Chapter 7: Advent
We had a long day. The mission bumped into rough edges but we managed to pull through. We have only a few injured, and thankfully no casualties on Bulv's warband. But the same can't be said upon the warrior ranks of the dravian tribe. Their casualties were on the high and some died of severe injuries, we couldn't get there in time...
We may have managed to pull through, but at a cost of many brave souls lost. Grandpa once told me, no matter how powerful of an individual or leader you've become, there will be always casualties, mortality among your own to be suffered. The best you can do for them is to keep your head up high, make them feel what they fought was worth fighting for.
That's why when Kiva landed that punch, I knew. I saw not a warmonger hungry warrior on a right path. A warrior with a big heart for her tribe, a strong woman who will take action when she has to. A woman who would put her life on the line to protect her tribe. I couldn't grant it to her, her wish of a glorious death. I may be out of line and disrespectful to decline it but I can't.
Like I said, I was not worthy to give it to her, nor she should look for it so soon. She had much to live for.
As soon as the battle was over, we had to leave immediately... I sensed a great shroud from the south. Marching towards Titan's Cross. I told Drake immediately to move out--I was not in the mood to entertain further questions. Something is coming--and we best not to be in its way.
-----------------
The conclusion of the duel, between the black-clad wanderer, Alt and the fearsome lady chieftain of the K'toan clan, Kiva, befell the battlefield into complete halt. Utter silent disorder with the empire's battalions, confused whether to continue fighting or not.
Given his word, Auvan marshalled the remaining ranks of the warrior caste. Rallied them to gather the wounded and those who fell in battle. The mercenaries that were supposed to be allied with the K'toan warrior caste, fled the field long before the dravians took notice. According to one of the regiment, they fled as the battle took place. Where have they gone, matters little at the moment.
Both sides suffered losses, casualties. Most notably the Aldamas regiment, who suffered the most losses while the warrior caste dealt with the most injured. The K'toan warband regrouped with Auvan and Drake's party, the remnants of the Aldamas frontline company laid down their arms and surrendered under Drake's banner.
Most of them were injured, and were taken in not as prisoners but potential allies. As many of them were to defect at the Golden Dragon's banner. The Azalond front line was composed of ten elite companies; almost five of them were decimated and the remaining were either defected to Drake's side, or deserted the battlefield. They were supposed to take care of the regiment inside the fortress but Alt insisted that they get out of the place immediately and fast.
Night falls and the shroud of darkness covered the mighty canyon of Titan's Cross.
The battlefield was now empty of life. Drake and the others had already fled eastward of the canyon, back towards the Oakenstead encampment. The cadavers and crows swoop in to claim their feast. The once proud fortress was strip bare, left nothing but piles of rotting bodies of the fallen now being feasted on by worms and scavengers.
Amid the dead landscape, an injured soldier of the Azalond frontline regiment came to. "Ugh!" The soldier stammered to get up. Three arrows were lodged from his right shoulder, his armor worn and sundered. He was bleeding from his side, dealt by a blade wound. He cupped his wound and swallowed the pain, as he put pressure upon it, to stop it from bleeding any further. Then slowly, step by step, he limped across the empty battlefield. He saw nothing but death around him. The embrace of the cold wind, the twisted and repeated cacophony of the murder of crows.
Then as he made another limp, the soldier suddenly saw something on the shadowed and blurry distance. A marching army from the south. His vision may be blurred but his recognition never failed him, even at a distance, he recognized the banner rippling through the night breeze. The banner of the Aldamas Empire. The wounded soldier held up his able arm to greet the incoming army. His vision grew blurry and his knees tremble, as he slowly suffered severe blood loss from his wounds. But the soldier didn't seem to mind as he leaned on the comforting thought, that the marching regiment would take him in, and have him treated immediately.
As he waved, he suddenly went to a heavy daze as blood from his wounds continue to soak his mail. His legs felt heavy, as if they were hunks of lead. His balance gave away and he finally fell on his knees due to loss of blood. He panted heavily as he puts more pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding.
The soldier raised his head, hoped the incoming reinforcements would see him. But to his surprise, the wounded soldier suddenly found himself in the tall shadow of the Black Knight, with his army behind him, all lined up in well-organized rows. The wounded soldier found himself questioning; he swore he saw them moments ago just a few miles away from him, and now here they are in a blink of an eye. If they were to approach his direction, he would have heard it loud and clear but here they are, all lined-up in a flash.
"M-my lord."
The soldier shrugged it off, dismissing the matter. He slowly picked himself up before Zweifried's second, the Black Knight. "We--we were overran by the enemy, we had the numbers---but they had the strength of a hundred--the traitor was among them." With a running breath, he struggled to hold his speech. But he managed to let out a key detail that Drake's party was present.
"I-I'm sorry--I'm all that's left and--"
Before he could utter another word, he was courteously carried away by one of the Black Knight's ranks; gestured to tend to his injuries. As the wounded soldier was carried away, the Black Knight, escorted by two of his bodyguards, investigated the corpse-littered field. Turning his head left and right, scanning through the death and decay.
The injured soldier was carried off the distance, with him were four attendees from the Black Knight's ranks. "Thank you for the aid. If I could get patch up soon I should report back to the Citadel." The soldier sighed in relief, as he felt comfort of knowing that his wounds would be tended. The four attendees kept their silence, never uttering a single word to their wounded comrade. Finally, the attendees stopped at a considerable distance. Much to the suspicion of the soldier. He saw no tent nor any medical supplies.
"Wh-what's going--on?"
One of the attendees, placed both his hands over the injured's shoulder. The rest surrounded him in three corners. "Where are the supplies? Where is the tent?" The soldier now beginning to panic. He then felt both arms of the attendee shaking, from light to a tremble. "What's wrong with you!? H-Hey!" Soon the attendees raised their heads emitting a red glow from their eyes. The one that held the soldier, convulsed in a delirious manner. Then to the shock of the wounded man, the attendee's head was split open, morphed and twisted flesh, in a form of tendrils with teeth on each end and mangled biomass, came spewing out of the attendee's head. Soon, all three of them transformed into horrible, grotesque flesh-born abominations.
"Aaaaaahh...!!!"
All four of the abominations lunged at the wounded soldier. Digging their teeth, spikes, and claws unto his flesh. Consuming him in a very maniacal fashion. Like rabid wolves feasting on a single slab of meat. Sounds of tearing flesh, breaking bones and spewing blood can be heard as the soldier was eaten alive.
"Feast..."
The Black Knight bellowed. With his word, the shadowed army dropped their arms and all of them transformed into flesh-mangled abominations. They charged right in to the corpses, robbing the scavengers of their food. Assimilating other bodies to be one of them and the rest were devoured and feasted upon. The minions of darkness had finally reached the surface. It will be a matter of time before they consume the face of the world
====================
Nightfall.
The army arrived back at the Oakenstead encampment. As the blood moon had shown its face, many denizens of the camp feared for the worst. Their individual superstition spread throughout the camp like wildfire. Others dismiss it, a mere aftermath that a gruesome battle just took place. While the Dravians, took their subtle precaution and beseeched the god of war's guidance.
The encampment expanded as the many more people came in. Both from the populace of the warrior caste, and the Azalond defectors. Elle, together with the women of the encampment did her usual rounds, tend to the injured and wounded from the campaign. Viora, and Auvan rallied the able-bodied warrior caste, now reunited with the rest of their kin. Their chieftain, Kiva still lied resting on the sibling's own tent. Drake, on the other hand, rallied and sortied the imperial defectors; briefing them on the path they had chosen. It turned out that most of the defectors were former ranks of the Drake's company. Ever since the young knight's supposed 'death', the squad had been dissolved and reassigned at Azalond Fortress sentry corps. Sadly, no sign of Drake's old friend and his retainer, Lieutenant Cassius. Stating the rumor that Cassius had been drafted to Zweifried's elite guard.
Despite the superstition enveloping the populace of the encampment, the people still went on with their priorities. Atop the nearby hill, overlooking Titan's Cross, Ymierre stood ever vigilant and as usual, away from crowds. She stood by and stared at the blood moon with her empty, turquoise eyes.
"Hey."
A voice rang from the tree behind the ethereal woman. A figure came out of the shroud, holding two ceramic cups of black tea.
"I knew you would be here." The voice came from none other, Alt. He approached Ymierre with an odd, yet very different attitude. He seemed so collective and calm, whereas in the previous, he always approach her with an inevitable, hostile mood.
"Still looking at the moon huh?" The wanderer sat on a lodged boulder just beside Ymierre. He laid down the other ceramic cup of tea and carefully sip the other one.
"--it has begun."
Ymierre began to spoke on her monotonous voice.
"'--and the moon with be bathed in blood', one of the key portents of the awakening." She added.
"Darkness is here--",
"I know." Alt interjected before Ymierre could finish her sentence.
"How did you know of their approach from Titan's Cross?" The ethereal woman asked, as her attention was caught by Alt.
"Well an essence that foul, isn't hard to miss." Alt let out a slight chuckle, at the seemingly mundane question by Ymierre. The wanderer looked at the still and slight steaming content of his cup, pondered about what's to come. What this war could escalate to.
"I can also feel them just flooding the canyon. They won't find us here would they?" Alt turned his sight unto the canyon entry from afar. Since the Titan's Cross' entry was just a few miles away from where they were.
"You need not worry, my divination would completely conceal us from their tendrils." Ymierre said.
"But we can't stay here... the Black Knight, his power encompasses beyond this barrier. We may have to move at first light. Or else, we could risk being seen." She bowed her head as she said the inevitable. It may be too much of a task, but the ethereal woman was right. With the war going on, the Black Knight was to look out for. Especially to Alt and Ymierre, they may not notice, but they both felt that Drake was far from ready to take on the darkness itself.
The wanderer couldn't help but chuckle at Ymierre's statement.
"So you do care." Alt blurted out, noticing the slightest hint of the ethereal woman's soft side.
"I don't understand." Like she said, Ymierre found herself puzzled to what or why Alt was laughing.
"Nah, nothing... Seems like I was wrong about you. I'm sorry I--misjudged your character." Alt looked at her with a big smile on his face.
"I..."
Within the shroud of her hood, her cheeks flushed to a slight pink. Utterly embarrassed at the spur of the moment. A complete loss for words.
"Here. This cup of tea is meant for you." Alt picked up the other cup of tea and offered it to the flustered Ymierre. She held the cup with a slight hesitation, and carefully sipped. The warm and soothing taste of the black tea, slid down her throat; easing her for a bit.
"Speaking of which--"
Alt saw through the opportunity to take the time, and make conversation to the most shunned person in the group.
"Where were you amid all the commotion? The battle of Azalond, the K'toa stronghold--most of the time, I don't see your shadow step on the battlefield." An opportunity, immediately raised a serious topic. The ethereal woman sighed softly as she took another sip of her tea.
"That's true... I had agreed on aiding Drake, akin to him aiding my cause. My existence is--limited to mortalkind." She said with a glum expression.
"What do you mean by 'limited'?" Alt couldn't help but raised a brow on her response.
"As an agent of the gods, my existence is solely for the strong-willed and pure of heart. A normal individual can no less see my presence, nor tangible. The gods have bid me not to interfere with mortalkind's conflict. Thus, the only aid I can give was the strength and power of my very own essence to Drake; and my reach can only go so far as to any medium or minions of darkness itself."
As soon as Ymierre told her story, she bowed her head. Incapable of emotion, she could only do subtle gestures. Alt stood up and stood by the ethereal woman while holding his cup of tea.
"I know that feeling." Alt raised his head towards the sky, his eyes shrouded by the shade of his cap.
"You feel as you wanna make an impact, but something big is holding you back. You wanna be known, but everybody shuns you. You want to help and be somebody but you couldn't; because everybody's burden weighs more than your existence..."
Alt could only chuckle at thought. In a brief flash, all the memories he had when he was still young, projected through his thoughts. The days were he was ignored and beaten, shunned by the people he met. Most notably,
a brunette, tomboyish girl and a goggle-head boy.
Ymierre had said much already, and Alt didn't want to pry further. He just wanted to hear her story like everybody he ever met. And even though her origin, she still deserved a well-placed company. The ethereal woman could only look at him, she was immediately lost in Alt's presence. Staring at him dead-straight like a prized trophy of some sort. Ymierre then suddenly felt a hand, placed on her right shoulder. She gasped as she learned that Alt had put his arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry, you're not alone." The wanderer said in a very soothing, warm tone. Like that of a seasoned connoisseur and a fine man.
"I..." Ymierre was again, lost for any words to say. She felt her heart raced, as she heard Alt's sentence.
"Well then."
The wanderer then grabbed Ymierre's thick satin scarf, hanging on both her elbows and gently placed it on over her pauldrons. Like a makeshift blanket.
"Alt... I..." Ymierre was flustered, she tried to speak but she couldn't. But this time, Alt heard it.
"No no, it's fine. You've already said too much. Besides it's late, we should get rest." He gladly insisted that whatever she had to say, can wait for another time.
"--later!" Alt waived with three fingers as he went down from the hill, bidding his farewell for Ymierre. The ethereal woman could only hold her cup of tea in silence.
"Why...?" She asked herself, as the question was meant for Alt. Why does she feel that way whenever he's around. She feels that same warmth when she wasn't supposedly capable of feeling nor emotions.
-------------
"What!?"
Sunrise. As the day broke upon the graceful land of Albias, the morning was greeted by a rather heated argument over the main tent of the Oakenstead encampment.
"Ask support from Regulus? Are you mad?"
Auvan angrily questions Drake in front of their men. Both the dravians and the defectors have all their eyes on them. With them, were Ymierre, Lady Eurya, and Viora. The dravian girl had her worry already escalated, she knew her brother too well that whenever his temper is at peak, something ill is bound to happen.
"What can those snobs do? They comfortably ignore the problems in the Mystic Marches, separated from us by the Kodo Mountains."
The furious Red-Hand continued his tirade. His scorn for the Regulus kingdom well-pronounced.
"They've had any number of opportunities to attack the empire, had they wanted to. And even if they have no intentions of a countermeasure, they've certainly had their share of chances to help us!"
In anger, Auvan easily tore a section of the table with his scaled fists. The dravian ranks in the briefing just bowed their heads in despair. They may have more numbers now, but had Drake's party haven't been there, they would have been trampled, by the sheer siege power of the Aldamas troops. Their morale was still in the cold because some of them still lament the loss of their home; and coupled that with working with their former enemies, that are now in the young knight's oversight.
Despite the harsh tirade, Drake stood his ground and kept his calm, as expected from a former captain of the Aldamas ranks.
"You think asking for support would be a fool's errand? Then you would fail before you even begin." The young knight sternly retorted. He met Auvan eye for an eye, ready to defend his stance on his notion.
"I see. You refuse to even try. Now I understand why your men die in droves in that battle." Drake added crossing his arms and closing his eyes, he pondered on the realization and disappointment. Pointing the ugly result of their campaign in Azalond Fortress.
"Grr...!!!"
Enraged, Auvan snagged the young knight by the scruff of his white armored coat, lifting him up.
"Brother!" Viora and the crowd was startled, as they foresaw a fight about to break between the two. Before Viora can approach her brother, she was stopped by the serpent lady; gestured that she watch how is Drake gonna handle the situation.
"What do you know?! Huh?! How can an oppressor know how the victims feel?! You, by no stance, have any right to justify our actions!"
As expected, the Red-Hand just exploded to the retort of the young knight. The crowd was on the verge of disarray, Drake then raised his hand to the crowd. Offering heed to what he's about to say. His footing didn't budged an inch, he still met the Red-Hand an eye for an eye.
"Emotions and brash actions should never govern a battle." Even in the spur of the moment, Drake calmly approached the matter.
"One who is charged with the lives of others should never take war lightly." With his statement, Drake caught everybody's attention.
"Drake..." Viora whispered.
"Have you tried your best? Have you done all that you could possibly do? A good leader always values the lives his men, because he knows these men and women have something that they are fighting for other than glory. These men and women have families, dreams and endeavors--do you understand that their fate, their very lives rests on your answer?"
It was dead silence on the main tent, both dravians and defectors have their eyes and ears on Drake.
"Do you think---I would be willing to risk my own life if I wasn't prepared to take responsibility?!" From that moment, Auvan's tone changed. From full of rage to a sadness-driven anger. "Vaozan..." A look of concern was painted on the dravians' expression. This was the first time they ever saw their most powerful of the warrior caste at his weakness. Drake then eased his stance and slowly put down the Red-Hand's grip on him.
"Then do what you can, even if you think it would be in vain. That is the price that we protectors of life bear... Like you, I just want to end the war, and have my men a world where they can come home to."
Drake said in a surprisingly reassuring tone. He defended his stance and made his motives clear. It left Auvan speechless; although he may be reluctant but he agrees to what the young knight had said. Drake went back to the map table in front of him.
"You seem confident in you words, but do we trust the support of Regulus Kingdom?"
Lady Eurya finally said something, pertaining to the young knight's notion. "
We must let the people of the Marches and Regulus know what is happening to their lands." He breathed in and pondered, as there was no other option but to seek the aid of Regulus.
"If I tell them I was once a Captain of Aldamas, perhaps they will listen." The hindsight of him being captured by the kingdom's forces comes to mind.
"--besides, if worst comes to worst, I always have you to rely on, Lady Eurya. Since you have been acquainted more than once in the Regulian Court." Drake smiled at the blind-folded serpent lady, realizing his backing on this notion to work.
"My my~ You are more devious than you appear." Lady Eurya impressed by Drake's thoughtfulness in all this. To be a good leader, one must know each men and women in his ranks.
"Perhaps, but he is being realistic."
Ymierre stepped forth in the discussion.
"Many still see Drake Hauer as an Aldamas Captain. Without a guard, he will be apprehended, with no chance of audience to the throne." The ethereal woman stated the rammification of the young knight's notion. He may have a strong back but trespassing into Regulus without proper repercussion may lead to desperate measures.
"Hmm... with my help, however, we can at least make the Kingdom turn a blind eye to him." The serpent lady crossed her arms as she stated her benefit to this mission.
"This is, of course, assuming we safely reach Regulus."
Drake said as he look at the map parchment of Albias.
"The road there is not an easy one." He pointed the the possible routes to Regulus lands.
"So we are mobilizing our army. Then, how do you intend to get to Regulus?" Lady Eurya asked as they altogether look at the map parchment.
"Hmmm... I have never been so far beyond Titan's Cross. Their may be reinforcements from Azalond already deployed across the Marches..." Drake then pulled out his old Aldamas military map in the nearby drawer.
"--of course!" The young knight suddenly yelled.
"As stated here, there is an empire overwatch and armory just around Titan's Cross, located here, the Baltam Garrison. All routes lead to Wyven Roost. But we can avoid the bulk of the army." Before Drake could continue, one of the militia stepped forth before Drake and the others. "Lord Hauer, if Baltam Garrison is where we are headed then we would be running towards the supply line of Azalond." The soldier stated.
"Truly? What does the intel say on that location?" The young knight asked for more information for the mission.
"The Baltam Garrison is well-guarded and well-protected by imperial elite. We may be decimated by the sheer force of the elites."
"Hmm... Yes that could be a problem... Unless--" Drake suddenly notices the narrow valley that the garrison connects to.
"Here! We'll use the terrain as our advantage. We'll lure them out of the walls then into the valley. Thin out their numbers and then we'll storm in and capture the garrison. They may be elites, but they are fewer than those in Azalond." Using his stratagem experience in his days as a military captain, Drake deviced a well-thought out stratagem for their approach.
"If we can capture Baltam, then we can make it a new headquarters in the Marches. At the same time, severing one of the most valuable supply and armory garrisons of the empire." The risk may be great but they have to try. This may be their only chance of establishing a solid foothold on the Mystic Marches. And if they are successful of getting the support of Regulus Kingdom, they may have a fighting chance against the Empire itself.
------------
As the briefing concluded, the militia began to gather their tools and tents. Packing them into large carts, driven and pulled by heavy beasts, the Oxoth.
The
Oxoth are common animals of the dravian livestock. They are raised for their meat and their function as means of load transportation. They walk on all fours, and a very fat set of limbs like that of an elephant. They don't have hooves on their front limbs but rather bent toes like an ape. Oxoth bulls have very sturdy antlers while females have none. They are mostly covered in thick, rough gray skin that comprised of both muscle and fat. Their meat are rich in protein and considered expensive. Their fat are commonly used as grease.
Drake, Elleina and Lady Eurya sought the Oakenstead chief to give their proper farewell, and gratitude for the shelter they have given them in their time of need. Viora and Auvan took charge of the supply packing.
"K'al Viora!"
The dravian warrior, Bulv came rushing towards the dravian girl. He dashed in a state of utmost urgency.
"What's wrong? Something amiss?" Viora immediately asked, caught in the urgency Bulv was trying to portray. "Th-The Chieftain--" He struggled, his breath running due to panic and exhaustion.
"Sister? Is she already awake?" The dravian girl was a step ahead. Auvan saw the commotion; he approached Viora's side to see to what was amiss. "Yes, she is but she's missing!" Bulv said. The situation was dire than they thought. Both siblings were startled by the news.
"Where could she have gone--",
"She may not have gotten far. Bulv, you take over here. Viora go search for her in Oakenstead, I'll take the encampment's premises." Auvan immediately came up with a plan, the dravian girl nodded. The two split up in search for Kiva, their sister and chieftain. From the looks of it, there was no way they are leaving without her.
===========
Oakenstead
Just paces beyond the encampment was Oakenstead. A humble village that was once the shelter for the dravian refugees before they erected the encampment just outside its premise. It was just a few hours after dawn and already the town was in a rush. From the mill to the marketplace, the villagers were busy to make d
n the marketplace, Alt gathered food and necessities they would need for the journey ahead. Carrying two massive and bloated backpacks, Alt's hands were basically full. During his shopping, he mingled with some of the villagers; sharing laughs and stories. A life of ever-adventure.
"Black-Clad!!!"
A blood-curdling yell was heard just behind Alt, as he was making his way back towards the encampment.
"Huh?" The wanderer turned his head to see from whom that voice came from, while still carrying the massive backpacks of supplies from both his hands. Slowly, he turned around and for some reason, raising his armored knee up. Only to block an incoming punch from Kiva.
"'Tis was a mistake for you to not finish me! The Blood-Duel must be fulfilled!"
The furious lady chieftain growled. Alt then quickly noticed, she was still ill from her wounds.
"You're still hung up on that?" Maintaining his perfect balance, he pushed her back with his raised foot. As Kiva recovered, she can still feel her body sore and weak from the injuries and bruises.
"Tch... you--should have finished me when you had the chance!" Kiva charged at Alt and immediately delivered a string of strikes. Using only his one raised foot, Alt parries every blow at a precise margin. As he stopped another attack, Alt could very much see the sluggishness and recklessness of her blind fury; all the more predictable to dodge and parry.
"Sorry, but we have more important matters to deal with than this." Alt just lowered his guard and continued walking. He just couldn't take how pathetic Kiva was at the moment.
"Don't you turn your back on me, Black-Clad!" And as expected, the lady chieftain was not quick to accept the gesture.
"--I've lost everything... My home, my pride as a warrior... and an entire clan disgraced. All I wanted to have was an honorable death. Why can't you--why?"
Kiva couldn't control her emotions any longer. Boiling rage doused into bitter sadness; tears roll on her snarling face. The invincible chieftain struck with inevitable weakness. Alt just stopped in his tracks as he heard the drip of anguish Kiva was suffering from.
"Because there is no honor in doing so."The wanderer instantly replied.
"Death won't make things any easier for you. You're asking a deed for your own personal gain. Whether it's a sacred law or ancient whatever, I won't do it. Your god can smite my ass for all I care."
The wanderer then slowly put down both his luggage and bowed his head down. The lady chieftain just went down on her knees wallowing in pity for herself and for her shortcomings; tears and sadness kept flowing and flowing like an endless river. Kiva finally succumbed to her moment of weakness.
"Death is never a release nor a relief... Death is painful. Painful to the ones who will be left behind. You're asking for an honorable death, yet you don't even think what would happen to the ones who truly care for you, feel. Death is never an option, because Death chooses us. Not us who chooses Death..."
Alt turned his attention to Kiva one more time. He approached her and knelt down to her.
"If you are capable of giving importance those around you and to the life you live, then maybe I would reconsider. Everyday, life is giving us a chance... I'm not throwing you a rope to hang yourself. I'd be using it to pull you back up from hell." All that, Kiva was rewarded with Alt's wide grin, a warm smile. The lady chieftain kept crying,
"You idiot! jerk--" Kiva cried as she repeatedly beat Alt's armored chest a with tantrum.
Alt wrapped his hands around her and held her injured body close to him. He helped her get back up, Kiva slightly grunts through the stinging pain of her sore body. Even when Alt had let go, Kiva was still leaning on to him, feeling his warmth on her battered body.
"Uh... Kiva, are you okay now?"
Alt asked the lady chieftain. She raised her head and their eyes met.
"Uh--huh!?" Kiva quickly took notice and immediately pushed Alt away.
"Y-y-yes hmph! I-I'll consider your suggestion for now! But that doesn't mean--",
"--doesn't mean we're settled. Yes, yes I know." Like always, Alt was a step ahead.
"I-It's not like I admit that y-you're right! I-idiot!" Kiva added, still stuttering and flushed. She really mirrors both Viora's stubborn nature and Auvan's temper.
(-_-)
"--what?"
Alt abruptly asked as he didn't understand a word she just said, with all that stuttering as if she was being shook violently. All he heard was her calling him an idiot.
"Mister!"
The two suddenly heard a call from behind them. As they turned around, Alt and Kiva saw a young girl running towards them, utterly distressed and panicking. "Ah!" The girl suddenly tripped over a rock. Kiva felt a breeze beside her. As she turned to Alt, he was already in front of the girl about to catch her.
"Fast... I didn't even heard or saw him move." She thought as she was overwhelmed by the wanderer's speed. Even with all that armor on him, he was still able to move as if his body is light as a feather.
"Whoa... slow down kid."
Alt caught the girl before she could fall over. "The bad men are back--papa--" The poor girl couldn't even finish her query, as she began to hiccup and sob.
"Hey... Hey, calm down." Alt tried to console the girl, but he got what he needed to hear.
"Hold on a minute." He approached his massive luggage and set them aside. He pulled a cloth from the luggage's pocket and placed it over the bloated packs. Only the cloth is too smalll to cover both of it.
"..."
"..."
"--good enough."
"That didn't even cover it!!!"
Kiva yelled at the ridiculous standards the black-clad has.
"Hey we're in an urgent matter so hold that thought. Let's go." Alt shrugged and hurriedly went back to Oakenstead, together with the little girl and the lady chieftain.
Back at the marketplace, time and everything just stopped in this humble hamlet. Shaken by the arrival of bandits, just as militia was packing up, about to leave the hamlet premises. The men and women were heavily armed with chipped and rusted blades, and even makeshift firearms.
"Please don't hurt him!"
An elven woman begged for the bandit, who held her human spouse at gunpoint. "Let go of me, you bitch!" The bandit hit her with the back of his hand. "Alia!" The husband rushed to his beloved's aid. "Tch! Elf and human bond. What a load of shit!" The bandit then just mercilessly pulled the trigger two times; shooting his gun at the man's right shoulder. "Agh!" The man screamed from the pain as the white-hot lead utterly ripped his flesh. "No!" The elven woman screamed for her husband.
"Tag 'em and bring them 'ere! We'll make an example of those who doesn't pay their due to us!"
With their leader's orders, the bandit lot nabbed the first innocent villager they get their hands on and gathered them at the center of the marketplace in front of their fellow villagers, like trapped prey on a predator's den. The crowd could do nothing but stand back in fear. The quiet village was quickly thrown to chaos as the bandits took over the commotion. Some of the gathered villagers were children, parents and innocent bystanders.
The two arrived at the gathering crowd. The marketplace was packed like a can of perishable goods. The two tried to find a narrow opening as quickly as possible. As soon as Alt and Kiva were at the possible narrowest opening, they slipped through the front as fast as they can.
"--Whoa..!"
"Hey!"
Alt was incidentally grabbed by the bandit and dragged him to the front. Kiva was about to stop them when she was packed back in by the torrent of congregating herd of people holding on for their dear lives beside them. As the bandit was nearing to where the nabbed villagers are, holding a weave of rope to supposedly bind Alt, he suddenly stopped advancing. As if was though he was pulling a heavy object, his feet skid through the ground as made his every step. The villagers looking on to them like someone of importance has just arrived.
"Hey--huh?"
He was about to rough up his captive, when he turned around to see Alt just holding his ground and not moving an inch from where he stood.
"So... what exactly is going on here?" The black clad wanderer asked, puzzled by the situation. "Grr... just--get. over. here! And. Nobody gets hurt--hrrrghh!!!" The bandit frantically struggled to pull Alt and put him in his place. The strain and effort was impossible, its like pulling a boulder out of the ground with a rope. And Alt wasn't even positioned to resist the bandit's pull.
"Gah..."
The bandit just gave up. His hands were on his knees, bent and panting. His entire arms sore and hands slightly blistered as if he just attempted to lift 10 tons of weight and failed.
"Take it easy, big guy." Alt unbelievably consoles the tired bandit, by patting him on his back.
"What the hell are you doing!? Just beat them up already!"
Kiva heckled from the sideline. Utterly pissed and totally embarrassed for Alt. Her yell was loud enough to rile up the attention all to them and them alone. The other bandits close in to check up on the commotion. "Well, well... It seems we have a hero among the crowd." The biggest of the bunch glared down on Alt, like a hapless babe surrounded by a pack of wolves. The size of the bandit, easily towers alt by two fold. As the pack of them gang up around the wanderer, he pushed his fingertip down on the tired bandit's shoulder, pressing gently a pressure point. The bandit just lopped down and slept.
"So... you're a big one. I... would assume that you lead these guys?"
Alt was surprisingly oblivious at the moment, yet carefree at the same time. "Huh?" Kiva was confused to what footing Alt was stepping on. She may knew Alt in a short while but to see him like this, it was quite baffling.
"Listen. As much as I want to jump in and beat up this wanna-be hero, maybe we could settle this some other way." Alt suggested, dropping the act very subtly. "Heh...hehehe!" The bandits was thrown into a fit to chuckle. Looking at each other, pointing at the wanderer, mocking his action.
"I like the look on your eyes, kid--"
Without any warning, the large bandit swung his huge arm, aiming the back of his fist at the wanderer's face. In a snap, Alt caught his back hand with a relaxed posture, as if he saw the cheap shot coming. It had quite a bit of force to it but was reduced to a mere thud. Under the shade of his black cap, a menacing glare pierced through as Alt looked at the bandit dead in the eye. The shock of a sharp pluck ran through the bandit's arm, while at the same time a wave of intense cold washed over him.
"Don't mouth off if you don't know shit."
Silent, venomous and truly frightening. Without blinking an eye. With a single exhale Alt threatened the bandit. Just hearing his voice and tone, made him feel like there's a blade pointed squarely at his throat. "Gah!" The bandit was spooked.
"If we can't resolve this with talking, then maybe inflicting pain will encourage you..." Again with the venomous tone. Kiva gulped, beads of cold sweat rolled down her cheeks as she heard Alt's tone. That expression on Alt's face held no warmth like it always did, it thoroughly emphasized a malignant murderous intent. It was so menacing that you feel as if he'll appear in front of you, and mutilate you with a swipe of a hand.
"J-Just... who is he?"
Kiva didn't know if she just let the words out of her mouth or was that her thought. She felt as if she was being strangled. She may be the mighty chieftain of a dravian clan, and faced horrors that no mortal has ever faced before. But she felt like a prey, at Alt's malignant aura, she felt the fear griped through her flesh and bones.
The bandits altogether took a step back and drew their weapons. The crowd also took a few steps back as a battle was about to take place. Instead of drawing his weapon nor his mechanical scabbard, Alt scooped up a rock from the ground with his mechanical greave and tossed it high up on the air. He caught the rock with his right hand and observed the bandits one-by-one, as he juggled the rock with his right hand.
"One. Two. Three. Four..."
Using his micro-ocular scope built in his eyes, Alt sized the number of his enemies; while at the same time, analyzing possible trajectories in mere seconds. Alt's brain can process a sizable super-memory worth of data as fast as an adaptable ultra computer; one of the million feats of Mantra-Tech.
"Grr... get him!"
With the signal, the bandits altogether lunged right at him all at once. And to think they're gonna be smart for once. They ignored the possibility of a lone attacker's capability of attacking in multiple directions. That's no superhuman feat but one of the fundamentals of warfare. The wanderer eased down and gripped the rock tight. A device formed at the bulk and around of Alt's wrist and hand; revealing three micro propulsors that protrude on his black knuckle. In one inhale of air, Alt threw the rock at the nearest bandit. The throw was thoroughly amplified by the propulsion from his wrist. The rock darted faster than a speeding bullet, ricocheted precisely at their temples like a twisted version of pinball. All it took was one throw. As the rock picked up velocity and was headed for the last bandit, the thrown projectile was split into two before it can reach the last bandit.
The last bandit standing wielding a very long and curved katana; a nagamaki or long wrapped blade. The bandit wielded the blade in a quick draw stance. Her sword though was heavily-covered by bandages, as if her blade wasn't used in a very long time.
"I knew it."
Alt sighed as if he was expecting that particular bandit.
"I would've thought you'd show up after that first wave. It seemed you prefer I took down your boys and gals to flush YOU out." Alt said with a curt voice. This last bandit was somehow different from the other ones he took down. Even Kiva was surprised that someone among the rag-tag bunch was even capable as this fellow.
The last bandit wore a short, buttoned cloak that only extends at her arm, covering her torso. Yes it was a female. She had a red Sode or samurai shoulder armor belted on her cloak at her right shoulder. She wore a single tasset with a loose bandolier that held her knives and daggers, that hang on her hips. Sleek leather boots; made with thick leather pads that form on her knees. Her face is obscured by the shade of her hood with a pair of ear-like protrusions weaved unto it; kinda like covered cat-ears.
"So you're the one who heads these misfits?"
Alt scratched his head, slightly frustrated that he had to exert that much effort. He was all the more displeased, he disliked showing off too much.
"...Hmph... maybe I am." The female bandit chuckled in a very mature voice, like that of a mother or a middle-aged woman. But with a slightly southerner accent. Her youthful visage was very deceiving. The female bandit would turn for her confirmation from her fellow bunch but all of them were knocked cold.
"So what's your deal with these folk? Talk." Alt blurted out, utterly a nuanced demand. But seeing what he was capable of, the bandit considered to oblige.
"Alright then. Tell you what, I'll tell you the whole story."
The bandit leader then sheathed her nagamaki and utterly sat down on the ground.
----------
These folks haven't paid their due for the fifth consecutive month now.
With the war going on, the village chief, had personally hired us to give them protection. This is due to the cause of the Regulus Kingdom pulling their troops off the Marches, back to the mainland.
I had warned them not once but twice before going through with it. Yet out of desperation, they made it concrete anyway. So one, two months passed, we let it slide. Thanks to my consideration, they seemed a decent folk, I gave them two months more to gather up. Money or food will do, because it ain't only them who struggles in this war eh? We dun' want any of us crossing blades with the Empire nor the Kingdom.
Eventually, it finally took its toll when one of my crew fell ill and then died of starvation. We would rush him to an apothecary but we have no gold to afford it. We could shake the guy but that won't do any good. We were running out of territories and places to mark or pillage. These men and women were like family to me.
We have come to an impasse, as we came to collect our debts. The chief didn't have anything to give us, and then suddenly he just, out of the blue, wants to sever our connection. Yet he signed up for this, and WE didn't get shit. That's not how we work, he wants out, he have to settle the owe first. Rules are rules.
People... give them a bit of consideration, and they'll abuse it like worn-out prostitute...
-----------
"And I think it's high time we do what we do best--making an example..."
The bandit leader slowly grabbed the hilt of her sword's sheath. The crowd was all too shocked and surprised by the lady bandit's revelation. Oakenstead, the humble border community sold to the bandits mercy; in hopes of the bandits themselves would give their arms and strength to serve as protection from both sides, both the warring states of the Kingdom and the Empire. The crowd, the denizens of the Oakenstead hamlet became weary. The revelation had caused a rather silent uproar, judging by the increasing number of murmuring of the crowd. Even Kiva was surprised.
"Now do you get the big picture?"
The lady bandit spat, utterly her head up high and proud.
"You may say we bandits are cruel. But even if we were to raid and pillage this poor excuse of a town, we won't get shit! We have standards, for crying out loud. We're bandits sure--but we're not barbarians." She continued, waving her arms up high, as if she were keeping the crowd's attention in check. Alt stayed silent throughout the ovation, his head slightly bowed low and his stance at ease. The lady bandit stepped forth before the black-clad wanderer.
"I see..."
Softly, Alt finally responded. His tone was no big surprise, a one that is painted with realization and disappointment.
"Alt..." Kiva was able to empathize to what he's going through at the moment. Or at least, that what she had thought.
"One question though--" Alt suddenly raised his hand, as if he was prompting the crowd to hold their thoughts.
"What was the mode of payment that the village chief gave you?" A simple question, or rather a very random question from the wanderer, much to the amusement of the lady bandit.
"Tch... didn't I mention it earlier? I said he paid us a heft--"
"Hold it."
Alt had to interrupt. He had just spotted a blotch on the cloth.
"You said, that the village head had not yet paid his dues for a month now ever since he agreed to your... 'contract'"
Alt approached the lady bandit whilst cracking his knuckles and walking with a very subtle, agitated gait. The lady bandit was about to blurt out a quick response but she was struck by the wanderer's keen counter-argument.
"You know what I hate the most? Being lied to. And you spun your web so well. You know, the thing about spiders, is they jump from ledge to ledge to weave their webs then spun them together to make a perfect trap. Although this one, you jumped then you missed the jump. I can see perfectly the bullshit you had to implant on these good peoples' minds."
Alt continued his slow pace as he tore down the web of lies spun by this lady bandit. Deducing the statement to a mere farce.
"You had it all figured out, I took the bandits out cold, the absence of the village head and the crowd. But I can see you were expecting someone else and not me to barge in and do the utterly predictable heroic deed."
The black-clad looked at the hooded figure with dagger-sharp glare.
"Th-That wench--I can't believe I fell for that." The lady chieftain just said to herself. Not uttering another word, on edge that she was eager how this confrontation will turn out. Like a helpless prey cornered by a predator, the lady bandit just froze on where she was standing. A single cold sweat rolled down her cheek as she was unable to say anything. She felt her throat was being strangled, unable to utter a single word. Then she just gave up, a noticeable smirk
"Well it seems that I made a fatal mistake... meow~"
The lady bandit purred, openly admitting her misstep. It was no use to keep the farce together. The way Alt saw through her web of deception, thoroughly impressed her.
"I was hoping that Lord Hauer would come but I was not expecting a complete stranger." The hooded feline lady's attitude just made a complete turn-around of her mannerism. Her voice changed from a mature woman to a petulant brat.
"He's not here. He's attending a much important than these trivial matters. Can I help you?"
The wanderer crossed his arms like a mean doorman.
"While we're at it, I even doubt you're a bandit." A last nail on the coffin. It would seem presumptuous but at this point, it was the last piece of truth.
"True, I am employed by Lord Zweifried to kill his sorry excuse of a brother. But it seems that I underestimated the circumstances. He did mention a certain... someone that lingers around him. I would assume that would be you."
She may sound like a childish young lady, but her gait was somewhat unsettling and unpredictable. Her aura was that of a silent genocider walking upon these lands.
"Huh!?"
With lightning-quick reflex, Alt caught an unseen sword swing. The attack was faster than a blink of an eye.
"Everybody get out!!! Now!!!" The black-clad roared. The crowd was thrown into complete chaos. Fleeing for their lives, away from the proximity as far as they can, except for the lady chieftain. The bandages were off, the assassin's blade resonated a red glow, creeping trims that crawled from the hilt to the tip. The wanderer recognized that familiar glow, and it does not bode well.
"Impressive! No one has caught my swings before! No matter... know this, I won't return empty-handed. Drake Hauer isn't here, but you'll do!!!"
In an instant, the hooded feline lady unleashed a barrage of machine-gun succession of strikes. Alt immediately went on defensive and parried the barrage by matching his opponent's pace. Alt was using his forearms and elbows, shins and knee as means of defense. With a full swing, the assassin swung her katana forward in a wide arc. Her sword was in full blur motion, any unlucky enough that stood in its way would be sliced to ribbons. Alt ducked, stepped one foot forward then spun his feet to perform a counter-attack, a rising kick connected with a string of spinning roundhouses then as he gained margin, he jumped slightly to gain elevation then connects an a three-hit spinning kick. The feline assassin blocked the last kick with her sword by the hilt; precise and accurate.
"Me~ow!"
She hissed and shoved Alt's foot upward. With his foot as leverage, Alt connects a complete somersault kick. As he touched the ground, he shifts at a lightning speed then darted himself with a perfect momentum to connect a full swing punch. His punch was met by the assassin's blade. Their momentum collided against each other, the force of the repulsion pushed them both back.
"So it's true what Lord Zweifried said, you are strong! No one has ever went toe-to-toe with my speed, in a very long time." The feline assassin jerked her blade to the side and shifted her stance. She held her blade forward, both hands on the grip with the tip upward.
"Truly, you deserve my true prowess." Under the shade of her hood, her eyes peered out with blade-like glare. Enough to somehow shake Alt's stance; something tells him that this opponent should not be underestimated. He breathed deep and focused, as he shifted his stance.
"Come! I shall entertain you."
Hissed the feline assassin, utterly taunting the black-clad.
"Alt! Don't!" Kiva yelled at the sidelines, she had sensed the malignant and violent aura of Alt's adversary. The black-clad slowly opened his eyes and in a snap, he launched himself towards his opponent. His arm stretched and artificial muscles tensed and flexed, exerted a large amount of effort into this attack.
"Hmph~"
Sengiri
The feline assassin smirked and her eyes widened. The look of someone who just caught someone in her trap. In a flash, she twirled her nagamaki and at point-blank range she performed a full swing slash. She then appeared behind Alt. Kiva's eyes widened, her face was veiled with horror and shock. Alt's severed arm landed in front of her. The black-clad fell on his knees, his head bowed down and his dismembered left arm bathed in crimson and black goo, that was once his arm was connected to.
"Black Clad..!!!"
Kiva screamed as she saw Alt knelt seemingly unconscious.
"Oh? Over already? Oh... they always die before I could even blink." The feline assassin flicked her nagamaki to rid of Alt's filth, and turned her attention to Kiva. She approached the injured lady chieftain, with her blade hungry for more blood. Despite being not yet fully recovered, Kiva was prepared to defend herself.
"I guess--" Her sentence was cut off as she sensed something all of a sudden. The assassin twirled her sword as she blocked two hurled chakrams, she then slid back and twirled her blade as she deflects the jetstream projectiles thrown at her.
"Haaah!!!"
Taking advantage of the distraction, Kiva charged through with quaking steps as fast as the wind. Her margin was precise and her step well-placed. At full swing, the lady chieftain delivered a strike at point-blank. But as she was about to land it, Kiva saw the glimpse of the assassin's fanged smirk, as if she was amused by all that transpired. Then at full impact, the assassin managed to weave a bit to the side, avoiding the entire destruction of the lady chieftain's blow by a graze. Immediately, the feline assassin grabbed her outstretched arm then knocked her footing for leverage. With a single heave, the assassin swung Kiva by one hand then slammed her flat to the ground.
"Agh!" Kiva felt the impact on her back and spine. Her bruises and injuries worsened, rendering her temporarily paralyzed.
"Sister!" Viora came rushing in at her aid. They were too late. The dravian girl twirled her bone chakrams as she gathered momentum, then hurled both forward towards the assassin. The feline assassin felt it, her fanged grin peered through her hood. She twirled her long blade and deflected both chakrams at mid-flight.
"Hyaah!" Using her speed, Viora darted through and caught both her chakrams and spun to a relentless blade dance.
"Heh, Vao-Zakon, predictable."
Before Viora could unleash her attacks at their fullest momentum, the assassin blocked her chakram with her sheathed blade then stomped her forward foot.
"Aaarrrgh!!!" The dravian girl felt her talon broke by the sheer force of that stomp. The jolt of pain crept throughout Viora's body halted her momentum to a grinding stop.
The assassin then shoved her back, spun around with her grip on the hilt. As she brandished her nagamaki at full swing, the assassin felt a thud on her blade. Only to see Auvan, gripping the blade from landing on Viora.
"Brother!" Viora called as she recovered her footing. The assassin jumped back and sheathed her nagamaki.
"Don't be too brash, sister." Said the Red-Hand as he tend to both his female siblings.
"I'm fine... I-I think I broke one of my talons but I'll be fine. But O'kalan..." Viora turned her gaze upon the downed Kiva. They both went to her aid, both of them helped her sit up.
"Kiva, are you okay? What happened here who is she?",
"A-a threat. I'm fine-- just--ugh!" Kiva tried to stand up, get back on her feet, but to no avail. Her injuries were still fresh and her prowess was greatly chained by her bruises and sore muscles.
The dravian girl and the Red-Hand, the two siblings stood up before the hooded assassin.
"N-No don't... Sh-she took down the black clad easily--I--ugh!" Kiva tried to yell reason but the pain was too much for her to carry.
"Oh my~ I'm surrounded! Two on one!? That doesn't seem fair~" The assassin flamboyantly waved her arms up and about, as if she was in some twisted stage theater play. This provoked both siblings as they shifted into stance.
Auvan unfurled his elbow-mounted scythes, and Viora retracting her chakrams longer spike tips. Both of them took caution in the wind, then with a pluck of a string, Viora jumped and perched at Auvan's right arm. He then channeled his strength into his right arm and slingshots Viora forward with great momentum. Viora darts forward like a speeding
bullet, with her chakram blades at the ready. But before she could make contact, the dravian girl saw a blur. She spun in mid-flight and performed a spinning swing at the assassin.
"Not so fast!"
A slender figure appeared and blocked Viora's swing with his curved dagger. A switch dagger, arced like a raptor talon. The figure appeared to don a rather aristocratic suit and open black overcoat. With a belted fedora for a headgear.
"The number seems hardly fair, right?" Pouted the man in the black suit.
"Viora--" Auvan was about to come to his sister's aid when his instinct kicked in strong. He flipped back to avoid an unseen massive attack by a very tall figure, with a heavily-bulked muscles. The tall figure donned strange markings all over his body, and it seem to glow supernaturally. His head and profile was hidden by an iron casing that forms his helm; reminiscent of an iron mask torture device.
"With that size and tremendous speed? What a monster!" Auvan was overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of this tall enigma.
"Boys... You are late. Keep this up, you'll end up giving us a bad rep."
Purred the assassin, as she recognized the two newcomers.
"Ah... Sorry boss, I just came from a contact." The man in the suit tipped his hat for the assassin like she was of great importance. What's amazing was that the assassin himself has his daggers still gridlocked unto Viora's, as she was attempting to break free of the lock or maybe even overpower the slender enigma.
"If it wasn't for the trouble of getting this guy out of his cage, we would have been here sooner." He continued, referring his last sentence to the tall enigma who accompanied him.
"I suppose I could reconsider--whoa now!" Before she could finish, the assassin brandished her nagamaki only to deflect the incoming illusory blades that came from the left.
"Hmph!" Lady Eurya had arrived on the scene, using her blurred movement to move past the assassins; her gun and blade at the ready.
"No... Alt!" cried the serpent lady as she saw the defeated Alt, on his knees, unconscious.
"What have you done--to my darling!?" She hissed, her eyes now flaring underneath of her blindfolds.
"-_-"
"Eh? Darling?"
The three siblings looked at the serpent lady with conspicuous looks on their faces.
"Well you can say he's... disarmed!" Growled the feline assassin as she made a rather upbeat gesture. The joke was rather out of the blue, filled the entire place with a heavy and awkward silence.
"She's definitely the worst..."
"Mhm..."
The two other assassins muttered, as they were embarrassed by such a shameful display. "
Well enough about that let's see some blood shall we? And you two be quick about it." purred the assassin with her fanged grin peering out of her hood. The man in the suit smiled as he looked at Viora, slowly overpowering the dravian girl. The slender assassin shoved her back then connects a spear-like kick directly at Viora's gut.
"Uuugh!!!" The sheer force of the blow sent her back flying.
"Mm!" Auvan caught his sister just in time.
The black hat and the masked enigma stood by each other, side by side. Lady Eurya suddenly felt a spike in her senses, the two assassins were resonating colossal amounts of energy, an aura of malicious intent. The serpent lady then immediately rushed towards the dravian siblings with great haste. The masked enigma flexed his arm and in a snap, he slammed his fist to the ground, creating a controlled tremor underground. The shockwave exploded through the ground where the siblings stood, launching them airborne.
"Ahh!!!" Lady Eurya's pace was blown by the impact, unable to reach them in time.
"The master wanted blood, let's give her a fountain show!!! Hahahaha!"
The black hat assassin laughed maniacally. Waving his arms to the side, he instantly weaved black tendrils from his own shadow. Tendrils tipped with spear-heads shaped as serpents. The serpent tendrils flew at the helpless siblings with great speed. The spears darted forward forming vector after vector, with the speed of ricocheting bullets.
"No!" The serpent lady tried to stretch out her hand to cast a spell to protect them, but her mana failed her as she was in panic and could not concentrate.
"Seize!"
Suddenly, a magical circle materialized in mid-air, paralyzing the serpentine spear tendrils that were meant to finish off the siblings in the process, like magical shackles. Viora, Kiva and Auvan were suddenly enveloped by a golden radiance like a safety net. They were slowly brought down to the ground. Then behind the magical glyph, appeared Ymierre; materializing using the very same glyph.
"Tch...!" The black hat assassin quickly severed his serpent tendrils. He felt the shackles of the glyph constrict and slowly creep up the tendrils, if he didn't sever it in time, he could have been annihilated.
The iron masked enigma shifted his stance, he flexed his right arm and was about to retaliate.
"Hmm!?" But suddenly, he felt a pat on his shoulder. In a snap, it became a crushing grip as the enigma turn to see who it was. The grip then effortlessly dragged him down backwards. Then before he knows it, the massive body of the masked enigma was sent flying, then grinding through the river then across the river bank.
"Black Clad! You're alive--uh..."
The grip came from none other than Alt himself, missing an arm but still very much alive. Yet his expression was far from upbeat and carefree, his anger was boiling inside that blank expression of his. Kiva was suddenly hesitant to call his attention. Even without an arm, Alt was not fazed at all. He was still strong, and from the looks of it, he was not feeling any kind of pain from the deliberate dismemberment of his arm by the hooded assassin. The feline assassin was about to draw her blade once more. But before she could slide the blade from its sheathe, the assassin felt a cold touch of steel across her cheek.
"Don't even think about it." Drake had arrived at the scene. Then along with him, a sizable squad of the militia entered the fray with their weapons at the ready.
Cornered and trapped, the two remaining assassins were now at the mercy of the militia.
"Well then--" A sharp smirk drew on the assassin's face under the shade of her hood. In a snap, she twisted around and used her sheathed sword to shove off Drake's blade up. As the young knight was about to retaliate, the assassin suddenly disappeared, along with the assassins that was with her. They just disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"Alt!"
As soon as Eurya felt the wanderer's presence, she rushed to him and opened her arms. She would embrace him due to her worry. But as soon as she was about to wrap her arms around him, Alt brushed her off like he doesn't have time to deal with the serpent lady.
"Alt?" She could only mutter the question. Lady Eurya sensed a completely different aura from him, way different than she used to know. The warm and comforting presence was changed into a cold and apathetic gait. But there was all in good reason. Alt led Eurya's gaze up top of the lumber mill to see that the three assassins were standing atop it, staring down at the militia like a pack of wolves. Shortly after, six figures appeared beside the feline assassin. A tall muscular man, a masked cloaked figure, a sharply-dressed gentleman, a girl with oddly-shaped parasol, a red-haired woman with thick gauntlets, and a tall figure wrapped with a velvet cloak and hat.
"We would like to continue this scuffle but it seems we have an apparent technicality."
The hooded assassin set her gaze upon Ymierre, glaring down on her like a very serious concern.
"--and you black clad, it seems there is more to you than I thought. But holding back on me is a very very rude... gesture to a lady~ oh! The cruelty!" Again with her theatrical demeanor, an insipid trait one can't stand. Alt picked up his severed arm and glared at the group of assassins with his red pupils piercing its sight towards her.
"Are you done with your bullshit? Who are you? Your blade, it's made of something an individual should never get their hands on."
Furious, Alt's aggressive approach was most evident in his question.
"Hee... So you noticed. Good for you! Oh! Do you want your gold star? Such a good boy!" The assassin continued her mockful display despite Alt's aggressive retort. Caressing her blade ever so seductively like a cat purring at someone's feet.
"Hmhm~ but although I could say the same to your body as well~" She suddenly blurted out. Alt's eyes widened by the assassin's reply.
"So you knew..." The wanderer muttered under his breath.
"Ah yes! But where are my manners, we don't usually introduce ourselves but please allow me to indulge myself. We! We are of employment by the gracious and oh so handsome, Lord Zweifried. We! The Court of Shadows are now under the banner of the Aldamas Empire! Haha!"
With a wave of her hand, the feline assassin declared their identity to them.
"No... The Court of Shadows?! The notorious guild of assassins!?" Lady Eurya and the group was shocked as they heard the name of the group.
The
Court of Shadows. The most infamous faction of all Arealia. A guild of ruthless assassins for hire under the banner of a mysterious enigma. They first emerged after the fall of the High-Elven Kingdoms. Brutally efficient in their expertise, each member of the court possesses a strength of thousand armies, possessing strength that even defies the gods themselves. They revere no god nor moral code, just the Black Doctrine of the Dark Father. They are summoned by offering a sacrifice in the name of the Dark Father, an avatar of darkness revered by the court. Once a contract is struck, there is no turning back from it.
There was a tale of old, that a kingdom once wanted to void a Court contract but was refused. So that kingdom chose to defy the Court of Shadows with all its might, only to fail miserably. At the cost of their defiance to the Dark Father, the kingdom was erased from existence. No animal, nor woman, child and infrastructure was spared from the full force of their wrath. From that tale, their presence was known, greatly-feared and respected.
To summon even one of the members of the Court of Shadows was difficult enough. But employing them as a whole and them fighting under anyone's banner was other-worldly. Lady Eurya, Kiva, Viora and Auvan knew at that moment, the presence of the Court of Shadows under the banner of the Aldamas Empire would be the end of them.
"We would like to stay and entertain but alas! Such inconvenience!"
The feline assassin continued her mocking presence upon them. She then brushed her cloak and slowly let down her arms.
"But remember, you have waged this war--the shadows are now against you--" With a snap of her fingers, the area was instantly engulfed by a powerful gust. Then as the gust cleared, so did their presence. Vanished with the wind. After that incident, Drake instructed his troops with him to check on the perimeter and see to the civilians, if there are any casualties or injured.
The young knight sheathed his blade and hurriedly ran to his friend, Alt, who is now missing an arm.
"Alt! Are you alright? I came as soon as we heard the commotion." Concerned, the young knight asked the wanderer. An injury or rather, a dismemberment like that was of no light matter.
"Ugh." Alt grabbed his severed arm and attached it back to its place. The tiny artificial sinews began weaving themselves back together and even the metal itself, on the armor began repairing itself to a sub-atomic level. Alt's arm was then clenched back to life like nothing happened.
"Amazing... No scratch nor damage sustained at all." Lady Eurya commented as she observed the process. Amazed by one of Alt's frame capabilities.
"
...I'm fine. We need to move on."
Alt's dismemberment may be restored but the burden he bear remained. He was as disturbed and troubled as ever.
"I understand. We'll rally the troops and get moving. Here." Drake extended his hand, and together with the serpent lady, they helped the wanderer get back on his feet.
"Thanks. Drake, after that, I would need to talk to you and Ymierre." The party then moved out, without any more moment to spare.
-------------------
Lady Eurya, Alt, and Ymierre retreated back to the encampment, which is now a fully-packed caravan with the Oxoth pulling them. Drake said their parting words again with the village head, together with the community. Thanked them for their hospitality they have given them. The village head also confirmed that his deal with the bandits was but a farce, weaved by the lies of the master of the Court of Shadows earlier. The real bandits that were knocked out by Alt earlier were driven off the premises by the Liberation Army, the resistance militia formed by Drake himself.
Dusk...
The militia set off westward towards the Baltam Garrison. Circled around the mighty canyon of Titan's Cross. From the rocky steps of the Regulus border, to the mass fen by the coastal line. The caravan made a stop at the coastline and prepare for the assault on Baltam Garrison, which is just over the end of the fen. The militia set up a perimeter, and began their immediate preparations. Drake, Alt and Ymierre set up a tent to discuss their imminent important matter.
"Now... what I'm about to disclose to you, Drake, is something forbidden and unknown in most worlds and cultures I have ever visited."
Alt started, implying his following statement may be struck from him by this world's pantheon. Upon hearing this, Drake pulled closer, offered all his attention to Alt. The wanderer then turned his head to Ymierre with a grim expression on his face.
"Ymierre, you are the agent of the gods in this world. They may see what you see, hear what you hear, so if any of you are listening..." Alt's sight shot through Ymierre's veil and through her eyes, as if he is seeing what lies beyond the ethereal woman's vision.
"--please take heed, your world is in danger--far more grave than any of you would expect." He spoke in a very ominous tone, like taking heed to the gods themselves.
So without further adieu, Alt reached on his chest armor. A portable compartment opened, and from that pocket, he pulled out a small dekagram-like device. He threw it on the fire and the device lit to life. The device floated up the fire and folded its sides and formed a tiny mechanical drone.
Welcome Back, Master Alteisen...
The floating device began to talk, much to the surprise of the young knight.
"Juro. Access archive number 0000-A01. Code: Chiyubasa." Alt declared to the floating mechanoid.
Code confirmed. Accessing hidden archive... Commencing projection protocol...
Juro opened its centerpiece, revealing a spinning projectors that emit a dark light. The projectors spun and and spun until the tent was consumed by the utter darkness. It was like they were transported somewhere beyond Arealia.
"What--",
"It's okay, Drake. We're still in the tent." Drake had the urge to stand up and look around but the wanderer insisted that he remained seated.
"Now... listen to my story... I hope I may shed some light in this." The mechanoid then began the projection, of the events of primordial past. Events before the dawn of time.
-------
Ages, before the dawn of time... before there was light. There was
pure darkness....
From the thick pitch of black, emerged an egg from the Primordial Source. The egg multiplied from ten to a hundred, to a thousand, to millions and billions. Before the Primordial Source could incubate them, an almighty anomaly occured, banishing the Primordial Source from the plane of existence.
From the first egg, hatched the first beings in the Omniverse, the Qurach. Beings of pure darkness. For years, they wandered afloat the vast sea of darkness without a purpose and without a mind. Until one day, one of them, had evolved and became the very first being to develop sentience. This particular qurach had lead her people and gave them a purpose. Eventually, she was heired as their deific queen, her name... was Queen Aohime.
Now driven by a purpose, the Qurach evolved into their fullest potential, acquiring both infinite physical strength and infinite wisdom. They were the perfect life-forms. With their strength, they molded the darkness and built celestial
bodies which we came to know now as worlds, the stars, and everything that inhabits the eternal void.
With their wisdom, they have built the first and most powerful tool, the Mantra-Technology. This tool helped the Qurach
flourished and with it, it helped the creation of the other races that now inhabit their worlds.
All was well... The dawn of time was nearing its arrival. But then... catastrophe struck like a fierce lightning bolt. The Primordial Source managed to loosen its grip from its banishment. From its unrelenting tendrils, spawned ten corrupted
eggs. Unlike the qurach eggs, these were beating with strong malevolence and malice. Corruption. From the ten eggs, emerged the Prime Corruptions, the dark gods. The first gods... the elder gods of old...
In the wake of the dark gods, they wreaked unspeakable destruction and death. Extinguishing the newborn races entirely and corrupting the Qurach, assimilating them in their ranks. To resist this, Aohime lead the Qurach to an eternal war against the dark gods.
The two factions waged a titanic clash of astronomical proportions on frozen time. This event would eventually be called the Corrupted Advent or the Great Corruption.
Pure Darkness against the Corrupted Malice...
Ages past, the Qurach fought a losing battle against the formidable Dark Gods. Aohime refused to surrender, for if they
lose, then the Omniverse shall be forever in the clutches of evil. Then she decided to resort to her last option: open the Gates of Eternity and hope it would have the answer to their conflict.
As preparation, the remaining Qurach had sealed away the Mantra-Technology, away from prying eyes... The ritual commenced, and Aohime opened the Gates of Eternity. And beyond the gates... first emerged the unyielding Light.
The Light's power was so strong that the Dark Gods were purged in its wake. But at the cost of the Qurach's existence. Aohime, along with her race, disappeared in a blink of an eye. The light cleansed the corruption.
Then from the remains of the corrupted qurach, illuminated and annointed by the Light; born the Celestial Beings. Keepers of the Balance. The Celestials keeps the balance between Darkness and Light in check, and they also guard the Mantra-Technology, their ancestors have left behind.
I am one of the Celestial Beings. My body is Mantra-Technology itself. I travel from world to world and from one universe to another. To re-map the Omniverse and reconnect them like they were before. And as a Celestial Being, I am obliged to procure any remnant of Mantra-Technology as soon as possible.
Such tool is never meant for mortal nor god hands. It belongs to the balance. Only a being of great responsibility can wield this tool. The Mantra-Tech has the power to create and even destroy anything at an astronomical scale. We Celestials knew even gods can be corrupted like mortals do.
------------------------------
Archive end...
As the device finished the projection, it folded back into its original hexagramic mode. The surroundings reverted back to normal and the device leaped back to Alt's palm. Alt put it back into his armor compartment.
"Point being--" The wanderer then stood up from the tent fire, and set his gaze outside.
"--those assassins were armed with the very same tools, technology that can destroy this world. I don't know how long were they had it but I assure you, those tools were never meant for any mortal hands."
Drake couldn't utter a word, he felt as if his heart sank upon hearing the revelation. The Court of Shadows under the empire's banner was already a problem for them.
"--We have reached this far. We can't just throw it all away like that." The young knight just out-rightly responded, much to Alt's surprise. The black-clad expected a slight discouragement from his part but this was all to surprising to him. He smirked at the thought,
"This kid is going places, I'm sure of it." Alt chuckled to the thought of it.
"However."
Alt was not yet done.
"Under any circumstance, do not fight the Court of Shadows. You can't defeat them." Alt declared, as a strict warning to the young knight.
"What? Why? They are our greatest obstacle against the empire and yet you advise to stay away from them." Drake said, as he found the warning to be questionable.
"Your power is not enough to defeat them. If they will it so, they will obliterate you in a single stroke." Alt would joke about it, but the Mantra-Technology in the wrong hands was nothing to be joked about.
"Alt is right..."
Ymierre finally broke her silence.
"The power I have given you may rival the gods themselves but---truth be told, the gods are but commoners to Celestials." The ethereal woman then stood up from the tent-fire.
"As told by the gods themselves, they may govern the heavens and earth, the Celestials are their shepherds. Overwatchers of the universe. If Alt says is true, that the tools the Court of Shadows wield, were created by the Precursor Celestials then the situation is severe than we thought."
The ethereal woman stated. Even though her knowledge of the Celestials is limited, she knew very well that crossing a
Celestial would be the last thing that a god would do.
"Then... what do you propose we do? The Court already has their sights on my head. You can't expect them to be involved somehow in our war." Drake felt his hands were bound, if he doesn't have the power to go up against the assassins, then who would do it?
"That's why you have me in your army."
Alt said, as he patted the young knight's shoulder.
"It is my duty to return those tools, then I am the only one who can go up against them. Besides---" He was about to go into a lighter mood, when he once again became grim.
"--it was my fault anyway. Being involved in this war, I am not supposed to be in. The Court of Shadows might have been their contingency plan against me. It's my mess, so it's mine to clean up."
The wanderer clashed both his black metal knuckles together.
"Don't say that Alt. I am sure that your arrival here in our world is more than what could ever ask for. Besides, if I know Zweifried, even if you haven't landed here, he would have still hired them under their banner. He is relentless and vicious as he is cunning and manipulative." The young knight reassured the wanderer that none of this was Alt's doing.
-------
Middle of the night.
the militia anxiously arm themselves for the upcoming battle. Setting up tents, assembling siege weaponry, and organizing squads and divisions; the Liberation army was as busy as ever. This is their first skirmish in their campaign, every detail counts and one false step was not an option.
"Did you think siding with Lord Drake was a wise choice?"
The two soldiers had a healthy conversation as they built their ballista cart piece by piece. "I mean, you think it would have been better if we side with Lord Zweifried instead?" The soldier asked. This question has been running through some of the defectors' minds since they joined Drake's cause.
"I don't know. I think I am better off with Lord Drake. You know Lord Zweifried, he doesn't tolerate mistakes. If we went back to the Citadel, we might as well head towards the chopping block."
"Huh... Fair's fair. Well he is a capable leader, so that's an admirable trait. And he is the Golden Dragon."
"But remind me again, why is he called by that title..?"
"Well you see, in the first war with Regulus Kingdom---huh?"
From a shadowy distance, a string of dragging footsteps was suddenly heard. The steps had alerted the two soldiers, interrupting them on their conversation and their work. "Who goes there?" The two soldiers brandished their blades at the approaching footsteps. As it drew closer, the figure came to view. Turns out it was one of their compatriots.
"Ah, Trevor. Sheesh... Don't sneak up on us like that. All of us here are on edge."
The two soldiers sighed in relief and sheathed back their blades. The soldier, Trevor however didn't stop on his steps and continued on his slow and dragging pace. "Since you're here, care to help us out on these things?" The two men continued their work, picked back up on their hammer and tools. As the shady soldier drew a few more steps, he suddenly stopped. "Hey Trevor?" Asked one of the soldiers, as they hammer through the wood and steel. Then suddenly, something sloppy rolled over towards one of them. It stopped at one of the soldier's foot.
"Ah..!!!" He screamed as he was filled with horror. The decapitated head of Trevor, staring dead at his eyes. It was dim but he knew that the head was staring at him. The decapitated head then grew spider-like appendages. It's mouth
splitting wide open and its skull grew morbid teeth. A demon. "Aaahh...--hmmm!! mm!!" The spider-like abomination jumped and latched on into the soldier's face, with him desperately trying to remove it. The body of Trevor then exploded into gory bits, mutating by mutilating from the inside out. Soon the screams was heard throughout the encampment, alerting the entire populace of the militia.
"Incoming up ahead! Demons!!!"
Yelled the watch-tower scouts. From the dark of the night, a horde of demonic ranks marched from the creeping shadows. Their blood-curdling groans and growls filled the chilling breeze. The militia went into a panic scramble. Grabbing their weapons and whatever they could find to defend themselves. They were not yet complete on their preparations.
"Everyone! Hold your pace and hold the line!!!"
Auvan and Viora stepped forth with their weapons at the ready.
"We have a war to win and a horde of demons won't stop us here!" As the Red-Hand gathered the morale, the ranks of the militia readied their blades. Lady Eurya appeared behind the siblings with her blade and pistol, charged to the brim with her mana. Vovin and Elleina with her magical incantations at her disposal.
"If we can't stand up to these demons then we have no chance of winning the upcoming battles! I plan to live through the night and shed some more blood of our enemies the next... ARE YOU!?!"
Auvan roared. The militia's morale went through the roof and they roared also in response. In a hurry, the militia immediately formed their defensive lines. They raised their tower shields and their spears aimed forward. A Three-row phalanx facing the incoming demonic horde. The massive praetorian, Vovin, stepped forth to the front and center of the
wall with Lady Eurya and Elle standing on his shoulders. The three siblings, Auvan, Viora and Kiva stood with the dravian ranks just behind the defensive wall.
The demonic horde drew ever closer to their prey. Claws, teeth and bladed appendages, these demons are created to devour and hunt. In their wake a shroud of pitch darkness followed. The horde stopped at a charging distance facing their prey. Roaring and growling at the militia to assert their horrifying presence. It was then the militia was found baffled as to why did the horde stopped.
"Ugh!" Suddenly, Elleina felt a bolt of pain struck her, like an arrow to the skull.
"Elleina!" Lady Eurya immediately turned her attention to the little elf girl.
"I feel... a violent essence. Pure hatred and malice." She whimpered as she tightly clasped her head.
"Hmmm..." Vovin narrowed his eyes under his
armored head, as he noticed a forboding darkness emerging from the demonic horde.
Then at the heart of the horde, stepped forth a dark and powerful figure. The figure donned an armor made from mutilated flesh, bone and steel; all aligned to form a twisted and sick masterpiece. From its helm, opened 3 slots, that reveal 3 glaring eyes. Then the jawline of its helm split into a fissure, revealing a malformed mouth; full of teeth made out of steel shrapnel and chipped bone. The demon emitted a powerful presence and its stance really stood out.
Slowly, it raised its blade up and with a narrowed glare, the demonic lieutenant roared. Its roared instantly filled the horde with pure unadulterated bloodlust. The demonic lieutenant swung its sword forward and the horde came barreling through.
"For Liberation! For Albias....!!!"
Auvan unleashed his warcry. The opposing sides clashed at each other with tremendous momentum.Vovin came bulldozing and trampling the lesser demons with his seemingly unstoppable momentum. Lady Eurya and Elleina both jumped off his shoulders, and rained unrelenting streams of magic that incinerated anything in its way. The phalanx then split into four separate lines. And behind those lines were the assault troops hid for cover.
A bulk of the horde came charging through, their sights set on one of the phalanx lines. The bulk altogether lunged at the defensive line. "Now!" The phalanx then shoved their tower shields to deflect the incoming blows, leaving their adversary open. As the demons were about to retaliate, the assault troops altogether jumped over the front line's wall with their blades. Most of them being the armed dravian warrior caste from Azalond. With their fierce momentum, they slashed and hacked their way through the bulk like a butcher knife to a soft meat. Gibs and demonic guts splattered as they mowed down any unlucky demon that stood in their way.
Eventually, the bulk of the demonic horde regained their pace, and began to turn the tables in. They charged altogether at the dravian assault. But before they could sink their teeth in, the demons were immediately barred by the wall of tower shields. The defensive line regrouped. Then from the gap of their shields, a gruesome end at the tip of the militia's spears.
"...Thanks."
One of the dravian warriors, expressed their immediate gratitude to the comrades who got their back covered. "Save it for later." The human soldier responded with his shield still raised, and his eyes on the enemy. Their preparations may be short-handed but these men and women are trained veterans. A battlefield is no place for racial differences and trivial bickering among allies. Each one of them knew that.
Elleina strode through the battlefield with both her hands brimmed with raw elemental power. With a wave of her arms, she summoned multiple jolts of elemental blasts.
"Haah!!!" The little elf girl threw both her arms forward. The accumulated mana exploded on impact, setting a sizable bulk of the demonic horde ablaze. Incinerated by the sheer wrath of the Fire and Wind element.
"Ah!"
Elleina flipped backwards as she saw bladed tendrils flailed from the flames towards her. The lesser demons now grew bony blades from their arms which they can stretch out and use as a flesh chain and sickle. Instead of panicking, Elle kept her focus. She channeled mana unto her arms and to her staff. The demons whipped their bladed tendrils towards the elf girl once more. Quickly reacting, Elle spun her staff and parried the incoming attacks. She flipped forward, over while spinning and swinging her staff.
Suddenly, four tendrils came flying at her with tremendous speed. Still maintaining her stance, she held her staff by its end and swung it forward; deflecting all of it all at once. With her gathered momentum, she launched herself up.
"Yaaah!!!" Elle slammed her staff to the ground, summoning an explosive impact that blew her adversaries away.
Then, just as she was about to ease her stance, a mass of demonic horde came charging from the aftermath of her attack. The demons then went all fours, ejecting their spines up, opening their massive jaws. From their mouths, they launched a volley of dark fireballs at the vulnerable little elf girl.
"Huh?" Elleina was about summon a protective shield, when suddenly, a barrage of magic missiles came flying from behind her. These projectiles rained down upon the demonic horde, eliminating their bulk in mere seconds. From behind her, stepped a squad of Dravian Shamans and
Human Mages, who came to her aid. "Are you alright, Lady Elleina?" One of the young mages hurriedly approached the little elf girl. "
Yes, thank you." The little elf girl giggled, relieved that her back was covered.
"Okay then, well... I don't know what would be the order but let's live through this one, yes?" With her encouragement and her attitude, it was enough to rouse up the morale of the squad.
Lady Eurya, zipped through the demonic horde with her spinning blade dance. The serpent lady paused suddenly as she felt the horde was slowly surrounding her.
"Hmph~ at this hunt... who is prey?" She then struck her blade to the ground, changing her blade to a Mana Greatsword. She spun around into her stance. Underneath her blindfolds, she carefully sized the horde numbers through her acute sense.
"Hah!"
With one big swing, Lady Eurya unleashed a powerful beam of velvet light that tore through the horde; like a knife through butter. Using the velocity of her swing, she threw her Mana Greatsword forward and drew her second blade and pistol from her back-hip. With her blurred movements and magic-attributed speed, she zipped through the horde at random directions like an astral thread; slashing and tearing through the demonic ranks.
As Lady Eurya landed, a swarm of flying demons buzzed through the air, Zipping through like dragonflies the size of a human. These demons are armed with blade-like claws in addition to their sheer speed. Lady Eurya held her hand up and summoned an astral shield, with the size of a barricade wall. Amplified by the speed and acceleration, the flying demons darted through the astral shield like it was wood. With their claws stuck on the barrier. The continue to swarm and dart through the shield, like a rain of daggers.
"Tch!"
Lady Eurya struggled, the shield won't hold any longer. With a blur of movement, she summoned at substitute phantasm to hold the barrier. She then raised her blade up, prompting the phantasm to push the swaming demons. The lady serpent then snapped her fingers, detonating the phantasm along with the demons stuck to its shield.
But the demonic horde was more tenacious than expected, as both ground and air was swarmed by the rest of demonic horde. Their numbers seemed endless. The serpent lady stood alone to the presence of the growing number of the demons.
"Well then. Let's take this, one notch up!" She sheathed back her blade and waved her left hand, summoning her second mana pistol.
The serpent lady was smiling from ear to ear. As she make her step, she summoned multiplying astral clones of her, wielding the same weapons like she was; forming a considerable defensive line. She raised her pistols and aimed, so did her astral clones. With a pull of a trigger, Lady Eurya and her clones unleashed a relentless barrage of magic bullets rained upon her enemies. Mowing them down by droves.
From the western flank, fiery explosions and powerful blasts of gusts decimate the dominant bulk of the demonic horde. Auvan and Viora mowed the strongest of the demons by waves.
"Haah!"
Like a whirling dervish of blade and tooth, the dravian girl fought at her fullest. Spinning with her bone chakrams at ready like wyvern talons. Each swing conjures a powerful gust with a force of a jet-stream. Viora lunged forth with both her arms stretched backwards.
"Crash!" With accumulated jet-streams on both chakrams, the dravian girl clashed the two forces together, creating a maelstrom shock wave that tore any demonic rank that dare stood in its wake.
Wasting no moment, Viora pointed her finger forward at her dazed foes.
"Archers, ready!" She ordered. Then from behind her, lit a dozen sparks of embers. Dravian archers, quipped with longbows and flame-tipped stakes.
"Fire!" With Viora's command, the demonic horde was bombarded with flaming stakes, half the size of a spear. They don't use arrows like the humans which makes them all the more intimidating.
Watching the sizable number of demons set ablaze and impaled by a hail of stakes, Viora prepared herself as she saw the persistent number of demons came trampling their comrade's charred carcasses. But this time, along with their numbers were heavily-armored demons. Armed with bony and spiked carapace, and huge armored fists. Just like the others, the demonic horde seemed to be well-prepared and well-armed for each and every one of the party.
Viora spun her bone chakrams and unfurled their hidden mechanism. Both forming into long, curved daggers; with the spikes of the chakram, forming the 'teeth' of the serrated blade.
"Forward!" Viora roared as she darted forth like a sonic boom. Using the momentum, she spun then flipped into a corkscrew maneuver whilst performing her attack.
"Ugh!" She felt her blade graze through the heavy demons' carapace. It was so tough that all her attacks can do was chip and scratch it.
"Guh... my hand. My blades can't cut through that armor." The dravian girl's grip went sore, due to the stress of her weapon hitting the tough carapace.
Her wind-imbued attacks were rendered useless as well, because all it did was push the heavy demons by an inch. They were slow but had resilient physical form and stance, like a mountain rock.
The dravian archers fire another volley of flaming stakes. But the stakes only bounce off their carapace. Then as the heavy demons close the gap, they opened their back-carapace, revealing lesser demons aboard them. The minions lunged towards Viora. She would react but the sore grip rendered her arms paralyzed for a few seconds.
"Ah!"
Before the demons could reach their claws on her, Auvan came to her aid, and hacked them with one swoop. "Brother!" Viora was glad to see her elder brother to join the battle.
"Pick yourself up, Viora. These dark ones are our sworn enemy, Vaolan watches over us in this battle." The Red-Hand set both his arms ablaze, bathed in fire. Unfurling his elbow scythes, he took stance with his sister.
"Men, forward!!!" Auvan roared like an enraged beast. Him and Viora lead the charge of the dravian warrior caste.
Auvan, with his flame-bathed scythes, easily cut through the heavy demons' carapace. Dismembering and disemboweling them effectively. While he dispatched the heavy demons, Viora and the rest of the warrior caste move in to eliminate the lesser demons that come out of their carcasses.
"Hmph!"
With a full swing of his flaming scythes, Auvan conjured a fiery slash and fissure at the demonic horde, incinerating then with the fires of the Red-Hand's fury.
"Haah!!!" Viora then swooped in and connects a clashing jetstream with both her daggers. The maelstrom impact turned the fissure into a massive wall of flame, decimating the persistent march of the horde.
At the heart of the march, the demonic lieutenant raised his blade. With an echoing screech, the ground shook, violently churning the earth. Then from the depths of the earth rose massive demons the size of a Praetorian. Easily towers over Vovin by 2 feet. A sizable, ten of them rose from the ground at the behest of the demonic lieutenant.
"Ugh..."
The giant praetorian locked hands with the massive abominations. Vovin tried to overpower his enemy but the demon didn't even budge an inch. The abomination shrieked and with an advancing step, slowly shoved Vovin back. A wave of lesser demons came flowing pass both the deadlocked abomination and the praetorian. "...!!!" He noticed the wave was coming towards Elleina's direction, throwing off his focus. The demon broke the deadlock and connects an uppercut right through the praetorian's armored jaw. "Mmmph----uuoohh!!!" Vovin felt another blow from the demon hit him right at his face. The force of the blow, sent him tumbling back.
Using his physical strength, the giant armored entity flipped back to recover his stance, and enveloped his fists with purple flames. Like a charging minotaur, Vovin bulldozed through the horde, then clashed strikes with his opponent. Both of their strikes shook the earth; two titanic forces colliding like that of legends. They both pulled back, then using its long, bony arm, the massive demon thrust its claw forth to the praetorian. He clenched his flaming armored fist and weaved to dodge his opponent's claw attack. With a full impact, Vovin landed his punch through the abomination's skull. The punch was so powerful that it utterly obliterated the massive demon's head to a bloody stump.
As Vovin was about to recover, he saw the remaining 9 more of these monstrosities marching at them. And behind them was an endless flow of lesser demons, being summoned by the demonic lieutenant. With the sheer number of the horde, they would need to confront the demonic lieutenant directly. But every time they push through the enemy lines, dozens of waves always came charging through to push them back. At this rate, they'll be too worn out to continue through Baltam Garrison, or worse, be devoured by the horde on where they stood.
The ranks of the militia were now picking up stress and fatigue through the battle. Elleina, Lady Eurya, Auvan, Viora, and Vovin were putting up quite a fight. But if they lose their pace, they will be overwhelmed.
All was close to the edge of giving up, then suddenly...
A ricocheting trail of light came zooming to the battlefield, decimating and cutting every demon it passes. This light landed on the mound of demonic carcass. The light shrank into a beam, forming a figure holding a white sword. His white cloak brushed through the wind, facing the demonic lieutenant from the distance with his golden eyes.
"Drake!"
"He's here..."
Elleina and Viora was jolted with happiness, as they saw their commander finally stepping forth into the field. Then following Drake, two huge beams of light was fired from above them. Light, being the demon's paramount weakness, disintegrated any demon that stood in its path of destruction. The magic was so strong that the light easily disembowels one of the massive abominations. A bright, illuminated figure descended from above the black-mantled sky. This figure donned golden armor over her sacred robe and veil, wielding a white winged staff.
"About time, Ymierre."
The serpent lady smirked as she felt the ethereal woman's presence on the battlefield. Ymierre landed beside Drake, crushing a burnt demon skull with her golden boots.
Suddenly, a huge iron and bone mass flattened one of the approaching massive demon. This mass was fastened to a huge chain. The mass was then revealed to be a Dragonskull hammer. Auvan quirked up as he recognized the weapon. He looked to where the chain lead, and he couldn't been more right.
"Sister!"
With the utter of his words, the entire dravian ranks looked around to see their chieftain now fully recovered, armed in full dravian battle-gear. The same armor she wore in Azalond. She pulled back her massive hammer and caught it with just one hand. Kiva was now back at her full strength.
The demonic horde grew furious and rabid and quickly picked up speed. Soon a mass wave of them came flowing towards the three apexes of the Liberation army. Leading them were two massive abominations lunged their claws at them. Then in a blink of an eye, red streams of slashes with trails of black energy drew on both their massive bodies. In front of Drake, landed the black-clad wanderer with his sword, Muon, fully drawn. Alt sheathed his sword and in an instant, the demons were cut into ribbons.
Genkotsugan!
Alt connects a punch that broke the sound barrier at point-blank, creating a fissure on the air itself. The fissure held the lesser demons at bay, then the air fissure unleashed a powerful impact that blew the demonic wave, sending them flying back.
"All abosrd Captain Alteisen! Hahaha! At your service!"
It was official, Alt was now instated by the position of Captain of the Liberation army.
"Men, today and the next, this will be our fate. This will be a war against impossible odds. But fear not! Some of you may die on this day, know this, I will do everything in my power to protect you all! I will not sit in a tent to wait for results, I will stand with you side-by-side! Back-to-back! My blood shed and my hands dirty. Because today, I am now responsible for your lives!"
Drake, with his chin up high, flexed his charisma and truthfulness of his word and honor before his men.
"Rest assured, we will overcome this, if you don't believe in me then believe in your comrades--believe in yourselves! You either win it all or fall to hell! This war, I plan to win... For the liberation! for Albias!"
With a swing of his white sword, the young knight roused his men's morale and the militia charged it with all their might towards the demonic horde.
To be Continued...