Gates of Penance-Chapter 25: Not dead

Nacht froze.

’I guess that’s why I’m still here.’

He slowly turned around and to his astonishment, Alister was still alive.

The mad man was standing perfectly fine. A red ominous glow radiated from his back and the wound in his chest —a strike that clearly pierced his heart— had healed. He should be dead, but despite all odds Alister was still alive.

Nacht looked at him in shock.

"How are you still alive?"

Alister’s smile widened.

"How can I die when you still haven’t filled your end of the deal?"

Nacht stared at him blankly.

’That’s why he’s still alive? Because I didn’t complete his stupid deal?’

He couldn’t believe it!

"Why such a sour face? Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m still alive? I thought we were friends!"

Nacht readied his saber.

"You won’t be alive for long."

Alister said nothing in response but Nacht noticed that he was clearly searching for something in his tunic.

Nacht smiled.

Alister wasn’t the only one who had a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

"Looking for this?"

Nacht held up a white orb the size of a marble in his hands. It pulsed brightly giving it a mystical aura. The orb wasn’t a relic. It was most likely the product of a rune. How Alister was able to get his hands on the orb was a mystery, but he most likely obtained it before entering the crucible.

Alister looked at Nacht with a strained smile.

"That doesn’t belong to you."

Nacht smiled faintly.

"Doesn’t belong to me? It’s only fair that I took something in return when you tricked me with your rune."

When he and Alister had made the deal, he had managed to take something off of Alister’s body. It wasn’t until now that Alister had noticed something was missing. He never thought that his skills as an accomplished thief would be of use in penance, but they helped him immensely.

Nacht crushed the orb with his hand and felt a surge of newfound power enter his body. He was recovering his strength. The wounds across his body began to heal at a rapid rate and the look on Alister’s face told him all he needed to know.

Nacht felt his control over the orren in his body increase slightly as a smile found itself onto his face.

"I suppose this will be my final lesson."

Alister smirked.

"You know Nacht, you have already exceeded my expectations."

Alister raised his sword from the ground with the only arm he had left.

"However, you are mistaken in thinking you are able to defeat me."

The arena was almost fully consumed by the flames at this point. The red atmosphere had become more prevalent and the air was scorching. A bead of sweat trailed down Nacht’s face and hit the floor.

Alister charged at him.

Nacht met him halfway.

The clamour of battle echoed across the arena as both of them fought to gain an upper hand over the other. Nacht gripped his saber with both hands, allowing for strong and precise strikes. He knew that he was no match for Alister in a head on fight, so he allowed himself to make some compromises. He blended offense with defence and—under immense mental strain—barely allowed himself to show openings to his most vital areas. After all, Alister couldn’t kill him or else the deal would be broken and he would die, however the same could be said for his opponent.

Alister couldn’t die by his hand unless he completed his side of the deal. So there was only one way to win this fight, and that was to stall. Alister was only kept alive by the power of his rune and by the looks of it he couldn’t sustain it for long. So if he could wear him out then maybe he would run out of orren and die, allowing him to leave the first gate. That was what Nacht was hoping for at least.

During the fight, he caught the faint glimmer of the shard that still rested on the pedestal.

’But there is always a plan B.’

The arena was being consumed at a rate that was faster than Nacht anticipated, so if he believed that Alister could survive longer than the arena, then he would try to retrieve the shard. Nevertheless, that was easier said than done. Turning your back on an enemy wasn’t a smart idea and Alister would probably stop him before he reached the pedestal anyways. Alister was also in the same situation. In short, they were both in a dire predicament.

As he and Alister traded blows he tried not to let the fear that was lingering in the back of his mind take hold. His chances of survival had begun to crumble before his eyes. Nacht was becoming desperate.

He slashed at Alister’s face. His attack met nothing but air before he had to block Alister’s blade. His saber slammed against Alister’s sword, neither one willing to give an inch.

"There is one last lesson that I have yet to teach you, Nacht."

Noticing that he was losing the battle of strength, Nacht pushed off Alister’s blade, creating some space between them.

"To win, you need to attack!"

It seemed that Alister had figured out what he was trying to do.

Nacht gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep up with Alister’s swordplay. Even though his opponent was severely weakened and only had one arm, he was still losing. Alister had been fighting by completely giving up on defense in exchange for overwhelming offense. He held his blade with the only hand he had left. Nacht knew that it wasn’t his usual grip, but it allowed for quick and overwhelming strikes which he struggled to defend against.

He knew that Alister’s only way of escaping this hell was for him to retrieve the shard. That was why Nacht had deliberately positioned himself in between the two. He had thwarted Alister’s attempts at getting past him, but he had sustained many wounds in the process. He had already returned to the state he was in before he shattered the orb.

He wouldn’t last much longer.

In contrast, Alister was in a far worse state than even him. His body was mauled with countless wounds. He was battered and on the cusp of being broken, but somehow the mad man pressed on. Finally, It seemed like Alister had enough.

Alister closed the distance in an instant.