The Wanderer

[Deleted]

"Honey, you know you need to say your prayers before you go to sleep"

"Yes mommy"

"You know how it goes, yes?"

"Yeah, I know! Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep."

The woods was dark. It was so very dark. The only source of light, the only thing allowing him to see, was the celestial body that hung over the night sky. His lungs burnt as he ran through those darkened woods. The pounding of his feet echoed in his ears. Branches dragged across exposed skin, cutting him open like they were hooks trying to hold him. One tore across his cheek, stinging him as the meat was exposed to the air. He dodged around a tree, taking a quick glance back from beneath the leather hood. They were still back there. The man exerted more force into his legs, gaining more speed as he continued his attempt to outrun them.

"If I should die before I wake, bless me Lord my soul to take."

Their moans echoed through the woods. The sounds of trees crashing into the earth, being torn and ripped out of their roots as they relentlessly pursued their prey. The mans breath was ragged. How long had he been running? The trees were parting ahead of him, the undergrowth stopping abruptly. His eye narrowed, recognizing that a cliff was ahead of him. He had two choices, make his stand here or risk the jump. Gritting his teeth he leapt into the void, feeling something swing through the air behind him. It wasn't that far of a drop, not for someone like him.

"Goodnight sweet heart"

"Mommy, I have a question.."

"Oh? Yes, what is it dear?"

The impact was rough but from what he could tell nothing was damaged. His hand and knee dug into the loose, wet, graveled ground. The sound of falling water was to his right, suggesting that he had landed in a river bed. A river ran beside him, turning into rough rapids a distance away. Besides the river to his right and the cliff behind him, this would make a much better spot than the forest. From above him he heard the crashes, before lunging out of the way of descending tree trunks. Reaching behind him with his right hand he grasped ahold of hat looked to be a hilt, a rather large hilt.

"Mommy, there's no such thing as monsters...right?"

"Of course not, dear."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Music!}

The first of the beasts landed, letting out a howl as it rushed towards the man on its six legs. Gripping the hilt with both hands the man roared, stepping forward and leaning in, pulling on the massive object. A sword of incredible size swung through the air, colliding with the beasts approaching mask and cutting straight into it. The weight and force behind that swing lodged what could be called a sword into the mask the beast wore. It let out a howl of pain, but before it could pull back the man planted his feet firmly to the ground, like a unmoving statue and turned. Muscles bulging he turned and pulled, ripping right through the creatures mask with a horizontal swing as he pulled his sword free. It screeched in pain, pulling backwards to gain distance away from the man.

Unfortunately, he had no intention of letting it retreat. He ran towards it, sword held to his side, the leather cloak flowing behind him. The monstrosity swung for him, trying to defend itself from his advance. Pulling the sword over his head he swung downwards into its hand. Purple blood exploded into the air as the sword cut cleanly through the flesh, destroying the monsters hand. What this man wielded, it was too big to be a sword. It was massive, it was too thick, too heavy, far too rough. It was more like a slab of raw iron. As the monster screeched the man roared, rushing forward and thrusting his weapon into the monsters mask. The Hollow, for that was what they were called, let out a dying roar before collapsing, the weight of its body pulling on the mans greatsword.

Its body began to disintegrate, forming into black particles that floated upwards into the air before vanishing the next instant. Pulling his sword free and resting it on his shoulder he turned. The sounds of something heavy colliding with the graveled floor had not escape him. Three more Hollows had arrived, each drastically different in appearance than the now dead one. A small sound escaped the mans hood, the sound of a growl. He reached upwards and began to undo the buckle holding the leather cloak together. It fell to the riverbed, revealing the man in the moonlight. This individual was a mountain of a man. Arms like the branches of some great tree, hair as white as snow, and a body painted with the remnants of a man whose life was filled with battle.

His one eye, his left eye, was filled with a fire. A black fire that sought consume the creatures that stood before him. The three Hollows let out a hiss, beginning to approach the man slowly. Even with three of them there they seemed nervous, having watched this man singlehandedly taken down one of their own. Hollows cared little for comradely, only seeking to devour everything. But it seemed this time they believed this man to be enough of a threat to tackle him all at once.

His upper lip curled as a growl escaped through his teeth. Grip tightening around the hilt of his weapon he took it off his shoulder. He held it with both hands, keeping it adjacent with his body. There was silence between the four before a roar erupted from the mans mouth. He rushed towards the Hollows, the flame burning hot within him. One Hollow, a being with the shape of that of some sauropod, approached the oncoming man and leaving behind the other two. As the distance between the two closed it raised its right leg, aiming to crushed him beneath it. He danced to the side as it collided its foot into the pebbled floor. Inhaling, he gripped his sword with all his might and spun. Using the momentum, the weight, and and his own personal power, the mans blade carved through the Hollows leg. Purple blood splattered the river bed as the Hollow howled. The man crouched down, bending his legs in tight like that of a coiled spring. With the power of his strength he jumped upwards, sword pointed behind him as he aimed for the Hollows extended neck. With a roar he swung upwards, cutting through albino flesh and bone. Using the Hollows neck as a stepping stone, he jumped from the neck before it fell to the creatures back and back into the air, towards the second Hollow.

The sauropod fell, having been decapitated. He roared, sword pointed downwards. The the targeted Hollow raised one of its tentacle appendages to try and block the swordsmans attack. His sword was much wider than this creatures tentacle, cutting through it cleanly and beginning to sink into its mask. These creatures were not intelligent, nothing more than living walking stomachs. The monster howled in pain, the man pushing his sword in deeper. Victory seemed assured, till the other remaining Hollow decided to intervene. From the corner of his eye the man saw the monster lunge at him, mouth open and aiming to sink its teeth into him. The swordsman leapt to the left, pulling his sword free and landing back onto the ground. The last two hollows, one shaped like a orb of living tentacles and the other having a hunched back humanoid shape.

The humanoid one rushed the man, letting out a deep voiced roar as it did. The man grit his teeth as he held his sword in a new stance. It was a stance similar to how a baseball player held their bat. The swordsman was preparing his body, preparing his muscles. He was focusing his strength into the sword. His single eye locked onto the Hollows knee, marking it as his target. He roared, slamming his foot into the ground and swinging with all his might despite his sword not reaching. The loose gravel covered the riverbed was thrown up as an invisible force pushed its way through the air. This force collided with the Hollows knee, causing the air to explode and bending the Hollows knee backyards with an audible snap. The beast roared, falling forwards and onto its arms. The man roared, bringing the sword over his head and swinging downwards onto the monsters head.

A smile adorned his face. A savage smile as he took in deep breaths. It was almost over, just one more to deal with. He looked up. He looked directly at the last Hollow. Looking into his eye one would not see any man looking back at them. It was like looking into the eyes of a mad beast. The swordsman grinned, lifting his sword up and onto his shoulder and walking towards the last Hollow. Normally the creature would flee. Normally, even something as unintelligent as a Hollow, would know when to flee. But it couldn't. It couldn't flee from this man or his scent. The scent he produced was too strong for the Hollow. So it roared and charged and like its brethren that had attacked him all night so to did it fall to his blade.

Music ends

The golden rays of the sun peeking over the tree line signaled yet another end to another grueling night. Sword firmly planted into the ground, the swordsman had collapsed onto the ground and had his back rested against it. His breaths were ragged like an exhausted animal. Muscles burnt and sore, his body simply didn't want to move. But he knew he had to. He could sleep later. First he needed to remove himself from this area, less this next night be far worse than the last. The warm rays of light covered him like a blanket. He welcomed the warmth of the sun, the safety of the day. It meant that he survived yet another night. How many did he kill that night? Four? No, not four. Nine. Nine Hollows had fallen to him that night.

Getting to his feet he pulled his sword free from the ground, latching the chain link onto the hook on his back. These nights, these battles would not end. He knew this. Two months since that night. Two months since his light had been taken from him. Two months since he had begun this descent into the darkness, the quagmire that was hatred and revenge. The Osen would give him no rest, no respite. He wanted revenge, and this curse would give it to him. He was the Wanderer. He was Garret, the Wandering Swordsman. His quest had only just begun. [/spoiler]

[Amagai Kuchiki]

30 SP