I didn’t sign up for this!

A furious thought came across my mind as I desperately crawled away from the bastard who shot me in the back with the poisoned tip arrow. I disregard the human and elven bodies scattered carelessly around the battlefield. Every second, my body became heavy and hard to move as if I was lifting a boulder. It wasn’t my armor’s fault, the poison did that to me. I can feel the bastard’s burning gaze and he’s not alone. As I expected, those four nobles ganging up on me just to take revenge.

“Aww. Not tough anymore?” The bastard chuckled as I heard his heavy footsteps became closer.

When he stopped beside me, I heard him chanting some magic spell before a sudden force pulled me down and my entire body stuck on the hot sand. I think I ate some of it.

I gritted my teeth in exasperation as the corner of my eyes, I can see the smug on his face. If I was blessed with stronger magic, I would gladly burn them alive especially the man who despises me so much.

“The prince will be so happy to see your head displayed in his collections.” He said as his sword raised high.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make this quick.” He added as his blade gleamed in the sun, and he poised himself, ready to end my life in a single stroke.

Well, this is the end. There’s no other way to prevent this from happening. I have to accept this even I still have some unfinished business.

“Wait! There are some small things passed through my barrier from the west.” The other bastard interrupted.

The bastard grunted as he lowered his sword, “What do you mean small things?”

“Uhm… Did you see that?” Another one asked and I’m assuming that he pointed something from the west.

“See what?”

“Those black flying things! They’re coming this way! I can feel that death is with them!”

In just a few moments of staring at the distance which I assumed they literary did it, I heard the caws of hundreds – no – maybe thousands of blackbirds that I’ve never seen before. Some of them landed near my face and their purple eyes stared at me. They seemed harmless but something is off.

“Death? They’re just birds.” The bastard chuckled.

“They’re not just birds! Just hurry up and cut off his head!”

“Jeez. What a coward.” He muttered and raised his sword once more.

Death is coming. Well, this is it. I’m going to die.

That’s what I thought as my ears suddenly ringing then the bastard’s sword fell and landed on the sand which means he failed to cut off my head.

“Your war strategy is ALMOST the same that I saw in the movies.” A voice of a woman came from right in front of me. I didn’t hear any footsteps at all, as if she suddenly appeared out of thin air.

The strange thing I heard from her is the ‘MOVIES’ she mentioned but the force that pulled me down finally disappeared and it’s my chance to see her as much as my blurry eyes could manage. What I saw is a woman that ascended from the darkness.

“But killing your comrade after the battle is not new to me.” She added as her pair of purple eyes gaze down upon me.

“Aaaahhhhh! Monster!” One of the bastards shrieked and they ran away.

I wonder what made them thought that she was a monster. All I can see from her is she’s a beautiful woman that wears strange black clothing but it suits her very well. She looks like a noble from a foreign nation.

The silver stars stuck on her strange black hat and some other silver pins, buttons, and small chains stuck on the upper part of her body. Her purple cape reaching her hips but behind it is black. The glowing purple lines detailed her black boots that reached above her thighs and clothes with simplicity. Her tight black skirt reaching above her knees which I can barely see her smooth pale skin.

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking because her face was completely blank and I assumed she’s extremely angry from the inside. After hearing that someone like him would say that she was a monster then he and his friends ran away is too insulting. If I were her, I’ll kill them for that.

But I also wonder why she’s interrupting my death. Is she trying to save me? But I can’t be saved because the poison inside me is incurable.

The woman’s eyes glowed as her right hand extended slowly and the black smoke appeared. In a blink of an eye, her hand transformed into a big sharp black weapon that hovers right in front of my face. I can even see my reflection on it.

Fear engulfed my entire being and I wanted to escape but my body refused. I take it all back of what I thought about her earlier because she is no longer the noblewoman I saw but she’s a manifestation of death that guides me to the land of the dead.

She lifted her weapon without any problem and swiftly slashed the air horizontally. I was curious about what happened to those bastards which made me slowly looked behind but my body gave in and darkness covered my sight. I feel numb as I lied down on the sand. The caws of the blackbirds became intense which I assumed that they cheered the woman or enjoyed watching the horrible scene. Then I feel the chill down my spine and I guess I’m her next target.

“Boy, do you want to live?” She asked me.

Even if she knew my answer, I don’t think she would heal the incurable. Maybe she’ll kill me or let the poison finish its job.

And then–

The End of Prologue