The woman lifted her bloodied hand weakly, examining it in the dim moonlight. Her battered body was lying in the bottom of a ravine, bloodstains surrounding the ground she rested on made it obvious that her injuries were of serious extent. Struggling with each breath, she knew that any of them could be her last.

Looking up at the sky full of stars, she re-lived the events of the night in her mind.  She had faced her nemesis once again, challenging the blood knight into a final battle to settle the score once and for all. It had been a long and fierce confrontation, magical bursts of Fel and Shadow illuminating the night as the two souls relentlessly clashed into one another, neither accepting defeat.

She found no joy in hurting her adversary, yet she knew no other way. Consumed by the bitterness and distrust, both of them were victims of the past. Kill or be killed had slowly replaced the selfless caring, the innocence of youth being only a memory.

Eventually, the battle had come to an end. The blonde knight was kneeling in front of her, looking up at her with the fel-green eyes she had come to hate and love so much. The cold wind blew across the hills, yet it wasn't enough to cover the heavy breathing of the women. Resting her blade against the neck of her enemy, her menacingly red eyes that once used to be sparkling blue were fixated into the tainted eyes of another, neither of them making the slightest of move.

After the moment that felt like an eternity, the silence was broken by the sound of a swordswing. The blood knight closed her eyes, holding her breath. A sharp sound was soon to follow as the tip of the blade sank into the soil. She couldn't get herself to deliver the killing blow after all.

Although victorious, the battle had taken a heavy toll on her, the once so beautiful silky robe being torn, scorched and covered with blood that left a trail onto the ground as the woman turned to walk away. It was only then when she sensed the presence of others - three shadowy figures were observing them from the surrounding forest - how long they had been there, she did not know.

"I knew you couldn't do it." said one of them. Narrowing her eyes, the woman merely glared at the source of the voice, soon turning her gaze away.

"No matter. We're here to finish the job." Added the second one.

Before she knew it, three bolts of Holy energy were hurling towards the knight, briefly illuminating the faces of the casters that had sent them onto their way, aiming to combine them into one strong blast that not many would stand a chance against. Watching the fiery death approaching the wounded knight, the woman's instincts took over. Her wounds opened even further as she sprinted into a desperate dash. Ignoring the pain, she forced her legs to move at their limits, focusing all her remaining strenght into the last leap she would ever perform, pushing the knight out of harm's way.

Burning pain of agony traveled through every inch of her body as the powerful magic seared her flesh, its impact knocking her off the cliff. The three that had rushed to the edge of the mountain were only able to witness the dim figure of the woman falling into abyss, leaving behind a trail of black feathers that would slowly and silently descend out of sight. Tears could be seen on the cheeks of two of them as they stared into the depths, the only sound heard being a distant thunderstorm.

-

Coughing blood, the woman rested her eyes at the night sky. Her vision was turning more blurry at each passing moment, so she wanted to admire its beauty while she still could. Yet, her attention soon got caught by approaching footsteps. Gathering her strenght to rise her head, a small smile formed onto her lips as she saw a black-haired male she recognized.

"You're late.." She said.
"I know." The man replied.

His build indicated that he was no stranger to combat, wearing a light outfit that allowed to utilize the graceful elven movements to their full extent without the limitations of heavy armor. Despite of a shady appearance, the woman saw kindness and warmth in him - maybe she had even come to trust the man.

"Could you do something for me?"
"Mmh?"
"Carry me into safety in your arms once more.."

The man replied only with a small nod, kneeling down to lift the woman onto his strong arms, taking her into his protective embrace as he started to carry her away, careful not to cause her further pain.  The eyes of the fallen crusader had become blue once more as she leaned her head against the chest of another, her bloodied fingers leaving stains onto the man's cheek as she reached to caress it weakly. He didn't seem to mind this.

"Thank you.. for this last perfect memory.." she whispered as the blue glow in her eyes faded away, her eyes slowly closing.

The thunder had gotten near, bringing along a cold rain that began to wash away the traces of blood. The man walked into the night, the lifeless body of the woman resting on his arms.