Chapter 32: Blood of the Enemy

At first they were grateful that the Phantom was not the commander, but they soon learned that Elsor was a powerful force as well. With him as their leader, the Poes advanced faster. He used his strategic intellect to work around the Hermit and Maple, concentrating his army on where they were not. His military prowess was quickly shown as the Poes broke through the first outer wall to the town. Now only two remained.

The hope of the villagers was fast diminishing, and many were questioning their chances of success. Enormous crowds formed near Elsa's inn, everyone determined to see the Oracle of Secrets. They pleaded and begged, yearning for her to help them, to use her abilities. But each morning she would go outside and tell them, with sodden eyes, that she could do nothing –that their fate was in their own hands. The crowd would then disperse, and the Oracle would be left at peace.

But the next morning a new crowd would always come.

On the battlefield, the humans struggled to hold the second wall. A slew of catapults, protected by a line of archers, continuously sent boulders crashing into enemy lines. And yet, for as many Poes they killed, there were always more to take their places. The Poes outnumbered them, and as their commander, Elsor knew when the times called for restraint or for indulgence.

"Elsor has become a great threat," the Hermit stated, trying to see through the line of darkness as Elsor gave his orders in the distance.

"I agree." Maple nodded. "He may not be the Phantom, but he is certainly giving the Poes an advantage we cannot afford to allow. His maneuver before was ingenious. He ordered the bulk of his army to carve through the center of ours. Meanwhile, he instructed two small parties to infiltrate past the walls and enter the city. Elsor was believed to be in one of them, so we split up and followed the two groups. Well, it turned out Elsor was with his main army the whole time, and the two parties were decoys. His ruse split us up, and in the mean time the Poes demolished us."

"I am aware of his schemes," the Hermit said with disgust. "Something must be done about this Elsor, and I am afraid I am the one that must act. I am prepared to infiltrate the Poes' quarters and rid ourselves of the current predicament. I'll need you to stay here and take care of the troops on your own in my absence. Understand?"

Maple looked down, a grin across her face. "Why do you get to have all the fun?"

"Trust me," the Hermit lifted his hood, shading his eyes, "this will not be much fun." He lifted his arm and arced it in the air, preparing to summon the magic necessary to propel himself forward. "Take care of them while I'm gone."

The Hermit lurched forward, speeding through the air, pounding dust into the sky from the wind he created. He made sure to fly low to the ground so that he would not be seen. After inching closer to the Poes, he flew around the outside of the opposing army, still staying low to the ground. He had seen Elsor not too long ago, and so he knew just where to look.

The Hermit landed just outside of the Poes' camp, hiding behind a large boulder. He kept his hood up, and his arms were gripped tightly around his sword. He peered around the edge of the boulder, but quickly averted his eyes in surprise. Had that guard spotted him? He waited several moments, his heart beating quickly in wait, and sighed in relief when he heard nothing.

He looked again, slowly this time, and now the guard was looking away. Swiftly, he rolled across the grass, finding cover. He soon found himself directly below a cliff, the guard right above him. The Hermit edged his way up the cliff, and when the Poe wasn't looking, he pushed his sword through the guard's body before he could cry for help.

Flying low to the ground, Uriel continued through the enemy camp until Elsor was in view. The commander was just feet away from him, yet the Hermit knew it was not time yet. He continued to shield himself from view, waiting for Elsor to go where there wouldn't be hundreds of Poes springing to attack once he killed him. The Hermit did not wait long. Within a few moments, the commander flew away from camp, upon a hill.

Elsor's back was turned, and Uriel stepped closer, holding his blade forward. He was just about to strike when the commander said,

"I know you're here."

"How?" the Hermit asked in surprise, lowering his blade.

"I've known since you arrived," he answered. "I knew you wouldn't dare move until I brought us away from camp, and so I did."

"Why would you seek your own destruction?" the Hermit asked, lowering his hood.

"Oh, I don't look at it quite that way."

Both opponents suddenly reached out to one another, pressing their blades against each other. They had both acted at the same time, looking to surprise the other, but it turned out they had thought too similarly.

The Hermit broke free from the clash first, drawing backwards, and then swiped his blade forward once more. Elsor parried the blow, turned to the side, and attempted a downwards swipe. Uriel blocked the black sword, reaching out to attack once more.

"I'll admit, you are skilled," Elsor said. "But we play by different rules." Catching the Hermit by surprise, Elsor unclenched his hand and threw dust into the Hermit's eyes. Uriel staggered backwards, blocking Elsor's sword strikes by mere instinct before he opened his eyes again. But he tripped as he stepped backwards, and he fell to the ground.

Elsor's dark blade wavered over him. The commander dropped his sword down, looking to dig the blade into the man's chest. With a quickness bereft of Elsor's knowledge, the Hermit turned to the side at the last moment, and the sword dug into the earth. Uriel, facing the other way, brought his sword to his side, and in one fleeting moment, thrust the blade backward, making contact with Elsor. The Hermit turned around and grabbed the commander, the blade still within him. He covered Elsor's mouth so that he could not scream, and dug the sword deeper within him until no life was left, and no struggle remained.

Then he laid the lifeless shadow down, releasing the sword.

"Our rules may be different," Uriel began, sheathing his sword, "but we play the same game."

With difficulty, the Hermit snuck away from the Poes' camp and returned to Maple. She was having a difficult time holding up the troops on her own, and so the Hermit's appearance was a great sight. When she saw him walk up to her, she embraced him.

"They're getting closer," she said, releasing him. "I was beginning to think they had killed you."

The Hermit smiled. "It's going to take a lot more than an army of Poes and their devious commander to stop me." He withdrew his sword, readying it for battle once more.

Maple let out a gasp. "Hermit, look at the blade." He looked and saw blood tainting it.

"So?"

"Look closer."

The Hermit lifted the sword to his eyes, reflecting the setting sun's light upon it. He gasped as well. "What kind of creature was Elsor? Where did he come from?"

The blood was as black as onyx.