Writing Prompts Archive/11/Kaldalis

Ultimately Kaldalis did survive this encounter, however everything that happens up until the final moments is what truly occurred to him.

*“Family is who you’d die for”*, I did not think it would be so literal, that ultimately it would be ‘family’ that gave me my final death.

Days prior, my daughter had been hunted, forced to flee. Today marked the first day she left our safe haven and moments after leaving she found herself attacked and killed by her hunter. I shall not have that, I shall have his head for that, and so I hunt him.

He has let me find him, I am aware this is a trap. I shall have his head.

The landing was heavy, my weapon already drawn as I break into a sprint into melee.

He readied himself to receive and parry my blow with his claws, using his second hand to cut across my arm.

I ignore the pain and strike him with my elbow to stun him, bringing my blade round to cut his arm in retaliation.

He flows with the momentum of my strike and drops to his back, kicking himself up to slash me with clawed boots before spinning to his feet.

Before he can cut me again I grab his arm and throw him to the ground and move to impale him.

He rolls out of the way and shifts into his beast form, beginning to prowl around me.

I set myself ablaze as he does the same, my vermilion to his navy.

I hold my weapon out as a pillar of vermilion flame erupts below him.

He dives to avoid it, skidding to a stop before using my recovery time to pounce upon me.

I hold my arm out to have his teeth dig into that instead of my neck, using the opportunity to cut across his stomach.

He yelps in pain as he swings on my arm and kicks me to the floor, removing his teeth from my arm and clawing at my chest.

I punch into his chest to wind him, throwing him off me as I kick myself to my feet.

He retreats for a moment and I heal some of my wounds with my flames.

There is a pause, we both wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

He stands upon his hind legs as he shifts back into his humanoid form, his claws retreating into flames and reforging themselves into a blade to rival mine.

We wait, we know that I hold the advantage, he will have planned for that, we wait.

We charge at one another, I swing for him, he swings to parry.

My blade connects against his and bounces off, I use the momentum to swing low.

He moves faster and jumps over my blade, swinging high, cutting across my brow as I barely dodge the blow.

I force myself forward, willingly taking whatever may hit me next to collide my bleeding brow to his nose.

He thrusts into my torso, barely missing vital organs as my forehead collides with him, forcing him back.

I press the advantage, a pair of swift swings to his legs to debilitate him and a palm thrust to the chest to topple him.

He kicks away my sword as the first cut hits him before he’s thrown to the grown by my palm.

He cannot win this fight, I am the greater swordsman, we both know it.

He retreats and shifts his blade back into claws, his eyes and claws glow as he prepares for *something*.

We charge at one another, I got for a cut to his chest, the blow that would end this fight.

He catches my blade with a single hand as his second thrusts towards my chest, the claws increasing in length to dig deep.

I yell in pain, the attack taking me by surprise.

He slides his hand down my blade to cut at my arm, forcing me to release it as he catches the weapon and pulls it from my reach.

I move to grab the blade again which only allows the claws within my chest to rake the inside of my body.

He burns my blade away with his navy flames before using the now free hand to grab my throat.

I stare in defiance, he cannot truly kill me- I feel myself weakening.

He grins a toothy grin as he sees my expression change.

He slowly removes his claws from my chest, a bright vermilion flame held at the end of them.

I can do nothing but stare in shock as the heat leaves me, I drop to my knees when he releases my neck.

*“The immortal fire has been extinguished, what shall you do now Kichirou?”* he growls to me.

I attempt to stand and grab him.

He cuts me in two.

I die my final death.

As written at the start, all but the finale is what truly occurred, as written at the end is what would be Kaldalis’ demise.

What is written next is what did occur.

*“The immortal fire has been extinguished, what shall you do now Kichirou?”* he growls to me.

I bring myself to my feet and stare at him, in shock and defiance.

*“Run along now, dead man. You shall die when you are broken, I will allow no-sooner.”*

I turn and use what little power I hold left to kick myself into the air, my legs break instantly from the force applied.

***“Let the hunt begin, Kichirou! Enjoy mortality!”***

That is the last thing I hear before I black out mid-air.