Dark Born

There's been a lot comments about the chapters being too short, and I'll try to change that going forward. But I don't want to add unnecessary scenes and change the story just for the sake of word count. Keep in mind, the story is currently being written, not something that is already completed. I can't add 2-3 chapters together. Still, I'll try my best to lengthen each chapter and keep the story flowing.

This chapter is 8k words so its the longest so far, and I'm happy to say the wait for battle and sex is over. It was really fun to write this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Please rate, favorite, vote and comment.

Once more, Enjoy!

9

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS

"Shield your eyes, Adam."

The words hit Adam suddenly and he didn't understand what she meant at first, then memories of his time in the dungeon surged to the front of his mind, when she had made him swear that oath. In that slight moment of hesitation, Adam didn't fully prepare as an intense burst of light erupted from Elsa, covering her completely, from the tip of her crimson hair down to her boots.

It was like the sun had wrapped around her and the bright golden light filled the warehouse, causing an intense heat to rise and envelope the entire space. Adam's eyes burned even when he finally raised his arm to shield them and his skin felt like it was melting from the boiling heat. He stumbled backwards in panic, on the brink of screaming, even crying, it felt like his whole body was disintegrating. He didn't know how long it lasted, maybe a few seconds, maybe more, but it was like an eternity of torment. Then, in blink of an eye, she was gone.

As Elsa vanished, the heat and blinding light also faded with her, and Adam could see again, just a little. He noticed that Half of the men circling around them had stopped, stunned, maybe frightened, but the other half--likely on higher tiers--still continued forward with their weapons drawn. But they didn't make it too close. In a bright flash, Elsa reappeared before one of them, her twin swords drawn and gleaming with the same light that covered her body Her blades sliced once like a blur, and the man's sneer disappeared with his head, then a spray of red painted the air as his body crumpled to the floor like a doll who's string had been cut loose.

Elsa straightened herself and turned to the others. Adam could barely see her face, her whole body was still covered in that golden light, but at least she wasn't close anymore. She raised one sword high and in an instant, hundreds of blades shimmered into existence around her, each one of them made of pure light, hovering in the air above her head as if awaiting her command. She didn't say anything, she just flicked of her wrist and the blades came raining down like a deadly storm.

If he'd been religious he might think it was punishment from a god, cause that was what it felt Like.

The warehouse erupted into chaos as the air filled with screams, the thunder of impact and the thud of bodies hitting the floor. Adam watched as one of the light-blades slammed into a man, he didn't even get a chance to react before he was split clean in half. Adam's breath caught in his throat at the gruesome sight and his mind warned him to scramble away, to find a place to hide, but he quickly realized that none of the attacks were reaching him.

It wasn't thoughtless, Elsa was controlling every blade with precision, like her own personal missiles. Still, a few of the attackers managed to repel the attack, forcing her blades to to collide against their own magic. Adam saw a wall of ice surge upward at the thrust of a man's hands and the frost hardened into some kind of crystalline barrier, stopping the blades of light that slammed into it. Another shielded himself and some his allies with a thick dome of wind, while the man, Asher Galleel, struck the ground with his axe and raised a jagged wall from the concrete. It was a kind of battle Adam had never witnessed before, one that couldn't possibly exist on Earth.

He knew this was a world of magic, but seeing it happen before his eyes like this was both amazing and frightening...

With his vision still half-blinded and his body sore from the lingering burn of her light magic, Adam staggered back in utter amazement and shock, then his back crashed into a wall.

A silence fell over the warehouse as Elsa's onslaught finally stopped, but it was far from over as she surged toward any surviving enemies with terrifying speed. Every movement she made flowed seamlessly into the next, deflecting, parrying, striking, no move was wasted or done without purpose. She was like a dancer performing, but instead of entertaining, she brought death. Two men charged at her from opposite sides and she pivoted, swords rising to meet their swings before her blades tore through their flesh like paper. Someone screamed and immediately jagged rocks and a bolt of fire hurtled toward her, but with a single downward slash, her sword cut through the assault and rocks splintered into shards and flames guttered into sparks, then she shot toward the attackers like the sun in human form.

Adam could do nothing else but watch. He was useless, frozen in awe. He'd thought he'd seen violence before, on screens, in games, even in that alley, but this was something else entirely. It wasn't even a battle... it was an execution.

"She's really a monster, sometimes even I forget it," Elliot muttered almost silently beside him, then began to move forward to join the fray. "But I can't let her handle everything." A faint aura began to spread around him, a low white light that raced across his body and crawled up his neck and arms. He exhaled sharply, and then he was gone from sight, reappearing halfway across the room in a blink. If not for the gust of wind, Adam would've believed he teleported.

The knight pounced suddenly on an unsuspecting attacker and his blade went through the man's chest, then tore out again in a burst of red mist. Another, more aware, attacker lunged at him with a sharp cry and he spun around, catching the strike with his forearm before driving his blade through the man's throat. He didn't even look to confirm the kill.

He was a monster too...

The sound of battle, the screams, metal clashing against metal, Adam watched everything as if in a daze.

Elsa was moving like something straight out of a dream, dodging attacks from different angles and cutting down the enemies that closed in around her. Their leader, the tattooed bastard who'd spoken earlier, was one of the few still standing. He slammed his axe down in murderous rage and a loud crack split the ground beneath his feet as the floor erupted into a forest of stone spikes, far too many of them to dodge, then they speared toward Elsa.

Adam was worried for second, but she didn't even flinch. Raising a single sword high, a towering shield made of pure light shimmered into life, standing in front of her. The stone spears crashed against it and shattered into dust.

The shield dispelled as quickly as it had formed and Elsa stepped forward once... then vanished.

A loud crack echoed through the air as she reappeared in front of Asher and her twin blades swung down with heavy force. His battle-axe came up just in time to block and sparks of light burst from where their weapons clashed, sending shockwaves through the floor. The man was strong--incredibly strong, Adam realized--as he managed to hold her off. But Elsa was relentless, her strikes coming as fast as lightning. Adam's eyes could barely follow them, but all the man seemed to be able was defend.

Just then, Adam noticed movements from the shadows.

One of the survivors from Elsa's wide-range attack, wounded and enraged, staggered toward him. Adam jolted in shock and his stomach dropped. The man's left arm was utterly mangled, as if it had been put into a meat grinder, but his right hand was fine, clutching a long sword. His face was twisted in pain snd his mouth hung open as breathed harshly through it.

Adam felt the wall at his back and it reminded him that there was no way to run, but should he? He wrapped his fingers tighter around the dagger Elsa had given him and his heart hammered wildly inside his chest. Even maimed and disoriented, the man was a former adventurer, Adam wondered if he stood any chance. It didnt matter, he had to fight, he had no choice, no help was coming. Elliot was pinned back by two men and Elsa hadn't finished her fight.

His jaw tightened...

The swung his sword when he was close enough and Adam ducked, almsot instinctively. The blade whizzed past his shoulder, leaving only a shallow wound, but it was enough to send a jolt of panic through him. He didn't scream though, instead, instinct and desperation fueled him and he lunged toward the man without any thought, just thrusting the dagger forward and it drove into the man's chest with a wet squelch. The man's face froze, and he groaned as blood poured from his mouth, then he began to raise his sword to strike again and Adam pushed the dagger deeper then yanked it out. The man stumbled back a few steps, staring at Adam, then he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, and stayed still.

Adam watched, breathing hard, as a thick red river pooled underneath the body. The man was dead, without question. He was dead. His chest was no longer rising with breath and his lifeless eyes stared up into nothing. Adam had killed him. He'd killed someone, for real this time. The sound of the battle dying down reached him, but all he could focus on was the body at his feet, and his utter lack of feeling toward it. If anything, there was only a slight satisfaction.

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder and Adam spun around, almost in panic, to see Elliot by his side again. "It's done," the knight said. "Looks like it's over."

At his words, Adam drew several sharp breaths and returned to the moment. There was utter quiet in the warehouse now, save for Asher Galleel's low groans as he stared at Elsa across the ruined floor. He could barely hold onto to his axe, his chest heaving, and his eyes dark with exhaustion. It looked as though it took all of his remaining strength just to stay upright, while Elsa stood perfectly composed, as if the battle hadn't taken anything from her at all.

The fight was really over, but he hadn't yet accepted it.

He screamed and charged toward her, swinging his axe wildly. She sidestepped the attack easily and her right blade slashed across his chest, but not too deeply to kill him, but to bring him down.

He stumbled back, panting heavily. "You--"

The man didn't finish the words as Elsa raised her hand and every light-blade she'd summoned turned toward him. They were smaller, but looked just as deadly as the ones from before. Without a word from her, the blades shot forward like darts, piercing through his armor and flesh, and the world was filled with the sickening sound of tearing flesh and bones. When the glow faded, the man was down on his knees, his axe slipping from his numb fingers, and his body a mess of cuts and light-seared wounds. The warehouse fell quiet again, no screams, no footsteps, no clash of weapons, just the sound of the man's labored final breaths.

He coughed and spat blood onto the floor. "Looks... like you win," he rasped and a grin spread slowly on his face. "It's a shame... we could've--"

"The children," Elsa said sharply as the light surrounding her dimmed until only the faint gold of her armor remained. Adam could actually see her face, and she still had that same calm expression. "Tell me where they are."

He chuckled weakly. "Stick your tongue up my ass, lick it real good... then maybe I'll tell you--"

Elsa's swung her blade quickly before he could finish his words, and his head rolled free from his neck, hiting the ground beside his knees with a wet thud. For a moment, the world went utterly still. Then, she exhaled a quiet breath, as if she'd just finished a set of drills rather than slaughtered over half a dozen men. She was insanely powerful, Adam only got the full scope now. He could still feel the heat of her magic on his skin just from that brief exposure, and he felt that she hadn't even gone all out. He suspected that he, along with the warehouse, would've been reduced to ash if she hadn't been restraining herself.

Elliot stepped forward as he wiped the blood from his cheek. He'd taken down the last two men, and what was left of them lay crumpled against the far wall.

"Commander," he said. "Maybe we should've taken him in for questioning?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, if this goes as high as I believe, he'd be dead before we can ever question him. I also didn't like the vulgar words coming out of his mouth," she said and sheathed her swords, then her eyes began to scan the warehouse. "Check the cages and crates. There might be something that can help us find where the children were taken."

Elliot moved quickly to obey, stepping over the bodies.

Adam didn't move, he couldn't. He just took in the gory scene around him. This was real, the smell of burnt flesh, the tang of blood thick in the air, it was all real. She'd killed them in a matter of minutes. At least seven of them. The ones who weren't cut apart by her swords had been burned clean through by those light-blades. There wasn't a single survivor.

Yet, it didn't bother him nearly as much as it should have. He should be puking his guts out right now, but he felt nothing. He was more shocked than disturbed.

Even his first kill, the man he'd stabbed through the chest, didn't weigh at all on his conscience, just like the men in that alley he'd almost killed. That wasn't normal... he wasn't normal, Adam was sure of it now. Being surrounded by all this death and not having an aversion to it revealed something dark about his character. He didn't want to admit it, but the truth stared him in the face. He was deeply twisted. It didn't matter whether he'd always been this way, or if this place was changing him, the truth was the same. He was... not normal.

Elsa turned to him and her closed-off expression suddenly shifted into concern when her gaze fell on his shoulder. "You're hurt," she said and began to approach him.

Adam stepped back slightly. "It's nothing," he said. "I'll be fine."

She reached out a hand to touch him, but stopped at the last moment, seeming almost surprised by her impulse. "I'll take you to a healer. It's safer to have that checked."

"I'll be fine," Adam said again. "It's just a scratch."

She studied him for a moment, maybe she could sense his inner turmoil, or perhaps it was something else. The truth was, he saw her in a completely different light now. He'd always known she was a Gold-Rank knight, but he had never truly understood what it meant until now. Watching the ease with which she fought and ended lives filled him with fear, she'd seemed like an entirely different person. It was like he was suddenly aware of the difference between them, both in power and position, and he no longer knew how to relate to her.

Elliot returned. "Empty cages," he reported. "They left nothing."

Elsa's jaw tightened and a trace of anger showed in her green eyes. "Then we were too late. But at least we learned something. They knew you were on their trail, like Arryn."

"And the Hand's involvement?" asked Elliot quietly.

"I'd say it's almost certain, some of the knights, too," Elsa replied. "There's no way something like this slipped past everyone for who knows how long. But we can't make that accusation yet, not without proof." She exhaled a sharp breath and looked around the utter carnage once more. "Do you know the name of the group our attackers belonged to?"

"I believe so," Elliot nodded. "They call themselves Blood Crows, their emblem is a crow on top a skull. The man, Asher Galleel, claimed not to be their leader and I believe he was telling the truth. He didn't seem to have the kind of intelligence needed to run an operation like this."

"Blood Crows? Very inventive," she replied. "Judging by who attacked us, their ranks are likely made up of former adventurers. Still, on their own they shouldn't be much of a problem. Their backers, however, might be a different story. But maybe if we can find their leader, we'll get the proof we need to put down everyone involved in this."

When they finally stepped outside the warehouse, evening had arrived. It was almost peaceful outside, a sharp contrast to the slaughter inside. The difference was almost surreal.

"You'll be expected to report this," Elliot said. "There'll be questions."

"I'll handle them," Elsa said in a flat, assured tone. "I'm more concerned about what will happen now that they know we're on their trail, the King's Hand, maybe even a faction of the Knight Order will try something. Be on your guard, Elliot, trust no-one. This was clearly a trap meant for you. The same goes for you, Adam. After this, they'll know for certain you have some knowledge about them and I expect you'll become a target as well. All three of us will be."

For certain? Had he been under suspicion before? The thought alarmed him.

"What do you mean for certain?" Adam asked and glanced at her.

Elsa met his gaze steadily. "The King's Hand asked about you, what you were doing in the forest, and if you had any connection to the fallen company. I didn't understand why he asked those questions at the time, but I think it's clear now."

"He was worried I had some kind of connection with that Arryn guy," Adam said in a whisper, quickly putting the pieces together in his head. "That's why you asked if I talked to anyone, why you had renewed interest in what happened, you suspected something."

She nodded. "I did... but nothing quite like this."

Adam's face twisted into a frown. He'd been involved in this from the beginning, since he arrived to this world. What kind of crazy coincidence was that? Or was it fate? The thought confused and chilled him to the bone. There was no choice he could have made that would've made things different or saved him from this danger. Whether he'd decided to help Lorelei or not, whether he'd joined Elsa today or not, it didn't matter. Merely by being in the forest that day, he'd earned the suspicions of the powerful people in this world and there was no explanation he could give that would set their minds at ease, not when they were involved in something this evil. His fate had been sealed from the start.

Still, despite his fear, he was oddly grateful to know this. Instead of thinking he was irrelevant and waiting to be blindsided by whatever move they might make against him, he could actually start planning, figuring a way to survive, and maybe even go on the offensive with Elsa--however little he could contribute--to help bring them down. Help bring them down? The thought would have been funny if not for the dire situation he currently found himself in. It sounded like something a cartoon hero would say, and he was the farthest thing from that, especially after what he'd just discovered about himself.

Nevertheless, it was frustrating how everything had just spiraled out of control. All he wanted was to return home, but it looked as though that might have to wait for now.

"We've stumbled into a shitload of trouble here," Elliot muttered.

"Seems we have," Elsa agreed.

Elliot's jaw tightened and a grim expression plastered his face, understandably. He excused himself a short moment later, going to call on some knights to clean the site. That left Adam and Elsa alone. Adam leaned against the wall outside the warehouse and inhaled a deep breath, his legs still shaking a little. Elsa stepped beside him, almost hesitantly.

"You should really have that wound looked at," she said quietly.

He glanced at his right shoulder and saw the wound. It was shallow, leaving only a dull stinging pain. With everything that had happened, everything he'd learned, the injury was the absolute least of his worries. "I'll be alright," he said, his voice just as quiet.