Chapter Thirteen

Eden rushes toward the scream. His heart races like it's about to burst out of his chest as he and Eleanor close in on the market. What is going on in this town? There's no one in the streets; the houses and buildings look empty as well. Behind the corner of a building, silhouettes of people are gathered in a crowd. Sounds of whimpering and sobs become louder as Eden approaches.

"What's going on here!" Eden demands.

The townsfolk are all gathered together, surrounded by a group of armed masked figures, pointing their axes and swords at the. They turn their gaze upon him with ashen faces.

"There he is! That's the man you want, not us!" A man calls out from the crowd.

The moonlight reveals the armed captors to be the same bandits from the fort, and in front of them lies a dead body.

Eden's heart sinks. There's a sword sticking out from the back of the corpse in a puddle of blood. Heat bursts through his entire body. "Why would you do this!?"

Eleanor gasps and covers her mouth.

"Nice to see you again, One Star." It’s the bandit leader from before. He’s still wearing the same heavy leather armor but with bandages on his face. Behind him is an enormous man. He’s not wearing a mask like the others and has the same bandana wrapped around the top of his head. Instead of leather like the others, ironclad armor plates cover his shoulders and legs. A black open vest, exposing scars all over his muddy abdominal muscles, his arms and face. This man is as tall as a small house and big as a bear. And with a gigantic black sword slung on his back.

"That's him?" The tall man questions.

"Yes, boss, that's the one!"

He narrows his eyes at Eden then scoffs. "You're telling me that little twig over there beat all of you?" His voice snarls like an angry animal, making all of the bandits around him flinch like the words had physically hit them.

The bandit leader gives his boss a shaky nod. The scarred man menacingly approaches Eden; his stomp-like footsteps shake the ground beneath Eden like small magnitudes of earthquakes as his heavy black boots clap on the concrete. He looms over Eden like a shadow with arms crossing his arms and a glare that glows in the dark.

Eden returns the scowl, looking up at him. His fists clenched at his sides, ready to swing.

"I am known as Russell Scars, Bandit King of the West. My pawns have told me about you, One Star."

The aura around this man reeks of terror; his voice sends the town's people's whimpering. But Eden doesn't bat an eye; he keeps his eye contact strong with Russell's. Burning his glare into the Bandit King’s fiery gaze, not even blinking.

"Why are you doing this?" Eden demands.

"I heard you can dance, so I've come to see for myself," Russell responds.

"Why did you drag all these people in this then?"

"Well, you weren't here, so I needed answers."

Eden's blood boils like a volcano about to erupt. "Here I am, now let them go."

"I refuse One Star." Russell turns his back on Eden.

Eden's leg twitches as Russell leaves his back open; the temptation to jump and strike him in the back of his head inches. But what about the townsfolk? There are too many bandits around, and only one of him. Eleanor had only just started sparing; she is not ready to fight to the death. He holds back from attacking, digging his nails into his palm and waits for how all this plays out.

"Once I kill you..." Russell slowly turns to face Eden again but now standing a few feet away. "We will pillage this town and slaughter everyone here." A smirk carves its way onto his face from a sideways glance at Eden.

The town folks all gasp and panic together, crying, whimpering, and yelling.

"This is all your fault, One Star!" A man in the crowd cries out.

"Yes, if you had killed them in the fort, they would have never informed their boss!" Another person screams.

"You should have killed them!"

"Who's going to bring back my husband!"

"Your fault!"

"Your fault!"

"Your fault!"

The crowd all wailed. The bandits all cackle. While Eden feels dizzy and nauseous. The sharp words impale his chest, making it hard to breathe. The world around him seems to shrink as the laughter around him throb in his head. What happened? Is it really my fault? Should I have killed them? Eden slowly turns his gaze to the dead body with the sword impaled. Is it because of me that that man is now dead? He looks at the town folks; their faces red like fire, teeth baring, lots of shouting and curses that become inaudible to him. Because of me, they’re held captive. Because of me.

"You're all wrong!" Eleanor’s shout booms creating silence.

Eden gasps. The world around him has stopped shrinking and the throbbing has ceased.

"Eden saved all of your lives! How could you all blame him for something like this? He's just a kid with a big dream! He doesn't want to kill anyone!" Eleanor's words echo into the night.

Eden finally lifts his head and gives her a big grin. "Thanks, Eleanor, I'm all right now!" Eleanor nods her head and stands back.

"So you're afraid to kill One Star?" Russell chuckles. “You’re weak.”

"No, just as the girl had already said, I don't like cutting people down..." Eden pounds his fist into his palm and smirks. "But you bet I'll give you something worse than that scar on your face!"

The bandit king laughs. He draws his enormous sword from his back. He twirls it around his head before slamming it onto the ground, burying the tip of the blade. Three silver stars molded in the center of the black blade.

Eden flinches. An Armament?!

"Then let's dance, One Star!"

Leg twitches. Eden darts. Russell pulls his sword out of the ground and slashes horizontally at him. The length of the bandit king’s Armament is more significant than he realized, almost reaching him from yards away. Eden quickly drops down and slides on the pavement. The wide black steel edge briefly enshrouds the night above him as if the moon had blinked, making a humming sound as it passes.

Russell brings his sword back up in the air and swings it down in just mere seconds.

A loud gasp escapes Eden; he rolls to the side to dodge as the giant sword smashes the ground, exploding bits of debris everywhere. The impact sends him flying further away from Russell; he rushes back on his feet and dashes again.

But the smile on Russell's face says it all. He has a trick up his sleeve, and he’s about to show it. Eden widens his eyes as Russell lifts up his blade. Giant stones now attach to the sword, increasing its width after crashing it onto the concrete creates it to look like a colossal stone club. Like smoke, yellow light seeps through the cracks and engulfs every rock.

"Crashing Boulder!" Russell swings his Armament like a bat, shooting one of the stones off of the sword at blinding speed.

The nerves in Eden's legs scream; he immediately shifts and pushes his feet off the ground, then twists his body in the air. The glowing boulder flies by him and ultimately destroys the wall of a building then the whole thing collapses. He lands back on his feet and rapidly approaches Russell. Earth attribute, Eden notes to himself.

The enormous Armament comes back in full swing. Eden's heart races; he flips over as the sword curves right under him. With a shout, he smashes his feet into the bandit king’s face, sending him stumbling back. Eden lands on his back and propels himself back up.

Blood gushes out of the bandit's nose; he slowly falls back like he’s in slow motion. His eyes shoot back open; he catches himself and roars. He veers his weapon even faster than before.

Eden rushes to unhook his shield from his back and holds it up right before the impact. With a loud bang, his feet skid across the concrete, but he can’t hold his foothold any longer. The attack picks him up and shoots him across the marketplace, crashing into a building. The wall is completely demolished, and dust from broken materials floats like smoke.

"Eden!" Eleanor yells.

The crew of bandits all cheer in unison. "Yeah!"

"That's our boss for ya!"

"He really can move," says Russell. "He actually broke my nose!”

"What!?"

"I told you!" Eden shouts.

A strip of red drips from the side of Eden’s head and onto his clothes. His legs throb like they want to give out as he rises from rubble, holding onto the broken wall for support. The sight of the bandit king’s broken nose brings him a vast grin across his face "I told you I'll do worse than that scar of yours."

A glare as intense as a voracious animal rip across Russel's entire face. He charges at full speed, howling like a wolf.

"Eden!" Eleanor screams.

Eden calmly takes in a deep breath. Then he dashes forward, closing the gap between him and Russell. The colossal sword towers over him and falls; he picks up the pace as the blade comes closer to his head. Eden drops to the floor and slides right under the bandit king as the giant stone Armamnet crashes onto the cobblestones.

Then Eden jumps off the ground and into the air. He draws his sword out and launches the shield through the air. But not at bandit king. He has his eyes on the bandits that surrounded the town folks. The shield blindly spins like a wheel as it zooms then whams into the closest enemy knocking him out.

The attack catches the bandits off guard that they’re slow to react. Their eyes widen as one of their companions hits the ground.

As soon as Eden lands, he darts to the next bandit and slaps across his face with his sword. The others have finally realized what just happened, so they grab their axes and swords from their belts and charge with a loud war cry. Eden quickly twirls around like a tornado, kicking one down, then follows another with a blow to the other one's gut.

The bandits on the ground all groan in pain or unconscious. Eden stomps on the side of the shield, making it flip up, then he slides his arm through the straps and grips it tightly again.

Another bandit alerts him from the sound of their cry; they raise their axe up. But the nerves in Eden's arm twitches; with a loud grunt, he slams his shield into them, sending them rolling on the ground.

"Run!" Eden yells.

The townsfolk don't need to be told twice; they instantly get to their feet and run.

Eden searches for Eleanor in the running crowd and sees her on the other side. "Eleanor, get these people out of here!"

Eleanor nods her head and dashes behind the townspeople.

"Don't let anyone escape!" Russell bellows.

His crew of bandits chases after the runaway people, ignoring Eden.

With all the townsfolk, bandits, and Eleanor gone, Eden can focus on beating the crap out of Russell, the bandit king. Even though Eleanor seemed a bit inexperienced using his fighting style, all he can do is trust her current abilities to keep the people safe. Eden turns his gaze to Russell, tightly gripping his Armaments. "Let's continue where we left off," he growls.

"I will crush you until you are flat as this land!"

* * *

The townsfolk scatter themselves out of Greenbourge. A woman holding her child's hand hastes through the streets of the town. The child can’t keep up with her mother's pace; she trips and scrapes her knee against the pavement. An ear-piercing cry escapes the girl's throat, and the mother runs back to her. As the mother frantically tries to carry her child in her arms, three bandits rush after them, singing in laughter. Their weapons are drawn and are raised above their heads. The mother tightly holds her child close and moves her back to the bandits to take the blade as the little girl cries.

The bandits swing their swords down.

Bam!

The bandits are sent flying and crash into a nearby building.

"Are you guys all right!?" says Eleanor, her voice drained from running. She gives them a hand. "You guys need to get out of here, quick!" She pulls them up to their feet as the mother grabs her, still holding her crying child close. "Go, I'll hold them off!"

"Thank you," the mother quakes. She carries her injured child in her arms and sprints for the woods.

Eleanor watches as the mother and daughter bolt their way farther with every step. Then she turns to the bandits; heat flushes through her body like it’s boiling. She is going to break these bandits down to pieces.

The bandits shake off the pain and ready their weapons; they gradually surround Eleanor, forming a triangle around her.

A deep breath calmly exhales out of Eleanor. She brings her arms up then waves them around like her hands are flowing like water. She prepares her stance in a style which Eden calls: River. "Now it's my turn."

Footsteps alert Eleanor from behind, followed by an outcry. She quickly shifts her feet as the sword thrusts and grabs the bandit's wrist, pulling him close. Then she chops his neck with her hand and lands a blow to the gut.

The other two bandits charge at her; they wildly swing their swords at her. But none of their attacks landed. Eleanor elegantly moves away from the place they’re trying to cut, then she swiftly sweeps her leg on the ground, kicking one of them to the ground. The other one waves his sword around like he’s trying to hit a fly, but he’s slower than before. The bandit gives one slow whirl of his weapon, and Eleanor pivots herself backward to evade it. Seeing that the bandit is losing air, she takes the opportunity.

As the bandit misses his swing, Eleanor presses her hand against the sword, arm locking it in place; she places a foot behind his and repeatedly slamming her fist into his face.

The bandit tries to move back, but Eleanor's foot is behind him, making him trip and leaving him open. She takes the opportunity to switch into another one of Eden's fighting styles that he calls: Sky. She propels herself into the air and twirls like a dancer, then her leg curves in and bashes her enemy's head. The eyes of the bandit rolls back as he falls down like a rag doll. The last one gets back up and narrows his eyes at his fallen comrades; he yells out and lunges forward.

These guys are nothing compared to Eden! Eleanor clenches her fist and looks for the right time to strike. Eden had taught her to always observe her opponent's movement then counter it with her own attack.

As the bandit raises his sword and swings it down, Eleanor anticipates it. She leaps off the ground and kicks the weapon out of his hand. After getting rid of the blade, she spins and lands multiple strikes on his body.

The bandit staggers in the back like he’s trying his best to keep his balance; he lifts his head with wide eyes.

Eleanor rushes in on her remaining opponent. The distance between her and the bandit is perfect; she makes a quick stop in front of him, and with a shout, she flips backward. The tip of her shoes bashes the bandit on the chin, launching him in the air. He will only be flying for a mere few seconds; like a flash, Eleanor surges herself up and spins like a twister. With the clap of thunder in her voice, she slams her leg into the bandit. A loud groan releases from the bandit's throat, and he crashes down into a building.

Eleanor safely lands and exhales, but there is no time to rest. She has to check the town for any more townspeople. The thought of seeing dead bodies twists her stomach, so she scours the streets and alleys.

Bandits chase after men, women, and children as they cackle. Eleanor jumps in to save every one of them. Sweat trickles down the side of her head as she puffs out air. There are too many bandits running about, but Eleanor can't stop now. Eden had just saved the people who blamed him for this; she won't let a single person get killed and have someone blame him for not protecting that person.

One by one and after another, bandits' bodies fall with a thud as they hit the ground. Countless of them unconscious, and standing in the middle of it is the out of breath Eleanor.

"What the..."

Eleanor turns around and sees the bandit leader from the fort, looking pale. Flashes of being kidnapped and beaten return to her; something flares within her. She glares at him.

"You... did all of this?" The bandit leader grabs his fallen comrades' weapons, an axe in one hand and a sword in the other. His teeth bare like a beast ready to pounce. "I'm going to kill you.”

Eleanor approaches the bandit with ease, ice flowing through her veins. "You know, my father once taught me that it's okay to be scared of monsters, and he said, the only way to overcome them is to become even scarier than them," she hissed. Emptiness fills her eyes as she stares at the bandit as if she's looking at his very soul.

Eleanor shifts into a stance that's different from Eden's. A posture that Eden and Eleanor decided to create to make use of her magic. Her arms cross each other, and her hands shape in a claw-like form. The five rainbow star grimoire unhooks itself from the belt and floats next to Eleanor. It opens itself to a page and starts to glow a bright yellow light. Imagine slowly opening the water facet... The image of flowing tap water paints in Eleanor's mind. A golden ripple-like circle shines on both of her hands; two sharp metal blades emerge from her palms to the same length of any sword.

"B-but you d-didn't have any spells before," says the bandit leader.

The full moon dazzles its white light upon the streets of Greenbourge darkening Eleanor's figure. The blades, tome, and her eyes illuminate from her silhouette like a predacious animal behind the darkness.

"Would you like to be my training dummy?"

With a roar, the bandit leader bolts at Eleanor. Just as back at the fort when he fought with Eden, he waves his weapons around and spins.

Eleanor strikes first. She lunges herself like she’s launched from a human-sized slingshot. Her blades clash with the bandit's, catching him off guard and almost tripping back, but she steps on his foot to nail him in place. The bandit grunts and pushes her off his foot. With a wave of his axe, it rains toward Eleanor’s head.

Their weapons collide with one another, then Eleanor forces her way in with a swarm of slashes and thrusts. They’re so fast that the bandit can’t keep up with her. One of Eleanor's blades grazes his face, spilling blood, then another below the arm, and another to his leg. Striking the places where the skin was revealed. Then she twists and slams her foot across the bandit’s face, sending him rolling.

Blood seeps through the bandit leader’s leather armor, dyeing its brown color to red. "What the hell? You were not like this a couple of days ago!" says the bandit.

Eleanor leaps off into the air as the bandit leader rises back up and spins around like he’s lost sight of her. "Up here!" Just as the bandit looks up, Eleanor swings and smashes her foot on top of his head, slamming him, face flat onto the ground. Her blades glisten in the moonlight as she raises them up and descends her weapon.

"Stop messing with me!" The bandit leader rushes back up and brutally clashes his sword with Eleanor.

Eleanor screams at the collision as it sends her flying. She rolls on the ground; the blades disappear into a million sparks. But she instantly rises back up.

The bandit comes roaring in like a wild animal. The weapons sway violently at Eleanor, but she flips back, and the blades miss above her. He swings the sword and axe back, but she flips back again and again. None of the swings can touch Eleanor; she continuously flips back, dodging every predictable swing the bandit throws at her. Then she leaps off the ground and lands far away from her opponent.

The bandit's voice explodes in frustration; he pushes his feet off the ground and shoots himself like he’s shot out of a cannon, crashing Eleanor into the wall of a building; a cry of pain releases from throat. Before she can do anything, Eleanor is thrown over the leader's shoulder and slams against the concrete, letting out another groan, but the bandit tightens his grip on her arm to the point where her bone feels like it’s being crushed. With a guttural roar, the bandit swings her body around, the world spinning into a blur.

A blade quickly reemerges from Eleanor's palms as she grits her teeth then cuts the bandit leader's arm. Blood spills out of the gash, and the grip on her arm let goes. She tumbles on the ground, breaking her sword and scraping every part of her exposed skin.

A puddle of blood drips from the bandit leader while he cries out in pain and clutches his arm to stop the bleeding.

Eleanor takes the opportunity to get back up and dash toward him. The muscles in her body ache, and the scrapes on her arms and legs begin to shed streams of blood tainting her clothes. Nevertheless, she grinds her teeth and pushes herself. This is her only chance to finish this; the bandit has left himself wide open.

The same bright ripple-like light reappears on her palms, and new steel blades surface from the portal. Eleanor closes in on the still screaming bandit. His face pales as she’s already in front of him with blades crossed.

Eleanor unleashes an ear-piercing shout; her blades descend upon the bandit leader's chest. Its sharpness swiftly goes through the skin, carving a large X on the body as she passes him in an instant.

Blood sprays out of the wound she landed as the bandit screams out his last breath then silence and finally a thud. The gore on the edge of Eleanor's blade drips to the stone pavement; the light swallows the swords back into her palms, leaving her hands stained with red.

No remorse within Eleanor nor satisfaction. She stares at her soiled hands and feels nothing; she sighs and dismisses it. Reaching into her satchel, a pure white handkerchief glows within the moonlight, then she taints it with the blood, wiping it off. "Good riddance," she hisses under her breath and tosses the cloth.

I have to go find Eden. Eleanor thought. The wounds flare like fire, but she ignores it and runs back to the marketplace. You better be alright.

The town is shrouded in darkness; the only light that illuminates is the full white moon. Buildings around are ravaged with broken walls and windows; every home's light is blackened, with its townsfolk gone into the woods. Leaving Greenbourge to become a ghost town.

The sounds of clanging steel can be heard from a distance, and it became louder with each step Eleanor took. The clashes echo the quiet town like it's shaking the air.

* * *

Steel grinds against each other, making a loud clang along with roars and shouts. The shield and sword bashes against the bandit king’s skull, but Eden's arm gets grabbed. There’s no time to react besides widening his eyes as he’s suddenly flung across the air. Eden twists and takes control of his body, drifting on the ground without getting hurt. He shoots a glare up.

The giant black blade digs into the ground, and Russell pulls it back out with boulders attached to it.

Eden dashes. The enormous stone sword comes down; he swiftly evades to the side as it smashes the ground. His shield slams against Russel's jaw, followed by a cracking sound. Then the sword smacks across the bandit king’s face, then he lunges his fist and bashes again. Russell howls; he swings his Armament, but Eden ducks down and kicks him in the head from below.

Eden repeatedly aims for the head and hits with both his sword and shield. But a sudden heavy blow knocks him yards away. A sharp pain pierces his lungs; he wheezes, but it’s too hard to even breathe. A wide span of black appears before him; his eyes widen as he realizes it as Russell's Armament approaches him with immense speed. His arm twitches and reacts; as fast as he can, he raises his arm to block and ducks down.

The force crushes Eden's face against his shield, launching him as he screams. He lays on the cobblestone pavement, exhausted. A tingling sensation washes over his arm; he can't feel his grip on the shield anymore. Blood continues to drip from the side of his face; his head throbs at the same pace as his heartbeat. He takes short breaths to avoid the stabbing pain in his lungs, but his breathing bursts in and out like he's hyperventilating.

"Just stay there and die, One Star..." says the bandit king, heaving. His sword makes a screeching noise as he drags it to the ground.

Eden tightens his grip on the Armaments, sets his jaw, and pounds the ground with his shield. His body struggles to rise, but he pushes past the cries of his body. He steadies his breathing and stands back up with intense eye contact at Russell. “I’m not done yet!”

Russell stops in his tracks and growls. "Why can't you just stay there and die already?"

"I can't die, not yet.” He stands in his stance with his shield up and sword out. "Not until I become the True Hero!" Then he dashes toward Russell, closing the gap in mere seconds. His eyes focus on the bandit’s movements, predicting his next move.

Russell places both of his hands on his Armament's grip signaling Eden he's about to make a full swing, an overhead attack, or even both. One more hit from that kind of weapon can potentially end him. Eden notices. Russell has shifted his foot; he's about charge.

Russell lunges and raises the stone Armament in the air. A booming roar comes from his throat as the sword comes down.

Eden pushes his leg and pivots to the side, dodging the attack. The sword crashes onto the ground and creates a blast of debris. Eden partially closes his eyes to protect his vision while keeping a lock on his opponent, and he catches Russell's next move.

The bear-size arm let goes of the Armament and hurls at Eden, but he quickly bends his body back for it to pass over him. Eden jumps up, spins around, and slams his foot against Russell's head.

But the kick doesn’t seem to faze the bandit king one bit as his arm comes swinging at Eden. A twitch in his leg makes Eden jump back. Then Russel reconnects his hands on the grip of his weapon and rotates it around.

Eden grits his teeth and spins in the same direction, clashing his Armament with his opponents.

Suddenly, the bandit king raises his stone weapon up. "Crashing Boulder!"

Yellow glowing stones shoot off from the sword like bullets. Eden grunts as he flips back, dodging a boulder and holds his shield close. Then a rock crashes into him, sending him flying, while the rest explodes everywhere, turning the town's streets into a dust bowl.

A loud crash and a shout of the same arte sends a wave of adrenaline rushing through Eden. Instantly rising back on his feet, a storm of boulders zooms at him. Regardless, he lunges forward, his leg twitches, and he ducks between the stones. One of them flies directly at him; with a shout, Eden tightens his grip and lunges his shield at it. The rock smashes into him, making his foot skid on the concrete; he grunts loudly, and with all of his strength, he shoots it right back faster than before.

The shining boulder crushes Russell in the stomach, dropping him to his knees while holding his gut.

Eden wastes no time and dashes. "You're open!" he shouts. Jumping on his opponent and wrapping his arms around his neck, he swings himself to the bandit king’s back and chokes him.

Russell’s grip around Eden's arm crushes him, making him yelp as the bandit king slowly pulls out of the choke. Gritting his teeth, Eden leans back, tightening his clutch around his opponent’s neck, trapping the throat from getting any air.

The bandit king rises to his feet with Eden dangling from his neck. Then he and Russell are in the air. He jumped?! The clear starry sky fills his vision. Weight crushes Eden’s body as he plummets down and crashes onto the concrete. His grasp around the neck loosens, allowing for Russell to roll off of him.

Eden pushes with every bit of strength he has left to stand up. From the corner of his eye, Eleanor emerges, looking drained. Around him, the sight of the battle is horrendous. There are holes everywhere on the ground, and destroyed rubble floats in the air, turning Eleanor’s expression pale.

"Eden!" Eleanor yells and rushes to him.

"I told you to run," says Eden.

"I'm not leaving you like this!" Eleanor grabs his arm and lifts him up to his feet.

Eden shoves Eleanor's hands off of him without giving her a glance. "Let me handle this."

"No, you are in no condition to fight!"

Eden turns his gaze upon Eleanor's plea. "I don't want you fighting him either, so that leaves me." He looks back at Russel, struggling to get back on his feet as well while holding his neck and coughing.

"No, you don't get to choose whether I want to fight him or not." Eleanor shoves her pinky finger in front of Eden. "You said you will travel the same path as I will and help me find my parents, so let me do the same for you too."

"What?"

"Let me travel the same path as you do." Eleanor holds her gaze with Eden's firmly. She will not lose him; he did make a promise to help her after all.

"Who's cheesy now?" Eden chuckles weakly. "All right, let's do this!"

"Okay!"

"My men are useless!" Russell barks as he stands back on his feet. "I'll kill you both myself!" The Armament and the stones glow with a bright yellow light; it bursts into a flame-like aura with loads of mana, trembling the space around them.

Standing next to Eleanor, Eden and her both simultaneously get into the same stance, readying for another fight.

The stones on Russell's Armament flare like a giant torch. "This is where you both die!" He leaps off the ground and lunges forward. "Stone Crusher!" He roars

Just like a mirror, Eleanor alters her movements just as Eden does as he prepares to dart. But he stops. A chill freezes over him. Eden can’t move; he simply just stares. The bandit king is approaching them fast, but Eden isn’t even looking at him.

...He’s looking behind him.

A dark slithering figure with eerie long arms and twice the size as Russell rapidly crawls behind him, stretching its arms in a frantic like way across the cobblestones like it's grasping for air or something. The thing makes no sound regarding how fast it creeps; it’s quiet... like death itself.

Eden gasps as the shadowy creature catches up to the bandit king and extends its long thin arm. Claws exposing, it flings and impales into Russell.

Blood sprinkles into the night; Russell groans and his eyes widening.. Then he's thrown across the market area and crashes into multiple buildings.

Eden holds his tongue, his body frozen, and his gaze glued onto the dark monster. What the hell is that thing?

The ominous black creature slowly retracts its arms together; the sharp nails on its long fingers screeches the stone pavement. The thing grows taller as it rises; every part of its body is slender and towering, apart from its head, hands, and feet. The creature stands tall but hunches its head down, and it dangles its lengthy arms from side to side. Quiet as ever, it still never made a single sound. The only thing that can be heard is the beating of both Eden’s hearts. Why isn't it moving? Is it attracted to sound, perhaps? Eden thinks. But he doesn't dare move a muscle or even glance at Eleanor for that thing could probably do worse than what it did to the bandit king.

But the creature just stands there, swaying its arms. It feels as though time has stopped for Eden; the beating of his hearts pound louder as no one is moving.

Something alerts Eden. From the corner of his eye. A small round blue light flickers. It’s a wisp; it looks like a ball of flame hovering in the air like a balloon.

The wisp makes its way toward the creature, then it splits itself apart surrounding the monster’s head and enters it like the thing is inhaling smoke.

A deafening distorted howl rips from the jaws of the monster.

Eden rushes to cover his ears, but it doesn’t matter as he can still hear it so clearly. Every glass window in Greenbourge shatters to the wail of this demon. His body trembles like it’s rippling water and his knees buckle.

Then the howling stops.

A high pitch ring pierces Eden ears. He looks back up. The creature, now bent backward with both arms spread open and staring at the sky. It reveals a crack in the middle of its chest that softly glows a dark blue light.

Then its arms start to swing back, and it shoots its enormous dark hands at Eden and Eleanor and wails.