Star Rising: Heartless Read Free

ground.
    The man was more agile than Reave had expected. He flipped back to his feet. Swiftly, he threw the dangling piece of his arm to the floor. “That sword of your is quite sharp if it can cut through metal like this. Acolyte steel I assume?” He pointed his now-damaged arm forward, not waiting for an answer. “You’re not the only one with special weapons, though. Even in this state, this little baby is fully functional.”
    A wild burst of flames burned the air.
    The Alioth swallowed, taking in the warm air.
    The fire moved in a straight line. A sidestep proved enough to dodge it. Another burst of flame burst from the man’s weaponized arm. Once again, the Alioth sidestepped.
    Reave grinned. The bounty hunter had more than enough fire power, of that there was no doubt. He had, however, no control over it. He couldn’t arch it or guided it the way experienced Cinder could. There was also no shape to the attacks. They came in predictable, straight lines. This was already over, and his foe didn’t even know it yet.
    The next barrage of flames came in the same line, albeit a bit wider than the ones before it. Reave didn’t dodge. He clicked the button on the hilt of his sword and the shield around the blade extended. With untamed ferocity, he rushed at his opponent. The hilt grew hotter by the second, sending flares of pain coursing through his hand. Reave ignored it. This was nothing compared to the pain he’d felt that fateful night.
    The shield made contact, and the Black Centipede splashed into the mud. A click later and the shield had retraced back, leaving only the long blade. He brought it down on his opponent’s neck.
    The bounty hunter rolled out of the way, throwing a handful of mud into Reave’s eyes. Through his blurred vision, Reave saw the Black Centipede produce a sword of his own.
    “I forgot to say, I don’t play fair!”
    Reave closed his eyes, listening to the sound as the weapon whooshed over the heavy raindrops as it headed toward his chest. At the last second, he ducked under the attack. In a single move he took hold of his opponent’s sword, twisted it, and impaled it into the Black Centipede’s torso.
    The veteran soldier faced the sky, letting the rain wash away the mud. Beside him, gurgling sounds of pain were followed by the sound of the bounty hunter crumpling to the floor.
    “W…who are…a…re you?” mumbled the bounty hunter. He gazed down at the sword protruding from his body. Blood gushed out of the cut, mixing with the clear plashes of water.
    “Reave.”
    His face twisted in recognition. The face Reave saw staring back at him was the same one he’d witnessed his entire life. It was the face of admiration mixed with compassion. It was a face he had grown tired of seeing. How many times would he have to be reminded of those nights? “Reave? T…he hero of the wa…war? I ne…ver would have fought you…you, sir If I had known. I didn—”
    Pushing the thoughts to the back of his head, Reave sprinted to the pile of leather lying on the ground. His skin goosebumped as he noticed that the leather jacket had been hit by a stray line of fire. It was now completely engulfed in flames.
    “No!” cried Reave as he gazed, almost dreamily, at the orange and red flames. He dashed toward it, snuffing out the fire. 
    The scent of burnt leather filled his nostrils. Hoping against hope, he unwrapped the charred jacket. Time slowed as the Alioth locked eyes with the infant, not believing what he was seeing. Somehow, the boy was alive. Not just alive, but unlike minutes ago where he was wavering between life and death, he now looked as healthy as any baby born in the Bastion. His skin was a healthy shade of pink. His giggles were the product of a hearty set of lungs.
    Reave was so enthralled by the twist in circumstances, that he almost didn’t notice the light. Once he saw it, he wondered how he had missed it. There was a crimson glow under the boy’s scar, shining brightly. It