The Fallen God's Redemption

Chapter 15: Blood on Earthless Ground

I looked at a quick movement among the trees-a flutter of shadow. Tensing, my hand moved naturally to the hilt of my blade, my senses sharpened. The shadows changed, grouping into figures with a terrible, predatory elegance, their eyes shining with a desire that made my blood stop cold.

Driven by the spirit of mortal anguish, they were shadows, distorted remains of the battles that had previously raged here. Their bodies were hardly human, their faces twisted with a mix of agony and wrath mirroring the c*****e this area had seen.

Atheon pulled his firearm, his eyes sharpening. "Created from the souls of those who fell here, these beings are linked to this ground. They are cursed to roam and exact retribution on anyone who come within their territory.

I nodded, a burst of will starting within me. These beings were no different from the shadows I had encountered before or from the wraiths that had followed my road. They were echoes, traces of a history that defied easy forgetfulness.

The creatures rushed forward, their forms changing to mix into the shadows, their silent yet lethal motions. Rising my blade, I felt the familiar weight of the relic pulsating in my hand, a reminder of the might I had taken back.

With fast, elegant motions and claws outstretched, eyes ablaze with a fire-burning hunger, the first beast lunged. I answered its strike; our blades clashed, and the sound of that raw, primordial force permeated the clearing.

Every blow tested my endurance, served as a reminder of my mortal constraints, and clung to my every movement vulnerability. But I battled with a will that burned through the suffering, a grounding reminder of the commitment I had promised.

The animals rounded, their black intelligence shining in their eyes, their motions deliberate, exact. They were testing me, looking for flaws, running on every weakness, every pause. I resisted, though, not allowing their delight in watching me stumble.

Atheon battled next to me; his motions were erratic, his attacks exact, each one bursting with a quiet, relentless force. He moved with an elegance that suggested years of instruction, a familiarity with warfare that brought back memories of my own days as a god of war.

Still, I could feel the weight of mortality crushing down, the effort of every action, the agony in my muscles, a reminder of my limitations even as we battled. These animals had no intention of letting us escape alive; their strength derived from the suffering that had defined this place and they were unrelenting.

One of the beasts pounced at me, its claws brushing my shoulder and causing a terrible, searing agony. Breath came in ragged gasps, the world whirled as the pain grew, a reminder of the fragility that clung to me like a shadow. I fell, barely catching myself.

But as I stabilized myself, a surge of energy surged inside me, a flutter of the power I had recaptured, the strength that lay inside me, tempered by goal, by commitment. Ignoring the suffering, I gritted my teeth and concentrated on the beast before me, the reminder of the darkness that had formerly defined me.

I swung my blade with a last, determined swing, the edge cutting through the creature's shape to dissolve it into shadows that vanished into the air and left just stillness in their wake.

The surviving species hesitated, their motions erratic, their eyes flickering with doubt, a knowledge of the strength that had vanquished one of their own. But they were confined to this spot, cursed to seek retribution, to seize the lives of everyone who ventured inside their dominion.

Their shapes merging into a single, merciless force, their eyes shining with a thirst burning like fire, they surged together. Feeling the weight of their attack crushing down, the raw force of their anger permeated the air, a reminder of the lives lost here, the blood that had sunk into the ground, bracing myself.

But even as the animals closed in, I felt a burst of strength-a reminder of the power I had reclaimed-the will that had carried me so far. Rising my sword, I felt the relic pulse within me ground me and reminded me of the road I had chosen, the promise I had promised.

I swung my blade with a last, rebellious shout, the energy exploding from me cutting through the monsters, disintegrating them into shadows that vanished into the air leaving just quiet in their wake.

The clearing went silent, the echoes of war fading, leaving just the silence of mortal ground, a memorial to the lives lost, the sacrifices defining this place.

Atheon rested a hand on my shoulder, his eyes quietly respectful. "Kaelan, you fought quite nicely. Few could have encountered those beasts and come out clean.

I nodded, the weight of his comments falling over me, a reminder of the strength that lay inside, the resolve that had brought me across the conflict. Even as I felt the pride of success, though, a sliver of uncertainty crept into me, a reminder of the vulnerability clinging to me, the weakness bounding about.

"This place... it is a reminder of mortality," I remarked softly, staring at the clearing, the ground covered in blood-stained recollections of life lost, of battles fought and won.

Atheon nodded, his face austere. "Kaelan, mortality is a gift as much as a burden. It helps you to remember your limitations. But it also teaches you courage, resiliency, a drive no god could ever comprehend.

I inhaled deeply, felt the weight of his words, the reminder of the road I had chosen, the strength I possessed, tempered by goal, by determination. This trip was a test of my resolve, endurance, and self-discovery as much as a search for power.

But even as I felt the will grow stronger inside me, a gentle, eerie voice emerged from the clearing, laden with a desperation that sliced over the quiet like a razor.

"Kealan...."

My pulse thumping, my head whirling, I froze as the voice went on-a whisper full of anguish, a reminder of the love that had propelled me thus far.

"Help me, Kealan...,"

Lyra's voice, weak but clear, cried to me from the shadows, a reminder of the commitment I had promised, the trip I had travelled to save her.

Atheon's eyes turned away, his expression incomprehensible, but I could see the knowledge in them-the love that had drove me to reject gods and forsow power-the link that held me.

Lyra is close, he whispered softly, his voice tinged with a subdued confidence. "But you have to face the trials that lie ahead and the shadows trying to bind you if you are to reach her."

Feeling the weight of his words, the reminder of the road ahead, the strength that would be necessary, the sacrifices that would be needed, I nodded.

The shadows moved as we turned to leave the clearing, separating to show a fresh road, spiraling farther into the darkness, full of expectation and a reminder of the challenges ahead.

And as I moved forward, I had a burst of will, a resolution that blazed through the uncertainty, the love that had propelled me this far, the recollection of the promise I had promised.

about Lyra. For the vow I had given.