The three escapees burst out from the cavern like hunted prey escaping the jaws of death itself.

Their breathing was ragged, their bodies were broken and their hearts still trembled from the nightmare that still exists behind them.

Vaelorin collapsed first. The moment his feet crossed beyond the waterfall, his legs have out beneath him entirely as he crashed against the grass while coughing violently. His chest rose and fell like a man drowning on land...

Valmyr staggered several steps farther before planting his Broadsword into the earth...

CLANG!

Then he leaned against it, using the weapon as support as blood dripped steadily from his split lips. Clearly, even standing had become difficult for the failed Vanguard...

Aureleah emerged last; silent and shadowed. Her twin Daggers still dripped black blood from the Drake as she clutched them and unlike the other two, she didn’t lean or fall.

Nevertheless, one could still detect the fatigue on her features as evident of the slow rising and falling of her chest...

The three of them stood there, trying to catch their breath when Aureleah noticed something... Or some people.

Standing about twenty meters away from the waterfall, the four noncombatants stood, clearly waiting for them to come out.

It turns out that none of them had actually abandoned the others entirely. Even after escaping, the four of them had remained nearby; waiting, hopeful and fearful. Yet also unwilling to leave.

For a moment, something warm stirred within the exhausted fighters. Perhaps, the world had not rotted completely yet.

Sylveris was the first to react. "Sister!" She shouted causing the three others to turn towards them.

Tears instantly gathered in the eyes of the fourteen-years-old as she sprinted toward her older sibling. The moment she reached Aureleah, she wrapped both arms tightly around her waist.

"I thought..." Her words slurred as she sniffed. "I thought I lost you..." Her voice cracked between sobs.

Aureleah froze briefly. Ever since entering the Nether Lands, she had worn only coldness, distance and sharp edges; yet now, a small smile appeared upon her face. It was tiny and faint, but real and warm.

She gently rested a hand upon her younger sisters head and comforted. "I’m fine." Her voice was soft and warm.

Hearing the voice of her sister, Sylveris started bawling right there and then...

Nearby, Valmyr finally let go of his Shield as he lowered himself onto a rock while groaning painfully.

"Ugh! I think..." He coughed violently before continuing. "...my organs shifted places."

Vaelorin wheezed weakly from the ground. Like someone whose breath is escaping him, as he said, "I’m already dead."

Hearing that, Kaeloris hurried nervously toward them still carrying the Rainbow Stream Sprout while Caelestra carefully distributed water to them.

Then, Veyrath looked around once. His brows furrowed as he looked around again and suddenly his face changed. "Where’s Regaleon?" He asked.

Only silence answered him as Valmyr looked away immediately with guilt lingering in his eyes while Aureleah said nothing...

Veyrath’s eyes widened. "...No." Then his voice dropped. "No, no, no..."

And as if struck by a sudden realization, "You left him back there?!" Then his voice rose sharply. "ALONE against that monster?!"

Vaelorin closer his eyes painfully as no one answered. Because there was actually nothing that could be said...

Finally, Aureleah finally spoke, "We need to leave. " Her voice was steady with a calm, cold and practical tone.

Veyrath stopped his ranting and stared at her like she had gone insane. "What about Regaleon?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Aureleah gave him a brief glance before replying, "We leave. Now!" Her voice still did not change.

But that was the final straw as Veyrath exploded in anger. "You cold-blooded bit-!"

He stopped unnaturally as his body tensed. Something icy was pressed against his neck. His lashes trembled violently as he realised that Aureleah now stood behind him with a Dagger pressed against her neck...

Then her voice drifted beside his ear, "I dare you..." Her voice was cold as she spoke. "...to complete that sentence."

Veyrath froze as fear slid down his spine immediately as at that moment, he suddenly smelled the stench of death.

The atmosphere became unbearably tense as: Valmyr slowly stood despite his exhaustion while fixing his gaze on the duo...

Vaelorin cursed weakly beneath his breath as he also stood...

Sylveris played with her fingers nervously, eyes shifting between her sister and Veyrath.

Only Kaeloris reacted quickly. "O-okay!" His voice strangely came out more panicked than intended. "Let’s all calm down!"

He awkwardly stepped between them despite clearly being terrified himself. "This isn’t the time for us to start killing each other!" He advised, looking between the duo.

Nobody moved as they observed the Dagger on veyrath’s neck. Several long seconds passed in suffocating silence... Eventually, Aureleah withdrew her Dagger.

Like a shadow receding into darkness, she returned beside her sister once more. Then quietly, "We need to leave."

This time, nobody argued. Not because they agreed to her suggestion but because deep down, they understood something. If Regaleon had stayed behind willingly... Then it was obviously to buy them time.

And wasting that time would be an insult to the sacrifice he intended to make for them.

Besides, no one wants to provoke this Maiden of Death who might just appear to take their lives the very moment they spoke in protest...

Slowly, the group of seven survivors began walking back toward their cave. This time, tension lingered heavily between them as no one spoke or laughed.

Around them, the forest seemed quieter now somehow, as though even the Nether Lands acknowledged the weight settling over them.

------

Meanwhile, back within the Drake’s cavern, Regaleon still stood, barely.

His body swayed slightly while as he leaned heavily upon his Halberd. His once-golden Armour covering him had become ruin with several sections shattered entirely.

One shoulder plate hung broken, cracks spread across the chest piece and parts of the rusted gold had paled away completely to reveal a strange gleaming metal beneath.

His helmet had long since vanished as he could no longer breathe properly while wearing it.

Now, his silver hair clung messily against blood-covered skin while crimson stained the corners of his lips endlessly.

His left shoulder hung completely broken with one leg trembling violently from damage while several ribs still remained cracked or broken.

Yet somehow, he remained standing somehow. And across from him, the Drake looked no better than him...

The wound upon it’s snout had worsened terribly as every time it opened it’s mouth, blood poured more heavily from the injury.

Several scales had shattered across it’s enormous serpentine body with the broke scales adorning the creature like grotesque jewelry upon a dying monarch while black blood continued to soak the cavern floor beneath it.

Yet despite it’s injuries, the Drake still possessed terrifying vitality. Far more than Regaleon as it’s crimson eyes burned intensely while locking onto him...

Then, it roared. The cavern shook violently once more and then... The creature launched itself forward.

Regaleon gripped his Halberd tightly, then charged too...

Two dying monsters collided inside the broken cavern. The Drake’s tail whipped toward Regaleon first...

BOOOOM!

Regaleon flew across the cavern violently before slamming into stone walls hard enough to crack them...

Blood exploded from his mouth as pain screamed through his broken body. And yet, before the dust could even settle, he forced himself up again... And charged.

The Drake also lunged...

Regaleon dodged beneath it’s maw barely before dragging the Halberd across exposed flesh. Scales disconnected as black blood sprayed freely...

The creature retaliated immediately as a wing sour tire through his Armour, ripping another portion away completely...

Pain exploded through his chest, still... He fought...

At this point, the battle no longer resembled combat. Instead it resembled madness as neither side cared about defense anymore. Only destruction and survival.

Regaleon would stab through pain while the Drake would crush through injury...

Regaleon broke bones to keep moving, the Drake tore flesh to keep killing...

Minutes passed like centuries as the cavern became quieter gradually. Slowly, both comabatants weakened.

Then finally, an opening finally appeared. The Drake lunged recklessly and Regaleon saw it. There was a chance. Just one chance...

He didn’t hesitate. He roared; not elegantly nor heroically but like a wounded beast that refused to die...

Then he drove forward with every remaining ounce of strength within him. His Halberd pierced upward and...

SHING!

The blade buried itself directly into the Drake’s neck. It was deep as the creature froze instantly. It’s crimson eyes widening, and then... It screamed.

A terrible sound filled with agony and rage. The cavern trembled slightly as the Drake writhed desperately. Then as it began to loose copious amounts of blood, slowly... It’s massive body collapsed.

BOOOM!

The ground shook beneath the impact before silence followed afterward. It was heavy... And absolute.

Regaleon stared blankly at the corpse for several seconds and then exhaustion crashed into him completely.

His vision blurred while his body swayed dangerously. He wanted to sleep... gods he wanted to collapse just for a moment.

But Regaleon bit down hard upon his tongue. Pain flooded his senses as blood filled his mouth. He had to stay awake because he could not rest yet. Not here. Not now.

Yes, he killed the creature but he was still inside the Nether Lands. And in his current state, even a harmless rabbit could probably kill him.

Slowly...and painfully, Regaleon pulled his Halberd free from the Drake’s neck. Black blood erupted outward like a fountain.

He nearly collapsed from the effort alone. Still... He forced himself upright and then step by step... The Forgotten Knight began walking toward the mouth of the cave alone.

-----

Author here:

This marks the end of the rewritten Chapters from the old version "Aureleon: The Forgotten Knight". From the next Chapter onward, the journey enters completely new territory. Thank you all for your support so far.