This is original #fantasy #fiction for steemit - Part two is here and Follow/Subscribe here.

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Part 1

Darkness shrouded the room where the small shadowed figure lay asleep in bed, silence filled the night and calm had taken its hold in the early hours of the blackened morning. A terror filled scream cut through the nights silence like a blades harsh kiss cuts through flesh.

The once sleeping eyes shot open, fear trying to sink it's deadly claws in , raspy breath the only certain sound to be heard - as uncontrolled as the cold sweat forming at their brow. Uncertain of the reality awoken to. Was the noise that woke them just a dream ? Or had a voice truly broken the silence only moments before?

Sitting up in bed and attempting to reach a state of calm, forcing their racing heartbeat back to a steady and calm pace. Glancing around the blackened room, straining in the nights natural light to see if anything was amiss... all seemed still and silent.

Calm started to settle the frantic beating back to a steady pace, when the fractured light of a burning torch shot through the cracks in the timber shutters that kept out the nights chill and the early mornings sun. The calm vanished in an instance - the urge to flee tried to take over but logic and training took control, unwilling to move and risk drawing any attention to their existence they froze in place for what seemed like an eternity.

Waiting silently unmoving, the light moved closer to the shutters. A boot was eased onto the timbered pathway running along the outside of the room, the boards creaking at the sudden pressure applied to them in the cold morning. Breathing again began to become uncontrolled as the intruder inched closer and the light they wielded grew brighter.

The slight form again forced their breathing back to a steady pace and ever still. More footsteps could be heard there were two of them out there. The light they carried gave away their position as they started to move around the house seeking their way inside.

The small figure leapt to action as soon as the light rounded the corner rummaging blankets together on the bed, then moving quickly across the room and silently removing a sword from it's covering and taking up position behind the door.

The light now entered the room from the centre of the house the intruders had gained entry and were now moving towards the two bedrooms. The figure remained still and silent as the footfalls moved closer the light no longer moved with them.

Creaking as the door inched open, obscuring the waiting defender. In crept a giant man slowly moving into the poorly lit room, squinting his eyes to attempt to clear his field of vision moving out of the doorway to allow the light entry. He grinned and gave an almost silent grunt of satisfaction as he approached the shadowed form lying upon the bed made out by the dim light from the other room.

He moved into position beside the bed and raised his giant sword high into the air above the form laying there. He inhaled deeply and surged his weapon down into the centre of the sleeping form with all his force. He had been completely unaware that the defender had been hiding behind him from the moment he entered the room.

He looked down to see the thin blade protruding from his left collarbone and his body went limp and the small figure eased the dead body forward onto the bed, gliding the long thin blade out through his lower back on the right side.

The intruders body was too big to move so it lay across the bed his sword still protruding from the bed the small figure removed the sword and threw the bedding used to fool the intruder over him and retreated back to behind the door leaving it open.

Strange sounds echoed down the hallway from the other room, still the small figure remained hidden. Footsteps approached growing louder with each step, grasping the sword tighter as a shadow was cast over the room by the silhouette of another intruder.

He looked for his companion but could see only a body lying on the bed. He entered the room slowly turning his gaze across the room, as he stepped to the side of the light being cast in the other room.

A slight glisten of light suddenly revealed the harsh truth of the situation, the body on the bed wore armour the same armour the intruder wore himself. The realisation came too late as he turned to defend his back the small figure slashed quickly up taking the long thin curved blade across the assailant's throat cutting deep into the cartilage and spraying hot blood all over the small framed defender.

Blinking rapidly to clear the blood from obscuring their vision the body fell to the floor with an uncontrolled thud. The small frame stepped back in momentary shock then moved into action again, wiping blood from their face while they threw on the first pair of pants they found and slipped on their shoes, tying the scabbard to their waist as they gathered the loose nightshirt into a knot that held the sword in place, finally strapping a small wide bladed knife to their lower right leg.

Deciding where to go the small figure crept out of their room looked up the hall to where their parents had slept and listened for a moment, no sounds could be heard and no movement. Tears brimmed their eyes - they were dead.. The other intruder came back, they had to be dead - reality stung but nothing could be done for them now.

Sounds of battle now rang through the night, screams and metal clashing and the once absent light now started to fill the town and with it heat, too much heat it wasn't dawn yet. The invaders were torching the town the small figure knew they had to get out now.

Reaching the door the slight figure burst out into the night and found they could see almost as well as if it was daylight. Shocked to see that so many houses had been set on fire the small form faltered momentarily, realising there was no way to the heart of the Kingdom of the East the intruders had cut off from any safe escape.

Unwilling to sit and be slaughtered the small figure set off at an impressive pace weaving through the burning village, animals screeched and ran haphazardly unsure of where to flee. People were screaming and running in all directions the sounds of terror and chaos filled the air combined with the roar of the ever growing fire the only place to go was into the forest, the forest that the intruders came from.

Running towards the tree line the small figured glanced back at the burning village, turning back and continuing into the woods. Whilst swerving to dodge a large tree another large man reached out with his large hand and grabbed the long hair flowing behind the escaping victim, the action resulted in the victim's head being whipped back and their legs flying out from underneath them.

The giant man hoisted the small frame up by their entangled hair until standing and then kept lifting the small frame, higher past the point where the tips of their toes could no longer reach the ground. Screaming out in pain, dazed from the initial hit and not ready for this new form of torture. With his giant free hand he grasped around his small opponent's throat - his fingers touching and started to squeeze slowly.

The small figure dangled from the giant man's clutches with legs kicking wildly, eyes peering out at the destruction of the village they called home. Small hands scratched and clawed at the giant man's fingers clamping around their throat, blinking away tears that involuntarily blurred their vision.

Staring out towards the village a figure came into focus. The young boy screamed out “Sam” and ran towards the dangling victim. The giant man squeezed his fingers tighter as a tear streamed down her ash and blood covered face she managed to choke out a single word “Ben”.

To be continued..

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