The Interrupted Ritual

Sounds appeared to fill the forest around them. The light of the early sun struggled to break through the forest.

With his palm hovering close to the hilt of his small sword positioned near his right side of the waist, ready to draw at any time, Kael's gaze shifted to the trees surrounding them. The surrounding forest was strangely silent. The usual noises of nature were conspicuously absent, and the air was eerily quiet. Even the ground seemed to quiet beneath their boots, and no birds were fluttering through the treetops or the breeze whispering through the branches. Seemed like the earth itself was holding its breath and watching them with invisible eyes, every step they took seemed delayed.

A taunting smile played at the corners of Liora's lips as she turned to look back at him as she was walking just ahead of him. Despite the strange atmosphere that affected Kael's every action, her eyes gleamed with playful intentness. “Do you always look like you’re ready to fight everything around you?” Her tone was light and humorous.

Kael's gaze remained strange and harsh, but his eyes never left the trees. His hand was always close to his small travelling knife. He answered quietly, as if addressing himself more than Liora, "In my experience, anything can be an enemy. Even the trees."

Liora raises an eyebrow at his puzzling remarks but said noting , just quite gazing him. She was used to Kael’s dark outlook on the world; his readiness to trust no one and nothing. His statements frequently had the importance of experience, and she understood it was unwise to question his intuition. Instead, she allowed the issue to remain unresolved, and her focus was soon diverted.

Liora's eyes softened as she saw something ahead, and Kael kept a cautious watch on the surroundings as they travelled in quiet for a few more steps.

Liora came to a sudden pause in an area where a ring of antique stones was illuminated by the sun's golden rays as light eventually penetrated through the trees. They were moss-covered and aged, with odd, illuminating symbols engraved on their surfaces. With awe, she touched the designs with her fingertips as she knelt by one of the stones.

Softly, almost to herself, she whispered, "This is one of their places."

Kael stopped behind her, confused. “Their place?”

She turned to him and said, "The spirits." Her expression was strangely serious. "These rocks serve as anchors. They relate their world to this one. They may be able to direct us to what is going on if I can communicate with them here."

Kael crossed his arms, his doubts obvious "And what if they're not in the mood to talk?"

"They will," she answered quietly confidently, while a glimmer of unease appeared on her face. "They have to."

She laid both hands flat against the stone and closed her eyes. The atmosphere appeared to change, growing denser, and infused with an invisible force. A faint hum filled the clearing as the blazing symbols brightened. Kael tensed, gripping his sword more tightly.

The hum intensified into a sharp scream. Liora's eyes widened with horror.

"No," she said in a tremulous voice. "Something is not right."

Below them, the ground started to shake. Kael stepped back, his instincts telling him to pull out his Long blade, Umbra. The stones' symbols glowed a sickly green as they flickered wildly. In front of them, a murky fog gathered and swirled as it came from the ground.

"What the...." When the mist coalesced into a hideous, changing shape, Kael's comments were interrupted. Its shape was erratic, totaly look like a monstrous and human. It emitted a growl that sounded like it was vibrating the air around them, and its eyes no eyes.

"A manipulated spirit," Liora said in a scarcely audible whisper. “This… this shouldn’t be possible.”

The creature lunged with a speed that defied its size. Instinctively, Kael threw his small knife in a single, seamless motion, striking into the creatures eye.

"Any clever suggestions, manipulated spirit?" He yelled while maintaining eye contact with the beast.

"Stop it!" Liora screamed and raced over to the stone. "I'll attempt to fix it!"

Kael tightened his jaw. “No worries.”

With a horrifying roar that echoed through the forest like a storm, the creature groaned and charged towards Kael. its claws sliced through the air in a deadly arc. Kael's motions were precise and he hardly had time to dodge out of the deadly blow. The razor-sharp claws missed his chest by inches, tearing through the fabric of his cloak, leaving tears fluttering down.

Kael retaliated with a powerful slash of his blade, the weapon sparkle in the faint light as it carved through the creature’s body. Like slashing through thick smoke, the blade hit only obstacles rather than the creatures flesh. It should have been killed by the strike. Rather, it emitted a shrill scream.

“Of course, it would be harder to kill,” Kael muttered under his breath, his voice laced with frustration and determination. He repositioned his grip on his sword's hilt.

The creature charged again, its speed blurring the edges of its form as it closed the distance. Kael moved to the side and crouched low, just avoiding a strike that was meant for his neck. The creature's claws made deep cuts into the ground where he had been standing just a moment before, causing the ground beneath him to quake. Kael started moving aiming his blade at the creature's head with an expansive strike.

 Meanwhile, Liora, knelt for the stone, her hands trembling as she began to chant. The symbols glowed brighter, their light shifting between green and gold. Her voice trembled, suddenly when the creature responded.

Her attempts seemed to be sensed by the creature. Its ears locked on Liora as it turned away from Kael. It charged at her with a savage roar.

Kael snarled and threw himself in its path, saying, "Not happening." The beast tore through his armour and drew blood as its claws swept across his chest. Despite his pained grunt, he resisted giving up and swung his sword in an enormous strike, forcing the creature to back off.

“Pay attention, Liora!” His voice was strained as he shouted.

She said, her voice rising in desperation, "I'm trying!" The symbols flared with golden light as the chant became louder. The energy crackled around them.

As the golden light consumed it, the beast emitted one last, terrible scream. Its shape broke up into a harmless mist cloud that dispersed into the breeze. An eerie silence followed the area.

She shook her head and murmured, "It's insane," as the light started to heal his wounds.

Kael responded, groaning but maintaining a smirk, "what the hell..."

She nodded, replied with determination. “We have to. The balance of the world depends on it.”

They set off again, as his wounds were healed by the light omitted from the stone.

⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰

Liora's face was covered in flickering shadows as the campfire flickered between them. While his eyes continued to dart towards her, Kael sat on the other side, honing his blade with steady strokes. He had posed the topic spontaneously, not anticipating a significant response. But now, as she gazed into the fire, he could see the weight of her thoughts bearing down on her.

The stillness was finally broken by Liora. "You know, they weren't always like that. The spirits you battled before weren't monsters by birth."

With his brow furrowed, Kael questioned. "What are you saying? I thought they were monsters. violent, twisted, and senseless."

Her voice was firm but serious as she nodded slowly. “They are dangerous. In the past, however, they served as defenders and guardians of the harmony between their world and ours. What you witnessed is what occurs when evil grabs over them for their own good."

Kael laughed and leaned back. "Manipulated? Spirits are supposed to be pure, right? How could something like that be "manipulated"?

Liora’s eyes met his, the glow of the fire reflected in her eyes. "Pain. Loss. Loss of hope. Even though they are spirits, they can still experience pain. Their realm is affected when the world collapses, when desire, rage, and devastation run wild. The chaos we create changed them.”

The edge of his blade caught the firelight as he shook his head. "You're implying that humanity is to blame? That those things are our responsibility?"

“So we’re to blame?” Kael asked, his tone sharp repeatedly.

Liora said softly, "Not just humanity. The corruption comes from many sources—neglect, broken promises, or even the spirits’ dread when they can no longer fulfill their role. By the time they’re consumed, it’s too late for most of them.”

Kael's leaned back against a tree. "What's your answer, then? Fight them all until there’s nothing left?”

Liora gave a headshake. “Sometimes… there’s still a trace of their true selves. If you can reach that part, you might remove the corruption and bring them back. However its uncommon, it is not impossible.

"And what if it's not possible?" Kael had a harsh, almost harsh voice. "So what?"

Liora's fingers clenched around her pendant as she paused. "Then we take the necessary action. Perhaps the only act of kindness we can show them is to put an end to their pain."

Kael stared into the flames and was silent for a while. "What if I end up being one of them? If I become a corrupted beast as a result of this curse?"

The question remained sharp and heavy. With a firm yet gentle tone, Liora looked him in the eye. "I'll attempt to save you, Kael, if that comes up. I'll try my hardest to get you back." she inhaled deeply and continued. “If I can’t… I’ll stop you. I won’t let you lose yourself completely.”

The flickering firelight danced in Kael's black eyes as his jaw tensed and he turned his head away. The talk left them with an unspoken burden; a hidden understanding of a promise that neither of them wanted to keep.

⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰⧰

Far away from the forest where Liora and Kael rested, above on top of a desolate mountain cloaked in mist, a person stood, appearing sharp against the pale moonlight. His dark cloak billowed like a predator's wings, but he stayed motionless.

A ghostly figure floated at his side, its shape fluttering like a fading flame. Its broken voice echoed through the cold air.

The spirit muttered, its voice a mixture of terror and awe, "They're moving. The girl and the cursed one have developed a bond. They look for the old route."

Beneath the darkness of his identity, a ruthless sneer emerged as the person turned slightly. He spoke in a low, a threat voice with a hint of contempt.

Nearly to himself, he whispered, "The cursed blade. It’s made its way to hunt us. How funny."

The ghostly being shuddered a little, as though the tone of the person made it uncomfortable. "Master, should we take action? Before they get any closer, should we crush them?"

The figure raised a wrapped hand, silencing the spirit with a single gesture. He turned his eyes to the horizon, where the forest was obscured by the undulating clouds.

His voice filled with confidence as he whispered, "Let them come. Allow them to pursue their ancient way, hold onto their shattered faith, and cling to their shaky hope. The cursed blade will ultimately come back to me."

Then he laughed, a hollow, cruel sound that sounded like a beast's scream echoed through the mountains. The figure stood alone again, and the ghostly thing bowed itself in surrender, disappearing into the darkness.

The figure's laughing, a sign of the violence to come, drowned out the night creatures' faint screams that echoed through the area.

The balance of powers was changing. Like the hunt had just begun.

// To be continued...