Jacob followed Enyo, who followed the woman, who had hopped down to their level and was walking several meters ahead. She walked with a cane, and she was slow. He and Enyo caught up to her in no time and walked alongside her.
“I was quite surprised to find two people wandering around in my ravine,” the woman said in a light-hearted tone. “Even more so when I realized you were being chased by a bunch of toad demons. What did you two do to make them so angry?”
“I couldn’t tell you.” Jacob shrugged. “Far as I’m aware, they attacked first.”
“Is that so?” The woman hummed. “Toad demons are quite cowardly. They don’t often attack unless given no other choice. Maybe something else spooked them.”
“Maybe…”
“Do you mind if I ask for your name?” Enyo interrupted.
“My name?” The woman looked at her askance. “It has been ages since I’ve gone by a name, so long even that I cannot remember what my original name was. If you have to call me something, then I guess Agatha will do for now.”
“Agatha…” Enyo frowned. Jacob would have wondered what that was about, but they soon came upon the mouth of a massive cave.
“Come along, you two.” Agatha gestured for them to follow her. “Let’s keep going before more toad demons show up.”
They followed Agatha into the cave, blinking as darkness engulfed them. No light seemed to reach this place. They couldn’t even see their own hands. Fortunately, Agatha produced a light from the tip of her cane, which pushed the darkness back.
The cave was larger than Jacob expected it to be. He couldn’t determine its size, but there were numerous stalagmites jutting from the floor, and there were stalactites hanging from the ceiling, some of which were nearly twice his size.
Agatha walked ahead again, guiding their path with her light, which Jacob realized was a ball of compressed lightning. She must have been a lightning type magic user. They eventually reached a dirty wooden door that was barely attached to a set of hinges. Agatha walked through the door. He and Enyo followed.
It was a small room, though that may have had something to do with the clutter. A lot of knick knacks lay scattered around. Books were strewn across the ground, several stools lay on their side, there was a rickety old desk with parchment and quills on it, a bookshelf sat against one wall, and an ancient bead with a threadbare blanket rested in a corner. There was a door on the opposite side that they had entered.
“I apologize for the mess,” Agatha said. “I don’t usually clean it anymore since I’m the only one who lives here.”
“It’s fine,” Jacob said. “Enyo and I aren’t bothered by a little mess. Right, Enyo?”
“I guess,” Enyo mumbled.
“I don’t care about messes either,” Durandal burst out.
Agatha blinked. “Did that sword just talk?”
Sighing, Jacob smacked Durandal’s hilt, eliciting a yelp. “Please ignore the talking sword. Acknowledging its existence only empowers it.”
“That’s a rude thing to say to the weapon who’s always saving your ass,” Durandal rebutted.
“You say rude things all the time. We’re even.”
Taking a seat on a chair near the desk, Agatha smiled as she observed him and Durandal. “Talking swords are quite rare. I’ve only ever heard of them in legends. I never expected to see a sword that had gained the Sentience of Steel.”
Sentience of Steel was the term used for a sword that had gained awareness. There were legends of other swords aside from Durandal that had become sentient: the legend of Ascalon, the tale of Caliburn, and the story of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. Jacob had never come across those swords during his journey, but he’d certainly heard numerous stories surrounding them.
“They’re rare because I’m one of a kind,” Durandal boasted.
Agatha seemed amused by the sword’s arrogant posturing. “Is that so?”
“Oh, yes. You won’t find another blade like me. My creator poured his heart and soul into my creation. I was sentient the moment I was created. Even if other swords have gained the Sentience of Steel, they wouldn’t be half as amazing as I am.”
It was always amusing to see how arrogant Durandal could be. The sword had no proof of its claims, no evidence to suggest that it was right, but it still spoke with the utmost confidence.
“Oh, my,” Agatha said. “You must be quite special, then.”
“Damn right I am!”
“What are you doing living in a place like this?” Enyo asked suddenly.
“I guess it’s because the dead gather here,” Agatha admitted.
“Fweh?” Jacob was dumbstruck. “Then there really are ghouls in this ravine?”
“Oh, yes, though they are only deep within the caverns beneath the ravine. They don’t come up to the surface often.” Agatha hummed to herself. “I lost my husband many decades ago. With nothing left to tie me down, I did a lot of traveling. During that time, I heard rumors of a ravine located deep within a forest, which was said to be a place where the dead gathered. I wanted to be closer to my husband, so I traveled here in the hopes of finding his spirit.”
“Oh…” Enyo looked away. Her left hand came up and grabbed the elbow of her right arm in a self-conscious gesture. “I’m sorry.”
Agatha’s smile reminded Jacob of a doting grandmother. “It is fine, dear. There’s nothing wrong with being curious. Truth be told, I am quite pleased to be able to speak with the living once more.”
It was getting late, and neither he nor Enyo had eaten anything. Agatha, fortunately, recognized the sound of their stomach growling for what it was. She made them dinner, a basic soup with some bread, before they all laid down to get some sleep.
Lying on his back, Jacob noticed Enyo out of the corner of his eye. Like him, she was still awake. She lay on her side, the sensual curvature of her hips drawing his gaze along the seductive lines of her figure. He frowned. Then he shook the thought off.
“Hey, Enyo? Are you bothered by how Agatha killed those toad demons before you could?” he asked in a whisper so as not to wake Agatha.
Enyo jolted as if she’d been shocked. “W-what makes you say that?”
“It’s just… when we were trapped and preparing to fight to the death, you were smiling.” Enyo said nothing, leading Jacob to continue. “Was it… battle lust?”
One of the reasons dark clansmen were reviled was due to their battle lust, the excitement and pleasure that they derived from mortal combat. Jacob didn’t know if it was something intrinsically tied into their psyche. However, he had yet to meet a member of the Dark Clan who didn’t become riled up when they were fighting.
“I-I’m sorry,” Enyo murmured. “I try not to let it control me, but sometimes…”
“It’s hard to fight against natural instincts,” he finished. “I understand.”
“I don’t like that side of me,” Enyo admitted. “However, when I’m in danger and the odds are stacked against me, I get really excited. Whenever there’s a possibility of me dying, my heart races, my blood can’t stop boiling, and I can’t help but smile. I guess… that’s the curse of being born to the Dark Clan.”
Jacob remained silent for a time. He thought carefully about his words, about what he should say to make her feel better.
“You know, I remember someone else calling the Dark Clan’s battle lust a curse, too,” he started. “It was during my journey through the darklands. I had been injured and was found by a group of Dark Clan members who’d forsaken Alucard’s rule. They had decided that they didn’t want to fight in a war they didn’t believe in. Their chieftain had said that their dream was to peacefully coexist with humans.”
Memories came to him, appearing before his eyes like zephyrs floating on a breeze.
“The village they lived in was mixed with humans and dark clansmen. Seeing that place, speaking with its chieftain, it made me realize something important.”
“What’s that?” asked Enyo.
Turning on his side, Jacob sm
iled at his companion. “That humans and dark clansmen aren’t as different as some people might try to make us believe.”
Enyo stared at him in stunned silence, her eyes wide, though it only lasted for a second before her face lit up in a smile. Her cheeks also turned a surprising shade of pink. The glimmer of her pink eyes, visible even in the darkness, sucked him in and refused to let go.
“Thank you,” she said. “Hearing you say that makes me feel like one day, my own dream can come true.”
“What’s your dream?” asked a curious Jacob.
Enyo’s cheeks went from pink to red as she turned around, presenting her back to him. “I-i-it’s nothing big… just a small dream. Um, anyway, good night!”
Frowning at Enyo’s back, Jacob eventually turned to lie on his back again, staring at the cracked ceiling of the cavern.
What was that about?
Women were such a mystery.
***
Enyo woke up with a start. She looked around in an attempt to locate whatever had woken her up. Jacob was asleep, resting on his back. His closed eyes and his parted mouth almost drew her in, but she shook her head and pulled back.
Now isn’t the time for that!
It took her a moment, but she soon realized that there was something different from when she’d gone to sleep and now. Agatha’s bed was empty. A strange creaking made her look in the direction of the door that was on the opposite side of the one they entered through. It wasn’t open, but a soft breeze made it rattle.
Did Agatha go through there?
Standing up, Enyo made her way to the door. She gripped the handle and slowly opened it, wincing as a loud creaking hit her eardrums. That noise was so loud it could have woken the dead.
She slipped inside. Darkness engulfed her, but Enyo muttered a quick spell that caused light to appear on her fingertips. She was in another hallway, one that noticeably sloped downward, leading deeper beneath the ravine. Enyo was reminded of a mine. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked, bouncing along the walls and making her wish that light and dark magic had spells that could silence one’s feet, or at least muffle their footsteps.
There was light at the end of the passage, flickering like candles, albeit, a lot eerier. Enyo crept slowly, cautiously, before eventually passing through the cavernous tunnel, which opened into a massive room. It was so large that Enyo couldn’t see the top. However, a light from below allowed her to see the bottom as she peered around a stalagmite.
What she saw almost made her gasp.
Agatha stood before a stone altar, upon which sat a familiar object. It had a long handle with a gem on one end. The other end was like a blade, but flat and with grooved ridges. Archaic writings and symbols glowed along its surface.
That’s the gate key!
Ghouls surrounded Agatha and the key. They were everywhere, swirling creatures with ghastly shapes that vaguely resembled humans. Their bodies were white and semi-translucent. Their faces were shaped sort of like people, but only in the sense that she could make out where their eyes and noses were supposed to be. They did have a mouth, but their mouths were more like gaping maws that yawed wide, stretching their faces in an obscene manner.
“Do not worry, my preciouses,” Agatha said. “With this key, I’ll be able to open a gate to the underworld. Then, all of us will be free. Yes, all we need is a proper sacrifice, and fortunately for us, one has stumbled right into our laps.”
This time, Enyo couldn’t contain her gasp. Agatha’s head snapped up, and the woman’s face turned into a snarl as she spotted her.
“Get that girl!”
A loud howling filled Enyo’s ears as the ghouls turned to her, their mouths opening wide as if to suck her in. They flew up. No doubt they were getting ready to attack.
Blood pumped erratically through her body.
Unbidden, a smile appeared on her face.
“Lux. Lamina. Lunatis.”
There was a tug on her navel as she announced her spell. The noticeable pull, which was her magic being drained, only lasted for a second. Enyo swiped her left hand through the air, producing a crescent blade of light that cut through several ghouls. The ghastly horrors shrieked as their bodies burst into a fine powder.
Agatha howled. “How dare you! You hurt my preciouses! You hurt them!!!!”
Lightning burst from the woman’s staff. Enyo ducked seconds before it reached her, but even so, she could feel it pass overhead. The hairs on her neck were standing on end. Jolts like electric remnants made her grit her teeth. It hurt, but it could have been a lot worse.
The lightning bolt crashed against a wall, exploding with the force of a thunderstorm. Rock fragments scattered everywhere. Blue arcs of energy expanded outward like a wave, forcing Enyo to put up a barrier, lest she be shocked or rendered unconscious by a rock to the head.
More ghouls appeared.
Enyo’s heart pounded in her chest and a fierce grin crossed her face as she found herself surrounded. The ghouls were closing in on her. They swooped down, slamming against her shield. Several cried out as they burst into flames. Her shield was made of light magic, the antithesis of anything dead. Ghouls would not be able to breach it.
However, as more ghouls crashed into her shield, cracks appeared along its surface. The cracks widened. Enyo gnashed her teeth together and strained to repair the shield. It didn’t do much good. Repairing a shield required more effort than making a shield, and she didn’t have enough control to fill the cracks with her magic, while leaving the rest of the shield untouched.
The cracks continued to spread across her shield. Then, with a sound akin to shattering glass, it broke apart.
The ghouls closed in.
“Durandal! Cut!” a voice shouted.
A blue crescent wave burst across the cavern. Hellish shrieks resounded all around Enyo as the ghouls were sliced in half. They exploded, bursting into ectoplasm.
“NNOOO!!!!” Agatha’s enraged howls echoed along the walls.
Jacob rushed into the cavern with Durandal in hand, racing toward her at speeds she could scarcely comprehend. He swung Durandal and blue light burst from the sword. It took the shape of a crescent wave and slashed apart multiple ghouls. Agatha’s anguished and hate-filled screams rent the air.
“Enyo!” Jacob called. “What’s going on?!”
“Jacob! She has the gate key!”
“What?!”
“We need to get it from her!”
Her companion seemed quite shocked, but he was nothing if not adaptable. He nodded once. His expression hardened as he gripped Durandal in both hands, hacking and spinning and slashing apart ghouls like a scythe cutting through wheat.
Enyo’s darker half, that of the Dark Clan, couldn’t help but admire his prowess. The way his arms flexed as he swung, the strength of his swings, and the fierce gleam in his eyes. She didn’t want to admit it. Jacob would surely think ill of her if she did. However, the sight of him fighting made her aroused, for lack of a better word.
“I’ll deal with these ghouls,” Jacob said, snapping Enyo out of her daze. “I’ll leave Agatha to you.”
Enyo’s eyes widened, but she nodded and tried to not let him see how happy his display of trust made her. “Leave her to me!”
As Jacob began hacking apart more ghouls, Enyo raced down to the bottom of the cavern. Agatha was waiting for her, biting and snarling and spitting. She looked like a rabid animal.
“I’m going to kill you!” Agatha screeched. “You’re going to be the sacrifice to open the gate! Yes, you will!”
“That’s not happening!” Enyo refuted.
Agatha’s already angry face burned red. “Die! Fulmen! Percutio! Astrapí! Thráka! Péfko! Evito!”
“Finis. Sepio. Opsideo.”
Agatha’s lightning met Enyo’s light shield. It slammed into her barrier, attempting to pierce it. Enyo’s legs and arms shook from the strain of blocking the deadly lightning, which was more powerful than most magics she’d come across. Cra
cks appeared, lines of light that spread across the dome of light. Her shield was going to break.
It did.
However, Enyo was no longer there.
Ducking low, Enyo let the lightning travel over her head. She could feel the attack as it passed, static bursts of energy that made her body feel skittish. Ignoring the feeling, as well as how her hair felt like it was beginning to stand on end, she rushed forward, chanting a much longer spell than her usual ones.
“Mortem. Mors. Malevolentia. Displodo. Conflo. Fulgo.”
Dark flames exploded to life on her left hand. Enyo appeared before Agatha, whose eyes had widened, bulging like the egg sacks of a spider. The woman didn’t even have time to scream before Enyo slammed her hand into Agatha’s chest.
A massive explosion of dark energy erupted from the point of impact, engulfing the wizened witch in dark flames, along with everything behind her. The flames continued forward, a cone of pure destruction. They rushed across the ground and slammed into the wall, detonating with an angry roar.
When the flames died down, there was nothing left of Agatha, not even ashes. She was gone.
The ghouls, as if sensing Agatha’s death, all shrieked and scattered, disappearing through walls or just vanishing altogether.
Enyo sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. How long had it been since she’d used a spell of that caliber? Not since her training with her former maid had she used such a powerful spell. She’d forgotten how exhausting it was.
A glint in her peripheral vision snagged her attention. It was the gate key. It sat on the pedestal, no longer glowing.
Reaching out, Enyo picked up the gate key, holding the shimmering object in her hand. As she turned it within her palm, the key coruscated as light bounced off its surface. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said that the key was constantly changing colors.
Footsteps approached her from behind. “So, that’s the gate key?”
“Yes.”
Turning around, Enyo presented it to Jacob, who studied the key for a moment before reaching out. Rather than take the key, he closed her fingers around it. She gave him a confused look, to which he just smiled.
Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 1 Page 12