Shadow Born Legacy

Chapter 8: The End of the Line

The world smudged for Kael as the point of Darius's blade crept closer to his throat. His blood flowed unimpeded, and his body felt like it was shutting down, each passing second more excruciating than the last. He had thrown everything he could, every iota of his strength, but all seemed to go for naught. His eyesight began to darken, and for a second, he almost welcomed it.

But then Selis's voice burst through the fog, weak but desperate.

"Kael!"

The sound of her gasp cut through the night air, and Kael's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding in his chest. Selis her blood-stained body crumpled against the alley wall was still alive. And for a brief second, that thought ignited something inside him. A glimmer of defiance. A reason to keep going.

Darius's blade was a mere inches from Kael's neck, yet the bastard savored it, watching him squirm.

"I've always wanted to see you break, Kael," Darius whispered, his voice cold and venomous. "This is what you get for trying to run. For trying to escape."

Kael’s breath came in ragged gasps as he forced himself to his feet, each step an agony. Blood was pouring from his side, from his shoulder, and now his head was throbbing like a drum. But his eyes, they were fire.

"You think I’m broken?" Kael spat, his voice hoarse. "You don’t fucking know anything about me."

Darius's golden eyes glittered with some twisted amusement, and he let out a little chuckle. "I know enough. I know that you'll die like the rest of them. A worthless failure."

Kael's fingers strained around the hilt of his sword, despite the fact that his grip was loosening. His vision started to blur once more, and the ground was becoming very slippery beneath him. But he hadn't finished. Not yet.

With a roar, Kael lunged, his sword arcing through the air. Darius barely had time to raise his own blade to block the strike, but the force of the blow sent shockwaves through Kael's body. The pain shot through him like a dagger, but it didn't matter. The adrenaline surged, overriding the pain, pushing him forward.

Darius sneered. "You're an idiot, Kael. You always were."

They clashed again, their blades screaming against each other with a high-pitched screech, each hit sending sparks flying into the night. Kael's vision was blurry from the blood running down his face, but he could see Darius clearly his twisted smile, his gleaming eyes, his sickening confidence. It made Kael want to vomit.

"Is this it?" Darius taunted, his sword slicing across Kael’s chest. The wound was shallow, but it still made Kael stagger back. "Is this really your grand rebellion? Pathetic."

Kael wiped the blood from his eyes, grinding his teeth. "I’m not done yet, brother."

Before Kael could strike again, Darius backed off, raising his hand. "Finish them," he ordered.

The sound of boots hitting the wet ground sent a shiver down Kael’s spine. He didn’t need to look to know that more Shadowborne were closing in on him. Their footsteps echoed around him like the death march of the inevitable. They had him surrounded.

Selis’s voice broke through again, weak but full of fire. "Kael, run. Get out of here. I’ll slow them down."

Kael turned to her, seeing the blood staining the cobblestones beneath her. Her wounds were fatal. He could see that now, even if she refused to admit it.

"No," Kael growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I’m not leaving you."

She smiled weakly, her bloodied hands clutching her dagger. "You don’t have a choice."

The first of the Shadowborn assassins stepped forward, his sword glowing in the moonlight. Kael's heart was pounding in his chest. The fight wasn't over. Not yet.

But then came the unmistakable sound of a blade cutting through flesh, loud and brutal. The assassin's body fell forward, collapsing to the ground in a heap, his face frozen in a mask of terror.

Kael turned, sword lifted, poised for another blow. But what he saw made his blood turn to ice.

A figure was stepping out from the shadows, darker and thicker than the killers around him. A cloak of shadow seemed to follow him, like a shroud. And his eyes, gleaming red with a burning that spoke of ancient embers, may have been worse than his first sight. His movement was like nothing of nature, unnatural and swift as a storm.

Darius paused, his eyes furrowing in a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "What is this?"

The figure stepped forward, his voice low and gravelly. "This is the end for you, Darius."

Kael's heart skipped a beat. This man… whoever he was… he wasn't just another assassin. He wasn't even human.

Darius sneered. "Another fucking rogue, then. I don't have time for this."

The figure's hand moved too fast for Kael to follow. A flash of steel, and Darius's sword was torn from his grip, sent spinning through the air.

"No," Darius snarled, his eyes flicking from the stranger to Kael. "You don't get to finish me."

The figure didn't respond. He moved again, faster than a shadow, and before Kael could react, he had Darius on the ground, a blade pressed to his throat.

"Your time is up," the stranger said coldly, his voice almost otherworldly.

Darius's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't have time to scream. With one swift motion, the figure's blade sank into his neck, severing it with sickening precision.

Kael stared in stunned silence as Darius's body went limp, his golden eyes forever frozen in terror.

The figure turned towards Kael, the face of him hidden in shadows. "You're not out of danger yet," he said. "There are other people who will come."

His body was shaking now, his mind racing. "Who are you?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached under his cloak and pulled out a small vial. "Take this," he said, and tossed it to Kael. "It will keep you alive long enough to escape."

Kael caught the vial, his fingers shaking. "And why the hell are you helping me?"

The figure didn't answer, his eyes darting to Selis's limp form. "You don't have much time. Take it."

Kael's mind was a jumble, but his instincts took over. He uncorked the vial, the liquid inside glowing faintly, and drank it without hesitation.

The world tilted as his body became flooded with energy. His wounds began healing at an exponential rate, the pain dulling to a faint ache. His mind became razor-sharp as well, and he could feel a power coursing through him.

The figure stepped back into the shadows and vanished as quickly as he appeared. Kael was alone once more.

"Fuck," Kael said to himself.

And then the shadows around him deepened, and he heard it the tread of footsteps approaching, the smell unmistakable in its scent. More were coming. And this time, Kael wasn't certain if even the mysterious stranger's gift would save him this time.

It had only just begun.