A Beast Among the Flames

A Beast Among the Flames 

Lighting strikes the open plains setting the dry grass ablaze. Fires start to rise from the hill tops in the distance like signals. I can feel the heat from the flames that blaze only yards from me. The sweet scent of wet grass resonates against the smell of burning earth.

Smoke melds with the dark clouds above, forming a fondness for each other. I can feel my chest rising with heavy breaths as I prepare my mind. This is either the end or a start to another day. Kneeling on one knee I press myself up and stand.

I look around me as the world before me looks as if hell is bursting from earth. In the chaos I find serenity, for I am built for this, trained for this.

I finished my indulgence of my surroundings and pull my sword from the ground.

I raise it with my right hand pulling it near my chest. The point of my blade stands five inches above my head. I close my eyes and start to rhythmically pound the armor of my chest with my other hand.

Thud, thud, thud....thud, thud, thud.

I concentrate on the sound that echos from my armor. It centers my thoughts and clears my mind of any doubt. The flames around me grow, they now tower twice my height, and the flames in the distant hills, are now clearly visible.

They burn so ravenously you can almost hear them, as if they are alive. I open my eyes but keep the rhythm flowing, I lower my sword at an angle from my waist. The end of my blade hovers just above the lonely blades of grass beneath it.

I begin to sweat as the flames around me permeate with great intensity. I look forward, I cease my rhythm and adjust my feet, I position myself for battle. I distribute my weigh for a heavy blow, I scan my surroundings carefully.

One of the fires starts to creep toward my back, I can feel it nearing me, its heat slowly penetrates my armor. Beads of sweat form on my back and start to flow downward. As I scan my environment I continually shift my body and feet, keeping myself ready for any attempted attacks from my enemy.

My armor, as beaten from past battles and dull with scratches, it still reflects well with its surroundings. The flames that now rage and bellow with smoke dance upon my armor, as if they are admiring their reflection.

I am a glowing silver figure, my enemy must see me, they must be hidden between the flames.

I remain calm, centered, focused for the kill. I suddenly hear footsteps, thunderous steps beside me. I turn, and there, only ten yards from me stands a beast of a man. His arms as thick as my legs, his hands as wide as my face and his eyes, the size of my fists.

I look to him with no fear, I steady my position and adjust my sword, He won't be the first fowl beast I kill and neither will he be the last.

As I face him he stares back at me, his right hand carries an ax that is equal of my height, I can see the beasts chest rising and sinking. The flames reflect in his eyes like demons crying out for freedom. His teeth hang from his mouth like gnarled bones. His flesh looks of skin left to the sun for far too long.

He takes a few steps forward, I press my feet into the earth and yell,

"You beast, you have brought enough tragedy, and massacre upon these lands and I am here to vanquish your fowl existence from this God given earth."

The beast is riled by my words and charges at me, its steps deafen the sounds of the flames that surround us. I become fixed on the beast as it charges, I adjust my sword one last time. It's only a couple yards from me.

Now is the time, I shift my feet just before he reaches me, he lunges with his ax in the air, I roll forward. The beast roars from his gut and his ax breaks into the earth. I end up beneath his legs. The beast struggles to remove his ax, I remain steady, I move swiftly under his chest.

With everything in me, I crouch and leap into the air with my sword pointed toward the sky. My blade pierces the beasts chest, I hit his heart. I feel my blade puncture the beast's unholy organ and it ruptures. The beast cries with pain, blood pours from its chest.

The beast falls back, my blade remains in his body. Its ax still plunged into the earth. I quickly approach the beast as it struggles on its back, frantically trying to remove the blade.

I near the beast, "Steady beast, removing the blade will only make you die more swiftly..... and I wish you to suffer."

The beast growls at me, I pride myself in my victory and stand upon his body as if he is a rug to clean the filth from feet. I Then grab hold my sword and press it deeper, the beasts howls with wretched agony. I press further till my sword exits and breaches the creatures back.

My enemy grows silent and cold, the flames around become hushed by the now roaring storm of rain. I remove the blade and leap from the beast's body, I close my eyes, place my sword into its sheath and begin my rhythm to calm myself home.
----
Do you keep calm in stressful situations or do you rush in like a wild beast or falter in fear?

More spine raising stories in, A Man's Traveled Heart
Coming soon, The Bleeding of Words

More of me to be found on, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Thank you for your support