Chapter 604: Empire’s Invasion [22]


    Laid on a fine mattress of blood and bodily fluids, the necrotic skin of the s possessed doctor and unfortunate child dispersed around. The cast of Astral Binding took a lot of power. The minute mana reserve was once again teetering on the verge of uselessness. ‘Phew,’ arms to the nearest walls, ‘-a striking headache. I feel so bad.’ The overall Aedric energy soothed to a stop. The parchments drifted weightlessly in a purple hue. ‘I’ve sealed the curse. Time to gather strength.’ *Mana Control: Wave,*y lines of spirit energy permeated throughout the room. *Mana Control: Vortex,* dormant outlines flowed into a fixpoint atop his index. A subtly present breeze spun, *Mana Control: Regeneration.* Invisible hands wed up the arm to strike the neck, ‘-should keep me up for a while. Too bad my element’s still recovering from the outburst. Just have to make do with what’s avable.’ *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads.*


    Afternoon led to dark out, the ckened night-lit per a million mes, taverns, inns, households, and torches. Compared to the more technologically advanced towns and cities, Glenda stood on the lesser side. Most things were done using mana and magic. The mes were gentle and nice, warm and peaceful. In a ce where dark meant death, the tranquility aided in many quantities.


    *Click,* the hospice door opened, “dark out already?” remarked Igna.


    “My lord,” hailed Undre, “-are you well?” he rushed over.


    “No need for being overprotective,” he returned coldly, “-seems this part of town has been closed. There’s no shred of light nor presence of the populous, care to exin?”


    “The Aedric curse, my lord,” said he, “-we know of the gravity it imposes. Thereys no better cure than safety.”


    “Yeah, I get it, no need for further exnation,” the sleeves unrolled in an albeit less amiable state. “-The hospice should be cleansed from the gue. Issue this order to the guild, no one is to venture out into the northern hills. Vanesa’s cave is to be deemed a threat to the town’s folk. Have I made myself clear?”


    .....


    “Yes, my lord.” Few deep footsteps and off was the steward into purer light. The nurses worked as hard as they could, magic and medicine, quite the humble profession. Hands in pocket, the solemn nightfall felt appeasing. ‘Someone’s here,’ he ambled forth till an intersection.


    “My Lord Baron,” pleaded a housewife, “-is my child, ok?” her eyes watered as did her sharpened canines. A shadow cast just above her nose, covering the most damning ce for reading a person.


    “What did he look like?” inquired Igna in less of a tactful demeanor.


    “Short, red hair-”


    “Yes, he’s fine. Matter of fact, everyone’s safe. It shouldn’t be news,” he frowned, “-I’ve sworn to protect this town. I’ll do whatever it takes to undo harm upon my people, is that understood?”


    Harsh with an added undertone of ‘I don’t care,’ the heavier words befell the catdy’s ears. An onught of which rendered the feeble heartbroken beyond repair. “My lord,” said she, “-addressing citizens in such a manner will bring about hatred and mistrust.”


    “So, do I care?” the arms crossed, “-listen, June of the Nisel tribe, your people might have failed to protect thynd, Glenda will not suffer the same fate. Look at the boy, he was sent on god knows what errand to said vile cave. A mother should be more responsible for her child. If it’s all you asked, then I’ll be on my way.”


    The distance grew, her hopeless plea resolved to stand, “-lord of Glenda,” came a rather obnoxious tone, “-would you care for a dance?”


    “No thank you,” returned he smugly tipping his head, “-such a pathetic attempt at assassination.”


    “What the?” her feet were bound to a scarlet light.


    “Scared, are we?” he smirked, “-may thee have a not so nice afterlife,” *Blood-Arts: Extria,* a snap, her cirction reversed to burst from every pore. *Blood-Arts: Bloody Mary.*


    ‘Never expected for a spy to be in Glenda,’ *crunch,* ‘-such a small apple. Not enough to quench my thirst. Anyway,’ the walk resumed brazenly. Night followed to beyond the town. Draconis ran amok fighting off monsters and destroying much of the surrounding. Keeping him in check was hopeless. Joined by Julius and Malley, the initial task of the wall resumed. “The speed’s increased,”mented Igna.


    “Yes, I’ve been working hard,” returned Julius, “-got over my limits, creation’s power is awesome.”


    “We’re just getting started.”


    Morning rose to a noise-filled guildhall. Most of the quests were somewhat linked to Vanesa’s cave. An absence of job meant trouble; the local adventurers took on private quests issued by their individual guilds. This meant, they could possibly be ordered to kill a person for the sake of money. The Central Guild couldn’t do anything to protect against such threats. Between freedom and imprisonment of the falling economic situation, mistrust sowed the seed of conflict.


    “What’s up with them?” wondered E sipping on tea,


    “Perhaps a bug crawled up their bottom,” returned Ellie.


    “Please you two,” sighed Goldie, “-no more disgusting images, especially during mealtime.”


    “But Goldie,” argued Ellie, “-the posteriors must hurt from all the-”


    “I’m going to hurl,” cried Kein, “-p-please m-m-make them stop.”


    “I mean,” said E, “-what if it was the meal, look at the soup, looks as if the innards of a roach.”


    “At my limit,” tears of difort fell, “-I need to run,” she gagged and darted for the washroom.


    “We did it,” winked E.


    “She hurls once more,” *p,* a high-five, “-good job sister,” grimaced Ellie.


    “These two,”ined Ling, “-I’m at my wit’s end.”


    On another table for eight, Leonard and Rena were at it in an argument. Lampard leaned vulgarly, Cole and  fought in an intense staring contest. Jen and Anna were the only two who spoke humanely, meanwhile, Frost had dozed off onto the table.


    “Ok guys, listen up,” said Anna, “-we’ve all grown ustomed tomon sense and life here in general. We should get to work, the teams will be the usual split. Here are two quests, one’s an investigation of Apid Vige, apparently, there have been monster sightings. The next one is an escort mission to Upen Vige.”


    “We’ll take the Apid quest,” said Jen.


    “Alright, we’ll take the Upen quest then,” returned Anna.


    Meanwhile, outside the town; *Gate,* “-I’ll see you two tomorrow.” Glenda stood directly to the left.


    “Later,” returned the couple.


    A full-night work, ‘-I want to sleep,’ he dove straight into bed. Time showed 07:00. ‘Made a lot of progress, we’re looking atpletion in three months. I’ll rest awhile.’


    Far, far away into enemy territory, perched atop a gigantean branch, watched an ever-mncholic princess. “Princess Eira,” bowed a man in white and golden armor.


    “And you are?” she returned without much intrigue.


    “Kion Hurworth, summoned hero of another world, it’s nice to make your acquaintance.”


    “The pleasure isn’t mutual,” she snarled.


    “Please mydy, I wish only to exchange a few words,” the friendly smile kept on radiating.


    “Look at you,” two stepster she reappeared in a white mist, “-hero of another world. Are you perhaps intrigued by my vestment, my visage, or my aura, what is it. I smell the perfume of multipledies in waiting.”


    “Figured me out already,” the warm tone dropped, “-well, no matter,” he moved to sit before a disy of nature’s marvel. “Lady Eira, I have a favor to ask.”


    “What is it?” she joined and settled.


    “Would you kindly lend me an ear? Out of the whole castle, her highness feels different and standoffish. For one, the sight of demi-humans doesn’t seem to bother.”


    “And, what’s the conclusion of the simple observation?”


    “Nothing much really,” he leaned to gaze the heavy foliage, “-my world and this world isn’t so different. The ss system, disparities, and the evesting will to fight. I’m at a loss. I once blindly obeyed the church and did their bidding. The Empire’s a strange ce, dictatorial and ominous. Even so, the Emperor doesn’t feel much inclined in conquering the world or whatnot. He has charm and authority – we only came to fight because of the Church. Is it right or wrong, we invaded an otherwise peaceful ce for the sake of righteousness. I say this out of pure curiosity, why do humans hate non-humans so much. I was once rewarded by countless ves to be made ythings by a curious man from Alphia. It disgusted me. In my past life, I was nothing, no power, no authority, no sense of aplishment or dreams. It led to a sad ending, I decided to end my own life. It was in thosest seconds that I realized; life wasn’t meant to be thrown away. Well, look at me now, a supposed hero who’s killed for the sake of cleansing. I don’t know really, what is right and what is wrong...”


    “I don’t know either,” returned Eira, “-the good and bad, what’s the reference for such measurements. Hidros’ a ce of hypocrites and selfishness. I’ve seen the noble greed first hand, I was rejected as an infant, thrown in a river to die,” she unknowingly stared off into the distance, “-this continent was once part of the Empire. Until the Holy Krestonian invasion. Queen Gallienne, my birth mother, was quite the sadist. She single-handedly ruined my childhood by taking away the man who rescued me from death. I was then raised by thepanions he made along the way, trained in the ways of battle, living in a war-torn country. Her ascension to the throne would have been the end of the province... and I say, would have. Instead, the man I call father vowed to ally the provinces. I lost everything; the church took away the people who raised me.”


    “The Empire’s not far from what Hidros did. People were wrongfully executed, burnt to the stakes for being deemed a heretic. King Lucifer is a good man, his ambition is to unite Hidros under the Empire once more.”


    “Unity can never be achieved by constant fighting,” refuted Eira.


    “In a way, it’s true. Still, words can only do so much. The Blood-king’s faction kills without restraint. They smugly burnt Major Chod in retribution for the extermination of the lizardmen. I knew him personally, a father of five, married to a baroness. He was a very loved lord. What about her highness, why do you fight, why partake the side of the church, didn’t they take what was precious?”


    “I realized it along the way, the father who I venerated so much was the one responsible for their deaths. If he hadn’t done what he did, my family would still be around. In the end, Imitted patricide. His defeat awakened a part of me I never knew existed. I no longer live in his shadow, no longer bound by his extreme grandeur and presence.”


    “Ha-ha.”


    “What’s so funny?” fired she.


    “I meant no disrespect. It’s just, the way the visage softens when thee reminisces is lovely.”


    “Whatever, mister hero.”


    “I ought to get going,” two lovelydies teleported inplete silence, “-mypanions wait.”


    “Sure,” she whisked away, the tender expression froze.


    “Kion, what happened between you and her highness?” inquired a very elegantly dresseddy.


    “Nothing much, just a pleasant talk. She’s not a traitor,” returned he, “-her motives are pedestrian at most. We should focus on the next attack. The pests of Arda will know the pain of hurting my countrymen.”


    “You tell ’em,” said the second smallerdy.


    “My friends, please ept my gratitude,” he knelt, “-if not for thy support, I’d have never made it to where I am now.”


    “Stop it,” they knelt, “-we’re forever bound to you, Kion. Our journey has only begun, the Empire will get his way.”


    “We shall clean the garbage left on our doorstep. Hidros is rightfully ours, none shall ever take it away!”


    *ACHOO,* the bed rocked, “-MY LORD!” screamed the steward.


    ‘What a strange dream...’ time showed 07:50, ‘-a hero and Eira.’


    “ARE YOU WELL?”


    “Shut it!”