I am Reborn through Revenge

You killed a Knight

The wind was becoming messier. It was seen by looking at the trees around us as they were shaking like crazy. Some trees with weak branches broke off from their mother plants like they weren't meant to be there in the first place. I realized that it was going to rain again— possibly. I knew that it would be incredibly difficult to hunt under the weather. It seemed like no one was bothered or cared about this reality except me. Nightwinder gave orders for all of us to stop.

He rode past us and turned his horse at us. “I think it is time we go our separate ways," he said. "If you want to hunt alone, you are free. If not, then, good luck to you.” He looked at me and flickered his eyes at me. I didn’t know what he meant by that but I choose to ignore it. I took a bow and some arrows and hung them at my back. I turned my horse at once and rode out alone deep into the woods. Darkness would soon fall on us, that I was sure. A lot of uncertain circumstances and things happens in the dark and I wasn’t sure what could happen here either. The only thing I was so sure of was that I felt safer haunting alone than haunting with anyone else in the group. I rode my horse deep down a sloppy terrain in the woods, to a side I thought wouldn’t be discoverable. I got out of my mount and tied her to a tree very close to me. I needed to finish the rest of the haunt on my foot. The ground was still wet from the rain that fell the previous day. Wide and deep trails of animals were left on the ground and I noticed it when I had already gotten off my mount. So it means that since the ground gave of the trails of these animals easily to me, it means that my footsteps would also be easily noticed by someone. If I had to continue this way, then it means that I would be easily giving out my location to anyone who would love to trace me to where I was. But at least I could hide my footsteps if I want to but I won't be able to hide it if I continue riding on the horse. My reason for continuing the rest of the journey on foot was justified. I brought out my sword and held it with one arm and began to walk. I looked around me, and I noticed/felt that there was something in the woods that was following me (It was as though something was watching me). My instincts work in mysterious ways and most times it doesn’t lie to me. I knew that something was out there in the wood but I wasn’t sure if it was an animal or a human. I decided to keep very sharp eyes. I certainly didn't want to be easy prey to any predator so keeping a sharp eye and sharp ears like rabbits was a must for me. When I was like a stone throw away from the horse, I heard a sound that convinced me that the weariness over was not just a mere illusion but was real.

An unpleasant sound began to approach me. It was very fast and I knew it was coming from my back. I had no time to debate on what was coming, or how I would face what was moving toward me. I instinctively lied on the ground on my stomach— it was instant. Luckily, an arrow passed over my head and pierced into a nearby tree with incredible speed. I turned around immediately. I wanted to see who or what had shot the arrow at me. But instead of seeing what I wanted to see, my eyes encountered another fast traveling arrow that was coming towards me.

Hell!

I rolled on the floor immediately and evaded what seemed to had missed piercing and shredding my stomach. I was just lucky. I picked my sword immediately where I had dropped it and looked up, searching through the woods. Someone began to laugh like a demon but I couldn’t see the person's face. The windy weather made it incredibly difficult to even tell if the voice was that of a woman or a man let alone identifying whose voice it was.

The person with the voice seemed to be hiding behind a tree. I could barely see the reflection of the person on the floor. “Show your self you coward,” I said, pointing my sword to the tree.

“I didn’t realize you were this fast, Prince Anon.”

Knight Simon walked out from behind the tree. “What. . . who. . .” I muttered, stuttering. A dozen questions tried to push away through my mouth but I didn’t exactly know what to say what I had in mind. I was shocked to see Simon. He was in all shades of black which would soon blend with the weather. A slow chill ran down my back when I looked at his face. He seemed like he had a combination of wolf eyes and an angry Eagle ready for hunt. I would have assumed that he came for the hunt too but he had already shot not just a single arrow at me but two. His all-black attire even made me confirm that he had not come for any other business except to kill. But to kill who? me?

“Knight Simon,” I said warmly, smiling. I tried to sound like what he did, did not scare me at all. “What exactly are you doing here by yourself?”

“Prince Anon. I wish you knew that I detest being humiliated by anyone. Even if you are a Prince.” He dropped the bow he was carrying on the floor and drew out his sword.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked him. He rubbed at his blond short hair, his jugular vein became visible again.

“You humiliated me the other day Prince Anon. Today, you have to either prove yourself or get ready to pay the ultimate price.”

Ultimate? Seriously, I was frightened by his words.

“Knight Simon,” I called him. “Please, think straight before you do something foolish. I never intended to harass or humiliate you. I never thought that any of that would happen. Besides, I am not the crown Prince who made everything happen the way it did. If you really want to blame anyone, I think it would be nicer if you blame the crown prince. He was the reason why everything happened the way it happened and not me.”

He laughed again but for longer this time. “Was it the crown Prince that changed the rules? Was he the person that insisted that we should use a bow instead of a sword? You simply bent the rules so it could suit you. You are a coward.”

I could feel the stigma in his voice. Simon was greatly displeased and I think he felt insulted that I won the fight the other day. He was looking far beyond reasoning rationally. Anger was written all over him and I didn’t get it; I didn’t understand why such a little thing that happened between us made him want to take revenge on me.

“Simon, ple. . .”

“Cut the crap. Get ready to fight to the death.” He interrupted me.

Now his demand was clear. Since I understood where he was planning to get this too, I would be more willing than ever to grant him his wish. People who hated me this much didn’t deserve to leave anyway. “Okay then,” I said. “Let's get this over with. It wouldn’t be bad if I go home with your head as my kill.”

I and Simon had a brief staring match— his resentment against my smiling face. I think my expression made him went berserk; he began running toward me with anger. I wasn’t planning to take chances with a trained killing machine like Simon. I wasn’t planning to fight him because I wasn’t so sure of his sword skills. By height, I may be taller but by size, he was bigger. He should also be heavier than me. If he could use his body properly to his advantage, even without a weapon, I would be no match for him. I tried not to allow intimidation or fear to take over my concentration. I focused purely on his move as he was approaching me at a fast pace. An idea flashed through my mind immediately. I drilled my sword inside the ground and waited for him to come a little bit closer. When he was about four foots away from me, I pushed the sword away packing a lot of sand with the edge of the sword. The sand went directly into his eyes and lodged, temporarily blinding him. I stood firmly immediately on my feet and rushed him without even thinking. I held out my sword and fixed it toward his stomach. The next thing I heard was a heavy grunt and squeal from Simon. I hadn’t realized what I had just done until I decided to glance down his stomach. My sword had already pierced through his belly and it came out to the back. Blood began to gush out from the spot the sword pierced and some even spurted against my shirt. My jaw dropped and I was emotionally plunged into confusion. Had I killed him? Was he going to die? Had I just killed a human being? I let go of my sword and I slowly began to trace my footsteps back without even turning around. Simon out of frustration and possibly rage managed to tighten the grip of his sword handle and made it hit me in the jaw. I struggled to find my balance but I found myself on the ground instead. It was a very precise and painful hit that made me see stars. My jaw had been opened before the handle settled on my face. It made me bite my own tongue so hard that I wondered if it was going to fall off.

For the first time in my life, I saw someone about to die because of something I did even though I never wanted it to happen. I had never killed anyone or even attempted to kill anyone before. I never knew that this was how it felt. I was sitting on the ground helplessly looking at the dying Simon. He couldn’t even move from where he stood. His jaw was rather pulsating and twitching against his will. My sword was hung deep inside his stomach like it was meant to be there. I could only imagine the type of excruciating pain he might be passing through. I never thought it would be that simple to kill someone like Simon. In fact, I had totally underestimated my wittiness to fight him.

How the mighty had fallen!

“You think you have won this day?” he asked. He couldn’t still move from where he stood.

“I told you, Simon. If you had dropped your sword, all this wouldn’t have happened. None of this would. You just don’t want to listen.”

“Cut the crap,” he said, almost stuttering. The smell of the fresh air began to fade away around my nose and slowly began to be replaced by a scent of blood. I could see that Simon was already tired. When he couldn’t stand on his feet anymore, he went down on his knees and then he slowly began to remove the sword from his stomach.

He began to giggle instead of crying or screaming. I was even confused. I wondered if what he was doing wasn’t paining him. “This is a more honorable way to die Prince Anon. I didn’t know it feels this good when you are about to die.”

I managed to stand on my feet. “Let me go get someone,” I told him. “Someone that will help.”

“Bullshit!” He said with blood in his mouth. “Do not do such a thing, I am not a coward like you. It has always been my wish to die protecting the kingdom of Zahrin but not in the hands of a phony Prince.”

Phony Prince?

“I can see that this is not just about the other day. I can see that you have a deep-rooted hatred for me. What have I ever done to you to deserve been called a phony Prince? Huh?” I asked.

He laughed annoyingly till the vein on his forehead began to show. “You are never going to become a true Prince neither will you ever be recognized as one,” he said. He then stood up unsteadily, covering the stabbed area with both hands. “You are a disgrace to the royal blood. My only regret is not having the opportunity to kill you by my sword.”

Now that was completely bizarre. I didn’t know where that was coming from and I didn’t care but I honestly didn’t want to hear it; from him or anyone else.

“I think you will do yourself good if you would shut up and save your energy, Simon. Whining like you are a baby isn’t going to help you in this condition.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, then he smiled mischievously. “You mean whining like your b***h mother isn’t helping me eh?”

“What?” I screamed. I was immediately immersed with rage. I had taken each of his insults but I wasn’t planning to take this one. I may endure it when you insult me or attack me personally but what I wouldn’t accept is when you add my mother into it. I reached out to my waist and brought out a silver blade I had holstered in a scabbard. I rushed towards Simon with anger and I slit his throat.

“In your next world, don’t ever play with my mother’s name,” I told him. He gasped for breath. He seemed like he wanted to say something but he just couldn’t say it any longer. I wouldn’t if I were in his shoes. I didn’t regret doing what I did this time. In fact, I had pitied him before but not anymore. He would have at least respected my mother. She hadn’t done anything wrong to him to deserve such an insult from him. He was scum, he deserved to die, I thought.

I heard a noise from my back, I quickly turned around. I struggled to see what it was because it was getting dark. On a closer look, I saw Prince Nightwinder looking at me behind a tree with a long face. “Anon,” he said. “You have just killed Knight.”