The night sky was set ablaze.
"AHHHH!"
"GRAAAHHH!"
"M-MONSTERS! RUN!"
The village burned with red embers filling the sky. That with the smell of blood, choking black smoke and echoing screams.
"Gather them up! Kill all those who resist and capture the rest, especially the children!" One of the raiders shouted from atop his horse a tall man in black and behind him surged a wave of armored men.
Twisted smiles on their faces and their swords dripping with fresh blood.
"Please! Stop—!"
A villager begged for his life.
But with a single swing of a sword the poor villager's head was severed from his shoulders.
"COME ON! Do not let up! GET THEM!"
"YEAHHHH!"
And through all the chaos, a mother and her son ran with everything they had.
"M-Mom…" Abel cried out, his legs trembling as they ran.
She glanced down at him with blood running down her cheek and her hand tightly gripping his, "Just a little farther sweetie... just try to hang on for me." She pleaded, her voice trembling.
Headed for the wood, where they would be able to disappear into the darkness.
Neither of them looked back; and just kept on running.
That is until Abel tripped over a root and collapsed to the ground with a huge thud!
"Ahh —!"
"Abel!" His mother shouted, turning around immediately.
Blood trickled down his forehead; He fumbled in the dirt while looking for his glasses.
"M-My glasses…"
He spotted them nearby and reached out for them, but...
"Abel, behind you! MOVE NOW!"
He turned to see a man standing behind him, ready to grab hold of him
"Gotcha, you damn—!"
But before the man could lay a hand on him, he suddenly vanished.
And the man's neck snapped violently to the side as Abel's mother appeared standing behind him and kicking him in the neck and breaking it cleanly.
She held her son in her arms, "Abel! Please tell me you're okay?!"
Abel wiped the blood off his brows, "I'm okay mom. I just lost my glasses…"
"Forget about them, sweetheart. I'll get you a new pair once we—"
She stopped.
Four more predator-like looking men had surrounded them, each armed to the teeth and their eyes gleaming with a sick delight.
"Looks like we've got a feisty one here boys!"
"She's going to be a fun one to break for sure."
Abel froze but his mother calmly stepped forward and hid him behind her, shielding him.
"Abel. Stay behind me and do not leave my sight." She said quietly.
He obeyed her command and clutched on to her cloak tightly.
"I'm warning you. Try me and you'll all come to regret it." She said, while drawing a magic circle in the air.
One of them laughed while stepping forward and grabbing her wrist, "Cute threat, but you're coming with us—"
SNAP.
With a single twist, she broke his hold on her wrist and then kneed him in the groin and as he yelped in pain she twisted his neck and killed him instantly.
Everyone in that moment froze.
Abel's heart would not stop pounding since he could not believe what he had just seen.
His mother just...
"I warned you," She said coldly while her eyes glowed crimson with an ominous aura surrounding her.
That made the rest of their blood boil and charge in.
One of them swung his sword high while yelling, "YOU DAMN BITCH!"
She dodged the blade, missing touching her skin by mere inches.
"Stay still, you damn—!"
She then raised two fingers, pointed them at his face, and whispered, "Ignis."
Flames burst from her fingers, engulfing the guy's face up in flames.
He yelled in agony, "AAAARGH!"
And fell to the ground, not get back up.
Another one came out of nowhere slashing wildly while trying to hit her.
She stepped back, redirecting his blade into the ground with her open palm and then slammed her other palm and lit his face up like a candle.
"ARRRGH!" He screamed and then dropped dead.
Abel was completely frozen in shock and at the same time awe; he couldn't believe what he was seeing with his own two eyes.
'W-who… is that? Is that really my mom fighting?' He asked himself.
He wanted to know the answer to that question but something told him he really didn't want to know.
She fought like a rogue warrior or something even worse than that.
She definitely did not like the healer everyone knew her to be, she was fierce, fast, unrelenting.
But overall… terrifying.
But as he watched he noticed one of the bastards playing dead getting up and unsheathing his dagger; slowly sneaking up at her without making a sound.
She was so focused on the fight that she didn't notice him coming but Abel did.
The man raised his dagger; ready to stab her in the back.
But before he could act Abel attacked him by tackling him and forcing him to fall backward while Abel struggled on top of him.
He shouted, "LEAVE MY MOTHER ALONE! YOU BASTARD!"
The man clenched his teeth in fury and growled, "You damn brat! Get the hell off me!" he yelled, raising his dagger and thrusting it at Abel.
But before he could hit him, Abel's mother appeared and broke his arm before he could touch her son. And before he could even express his pain she twisted his neck and silenced him for good.
She then grabbed hold of him, "I told you to stay behind me and not leave my sight, Abel! Please don't ever do that again!" She scolded.
Abel stammered, "B-but I just wanted to help, Mom."
"Help me by staying still," she snapped, pulling him close.
Watching in silence from afar, a man holding a 16th century hunting rifle in hand made direct aim for her.
"Don't shoot her," his leader said, standing beside him the same tall man dressed in a black overcoat and hat, "Take aim for the kid instead. That will catch her attention."
The guy smirked, "Yes, sir."
He took aim at Abel who was too stunned to react at all and pulled the trigger.
Opening fire on him.
The bullet flew straight for Abel.
"ABEL!" His mother screamed her voice laced with terror and worry.
But in a blink of an eye she tackled him and shield him with her body from the bullet that struck home tearing through her back.
"AH—!"
"MOTHER!!!"
She gasped, choking on pain but forced herself up, still shielding him.
The remaining men closed in slowly while grinning their teeth.
"She's weakened now. Get her!"
Abel trembled in fear.
His mother looked at him and saw the fear in his eyes and something in her ticked, "I won't… let them hurt you!"
She slammed her hand on the ground and a wall of fire erupted around them.
"DAMN IT!"
"Not this again!"
"Why won't she just die already?!"
"ABEL!!" she shouted, grabbing hold of him.
They ran through the fire, the smoke, and the screams.
"AFTER HER!"
"No! Let them go, she will die from that wound soon enough. Focus on the others and find the children!"
She kept on running until she reached the edge of the forest, but her legs finally gave out and she collapsed to the ground with a hard thud!
"MOM! MOM!" His voice broke at the sight of her.
She was shaking, her breath was uneven.
"Mom! Y-you have to use your healing magic! Heal yourself mom please!" he begged.
"I can't." she hissed.
He choked. "B-but you'll die!"
She leaned against a tree, smiling gently even through the pain, "I'll be fine sweetie. It's just a scratch dare… nothing more…"
He knew she was lying. The blood on her lips said otherwise, "STOP LYING TO ME!" he screamed.
She reached out her hand and gently patted his head, "I'm sorry dare… please don't cry."
Tears streamed down Abel's cheeks while the village behind them burned.
"At this point… you'll have to run, Abel."
"W-what…?"
"You need to hide. They'll come after you and if they find you they'll—"
"PWAHHH!" She coughed blood, staining the ground.
"MOM!!"
She was shaking and going pale and her eyes slowly began to fade.
"Listen to me Abel," she said, gripping his shoulders. "You have to survive and give up no matter what. But most of all please do not lose yourself."
She reached into her pouch and pulled out a silver ring necklace, "Please take this… this is mine. Your father has one just like this so keep this one safe and survive... for the both of us…"
Abel took it.
The air then went quiet.
"M-Mom?" he called.
...
...
But no response.
"Mom…?" he shook her body.
...
...
But nothing.
"Mom… MOM!!" He screamed.
The one who answered him wasn't her.
"Well, would you look at that," said a gruff voice. "I told you she'd die sooner or later."
Abel didn't look up.
"So what do we do now boss?"
"Take the boy. This place is already done."
They grabbed hold of him, "Huh..! Uh..! Uh...!"
And then wrapped a rope around his neck, "Come on you brat. Let's go!"
"ACK—!"
He was pulled and dragged away from her.
He kicked the dirt and he tried to fight back struggling, but screamed while he cried his heart out. "LET GO OF ME!! HHHK...! MOM!! MOM!!! MOOOOOM!!! U-UWAAAH!"
But she didn't respond to his call.
And she never would respond again.
And that's how…
It all began.