The Runic Alchemist

The storm above rumbled as if the heavens themselves were warning of the coming violence. Flashes of lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating his exhausted figure, casting long, dark shadows of the approaching soldiers below.

'Damn you, Sun God, what would just one lightning strike on my head cost you?'

Eight—no, nine of them—climbed the incline, their armored bodies gleaming with the reflected light of the storm. Each step they took up the muddy slope sent a jolt of pain through Sam's legs, his body wanting to collapse then and there, but his hand tightened around the sword's hilt.

The rain mixed with the mud, creating a treacherous battlefield beneath his feet, and the metallic tang of blood filled the air.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but his vision blurred as exhaustion tugged at the corners of his mind. His limbs felt heavy, like lead, but there was no retreat. Not now, Not today. Today was the day he welcomed death.

The first soldier charged, sword raised high in a two-handed strike. Sam barely managed to parry, the clash of steel sending a shockwave up his arms that nearly drove him to his knees. He stumbled back, mud splashing beneath his boots, but he found his footing. The soldier pressed on, relentless, but Sam twisted his body, driving his blade upward in a desperate thrust.

His sword found its mark, piercing the soldier's armor beneath the ribs. Blood sprayed out, mixing with the rain, and the man let out a gurgling cry before collapsing. Sam nearly fell onto the body but caught himself at the last time, panting heavily.

Death wouldn't take him yet—not before he took as many of these bastards with him as he could.

Sam's body trembled from the effort. His fingers barely gripped the hilt of his sword, and he could feel every injury pulsing with searing pain.

The second soldier came at him, faster and more cautious. The blade slashed across Sam's side, drawing more blood. He staggered, gritting his teeth through the pain, and swung his sword in a wide arc, catching the soldier off guard. The blade scraped across the man's helmet, but before Sam could follow up, a third soldier joined the fight.

They circled him now, two on either side, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Sam swung wildly as they closed in. One blade narrowly missed his throat, another cut across his arm. He stepped into a thrust aimed at his heart, twisting to drive his sword into the soldier's exposed armpit. The man gasped as Sam's blade severed sinew and bone, collapsing with a heavy thud.

A flash of lightning illuminated the battlefield, its brief light filling Sam with hope and then leaving him with the mighty weight of disappointment in equal measure. The remaining soldiers charged up the hill, but adrenaline no longer masked the agony he felt. Sam's limbs grew heavier, each breath more labored. His heart pounded like a hammer against his ribs.

One of the soldiers lunged, knocking Sam off balance. They tumbled to the ground, Sam's elbow striking a rock with a sickening crack. The soldier pinned him, but Sam's desperation fueled his strength. He twisted his body, ignoring the pain in his side, and shoved his sword into the man's neck, blood spilling over his hands.

Groaning, Sam shoved the body off him, but more soldiers closed in. They circled him, their eyes filled with a mix of fear, amazement, and the ever so familiar the common mocking disgust.

Another blinding flash of lightning. Another earth-shaking clap of thunder following after. It... Was.. Beautiful... The lightning was beautiful, powerful and free, untamed.

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Free to destroy... Goddamn it, why couldn't they give it to him..? Even just a little would do...

Huh..? Give it to him..? Sam's expressions changed to one of anger and frustration from plain desperation. Why.. Why was he asking for it..? Why was he begging for it..?

Sun god had no authority over lightning, neither did any of them, none of them did. Lightning.. Lightning was his... he was the one gifted with it. It was his to control, His to use, his to kill with.

A delirious laugh bubbled from his throat. The soldiers glanced at one another, unnerved by the crazed laughter of the boy who seemed to laugh in death's face.

"Shut the f*ck up, boy!" snarled one soldier, stepping forward and raising his sword high for a killing blow.

But Sam didn't move though, and neither did he beg anymore for the rescue. He was done asking. The world never listened to his pleas anyways. Instead he glared at the dark abyssal clouds above, his face one of fury, his eyes wild, the eyes of a man who commanded the lightning.

"I CLAIM YOUR POWER, YOU HORREDOUS, BEAUTIFUL THING... HEED MY NEEDS DAMN YOU I CALL FOR YOU..! I AM YOUR RIGHTFUL OWNER..! I HAVE CLAIMED THE LIGHTNING AS MINE, NOW DESCEND !!"

With a roar that tore through the storm, Sam raised his hand to the heavens, his eyes burning with defiance as the storm swirled above him. The dark clouds churned angrily, their thick, brooding mass crackling with anticipation, as if the sky itself was alive with fury. His voice, deep and commanding, cut through the rain, summoning the lightning that trembled just beyond the clouds.

The air itself seemed to shudder as the bolts of pure energy answered his call. A single arc of lightning, fierce and brilliant, ripped through the sky, tearing the storm apart in its descent. It spiraled downward in a twisting column of raw power, bending to his will as if acknowledging its master.

The light illuminated the world around him in a blinding flash, and as it struck Sam, burning everyone near him to ashes, his body was engulfed in its electric fury, his veins alight with its unimaginable force. The rain hissed as it sizzled off his skin, the power of the storm surging through him, reforging him with the untamed energy of the heavens.