The Guardian
In the old stories, Artorias fought many fantastical monsters in his adventures across the land. But never before had Jarrod heard of a guardian creature such as this. The white winged lion flying over him, breathing lightning from its maw as a dragon would flame. The electricity overshot the man, crashing into the shallow water that filled the grove serving as their arena.
Crying out, Jarrod's body siezed up as the lightning found its way to him. He gritted his teeth, pushing his body to move as the shadow of the lion came upon him. The water was pleasantly warm as he flung himself onto his stomach. The ground shook as the lion landed with Jarrod underneath. Raising his head slightly, Jarrod spotted the vulnerable underbelly of the beast and drew his catalyst. Gripping the handle with both hands, he thrust it upwards, staining the white fur red as the blade sank into its flesh. Gritting his teeth, he drove the blade in deeper as the beast loosed a deafening roar.
More force and more energy...
Channeling his soul through his catalyst, he could feel it coalescing at the edge of the catalyst. Upon release, the lion let out a pained yelp and reared back. Perhaps its hide was resistant to magic, but its innards were far more fragile. After ripping the catalyst free, splashing the pristine fur crimson, he picked his silver blade from the water. Rushing the beast while it recovered, he crossed his weapons.
The lion reared back, beating its wings. A shockwave of water and wind knocked the wanderer onto his back. Thrusting his catalyst out, he peppered the beast with two Soul Arrows, buying precious seconds to rise to his feet again. Pressing his blades together, he swiped the catalyst up his sword, a pale blue glow shimmering over its edges.
Its sanguine eyes glowed as the winged-beast lowered its head, a growl passing through its fangs. Jarrod’s breaths deepened, trying to find a way to properly defend himself with a blade in each hand. He recalled that one of the Four Knights--Ciaran-- had used a pair of swords; it was possible to learn how. For now, though, he turned his shoulder towards it, raising his blade level with its eyes.
The beast pounced, and Jarrod’s body acted. Tucking his body into a roll, he found himself at its flank. Coming back to his feet, he thrust both blades into its side, letting loose another Soul Arrow into its innards. The beast turned and swept its claws across Jarrod’s chest. The wanderer hopped back, thrusting his catalyst into another soul arrow. As it turned its body to face him, Jarrod moved behind it, and a quick pair of swats of its scorpion-like tale threw him off balance. Static crackled in the air around Jarrod as the beast slowly turned and reared its head back.
This was it! Its breast was exposed as the crackling of lighting grew louder, sparkling wildly between its horns. His sword sank into the fur, and flesh, piercing through the muscle followed by his catalyst, which penetrated not as deeply. Releasing his sword, he put both hands on his catalyst.
More force... more energy...
Adjusting his footing, he felt his catalyst pushing back against him. The swelling power channeling through it more than he was accustomed to. His teeth gritted, trying to control the energy as it coalesced at the tip inside of the beast. The deafening crackling overhead provided a nice block for the racing thoughts going through his mind, each spark creating a rhythm to follow. This Soul Arrow was coming together, and it was strong. He could feel its burgeoning force threatening to explode. Pushing his shoulder against the creature, he drove his catalyst deeper, releasing the energy.
The force of the sorcery threw the wanderer back again. The spell pierced through the inner organs and bones, before exiting through the beast’s back. With a final roar, the lightning it had been gathering dissipated and its body collapsed.
Jarrod’s body trembled as he stood up. Collecting his weapons from the monster’s corpse, he leaned on its body for a spell, catching his breath. He looked around, now that he had the chance. He did not know this part of Darkroot.
“Where am I?” he muttered.