The Crown Prince's Bodyguard

35 ♛ The Truth

- Long'Er -

She was dragged across the ground, hauled up and over its bulky shoulder like a rag doll. She thrashed and kicked, but it was useless. The Wandering Ghoul's flesh was as tough as a gigantic tree trunk, its strength clearly amplified by black magic.

Where was it taking her? Wasn't it planning to kill her?

Unless...she was actually bait herself. Kidnapped in an attempt to lure someone else out.

Her hand tightened around the hilt of her dagger. Taking a sharp breath, she stabbed hard on the back of the beast, not just once but several times. And yet, with such a short blade, it couldn't deal as much damage as she wanted to the undead below her. Blood poured out of its wounds, but her assault was ignored. They moved through the darkness, and she could only watch on as trepidation surged within her.

They travelled for ages, before coming to a sudden halt before a pile of rubble – wait. On a closer look, it was actually a heap of decayed flesh and bones.

Bile rose in her throat.

She was thrown off the Wandering Ghoul's shoulder, landing painfully on the ground with a loud cry. As she recovered from the fall, the creature was busy extracting the dagger embedded in his flesh, ripping it off without showing any pain. Tossing her weapon aside, it advanced towards her, releasing a low growl.

Weaponless, she scrambled to her feet and attempted to outrun but a massive hand grabbed her ankle, yanking her backwards ruthlessly. A startled cry unleashed through the forest, only to realise that the voice belonged to none other than her.

A pair of red eyes leered at her, drawing back cracked lips to reveal rotten teeth and sending a putrid breath along her way. A calloused hand settled around her throat and lifted her off the ground, cutting off air in her throat. Choking her to death.

She struggled violently. Her lungs fought for air, but she was being held helpless. Black dots circled the edges of her vision, her blood pounding in her ears. Her hands dug and scratched away at the grisly creature, feeling her energy slipping away by the second.

When she was physically and mentally weakened, her hands fell to her sides.

Was this how it was going to end for her?

But...she didn't want to die. There were so many things she had yet to accomplish. So many unspoken words that she hadn't said to those she wanted to hear.

Regrets filled her heart.

Perhaps the gods heard her desperate plea. Something struck the back of the Wandering Ghoul, catching them both by surprise. A glint of silver flashed in the dark, the sharp edge of a sword ripped through its chest from behind mercilessly.

The hand around her throat loosened. She watched the crimson colour in the creature's eyes fade to black, its flesh crumbling as black mist seeped out of its wounds. They toppled to the ground; she was catching her breath while the creature lay beside her. Dead.

She was vaguely aware of a set of footsteps running towards her, accompanied with an orange orb that ignited the forest and outshone the stars in the sky. Warm arms picked her up and cradled her to someone's chest tightly. His scent was familiar to her as day. With her ear pressed against his pounding heart, she could feel how worried this man was, his breathing erratic.

She welcomed Li Xun's voice gratefully. "Are you hurt?" he asked in concern.

The warmth coming from his body was comforting and she relaxed in his arms. "N–no," she answered, clutching her throat where the creature had grabbed her at. The skin throbbed and she was certain there were red marks left on her skin.