That famous paladin

The humanoid shadow figure lunges at me. I roll back with it when it collides with me. Using my feet I push it off over my head. I roll to my side, pulling my knife from my belt and brace to attack.

It looks like the jumper feels my mana charging and knows it's out matched. It tries retreating to the shadows. My blessed spell casted over me that slows my targets down takes into effect. I lunged and slice cleanly through it. I don't stop there, I charge my knife with holy magic and continue to cut to purify the dark matter.

"If this thing was here. I'm not far from Frederick." I grab my bag and run.

I hear sobbing up ahead. I slow to a jog.

"Frederick is that you?" I call out.

"Who! Who goes there! How do you know my name?!" The panic in his voice is more of a desperate plea of hope. The faint barrier protecting him comes into view.

"My name is James. I found your journal. I want to get you back to your daughter Fiona." I slow my pace to a walk and keep my voice calm.

"Stay back how do I know your not one of them that wants to feast upon me! Stay back!" He is yelling and welding a stick. I slowly approach him showing him my hands. He freezes once he sees my face. "Wait. I don't need some pretty poster poser trying to save me! I need someone strong! Their-"

A loud screech comes from over my head as a lion shaped shadow figure with red glowing eyes and mouth dives from the tree. Before my bag hits the ground I have the dark matter purified from the slashes of my knife.

"You were saying something?" I charge my blade and cast a spell to be able to see all of those around me and their intentions. My gold auras dance around my feet before shooting out and identifying my next targets.

"Uhh. M-my d-daughter is a huge fan of yours." He stutters.

"Really? For a minute I thought you were a fan of me." I smirk at him. "Now tell me how long til the barrier runs out?"

"Uhh it's just a cheap twenty four hour one I placed it about this time yesterday." Fear is smeared across his face.

"Hey Fred. Do us all a favor and stay calm. I'm here to save you." I give him my famous smoldering look that makes all the girls swoon. Outside of Hazel. She slaps me if I try it on her.

"Let me show you the power of this pretty poster poser!" I yell this as my battle cry and charge into the hoard.

I can see them all clearly, all 462 of them. Man this guy's been busy the last few days! They lunge and I slash. They slash and I block. I lunge and they...they try dodging, they really do. The fight goes on for awhile. Was it hours or was it minutes? I can not tell you.

I'm out of breath though and low on mana. Four hundred and two are down. A small one jumps at me and lands on my blade. Four hundred and three down. I lean against a tree waiting for my mana to recharge.

Sadly the jumpers won't let me rest. I notice Frederick's barrier flicker. There are a few jumpers with their attention on him waiting to seize his body for their own. I can not let that happen!

Energy surges through me. I use the last of my mana to cast the all eyes on me spell. This will be my last ditch effort to save this guy. The last of the fifty nine all snap their heads in my direction. I grip my knife with both hands infront of me, pressing the stone inbedded in the handle to release its stored holy power. My legs are braced for the fight. I breath in through my nose and out through my mouth. I'm going to have to rely on my physical strength and hope I recover some mana.

A group of little ones attack first. I side step, cutting through two. I pivot on my right foot and block a bear sized one's attack. 

"Look who wanted to join the fun!" I scoff at it. It's next attack came from above. I guided it down to the right so I could move to the left and drive my knife into it's core. It disintegrates from the blade's holy magic.

"Who's next?! Bring it!" I bellow at them.

The little ones hesitate. A big one steps forward. It looks rather smart. My breathing is ragged from physical strain. Don't think about that. Just a few more and I can go home to Hazel. I'm going to make it home to my girl! More adrenaline pumps through my veins.

I let out a battle cry while charging this thing. It dodges. Crap! I turn to face it. Smack!

It hits me and I fly into a nearby tree. The air is knocked from my lungs. It's next to me a second later. My body responds out of habit and slices it's arm off. It leaps back giving me a second to catch my breath. It lunges again. I slice it's regrown arm off but not before it cuts into my leg.

As I swear, I grabbed ahold of it's face with my left hand and dragged my blade up it's middle purifying it. My blade pulses as it uses the last of the stored holy magic to finish the shadow off. I slump against the tree behind me. My mana hasn't recharged enough to do anything, I'm injured and my blade's stone is dead. 

I close my eyes. I need help.

The sound of electricity snaps through the air. Screeching comes from dying shadows.

 Has Aba came out of his room?

Thump! Thump! Thump! I hear the sound of a bow releasing arrows and the crackling of flames.

"Oh looky here. It's my knight in distress." Says a feisty female voice with a hint of joy in it.