Chapter 49: I Have To Get Stronger
Arthur and the Nightreaver clashed in a blur of movement. The creature’s razor-sharp talons struck against the obsidian blade of Arthur’s sword with a shrill metallic screech that echoed across the field of dead roses. The impact sent vibrations running up Arthur’s arms, but he held firm, grinding his teeth against the jarring sensation.
The Nightreaver immediately disengaged, powerful wings carrying it upward and away. It began circling Arthur like a vulture assessing wounded prey. But in the darkness, Arthur was far from helpless.
He felt the creature’s presence without having to look—his Dark Sense painting a vivid picture of his surroundings. Every distortion in the air, every powerful flap of leathery wings, even the rapid rhythm of the creature’s heartbeat registered in his heightened awareness. The darkness that others feared had become his ally, revealing what normal eyes could never perceive.
The Nightreaver banked sharply, diving from behind with lethal intent. Its maw gaped wide, rows of serrated teeth gleaming wetly in the moonlight as it aimed for Arthur’s head—a killing strike meant to decapitate its prey in one savage bite.
Arthur pivoted, summoning all the momentum his body could generate, and swung his onyx odachi in a horizontal arc to meet the attack. Unlike the first battle he had with a nightreaver, however, this encounter didn’t unfold in his favor. The blade of his sword caught between the monster’s jaws, its teeth clamping down on the dark metal with frightening force.
The combined momentum sent Arthur tumbling backward. He hit the ground hard, air rushing from his lungs as the Nightreaver landed atop him, its weight pinning him against the cold earth. The creature thrashed its head from side to side, trying to wrench the sword from Arthur’s grip, but he held fast, knowing that to lose his weapon now meant certain death.
If not for the nighttime amplification of his abilities, the Nightreaver would have easily overpowered him. As it was, he found himself in a desperate stalemate, arms trembling with exertion as he fought to keep the monster at bay.
Viscous saliva dripped from the creature’s maw onto Arthur’s face, its putrid stench making his stomach lurch. ’Gross!’ he thought, turning his head to avoid the foul liquid.
In this moment of extreme duress, Arthur made a surprising realization—the Nightreaver’s strength, while formidable, wasn’t as overwhelming as he had anticipated. His mind flashed back to a similar situation with Luke, when he had struggled even more desperately to keep his corrupted friend at bay. What had made Luke so abnormally powerful? It couldn’t have been merely the standard enhancements of a chosen. Perhaps the corruption had granted him additional strength?
Arthur shook his head, forcing his mind back to the present crisis. He consciously slowed his panicked breathing, trying to find the calm center that would allow him to think clearly—
A searing pain erupted in his side as one of the Nightreaver’s talons pierced through his clothing and into his flesh. Arthur screamed, the sound tearing from his throat unbidden.
’It hurts! Holy shit, it hurts so bad!’