The guards circled around Elyn, each one gripping their weapon tightly—their eyes locked on her.
*creak...! *creak...! *creak...!
They moved with care, their boots creaking softly against the wooden floor, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Elyn stood still in the center, both hands wrapped around the hilt of her iron sword. Her fingers tapped gently,
*tap! *tap! *tap!
flicking in place as she sharpened her focus.
Her breath slowed.
Her muscles tensed.
Every sound, every shift in the air, was being drawn into her mind.
Time seemed to stop.
Then...
*clink!
a sharp noise echoed from behind. A scrape of armor clunking fast resoundingly.
Without turning her head, Elyn's instincts kicked in.
She spun her body and plunged her sword backward, just behind her hip, with deadly precision.
*CRACK!
The blade struck true.
It pierced clean through the armor of the rushing guard behind her, slipping into his stomach with a sickening crunch.
His eyes widened—a gurgled breath escaped him, and blood poured from his mouth.
"H-How…" he gasped, staggering, eyes wide open.
Elyn yanked her sword free from the guard, the blood trailing from the blade in a thin arc.
The guard collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud,
*THUD!
his armor clattering as his lifeless body hit the ground.
"Y-Yargh!" Without waiting, another guard rushed in—yelling as he raised his sword high and slashed it down in a wide arc, aiming to cut Elyn in half from above.
"Pathetic," Elyn muttered under her breath.
Before the blade could even reach her, she stepped in, too close for the guard to adjust his attack—and drove her boot straight into his knee.
*CRACK!
A loud crack echoed through the hall as the joint bent the wrong way.
"A-AGHHH!! I-It hurts!" the guard screamed,
*Clang!
dropping his weapon and falling to the ground clutching his ruined leg, writhing in pain.
"Y-You demon!" someone from the crowd shouted.
A tomato flew through the air, thrown from the side by a trembling villager.
Elyn simply turned her head slightly and the tomato completely missed,
*Splat!
splattering on the wooden wall behind her with a wet smack.
"Shit!" shouted another guard, his hands shaking as he tried to load a bolt into his crossbow.
"Keep her busy—I'll put a bolt right between her eyes!"
"Got it!" the others yelled as they charged at Elyn from different sides, hoping their numbers would overwhelm her.
Yet that didn't matter at all.
Elyn let out a long, calm, and lazy sigh.
"Let's not waste any more time, shall we?"
She dragged her hand along the length of her sword.
A thick mist of pitch-black eidra began to swirl around the blade, wrapping it like smoke rising from fire.
The air around her grew heavy and dark, the floor beneath her boots creaking from the sudden pressure.
A wave of dread swept through the hall.
Villagers near the entrance gasped for air, choking as the dark aura clung to their lungs.
Some backed away, covering their mouths.
Others dropped to their knees.
Others puked.
"I-It's the curse!" someone screamed in panic. One man's legs gave out as he fell backward—his pants soaked with fear.
Elyn didn't even glance at him.
She brought her sword low to her side—and in a flash, she vanished.
The next second, a thunderous burst of wind exploded in the hall,
*BANG!
as she reappeared among the guards.
With one powerful slash, her blackened blade tore through them all.
The eidra screamed as it cut, howling like a storm let loose from her blade.
Bodies were split apart in an instant.
The wave of force threw limbs and torsos to the corners of the room.
Blood sprayed across the walls in thick splashes.
Intestines slid across the wooden floor in long, sticky trails.
The villagers screamed, some retching violently at the horrifying sight.
And just like that—the guards were gone.
The room fell silent—save for the dripping of blood and the whimpering of terrified onlookers.
The way forward was now clear.
Elyn's iron sword had a small crack near the edge due to the force of eidra that was set upon it.
She gave it a quick glance, then slid it back into its sheath.
*Shack!
The metal gave a faint scrape as it settled. Without a word, she clipped it onto her sword belt.
She then turned, and began walking toward the exit.
"T-The captain will know about this!" the village leader shouted from behind, his voice cracking as he tried to sound threatening.
"Hah." Elyn scoffed, not slowing her pace. "Then I'll kill her too."
She reached the wooden doors and pushed them open with both hands.
*Creak!
They creaked loudly, the sound echoing through the hall as the sunlight spilled in as she stepped outside.
A group of villagers had gathered nearby, drawn by the shouting.
Some whispered to each other.
Others just stared.
The tension from inside the building had spilled into the open air outside.
Elyn didn't pay them any mind. She walked through the crowd, boots thudding steadily against the stone path, until she reached the main road leading out of the village.
The road stretched ahead in silence. Her dark leather armor caught the light in dull glints—marked by dents and scratches from past battles.
The swords at her hips swayed slightly with subtle clanking each step she took.
Up ahead, a carriage stood by the roadside.
A weathered horse shifted side to side lazily in its harness. The ferryman, half-dozing in his seat— straightened when he saw her approach.
Her presence was definitely hard to miss.
"Where ya goin', lass?" he asked, squinting at her. His eyes dropped to her blades. "Mercenary."
"Karion," Elyn said, pulling a silver moon from her pouch and tossing it to him.
He caught it without comment.
She climbed into the back of the carriage and sat down, adjusting her position before settling into the seat.
The ferryman gave the reins a snap.
*WHIP! *Neigh!!
The horse let out a soft neigh and began to move.
"Nice sunny day," the ferryman said, trying to make conversation.
"Mhm," Elyn murmured, eyes fixed on the horizon ahead. After a short pause, she muttered under her breath, "I hate it."