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It was the jingling of metal that caught Mala’s attention. It was soft, almost unnoticeable, and accompanied by an uneven set of shuffling footsteps. The knight turned towards the sound as a creature lumbered around an ancient oak tree. Once, it had been a man, but his soul had long ago fled. All that remained was brittle, dry skin and patches of exposed bone. Its eyes glowed eerily green as it focused on her. She drew her sword from her back and clasped the hilt in both hands, steeling herself against the fear that ran up her spine. Lifting her weapon and holding it at her shoulder with the point towards the shambling corpse, she readied herself. The creature rushed forward. One strike and the body collapsed into dust, the head bouncing off and into the murky water along the edge of the bog.
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