Chapter 6: The Hunter in Black
787 Words
The royal horn echoed across the valley.
"There she is!"
The command rang through the air like thunder.
Dozens of soldiers surged forward, their armor flashing beneath the afternoon sun.
Kael's expression hardened.
"Run."
This time Elara didn't argue.
She sprinted after him as arrows whistled through the air behind them.
One struck a tree beside her head.
Another buried itself in the ground inches from her feet.
The soldiers were closing the distance.
Ahead, the narrow mountain trail twisted between towering cliffs.
"If we can reach the pass," Kael said between breaths, "they won't be able to surround us."
Elara nodded, forcing herself to keep moving despite the burning pain in her legs.
The sound of galloping horses grew louder.
"They're gaining!" she shouted.
Kael glanced over his shoulder.
"No..."
His voice was low.
"They've sent him."
Elara looked back.
At the front of the royal cavalry rode a single man dressed in black armor.
Unlike the others, he wore no helmet.
Long dark hair flowed behind him as his horse thundered across the valley.
A long spear rested in his hand.
His face was calm.
Cold.
Almost emotionless.
"Who is he?" Elara asked.
Kael didn't answer immediately.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried a hint of dread.
"Commander Darius."
"The king's commander?"
Kael nodded.
"He has never failed to capture his target."
Darius raised his spear.
The soldiers immediately spread out, forming a wide arc.
"They're trying to cut us off," Kael said.
"Can we outrun them?"
"No."
"Then what do we do?"
Kael stopped.
He slowly drew his sword.
"We fight long enough to create an opening."
Elara stared at him.
"There are over fifty soldiers!"
"I know."
Before she could protest, the first cavalry charge reached them.
Kael met it head-on.
Steel crashed against steel.
A rider swung his sword.
Kael sidestepped, knocking the man from his horse with the flat of his blade.
Another attacked from the left.
Kael spun, striking the rider's arm and sending the weapon flying.
Elara backed away, searching desperately for something—anything—she could use.
A loose branch lay nearby.
She grabbed it.
It wasn't much.
But it was better than nothing.
One soldier rushed toward her.
She swung the branch wildly.
The soldier laughed.
"That's your weapon?"
He raised his sword.
Before he could strike, a blast of wind exploded between them.
The soldier was thrown backward several feet, crashing into two others.
Elara froze.
The branch had shattered in her hands.
"I... I didn't..."
She hadn't touched him.
She hadn't even come close.
Kael saw what had happened.
His eyes widened for only a second.
"Elara!"
She looked at him.
"Don't think!"
"What?"
"Your Force responds to instinct!"
Another soldier charged.
Fear surged through her.
The same strange warmth spread through her body.
The air trembled.
The soldier's horse suddenly reared, throwing its rider onto the rocky ground.
The surrounding soldiers hesitated.
Whispers spread among them.
"Did you see that?"
"It wasn't magic..."
"What is she?"
Even Commander Darius narrowed his eyes.
He slowly dismounted.
Unlike the others, he wasn't afraid.
He walked toward Elara with measured steps, his black cape swaying behind him.
"So," he said calmly.
"You are the girl who broke the Pillar."
Elara stood her ground.
"I didn't break anything."
"No?"
His gaze settled on her.
"Then why has every ancient warning begun to awaken since the moment you touched it?"
She had no answer.
Darius sighed.
"I had hoped the stories were false."
He drew his sword.
Its blade shimmered with silver runes.
"The king has ordered that you be brought back alive."
He lifted the sword.
"But he never said your protector had to survive."
Before Elara could react, Darius lunged toward Kael.
Their swords collided with a deafening clang.
The force of the impact shook the ground beneath them.
Kael slid backward several feet.
For the first time since Elara had met him...
He looked outmatched.
Darius smiled faintly.
"I wondered how long it had been since we last crossed blades."
Kael's grip tightened.
"Not long enough."
"You should have stayed loyal."
"I chose the truth."
"And that choice will cost you your life."
The two warriors clashed again, their blades moving so quickly that Elara could barely follow them.
Sparks flew with every strike.
Around them, the soldiers formed a circle, waiting for their commander to finish the fight.
Elara's heart raced.
If Kael fell...
She would be alone.
And somewhere high above the battlefield, hidden among the cliffs, a hooded figure watched in silence.
A faint smile spread beneath the hood.
"The prophecy is unfolding exactly as written," the figure whispered.
"Let the kingdoms prepare."
"The Invisible Force has finally begun to awaken."
- Writer
