Ash froze at the sound of the forest kings footsteps
But knew what had to be done so without hesitation
He ran to the shrine hoping it had anything he could use but the forest king was fast and sliced his chest making him fall over
The he crawled through the snow.
The forest king walked him down then grabbed his flask and splashed
The melted snow in the monsters face and got up and ran holding
His side blood pouring from his mouth as ran the monster still chased after the weak and battered ash.
Then he tried to climb a tree and almost made till the monster clawed
At his leg and threw him through multiple trees
Ash coughed blood and he got up and threw his helmet at the monster And when the monster opened he eye he saw ash running.
As ash dripped and his leg protesting due to the pain but he grabbed on
To trees for support as the monster got closer
"I'm so screwed" He thought then monster sliced his face.
"Dang.....it" ash said and picked up some snow and tossed It in the monsters eye and then used the bread he had and threw it making the monster chased after it buying him some time.then he prepared to used the sword I necessary.
The monster Jumped in the air hovering over ash "that's so not fair"
Ash thought and jumped out the way barely dodging the attack.
Then ash got up and accidentally fell down a hole breaking his injured leg then he forced himself
To stand up through the pain and climbed up the rock.
As the trees swayed violently due to brutal wind then he crawled "God! This crap hurts!"
Then he grabbed on a swaying tree.
Swinging slowly until.
Until he was swung so hard he flew across the woods and landed on a rock hurting him badly. The forest king ran towards him and ash got up trying
To turn away but he got his right arm sliced off "Geez!!!" Held the spot were his arms was.
Then he leaned against a tree and the forest king hit him sending him flying back "I'm gonna die...." Ash coughed up blood crawling with his left hand
As the forest played with him kicking him and scratching him.
And then it picked him up and tossed him through rocks
Then coughed up more blood as his blood stained the snow
Then he slowly stood up bleeding out "I won't give up like I said I'm gonna survive no matter what!" Then he was slapped across ground.
"Frick...." He slowly stood but then he was slapped again then he felt his hair and looked at a tiny strand his hair was going black he didn't know why
But he knew one thing and for the first time in a long time as time stood still
And the forest king roared ash felt fear.
It's roar shook trees and the ground as it's heavy foot steps made a thump every time the forest king walked the he was raise higher like a trampoline park. The forest king slammed it's paw next to him. Snow sprayed everywhere
And got all over him as he spit blood mixed with snow out his mouth and he tried to stab the monster with the sword he had but the monster just sliced off his other hand but instead of his arm it was his hand.
He screamed in pain as the monster made a weird face it was like a smile
And evil smile almost like it knew ash was down for as it stabbed his stomach.
Then ash spit up blood on the monster face but it just licked it off.
Then threw him through the shrine of hope and he landed on a white crackled marble floor with a symbol on it and the symbol was a sun "I'm gonna die after all my efforts after everything I did I'm still gonna die, why am I acting surprise I knew this was gonna happen so why am I so upset, mabye a part of me thought I could survive but in the end all I did was lead myself down a darker path and all it did was lead me to a dead end" He wanted to laugh at his situation but he couldn't.
As the light in his eyes finally dimmed at the last howl of the forest king
But thw sky craked open like glass as faint yellow figure appeared from the sky with wings humming a soft tune as a yellow beam of light shined on him "my child..... you've have walked a path soaked in betrayal and blood you poisoned the weak sacrificed the strong abandoned anyone who trusted you
You've believed survival was strength, you believed emotion was weak,you believed betrayal was the only way to solve your problems by Soaking it blood"
The angle paused.
Ashes eyes even when they lost light they could still move as he looked
At the angle.
"You were wrong"
"Light is not the absence of darkness"
"Light is the courage to face it"
"Every life you've ended"
"Every choice you've made"
"Every betrayal you've justified"
"You believed it was necessary"
"So tell me child of light"
"Was it worth the body's you piled"
"The trust you've given up"
"Blood on your clothes"
"Your body broken"
"Your allies dead"
"Your enemy's hunting you"
"You stand alone"
"You call that strength?"
"I call that emptiness"
"Youe misunderstand the nature of light"
"Light is not purity"
"Light is not kindness"
"Light is not death"
"Light is a choice"
"Light is the courage to feel"
"the courage to care"
"the courage to stand even if felt impossible"
"So at the end of every sun rise and every nightfall"
"When survival is the only thing that remains"
'What are you living for?"
"Stand"
"You've reached the end of the path you chose"
"But light is still....awaits"
As the light in the sky brightened.
"You've veen bestowed a blessing"
"and trait remark heavens keepsake"
"Rise"
"Child of light"