[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 130 - 27: A Bloodstained Night [1]

Chapter 130: Chapter 27: A Bloodstained Night [1]

Ardyn’s heart pounded wildly in his chest.

He didn’t know what to feel at this moment. He remembered the vicious scene of the beastspawns fighting in the clearing earlier, and a shiver ran down his spine.

If they fought that viciously against each other, how much more against mere humans?

He didn’t even want to imagine it.

Leon’s gaze was fixed on the dark horizon beyond the village, his eyes narrowing as he tried to focus on the figure. The air seemed to thicken with a palpable sense of dread, so heavy it was almost tangible.

The moons cast an eerie glow over the small town, highlighting the beast’s features. It was large and unlike anything he had seen before.

Although he hadn’t seen many beastspawns in his entire life since he spent most of his time in the castle, he had seen quite a few during long journeys in the carriage, especially at night.

This creature stood and walked on its two hind legs, its body covered in thick, matted fur. There were patches of raw, exposed flesh where the fur had been torn away. Jagged spikes protruded from its spine, and it had an elongated snout with rows of sharp teeth.

It also had those glowing, distinctive red eyes.

Leon’s jaw clenched. Maybe that was why the beast had come all the way here. It was injured, so it craved human blood and violence. It was probably part of the group that had been defeated earlier.

He stepped back from the window and took a deep breath.

He had no real combat experience. He had only sparred with his mentors and sometimes with his father. The only thing that came close was his escape from the castle, when he shattered the gates with his ice and escaped from the soldiers.

The memory made him think of Mirona, and he wished desperately in his heart that she was safe and sound, and that there were soldiers in her village to protect the townspeople from these beastspawns.

"Stay here," Leon told Ardyn, already moving towards the door. "I need to alert the villagers."

There was no time to hesitate. He had to act now or the blood of an innocent would be spilled.

Ardyn nodded. "Be careful," he called out.

And Leon was gone in an instant, his footsteps echoing down the stairs.

Ardyn turned to Luke, who had been jolted awake by their urgent voices.

Luke sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking at Ardyn questioningly. "What’s going on?"

"There’s one beastspawn approaching the village," Ardyn explained quickly. "Leon went to warn the others."

Just as the words left his mouth, a low, guttural growl echoed in the distance, making both of them freeze.

Luke was instantly wide awake. He quickly got out of bed and approached Ardyn.

"Stay in the room, okay?" he said. "If you go out there, your identity might be discovered. You’ll be safer here. It’s better that you, of all people, don’t get found out."

Ardyn nodded. "Got it. What about you?"

Luke moved towards the door. "I’ll go downstairs and see what’s happening, but I won’t engage unless it’s absolutely necessary."

Ardyn watched as Luke left the room, his heart heavy with worry.

‏‏‎ ‎

* * *

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Leon rushed downstairs to alert the innkeeper.

But it turned out that he and everyone else on the first floor were already aware of the beastspawn’s presence. After all, the creature had just emitted that echoing growl a few seconds ago.

He turned to the innkeeper, who was frozen in fear.

"Gather everyone," he instructed. "Make sure every door and window is barricaded. We must be ready to defend the village."

The innkeeper nodded and snapped out of his daze. He then hurried to spread the word.

Leon stepped forward to check the scene through the window. The beast was still there, approaching the entrance. It moved slowly at the moment, perhaps because of its wounds. It even paused for a while and let out another growl.

This time it was longer and louder, possibly to vent its rage and hunger.

Leon’s jaw clenched, and he tugged slightly at his mask. He still wore his hood and covered his face in case the villagers recognized him. During the fight, he would have to make sure that both stayed on, which would be a difficult task.

The creature let out another roar, and this time it was louder, echoing through the streets. There was no doubt that every single soul in the village could hear it.

And maybe even the other beastspawns in the far distance.

Leon stiffened and instinctively reached for his sword.

With his free hand, he tightened the mask around his face and tucked the hood behind his ears. There was a chance it might come off during the fight, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Luke and Ardyn couldn’t fight this thing. He was the only one of the three with any offensive capabilities.

-

"When you face a real battle, don’t freeze up," his father had told him coldly. "Freezing up will make a difference in a life-or-death situation. If you don’t want to get your head chewed off right away, attack and defend at the right moments. Don’t ever waste time!"

-

Leon steeled himself, then grabbed the hilt of his sword. The next moment, he drew it from its sheath and held it up to examine it under the light. The runes along the blade glowed faintly, as if sensing the subdued magic of its owner.

It felt a little heavier than usual, perhaps because of what he was about to do.

Calm down, he told himself. Remember all of your swordfighting lessons. Your sparring matches. Your duels.

You can do this.

Suddenly, a warm hand rested on his shoulder. Startled, Leon turned to see Luke giving him an encouraging look.

"Are you all right?" the older man asked.

Leon nodded, hoping he didn’t look nervous. "I’m fine."

Luke studied him for a moment. "Leon..." he said. "If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, I want you to use your magic."

Leon’s eyes widened. "Pardon?!"

Luke’s hand on his shoulder squeezed gently. "It’s better to be captured by these villagers than to die during the fight," he said quietly. "So I want you to promise me that if you can’t handle the beast with your sword, you’ll use your magic."

Leon stared at Luke with wide eyes.

Of course, he could understand why Luke said that, but...

At that moment, footsteps ran across the wooden floor. Leon looked up, and there were about six or seven villagers with various weapons in their hands, ranging from knives to spears to pitchforks.

"We will fight with you!" declared one of the villagers. "We can’t let this beast attack our women and children!"

Leon swallowed and looked back at Luke.

The older man was still waiting for an answer.

Leon nodded.

"I promise."

Then he gestured for the villagers to follow. "Let’s go," he instructed, moving towards the door. "There is only one of them. If we all work together, we might be able to subdue the creature before it breaks into a house and attacks someone!"

The villagers nodded in agreement.

Leon took another quick breath before opening the door and rushing out.

Don’t waste any time, he reminded himself. Finish the job as quickly as possible.

The brave villagers followed from behind, recognizing him as the most capable of the group.

The beast’s head instantly turned towards them, its red eyes glowing with malevolence. The air was thick with dark energy, so strong that it was almost suffocating.

Leon gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to freeze the beast’s legs to the ground.

He raised his sword and fell into a battle stance.

What the hell is that thing?

It looked like a Hyrthorn, but Leon couldn’t be sure. This particular mutation seemed much larger than in the books, not to mention the elongated snout.

The beast let out a roar before lunging in their direction, moving with surprising speed for its size. Leon cursed and met it head-on, his sword slicing through its thick, furry skin. The beast didn’t seem to notice, however, and slashed at him with a massive claw.

Leon barely dodged in time, feeling the rush of air as the claw passed just inches from his face.

Two villagers armed with spears charged at the beast, thrusting their weapons at its sides. The creature roared in rage and turned to strike at them. One of the villagers was knocked aside, his weapon clattering to the ground.

Leon moved in again, aiming for the beast’s eyes. The runes on the blade shimmered, and then the blade sliced through one of the glowing red orbs.

The beast howled in agony, rearing up and flailing its head.

Dark purple blood splattered on the ground.

Leon was about to go in for another strike when the creature suddenly lashed out with its tail, knocking another villager at the side to the ground.

Shit!

The man screamed as the beast suddenly pounced on him, its jaws closing around his leg.

And then blood splattered as the creature shook its head, the man’s shrieks echoing in Leon’s ears.

And this time, the blood pooling on the ground was a bright, vivid red.