Finally finished, enjoy
Darkness, impenetrable shadow swept across a charred and heavily worn area of combat. The last great war of the Elements had played out its final chapter as each team left the battlefield, glad to be rid of the worries of war, but troubled nevertheless. Willng3 gazed about at his surroundings; a mortal wound had left him unable to return to the scene of combat and he owed his life to his general for every living breath he now made. Regardless of his team’s accomplishments, he still felt enraged, as if a red hot poker was pressing down on every nerve; he was not satisfied, he still experienced an insatiable quench for blood. It was far too late however, and with nothing but contempt in his mind, he placed his blade over his shoulder and began his journey home.
As he walked terrible thoughts began to pervade his mind; he became convinced that the very reason the war had been lost was due to errors on his part. Wrestling with this inexplicable sense of guilt and shame, Willng3 collapsed to the ground. His breathing became labored as if someone was pressing down on his throat. A chilling burst of laughter split the air as Willng3 suddenly jumped to his feet. Searching frantically, he desired to find this new adversary and punish them for disturbing him in such a disrespectful manner. However, no matter how hard he looked, his eyes could not penetrate the veil of shadow which lay before him. A sudden whistling noise caused Willng3 to snap alert immediately. Willng3 ducked instinctively as a blade ripped apart the air over his head. Performing a roll on the ground, Willng3 retaliated at this unseen foe as he struck forward at the exact location he had heard his enemy’s sword break the silence. Horrorstruck, he realized: He had missed completely. A second later Willng3 felt the sting of metal across his shoulder as he was struck from behind. Invigorated by this new sensation of pain, Willng3 swerved around and swung full force at where he believed his opponent to lie. Yet his blade had missed yet again. Willng3 suddenly began to panic. How could such an opponent overtake him like this? Willng3 stepped backwards as he cleared his mind in order to counter any future assault made towards him. He did not need to wait long. The enemy struck out again, but this time Willng3 miraculously parried the blow. He allowed his instincts to take hold as he countered again and again, frightening himself with his newfound ability and becoming emboldened all the same.
Willng3 quickly realized he had not met such a formidable adversary since he had first crossed blades with a Discord wielder; the maiden who had defeated him had manipulated the sword with such grace and strength that it was as if she and the weapon were truly one. He attempted a similar tactic in this position and became more and more empowered as he gained more confidence in himself and his sword. After seemingly hours of the sound of steel clashing against steel had begun to dissolve the silence of the wilderness, Willng3’s confidence betrayed him. Grinning madly, Willng3 knocked the unseen blade aside as he struck straight forward and watched as his sword missed its target. Defenseless, Willng3 was bashed in his chest by a powerful force and slammed into a large rock lying not far from him on the ground. He raised his blade to parry the next assault but became devastated when the invisible foe’s sword split his own in two. With this resistance gone, the blade proceeded to embed itself in Willng3’s shoulder, cutting into the muscle and causing his left arm to go limp instantly.
He could sense the blade of his opponent being drawn back for one final blow as he felt the weight of his maimed sword in his right hand. He reminisced about the numerous battles that the blade had saved him from harm, bringing him closer to victory and giving him a new sense of hope each and every time it was drawn. This feeling of hope caused his mind to ponder other things: The teammates he had learned to call brothers, the villagers of his home town who looked up to him for guidance, and lastly his fiancé whom eagerly awaited his safe return from battle. He closed his eyes as he dwelled on her image, as the scent of vanilla filled his nostrils at once. It was at this moment he realized:
He could not lose. Energy suddenly coursed through his body as Willng3’s eyes flashed open and he struck forward with what remained of his blade, desiring nothing more than to pierce the great darkness before him.
In this instant, something mysterious happened. A beam of light suddenly surged forward from what appeared to be the blade itself and obliterated the great shadow before him. Willng3 realized that he had somehow managed to acquire the mythical Morning Star, a sword which presented itself only when the wielder was placed in the greatest depths of the pit of despair. As he stared at the blade, Willng3 also realized that his adversary had disappeared with the night. The sun rose up and warmed his face as he smiled and continued down his path. He began to question whether there truly was an enemy in that dark forest, or if it was nothing more than his darkest thoughts manifesting themselves in their cruelest form. It did not concern him. He now knew that the future was what was desirable in his life, and that had made all the difference.
(940 words)
