Valeo couldn't really put his finger on why but he felt something coming from the entity, it felt chaotic, it felt hectic but yet refined. He didn't know how he felt this but Valeo didn't care at that moment, the entity was starting straight at him, it's featureless visage somehow boring holes into Valeo.
"Great first that thing, now THIS!"
Valeo stood still, not wanting to provoke the entity to move in anyway, he didn't know if this thing will attack and didn't want to find out either, not while he was unarmed, glancing around him Valeo saw a statue holding a claymore just a few inches away from and decided to risk it.
Valeo slowly crept to the statue while still keeping on the entity and grabbed the claymore, soon as Valeo wrapped his final finger around its grip the entity conjured two wicked red blades and shot towards Valeo.
Blocking the blades from the entity Valeo threw a punch with his lower arm, but his fist went through the mid section of the entity as his eyes widen.
"W-what the-"
Valeo was rudely interrupted from his thoughts as the entity let go of the blade struggle and spun kicked Valeo in the ribs sending him crashing into the floor a few feet away, Coughing up blood Valeo staggered when he tried to stand up.
"Fist is a no, but maybe..." Valeo looked down at his claymore with its chipped blade making him grimaced.
"Only one clash and it nearly destroyed it in two, what the fuck is this thing."
Valeo stood up and ready the claymore, the entity seeing this started to walk slowly Valeo it's wicked blades gleaming with hunger.
Both sprinting at each other clashing blades sending sparks, the sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the room as their fight continued, parrying Valeo's vertical swing the entity slashed Valeo's shoulder, his blood splashing on the floor.
Not deterred, Valeo back stepped from a horizontal slash aimed for his stomach and blocked another swing the entity followed up. Valeo swung with all four hands on the grip at one the blades disarming the entity, seeing an opportunity Valeo went to Pierce it's chest but his eyes went wide when he saw blood in the air.
The entity using its other blade cut off both of Valeo's top arms with a clean swipe, a familiar excruciating pain memories flash in Valeo's mind making him freeze, taking advantage of the boy's state the entity threw it's remaining sword at Valeo nailing him in his left shoulder with enough force to send him across the large room.
Coughing blood Valeo's vision was blurring as the ringing in his ear, memories of his time in the arena before everything
"Survive."
"How, how do we survive Laylana?"
Yanking the sword out of his shoulder Valeo walked towards the entity, its own sword in hand.
"There's nothing to survive for."
"The name suits you, Valeo."
"The name of a hero....but we failed to protect you."
Valeo charged at the entity who did the same as both locked blades once more.
"Be strong."
"We're failing, Laylana."
The entity dodge Valeo's downward slash forming an ball made out of the same thing it was, before Valeo knew it he was crashing through walls. His vision swirling as small debris fell on him.
The entity was above him in a instant aiming the tip of its blade towards Valeo's heart.
" Get the map before it does."
Valeo's eyes widen, with all that was going on he completely forgot the task Laylana gave him. He remembered the figure that sent him crashing into the cell wall was asking for a map but what for?
Time slowed down as the wicked red blad came down, Valeo was physically and mentally exhausted as he saw the warped and sharp baring down on his, before he knew it Valeo's life flashed before his eyes, the years with his father and the small time he had with Laylana before and after, the years in the arena.
"I love you."
He didn't want things to end likes this, to end him failing her once more, he wants to prove Laylana right. He wants to be the hero she saw in him.
He wants to be strong.
He wants to SURVIVE.
Valeo with all the strength he can muster grabbed the blade discarding the hooks digging into his palm.
"Survive."
"Survive."
"SURVIVE!"
A sensation washed over Valeo, Vague but yet familiar like a thought out of your reach, the best way he could describe it was threads coming from himself intertwining with threads coming the blade he was holding.
No, it was something beyond the blade, beyond the entity.
Something.
Unknown.
Blinding pain shoot throughout Valeo's body making him scream before he knew it a white light invaded his vision.
* * *
Valeo eyes slowly opened to see clouds kissed by golden sunlight as a gentle breeze wash over him.
"D-did we...."
Tears weld up in Valeo's eyes feeling shame and sorrow, feeling water below him Valeo got up to see nothing but the reflective surface of water as for as the eye can see.
"Not 'ad for a 'onster." Valeo said his tone dead, another blinding light came into view making him cover his eyes.
"Second time now, it's getting really old."
Valeo let his upper arm fall as the light died down, he stepped back pure awe plastered over his face, Floating in the sky was a colossal silver gem jagged in ways unnatural with gold rings surrounding it, one be diagonal and the other horizontal.
He felt the same feeling from when the threads met each, Unknown.
The giant gem flew just above the surface it's ethereal appearance made Valeo's head hurt just by looking at.
"O'child of wind....power long forgotten returned."
Valeo didn't understand what was going on, he didn't hear it, he felt it, he felt the words the giant gem spoke.
"Cleanse the poison....free her."
"WHAT DO YOU 'EAN! NONE OF THIS IS 'AKING ANY SENSE!"
Valeo shouted at the gem, his heavy breathing was the only noise in the landscape as he continued to stare at the gem.
"In time."
The gem spoke and vanished in shards that glimmerd in the sun, when Valeo tried to make sense of what it said his vision began to swirl and spin.
* * *
When his senses finally calmed down Valeo saw he in another blade lock with the Entity this time the weapon was different, pushing down on the struggling entity was a large black and white gourd shape gunbai with it's handle being more that of a staff, the entity's form was waving and distorting, seeing an opportunity Valeo pushed down on his gunbai with all four of his arms.
The wicked blade shattered as the Gunbai continued until cleaving the entity in two, roaring in pain or anger Valeo couldn't tell as the entity faded away, silence claimed the room once more.
He should be cheering, he should be excited but he can't help but to feel empty. He didn't know what changed the tide of the fight, it didn't feel like his win. Valeo looked in shame, both in forgetting Laylana's requests and the undeserved victory.
His thoughts were interrupted as stone grinding on stone reached his ears, turning to the noise Valeo saw one of the walls sliding down leading into a different room.
"That was...kinda cool actually.
He made his way to the new door frame and peaked inside, a medium size room with tables and paper all over the place, he walked into the room scanning it with his eyes until he spotted leatherback book that caught his attention.
On the pedestal was the book, picking it up Valeo saw it had no name in the cover and quirked an eye, opening the book to look at its content. As Valeo continued to read his eyes grew more and more until he dropped the book.
"T-there's n-no way....Valeo the gale?"
* * *
To say Valeo was shocked was a severe understatement, he was absolutely floored. The owner of this book belonged to the man he was named after, the hero of the Wigsi.
Valeo the gale.
The gunbai clattered to the floor as Valeo stared at the book, the words of a hero in his hand, was he even worthy of reading it?
"Okay what is that?"
Valeo said aloud banging his lower right arm against his chest, ever since he woke up from that 'dream' a feeling of a lump in his chest distracted the boy. Not feeling it get better or worse Valeo decided to stopped for now and continue to stare at the book.
Mulling it over in his head Valeo decided to read it.
"If we're gonna be a hero we might as well learn from one."
Valeo looked around for a chair but upon finding none for his size he decided to sit on the floor and read.
In the corner of his eye Valeo saw his gunbai and tried to remember what happened when he was in that Ethereal place up until him cleaving the entity in two.
"What happened?"