Not Another Monster [Fiction]

Lightning pulsed through the rumbling dark clouds as chaos erupted in the caverns underneath the Temple of Serafina.

“Has the day come finally? The day we were trained for?” Cella asked, mind to mind, her courage flowing down our twin bond. The battle was turning precarious.

We stood back to back, our breaths ragged and our spears raised as a ring of Shan-té warriors closed in around us.

“I believe that day is upon us,” I replied, shifting with her while keeping the warriors within our sight.

“After centuries,” she said, distraught but determined. “Why now?”

The same question plagued me as I scanned for the warriors’ weak points and shared it with Cella through our bond.

Their faces were fierce, their red eyes glowing with the dark power in their veins. These were no ordinary men. They had been bred and hidden for centuries only to be released for one purpose.

The treasure of Astraq.

Cella and I had been trained from birth to protect the treasure from falling into the wrong hands. Many monsters, tyrants and false gods had come for the Astraq and fell to their death on our spears.

After a century of silence, the Shan-té warriors descended that night with the flare of lightning, tearing through the temple walls. The echoes of screams and the feel of their dark power lashing through the hearts of the Temple Keepers wrenched us from meditation.

This was unlike any battle we had faced. Cella groaned, “not another monster” as she strapped on her armour.

“Hand over the Astraq and we will let you live,” said the tall masked one who led them. I noticed the way his elbow pressed into his right side. He was injured.

I smirked with confidence behind my helmet. “Never. Why do you want it so badly?”

He glanced between Cella and I. “You hide in the farthest corner of the world and have no idea what's coming,” he growled. “Our universe is on the brink of annihilation. The Astraq is the key to restoring order!”

His face wrinkled in a vicious grimace as he charged towards Cella, his sword slicing through the air. His warriors howled into the air and followed after.

My world changed in a blink of an eye.

I shoved Cella aside with an elbow as the commander's sword clashed with my spear. Her scream was the distraction the Shan-té leader needed as he drove his blade through my shoulder.

Cella was down. Her blood spilled fast into the deep grooves in the dark cavern. It was like my heart was torn from my chest.

I crashed onto the rocky floor beside her. Her eyes glazed with tears and love as she tried to speak. Instead more blood streamed out. She smiled because she understood.

With a hiss, the wall behind us opened, revealing a golden jug with runes inscribed on it. The Astraq lay within it.

The Shan-té warriors fell into formation as their leader gently lifted the golden jug and held it reverently to his chest. I was too heartbroken to move or stop him because I understood what our purpose was.

It was not to win, but to choose the right monster to give the relic to.

The warriors bowed. “Thank you for your sacrifice,” their leader said softly before they vanished.

Cella gripped my hands as I lay beside her, and my cry finally broke free.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "not another monster".

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{_{Image credit: Hans}}