eyes met. Her face the picture of mercy, gratitude painted on his.

"Thank...you...human."

She saw the change in his face too late. A grim painting of venom laid below his hood. A flash of orange framed her cry of pain, as a dull feeling spread across her torso. Looking down, she saw the slowly expanding bloodstain run around the blade of the rapier. She crumpled backwards, breathing in short, staggered breaths, and rested against the cave wall. In the cave mouth stood another figure, one that had gone unnoticed until now, cast in shadow. She could make out his broad shoulders...flowing robes…...his grim expression.

The world blurred around her, the voices of the figures becoming more and more distant as her eyes began to close. If nothing else, she thought to herself, she had never once betrayed her morals.

Then she was gone.