One foot after another.

I say again to myself gazing down towards my gait, that has been weakened by the distance.

One foot after another.

I’ve gone too far to turn back and leave this blade on my back the same silver hue as it was, when i first departed to complete this mission.

Even before I started this foot trek, I’ve invested too many seeds of my life to not reap the beneficial harvest that will come from this meritorious deed.

The chill of the autumn wind has yet to blow me away. The leaves turning brighter hues of the sun that hides beneath the mountains, fall to the gravel, only to be crushed into the gray of the rocks by my feet.

I have one goal. Toward the north of my hometown sits a valley. 35 miles north of the valley a long stretch of darkness is buried in the earth. This ravine holds what I desire.

When I was younger my mother and I were traveling through the valley collecting daisies for her garden in the village. While she placed daisies in her basket, I basked around a willow tree with seeping leaves that reached down to shake my little hands.

All was well until, well, the foul beast expelled from its shell of the ravine.

My mother was the first to see it, I don’t know exactly what she saw but it was enough to empower her with enough fear to try and escape with her life and my own. The basket of daisies slammed to the ground, alarming me as I turned around to see her running towards me. I held my arms up ready to be cradled, it was only when she got closer I could see the horror that cradled her face.

The next thing I saw was the beast, looming a few feet above my mother. It appeared as a shadow, black was the only thing I saw for a second as I gazed at it.

Red was the next as it drizzled across my mothers back in 5 wide lines after she fell to the ground.

Her head tilting up caught my attention as she allowed one more sound to leave her lips. “Run.”

I didn’t listen however, the fear overcame my little mind. Confusion spurred through my thoughts clouding my judgement enough to make me feel like this whole thing wasn’t real.

The darkness escaped before I even realized it. My mothers body still lay without a movement and I was still in disbelief. It was only a day later when some of the other villagers found us deep in the valley close to the ravine and took me back home.

I walk by the exact willow tree it happened by telling me I was near the scar in the earth where I was to find this creature. My speed increases, I finally have the chance to end this. It’s been 16 years, I’ve already lost everything the moment I lost my mother what more is there to lose now?

I arrive at the entrance and I step down into the shadows that hide the foul beast of this earth. The sword leaves my back and enters my hand, I’m ready to strike, and purge a light through the darkness.

One foot after another.

I’m getting closer I can feel the suspense.

One foot after another.

My heart trembles knowing I’ll be able to avenge the woman who gave it to me.

The walls of the ravine tend to get further from me as I enter a wider space. In this wider space I see it. The darkness, the very thing that took everything from me. My gait is no longer the same, my stride increases until it looks as if I’m galloping, I swing at the beast and it dodges to the left.

The creature gets far enough behind me to where it’s out of my peripheral and then attempts to slash. I’ve seen this before though and I refuse to see it again. I jump back with all my force toward the creature until my body leans against its own. After I feel it’s abdomen I plunge my sword through my own connecting both of ours. The creature lets out a curdling scream, bursting my ears, however I’m at bliss knowing I received what I came for.

It had been a long time coming, but now I felt I could truly call myself the slayer of monsters.